Tokai Teio and Tokai Roman didn't linger at the restaurant.
They'd only come for a meal, after all.
Once they left, Mochizuki could finally relax—simply because Teio was gone.
Dealing with Teio honestly exhausted her.
After resting briefly, Mochizuki turned to look at her mother.
Her stare was sharp enough that even Tokai Natural couldn't casually ignore it.
Before long, Natural reluctantly met her daughter's unrelenting gaze.
"Um... w-what is it?"
Natural only showed such timidness when facing her own daughter.
Seeing Natural's delicate expression, Mochizuki paused just a few seconds before speaking. "Teio—she's my big sister, isn't she?"
"Eh? H-how...?"
"Mom!"
That direct call forced Natural to face Mochizuki head-on.
Mochizuki stared intently at her mother.
But Natural didn't know how to begin.
Finally, after ten seconds of silence, Natural nodded softly. "Mm..."
"So it really is her. Don't tell me I actually have to call her 'Onee-chan' from now on?"
"You... you could call her imouto instead..."
Natural softly corrected her daughter.
"Hah?"
"You two... are twins..."
"The question of who's older between twins should really be—"
Mochizuki stopped short, noticing sadness crossing her mother's face.
Seeing her expression, Mochizuki realized she'd touched on something sensitive.
She paused briefly, then gently continued:
"Well, calling her 'Onee-chan' isn't a big deal. But Mom, if I hadn't brought it up, how long were you planning to hide it from me?"
Her tone didn't fluctuate much.
She didn't know details of her mother's past and had never asked.
For Mochizuki—a child who'd always been more mature and understanding than her age suggested—her mother's behavior hinted enough.
And most crucially:
Their family structure was clearly unusual.
That alone told Mochizuki there were things better left unasked.
After all...
Seeing her mother constantly fret over the household ledger was reason enough not to pry further.
She just looked calmly at her mother. "Then... when are you planning to tell Teio? And what about Aunt Roman...?"
"Roman counts as my older sister, so calling her 'aunt' is fine. As for Teio, Roman-san probably mentioned something, though I doubt she's told her everything yet."
Natural slowly explained, eventually returning her eyes to Mochizuki. "If Teio decides to come back, promise me you'll try to get along with her."
Natural's words carried deep hopefulness.
She watched Mochizuki closely, anxious whether her daughter might refuse.
At the same time...
The hopefulness in her mother's voice made Mochizuki carefully consider the prospect of getting along with Teio.
In the end, Mochizuki nodded lightly. "Alright, I understand. If Teio really decides to come back, I'll try my best."
As she spoke, Mochizuki looked at her mother again. "But Mom, aren't you heading to the Mejiro Family tomorrow?"
"Yes. I'm just helping as a chef; nothing complicated. Once I finish cooking, I'll head straight home. But since I'll be busy there, our place won't open tomorrow."
Saying this, Natural glanced back at Mochizuki. "You can go see Maruzen-san and the others tomorrow. They probably won't be too busy."
"Got it. Aside from that, is there anything else you need to do?"
Mochizuki deliberately reminded her mother.
The careful nudge left Natural silent for a few seconds before responding: "You mean... something about Teio, right?"
Mochizuki didn't reply; she merely held her mother's gaze.
"What exactly...?"
"Her birthday."
"Oh... I completely forgot."
Only when reminded by her daughter did Natural realize she'd overlooked something important. But even birthdays were difficult with their current finances...
"I don't need anything. But Teio..."
Mochizuki's gentle reminder carried an unspoken meaning.
"But..."
"You've already spent so much time looking after me, Mom. But what about my sister?"
Natural hesitated, unsure how to respond. Eventually, she quietly nodded. "Alright."
This straightforward response satisfied Mochizuki. She turned her attention to tidying the table, clearing what Teio and Roman left behind.
Seeing Mochizuki immediately start cleaning up, Natural fell silent for a moment before returning to tend the simmering broth.
Natural hadn't expected to need encouragement from her own daughter.
Though...
She shouldn't be surprised—Mochizuki had always been like this.
With that thought, Natural quietly gazed into the pot of broth before her. This broth was especially important.
Since the Mejiro Family provided the ingredients, Natural had chosen carefully sourced Chinese ingredients for the preparation.
This broth warranted the extra attention. If the Mejiro Family assignment went smoothly, Natural's earnings would likely improve somewhat.
Exactly how much...
Natural wasn't sure, but at least it should completely reverse the restaurant's ongoing deficit.
And after that...
Natural turned slightly to look at Mochizuki, her expression subtly shifting.
She knew exactly why Mochizuki insisted on living together, even though it meant staying far from school.
Natural had never hidden her health issues from Mochizuki.
Moreover, Mochizuki had grown up in a single-parent household.
Taking care of her mother, making sure someone was always around to take Natural to the hospital if needed—
Mochizuki understood all that clearly.
That was exactly why she insisted on staying with her mother.
Thinking this over, Natural simply let out a soft sigh.
Running a restaurant near Tracen Academy meant fierce competition with countless other establishments.
But if they could rent an apartment nearby, maybe neither she nor Roman would have to struggle so much anymore.
With that in mind, Natural returned her gaze once more to the broth simmering quietly before her.
She remembered clearly: there was still one more important thing today—
About the Mejiro Family.
Tomorrow was the formal meeting between the Mejiro Family and the Uma Musume from China. So today, chefs from the Mejiro side would personally drop by for a final taste test.
Naturally, along with them would be...
The restaurant door swung open, causing the bell hanging behind it to jingle clearly.
"Welco—"
"Yayoi-san, we're here."
"Yayoi-san!"
"Chef Yayoi."
Two familiar voices and one slightly unfamiliar voice. The way they addressed her momentarily froze Natural. She quickly turned her head and responded:
"Everything for tomorrow's ready. Please, just double-check the flavors today."
---
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