Mom stands and begins clearing our empty plates. "Kaito, why don't you take the rest of the afternoon off to spend time with your brother?" she suggests kindly. Before I can insist I don't mind working, she adds, "It's not every day we have a hero-in-training visit."

  She beams at Jirou, obviously thrilled to have him home. Jirou rubs the back of his neck modestly. "Hardly a hero yet, Mom. I'm just doing what I can." Still, I see a flicker of pride in his eyes at her words.

  I hop up to help Mom with the dishes. "Thanks," I whisper to her. I know she's giving me and Jirou space to talk if we need it. She smiles and pats my cheek. "I'll be in the back if you boys need anything." With that, Mom retreats to the kitchen, humming softly.

  Jirou stretches and stands as well, taking a moment to peek out the front windows of the cafe. The street outside is quiet, early afternoon sunlight slanting across the pavement. He seems to be weighing something in his mind. Now that Mom's gone to the back, his face loses a bit of that performative cheer. I decide it's time to address the elephant in the room.

  "So," I say slowly, leaning against a table, "are you going to tell me what's really going on?"

  Jirou blinks at me innocently. "What do you mean?" I gesture vaguely at him. "You, showing up out of the blue on a weekday, checking your phone every five minutes… You're bad at hiding when something's bothering you, you know."

  He sighs, a small rueful smile tugging at his lips. "Damn. I thought I was being smooth."

  "Not to your little brother, you're not," I reply softly. I'm not sure I'm ready for a bad news bomb, but I need to know.

  Jirou steps closer and lowers his voice. His expression grows serious, the playful glint from earlier completely gone now. "Alright. You caught me," he murmurs. "There is… something. But first," – he meets my eyes intently – "Has Dad tried to contact you or Karui at all? Any calls, messages… anything?"

  The directness of the question takes me off guard. I feel an uneasy prickle at the mention of Dad, as if just speaking of him can summon trouble. I shake my head slowly. "No. We haven't heard from him in months." I wet my lips and add, "Not since he left. Why? What's going on?"

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  Jirou's jaw tightens a fraction. He exhales through his nose. "No reason," he lies blatantly, then grimaces when I narrow my eyes. "Okay, not 'no reason'… just, if he does reach out, or if you see him around, you let me know immediately. Promise me, Kai." His tone is low, urgent.

  Unease curdles in my gut now. Dad has been radio silent for so long – why would he suddenly appear? And why is Jirou so concerned?

  "I promise," I say quietly. "But… what are you expecting? Is something going to happen?" Before Jirou can answer, we both hear Mom's footsteps returning. In a flash, Jirou's expression eases back into something more casual.

  He claps a hand on my shoulder. "We'll talk later," he whispers quickly. Then, more loudly, he announces, "So, kiddo, any chance you'd accompany me on a little errand?"

  Mom appears, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Errand?" she repeats. Jirou shoots her an easy smile. "I was thinking, since Karui's probably finishing up soon, why not head over and surprise her? Meet her outside U.A., maybe take her to dinner after. What do you think?"

  He waggles his eyebrows conspiratorially at me. "Kaito can be my partner in crime."

  I break into a grin at the suggestion. The image of Karui's face when she sees Jirou waiting for her is priceless already. "She'll flip," I say eagerly. "In a good way." Mom seems relieved by the idea too, her eyes lighting up.

  "Oh, she'd love that. I wish I could close the cafe and join you, but…" she glances at the clock; it's still a bit early to close for the day. Jirou shakes his head. "Don't worry, Mom. We'll bring her straight home after and you'll get the full story over dinner. Promise." Mom smiles gratefully and reaches out to squeeze Jirou's arm. "Thank you."

  We gather our things. I quickly duck into the back to grab my jacket and Karui's favorite sports drink from our fridge – she'll likely be parched after the exam. When I return, Jirou has slung his duffel bag over his shoulder again and is bidding Mom goodbye for now.

  He gives her a reassuring peck on the cheek. "Back in a couple hours, tops," he says. Mom nods, though I can tell she'd rather come along or keep him here forever. "Be safe," she calls as we head out the door.

  Stepping out into the afternoon sun with Jirou by my side, I feel a swell of optimism. Karui's going to finish her exam and find not just me, but Jirou waiting to celebrate.

  I can't wait to see the look on her face. Yet, as we walk toward the station, I can't completely shake the memory of Jirou's grave tone when he asked about Dad. If you see him around, let me know. Why would Dad be around? He's been absent for nearly a year. What trouble could be in now?

  I cast a sideways glance at Jirou. He's squinting against the sun, his expression unreadable.

  Sensing my eyes on him, he offers a small smile and drapes an arm over my shoulders. "It'll be fun to surprise her, huh?" I nod and manage a smile back. Fun, yes. This afternoon will be good.