"Ah, the winter pet exhibition is being held today, how lucky!" Yukinoshita Haruno said while looking at her phone after lunch.
She had originally wanted to find a good pet store in Chiba, but unexpectedly, she discovered the pet exhibition happening.
"It's in Chiba at Lalaport, it's pretty close," she said, waving her phone in front of Yukinoshita Yukino.
Looking at the promotional poster on the phone screen, Yukinoshita Yukino had a momentary daze, then unconsciously smiled, "Ah, so it's already that time."
"Shall we go there?" Yukinoshita's father asked, swinging a set of car keys in his hand as he walked over.
"Isn't mom coming with us?" Yukinoshita Yukino tilted her head and asked.
After lunch, Yukinoshita's mother went to take a nap in her room. She had a very regular schedule: sleep before midnight, wake up at 6:30 AM for morning exercise, and take a one-hour nap at noon.
"Your mother probably won't be coming with us," Yukinoshita's father said while rubbing his stubbled chin, thinking for a moment before adding, "But she might, if you go persuade her after she wakes up, it might work."
"She should be waking up soon, let's have some fruit first." He got up and went back to the kitchen, but his expression was a bit oddly strange before he left.
"Isn't father a bit strange?" Yukinoshita Haruno wondered.
She felt like the expression he tried to hide just now was like... a child who couldn't wait to play with a new toy?
Though it was a bit strange, this was the feeling Yukinoshita Haruno had.
Yukinoshita Yukino shrugged, saying that her father liked to act silly when her mother wasn't around, so she had gotten used to it.
Soon, the man returned with a plate of washed fruit and placed it on the table, then pushed it toward Yukinoshita Yukino. Although there were a few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, his gaze still had a childlike excitement.
The two girls couldn't help but laugh.
So that's what he was planning.
It seemed that when Yukinoshita Yukino showed her parents her ability as a sorcerer by using a cutting strike to slice a wooden table, her father had remembered it.
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at the various fruits on the white plate, her expression gradually becoming serious.
To be honest, using cutting techniques in battle is usually broad and forceful, but she had never tried something as delicate as slicing fruit.
She reached for an apple, then activated her technique.
Without any sign, Yukinoshita's father, who had been closely watching his daughter's hand, saw several fine cracks appear on the surface of the red apple.
When she placed the apple back on the plate, it automatically split into neatly sliced pieces.
The man stared for a moment, then looked up at his daughter and back down at the sliced fruit: "Just this?"
What about the cool special effects? The shining sword light? How did she cut the fruit so quietly?
While he was still stunned, Yukinoshita Yukino had already gotten used to the small-range, high-precision cutting technique, quickly slicing the remaining fruit and arranging them on the plate.
"This isn't a superpower, it's a technique," Yukinoshita Yukino explained, as if she could guess what her father was thinking. "The technique I use is called 'Gokyoshi,' which allows me to release invisible cutting strikes, and..."
She thought for a moment, then added something that might be more suited to what her father wanted to hear.
The black-haired girl slowly stretched out her hand, palm up, and then reduced the magical energy output of the technique to 0.01%.
Yukinoshita Yukino and her father suddenly noticed the temperature around them shoot up, as if a large oven had been placed in front of them.
A bright flame suddenly rose from Yukinoshita Yukino's palm.
The middle-aged man's eyes instantly lit up, like a child seeing fireworks for the first time, full of excitement.
After showing it for two seconds, Yukinoshita Yukino quickly canceled the technique: "I only know how to use this technique, but I'm not skilled at it."
"What's this technique called?" Yukinoshita's father asked curiously.
"It's called 'Kamado.' By the way, the cuts are 'Kae' and 'Hachi.'"
"Oh, sounds quite impressive!"
He was about to ask more, but saw his wife, who had finished her nap, walking out of the room. He cleared his throat twice, straightened his back, and suddenly seemed to become the mature, composed successful man again: "Father just cut some fruit, try it."
Both daughters rolled their eyes in unison.
Ignoring her flattering father, Yukinoshita Yukino turned to her mother and invited, "Mom, come with us to the pet exhibition."
"Huh? Me?" Seemingly surprised by her youngest daughter's invitation, Yukinoshita's mother paused for a moment before smiling and shaking her head, gently refusing, "I think I'll pass. I don't like crowded places."
The middle-aged man secretly winked at the black-haired girl, revealing a knowing expression.
Yukinoshita Yukino thought for a moment, recalling the first time she met with the high school staff and Gojo Satoru, when Hayashizaki had taken control of her to persuade her mother.
Then, her cool voice suddenly softened a little. Although it still sounded a bit awkward, it brought enough shock to everyone: "I want to go to the exhibition with Mom, is that... not okay?"
Yukinoshita Haruno and her father immediately exchanged a look, their faces full of surprise.
Not noticing the playful expressions on her husband and elder daughter's faces, the elegant and composed look that usually stayed on Yukinoshita's mother's face seemed to shatter. She stared blankly at her youngest daughter, who was blinking at her, and for a moment, it felt like she was seeing her little daughter from years ago.
Back then, Yukino would often look at her like that, wanting her to play with her.
What did I do back then?
The image of her daughter's disappointed expression briefly flashed in Yukinoshita's mother's mind.
"Well, okay, let's all go together."
After a brief moment of daze, Yukinoshita's mother slowly came to her senses, her gaze softening as she looked at her black-haired daughter.
Yukinoshita Haruno and Yukinoshita's father both looked even more surprised.
The former began to touch his chin thoughtfully.
Could it be that Mom is soft to this kind of act?
Next time, if I don't want to deal with the work Mom arranges, maybe I'll try being cute, too.
After the short moment of surprise, the middle-aged man's expression immediately became serious.
"I'll go get the car."
...
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