The morning sun peeked through the window blinds, gently brushing across Wakasa's face. His eyes fluttered open and, for a moment, he simply laid still, listening to the peaceful breathing of his siblings. Then the realization struck—today wasn't just any day. It was his first official day at the new job.

With a stretch and a sigh that carried both excitement and nerves, he pulled the blanket off of Ren and Liz in one dramatic sweep.

"Up, rodents! Your king is about to conquer the business world today," he announced in his usual theatrical flair.

Ren groaned, burying his face in the pillow. "At least let me die in peace...witch," he muttered sleepily.

Liz, just as grumpy, sat up and squinted at him. "Is this your way of saying good morning or starting a war?"

But when Wakasa stood before them, dressed in a crisp navy-blue suit and perfectly combed hair, even Ren had to pause.

"Oh, brotha," Ren said with squinted eyes, fanning himself with one hand. "You look so handsome! Gab rubbed off on you or what?"

Wakasa gave a dramatic, confident laugh. "Jobless children always speak nonsense. Ha 💸 Ha 💸 Ha 💸."

With a grin and a wink, he walked out like a CEO in a Netflix drama.

As usual, Ren made a quick dash to Papa's study with his half-finished homework, whispering like a spy, "Papa... quick, before Liz finds out I didn’t do it again."

Liz, meanwhile, hid her small microphone inside her schoolbag. Her fingers lingered over the zipper, hesitant. Papa had always emphasized modesty for his daughter. Singing at a club? Unthinkable. But the dream burned quietly within her chest.

Everyone left the house soon after—Papa for his unknown work, Ren and Liz for school, and Wakasa for his destiny.

---

Wakasa reached the office building—a polished tower of glass, steel, and sharp edges. Black cars pulled up one after the other as men in suits and expensive watches stepped out. Wakasa, meanwhile, adjusted the sleeves of his only suit and whispered to himself, "Someday... I'll have a car too. And a driver. Maybe even a whole garage."

The lobby gleamed under chandeliers that looked like frozen fireworks. The assistant manager, a polite woman with a smile too perfect to be real, greeted him warmly.

"Mr. Wakasa, welcome. Let me introduce you to the rest of the department."

Wakasa followed her as she led him through the halls where laughter echoed in corners while silence screamed in others. He noticed the subtle tension—the way some employees smiled with their mouths but not their eyes, the way certain elevators were guarded, and certain doors had signs reading "Staff Only" though no staff ever entered.

Still, Wakasa forced friendliness into every handshake and nod. He needed this job. He wanted it to work.

During lunch, a senior staffer—stern and cold—barely acknowledged him.

"You’ll figure things out. Or you won’t. That’s how this place works," the man muttered before walking away.

Later, as Wakasa walked through a dim hallway, a man in a sharp gray suit brushed past him. Under his breath, he whispered:

"Blood doesn’t hide in perfume, Unikawa’s boy."

Wakasa froze mid-step. He turned to respond, to question, but the man was already gone. Was it a mistake? Did the guy recognize someone else?

He clenched his fists. No. He said Unikawa. That’s... But he shook the thought off. He didn’t want to overstep boundaries on day one.

He returned home that evening with a tired but determined look. He had made it through. Barely.

---

Meanwhile, Liz’s school day was filled with whispered secrets and hurried decisions.

During lunch break, her friend Hana leaned closer, chewing on her pen cap. "Your voice could melt cold hearts. You ever thought about joining a singing club?"

Liz blushed, shaking her head. "Not possible. My papa... wouldn’t approve."

Hana grinned. "Then we do it behind his back. Come on! My brother owns a karaoke club. We'll go after school."

After school, Liz found herself standing under neon lights outside a small but stylish club. It smelled like soda, perfume, and hidden stories.

Her heart pounded. Her fingers trembled. But the moment she stepped up to the mic and sang a soft, sad song about memories and missed chances, something inside her clicked. The room faded. Only the melody existed.

In the back of the club, behind a crowd of chatting teens, a man watched her with curious eyes. Maybe he was The same stranger who had once paid for her snow globe.

As she finished and began walking out, someone grabbed her wrist and yanked her into an alleyway. She yelped, ready to scream. Oh it wasn't that stranger,it was rennnyyy.

"WHAT THE—REN?!"

Her little brother stood there, arms crossed. "Oiiiii, Miss Witchy. What do you think you’re doing? If Papa finds out, we’re both toast. Like burnt toast."

Liz pouted. "You followed me?!"

"Yeah, and thank God I did. Who knows what kinda creeps are in that crowd." He narrowed his eyes.

"You won't tell papa?" she said sweetly.

He leaned in. "What do I get in return?"

Liz smirked. "Oh... I know why you avoid girls at school. Should I tell everyone about how red you turn when you see...a guy?"

Ren froze, turning beet red. "Deal. Let’s just go home."

---

That evening, all three siblings were back home. Dinner was set, and everyone gathered around. Papa sat down and looked at them with quiet fondness.

"The world is crueller than you think. Don’t lose yourselves chasing something fake. Understand that much?"

Wakasa nodded, but his mind was racing—images of VIP elevators, cold glances, and strange warnings. Liz smiled, pretending everything was fine while her diary page for that night read:

“I sang. I really did. people watched me. I felt like a singer.. singing a song not anthem like last time in school." 

Ren? He slept like a panda. No specific secres, no guilt. Just peace. Thel ife everyone wants...he already has.

For now.

---

End of Chapter 9: Perfume, Mic, and Mafia Walls

_________

Chapet 10 will be filled with plot twists 🐢🍬.