**Chapter 1: A Typical Morning**

The sunlight streaming through the window highlighted the dust particles dancing in the air as Kou Minamoto walked into the kitchen, his blonde hair perfectly messy from a restless night's sleep. He stretched his arms, yawned, and began to prepare breakfast for his family, a ritual he had grown accustomed to over the years. His little sister, Tiara, was already seated at the table, her bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement as she played with her phone. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and sizzling bacon filled the air, and Kou's stomach growled in anticipation. Kou's father, a priest and exorcist, was rarely home, and when he was, he was often preoccupied with his work, leaving Kou to take care of his younger siblings. Teru, his older brother by two years, was already out of the house, probably on his way to school or off on an exorcism mission. Kou had always felt a sense of responsibility wash over him as he cooked, the sizzling of the bacon and scrambled eggs a comforting sound. As he cooked, Kou's mind wandered to his friend Mitsuba Sousuke, who was probably already on his way over to their house. Mitsuba's constant teasing about his traffic safety earring made him chuckle, and he absent-mindedly touched the earring, a habit he had grown used to. He wondered what Mitsuba would say if he knew about his feelings, and Kou's heart skipped a beat at the thought. The doorbell rang, and Kou's heart skipped a beat. He wiped his hands on a towel and made his way to the entrance, opening the door to reveal Mitsuba Sousuke standing on the porch, his pink hair perfectly styled, and his pink eyes sparkling with mischief. "Morning, Kou-chan," Mitsuba said, sauntering into the house as if he owned the place. "I brought some breakfast for you guys." He held up a few bags of pastries and Kou's heart swelled with affection. Kou rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "You didn't have to do that, Mitsuba." Mitsuba snorted. "I did it because I know your cooking is way better than mine, and I wanted to make sure you didn't poison your family today." Tiara giggled at the comment, and Kou playfully hit Mitsuba on the arm. "Hey, my cooking is not that bad!" As they sat down to eat, the conversation flowed easily, with Mitsuba dominating the discussion with his witty remarks and Kou good-naturedly responding. But beneath the banter, Kou couldn't shake off the feeling of uncertainty that had been growing inside him. He glanced at Mitsuba, who was laughing with Tiara, and his heart ached with unrequited love. Just as they were finishing up breakfast, the doorbell rang again. This time, it was Nene Yashiro, with Aoi Akane and Amane Yugi in tow. The group of friends chatted and laughed, filling the house with energy and life. As they milled about, Kou caught Teru's eye through the window, walking towards the house with a serious expression on his face. Something was up, and Kou had a feeling that their lives were about to become a lot more complicated. The atmosphere in the room shifted as Teru entered, his eyes scanning the room before settling on Kou. "Kou, I need to talk to you about something," he said, his voice low and serious. Kou's heart sank as he followed Teru out of the room, leaving the others behind. What could Teru possibly want to talk to him about? And what did it have to do with the strange look on his face? The air was thick with tension as Kou waited for Teru to speak, his mind racing with possibilities.