Saitama Prefecture, Kawaguchi City.
Separated from Tokyo by the Arakawa River.
Having left the shrine with Yurikawa Hana and arrived on the main street, Yotsuya Miko felt her phone vibrate.
She took it out for a look.
It was a call from Lin.
Yotsuya Miko was taken aback.
Hadn't Lin gone to the Yokai Realm with Shuzen Akua?
Was he back already?
"Hana, I need to take this call."
Though a little confused, she quickly answered.
"Hello, Lin."
"??!!"
Beside her, Yurikawa Hana froze mid-bite upon hearing the name 'Lin', her ears perking up.
This only strengthened her suspicions.
So they really were a thing.
Yotsuya Miko noticed Yurikawa Hana eavesdropping and hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to be secretive:
"Yeah, that's right."
"We've already been to the shrine."
"Hana and I are just walking around now."
"I'll come find you in a bit, and I'll tell you then."
"Okay, bye."
After ending the call, Yotsuya Miko put her phone away while looking at Yurikawa Hana with a small smile, saying:
"Hana, I'm going to meet up with Lin."
"Alright, alright, I get it."
Yurikawa Hana nodded with a grin, then pouted and said:
"I asked you about it before, Miko, but you kept denying it. Hehehe, the cat's out of the bag now, isn't it?"
She wore a smug expression as she spoke.
As expected of someone as clever as her.
She'd noticed something was off from the very beginning.
Honestly, Miko. If she was with Lin, she was with Lin. It's not like she was the type to steal her best friend's boyfriend.
She kept insisting she had no feelings for him.
And yet here they were, together so quickly.
At this thought, Yurikawa Hana couldn't help but glance at Yotsuya Miko.
I wonder who confessed first?
Yotsuya Miko's pretty face flushed at her words. "Well, I'm off then. Hana, be careful on your way home."
"Don't worry."
Yurikawa Hana nodded with a smile.
"...Okay."
Yotsuya Miko's eyes flickered.
Don't worry? How could she not worry?
At this point, the scales in her heart had almost completely tipped to one side.
The two of them went to the station together.
After watching Yurikawa Hana board a train for Kita Ward, Yotsuya Miko boarded a train for Nerima Ward.
About twenty minutes later,
Yotsuya Miko arrived at Lin's residence.
"Uh..."
When she saw the three unfamiliar figures, she froze, a look of confusion on her face.
Lin smiled.
"This is Moka's younger sister, Shuzen Kokoa. She came from the Yokai Realm to find Moka and will be staying here for a few days."
"This is Yotsuya Miko."
"Hello."
Shuzen Kokoa greeted her with a smile.
"Hello," Yotsuya Miko replied with a smile of her own.
Lin continued the introductions:
"This is Akasha Bloodriver. You can just call her Akasha. You could say she's Moka's mother."
"Moka's mother?!"
Yotsuya Miko was stunned.
Akasha didn't look like a mother at all; you could easily say she was Akashiya Moka's older or younger sister without anyone questioning it.
After her initial shock, she quickly and politely greeted her:
"Hello, Auntie. I'm Yotsuya Miko."
"Hello, Miko."
Akasha responded with a gentle smile, then added with another smile, "But you shouldn't call me Auntie."
"Huh?"
Yotsuya Miko was confused.
Akasha smiled. "If you don't want to call me by my name, Miko, you can also choose to call me 'Big Sis'."
"Big Sis..."
Yotsuya Miko paused.
Then she gave a slightly awkward smile. "That's true. A-Akasha-nee-san is so young, you look like you're only a year or two older than Moka."
It was mainly her mature aura.
"That's not what I meant."
Akasha smiled charmingly. "I meant this kind of big sis."
As she spoke, she took Lin's hand.
"Ah!!!"
Yotsuya Miko was thunderstruck.
She stood frozen to the spot.
Wait, am I seeing things?
She blinked, trying to confirm.
Right in front of her, Akasha's right hand was holding Lin's left, their fingers intertwined.
"But you're Moka's mother…"
Swallowing hard, Yotsuya Miko looked at Akasha in disbelief.
"You could say that."
Akasha tilted her head with a slight smile.
Yotsuya Miko: "…"
She turned to Lin. "But she's Moka's mother!"
"And?"
A sly glint flashed in Lin's eyes.
"…"
Yotsuya Miko couldn't help but look toward Tohru and Shuzen Akua.
But their reactions were completely flat.
Seriously, that's your reaction?
"???"
Yotsuya Miko fell into deep thought.
Am I the one who's not normal?
Or has the world gone mad?
Moka and Akasha are mother and daughter. Is it normal for them to be with the same man?
"Alright, I'll stop teasing you."
Just then, Lin spoke with a smile.
"Ah…"
Yotsuya Miko blinked.
Teasing me?
So that's what it was.
Coming to her senses, she couldn't help but shoot Lin a huge eye-roll.
That makes sense.
A mother and daughter serving the same man—that was just too unbelievable.
Lin said with a grin:
"Akasha is indeed my clansman, just like you, but her relationship with Moka is much more complicated than you think."
"??!!"
Yotsuya Miko's eyes widened.
What, she's really a clansman?!
Aren't Moka and Akasha mother and daughter?
What other kind of relationship could there be?
Lin smiled slightly. "Let Moka tell you."
"Right, where is Moka?"
Yotsuya Miko snapped back to reality, feeling a bit confused.
"I'm right here."
The corners of Akashiya Moka's lips curved upward.
"???"
Yotsuya Miko froze again.
Huh? You're Akashiya Moka?
Do you think I'm blind or something?!
Moka has beautiful, long pink hair; you have long silver-white hair.
Moka looks gentle and sweet… hmm, just like her mother.
But you look like a cool, dignified beauty.
Even though you're smiling, you give off the air of a queen.
With such a huge difference, you're telling me you're Akashiya Moka?
Tohru chimed in with a smile, "Miko, that really is Moka."
Yotsuya Miko: "Huh?!"
She blinked, completely dumbfounded.
"Wait…"
She suddenly remembered something.
Lin had mentioned before that the Akashiya Moka they usually saw was her sealed form, with her vampire powers suppressed.
Could this be her true form, with the seal released?
Yotsuya Miko felt like she had just stepped out for a bit, and when she came back, the world was no longer the one she knew.
"My head is spinning…"
Yotsuya Miko sat down on the sofa, pressing her hands to her temples.
Lin used Sky Magic on her.
Yotsuya Miko's spirits lifted, and her chaotic mind calmed down a little.
Next, Lin gave Yotsuya Miko a simple and clear explanation of the situation with Akashiya Moka and Akasha.
After listening, Yotsuya Miko's mouth fell slightly open in shock.
She looked at Akashiya Moka.
Then she looked at Akasha.
She never could have imagined their relationship was so special.
And to think that the pink-haired Moka she usually saw was actually Akasha.
No wonder she became Lin's clansman.
It was Akasha who had fallen for Lin first.
After understanding the situation,
the idea of Moka's 'mother and daughter' serving the same man started to seem... not so unacceptable after all.
Just then, Lin spoke up:
"Alright, Miko, you can tell us about Yurikawa's situation now."
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