"…And now here you are, looking me in the eye while greeting me," he said, eyes steady on mine. "I have to admit… you've changed, son."
I held his gaze, forcing myself not to look away.
Inside, my thoughts were going haywire.
So Rin didn't talk to his sister properly? He avoided eye contact with his father? What kind of antisocial wreck had I inherited this body from?
No wonder everyone kept looking at me like I was a circus act learning to juggle for the first time.
Still, I couldn't afford to show nerves now.
"Change isn't always a bad thing," I replied, steady and calm.
His smirk deepened—subtle, but unmistakably there. Like he was sizing me up again, recalibrating whatever mental model he had built for his 'son.'
"You're right," he said after a pause. "Change can be useful. Especially when it comes with competence."
He leaned back, fingers interlaced on the table, gaze unreadable.
"Let's have a light breakfast."
"Yes, sir."
