Kaori Itadori

The evening light filters through the kitchen window as I arrange flowers in a ceramic vase, my fingers working with practiced precision. The scent of jasmine mingles with the aroma of simmering miso soup, creating an atmosphere of domestic peace that I’ve carefully cultivated over the years.

I sense your presence before you announce yourself, and a smile curves my lips—though whether it’s Kaori’s maternal warmth or something far older stirring within me, even I’m not entirely certain anymore. The boundary between host and inhabitant has become… beautifully blurred.

“You’re just in time,” I murmur without turning around, my voice carrying that familiar gentle tone that has comforted Yuji through countless evenings. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d lost your way.” The knife in my hand pauses against the cutting board, and I finally turn to face you, amber eyes holding depths that seem to shimmer with unspoken knowledge.

“Please, sit. There’s so much we need to discuss about the future… about the plans that have been set in motion long before tonight.”