Hey, I haven't updated in a while because my laptop was being weird 3: sorry! I'm going to introduce Kagari's daughter in this chapter (I don't even know why I gave Kagari a daughter, but she's here now) and I might even introduce Shoichi later on! Speaking of later on, I may reveal what happened to Seiko's mother too… Thanks for reading!

Chapter 4: Smiles and Tears

Damned brat. Nobuchika Ginoza knew full well that the Kogami demon-spawn had spotted him from the window whilst he was on the phone. "Who was he talking to?" he muttered fervently to himself. "Yakuza? Kamui? My daughter?!" he hissed, narrowing his eyes. What could the boy possibly be after? Her purity? Her innocence? Her hand in marriage?! He gritted his teeth in irritation Nobuchika had promised his wife that he would protect their darling Seiko, no matter- WHY IS SHE GOING INSIDE?! His dear Seiko knocked on the door and the shitty brat opened it and let her inside. Even worse, Nobuchika hadn't spotted a single other person, meaning they were alone n that place.

All alone…

All alone…

If only he could put the police on this 'speed dial' function he'd heard so much about! He would never understand how the youth did it.

Inside the Tsunemori Café…

"Hey, do you mind if I invite other people?" Seiko asked, grabbing her cell phone- Keiichi just shook his head, with a goofy smile on his face. "Sweet, because Mion's just been to a convention in the area, so I don't think she'll mind getting a free place to stay tonight."

Keiichi walked over to the kitchen. "It won't be lonely tonight, Keiichi," he said as he began to make dinner for the three that were in the café at the time. Keiichi let out a mew and sauntered over to Seiko.

Outside, 'concealed' in the foliage, Nobuchika Ginoza was studying the building carefully. They were in different rooms- good, that's very good. Seiko was talking to somebody on the phone- and it was most definitely not Kamui or the Yakuza- whilst Keiichi was doing something in the kitchen. Making food, it looked like. There was a possibility he could drug the food though, so he wasn't in the clear just yet. He lowered his binoculars, spying the two from atop a tree. "Who is she talking to?" he spoke aloud, frowning. He could scarcely make out what they were saying as he lifted the binoculars again.

Back inside, Seiko waltzed into the kitchen. "She can make it!" she cheered, kneeling down to pet Keiichi.

"Oh, good, because I'm making okonomiyaki for three," he called over his shoulder with a smile. Seiko grinned back, taking a can of soda from the fridge. There were only five things she could actually stand in the world- music, soda, Keiichi Kogami, Keiichi the cat, and Mion Kagari. The rest she tolerated.

"How have you been, Keiichi?" she asked, fiddling with her skirt and drunk some wheat grass soda, somehow not dying. She stared out the window, feeling like she was being watched. (Unbeknownst to her, Nobuchika Ginoza had become one with the tree when he thought she had spotted him).

Keiichi paused for a moment. "Seiko, can I ask you a question?"

"Technically, you just did."

"Can I ask another question then?"

"You just did."

"Can I ask another two, then?"

"You just did."

"When?"

"Aha!" she smirked.

"Oh, very funny," he laughed as well. "But seriously. It's about your father. Can you tell me about him?"

Keiichi hadn't noticed that Seiko had tensed up. "Why? It's not like we're close," she practically growled. "He spends all his days at the office, taking the 24 hour shifts when he can, and it's all his fault that-" she broke off, her face and tone somewhat bitter. "What made you ask?"

"Oh, you don't really talk about him is all."

"Yeah, whatever," she resisted the urge to punch her way through one of the windows, and it was only her liking of Keiichi and respect for the Tsunemori establishment that held her back. "Forget about him. Just… just forget it, okay?" Her voice was raised to an angry yell, and Keiichi wasn't so much scared of her, but scared that he'd been the one to upset her. "It doesn't really matter, anyway. I've been doing good lately," she tried putting on a smile, but it did look rather forced. In his mind, Keiichi vowed to go see Mr. Ginoza again- he hated it when Seiko cried, and he didn't want him to make her cry anymore. He walked over to her and pulled the upset girl in for one of his famous comforting hugs. "Wh-What are you doing?" Seiko muttered weakly, tears spilling over. "You idiot, I don't need a hug."

"Please don't cry."

"I'm not!" She insisted, a sob escaping (ironically). "Dammit… why now…?" she cried, dropping her soda (which Keiichi the cat drank and began to smell colors). "Why…?"

"That son of a bitch!" Nobuchika yelled as he fell out of the tree, amazingly not breaking or at least dislocating anything despite his age. All he saw was Keiichi embracing his daughter all of sudden, without warning or anything. His mind had shut down after that, having to reboot itself like a rusty computer due to being short-circuited by rage. He stormed over to the café, and was about to rip the door off its hinges and do the same thing to Keiichi's head when he suddenly stopped. If Seiko saw me… I would have to wave goodbye to my internal organs…

Footsteps! Damn it! He looked around frantically around, and groaned when he saw the only way he could hide. Nobuchika dived expertly into the trash can (miserably thinking that this was where Keiichi Kogami belonged), doing his best to ignore the scent of kitty litter. He peered out the trash can, using the lid as a helmet and saw… "Is that a prostitute?!" he hissed. Oh, wait, no… that was just Mion Kagari in some newfound cosplay getup. "How the hell is she not freezing to death? It's winter!"