"Ah! Little Yukino is back!"
Yukinoshita Haruno's face lit up with joy as she got up, stepped past their mother, and walked toward her sister.
She took Yukino's small, fair hand in hers, her face glowing with excitement. "Coming home all of a sudden—did you miss your big sister?"
"Not really," Yukinoshita Yukino answered honestly.
"Still being stubborn." Haruno smiled sweetly, then suddenly peeked behind the black-haired girl. "Huh? Where's Hayashizaki? Didn't he come with you?"
Yukino's body stiffened instantly, and the smile on her face vanished.
Noticing the change in her sister's expression, Haruno's grin widened.
Finally, their mother found an opening to join the conversation. "Who is Hayashizaki?"
Standing nearby, their father had just finished carrying his younger daughter's luggage when he overheard the unfamiliar name. His face darkened immediately, and his sharp gaze locked onto Yukino.
"He's my…"
Before she could say "friend," Haruno cut in with a teasing grin. "He's little Yukino's sweetheart."
Yukino's face turned bright red, as if a kettle had just started boiling, with imaginary steam practically rising from her head.
Fortunately, she had been through a lot by now—she wouldn't let Haruno mess with her so easily anymore.
Taking a deep breath, she quickly calmed herself and sighed. "Just a friend."
After a pause, she added, "And my mentor in Jujutsu."
Her father's expression softened a little. He changed into indoor slippers at the entrance, then carried Yukino's luggage to her room.
"I see. Then we should invite your teacher over for a meal sometime," their mother said with a nod.
Seeing that her little ambush hadn't flustered Yukino, Haruno pouted in disappointment and muttered under her breath, "Well, I wasn't wrong."
"Haruno, don't say such things." Their mother shot her a glare. "As if Yukino would fall for her own teacher. That wouldn't just be improper—there's also a huge age gap."
"Haha."
Haruno let out a short laugh, prompting their mother to ask, "What? Is Yukino's teacher actually young?"
"Around a thousand years old, give or take."
Haruno casually twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, pretending to be indifferent, but she was secretly watching their mother's reaction.
"…How old?"
Yukinoshita's mother froze, wondering if she had misheard.
"A thousand years old," Haruno repeated, waving her hand dismissively. "But it's fine. He looks young! About the same age as me."
Their mother turned to Yukino, silently asking for confirmation with her eyes.
When she saw Yukino sigh and nod reluctantly, she forced herself to stay calm and sat back down on the floor mat, her expression unreadable. "I see… The world is full of mysteries. To think someone could live that long."
So, her youngest daughter had ended up with a mentor who was practically a god. And here she was, thinking it was something serious.
Yukinoshita's mother picked up her teacup and took a sip of the steaming tea.
"Mother, your hand is shaking," Haruno kindly pointed out.
*Clack!*
The graceful, poised woman in her yukata suddenly placed the cup down with a bit too much force. She let out a deep sigh and said, "Do you even realize what you two just said? If you tell me this is all a joke, I can still pretend I understand."
"It's not a joke. That's what Hayashizaki himself said," Haruno shrugged. "If you don't believe it, you can ask him yourself. Weren't you planning to invite him over for dinner anyway?"
Yukinoshita's mother was momentarily speechless. Is that really something you can just ask so casually?
Without continuing the conversation there, everyone moved from the tea room to the dining room. Meanwhile, Yukinoshita's father, who had been helping their younger daughter settle her luggage, had also returned.
He sat boldly in the main seat at the dining table, waved his hand, and said, "Alright, tell me about this Hayashizaki guy."
Thinking back, when his older daughter mentioned that this man named Hayashizaki was their younger daughter's crush, the way her face turned red didn't seem fake. So, as a father, he definitely needed to pay attention.
"Family background, age, life experiences—I want everything, down to the smallest detail." He spoke with the tone of someone interrogating a suspect.
As soon as he finished speaking, his wife, sitting next to him, pinched his thigh hard. The middle-aged man instinctively grimaced, but he managed to keep a straight face.
"Father…" Yukinoshita Yukino looked completely exasperated.
"Hey! Little Haruno has a picture!" Yukinoshita Haruno raised her hand excitedly, and the black-haired girl immediately turned to look at her.
Wait—why do you have a picture of Hayashizaki? Even I don't have one!
"Great! Show it to me!"
Ignoring his younger daughter's widened eyes, Yukinoshita's father took Haruno's phone. Their mother, also curious, leaned in to get a look at this so-called thousand-year-old man.
On the screen was a selfie of Yukinoshita Haruno holding a phone in one hand and a beer bottle in the other. But in the background, sitting cross-legged, was a black-haired young man wearing a black hoodie, also holding a can of beer.
The young man had a slight, helpless smile at the corner of his lips. The angle of the shot captured both his well-defined features and sharp jawline. The room's warm orange lighting reflected off his deep red eyes, making them shine like rubies.
The moment he saw the picture, the middle-aged man froze. Then, he blinked and, for the first time, lost some of his earlier confidence and authority. "Uh… Yukino, your teacher… he's really young. He looks about the same age as Haruno."
Instinctively, he turned his head to see how his wife would react to their daughter's teacher—only to find her looking rather conflicted.
Just moments ago, she had been certain that Yukino couldn't possibly have feelings for her teacher. But after seeing the picture, Yukinoshita's mother started to waver.
Is it really impossible?
She knew her daughter wasn't someone who judged people based on looks alone. But this young-looking man—if he was capable enough to be Yukino's teacher in that extraordinary world, then he must be outstanding in his own right.
And according to Yukino, he was also her friend. Given everything her daughter had been through as a child, she wasn't someone who made friends easily.
For her to openly talk about him like that… It probably meant she had truly acknowledged him. Maybe their relationship had even gone beyond friendship?
"Yukino, are you sure you don't like this… Hayashizaki?" Yukinoshita's mother asked hesitantly, wanting to confirm once more.
If Yukino really had feelings for her teacher… then what should they do?
A thousand years old… Instinctively, she thought it had to be a joke. But then again, she had also thought Yukino was joking about sorcerers—until she watched her daughter slice an expensive wooden table in half with no effort.
Existing for a thousand years… In Yukinoshita's mother's mind, that was something only a god could do.
Wait… is my daughter in love with a god? Is this real?
Her mother's sudden question made both girls at the table freeze for a moment. Then, as if she had just heard the funniest joke ever, Yukinoshita Haruno burst into laughter.
She patted her younger sister's shoulder, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she struggled to catch her breath. "Come on… haha! Mom's asking you a question! Be honest!"
Yukinoshita Yukino rolled her eyes. She swatted away that delicate, fair hand, then—surprisingly—actually started thinking seriously about it.
Her father, who had missed crucial parts of the earlier conversation while dealing with the luggage, was caught off guard by his wife's abrupt question. He was just as confused as he was nervous, his eyes fixed on his younger daughter.
After a moment, Yukinoshita Yukino slowly shook her head.
Yukinoshita Haruno was stunned. Their mother looked conflicted. The middle-aged man, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief.
The black-haired girl didn't explain anything. She simply started eating in silence.
Shaking her head didn't mean she didn't like him.
It meant she didn't know.
She couldn't figure out her own feelings.
Was it love? Or was it something else?
Even though she cared a lot about Hayashizaki, felt her heart race because of things he said or did, felt safe when he was around, and missed him when he was gone…
That still didn't mean she could be sure that what she felt for him was love.
Both her sister and Hayashizaki had told her that she had a habit of depending on others without realizing it. What if what she felt for him wasn't love but just reliance?
Relying on how he could always solve any problem she had. Relying on the sense of security he gave her whenever he saved her from danger. Relying on him…
Ahem. Anyway, right now, she just couldn't be sure of her feelings.
Maybe only when she became the strongest would she truly understand what her feelings for Hayashizaki were.
Yes, becoming the strongest came first. Besides, it wasn't like Hayashizaki was coming back anytime soon…
As Yukinoshita Yukino shoveled rice into her mouth, her thoughts drifted aimlessly, disrupted by her own uncertainty.
Until a voice, lighthearted yet carrying an unmistakable hint of mischief, snapped her back to reality—
"Oh? I see~ Since little Yukino doesn't like him, I guess I'll take him instead!"
Yukino's mind cleared instantly, and she shot a sharp glance to her side, locking eyes with her sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, who was smirking playfully.
"Sis, are you serious about what you just said?" Yukino asked seriously, her face calm but her tone firm.
"Of course~ As serious as can be." Haruno grinned teasingly. "Ah, right, speaking of which, I've recently—"
"Ahem! Let's eat, let's eat!" Their father, noticing the change in his younger daughter's expression, swiftly cut off Haruno's teasing just in time to prevent Yukino from snapping.
He didn't take Haruno's words too seriously—it was obviously just a joke to get a reaction out of Yukino.
…Right?
After being interrupted by their father, Haruno backed off slightly. She hummed smugly but then turned her attention to her meal.
Having little Yukino at the table really made the rice taste sweeter.
Finally, the conversation moved away from Hayashizaki and onto other topics.
Mostly, it was about Yukino and how she had been doing lately.
Both their father and mother were deeply concerned about the life of their younger daughter, who was no longer just an ordinary girl.
Who would have thought their family would end up having a superpowered daughter?
But since the change had been so sudden, and she had left in such a rush, her parents weren't sure how to bring it up, which was why they hadn't called her before now.
The atmosphere at the table gradually became warm and peaceful. Occasionally, a gasp or exclamation would break the calm, especially when Yukino talked about her battles with cursed spirits. Her mother's eyebrows furrowed so tightly they almost knotted together.
But the moment she realized just how strong her daughter had become, her brows relaxed, and an almost invisible trace of pride appeared in her expression.
A daughter of the Yukinoshita family was bound to shine wherever she went.
It seemed that even in the world of sorcery, that fact remained unchanged.
As lunch neared its end, the atmosphere at the table remained harmonious.
Yukino suddenly realized—when was the last time her family had sat down and talked like this?
In her memory, such lively conversations rarely, if ever, happened at their dining table.
Maybe… it was better to be more honest with her family.
A phrase Hayashizaki had once said to her echoed in her mind, and the corners of her lips curved up slightly.
Something crossed her mind, and she spoke up.
"Mother, let's get a cat."
"Huh?" Her mother blinked in surprise, about to say something when her husband jumped in first.
"Yukino likes cats? Then let's get one! No—one isn't enough! We can't have people thinking the Yukinoshita family can't afford a few cats! Let's get one for everyone!"
Her father spoke loudly and confidently, like a general rallying his troops. He hadn't even been drinking, yet his enthusiasm made it seem like he had. Someone who didn't know better might think he actually had some authority at home.
But really, he was just happy.
It had been so long since the family had sat together and chatted like this.
---
"Alright, then I'll come home more often to visit," Yukinoshita Yukino said with a smile.
Yukinoshita's mother opened her mouth, then swallowed the words she was about to say for educating her daughter, and a slight smile appeared on her face.
"Then in the afternoon, I'll have your father take you to pick one out. But it's not good to have too many, just two," she said.
...
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