Chapter 44: Am I the One Acting Strange?

No one dislikes seeing others worry about them. If they say they do, they're just pretending.

"What do we do? Is it possible she's been so shocked that her mind is affected?"

Yukinoshita's mother gently touched her younger daughter's cheek, her eyes glistening with tears. Her usual graceful and dignified manner was completely gone, leaving only deep worry for her daughter.

"We need to take her to the hospital for a check-up."

Yukinoshita's father crouched down and waved his hand in front of Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes, but she showed no reaction. He had planned to look into the details of the case after visiting her, but he hadn't expected her condition to be so serious.

Hearing that they were going to take her to the hospital, Yukinoshita Yukino, still in the domain, panicked and quickly asked Hayashizaki to send her consciousness back.

"You can actually go back on your own... and don't forget to act a little."

Hayashizaki reminded her.

"I... I'll try."

Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't confident in her acting skills—she was nothing like her sister, Haruno.

As her consciousness returned, her dull navy-blue eyes slowly regained focus, and she blinked. There was no need for much acting. When she saw the tears in her mother's eyes, reflecting her own confused face, Yukinoshita Yukino realized that no matter how she reacted, her mother wouldn't notice anything off.

It was as if her mother had become a completely different person. No matter how hard she tried, Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't reconcile the tearful, beautiful woman in front of her with the strict, serious mother who had always lectured her.

For no apparent reason, a strange ache suddenly welled up inside her, but it also felt like her efforts all this time had finally been rewarded.

"Mom..."

Even though she had always used the more formal and respectful "mother," this time, the word "mom" slipped out from her lips. It was as soft as grains of sand slipping through fingers, easy to miss if you weren't paying attention.

That heartfelt call was met with a response. After a brief moment of surprise, Yukinoshita's mother hugged her tightly, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes, mom is right here..."

Family affection is often like this. It can be serious or distant, but in front of genuine feelings, everything melts away.

Sitting with his legs crossed under the shrine, Hayashizaki rested his chin on his hand and murmured quietly, "This performance is indeed good, but isn't it a bit overdone?"

Even after confirming their daughter was safe, Yukinoshita's parents insisted on taking Yukinoshita Yukino to the hospital for a thorough check-up. At that moment, actor number two, a staff member from the Jujutsu High assigned to the police station, stepped in.

Ijichi Kiyotaka came to visit the day after Yukinoshita Yukino filed her report because a "window" saw Hayashizaki pulling back the curtain.

The "window" refers to special personnel affiliated with Jujutsu High who can see curses. While these individuals lack combat ability, they serve as Jujutsu High's eyes across Japan. Thanks to them, Jujutsu High can accurately assign tasks to sorcerers based on the level of curses that appear.

However, it often happens that due to a lack of personnel, sorcerers have to face curses that are stronger than they are.

Actor number two first praised Yukinoshita Yukino for her calmness and bravery, then began to explain the plot they had set up for the Chiba prefectural councilor. 

On her way home from school, Yukinoshita Yukino noticed someone suspicious following the victim. After seeing the suspect holding a weapon, she sensed something was off and quietly followed him while reporting to the police, tracking the suspect and relaying information at the same time.

In the end, she encountered the murder scene with the police in the victim's apartment. However, the scene was so bloody and cruel that it might have mentally shocked her, and she would need some time to recover.

As for the suspect's identity, they would pick one from among death row inmates to take the blame. After being hypnotized by special personnel, they would be retried, and the forensic report and other procedural documents would be completely fabricated. Even if Yukinoshita's father, as a councilor, personally investigated, he wouldn't find any issues.

Ijichi Kiyotaka truly is a professional, a reliable member of society.

Yukinoshita Yukino was taken to the hospital by her parents, and her sister Haruno immediately dropped everything and rushed to the hospital after receiving a call from their father.

"What happened to Yukino?"

Yukinoshita Haruno, who arrived in a hurry, was slightly out of breath, clearly having jogged after getting out of the car. 

While waiting outside the examination room, Yukinoshita's parents explained what had happened, but then she instinctively felt something strange.

A murder case? 

Wasn't Yukino fine just yesterday?

Yukinoshita Haruno reflexively recalled how Yukino had acted at home the day before. Although she did seem a bit more down than usual, she was not in the dazed state her mother described. She was still able to make dinner for herself and breakfast for today.

Knowing Yuki-chan as she did, Haruno felt she could see through any lies; if something had happened, it would have been more about hiding the truth than putting on an act. Not to mention, all the details of the case were on record.

Could it be that I'm just being paranoid?

I'm a bit neurotic.

Yukinoshita Haruno felt like she was the one who needed a mental health check.

The check-up was over quickly, and the results showed that everything was fine; she just got a bit scared but nothing serious.

Seeing their well-behaved daughter, Yukinoshita's parents finally felt relieved.

"Let's go back to our family home today. It's fine to take a break from school for a while."

Yukinoshita's mother gently adjusted her daughter's collar, while the older sister, Haruno, watched in disbelief.

Is this really my mother? When has she ever shown such gentleness?

It felt like after just one night, everyone in this house had become strangers.

No, that's not right.

With Yukino's personality, it's natural for her to step in when she sees something wrong. She just had bad luck and stumbled upon a murder case. While their mother was usually strict and serious, it was only natural for her to worry about Yuki-chan in such a situation.

But throughout the entire event, something felt off.

The doubts swirling in Yukinoshita Haruno's mind felt like clouds that just wouldn't clear. This uncertainty was hard to express, like having food stuck between your teeth that you couldn't get out, leaving you feeling uncomfortable.

Yukinoshita Haruno couldn't help but start to question herself.

Could it be that I'm the one who's weird?

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