Chapter 1049 A Place To Belong

It's almost nine in the evening when they arrive in Tokyo. The moment their car passes through the mansion's gates, Kaede begins to feel uneasy.

Even after entering the grounds, they continue driving for another two or three minutes along the winding road through the hillside estate before finally reaching the mansion's front courtyard.

The mansion itself is no less intimidating. Its sprawling silhouette, a blend of modern Japanese architecture and understated elegance, seems to stretch endlessly beneath the night sky, as though a giant eagle has spread its wings to welcome her.

Once she gets off the car, Kaede glances around, already feeling awkward at the thought of staying there. In her head, she only imagines there will be only Ryoma and his mother live here, perhaps with a few servants. The place seems far too large for such a small family like them.

Ryoma turns to her and holds out his hand. "Come on. We happen to have a few spare rooms that nobody's using. You can think of it as staying in an apartment, just like your old one."

As they approach the entrance, a female servant comes out to greet them.

"Takeda-sama, we've prepared Kaede-dono's room."

"Thank you, Miyo," Ryoma replies. "Please help Hayakawa-san unload Kaede's belongings."

The servant bows deeply before hurrying toward the back of the car, where Hayakawa is unloading Kaede's belongings. There isn't much to begin with, just three large suitcases and a travel backpack.

Kaede turns around, growing even more awkward as she watches the female servant prepare to unload her belongings. Before long, two more male servants emerge from behind her and head toward the car to help.

At the same time, Kaede notices several men in black suits scattered around the estate's gardens in the distance. Their presence only adds to her unease, making her feel as though she's somehow stumbled into a mafia boss's residence.

Noticing her looking around uneasily, Ryoma reaches for her hand and gently leads her toward the entrance.

"Come on. Let's get you settled in."

As Kaede follows Ryoma deeper into the mansion, they eventually reach a spacious living room at the center of the main building. Only then does her sense of alienation begin to fade.

One by one, familiar faces rise from the sofas and turn toward her, their expressions shifting to surprise as they recognize her.

Nakahara and his coaching staff are there, along with Coach Murakami, who has brought the two boxers set to compete as the opening bouts for Kenta's upcoming match.

Kenta is there too, standing beside Aramaki. And there's Okabe, the first to greet her, as casually as ever.

"Eh, Kaede? When did you get back from Malaysia?"

Kaede blinks, caught off guard for a moment, before realizing they're in the middle of a match footage review, a familiar sight from the days when she used to watch them do this in the gym.

She then bows toward them. "Good night, everyone. It's good to see you all again."

Ryoma guides her toward the others, where Nakahara is the first to welcome her. He places a hand on her shoulder and gives it a gentle shake.

He looks genuinely pleased, though there's also a hint of concern when he gets a closer look at her face.

"You look... terrible. Was Malaysia really that cruel to fellow Japanese people like us?"

Kaede is slightly taken aback, once again finding someone bringing up her supposed life in Malaysia, a place she'd never actually visited.

"Uhm, not really," she says, waving a hand with an embarrassed smile. "I was just too busy preparing to return. And also... tired from the long journey."

She finishes with an awkward little laugh, and Nakahara accepts her explanation with a smile and a few small nods.

Meanwhile, Ryoma's mother emerges from another sitting room in the mansion's eastern wing, walking slowly toward them with her head tilted slightly as though trying to make sure she recognizes the person before her.

"Kaede? Is that you?"

Kaede turns, and the moment she realizes who's approaching, she immediately goes to meet Ryoma's mother.

Ryoma follows her, glancing back at the others.

"Please continue with the recording."

Most of them return to their seats and shift their attention back to the match recording.

The former members of Nakahara Gym, however, remain standing, watching Fumiko's warm reception of Kaede.

"Didn't he say he was going to meet with Logan and Reika?" Hiroshi asks.

"And that it was to save Ronin and NSN's business relationship," Aramaki adds. "Something about clearing up the misunderstanding between him and Reika."

"Yeah," Hiroshi says, wearing an uncertain grin. "Then he comes back with Kaede. What the hell happened at that meeting?"

Aramaki simply shrugs, looking just as confused as the rest of them, before turning his attention back to Kaede.

The two women are now chatting and laughing together before Fumiko notices a servant passing by with Kaede's luggage, heading toward the eastern wing. Without needing to ask any questions, she immediately understands what's going on.

She invites Kaede to join the ladies' group, where Kaori and her child are relaxing with several servants and the mansion's head housekeeper.

"Kaori, look who's here!"

Kaori's face immediately lights up. "Kaede! It's been so long! Where have you been all this time?" She gets up to greet her, barely containing her excitement. "Oh, right, I heard you went to Malaysia. How was it there? Did you like it?"

Kaede lets out a small, awkward laugh. "Not really. Tokyo still feels better, despite all the problems here."

"Come, come. Have a seat. You must be tired after such a long journey. Make yourself at home."

Fumiko introduces Kaede to the ladies one by one, speaking of each as though they are members of the household rather than employees. She also tells Kaede that Kaori and her family live here, along with Ronin's coaches and boxers, who stay at the estate during their monthly training camps.

Kaede had thought the mansion was far too large for a small family consisting of Ryoma and his mother. Now, she begins to understand, this was never just a house for a mother and a son.

It was a home for all the people Ryoma had gathered around him, people who had come to share their lives under the same roof.

Watching them, Kaede can't help but feel a quiet ache in her chest.

For someone who has spent so many years with no one to call her own, this is the kind of warmth she's always longed for.