"So, she ended up joining that legendary department?" In the hospital's VIP room, Mrs. Yukinoshita calmly placed a slightly oxidized, freshly sliced apple into her mouth, her elegant face composed. "You didn't tell Yukino to choose the Hotogi Shrine?"
"I'm sorry, Mother." Yukinoshita Haruno stood beside her, head bowed, looking like a misbehaving child being scolded.
"The Hotogi Shrine has been an ally of the Yukinoshita family for generations. Only they can guarantee Yukino's absolute safety. You're not such a thoughtless child, are you, Haruno?"
Haruno remained silent, still keeping her head down, offering no excuses—just quietly standing there.
Seeing this wordless defiance, Mrs. Yukinoshita was of two minds. On one hand, she felt that her elder daughter still retained her natural instincts and needed more discipline to fully mold her. On the other hand, she recognized in Haruno a version of herself. After all, she had once rebelled against her own father in the same silent way.
She didn't dwell on Haruno's resistance. Instead, she spoke in a neutral tone, "Not involving Yukino in the social events with the Hotogi Shrine was indeed my mistake, which led to her making a misjudgment."
"But that's not her fault. Even someone like me was deceived by Miyuki for nearly forty years. It's only natural that Yukino misread the situation."
Anyone would be overwhelmed if they suddenly discovered that their close friend was a supernatural being capable of manipulating the elements—and from a family with a long line of inherited supernatural power. Yukino being stunned was perfectly understandable.
Although she still trusted that the Hotogi Shrine wouldn't harm her daughter—thanks to their long-standing friendship—Mrs. Yukinoshita was still displeased by the secrecy. Emotionally, she felt betrayed. Rationally, however, she believed her friend had done the right thing.
Still, it was a shame that the Yukinoshita family couldn't deepen its relationship with the Hotogi Shrine. After all, they didn't have a third daughter to offer.
"That SDS department... did Shirayuki say anything before she left?"
Now that her younger daughter had gone with the SDS—led by that same young man they had once tried to bribe—the situation was beyond her control. Mrs. Yukinoshita had no choice but to accept reality. The pressing task now was to understand the supernatural world and determine the risks and benefits of Yukino joining SDS, in order to decide the family's next move.
Understanding this, Haruno finally lifted her head and explained, "Shirayuki said that SDS is the most reputable official organization in the world right now. She assured me that Yukino wouldn't be in any danger."
"She also said that Yukinoshita joining SDS is, in a way, the department extending an olive branch to other domestic forces. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
Yukino's safety came first, huh... Mrs. Yukinoshita glanced at her eldest daughter, immediately seeing through the emotional bias she tried to hide when under pressure.
"Well, since even Shirayuki says so, let it be. Oh, and inform Sōbu High to put Yukino on temporary leave. If SDS needs her to transfer, we'll deal with it then."
"I'll notify them right away." As Haruno spoke, her eyes fell on the apple slices her mother was still eating. She immediately recognized them as the ones Yukino had peeled earlier in the room.
Only Yukino would try to cut a bunny-shaped apple and accidentally make it look like cat ears. Even though the slices had been sitting there and had clearly browned, her mother was still eating them... And she normally hated fruits that weren't fresh.
It hit Haruno suddenly—her mother actually cared about Yukino. Otherwise, she wouldn't have unconsciously violated her own habits like this.
With that realization, Haruno, walking out of the room, suddenly felt less alone. A small smile appeared on her face as she walked briskly out of the hospital.
In a wooded path on the outskirts of Chiba City, Shirayuki Hotogi leaned against a tree, holding her phone to her ear. "Yes, Mom. Yukino chose to join SDS."
On the other end of the line, a gentle voice replied, "Really? With her stubborn nature, I wouldn't have thought she'd let her daughter go so far... Wait a second, did she learn somehow that SDS might actually be a better fit than us?"
"No way... If they had that kind of inside knowledge, the kidnapping would never have happened."
Shirayuki stayed silent until her mother finished muttering. Then she asked, "Mom, what do we do now?"
"Nothing~," the gentle voice suddenly turned playful.
"My original plan was to lure Haruno over. That child has so much pent-up emotion and strong mental resilience. Plus, she's so well-rounded—she'd be perfect for learning our family's fire arts."
"We missed the chance before, but now that we have one, of course I wanted to see if we could bring her into the fold."
"Even though that failed, it's no big deal for us. In fact, having Yukino join SDS broadens our network. We can now connect with them indirectly."
"Oh right, Shirayuki, did you manage to get the SDS leader's contact info?"
Thinking she might have forgotten, Shirayuki quickly exited the call screen and checked her contacts. Seeing Luo Shu's name, she breathed a sigh of relief. "...Already added."
"Hehehe, I knew our Shirayuki is the most charming of all." Embarrassed by her mother's praise, Shirayuki blushed and replied softly, "So… we're really just going to let Yukino join SDS like this?"
"What else can we do?"
Miyuki Hotogi's voice carried a teasing tone. "I've met that kid Yukino before. With how stiff she is, fire arts and swordsmanship aren't for her. She'd get stuck on the tiniest things. Honestly, it's a blessing SDS was willing to take her. They really do have amazing resources for nurturing new recruits."
"Now that this matter's settled, just come home. As for the Onmyo Bureau, let that madwoman Tachibana handle them."
"Hmph, they're even planning to erase my best friend's memories. Those old geezers are nothing but trouble."
"The lockdown in Chiba, the matter with Katsuhiko Yakushiji—we'll be settling scores with them sooner or later."
Shirayuki didn't bother listening to her mother's complaints anymore. With a small beep, she hung up the call and looked up toward the sky, obscured by thick tree branches.
"Feels like I didn't get anything done on this trip…"
In the heart of Chiba City, Yukinoshita Yukino sat in the backseat, nervously watching Luo Shu drive.
He'd been driving on the right side of the road the entire time, and she had finally reached her limit.
"Mr. Luo Shu, is it really okay to keep driving against traffic?"
"Huh?" Luo Shu, driving the massive Hummer, blinked and said with a puzzled tone, "Isn't it against the law to not drive on the right?"
Hearing that, Yukino froze in shock. "But... in Japan, don't we drive on the left?"
"Oh, my bad. I'm a foreigner." Luo Shu quickly yanked the steering wheel and veered into the left lane, nearly tossing Yukino across the backseat.
Struggling to sit upright again, Yukino complained with a slightly shaken voice, "Um… Mr. Luo Shu, next time you make a sharp turn like that, could you at least give some warning?"
But Luo Shu just grinned and said casually, "Relax. I only drive on roads where accidents are impossible."
Yukino opened her mouth but couldn't find the right words. In the end, all she could squeeze out was, "Can I ask… do you actually have a driver's license?"
"Nope!" Luo Shu replied cheerfully.
"What do you mean by that?" Yukino's expression started to crumble.
Still humming a cheerful little tune, Luo Shu explained, "I mean I've never taken the driving test. Don't worry though. My driving's top-notch. I just watched Takina drive for a while today and picked it up."
"....." Yukino was utterly speechless.
Was it still possible for her to get out of this car… before it was too late?