Sixth Street, Video Store
Soichiro returned here not long after Belle and Hoshimi Aya had left.
"Why is it you again?!"
Wise frowned as he looked at Soichiro standing at the entrance.
"I've come regarding Aya's matter."
"While it's true I haven't found her mother and don't know her name..."
"...I, Soichiro Hoshimi, have always been upright and honest. If I truly did something wrong, I will do my absolute best to make it up to them."
"However, I haven't investigated any clues regarding her mother these past few days."
"So I want to hear about her; I want to know the whole story."
Soichiro said earnestly.
Looking at Soichiro's expression, which didn't seem fake, Wise fell into thought.
"...Sorry, we aren't clear on that either."
"When we met Aya, she already had amnesia. Aside from some common life knowledge, she didn't understand anything else."
"The homeless Aya was sleeping in our family's trash can, and we took her in after that."
"But thinking about it now, Aya probably said those things back then just to reject you."
"Aya doesn't even remember her mother's name herself, so even if you had said it then, Aya would have denied it."
"Sorry, my previous attitude was based on a preconception."
As Wise spoke, he felt the situation becoming clearer the more he thought about it.
Aside from Aya's side which was still unclear, he had probably sorted out most of the rest.
The main issue was that Hoshimi Miyabi had left too great a psychological shadow in Aya's heart back then.
So she subconsciously wanted to stay away from Hoshimi Miyabi, and having been an orphan since childhood, Aya also felt some rejection toward a father figure.
Thinking of it this way made things much clearer.
"May I ask if you've thought of something?"
Soichiro asked as he watched Wise, who had suddenly gone silent and was deep in thought.
Hearing this, Wise snapped back to his senses and told Soichiro everything he had just thought of.
"I see."
"I think I understand now too."
"If Aya has been an orphan since childhood, then it all makes sense."
Saying this, Soichiro also voiced his own speculation.
Aya's age should only be a year or two different from Miyabi's.
After he married Hoshimi Miyabi's mother and Miyabi was born, he was often busy with social engagements and would get dead drunk in order to provide a better life for them.
He figured Aya's mother must have taken advantage of a time when he wasn't paying attention, leading to Aya's conception, but then an emergency occurred—the sudden expansion of Hollow No. 0.
Old Eridu fell; Aya's mother passed away in the incident before she could bring the child to his door, and Aya luckily survived.
"I see."
"That's likely how things happened."
"However, Aya isn't here right now; she went out with my sister."
"I'll tell Aya later, and then we can set a time to meet up and clear everything up!"
Wise thought to himself; although he had now overturned his previous guesses...
This head of the Hoshimi Family was unexpectedly upright and gentle, and he clearly cared for his family, as evidenced by the fact that he never remarried after Hoshimi Miyabi's mother passed away.
"Yes, I'm also planning to go back and tell Mi-chan about this."
"She was just crying because of this matter, but Mi-chan should be very happy once she knows."
After speaking, Soichiro exchanged private contact information with Wise and left.
...
Meanwhile.
Light Reflection Square, at the end of the small path behind the flower shop.
Belle arrived here at the appointed time, and those collaborating with Belle were precisely Zhu Yuan and Qingyi.
There was also someone here who surprised Belle slightly: Hoshimi Miyabi.
"Martial Arts Maniac Fox?!"
"Why are you here?"
"And why are your eyes so red? You couldn't have just been crying, could you?!"
Belle looked at Hoshimi Miyabi in confusion; she couldn't imagine what could possibly make such a martial arts maniac cry.
At the same time, Belle stealthily reached for the phone in her pocket, secretly messaging Belle to tell her not to bring Aya over.
She hadn't forgotten that she had asked Belle to bring Aya here earlier.
Now that Hoshimi Miyabi was here, Aya definitely wouldn't want to be with her; it wouldn't be good if things became unpleasant.
Just as Belle sent the message, the sound of a phone notification came from the other side of the path.
"Belle?"
"We've already arrived. Is something the matter?"
Belle walked out with Hoshimi Aya, looking puzzled.
But after they met, the atmosphere on the scene fell into a period of silence.
...
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