**Timeline: The night before Ko and Kenika's date**
**Location: Raibon Mansion**
The birds began to settle as the golden glow of dusk filled the atmosphere. The flowers slowly closed their petals, while the gentle wind carried away the day's last warmth as the sun gradually disappeared beyond the horizon.
"Xenoki, did you find anything about the golden aura surrounding that boy?"
A woman's silhouette, quietly sipping coffee in the darkness, asked in a majestic voice.
"No, Milady. He appears to be an ordinary high school student. We have been monitoring him for the past five months, but no unusual activity has been detected," the man standing by the door replied.
Although his voice and mannerisms resembled those of a loyal servant, his posture told a different story. He stood there as though he owned the mansion.
"We will now begin our full-fledged test from now on, I'll inform Kenika about it," the mysterious woman said.
"I'll make the necessary arrangements, Milady," the man replied, bowing his head before leaving.
The woman simply let out a thoughtful "Hmm" as she took another sip of her coffee.
**Timeline: A week after Ko and Kenika's date**
"Mom, I'm leaving! Tell Dad if he gets home before evening," Ko called out as he stepped outside and reached for his bicycle.
"Come home before five, okay?" his mother shouted from the living room.
Ko climbed onto his bicycle.
"Let's go, Dullahan."
With a smile, he began pedaling toward the Raibon Mansion.
On the way, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Hey, Kooo!"
Ko turned around to see May waving at him with a bright, warm smile.
He got off his bicycle, raised his hand in greeting, and gave her a gentle wave.
She quickly caught up to him.
"Ko, did you finish the assignment I gave you yesterday?"
"Ah, yes. I finished it yesterday. I'll give it to you tomorrow at school," Ko replied.
May cheerfully grabbed his hands.
"Thank you, Ko! Hahaha!"
She paused for a moment before glancing at his bicycle.
"Where are you going?" she asked curiously.
"I'm going to Kenika's house for lunch. Remember the day we talked on the school grounds? I met her aunt that day, and she invited me over for lunch," Ko explained as he noticed the pout on May's face.
"What are you making that face for?" Ko asked teasingly.
"Hmph, nothing!"
She turned her face away.
"Okay, I gotta go now. I came to the convenience store to buy some snacks. Bye, Ko!"
With that, she ran into the store beside them.
Ko waved goodbye with a smile. As he got back on his bicycle, he suddenly became aware of his surroundings.
People seemed to be smiling more than usual.
*Ahh… it seems to be a good day.*
With that thought, he continued riding toward the Raibon Mansion.
The sun had reached the center of the sky, shining brighter than ever. His raven-black hair gently swayed in the breeze as it absorbed the warm sunlight.
Ko arrived at the gates of the Raibon Mansion and entered the courtyard. After parking his bicycle, he walked toward the mansion's main entrance.
Beautiful flowers he had never seen before basked in the bright sunlight while bees busily gathered their sweet nectar.
Then, one flower caught his attention.
A pink, tulip-like flower stood isolated from the rest of the garden, its petals still tightly closed despite the daylight. Strangely, more bees seemed to gather around that single flower than around the entire garden combined.
Curious, Ko walked over and squatted in front of it.
He silently observed it for a full minute.
*Why is this flower sitting here all alone? Is it one of those flowers that only bloom at night?*
"Don't you feel lonely sitting here away from the other flowers with your petals still closed?" Ko asked, gently poking it with his index finger.
The flower responded to his touch by loosening its petals ever so slightly.
"Oops… did I just mess with your biology?" Ko muttered as he stood up and walked toward the mansion's main door.
Ko hesitated for a moment before pressing the doorbell, his previous encounter with Kenika's uncle still fresh in his mind.
"Coming!" a sweet, familiar voice called out from inside.
Ko could feel the excitement in her footsteps as they hurried toward the door.
*She sure is excited… haha.*
The door swung open.
"Come in!" Kenika greeted him with an excited smile.
Ko stepped inside and took off his sneakers.
"Kenny, your feet aren't even touching the ground. Why are you so excited?" Ko asked, noticing how restless she had become.
"Why do you ask? Because it's the first time I'm letting a boy into my house," she replied, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Umm… Kenny, did your fever eat away your memory?" Ko asked with a concerned expression.
"Hmm? What are you talking about, stupid Ko?" she asked, pouting in annoyance.
"I visited when you were sick, remember?" Ko reminded her.
"That doesn't count! This is the first time you're visiting my house properly, understand?" Kenika warned him in a playfully menacing tone.
"Yes, Milady. My memory of you being sick—and your adorable attempt to kiss me—has been completely erased," Ko replied, suppressing a laugh.
"You goofy! Why did you have to remind me of that now?"
She gave his arm a light, playful smack.
"Come on, let's go inside. Or are you planning to stand here teasing me all day?" she said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him further into the house.
They entered the living room, where Kenika let go of his arm and switched on the lights.
The warm yellow glow filled the room.
For the first time, Ko saw her clearly.
Her purple house gown contrasted beautifully with her black-brown hair, making the scarlet tips stand out even more.
Captivated by the sight, Ko gently took hold of her left arm and pulled her a little closer. He reached out and began absentmindedly playing with the scarlet ends of her hair.
"Kenny… your scarlet hair tips look beautiful with your purple gown," Ko said softly as he twirled a strand around his index finger.
"Right? They look cute, don't they? Haha," Kenika said as she slipped out of his grasp and walked into the kitchen to get drinks for both of them.
"Where are your aunt and uncle? I thought they'd be home since it's the weekend," Ko asked, looking around the house.
"Auntie went to the supermarket to restock groceries for the week, and my uncle rarely comes home. He said he'll be out until midnight today," Kenika replied as she rummaged through the refrigerator.
Ko walked toward the kitchen and noticed a strange, planet-shaped clock that didn't seem to be telling the correct time.
*Is this also one of their weird gadgets? What's it even used for?*
He continued toward the kitchen entrance.
"What the…!"
Ko froze in shock.
The Raibon Mansion's kitchen was in complete chaos.
Eggshells were scattered across the floor. Panko crumbs covered the stove, while half-fried, burnt hash browns hung over the edge of the counter.
Kenika noticed him standing at the entrance.
"What happened here? Did your uncle have a fight with the kitchen demon or something?" Ko asked, blinking as he struggled to process the scene before him.
"Ahh… umm… remember when I told you my aunt is clumsy when it comes to housework and cooking? She woke up early and made everything herself. She… kind of messed up a little. Haha."
Kenika scratched the back of her head with an awkward laugh.
"Your definition of 'a little' doesn't make any sense," Ko replied with a concerned expression.
He looked around for a moment before quietly bending down to pick up the eggshells scattered across the floor.
"I didn't think it was this bad when I heard you talk about it," he said while gathering the broken shells.
"Ko, what are you doing? Leave it there. The servants will clean it later."
"You want this place to smell like eggs and burnt potatoes until they get here? Come on, let's clean it together."
Kenika nodded, and the two of them began cleaning the kitchen.
Ko gathered the eggshells and wiped the floor clean while Kenika cleaned the stove.
"You got any dish soap or something to clean the counter, Kenny?" Ko asked as he tossed the burnt hash browns into the trash.
"Yes, it's in the cupboard under the sink," Kenika replied.
Ko looked up and saw his girlfriend doing the chores while wearing an apron.
Something about seeing her like that stirred something inside him.
He walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Ko, what are you doing? What if my aunt comes back?" Kenika asked, her voice flustered.
Without saying a word, Ko tightened his embrace and buried his face in her hair.
Kenika grabbed one of his hands and bit his index finger.
Instead of reacting, Ko simply watched her with a gentle, teasing smile.
His reaction left Kenika confused.
She let go of his finger and frowned.
"What? Why are you smiling? Doesn't that hurt?" she asked, sounding slightly disappointed.
"Kenny…"
Ko paused, trying to hold back his laughter.
"You looked like a cute little bunny trying to eat a carrot. Hahaha."
He finally burst into laughter.
"Hmph… let's finish cleaning, okay?" she mumbled, turning her head away as she resumed wiping the counter.
Amused by his girlfriend's adorable reaction, Ko returned to cleaning as well.
Once they finished, they took a moment to tidy up the kitchen.
"Ah, look at it now!" Ko said with a smug grin.
"Don't act so smug. I helped too," Kenika replied, placing both hands on her waist.
"Yes, yes. Now let's go sit on the couch. My legs are starting to hurt," Ko said as he headed toward the living room.
He sat down on the couch with a tired sigh and waited for Kenika.
After washing her hands in the kitchen, Kenika called out,
"Ko, where did you put the towel?"
"Ahh, it's beside the stove," Ko shouted back from the living room.
Kenika dried her hands, walked over, and sat beside him.
The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a minute.
"Kenny…"
"Hmm?"
She tilted her head toward him.
"I'm kind of disappointed that I won't get to see your aunt cook today. After everything you told me, I was actually looking forward to it," Ko said as he stared up at the ceiling.
"Consider yourself lucky you didn't. After seeing what happened to the kitchen, you still wanted to watch her cook?!"
Kenika gave him a suspicious look.
"Oh, now I remember! Let's watch the movies I got from May," Ko said as he rummaged through his backpack.
"Hmm? Who's May?" Kenika asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You don't know? She's my classmate," Ko replied with a straight face.
"Ooh…"
With that, Kenika fell silent.
Ko pulled out a DVD titled *Spider-Boy: Running Away From Home*. He inserted it into the DVD player before asking,
"Kenny, where's the remote?"
He searched through the drawer beneath the TV.
No answer.
Ko turned toward her.
Kenika sat there quietly, sulking.
He walked over and stood in front of her for a few seconds before gently placing his fingertips beneath her chin.
"Hey… what's wrong?"
As he lifted her face, she immediately turned away with a little "Hmph."
"Are you sulking over May?" Ko asked, reading her like a book.
She simply shook her head while avoiding his gaze.
Ko gently cupped her cheeks and turned her face toward him.
For a few silent seconds, they looked into each other's eyes.
Without realizing it, Kenika subconsciously started nibbling on the thumb resting against her cheek.
Seeing this, Ko let out a quiet sigh of relief.
A faint smile spread across his face.
He waited a few seconds to see whether she would notice what she was doing.
When she didn't…
…his smile finally gave way to laughter.
"Why are you laughing, stupid Ko?!" Kenika asked with an annoyed expression.
"Do you feel anything in your mouth?" Ko asked with a mischievous grin.
Only then did Kenika realize what she had been doing.
She immediately let go of his thumb and gently pushed him away.
With a teasing smile, Ko sat beside her.
"So… you like my fingers, Kenny?" he asked, poking her cheek with his index finger.
Just then, a door across the living room opened.
"Ahh, Auntie is home!" Kenika said.
"Eh? Out of nowhere?"
Ko paused for a moment.
"Wait… a Dokodemo Door? Did you guys lock Doraemon in your basement or something?" he asked with a completely serious face.
Hearing that, Kenika burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! What are you even saying, you goofy? Our mansion has three entrances."
"You guys seem to be having fun."
A mature, commanding voice broke the moment.
Ko turned toward the entrance.
Saya stood by the doorway, her brown hair gently swaying in the breeze drifting in from outside. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead like a pearl gliding across a pale pink lotus petal.
She gracefully slipped off her sandals and walked toward the couch.
Ko couldn't find a single wasted movement in her actions.
He silently watched her approach, sitting stiffly on the couch like a snowman.
"What are you two talking about?" Saya asked as she ran her fingers through her choppy bob haircut.
"Ah, nothing much. Ko just wants to watch you cook," Kenika replied playfully.
Saya folded her arms and leaned down until she was at eye level with Ko.
"You want to watch me cook, boy?"
"Umm… y-yes, Ma'am," Ko stammered after finding himself face-to-face with Saya.
"In your dreams," Saya teased in a low, gentle voice that carried a playful warmth.
To be continued…