Silence.
Tension.
Suffocating heaviness.
That was the atmosphere hanging over the restaurant at this moment.
Mr. and Mrs. Miyazono stood anxiously around their daughter, their faces filled with fear, regret, and barely restrained panic.
Tears were already beginning to shimmer in their eyes, no matter how desperately they tried to remain composed.
Kaori, meanwhile, lay unconscious in Lucoa's arms.
The dragon goddess held the girl calmly against herself, one arm supporting her body while her right hand rested gently upon Kaori's head.
A faint green light radiated from her palm, bathing the girl in a soft glow that somehow inspired an inexplicable sense of peace and reassurance merely from looking at it.
The instant Kaori had collapsed, Lucoa, who happened to be the closest person to her, had caught her before she could strike the floor.
Most of the others had barely even had time to react.
Yukari and several of the other Gensokyo residents, however, had simply watched the girl fall.
Their gazes had shifted slightly, but beyond that, their expressions had shown almost no noticeable change.
Saitama, Miku, and the others were considerably more concerned.
After all, compared with beings such as ancient youkai and immortals, they were still much closer to what most people would consider ordinary humans.
"Kaori... how is she?"
Mr. Miyazono finally asked, his voice trembling with nervousness.
Ever since learning that Lucoa was helping his daughter, he had barely dared to disturb her.
At first, he had been completely overwhelmed and unable to think clearly, but after Yuto repeatedly reassured him, he had gradually managed to force himself into some semblance of calm.
The only reason he finally spoke now was because the anxiety burning inside him had become impossible to endure any longer.
He knew exactly how serious his daughter's condition was.
And now Kaori had suddenly collapsed in front of him.
As her father, his heart had already been consumed by panic.
The fact that he could still stand there and speak coherently at all was remarkable.
Beside him, Mrs. Miyazono stared tearfully at her unconscious daughter.
Both hands covered her mouth as she desperately suppressed the urge to cry aloud, but the fear and urgency filling her eyes revealed everything she was feeling.
Lucoa sighed softly.
"Her physical condition is very serious. Her life force has been gradually fading away for quite some time." She kept her hand gently over Kaori's head while examining her.
"At this rate, she would probably lose the remainder of it completely in about another month."
The Miyazono couple instantly turned pale.
Despair spread across their faces.
Yet deep inside, neither of them was truly surprised.
Because they already knew.
The hospital had told them long ago that their daughter did not have much time remaining.
What devastated them was hearing just how little time was actually left.
One month.
Only one month.
It was far too short.
So unbearably short that merely thinking about it felt cruel.
They had never seen Kaori fall in love.
They had never seen her get married.
They had never seen her smiling while holding a child of her own.
They had never seen... So many things.
There were simply too many moments in their daughter's life that they would never have the opportunity to witness.
If one of the responsibilities of being a parent was to watch a child grow from infancy into adulthood and eventually build a life of their own, then Mr. and Mrs. Miyazono would never be able to fulfill that responsibility in this lifetime.
Tears slipped between Mrs. Miyazono's fingers.
A low, hoarse sob escaped her throat, rough enough to resemble fabric being violently torn apart.
It was not a pleasant sound.
But hearing it made everyone's heart ache.
Mr. Miyazono clenched both hands so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
His fingers trembled uncontrollably, and even the muscles in his face twitched as he struggled desperately to hold himself together.
Only one of them needed to cry.
He could not cry as well.
At least one of them had to remain standing.
"Is there anything you can do?" Yuto suddenly asked.
When Mr. Miyazono heard those words, he desperately wanted to say, 'It's useless.'
But his throat tightened beneath an unbearable pressure.
It was the suffocating weight of pain and grief.
'It's useless...'
He wanted to say it.
He knew it was the truth.
The doctors had already told them there was nothing more that could be done.
But if he actually said those words aloud...
It would feel as though he had admitted defeat.
As though he had personally accepted that his daughter was going to die.
As though he had already given up on her.
Even knowing how this would most likely end, he still stubbornly refused to acknowledge it aloud.
Yuto, however, had not been asking him.
His gaze remained fixed upon Lucoa as he quietly waited for her answer.
"Well, it certainly is serious by human standards," Lucoa replied thoughtfully. "But that is only by human standards. Give me a moment... Let me take a proper look."
She briefly examined Kaori again.
Then—
Lucoa smiled brightly.
"All right. Fixed~"
"Really? Then thank you for the trouble."
Yuto nodded calmly.
The exchange between the two of them was so casual that it almost sounded as though Lucoa had repaired a broken household appliance!
Across from them, however, Mr. and Mrs. Miyazono had already gone completely blank.
More accurately, their minds had stopped functioning the moment Lucoa uttered her first sentence.
They had wanted to interrupt immediately and ask what she meant.
But everything that happened afterward robbed them of the ability to speak.
Especially when they watched the deathly pallor gradually disappear from their daughter's face.
Healthy color slowly returned to Kaori's cheeks.
The strained, sickly appearance that had accompanied her for so long faded before their eyes.
The couple could do nothing except stare.
It was almost as though their minds had simply shut down.
"Her body is still extremely weak right now," Lucoa explained with a smile. "I could wake her immediately if you wanted, but it would be much better to let her sleep properly for a while."
She looked toward the Miyazono couple.
"After she wakes up, she will still need some time to recover physically. Once her strength has returned properly, then you can say she is completely fine."
Neither parent responded.
They continued staring blankly at her.
Two or three long seconds passed before Mr. Miyazono finally seemed to return to reality.
"Eh?! Y-You mean... K-K-Kaori... she... she is all right?!"
The normally composed man had become a complete stuttering mess.
Under different circumstances, the way he spoke might have been comical enough to make everyone laugh.
Now, however, no one found it funny.
"More accurately, she still needs rest," Lucoa patiently corrected him. "After she wakes up, she will also need some time for her body to recover. Once that recovery is complete, then yes—she will be perfectly fine."
She smiled warmly.
The expressions on Mr. and Mrs. Miyazono's faces changed several times in rapid succession.
Disbelief.
Shock.
Hope.
And finally—
Overwhelming gratitude.
"Thank you!"
Both of them bowed deeply.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
They straightened, only to bow again almost immediately.
"Thank you! Really, thank you so much!!!"
Neither of them knew what else they could possibly say.
Words suddenly felt painfully inadequate.
All they could do was bow repeatedly while thanking Lucoa over and over again, and every time they lifted their heads, tears could be seen streaming freely down their faces.
Lucoa lightly covered her mouth and laughed.
"It is fine. It barely took any effort."
She waved one hand dismissively before touching a finger to the corner of her lips.
"Hmm~ Just consider it payment for Kaori's performance~"
...
After talking for a while longer and repeatedly confirming that Kaori truly would be fine, Mr. and Mrs. Miyazono finally carried their still-sleeping daughter home so she could rest properly.
Only after the family left did the oppressive atmosphere inside the restaurant gradually disappear.
Conversation slowly resumed.
Everyone returned to their original seats, and Lucoa cheerfully made her way back toward Suika as though nothing particularly extraordinary had happened.
The instant she sat down, however, Yuto placed a large mug of alcohol in front of her.
Lucoa blinked.
"Eh? What is this?"
"On the house."
Yuto smiled.
"This one does not go on your tab."
"Ah~ Kamisaka really is wonderful~~~"
Lucoa immediately threw both arms into the air and cheered happily.
Yuto awkwardly averted his gaze for a moment.
The way she phrased that could far too easily be misunderstood.
"Seriously, though."
His expression became more sincere.
"Thank you for what you did just now."
"Oh~ It is fine."
Lucoa smiled and rested one cheek against her hand.
"I like Kaori too. Even though this was only the first time I properly met her, she really does shine incredibly brightly~ I adore children like that~~~"
Lucoa might have been a dragon, but long ago she had also been a mother goddess deeply loved and worshiped by humans.
The affection for humanity she had developed during those ancient years had never disappeared.
It had become deeply engraved into her personality, remaining with her even after she left that former life behind.
Whenever she encountered one of those "children" whose lives seemed to shine with their own brilliant light, she could never stop herself from admiring them and sincerely wishing for their happiness.
"Kamisaka shines too, you know."
Lucoa suddenly looked at him.
"You shine very brightly in my eyes as well."
Her smile became increasingly expectant.
"Hmm... Sometimes I really want to hold Kamisaka tightly in my arms~ Kamisaka, would you let me?"
"Sorry. No."
Yuto immediately raised one hand between them.
Lucoa's expression collapsed.
"Eh—? That fast...?"
"Hey! Lucoa!"
Before Yuto could say anything else, Tohru suddenly stood from her seat beside Kanna.
"Don't say things like that so casually! Just sit down and eat!"
The dragon girl's presence was still quite imposing when she became serious.
Even Lucoa was momentarily stunned by her sudden outburst.
However, before she could respond, Yuto slowly turned his gaze toward Tohru.
"Tohru—"
He said nothing else.
There was no need.
He merely drew out her name while deliberately glancing toward Kanna and the mathematics workbook lying beside her.
Tohru immediately deflated.
"Yes! Sorry! I understand! I will keep helping Kanna with her homework!"
She sat down so quickly that her movements were practically faster than lightning.
All the imposing momentum she had displayed only seconds earlier vanished without leaving the slightest trace behind.
Yuto and Lucoa exchanged a glance.
He shook his head helplessly.
Lucoa nodded with obvious sympathy.
"Taking care of Tohru must be exhausting, Kamisaka."
"Oh, not at all."
Yuto paused.
"It is only a little exhausting."
After chatting casually with Lucoa for a few more moments, Yuto returned behind the counter.
He brought out the plate of sweet-and-sour pork that had been sitting in the kitchen since Kaori's performance ended and placed it in front of Yuezheng Ling.
Fortunately, the thick sauce coating the fried pork had done an excellent job of retaining heat.
Despite sitting there for quite some time, the dish had not become cold.
Instead, it had cooled to almost the perfect temperature, allowing it to be eaten comfortably without any danger of burning the mouth.
Yuto then brought out Miku's chicken curry, followed by Tianyi's portions of both dishes.
The three girls thanked him before beginning to eat.
Even while eating, however, their conversation naturally returned to what had happened only moments earlier.
"I never expected Kaori's health to be that serious."
There was obvious sadness on Miku's face.
Even her voice had become considerably heavier, bearing almost no resemblance to the cheerful girl who had entered the restaurant earlier.
"You really never know when someone might suddenly become seriously ill."
Yuezheng Ling sighed emotionally.
"Exactly!"
Tianyi, meanwhile, was somehow managing to speak while eating at the same time.
"That is why, while you are still healthy, you have to live properly and eat lots of delicious food! Otherwise, once you become sick, you might never get another chance!"
Despite how busy her mouth was, every word came out remarkably clearly.
Miku and Yuezheng Ling both looked at her.
"Although Tianyi actually makes a reasonable point," Ling said thoughtfully, "I feel like if you continue eating this much, you might be the first one among us whose health starts falling apart."
"Mm. I think so too."
Miku nodded solemnly.
"I heard there are quite a lot of illnesses caused by overeating. And once someone develops some of those diseases, they can be extremely difficult to cure."
"Eh~ Tianyi should be fine, right?"
Tianyi looked unconvinced.
"Sure, Tianyi eats this much all the time, but surely nothing will actually happen to her~"
"Well..."
Miku exchanged a glance with Yuezheng Ling.
"I suppose we will just have to leave that to fate."
The two girls traded lines back and forth with matching smiles.
From Yuto's perspective, it was painfully obvious that they were deliberately trying to frighten Tianyi.
Unfortunately for the girl in question, the strategy was beginning to work.
Her chopsticks, which only moments earlier had been darting continuously between the dishes, suddenly froze in midair.
Obvious hesitation appeared on her face.
"Can eating too much really cause diseases that cannot be cured?"
Unable to suppress her concern any longer, Tianyi turned toward Miku and Yuezheng Ling.
The two girls exchanged another glance.
A single look was enough.
They immediately understood one another.
"I am not completely sure."
"But I heard that most people who eat too much eventually end up developing them."
Their perfectly coordinated response made Tianyi instinctively suck in a cold breath.
Suddenly, the food in front of her no longer seemed quite as irresistibly delicious.
She frowned deeply.
For once, Tianyi appeared to be seriously considering whether her eating habits might actually need to change.
Miku and Yuezheng Ling quietly watched her, smiling as they waited for the decision.
This entire little round of "intimidation" had actually been deliberate.
Their objective was extremely simple.
Get Tianyi to eat less!
Both girls knew exactly how much Tianyi loved food and how ridiculous her portions could become whenever nobody stopped her.
There might not be any obvious health problems now, but nobody could know what would happen many years into the future.
For the sake of their friend's health, the two had decided to employ a somewhat unconventional method.
They had only come up with the plan moments earlier.
The instant Tianyi declared that everyone should eat as much delicious food as possible while they were still healthy, Yuezheng Ling immediately recognized the perfect opportunity and sent Miku a meaningful glance.
Their eyes met.
Instant understanding.
That was teamwork.
Tianyi struggled internally for quite some time.
Her eyes moved between the food and her two friends several times.
Eventually, determination gradually filled her face.
She had clearly reached a decision.
Miku and Ling watched her expectantly.
For some reason, both of them suddenly began feeling nervous.
Then Tianyi clenched one fist with absolute conviction.
"Forget it!"
The two girls froze.
"No matter what happens, I cannot live without delicious food! I will worry about the future when the future gets here! Right now, I am going to eat as much good food as I possibly can!"
Her declaration rang with such absolute determination that she might as well have been announcing the great purpose of her life.
Miku and Yuezheng Ling stared at her.
Then they looked at each other.
Both quietly sighed.
Today...
Their strategy had failed once again.