As soon as Sakurajima Mai posed her question, everyone in the chat fell silent, turning into onlookers quietly eating their popcorn.
After a while, Sakurajima Ai finally replied.
Sakurajima Ai: "…Yes, I'm sorry, Mai. I've never known how to tell you the truth about all this."
Sakurajima Mai: "…"
Mai wore a troubled expression.
Hearing the truth from her mother made her feel as though her life had been hit with too many strange things, and this developnt had thrown her entire worldview into confusion.
Eriri: "…Why does your situation sound so much like mine and my mom's?"
Kobayashi: "Wait, there's another one of you?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "What's your situation, then?"
Eriri: "Ehhh, I only just found out a few days ago that I'm not Mom's biological daughter, and…she also likes so jerk!"
Sayuri (the mom): "My, my, Eriri. It's not nice to badmouth your mother behind her back~"
Eriri: "Ugh! I'm sorry, Mom!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "???
Machida Sonoko: "This is getting really bizarre—like so lodrama!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "This isn't just bizarre…it's total chaos."
Seeing how tangled these relationships were in the chat, Hiratsuka Shizuka felt a headache coming on.
But so people, seeing these sorts of revelations, started to have strange thoughts.
Yuigahama Yui suddenly ran out of her room. She spotted her mother tidying up clothes on the sofa and blurted,
"Mom, am I really your biological daughter?"
"!!!"
That question made Yui's mom panic, though she quickly forced herself to calm down, brushing back her hair with feigned irritation.
"Yui, saying that will break Mommy's heart."
"Heh heh, I'm just teasing, Mom," Yui giggled and scratched her head, relieved inside. But once she went back to her room and shut the door, Mrs. Yuigahama stared at it in worry.
"Could Yui…have found out sothing?"
Elsewhere, having learned the truth, Mai was at a loss. She couldn't really be mad at either Rei Ao or her mother, so she just shot Rei Ao a resentful glare.
"Eriri's right—you really are a scoundrel."
"Haha."
Even being insulted, Rei Ao only laughed aloud.
"Scoundrel or not doesn't matter, as long as you like . Want to comfort you a bit?"
"Who wants your…mmph!"
As Rei Ao "comforted" Mai, ti slipped by. Evening ca; dusk was falling.
Ilia put her books away.
"That'll be it for today."
"Eh?!"
Furuhashi Fumino and Ogata Rizu were reluctant to stop. They had never before experienced studying science or literature so effectively, with that feeling of absorbing knowledge and making real progress. It was downright addictive.
"Studying requires a balance of work and rest, and it's already getting late. You should head ho now."
At that point, Rei Ao approached, and Mafuyu Kirisu also stood up.
"Exactly. However important your studies are, we can't have your families worrying."
"…Alright."
With no other choice, the pair said their goodbyes. After thanking Ilia and Rei Ao, they left.
Mafuyu Kirisu let out a long sigh and turned to give Rei Ao a thumbs-up.
"Your sister is truly amazing."
She had never seen Furuhashi Fumino and Ogata Rizu so serious—and so enthusiastic—about subjects they were bad at.
"Ilia really is incredible."
Rei Ao smiled. "Miss Mafuyu, care to stay for dinner? We're making sweet-and-sour ribs tonight."
Sw—Sweet-and-sour ribs!
Mafuyu's eyes widened at the thought of sweet-and-sour ribs.
Her throat involuntarily gulped. She hadn't eaten that dish in quite a while. Finally, torn between embarrassnt and a favorite al, she chose…sweet-and-sour ribs.
"In that case…sorry to intrude!"
She figured a bit of embarrassnt was worth it for sothing delicious.
In the Hidden Base beneath Roppongi Fort—this was the Funeral Parlor's underground stronghold.
"Gai."
Led by Tsugumi and Ayase, Inori arrived to et Gai: a man whose body was strangely gaunt and elderly-looking. In reality, he was very young—close to Tsugumi and Ayase's age.
Gai Tsutsugami—the "young" leader of the Funeral Parlor.
(Note: This is a slightly modified version.)
When Tsugumi and Ayase joined the Funeral Parlor, they heard that this wizened man was actually young and were stunned. Later they learned he had so illness that made him look like that, and they respected him for it. Still, in truth, seeing him look so elderly ant they felt no romantic interest in him. Gai himself was quite helpless about it.
Originally he'd hoped that Inori's special blood—given her unique background—might suppress his "Apocalypse Virus." But the problem was…blood type! Because of incompatible blood types, it was impossible for him to receive Inori's blood, though it shouldn't have been that way. As a result, his Apocalypse Virus remained uncontrolled, leaving his body in this pitiful state.
Once Tsugumi and Ayase left them, Gai spoke seriously to Inori.
"Cough…Inori, I have an extrely important mission for you."
"What do you need to do?"
Inori's face was as serene as ever.
"You must go to one of GHQ's bases and retrieve…the 'Void Geno.'"
Gai's aged eyes shone with a keen light. If he could get hold of the Void Geno, he would gain the power to change everything and fulfill his objective.
"All right."
Though Inori had no idea what the Void Geno was, she didn't hesitate to agree. This old man was her savior, and she owed him her life, even if this mission proved dangerous enough to risk it.
~~~
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