They All Love A-Zhen, Really

Anjing Zhen's father, Anjing Kouichi, was a middle-aged man who appeared composed and capable.

He no longer looked young, yet his posture remained straight and lean, without an ounce of excess weight. He carried the tough, practiced air of someone who had spent years dealing with sports.

His gentle yet sharp gaze seemed capable of seeing through anything. It was the distinctive bearing of someone who had long been steeped in a sports-related profession.

When Anjing Zhen and Kikou Misuzu led the group into the living room, Anjing Kouichi poked his head out from the kitchen, an apron tied around his waist.

At the sight of a room full of girls, a gentle but slightly restrained smile appeared on his face. He gave them a simple nod.

"Welcome. Have a seat—the food will be ready soon."

His voice was steady and dependable, without much emotional fluctuation, yet it carried a reassuring strength of its own.

After saying that, he turned toward the kitchen and raised his voice slightly. "Misuzu, come give me a hand." After receiving his wife's crisp reply of "Coming~," he turned and went back into the kitchen to continue working.

During that time, when his gaze passed over Anjing Zhen, he only gave a tiny nod and said nothing more, as though his son had merely gone out yesterday and returned today.

While his parents prepared dinner in the kitchen, the faint sounds of spatulas tapping against cookware and low conversation drifted out. Meanwhile, Anjing Zhen led the girls to rest in the living room.

The moment they sat down, Kitasan Black looked toward the kitchen and couldn't help asking softly, curious.

"A-Zhen, you haven't been home in a long time, right? Thinking about it... apart from coming back once during last year's New Year, you've only