After some time passed, the quiet inside the house was broken by the sound of the doorbell.
Urano, sitting without much movement, slowly raised his head and glanced toward the entrance. His voice was low and lazy, as he spoke.
"Must be her…"
From the other room, Mrs. Aike's voice came calmly in reply.
"I'll open it. No need for you to move, you must be tired."
Urano didn't respond. He simply leaned back, letting his head rest, listening to the faint sounds of footsteps moving toward the front door.
The door opened.
Standing outside was Renka in her school uniform, holding two plastic bags in both hands. She had paused mid step, looking slightly uncertain. When she lifted her gaze and saw the woman in front of her, she froze for a moment.
Mrs. Aike also stopped moving.
Her eyes lingered on Renka's face longer than necessary, studying her quietly. Renka noticed the silence and tilted her head slightly, confusion flickering across her expression. After a brief hesitation, she bowed politely in greeting.
Mrs. Aike continued to look at her, her brows drawing together just a little.
"Have we… met before?" she asked slowly.
Renka straightened, surprised and confused.
Mrs. Aike watched her for another second, then gave a small, uncertain laugh.
"Ah… perhaps it's just my imagination."
She stepped aside and gestured toward the inside of the house.
"You're Kenzo's friend, right? Go on in. He's inside."
Renka's expression softened into a small smile. She nodded in thanks and stepped over the threshold.
She carefully took off her shoes, setting them neatly by the entrance, then walked inside quietly, still holding the plastic bags as the door closed behind her.
"I'm here."
Urano's voice came from the living room, calm and unhurried.
Renka followed the sound and soon spotted him sitting comfortably. She walked toward him with light steps and lowered herself to sit in front of him, careful and polite. After settling down, she reached into her bag and took out the book she had borrowed. She held it out with both hands and then signed a quiet thank you, her movements gentle and sincere.
Urano accepted the book and glanced at its worn cover. He looked back at her and spoke casually.
"This one's pretty hard. But I guess it must've been a piece of cake for you."
Renka shook her head right away. Her hands moved slowly as she signed, admitting that it was difficult for her too. She added that she hadn't even managed to finish it yet.
Urano blinked, a little surprised.
"Then why are you returning it already?" he asked. His eyes drifted to her clothes.
"And… why are you in your school uniform? Isn't it Saturday?"
Renka nodded and began to sign again.
"The student council still hasn't solved their problems." she explained.
"And with the festival only a week away, we're working even during the holidays." She added.
"I'm on my way to school now. I brought snacks for the president and the others.".
Urano watched her hands for a moment before replying.
"Huh… must be hard being a council member."
Renka only smiled at that.
From behind them, the sound of footsteps approached. Mrs. Aike entered the room, wiping her hands with a cloth.
"Oh," she said suddenly, remembering something.
"Didn't you used to say that one day you'd join the council too? You said you wanted to help people in need."
Urano's eyes widened slightly. He turned toward her, caught off guard. Renka also looked back, her expression showing clear surprise before she glanced at Urano again.
"That was… something I said a long time ago," Urano replied, brushing it off lightly.
He paused, then gestured toward Mrs. Aike.
"Anyway, Renka, this is Mrs. Aike. She raised me here since I was a kid."
Renka turned fully toward her this time, curiosity filling her eyes. Mrs. Aike returned her gaze with a warm welcoming smile.
"And," Urano added, "she's also the one who taught me sign language."
Renka's face lit up instantly. A wide smile spread across her face, and a soft blush colored her cheeks as she signed in excitement.
"Really!"
Mrs. Aike responded smoothly in sign language, her movements.
"Yes. Nice to meet you, Renka."
Renka was about to reply when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out and glanced at the screen. The sender name read: "Lord President!"
The message said:
"Renka, where are you? We're writing for you, please hurry up!"
A sad cat sticker followed.
Renka sighed silently, then slipped the phone back into her pocket. She signed an apology, explaining that she had to go now because they were waiting for her.
Mrs. Aike smiled and said.
"I was just about to prepare some food for you to eat."
Renka began to stand, signing quickly as she moved.
"Sorry! Next time."
Mrs. Aike watched her with gentle eyes as she headed for the door.
"Next time, huh…" she murmured with a smile.
Renka waved goodbye, put on her shoes, and stepped outside.
Urano remained seated, his gaze following her until the door closed.
Mrs. Aike picked up the glass Urano had been drinking tea from and shook her head softly.
"Such a sweet girl," she said. "It's hard to believe someone like her is mute."
Urano looked at her quietly for a moment before answering.
"Yeah…"
Renka walked along the quiet street at an unhurried pace, the plastic bags in her hands rustling softly with each step. As she passed by the road, her gaze drifted to the side.
The orphanage stood there.
She slowed down and turned her head, looking back at the building for a moment. The sun light brushed over its walls, gentle and calm, making everything feel still.
Urano's voice surfaced in her mind, clear and steady.
"She raised me here since I was a kid."
Renka stopped walking.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the handles of the bags. She stood there, letting the words sink in.
Then, another voice followed, overlapping the memory.
Sugato's words echoed back to her mind.
"He is from a very wealthy family."
Renka's brows drew together faintly.
Her eyes moved between the orphanage and the path ahead.
She didn't try to force an answer. Instead, she took a slow breath and looked forward again. With a small shift of her grip, she hugged the bags closer to her chest and resumed walking.