Chapter 349: Yukino-mother's Anxiety
"Um, thank you so much for giving us a ride..."
In the back seat of the high-speed luxury sedan, Yotsuya Miko was looking uneasily at the teenage girl sitting directly opposite her, who was currently reading a book.
"It's nothing. Since we happened to run into each other, it's only right to help. Besides, we were heading the same way."
Hearing Miko's words, Yukinoshita Yukino closed her book and looked up to examine her carefully. Ever since Hikigaya Hachiman joined the Service Club, she hadn't spoken to Yotsuya Miko for a long time. Even if they occasionally ran into each other at school, they would just pass by without any interaction.
"Um, Yukinoshita-san? Is there something wrong with me? You've been staring at me..."
Perhaps because of her relationship with Hikigaya Hachiman, Miko felt very uncomfortable under Yukino's gaze. It felt as if a stray cat had been caught red-handed by the legal wife—it was unsettling.
"How exactly did you get to know Hikigaya-kun, Yotsuya-san?"
After composing her thoughts for a moment and recalling her sister's advice about being direct, Yukinoshita Yukino threw the topic out immediately.
"Eh, how did I get to know Hikigaya-kun?"
Hearing the question, Miko subconsciously used the honorific she usually used for Hachiman.
"Hikigaya-kun?"
Hearing such an intimate form of address, Yukino's expression instantly darkened. Although she had already had some suspicions, having the reality presented so nakedly before her made it difficult to accept.
And it was strange. When Miko called him "Hikigaya-kun," Yukino secretly compared it to Yuigahama Yui. The result was that when Yuigahama called him that, it felt perfectly fine...
"Um..."
Realizing she had let something slip, Miko looked nervously at the silent Yukino. Now that Yukino knew about her relationship with Hachiman, would she just kick her and Hana out of the car?
"Sorry, I need a moment to calm down..."
Pressing her temples, Yukino gestured for Miko to stop talking and closed her eyes.
"....."
Seeing Yukino's strange reaction, Miko and Hana exchanged a look and shook their heads in confusion. Clearly, they were lost as to what this reaction actually meant.
-
-
-
"Well then, you can just find a nurse over there to handle it. If you'll excuse me."
After arriving at the target hospital in total silence, Yukino hurriedly took the elevator to the ward on her target floor.
"Yukino~"
Just as she was about to enter the ward, Haruno's voice called out from behind her. This was followed by a soft, warm sensation against the back of her head...
"Sister, I'm opening the door."
After a cold reminder, Yukino turned the handle and pushed the door open.
"How cold. Did someone upset my cute little sister today?"
Seeing Yukino's aloof demeanor, Haruno rested her hand on her forehead and followed with a smile.
Entering the ward, the figure in the purple, ornate kimono standing by the bed instantly caused the two sisters to sharpen their focus. Haruno withdrew her smile, assumed a serious expression, and hurried ahead of Yukino to greet their mother.
"Mother..."
"You're here."
Hearing Haruno's voice, Yukino-mother slowly turned around, her stern gaze scanning both daughters. After confirming that their attire and demeanor were beyond reproach, her expression softened slightly.
"How is Father's condition?" Yukino asked with a hint of anxiety, looking at their unconscious father on the bed.
"He is out of critical danger for the time being."
As she spoke, Yukino-mother's voice carried a trace of exhaustion.
"What exactly happened? Why was Father in a car accident?" Haruno followed up immediately.
As a member of the Chiba City Assembly, the father's security was naturally top-notch. For him to be severely injured in a car crash despite this, Haruno found it hard not to suspect foul play.
"The surveillance has been checked. The driver of the oncoming car lost all life signs in an instant, which caused the vehicle to lose control and crash into them."
Yukino-mother's face looked haggard. Even for someone as experienced as her, such an absurd cause for an accident was hard to believe. However, after calming down and thinking it through, one had to accept the fact that "those kinds of existences" were responsible.
"Why would they choose Father as a target?"
Because she only had vague information about evil spirits, Haruno mistakenly assumed they all possessed sapience. "They wouldn't gain anything from targeting an assemblyman, would they?"
"Sister, it was likely just a coincidence."
Compared to Haruno, Yukino clearly understood more.
"A coincidence?"
"Yes." Yukino nodded slightly. "The target of those things was likely the driver who died, but Father's motorcade just happened to be passing by..."
At this point, a flash of helplessness crossed Yukino's face. No matter how famous her family was in Chiba, in the eyes of those spirits, even an assemblyman was just a pathetic wretch accidentally caught in the crossfire.
"Sigh..."
Hearing Yukino's deduction, Yukino-mother couldn't help but sigh. Clearly, she had reached the same conclusion as her daughter.
Before coming into contact with the supernatural side, she had been very satisfied with the family's status. Her husband and daughters were excellent, and the family business was thriving. But after touching the supernatural world, she realized everything the Yukinoshita family owned was merely an illusion—any figure from the supernatural side could easily tear the family to shreds...
"How can we establish a connection with the powers on that side?"
Looking at her husband, then back at her two daughters, Yukino-mother's face was filled with worry. The best way to forge a connection with the supernatural side was through marriage. But as the actual power-holder of the family, she understood clearly how difficult such a match would be.
Just as she wouldn't want her daughters marrying an ordinary worker, those families likely wouldn't allow their children to marry into an ordinary family like theirs...
Read ahead and finish this fanfiction by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting