Pancakes, Papas, and the Slip-Up Heard 'Round the House

Scene 6: Balcony Beers & Unspoken Thank Yous (Revised)

Starring Saeki Renjirou, Reo Miizushima, and Renji (the tiny chaos prince)

The house had finally gone still.

Reo Miizushima stepped out onto the wide stone balcony, hoodie on, hair tousled, barefoot and bruised from stepping on a toy dinosaur. In his hand was a can of lemon soda. In his heart—existential dread.

“Babysitting a Yakuza kid,” he muttered, taking a sip. “This wasn’t in my part-time job wishlist.”

The moonlight painted everything silver. Quiet. Peaceful. Until—

Clink.

A cold beer appeared beside him on the railing. Reo turned his head slowly, already bracing.

There he was. Saeki Renjirou. 27 years old. Head of the Saeki-gumi. Cold eyes. Rolled-up sleeves. Looking like a mafia boss who accidentally walked into a rom-com and couldn’t figure out how to leave.

“…You drink beer?” Reo asked.

Saeki leaned on the railing next to him, gaze steady on the city skyline. “Only when I regret hiring someone.”

Reo smirked. “Wow. This moment is already intimate.”

“I don’t recall asking you to play house with my son.”

“You didn’t. But Renji wanted chocolate milk. And, believe it or not, he listens to me more than he listens to your guards with zero parenting skills.”

A beat passed.

“…He laughed,” Saeki said quietly, almost like it hurt to admit. “Tonight. A real one.”

Reo glanced sideways at him. “Cute laugh, by the way. Kinda squeaky. He did a little ninja pose with chip bags.”

Saeki huffed under his breath—somewhere between a scoff and a laugh.

“He doesn’t do that often,” Saeki murmured. “He’s… been quiet ever since—”

He stopped. Gaze tightened. He didn’t finish the sentence.

Reo didn’t press. Instead, he nudged the beer toward him. “Guess we both needed some air.”

Saeki finally took the beer, cracked it open, and took a slow sip.

“I don’t trust easily,” he said flatly. “And I especially don’t trust men with sarcasm disorders and bedhead.”

Reo held up his soda. “Cheers to bad instincts, then.”

“…But.”

That word lingered.

“But Renji seems to like you. A lot.”

Reo blinked. That was… almost a compliment.

Saeki added, “If anything ever happens to him while he’s with you, I will make sure your corpse is not recognizable.”

Ah. There it was.

Reo chuckled, leaning back on the railing. “Saeki Renjirou, you really don’t know how to say thank you, do you?”

Saeki took another swig, eyes narrowing. “I hired you to help around. Not to lecture me.”

“And yet, here we are. Bonding under the moonlight like a low-budget drama.”

“Call this bonding again, and I’ll throw you off this balcony.”

Reo grinned. “Yeah, yeah. You're welcome, boss.”

Inside the house, little Renji Saeki snored dramatically, one arm over a plush shark.

Outside, two men shared a silence neither of them knew how to name.

---

Scene 7: 3AM Storms & Misplaced Comfort

Renji Saeki, Saeki Renjirou, Reo Miizushima

---

3:14 AM.

The thunder cracked like the sky was being ripped apart.

Reo Miizushima blinked awake, groggy, still curled up on the guest room couch. He was about to roll over when—

thump-thump-thump

Footsteps. Small. Panicked.

Then—

“Reo-nii!!”

The door burst open. Tiny Renji Saeki, eyes wide with terror, pajamas rumpled, face wet with tears.

Reo sat up instantly. “Whoa—hey, hey, what’s wrong?”

Renji launched himself forward, crashing into Reo’s chest like a missile.

“There was a monster in the thunder!” Renji wailed, clutching Reo’s hoodie. “I saw it in my dream—he was gonna take you and Daddy away!”

Reo’s arms wrapped around the kid instinctively, pulling him close. “Shh. It’s okay, I’m here. Nobody’s taking anybody. Monsters don’t stand a chance in this house. Especially not against… the legendary Reo blanket burrito attack.”

Renji hiccuped a laugh, sniffling. “You’re not a blanket.”

“Not yet.”

He reached for the spare blanket, wrapping them both up like a warm cocoon. The thunder cracked again—but this time, Renji didn’t flinch as hard.

Then—

A knock. A second later, the door opened.

Saeki Renjirou, shirtless, hair mussed from sleep, his gun in one hand. His voice was gravel. “What happened?”

Reo looked up from the bundle of warmth in his lap. “Nightmare. He came straight here.”

Saeki’s eyes dropped to his son… and paused. Renji wasn’t just clinging to Reo—he was hiding from Saeki, face buried in Reo’s chest like instinct chose comfort and familiarity.

That hit something raw.

“…I see,” Saeki said softly.

Reo caught that flicker of emotion—just a second too late for Saeki to mask it.

“He’s okay now,” Reo said, tone gentler than usual. “I’ll stay with him tonight.”

Saeki gave a small nod, backing toward the door. “If he asks for me…”

“I’ll send him. But let him rest like this for now. He just needs… warmth. Safety.”

Saeki hesitated again. Then, in the lowest voice—

“...He used to run to her like that too.”

Reo didn’t say anything. Just nodded, fingers gently carding through Renji’s hair.

As Saeki left, the door closing behind him, Reo whispered to the boy:

“You got two people now, you know. A scary cool dad… and me. The emotionally available one.”

Renji murmured in half-sleep, “Don’t go away, Reo-nii…”

“I’m not going anywhere, kid.”

The storm outside continued—but inside the cocoon, it was warm, steady… safe.

---

Scene 8: Pancakes, Papas, and the Slip-Up Heard 'Round the House

---

Scene 9: Double Damage – One Word, Two Papas, and a Whole Lotta Feels

---

Reo tried to play it cool. He really did.

He turned back to the stove, flipped a pancake with slightly more force than needed. “Well. That didn’t go nuclear at all.”

Behind him, Renji blinked, syrup on his chin, still chewing.

Then—

Renji: “Uhm… Reo-nii?”

Reo (wary): “Yeah, kiddo?”

Renji: “Is it okay if I had two papas?”

Freeze frame.

Pancake in midair. Syrup threatening to slide off the counter. Reo’s soul leaving his body just a little.

“…what.”

Renji poked his fork at his plate, frowning. “Like… one who’s good at shooting and glaring, and one who makes pancakes and hugs?”

Reo blinked. “So I’m the hug unit and he’s the murder unit?”

Renji nodded proudly. “Yeah! I need both!”

Before Reo could even process how to respond to that, a low voice cut in from the kitchen doorway.

Saeki: “Two papas, huh?”

Reo turned so fast he almost tripped on his own feet. Saeki was leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed, unreadable expression.

Renji gasped. “Papa! I didn’t mean—!”

Saeki walked over slowly. The air felt like it dropped ten degrees.

Then…

He reached out and wiped the syrup from Renji’s chin.

Saeki (softly): “Don’t apologize, Renji.”

Renji blinked. “I’m not in trouble?”

Saeki looked up—straight at Reo.

Saeki: “You just reminded me he needs more than a sword and a name. He needs someone who knows how to be soft with him.”

Reo was silent.

Saeki: “I’m not good at that.”

Reo (quiet): “...I’m not trying to replace you.”

Saeki: “No. But you’re making it hard not to wish he had someone like you from the start.”

Renji suddenly beamed. “So I can have two papas?”

Saeki sighed like a man realizing fate is against him.

“…Finish your breakfast. We’ll talk about... co-parenting structures later.”

Reo cracked a grin. “Aw, hell. I’m officially in a Yakuza custody arrangement.”

Renji raised his fork like a sword. “Team double papa!!”

Reo gave Saeki a look. “You created a chaos gremlin. I'm just here keeping it fed.”

Saeki muttered, “I should’ve never let him near you.”

But his eyes… they weren’t angry.

They looked almost grateful.

---

Wanna follow up with a mission scene where Saeki and Reo have to team up—and argue like divorced parents the whole time—while Renji is left in the hands of an unsuspecting babysitter?

The smell of sizzling batter and burnt toast filled the kitchen.

Reo Miizushima stood at the stove, wearing Renji’s kiddie apron (it said “Tiny Chef!” with a cartoon shrimp holding a spatula). His hair was a mess. His mood: surprisingly domestic.

“Okay, pancakes for the prince, black coffee for the mafia,” he muttered, flipping another pancake with flair. “Who knew my survival skills included breakfast?”

Behind him, little Renji Saeki sat at the counter, swinging his legs, cheeks puffed up with syrupy goodness.

“Reo-nii, your pancakes are better than the old chef’s,” he said with sticky enthusiasm.

“High praise coming from the Yakuza heir,” Reo teased, setting another on his plate. “Eat up before the boss wakes up and wonders where his dignity went.”

Too late.

Saeki Renjirou entered like a ghost—dressed crisp and black, but eyes still shadowed with last night’s ache. He paused in the doorway.

There they were:

His son, smiling.

His… hired help, flipping pancakes and humming like he belonged.

He walked over slowly, nodding at Reo. “You’re still here.”

Reo smirked without turning. “Someone’s gotta teach your kid that syrup isn’t a beverage.”

Saeki glanced down at Renji. “Did you sleep well?”

Renji beamed. “Yeah! Reo-nii hugged the monsters away. He made me into a burrito.”

Saeki didn’t smile. But his shoulders relaxed.

Then—the moment happened.

Renji turned to Reo, sticky hands raised.

“Papa, can I have more?”

Silence.

Reo froze, spatula mid-air.

Saeki’s eyes snapped up like gunfire.

“…What did you just call him?” Saeki asked, voice calm. Too calm.

Renji blinked innocently. “...Papa?”

Reo slowly turned around, expression a mix of whoops and don’t-kill-me-I’m-just-the-pancake-man.

“I didn’t teach him that,” Reo said quickly, hands up like he was under arrest.

Renji tilted his head. “I just… I dunno. It slipped out. He feels like one…”

The words hung there. Innocent. Honest. Loaded like a bullet.

Saeki’s jaw tightened. “He’s not your father.”

Reo gently wiped syrup off the boy’s mouth. “I know that. He knows that.”

Renji looked between the two grown-ups—confused by the tension, suddenly quiet.

“…Sorry,” he mumbled, clutching his fork.

Saeki exhaled slowly, turning away. “Eat your pancakes, Renji.”

Then he walked out of the kitchen, back rigid, fists clenched.

Reo didn’t follow. He just watched the doorway, heart hammering in a way that made no sense.

“…Damn,” he muttered, turning back to the stove. “Didn’t think pancakes would be the start of a custody crisis.”

Scene 9: Double Damage – One Word, Two Papas, and a Whole Lotta Feels

---

Reo tried to play it cool. He really did.

He turned back to the stove, flipped a pancake with slightly more force than needed. “Well. That didn’t go nuclear at all.”

Behind him, Renji blinked, syrup on his chin, still chewing.

Then—

Renji: “Uhm… Reo-nii?”

Reo (wary): “Yeah, kiddo?”

Renji: “Is it okay if I had two papas?”

Freeze frame.

Pancake in midair. Syrup threatening to slide off the counter. Reo’s soul leaving his body just a little.

“…what.”

Renji poked his fork at his plate, frowning. “Like… one who’s good at shooting and glaring, and one who makes pancakes and hugs?”

Reo blinked. “So I’m the hug unit and he’s the murder unit?”

Renji nodded proudly. “Yeah! I need both!”

Before Reo could even process how to respond to that, a low voice cut in from the kitchen doorway.

Saeki: “Two papas, huh?”

Reo turned so fast he almost tripped on his own feet. Saeki was leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed, unreadable expression.

Renji gasped. “Papa! I didn’t mean—!”

Saeki walked over slowly. The air felt like it dropped ten degrees.

Then…

He reached out and wiped the syrup from Renji’s chin.

Saeki (softly): “Don’t apologize, Renji.”

Renji blinked. “I’m not in trouble?”

Saeki looked up—straight at Reo.

Saeki: “You just reminded me he needs more than a sword and a name. He needs someone who knows how to be soft with him.”

Reo was silent.

Saeki: “I’m not good at that.”

Reo (quiet): “...I’m not trying to replace you.”

Saeki: “No. But you’re making it hard not to wish he had someone like you from the start.”

Renji suddenly beamed. “So I can have two papas?”

Saeki sighed like a man realizing fate is against him.

“…Finish your breakfast. We’ll talk about... co-parenting structures later.”

Reo cracked a grin. “Aw, hell. I’m officially in a Yakuza custody arrangement.”

Renji raised his fork like a sword. “Team double papa!!”

Reo gave Saeki a look. “You created a chaos gremlin. I'm just here keeping it fed.”

Saeki muttered, “I should’ve never let him near you.”

But his eyes… they weren’t angry.

They looked almost grateful.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***