Luckily for Odette, she had some spare clothes stashed in her tote bag that she'd conveniently left in the infirmary earlier. After everything that had happened, she snuck away to retrieve them, using the time alone to clear her head.
By the time she returned to the Ayase household, Okarun and Momo were waiting, concern evident on their faces. Okarun, in particular, looked like he hadn't relaxed once since they'd been separated during the chaos.
Okarun dried her tears as best as he could, his fingers brushing gently against her cheeks. Momo sat nearby, occasionally chiming in with her usual blunt humor, but the atmosphere felt oddly serene. Odette accepted their comfort, eventually smiling again, though her body still ached in places she didn't want to admit.
——
After the chaos of the past few hours, the atmosphere at the Ayase household was surprisingly cozy. The scent of Seiko's homemade noodles wafted through the small but inviting living room. Odette sat cross-legged on the floor, letting the steam from her bowl of beef noodles warm her face.
The shower she'd taken earlier had helped immensely, washing away the grime and tension of their fight with Acro Silky. Now, wrapped in a sense of normalcy, she could finally breathe—if only the company weren't so questionable.
As Odette rejoined the group, the tantalizing aroma of Seiko's homemade noodles filled the room. She grabbed a bowl and settled next to Okarun, who instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer.
