How did I, an Onmyoji, become the Lord of Yokai?

As the two men were talking, they clinked their bowls together as if they were bosom friends.

“We’re admiring the flowers right now, so these topics are a bit out of place. Let’s change the subject.”

Seeing her friends' expressions of how old she was, Shimizu Mio quickly changed the subject.

The three of them paused for a moment, then exchanged glances and said, "Well... that makes sense. Let's change the subject then. Hmm, Mio, do you have any good topics?"

"Have!"

Almost instantly, Shimizu Mio's voice followed Kuzuha's words.

She looked at her three friends, a little conflicted and serious, and said, "Actually, the reason I proposed this flower viewing party is because there's something very, very important I want to ask you..." Chapter 145: You're my friends, why are you on the opposing side?

Cherry blossoms fell silently like spring rain, their pink and white hues blending seamlessly into the surroundings. The sky and the earth, everything in sight, were so pristine.

Qingshui Chaoyang and his companions strolled through this picturesque scenery.

The fragrance of flower petals and the company of friends allowed the young people, free from worries and anxieties, to fully enjoy the peace and comfort of the moment.

Even Aihua, who had been childishly indifferent to Qingshui Chaoyang because of a glass of wine, had let go of her slight unhappiness.

She took his large hand again and called out "Brother Chaoyang" like a joyful sprite.

The cheerful and innocent voices sparked laughter from the crowd, and soon the laughter echoed throughout the room.

However... in this scene that should have been filled with joy and laughter, there was an indelible sense of resentment and loss in Ali's heart.

Ugh, I just wanted to be alone with Chaoyang, so why did Aihua and the others come?

Looking at the four people surrounding Shimizu Asahi, Ali let out a small sob in her heart.

She suggested going to see the cherry blossoms partly because she genuinely wanted to see the cherry blossoms in Heian-kyo, and partly because she wanted to create an opportunity for herself to be alone with Shimizu Asahi.

During her few days at the Shimizu house, she gradually realized that Shimizu Mio did not approve of her liking Asahi.

It's not that Shimizu Mio is dissatisfied with her, it's just... she seems to treat Asahi as a younger brother who belongs only to her, so she sees any girl who tries to take Asahi away from her as a rival.

A mortal enemy.

It was precisely because most of her actions at home were restricted that she mustered up her courage and decided to confirm her relationship with Shimizu Asahi during this flower-viewing trip.

In order to avoid being disturbed by Shimizu Mio, she had already considered all possible scenarios. No matter how Shimizu Mio tried to stop her, she was confident that she could take Shimizu Asahi away.

However... what she was seeing was not within her consideration.

If it were just Qingnvfang alone, she might have been able to find a way to distract the other person and express her feelings to Chaoyang. But now that there are so many people, no matter how hard she tries, it is impossible to separate them all at the same time.

In other words, the confession she had finally mustered the courage to prepare... was over before it even began.

The most beautiful scenery was right in front of her, and the person she loved most was beside her. The two joys overlapped and intertwined, which should have made her feel even more joyful. But why... did things turn out this way?

The more Ah Li thought about it, the sadder she became.

Ugh... It's so hard being alone.

......

Meanwhile, on the other side, while Ari was feeling resentful about the failure of her plan, Shimizu Mio also shared her worries with her three friends.

After hearing her words, all three of them showed strange expressions.

Kuzuha looked deeply at her husband, then at Tamamo-no-Mae beside her, and finally fixed her gaze on Shimizu Mio.

She thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, "...So, Mio, you want us to help you find a way to make Ari stop liking Asahi?"

"Um... that's not what I meant. I just hope that Chaoyang can always stay by my side."

“It’s fine if Ali continues to like Chaoyang, but… I don’t want Chaoyang to be taken away by her.”

Shimizu Mio shook her head with a hint of displeasure and said, "These past few days, Asahi has spent more time with her than with me. I can't help but feel like Asahi is being taken away from me."

"Oh, I see... We thought you didn't want Chaoyang to get married and have children."

After understanding Shimizu Mio's predicament, Kuzuha and the other two breathed a sigh of relief.

The series of words that Shimizu Mio had said before, such as "I don't want Ari to get close to Asahi anymore" and "I don't want to see girls approaching Asahi with impure motives," made them wonder if Shimizu Mio liked Asahi, but was just unable to express it due to their sibling relationship, so she didn't want Asahi to get married and have children, and just stay with her for the rest of her life.

But now it seems that this is just parental anxiety.

"If that's the case, then you don't need to worry, Mio."

Kuzuha took Shimizu Mio's small hand and comforted her, "We understand how you feel. It's really not good to hand over the child you've raised with so much effort to other children... But children can't stay with us forever. They will leave us one day and start their own families. Even if we're unhappy, we must smile and wish them well."

"This is something we have to go through."

"So, you don't need to worry about it too much."

"Besides, although I only met Ali today, I can tell that Ali is a good girl. I think it's a good thing that Chaoyang is with her. You should be happy."

“Kuzunoe is right.” Following up on his wife’s words, Abe Masatsugu also smiled and said, “Mio, Asahi will eventually establish a home that belongs only to him. You should know that too. Don’t worry too much about it. Just accept it with a smile.”

"...Kuzue, Masatsugu, I'm asking for your help."

Listening to her friends' unreliable words, Shimizu Mio was speechless. You are my friends, you should be on my side and help me come up with ideas, but why are you all advising me to accept Ari?

However, just as she finished speaking, Tamamo-no-Mae's voice came from the side.

"Mio, Kuzuha and Masatsugu are right. You should be happy now."

"...Tamamo, even you say that..."

Shimizu Mio felt a little tired. She had thought her three friends could help her, but unexpectedly, all three of them were with Ari.

"We're just offering the most suitable advice," Ge Ye said with a gentle smile. "Alright, don't be upset. Even if Chaoyang gets married and has children, he'll still be your brother, right?"

As the wife of the head of the Abe family, Kuzuha has seen many women with the same symptoms as Shimizu Mio over the years, so she knows how to comfort them.

What they are anxious about is that their children will be leaving them. As long as they start from this point, they can easily resolve their inner conflict.

I believe Shimizu Mio feels the same way.

However, as soon as she finished speaking, Shimizu Mio immediately retorted.

"No, if Chaoyang really gets married and has children, then he won't belong to me alone anymore..."

"His time and gaze will slowly shift away from me, and his concern and care for me will turn into concern and care for her. She will replace me as the person Chaoyang likes the most..."

"Hmm, this kind of thing is absolutely unacceptable... From childhood to adulthood, Chaoyang has only ever looked at me..." Chapter 143, Section 146: Is it wrong for a younger brother to only look at his older sister?

Hearing Shimizu Mio's extremely resentful words, the three of them were slightly taken aback, and then exchanged glances.

"......???"

There were no many words spoken, nor any signs of excitement, but the question mark in their dark eyes was enough to tell them what they were thinking at that moment.

Silence spread quietly. The three of them, including Tamamo-no-Mae, did not speak, and Shimizu Mio also entered her own world.

After an unknown amount of time, the three belatedly realized what had happened, and then they glanced at each other again.

Their dark eyes flickered slightly, revealing a hidden meaning, and the three exchanged a brief glance.

After a silent discussion, they looked back at the black-haired girl.

"Um, Mio, were you serious about what you just said?"

A tentative voice broke the silence, and Kuzuha tightened her grip on Shimizu Mio's small hand, her smile somewhat forced.

Her friend's voice brought Shimizu Mio back to her senses. She looked at her friend and replied seriously, "Kuzuha, I don't joke about things like this."

With these words, her already somewhat forced smile froze slightly. Kuzuha opened her mouth, and after a long while, she continued, "...So, Mio, you've fallen for Asahi?"

"I like it, of course I like it. What older sister doesn't like her younger brother?"

The words of absolute certainty rang out almost instantly, and Shimizu Mio gave her answer without even thinking.

"No, that's not what I meant by liking... Mio, my liking for my brother isn't that intense. No matter how much I like him, I would never think that 'my brother can only look at me.'"

Ge Ye hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not directly state that this was a feeling that only lovers would have.

However, her words were no different from a direct statement.

However, Shimizu Mio seemed not to understand the meaning behind her words. After blinking, she asked with a puzzled look, "Why? Is there anything wrong with a younger brother only looking at his older sister?"

“…”

This doesn't seem right no matter how you look at it, does it?

Kuzue felt that there might be something wrong with her friend's thinking...

Meanwhile, Abe no Masatsugu and Tamamo-no-Mae began exchanging glances again.

Although Shimizu Mio's words were surprising, they couldn't keep those who had seen many storms off guard for long.

At the same time, after they came to their senses, they realized a fact: Shimizu Mio seemed to have unintentionally fallen in love with her younger brother, Shimizu Asahi. However, she didn't seem to have realized her own feelings yet, and she mistook her feelings for Asahi for a sister's love for her brother.

That's why we're in this situation now.

"..."

How to do?

Abe no Masatsugu and Tamamo-no-Mae simultaneously read the meaning in each other's eyes.

Telling Shimizu Mio her true feelings directly might be the best option, but... would Shimizu Mio believe her?

Just as you can never wake someone who is pretending to be asleep, it is difficult to wake up Shimizu Mio, who has integrated this emotion into her heart.

Perhaps she will take this as a joke.

Perhaps to verify their idea, after hesitating for a while, Kuzuha chose to enlighten Shimizu Mio, and Shimizu Mio, just as they guessed, decisively denied the possibility.

She waved her hand and replied, "Chaoyang is just my younger brother. You're overthinking it."

Since Shimizu Mio had said that, there was no point in them saying anything more. So, the three of them sighed inwardly and stopped talking about it.

"Alright, let's not worry about that anymore, Ge Ye. What should I do? If we don't come up with a solution soon, Chaoyang will really be taken away."

The black-haired girl blinked, looking at her friend with great anticipation.

In any case, now that they understand their own thoughts, they should be on their side.

Unfortunately, Shimizu Mio's expectations were dashed once again.

Although they did give her some advice, it wasn't very reliable and didn't offer any real inspiration.