Yakumo Yukari observed Reiko with sharp, undeniable curiosity.
Her purple eyes practically sparkled with interest.
"Um, is there something you need?" Reiko asked, shifting uncomfortably under the intense stare.
Being scrutinized by someone so incredibly beautiful and noble-looking was intimidating for an ordinary high school girl.
Naturally, she felt a bit confused and awkward.
"Hmm... I can smell the scent of youkai on you," Yukari said with a slow, knowing smile.
She pulled a folding fan from out of nowhere and tapped it lightly against her palm, looking exactly like a wealthy aristocrat who had just found a fascinating new toy.
'Youkai?'
Hearing the word, Kaguya and Hayasaka paused, exchanging a brief silent glance.
"Ah, I see," Reiko smiled, suddenly understanding the woman's interest.
"And it's not just the scent of one or two youkai. There are many scents," Yukari continued, her smile deepening.
"But they're all extremely weak. Nothing worth paying attention to."
In truth, Yuuka and the others had immediately sensed the lingering youkai auras on the girl the moment they walked in.
It was just that Yukari was the only one who bothered to speak up.
Yuuka wasn't interested in the scents on Reiko because they were simply too weak.
Even if all those youkai gathered together to attack her at once, they wouldn't even be a match for one of her hands.
To the Flower Master, they were nothing more than a bunch of ants.
Hearing Yukari dismiss them so casually, Reiko was momentarily speechless.
But then, a soft, genuine smile touched her lips. "Maybe they are weak. But they're all my friends."
A fierce, protective gentleness shone in her eyes.
Yuuka glanced sideways at the girl, her expression completely unchanged.
Yukari, however, seemed delighted by the answer.
"Could you tell us about them?" she asked, her tone surprisingly gentle.
"Tell you about what?"
"About you, and your youkai friends. Would that be alright?"
"Huh? I could, but it's all pretty boring," Reiko admitted shyly.
"That's fine. If you're willing, please tell us."
Reiko hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Well... alright."
For Reiko, her youkai friends were never something to be ashamed of.
If someone genuinely asked, she was always willing to share.
It was just that... no one had ever been willing to believe her before.
Yukari's request didn't feel like an intrusion, instead, it warmed the girl's heart and brought a rare quiet joy to her chest.
Sitting just a few seats away, Kaguya and Hayasaka nodded silently to themselves.
'So that's how it is. She's friends with youkai... well, I suppose that makes sense,' they thought, completely unfazed as the restaurant's cognitive magic seamlessly bridged the gap between reality and the supernatural.
Reiko began to tell her story.
Perhaps because she was finally being asked to speak, or perhaps because the atmosphere in the diner was so warm and accepting, she spoke openly and confidently.
She calmly recounted her experiences, from her earliest childhood memories all the way to the present.
Even the times she was isolated, mocked, or bullied because of her sight were mentioned matter-of-factly.
Through it all, a faint, resilient smile never left her lips.
In the kitchen, Yuto leaned quietly against the wall, listening to her speak.
The plate of candied apples had been ready for a while, but bringing it out right now felt inappropriate.
It was better to just stand there and listen quietly.
Out in the dining room, everyone was captivated.
Even Kaguya, who had been locked in her own depression just a little while ago, was now listening intently in silence.
Her heart twisted and ached with every beat of Reiko's story.
The nine-tailed woman sitting beside Yukari cycled rapidly between anger, sadness, and joy as she listened.
The little twin-tailed cat-girl sitting in her lap simply blinked her big eyes, confused and bewildered.
Although she didn't understand the story, she could feel her master's shifting emotions.
When Reiko finally finished, a heavy sorrowful silence fell over the small restaurant.
Yuto pushed through the curtain, carrying the plate of golden caramelized apples.
He gently placed it in front of her.
"Candied apples. Though I'm afraid they've cooled down a bit," he said with a soft, comforting chuckle.
"No, it's perfect. Thank you, Boss!" Reiko said, her face lighting up with genuine delight.
She eagerly picked up a piece of the sweet, sticky apple with her chopsticks and placed it in her mouth.
"Mmm—"
It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted in her entire life!
'So sweet, so warm.'
But... but... why did she suddenly feel like crying?
A single tear slipped down her cheek and fell onto the tabletop.
....
Flashback..
Age 6.
"There seems to be someone over there."
"Huh? There's nothing there."
"There is! It's a very tall person, and they're looking this way!"
"Reiko!!! Please don't make such scary, outrageous jokes!!!"
"But there really is someone there..."
"Hmph! There's clearly nothing! Reiko is a liar! I'm not friends with Reiko anymore!"
That day, a gentle breeze had brushed against Reiko's face as the friend she had made less than twenty-four hours ago turned and walked away, leaving her entirely alone.
Age 11.
"Oh! So you're the one who can see youkai, Natsume Reiko?"
"Yes."
"Hey, hey, everyone, come look! This is that Natsume Reiko!"
"Eh?! Really?!"
"So this is what she looks like. She's actually quite cute."
"Are you stupid? This girl is notoriously creepy. Her cuteness is just a disguise."
"Hey Natsume Reiko, can you see if there are any youkai in this classroom right now?"
"Yes. There is one over there."
"Hahaha!!! This girl really is a lunatic!!!"
That day, sunlight had streamed brightly through the classroom window, illuminating Reiko's hair as she stood perfectly still, enduring the cruel mockery of her classmates once again.
Age 15.
"Hey, you're that Natsume Reiko?"
"Yes."
"Tch, so you're the bitch who always uses youkai to get attention?"
"I don't use youkai to get attention."
"Heh! Someone as pretty as you, why do you love lying so much?"
"I'm not lying."
"Huh?! You dare talk back to me?!"
That day, a group of high school girls had surrounded her in a secluded corner, leading to yet another violent, bruising conflict.
....
Those memories, those bitter, lonely experiences, came rushing back to the surface of Reiko's mind, completely unbidden.
Tears began to stream continuously from her eyes.
The young girl kept trying to wipe them away with her sleeve, but they just kept falling, soaking the fabric of her uniform.
Yuto quietly handed her a clean handkerchief.
"Thank you... Boss," she choked out, her voice broken by quiet sobs as she pressed the cloth to the corners of her eyes.
She lifted her head, taking deep, shaky breaths and blinking rapidly until the tears finally stopped.
She wiped her eyes one last time and forced a faint, watery smile.
"I don't know why, but after eating a piece of apple, I just felt like crying." The tear stains on her face hadn't even dried yet, but the corners of her mouth were turned bravely upward.
"Maybe I didn't make it tasty enough," Yuto chuckled softly, trying to ease the tension.
"That's not true at all! You made it extremely delicious... especially delicious!" Reiko dried her face completely.
Now, aside from her slightly reddened eyes, she looked no different from when she had first entered the shop.
Yuto let out a soft sigh and fell silent.
He simply gazed at her, his expression filled with an unmistakable, aching pity.
"Hmph! Humans are such foolish, cruel creatures," Yuuka snorted coldly. She had listened to the entire story, and the sheer hostility radiating from her was palpable.
Yuto could feel the literal chill in the air emanating from the Flower Master.
He felt a slight sense of helplessness about the situation; as a human himself, he felt somewhat offended, even though he knew she was entirely right about how awful people could be.
"How pitiful. But I suppose this is the unavoidable consequence of a human interacting with our kind," Yukari murmured softly, her tone tinged with heavy resignation.
Beside her, the nine-tailed woman was already seething with protective anger.
She had unconsciously tightened her grip on the little cat-girl in her lap, hugging her so hard the child was nearly passing out.
"Ran, you're going to kill Chen," Yukari noted dryly.
"Ah! Chen!!!" Ran panicked upon seeing the girl on the verge of unconsciousness and hurriedly used a pulse of her youki to revive her.
"Ran-sama... Chen thought she saw the god of death just now, nyaa..." the little girl gasped.
"Sorry, sorry, Chen! It's my fault!" Ran wailed, instantly transforming into a humble, apologetic mess.
Across the counter, Hayasaka looked at the young lady beside her.
"Kaguya-sama..." she called out softly.
Kaguya was trembling slightly.
The dark-haired girl took a deep, shuddering breath and lowered her head.
Hidden behind her dark bangs, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
But as she steadied her breathing, she forced the moisture to fade away, locking her emotions back behind her icy walls.
"Ahem, alright!" Sensing the heavy, somber atmosphere, Yuto cleared his throat twice.
He desperately needed to lighten the mood before everyone started crying—or before Yuuka decided to go outside and murder someone.
"Kazami-san, would you like the usual flower cake today?" he asked with a bright smile.
Yuuka simply raised a finger and lightly tapped the empty air, instantly summoning a massive, flawless sunflower.
Clearly, she wasn't going to be satisfied with an ordinary rose cake today.
"Alright, understood." Yuto accepted the flower and turned to Yukari and the other two. "And for you?"
"Could I trouble the shop owner to make me a light salad?" Yukari requested.
"How about some fried tofu?!" Ran chimed in.
"Mmm... fish! Chen wants to eat fish, nyaa!"
Yuto nodded, indicating that all their requests were perfectly fine.
"Alright, please wait a moment."
"Candied apple."
Just as Yuto was about to turn and head into the kitchen, a quiet voice stopped him.
It was Kaguya.
She had been utterly silent for hours, but now, she was looking directly at him.
Yuto was slightly taken aback for a moment, but then a warm smile broke across his face.
"Alright."
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Guys watch Natsume Yujincho if you have a lot of free time, its a nice relaxing anime to pass time.