"Psst. Shota-san!" Renko whispered. He stopped before entering the workroom to listen.

"I spoke to Mother," Renko said. "We can come and bring our drawings. I don't know what I'll tell Azuki-san, now that I'm sharing a room with her. We can go and be gone only minutes, but if she knows I'm going to see Mother, she'll want to come."

"What's keeping you two?" Noriko asked as she came up behind them. "Aren't you going to work some more?"

"Oh, nothing, Aunt," Shota ...