“You were never a stepchild. You were always a debt.”
The note on the back, in Yuki’s handwriting: My step family -Ch.2- -Kun family-
She’s the one who reveals the family’s true philosophy in this chapter: “Kun” means “authority.” But authority is nothing without sacrifice. Ren is three years older than me, sharp-jawed, sharper-tongued. He resents my presence—not because I’m a stepsibling, but because I’m a wildcard . Ren plays by the old rules: hierarchy, blood, ritual. He wears his father’s signet ring on a chain under his shirt and trains in kendo at 5:00 AM sharp. “You were never a stepchild