Tokyo Bay Area.
Yukinoshita's father carefully navigated the parking lot, finally finding a parking spot and parking the car.
The owner of a Toyota car, who had originally planned to fight for this hard-earned parking spot, saw the silver "Flying Goddess" emblem on the car in front of him and wisely gave up the spot.
A successful man naturally has gentlemanly qualities.
Yukinoshita's father got out of the car and opened the back door for the three distinguished women in his family.
"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since we've all gone out like this together," Yukinoshita's mother said gently.
Since they were going out to shop, she had changed out of her yukata into a trendy light-colored winter outfit. Her long, smooth black hair was pinned up neatly behind her head with a hairpin. She looked less like the refined and graceful image of a traditional Japanese woman and more like someone with a calm, detached air.
The three women—Yukinoshita's mother and Yukino shared a similar aura, both with a cool, elegant presence, as if untouched by the world. But Yukino's presence had an added sharpness, like the biting cold around a snow lotus.
Yukinoshita Haruno, on the other hand, resembled a charming little fox. Her youth and energy blended with the mature and alluring side of her personality, creating an enchanting rose. Although she always wore a perfect, flawless smile, her eyes always exuded a sense of distance from outsiders.
Walking alongside these three women, the middle-aged man stood tall, and passersby couldn't help but glance at him with envy. It was almost an obstacle to managing his expression.
It was hard to maintain his composed face.
He wore a car key with a flying goddess emblem attached to his belt, and his Rolex watch, which slipped from his wrist while he adjusted his sleeves, were all symbols of a successful man.
Yukinoshita's father strutted into the mall with his wife and daughter, like a victorious rooster, chest out and head held high.
Half an hour later...
The successful man struggled to lift his arm, weighed down by shopping bags, and glanced at his watch.
He forced a smile and carefully reminded them, "Aren't we here to buy a cat?"
His slightly hunched body, burdened like a Christmas tree with gifts, and the strained smile on his face all showed his role as the underling in this situation.
He seemed to notice that the admiring looks from earlier had turned into mocking smiles of schadenfreude.
How shameful!
"Mother finally got a chance to come out with us, and we're buying her something too. What's the problem with that?"
Yukinoshita Haruno said nonchalantly, not even looking at her father, while directing the sales clerk to wrap up a winter dress.
"Right, that's true."
Though already sweating, the man carefully took out a bank card from his pocket and handed it over.
This was the last bit of dignity he had as a successful man and the head of the family.
Yukinoshita Yukino smoothly took the bank card from her father and handed it to her sister. Then, noticing the sweat on his forehead, she kindly said, "Father, how about I carry the bags? I'm really strong now."
As soon as she said that, she saw her father, who had been looking pained, suddenly straighten up, his face now showing determination.
He firmly said, "There's no way a father would let his daughter carry the bags when he's out shopping with her and her mother. No need to say more, I'm fine!"
The black-haired girl raised an eyebrow, then nodded, "Alright then."
Yukinoshita's mother, hearing this, glanced at her husband, noticing his stubborn expression. She instinctively smiled and decided that from now on, she would have him start exercising every morning to stay fit.
Finally, the three women stopped looking for more things to buy and began heading towards the pet exhibition area.
Before they even entered, the sounds of barking and meowing, like delicate music, filled the air.
Yukinoshita Yukino's lips involuntarily curled into a slight smile, and a look of nostalgia flashed in her eyes. She said, "Speaking of which, I've been to the summer pet exhibition before."
"I came here with Hayashizaki to pick out a birthday gift for Yuigahama, and we just happened to run into the pet exhibition. Now, it's the same thing, we just happened to come across the winter pet exhibition, and it feels strangely familiar."
"Oh? So, where is Hayashizaki, who was with you back then?" Yukinoshita Haruno asked, making casual conversation but actually probing for information about Hayashizaki's whereabouts.
"He's on a business trip," Yukinoshita Yukino replied.
"Tch." x2
Upon hearing Hayashizaki's name, Yukinoshita's father immediately perked up, eager to learn more about Yukino's jujutsu teacher. But he was surprised when the conversation stopped there.
The time spent choosing a pet cat was much shorter than Yukinoshita's father had imagined.
Yukinoshita Yukino immediately set her sights on a pure white Ragdoll cat with ice-blue eyes, as well as a gray American Shorthair with Madara markings.
She was much faster at making a choice compared to the three women who were still trying on clothes one by one.
But as he watched his wife and daughters gathered around the kittens, their eyes filled with joy, the successful man suddenly realized something very serious.
After swiftly swiping his card to buy the two adorable kittens—a male and a female—he walked over to another section of the exhibition and bought a blue-and-white budgerigar.
"From now on, you'll have to live with two fierce and terrifying hunters in this house. But don't worry, your status is second only to mine, the head of the household. Just stay in my study under my protection." Yukinoshita's father said this to the parrot as if giving an important instruction.
…
When they got home, the two kittens started exploring their surroundings. However, the Yukinoshita family's house was quite big, so they had to be careful not to get lost.
Meanwhile, Yukinoshita's father hung the parrot's cage in his study.
After dinner, the mother dragged the father out for an evening walk, while Yukinoshita Yukino stayed in the living room, playing with the kittens and thinking of names for them.
Suddenly, Yukinoshita Haruno spoke up. "If it were Hayashizaki-kun, what do you think he would name these two little ones?"
The black-haired girl gently scratched the Ragdoll's chin, thought for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "He'd probably just call them Blackie and Whitey."
"You really do know him well." Yukinoshita Haruno grinned. "Speaking of which, I wanted to tell you something at lunch, but Father interrupted me."
"What did you want to say?"
"I had a dream where Hayashizaki-kun possessed me. And not just me now—it was when I was younger. It felt pretty interesting."
The short-haired woman lay sprawled on the sofa, lazily swinging her fair, slender legs.
She hadn't expected that casually mentioning it would trigger such a strong reaction from her sister.
Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes widened in shock as she blurted out, "You had that dream too?!"
"Too?" Haruno instantly caught the key word. Before she could say anything, Yukinoshita Yukino interrupted her in a slightly anxious tone.
"When did you have this dream?"
"Hmm? Just recently…" Haruno's voice trailed off as she spoke.
She watched as her sister fell deep into thought, looking more serious than ever. A shocking idea slowly formed in her mind.
Could it be… that the dreams were real?
…
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