Yayoi Natural didn't tell Teio very much.
After all, the Tokai Family no longer existed. Knowing too much wouldn't do Teio any good.
So, Yayoi Natural only described a small part of what happened.
And then, quite naturally, Tokai Teio quickly came to a conclusion:
"So this is all just the Tokai Family's fault?"
"Well… From that perspective, yes."
As she spoke, Yayoi Natural fixed her gaze on Teio. "So… Will you forgive me?"
Looking into Teio's eyes, Yayoi Natural's expression was full of worry. She was afraid Teio would still reject her.
But, as Mochizuki already knew, Teio was a good kid. Her concerns lay elsewhere.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Mom. It's just…"
Thinking about the story Yayoi Natural had told her, Teio's mind drifted to another question: "Then… what about my dad?"
"She…"
Rudolf hadn't been mentioned at all in the story.
And Teio wasn't as sensitive about such things as Mochizuki, so it was natural she'd ask.
Only…
How was she supposed to answer this?
Yayoi Natural hesitated, falling silent for over ten seconds before finally saying, "Her… you can just consider her dead."
"Oh…"
Seeing Yayoi Natural's reaction, Teio vaguely understood why she didn't want to talk about it.
Understanding this, Tokai Teio nodded slightly and immediately raised another crucial question: "So, Roman-san knew about all this from the start?"
Yayoi Natural silently turned her head aside.
"So I was the only one left completely in the dark!"
...
A few hours later, Mochizuki and Tokai Roman returned to the rehab base carrying a bag filled with vegetables and meat.
Then, the two of them saw Yayoi Natural and Tokai Teio already sitting together.
Seeing this, Tokai Roman let out a relieved sigh.
Mochizuki, however, spoke directly: "Mom, time to cook~!"
"Ah, alright."
Yayoi Natural stood up immediately, took the groceries from Mochizuki's hands, then turned her eyes toward Roman.
Tokai Roman froze for only a second before quickly nodding.
Afterward, she would help Yayoi Natural in the kitchen.
This was primarily because Yayoi Natural's health made it necessary for someone to keep an eye on her.
Otherwise, Yayoi Natural would've been perfectly capable of handling kitchen tasks herself.
Once Roman was dragged away, only Teio and Mochizuki remained in the room.
"Hmm…"
Staring straight at Mochizuki, Teio let out a rather ominous sound.
Hearing this, Mochizuki slowly turned her head away. "Wh-what is it?"
"You helped Roman-san hide this from me too, didn't you?"
"Can I deny that?"
"Nope."
Hearing this, Mochizuki silently returned her gaze to Tokai Teio's face. "It was wrong to hide this kind of thing from you. But even if we had told you directly, you probably wouldn't have believed it, right?"
Pausing for a second, Mochizuki then continued, "I was just thinking about your intelligence, onee-chan."
"Why do you have to imply that my brain isn't good at thinking?"
Teio stopped briefly before emphasizing, "No matter what, I'm still your onee-chan! Onee-chan!"
"Yes, yes, onee-chan. You're absolutely right."
Saying this, Mochizuki found a place to sit down. "Big sister knows best."
Though Teio clearly noticed Mochizuki's obvious attempt at humoring her, she rather enjoyed it.
Yet quickly, Teio raised another question: "Then… what about afterward?"
"What about our living arrangements?"
Noticing Teio's worried expression, Mochizuki sighed slightly. "Onee-chan, you didn't know?"
"Know what?"
"One reason we came here was to arrange our move. Roman-san found a house near Tracen Academy. Staying there would solve all the problems with Mom's job and our schooling."
"Huh?"
Judging by Teio's reaction, Mochizuki realized Roman probably hadn't told Teio anything.
She continued explaining, "In the mornings, we can either take the train or have someone pick us up."
She glanced at Teio. "Whichever you prefer."
"Oh, I see. But wait, there's even someone who'd pick us up? Isn't the Tokai Family already finished? How is Natural-san still able to do something like this?" Teio replied, filled with confusion.
Facing this question, Mochizuki was silent for about ten seconds.
The ones who would pick them up were Mr. C.B. and Maruzensky.
And those two only had one reason for doing so...
They both had feelings for Yayoi Natural. Perhaps because of that, they understood how important Teio and Mochizuki were to her.
So, it wasn't strange that they'd volunteer for transportation duties.
Considering this, Mochizuki remained quiet for another moment before averting her eyes.
She wasn't sure if telling Teio the full reason was a good idea or not.
But…
"Yeah, Mom's friends, Mr. C.B. and Maruzensky." Mochizuki met Teio's gaze again. "They're top-level Uma Musume at Tracen Academy. How does it feel to get to know them early?"
"Ehh~~~?!"
With Mochizuki's words, Teio's attention quickly shifted from why they had transportation arrangements to something completely different.
Seeing Teio's attention diverted, Mochizuki quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Yet, the next second, Teio raised an even more critical question:
"I wonder if Natural-san also knows Emperor-san?"
At this, Mochizuki froze briefly, immediately recalling the figure of that Emperor-san.
"Her…? I'm not sure. Since Mom wasn't able to race due to her health, she probably doesn't know her."
"Well, let's stop talking about everyday things. Maybe we can chat about something else," Mochizuki said, quickly changing the subject to prevent Teio from dwelling on the topic. "Like… things from Mom's past."
"Oh, right. Natural-san didn't mention a word about her life there. Did something bad happen?"
"How should I put it… Not exactly bad. It's just…"
Thinking about someone she hadn't seen for a long while, Mochizuki finally continued, "Maybe… it's not suitable to talk about…?"
Teio immediately stared at Mochizuki. "Can you tell me?"
"Alright."
---
T/N: yeah no excuse this time :sob: WAIT NO I WAS STARTING NEW TLS SO HA! yeah sorrrey heres the 4 chapters!
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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