Sixth Street, inside the Video Store
Hoshimi Aya looked utterly bewildered after hearing what Belle had just said.
Is this right?!
Is this right?! Bro!?
"So, it turns out you, Aya, are sisters with that Hoshimi Miyabi."
"Then how did you and she end up with such a strained relationship, Aya?"
As she spoke, Ling began recalling Aya's introduction when she first arrived.
Suddenly, Ling thought of one word: Bastard!
That explained everything.
Aya was that illegitimate daughter who ended up on the streets, lost her memory, drifted into The Hollow, and unexpectedly met Hoshimi Miyabi.
But Hoshimi Miyabi didn't know the full story yet; she thought Aya was a Etherals capable of shapeshifting, so she attacked fiercely!
When Hoshimi Miyabi discovered Aya could leave The Hollow, she realized things weren't simple and uncovered the truth about Aya being an illegitimate daughter.
And the head of the Hoshimi Family, seeing that the matter couldn't be kept secret, wanted to bring Aya back home.
Thinking of this, and recalling Aya's appearance when they first met.
It seemed like she was struggling back then, but Aya knew about Hoshimi Miyabi's existence and knew she looked exactly like Hoshimi Miyabi, so she put on an H.S.O.S 6 uniform, planning to use Hoshimi Miyabi's identity to get some good things.
But fate wasn't on her side; for some unknown reason, she ended up with amnesia, and her plan died in the cradle before it even started.
And that's how she ended up in her current state.
"Aya, it's okay."
"You still have us. We won't abandon you."
As Ling spoke, she met Hoshimi Aya's gaze, her tone full of comfort.
No wonder she used to sleep in places like trash cans; it must have been a habit developed from being on the streets since childhood.
"Ling, what are you talking about?!"
"What do you mean, abandon or not abandon?"
Hoshimi Aya was completely confused by Ling's words, not understanding how the conversation shifted to this topic.
"It's fine, Aya, you don't need to understand. As long as we understand, that's enough."
Ling comforted her, simultaneously giving Zhe a look.
"Yeah, Aya."
"Just leave this matter to us."
"We will handle this properly."
"Oh, right, Aya."
"Didn't you still need to go buy milk tea?"
"Hurry up and go, and grab a cup for my sister and me too."
Zhe interjected, though his main goal was to send Aya away.
"...Fine."
"But I think I have the right to know what your plan is."
"I am not just a pretty face."
With that, Hoshimi Aya left without looking back.
With the topic escalating so dramatically, even if she were slow-witted, she knew they were deliberately sending her away because they didn't want her to know their plan.
"Uh, Sister,"
"Aya seems angry."
Zhe smiled awkwardly while scratching his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
"It's fine, Brother."
"I will properly coax Aya tonight."
"Aya is very easy to coax, Brother doesn't need to worry."
Ling smiled, not taking Hoshimi Aya's clearly angry expression to heart.
Aya had a good temper; a little coaxing would fix it.
"Alright, Sister, you handle it."
"But what about Aya's background...? What do you think?!"
Zhe pondered. He had been thinking about this issue constantly, and the conclusion he reached was surprisingly consistent with Ling's.
They both thought Aya was an illegitimate daughter, but because she was exposed to Hoshimi Miyabi, it couldn't be hidden anymore, so the head of the Hoshimi Family was preparing to bring Hoshimi Aya back.
They sent Hoshimi Aya away because they feared she would be heartbroken if she knew this outcome.
...Meanwhile, at the Hoshimi Family residence
After seeing the message from her father, Hoshimi Miyabi rushed back immediately after wrapping up her current tasks.
"Father, where is she?!"
"I don't seem to see her figure around."
Hoshimi Miyabi scanned her surroundings but didn't spot Hoshimi Aya.
"We have news about her, but finding her person might be a bit tricky."
"I wonder if you, Miyabi, know Belle from Cunning Hares?"
Zongichiro handed a photo to Hoshimi Miyabi. As she looked at the person in the photo, Hoshimi Miyabi frowned.
"I know her. I'll go find Belle right now to ask clearly about her location."
With that, Hoshimi Miyabi stood up again. In the photo, everyone was clearly visible except for the Cereal Siblings, whose figures were somewhat blurry.
After Hoshimi Miyabi left, Liu, Soukakku, and Yuma, who had followed her to the Hoshimi Family residence, kept pace with her.
After all, they were quite curious about Hoshimi Aya's matter. Back in The Hollow, they had all thought she was a Etherals capable of transforming into a human.
"Miyabi, do you have a lead on her?"
Liu adjusted her glasses and asked.
"I should, otherwise Section Chief wouldn't have rushed home so urgently."
"I'm actually quite curious who is the older sister and who is the younger sister between the Section Chief and her."
Yuma chuckled.
"It's unclear for now. We need to go to Cunning Hares to ask an acquaintance."
"My father asked before, but she didn't tell Father. So, I plan to go ask her personally."
"No matter what, we are sisters. She is also my father's daughter. If she encounters any injustice, I can stand up for her."
Hoshimi Miyabi mused. Her guess about Hoshimi Aya was that she was her father's illegitimate daughter hidden outside.
If it hadn't been for that encounter in The Hollow, perhaps she never would have known she had an older or younger sister.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the fanfiction has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 or more chapters in advance over on my patreon: patreon.com/FTLGenBen
Also every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone, Thanks.