Inside the barbecue restaurant, the orange glow of the charcoal fire dispelled the chill brought by the night.
The private room's atmosphere was somewhat restrained at first.
The little girl Kamo Chitsubaki was holding shrank behind the woman in the sharp suit like a startled quail, faced with a room full of unfamiliar presences.
Chitsubaki reached out, ruffled the girl's messy short hair, and gently pushed her forward.
"Go on. This is the big brother who saved you from the ruins."
Following her guidance, the girl's timid gaze fell on Lu Ping.
Lu Ping was wearing Jujutsu High's black uniform jacket today, and his entire bearing carried an air of casual nonchalance.
He did not deliberately put on an approachable smile. He merely returned her gaze calmly with those deep eyes.
Recognizing the face that had brought light to her despair, much of the fear in the girl's eyes faded.
She gathered her courage, took two steps forward, and bowed properly.
"Thank you, big brother."
Her voice was as faint as a thread, carrying the weakness of someone recovering from a serious illness.
After expressing her thanks, the little girl seemed to have exhausted all her strength and slipped into the empty seat at the outermost end of the aisle.
It happened to be beside Lu Ping.
"Kamo Haruka."
Chitsubaki pulled out the chair opposite and sat down, casually announcing the girl's new name.
"Since she has entered the Kamo Clan, she needs to take this surname. 'Haruka' was taken from the little girl's original name. It represents the vitality of life blooming in spring. The meaning is decent enough, so it's settled."
Ieiri Shoko glanced at the child across from her and silently tucked the cigarette pack she had just taken out back into her hoodie pocket.
Medical personnel