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Yukinoshita Yukino was feeling unmotivated.
Although she had boasted about helping Togawa Sakiko, she still had no clue how to proceed.
Could it be that she really had to do as Asakura said and make Togawa an idol…?
Regardless of whether Togawa Sakiko would agree, the very act of 'becoming an idol' itself was probably not that simple.
Even Yukinoshita Yukino, who had no research into this industry, had heard of the intense internal competition and cruel elimination rate in the idol industry—compared to the small handful of successful individuals who reached the pinnacle and enjoyed the spotlight from across the nation and even the world, the idol industry had more failures who were trampled underfoot like stepping stones, who spent their entire youth without any progress and ultimately ended up with a rough conclusion.
The vast majority of them didn't even officially debut until they left the stage, remaining merely so-called underground idols.
Yukinoshita Yukino's life had not been smooth sailing, so she could understand even more how difficult this path was.
If she thought about it carefully, the Service Club's motto was 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.' At this moment, Togawa Sakiko was indeed practicing the act of 'fishing' to the best of her ability. According to the Service Club's philosophy, there was actually no need to intervene. Perhaps, just as Asakura initially believed, this commission itself was a mistake.
Nestled on the sofa at home, Yukinoshita Yukino felt genuinely exhausted. She stretched out her arm, like a white lotus root, holding the remote control and turning on the TV.
"…Regarding the recent rumors of divine disappearances, let's interview Ms. Urushihara from Yanagimori Shrine…"
Beep.
"…According to the World Health Organization's announcement, the strange illness that has recently appeared domestically has no actual infectivity; there is no need to panic…"
Beep.
"…The truth behind the Mount Kumotori fire! Mass hysteria, a mirage, or an extremely rare Japanese Sea aurora…"
Beep.
"…Modern bipedal walking monster cat discovered in Chiba! Experts say it might be a mutated product of nuclear leakage…"
"Nonsense."
Yukinoshita Yukino lost interest and tossed the remote control aside.
The noisy TV news and commercials were like cicada chirps outside the window, chattering incessantly, adding to the irritating summer heat.
Just as the girl's consciousness gradually sank with the coolness of the air conditioner, almost falling asleep, the sudden ringing of her phone jolted her awake.
She let out a small yawn, picked up her phone, and found that it was her mother calling. Her originally somewhat dazed eyes instantly cleared, and her sleepiness flew away to the clouds.
Was she going to be asked to attend another high-society social dinner? Or was it just a routine inquiry about her studies? Or perhaps a roundabout hint that her mother didn't like the Service Club she founded and intended for her to disband the club and focus solely on her studies?
No matter how she thought about it, the conclusions she reached were not the type that would relax the girl's mood.
She sighed softly in her heart, then still picked up the phone.
"It's been a while, Mother…"
However, before Yukinoshita Yukino could even think about how to deal with her mother, the words from the other end made her freeze.
"Haruno is sick. Come back and see her."
"My sister…" Yukinoshita Yukino's voice became slightly sharper.
But the girl quickly calmed down.
With the Yukinoshita family's financial resources, unless it was an incurable disease, as long as it was discovered in time, it wouldn't be a big problem.
"What illness does she have?"
"Acute Specific Connective Tissue System Necrosis."
"Acute… what?" Yukinoshita Yukino's mind didn't process it immediately.
"The strange illness that has recently appeared domestically." Mrs. Yukino's voice on the other end of the phone paused. Whether it was Yukino's illusion or not, she felt that her mother, who was usually so poised, seemed to be choking up a bit. "The current survival rate is zero."
Yukino froze, an indescribable chill slowly crawling from her fingertips to her body, then pumped by her heart to all her limbs, leaving her completely rigid.
A strange sense of unreality enveloped the girl, but she still tried hard to appear undisturbed.
"I… I understand. I'll be right back!"
"Haruno is at the hospital now. The address is…" Mrs. Yukino reeled off a string of addresses.
Normally, Yukino would naturally realize that someone who had just been diagnosed with a serious illness was unlikely to go straight home and should still be hospitalized for observation. However, because this news was too shocking for the girl, her brain seemed to have crashed just now, getting stuck awkwardly, neither up nor down, completely unable to think properly.
Her mind in a mess, she didn't bother to think further, grabbing her phone and wallet and rushing out to hail a taxi.
Although the address Mrs. Yukino provided was reachable by a short walk after taking the train, Yukino didn't want to wait for the train or waste time walking, so she splurged on a taxi directly to the hospital.
Following the address provided by her mother, the girl quickly found her sister's hospital room.
However, after pushing open the door and entering, Yukino found that the situation inside was completely different from her expectations of 'a deathly pale face,' 'Haruno, motionless,' 'the air heavy as if solid,' and so on.
At this moment, Yukinoshita Haruno was comfortably leaning against the headboard, holding a paperback novel that Yukino often read and carefully reading it. The lingering glow of the setting sun cast a soft orange filter over her, adding a touch of reality to the girl's face, which usually wore a mask and had become second nature.
The entire scene looked serene and beautiful, completely devoid of any despair or oppression associated with the words 'terminal illness.'
"Sister…" Yukino couldn't help but call out softly.
"Yukino-chan, you're here." Yukinoshita Haruno put down the book she was using to pass the time and looked at her sister. "Honestly, I told Mother not to tell you…"
Her complexion was very good, showing no signs of illness at all, which even made Yukino think it was just a misdiagnosis by the hospital.
"Sister, your illness…" She struggled to confirm with her sister.
"Yes, it's true—" Yukinoshita Haruno said with a helpless smile. She turned around and took off her hospital gown.
On her fair and smooth back, a grotesque and abnormal lump bulged, incredibly conspicuous, and just looking at it caused a sense of physiological discomfort.
Before Yukinoshita Yukino could say anything, the Scale Flash Pattern on her hand warmed slightly, and in her eyes, the lump suddenly distorted, revealing a grotesque human face that grinned silently at the girl…
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