As soon as the basement door creaked, Kaoru and Rin froze. The sound cut through the tense silence of the room, where the pastel light gently illuminated the mattresses, pillows, and plush toys that created the illusion of comfort. Rin sat on the floor, clutching his book tightly, his short tousled blue hair falling haphazardly over his face. His young face immediately tensed, and his eyes darted to the stairs.

Kaoru, sitting next to him, didn't even flinch, just slowly adjusted the hem of his long gray-blue kimono. His waist-length braid slid down his back as he turned his head in the direction of the door. His gaze was restrained, but alert.

Footsteps sounded slow and heavy, every thump of boots on the stairs made Rin tense up more and more. He almost crawled closer to his brother, his fingers gripping the book so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Kaoru lightly placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, a subtle reassuring gesture, even though he knew it was unlikely to help.

"Good evening," Kaoru greeted softly, almost conciliatoryly, his voice soft and polite, as if trying to appease the one coming down. There was not an iota of protest or objection in his words, only subdued humility.