Kaizer's POV
But the moment I looked toward the gate outside,
I froze slightly.
Someone was standing there.
A tall figure leaned casually against the gate with a bag hanging from one shoulder, completely relaxed like he owned the place.
Which technically,
he did.
"Brother Rian?"
The moment he heard his name, a grin appeared on his face.
"Well," he said dramatically, spreading his arms slightly, "look who still remembers his elder brother."
I stared at him for a second.
It really had been a while.
His hair was slightly longer than before, his sleeves rolled up casually while that same insufferably confident expression remained unchanged.
The first thing that left my mouth was,
"Why are you here?"
Rian placed a hand over his chest like I had deeply wounded him.
"That's how you greet family?"
"You're avoiding the question."
He clicked his tongue before finally answering.
"My college vacations started. And my investors are in this city right now, so obviously I'll stay here for some time."
I nodded slowly.
"Oh."
That was all.
Rian stared at me for a moment before laughing under his breath.
"You seriously got worse at expressing emotions."
Before I could move away, he suddenly stepped forward and hugged me tightly.
I frowned immediately.
"I can breathe."
"Barely," he replied proudly.
Normally I would've pushed him away instantly.
But…
it really had been many days.
So this time, I let him.
Only for a few seconds though.
The moment he finally let go, he walked inside like the house belonged to him while I quietly closed the gate behind us.
His eyes wandered around the room casually before landing on the extra room's door.
Then,
very slowly,
he turned toward me.
"So," he said carefully, "tell me about this friend."
I already regretted talking to uncle in front of him.
"She just needs a place temporarily."
Rian nodded thoughtfully.
"Mhm."
"That's it."
"Mhm."
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
"What?"
He leaned against the sofa dramatically.
"You suddenly want a girl to stay here."
"She's a friend."
"In Lara mumma's room."
The air immediately became still.
Silence settled between us so suddenly that even Rian stopped smiling.
My fingers unconsciously tightened slightly.
Lara mumma.
Even after all these months...
that room still felt untouched somehow.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Rian lowered his gaze briefly before speaking quieter this time.
"She would've liked that someone finally uses it."
I looked away for a moment.
Then replied in the same calm voice I always used.
"The room was empty anyway."
Rian looked at me carefully.
Probably knowing very well that I was pretending not to care.
But thankfully,
he let it go this time.
Instead, he stretched dramatically on the sofa.
"So when do I meet this suspiciously important friend?"
"She's not important."
"Ah yes," he nodded seriously. "That's obviously why you called uncle after ignoring him for months."
I rolled my eyes.
Before I could answer, my phone vibrated.
I looked down.
A message from Iris.
> I talked to your uncle.
He was… surprisingly funny.
A tiny smile appeared on my face before I could stop it.
Another message came.
> Thank you. Really.
For some reason,
just from those texts alone, I could tell she looked lighter now.
Less burdened.
And that itself made something inside me relax slightly too.
Then suddenly,
a thought reached me.
Very clear.
Very loud.
*Is that a look of love*
My head immediately snapped upward.
Rian was staring at me suspiciously from the sofa.
"…What?" I asked flatly.
For once,
he looked hesitant.
Then awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Nothing."
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
That was suspicious coming from him.
But instead of arguing, I simply looked back at my phone and typed a reply.
> Don't thank me yet.
You haven't even shifted here.
Almost immediately,
> So you're already regretting it?
A tiny breath of laughter escaped me quietly.
> Maybe.
Three dots instantly appeared again.
And somehow…
just watching her type felt strangely calming.
Then I suddenly remembered something important and finally looked back toward Rian.
"You can't stay here from the day after tomorrow."
The silence that followed was dramatic enough to deserve background music.
Rian slowly blinked.
"…What?"
"She'll feel uncomfortable if you're here."
He stared at me in complete disbelief before standing up dramatically.
"I leave my hardworking entrepreneurial life behind to visit my beloved younger brother and THIS is how I'm treated?"
"You have an apartment fifteen minutes away."
"That apartment lacks emotional warmth."
"You mean free food."
"That too."
I ignored him completely.
Rian, however, placed a hand over his heart again.
"You've changed, Kaizer."
"I haven't."
"You literally kicked me out for a girl."
"She's a tenant."
"She's a tenant," he repeated mockingly. "Sure."
I sighed quietly.
Honestly…
sometimes I wondered how we were even related.
Iris's POV
After the conversation ended, I slowly lowered my phone and stared at the screen for a few more seconds.
A smile still lingered on my face without permission.
Honestly…
it still felt unreal.
Actually talking to him like this.
Actually joking with him.
And now,
even shifting to the place where he lived.
If last year's version of me saw all this, she probably would've fainted on the spot.
Yet somehow…
all of this was real.
I quickly shook my head lightly before locking the house and stepping outside. The evening air felt cooler today as I carefully started walking toward the hospital.
On the way, I immediately called Anya.
She picked up instantly.
"What happened now?"
"I found a place to shift."
There was silence.
Then,
"YOU WHAT?"
I pulled the phone slightly away from my ear.
"Can you not scream directly into my soul?"
"Where?"
I hesitated for half a second.
Then quietly,
"…Kaizer's place."
The silence that followed this time felt dangerous.
Then suddenly,
"IRIS."
"Don't react like that."
"YOU ARE GOING TO LIVE BESIDE HIM?"
"Not beside him," I corrected weakly. "Technically… in the same house."
Another silence.
Then I heard dramatic breathing.
"I need water."
I couldn't stop myself from laughing softly.
"It's just temporary."
"Temporary," Anya repeated suspiciously. "Everything starts temporary."
"Anya."
"What? I'm just saying. Yesterday you people were awkwardly saying bye at bus stops and now you're shifting into his house."
"It's not his house."
"That is NOT the important part here."
I shook my head helplessly while continuing down the road.
"It was just practical."
"Mhm."
"The rent is less."
"Mhm."
"And it's nearby."
"Mhm."
"…Why do your mhm's feel insulting?"
"Because you sound suspiciously happy while explaining."
I paused for a second.
Was I?
Before I could answer, Anya spoke again.
"Wait till I tell Lux."
"No."
"Yes."
"Anya."
"He deserves emotional damage too."
I sighed quietly while smiling despite myself.
"You're impossible."
"And you're blushing."
"I'm literally walking alone right now. How would you know?"
"I just know."
I ended the call immediately.
Mostly because she was unfortunately probably right.
---
By the time I reached the hospital, the corridors had already become quieter. Nurses moved around softly while the smell of medicines lingered heavily in the air like always.
When I entered Grandma's room, the doctor was still there checking her reports.
So I quietly stood near the door and waited patiently until he finally left.
Only then did I walk toward her bed and sit beside her carefully.
She looked weaker today.
But the moment she saw me, her eyes still softened slightly.
"Iris."
I smiled faintly.
"Grandma… we need to shift our house."
Her brows immediately furrowed.
"That landlord troubled you again?" she muttered irritably. "If I was okay, I would've shown him what trouble actually means."
I laughed softly.
"Young lady, I know you're very strong."
That earned me a tiny proud look.
"But he's not really wrong either," I continued gently. "We delayed the rent too much."
Grandma stayed quiet for a moment before sighing.
"Will you be okay shifting everything alone?"
"I'll manage."
"And did you find another place?"
I nodded slightly.
"A friend's place. His uncle agreed for less rent too."
Her eyes narrowed immediately.
"…His?"
I already knew what was coming.
"Grandma."
"Is this boy trustworthy?"
I smiled helplessly.
"I think you know his mother."
That made her pause.
"The aunt who used to visit you before," I continued softly. "The one living beside us."
For a moment,
she looked genuinely surprised.
Then unusually quiet.
"…You met that little boy?"
I blinked.
"Met? He studies in the same school."
And unfortunately,
I could feel my face becoming warm.
"He recently became my friend."
Grandma kept looking at me silently for a few seconds before speaking again.
"…And have you remembered.."
She stopped midway.
I frowned slightly.
"Remembered what?"
But she simply closed her eyes slowly.
"Hm. Let me sleep now."
Confusion settled inside me immediately.
"…Okay."
I carefully stood up and adjusted her blanket properly before smiling faintly.
"Bye, young lady."
That finally earned me the smallest smile from her.
Then I quietly walked out of the room.
But even after leaving,
one thing kept repeating in my head.
Why had she reacted like that?
---
Grandma's POV
I waited until the sound of the door fully disappeared before opening my eyes again.
The room had become silent.
Slowly, I turned my head toward the small photo frame resting beside the bed.
Mira smiled back at me from the old picture.
Young.
Alive.
Beside her stood little Iris, barely reaching her mother's waist.
My fingers slowly touched the edge of the frame.
"Mira…" I whispered softly.
"Your daughter has grown up now."
A weak smile appeared on my face.
"She has become responsible too."
My eyes slowly drifted toward the door Iris had just exited from.
"And she's even doing big things now…"
The smile faded slightly after that.
A tired sigh escaped my lips.
"…Big things you left her to do."