Seijuro slowly opened his eyes, his vision adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through the room.
"What just happened...?" he muttered, trying to piece together the fragmented memories of the previous night.
He looked around and immediately noticed Satoru clinging to his side, fast asleep, while Satoru Junior lay sprawled on his chest, purring softly.
"How do I move without disturbing them?" Seijuro whispered, carefully considering his predicament.
"Good morning, your majesty," came a familiar voice, dripping with sarcasm.
Seijuro groaned inwardly and rolled his eyes. He turned his head to find Toji standing over him, his face hovering above with an infuriating smirk.
"Toji..." Seijuro muttered, his tone flat.
Before he could say more, a soft voice interrupted him. "...Dad?"
Seijuro froze, his attention snapping back to Satoru, who was stirring awake. Satoru rubbed his eyes groggily, and when he realized Seijuro was awake, his face lit up with a bright smile.
"Dad..." Satoru said softly.
"Hey, Satoru," Seijuro replied, his voice warm.
"Meow!"
Before Seijuro could react, Satoru Junior leapt onto his face, paws landing squarely on his nose.
"Ah!" Seijuro yelped, flailing slightly as the kitten kneaded his face with tiny claws.
"Calm down, Satoru Junior!" Satoru quickly intervened, gently pulling the kitten away from his father's face. "Sorry, Dad." He laughed nervously as Seijuro sat up, revealing faint paw marks scattered across his cheeks and forehead.
Seijuro sighed, brushing himself off before turning his attention back to Satoru. The boy's smile faded slightly, replaced with a look of concern.
"Dad, are you okay?" Satoru asked, his voice quieter now. "I felt a huge amount of energy from you last night... and there was a big earthquake."
Seijuro blinked, his expression stiffening. "Earthquake?"
Satoru nodded quickly. "Yeah, it was really strong! I could feel your cursed energy everywhere. And..." He hesitated, glancing down for a moment before continuing. "There's a giant flower on Mount Fuji now."
Seijuro's eyes widened slightly. "...Oh."
He racked his brain, recalling the events of the previous night. He had been experimenting with his newfound powers, but things had clearly spiraled out of control. And then there was the thirst—his body's sudden, primal yearning at the thought of blood. That, more than anything else, unsettled him.
"I was just meditating," Seijuro said quickly, forcing a casual tone. "I might have... overdone it a bit. My bad for scaring you all."
Toji, still leaning against the doorframe, snorted. "Meditating, huh? Is that what you call summoning earthquakes and planting Godzilla-sized flowers?"
Seijuro shot him a glare. "Not helping, Toji."
Satoru tilted his head, his concern not entirely alleviated. "Dad... are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, Satoru," Seijuro reassured him, patting his son's head. "Thanks for worrying, but there's nothing to be afraid of. I just need to be more careful next time."
Satoru nodded slowly, though his small brows were still furrowed. "Okay... but if something's wrong, you'll tell me, right?"
Seijuro paused for a moment before smiling softly. "Of course. You're my son—I'll always tell you what you need to know."
"Promise?" Satoru pressed.
"Promise." Seijuro ruffled Satoru's hair, earning a giggle from the boy.
Toji watched the interaction, his smirk fading into a more neutral expression. "Well, next time you decide to 'meditate,' maybe warn the rest of us so we don't think the world's ending."
Seijuro groaned. "Noted, Toji. Noted."
As Seijuro stood up and stretched, he glanced out the window toward Mount Fuji. The sight of the massive flower on its side made him grimace slightly. He'd have to find a way to deal with that before anyone outside the compound noticed.
"Great. Now I've got landscaping to add to my to-do list," he muttered.
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As Seijuro, Satoru, and Toji entered the living room, Satoru Junior nestled comfortably in Satoru's arms, they found Kaori, Jin, and Wasuke already gathered. Jin noticed them first and greeted them with a smile.
"Good morning, Seijuro-san, Satoru-kun, and Toji-san."
"Goodz!" Seijuro replied casually, giving a small wave.
"Good morning," Satoru said cheerfully, while Toji nodded in acknowledgment.
Kaori pointed at the TV, drawing everyone's attention. "Hey, look at that."
They turned to see the screen, where the headline blared:
[Breaking News! A giant flower grew out of Mount Fuji! Such a phenomenon has baffled scientists around the world!]
The news anchor continued with a mixture of awe and confusion, explaining that the sudden appearance of the flower had no scientific explanation and that experts were scrambling to understand its origin.
Seijuro's eye twitched as he saw the massive flower on the screen. His jaw clenched, and he quickly turned his head away to avoid letting his reaction show too much.
Kaori raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "That's a big flower... and it appeared after last night's earthquake. Hmm..." She glanced at Seijuro suspiciously.
Wasuke, on the other hand muttered, "If nature starts planting gardens on mountains, I'm moving to a bunker."
Jin tilted his head, genuinely confused. "It looks... beautiful, though. But how does something like that even grow so fast?"
Satoru blinked at the screen and turned to his father. "Dad, is this what you were meditating about last night?"
Seijuro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's just say... I may have gotten a little too creative."
"A little creative?" Kaori raised both eyebrows. "You turned Mount Fuji into a botanic wonderland! That's not 'a little' anything."
Seijuro groaned, brushing off Kaori's comment. "Let's not dwell on it, okay? Moving on—"
He turned to Jin, trying to shift the focus. "Jin-san, your training with Toji will start at 9 a.m."
"Hai!" Jin responded with a determined look, sitting up straighter.
"Wait," Kaori interjected, her eyes narrowing. "Can you at least tell us about the training schedule? I'd like to know when you're going to torment us."
Seijuro smirked faintly. "Fair. Here's the plan: I'll train Satoru on Mondays and Fridays, Kaori on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and Jin on Fridays. Toji will handle Jin's physical training on Saturdays."
Jin raised a brow, puzzled. "Why would Toji-san train me on Saturdays, Seijuro-san?"
Before Seijuro could answer, Toji casually spoke up. "I want to train you because your body... has potential."
The room fell silent as the adults processed Toji's words. Kaori's eyes widened in shock, and her face turned red while Wasuke nearly choked on his tea. Even Seijuro looked momentarily stunned, his lips twitching as he tried not to laugh.
Satoru, oblivious to the underlying implications, simply tilted his head in confusion. "What does he mean, Dad?"
Jin, however, reacted dramatically. His eyes widened, and he quickly crossed his arms over his chest. "W-What do you mean by that, Toji-san?!"
Toji raised an eyebrow, confused by Jin's reaction. "I want to train your body."
Seijuro immediately stepped in, punching Toji lightly on the shoulder and giving a wide, overly friendly smile. "What Toji meant is that he wants to train you physically because he sees potential in you to rival even him."
"Oh, I see!" Jin chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Hahaha... that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying."
Kaori, still blushing, muttered under her breath, "Could've phrased that better..."
Wasuke smirked and shook his head. "This is turning into quite the circus."
Seijuro sighed and clapped his hands together to bring the focus back. "Alright, now that we've cleared up the misunderstanding, let's get ready for the day. We've got training to do, and trust me—you'll all need it."