Miyuki Yumeko is wearing a clip

Yuki was completely stunned; this chemical laboratory was entirely new to him. Seeing his shock, Tatsuyaa smirked, "Hmm, you didn't know?""No, I had absolutely no idea about this," Yuki admitted, staring around the room.Tatsuya explained that the laboratory specialized in working with different types of chemical serial groups. He added that Tatsuya’s father worked there, which was likely how Kazuya had picked up most of the skills just by hanging around his dad.Intrigued, Yuki turned to Tatsuya. "Wait, does that come from internal power?""Yeah, it’s his internal power," Tatsuya nodded. "He understands chemical reactions flawlessly. In short, he's a natural-born chemist."Yuki tilted his head slightly, skeptical. "Hmm, but he really doesn't look the part. What is he even doing at the academy then?""Look, that internal power can be converted into many different types of abilities," Tatsuya explained. "Did you forget? Sensei told us that internal power shouldn't be focused in just one direction, but rather channeled and converted in various ways. That's exactly what he's practicing here."Yuki looked around. "I see... but where is he right now?""In the underground of Seal Village," Masaru interjected.The revelation caught Yuki off guard again. Sensing the heavy mood, Tatsuya quickly changed the subject and gestured toward a festival booth. "Come on, let’s go play that game."As the four of them walked over, they bumped into Yumeko. Spotting her first, Yuki called out, "Hey, Yumeko!"Yumeko  turned around, her face lighting up. "Oh! Look at you guys, all together!"As they walked side by side, Yumeko looked around the bustling streets and smiled. "This year's festival is so beautiful compared to the last one.""Have you explored the whole place already?" Tatsuya asked."Not all of it," Yumeko replied, "but it definitely feels much livelier and grander than last year."While Yumeko was talking, something caught Yuki's eye. He stared at the hair clip on her head. It looked identical to the one he had bought for her—the one he never got to give her because he had lost it.Yuki couldn't take his eyes off it for a moment. Noticing his gaze, Yumeko asked softly, "Is something wrong, Yuki?"Yuki's mind raced. Could it be the same clip? No, that's impossible. It's just a hair clip, there must be plenty like it. Mine is probably gone for good.Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Yuki forced a smile. "No, it's nothing! Come on, let's go play the goldfish scooping game!"They all headed over to the stall, Yuki's excitement instantly bouncing back. "Watch me," he bragged, pointing at the water. "I'm going to catch every single fish in there!"Tatsuya laughed. "You mean you're going to drop every single one of them.""Hey, don't worry about me!" Yuki shot back.Smirking, Tatsuya raised the stakes. "Alright, how about a challenge between the four of us? Whoever catches the most fish gets to pick one thing they want from the losers.""You're on!" Yuki agreed instantly.They gathered around the tank. Inside the water, dozens of tiny, colorful fish swam around rapidly, The tiny fish in the water were jumping around like crazy, splashing water all over their faces. Yuki took a quick step back, wiping his face, and muttered, "Ugh, seriously? They’re throwing a tantrum before we’ve even caught them!"Tatsuya smirked and teased, "Well, Yuki, I think the fish realized you're the one trying to catch them.""Wait, what is that supposed to mean?" Yuki snapped, looking at him."Nothing, nothing. Come on, let's just start," Tatsuya chuckled, waving it off.Once they actually started fishing, Yuki practically turned it into a warzone. he was splashing around so much that Masaru finally had to yell over the noise, "Yuki! Stop splashing the water everywhere!"Drenched and looking a bit guilty, Yuki mumbled, "Sorry, Masaru..."When the first round ended, Masaru ended up with the biggest catch by far. Meanwhile, Tatsuya and Yuki were standing in a corner, holding their empty nets, looking completely defeated and clueless.Tatsuya groaned, looking at their empty bucket. "Yuki... what on earth just happened?""Hey, don't look at me, this is your fault!" Yuki fired back. "You were the one who accepted the challenge in the first place!"Seeing the two of them bickering, Masaru walked over with a smug grin. "So, you two... do you remember the stakes of our challenge?"Yuki, who had been sitting down in defeat, quickly stood up and pleaded, "Masaru, come on! You can take whatever else you want from me later. But please, let me keep these things—I got them for my brother and sister."he turned around to check his  pockets and sighed. "Actually... what I have might not even be your style anyway."Masaru then turned his gaze toward Yumeko. "What about you, Yumeko? What did you get?"Yumeko held up her prizes with a small, awkward smile. "Well... I highly doubt you guys are into dolls."Masaru let out a long, defeated sigh. "Huh... alright, fine. Keep your stuff. Just hold onto your own things."With the challenge forgotten, the group cheered up and kept strolling around, checking out the beautiful, glowing stalls. After walking for a while, Yuki rubbed his  ankles and complained, "Ugh, my feet are killing me. Taccho, carry me on your shoulders!""Sure, hop on," Tatsuya replied instantly.Yuki’s eyes widened in pure shock. "Wait, seriously?! I was just joking!"Tatsuya grinned. "Yeah, and so was I."Masaru and Yumeko burst out laughing at Yuki's disappointed face.Still laughing, the four of them made their way toward the main bridge, which was hands-down the best spot to watch the fireworks. The place was absolutely packed. People were rubbing shoulders everywhere, all eager to get a good view of the show.In the middle of all that chaotic shuffling, Yumeko suddenly lost her shoe. It took a lot of struggling, bending down, and squeezing through people just to get it back. But by the time she finally straightened up with her shoe in hand, the thick crowd had swallowed them up. The four of them were completely .The crowd was suffocating. For the past half hour, Yuki and Yumeko had been scanning ,Tatsuya, and Masaru, but the overwhelming surge of festival-goers made it impossible to spot anyone.Then, the sky erupted.A brilliant cascade of fireworks burst overhead, painting the night in vibrant hues of gold, crimson, and emerald. Drawn by the spectacle, Yuki and Yumeko stopped in their tracks, with thousands of strangers, their faces illuminated by the flashing lights above. Everyone stood still, mesmerized by the show.Just a short distance away, pressed against the railing of the bridge, Tatsuya and Masaru were barely holding their ground in the crush of the crowd. As the sky lit up with another brilliant explosion, Tatsuya caught a glimpse of a familiar face through the gaps in the crowd. It was Yuki. Masaru noticed him a second later.As the final thunderous volley of fireworks faded into trails of smoke, the spell broke. The massive crowd on the bridge immediately began to shift, turning into a slow, moving tide of people heading home.Seeing Yuki start to walk away, Masaru took a deep breath, parting his lips to call out her name. But before a sound could leave his throat, Tatsuya swiftly clapped a hand over Masaru’s mouth."Come on, let's just go," Tatsuya muttered quietly, pulling him backward into the retreating crowd. "Everyone is heading home anyway."Masaru swallowed his words, looking back one last time before letting himself be led away into the night, leaving the bridge behind.
Meanwhile, on their way home, Yumeko suddenly said, "Thank you, Yuki."Yuki looked at her, surprised. "For what?"Yumeko pointed to the clip in her hair. "For this."Yuki finally understood. He remembered the day he wanted to give it to her. Their teacher had called him right at that moment. He had quickly shoved the clip into his pocket and rushed off, completely unaware that it had slipped out and fallen to the ground. Masaru was about to call out to him, but Tatsuya stopped him and said, "Hey, isn't that from Yuki's pocket? I saw him buying it for Yumeko." So, Yumeko kept it with her, and today, she finally wore it to the festival.Everything clicked for Yuki. He finally realized why he couldn't find the clip in his pocket later when he looked for it.Blushing a little, Yuki said, "To be honest, I was planning to give it to you as a birthday gift. Do you like it??Yuki smiled warmly to himself, his heart dancing with a quiet happiness.Yumeko giggled a little and said, "Honestly, I kept meaning to tell you, but it just kept slipping my mind! I only brought it up today because I noticed you finally saw it."A wave of relief washed over Yuki. "To be completely honest, I was convinced I'd lost that clip for good!"With a cheerful wave, Yumeko said her goodbyes and headed out. Yuki waved back to her and Uma, so bursting with joy that he practically skipped and danced his way down the street toward home.But his little victory march came to a sudden halt. Oof! He bumped right into a woman walking by.Rubbing his shoulder, Yuki snapped, "Hey! Watch where you're going, will you?"But as he looked up, he froze. The woman was already staring right back at him, looking just as annoyed. It was Onna."Why are you running around like a maniac anyway?" Onna asked, crossing her arms."So what if I am?" Yuki shot back, defensively. "Does that give you the right to just plow into me?"Onna’s face flushed with irritation. "Excuse me? I plowed into you? You’re the one who ran straight into me!"Standing right next to her was Kurba, who sighed and gave Onna a gentle tug on the arm. "Drop it, Onna. Come on. There’s no point wasting your breath arguing with a little kid. Let’s go."That did it. Yuki’s eyes narrowed. "Hey! Uncle! Who are you calling a little kid?"Kuoba paused, dramatically looking to his left, then to his right. He looked back down at Yuki with a smirk. "Well, I don't see anyone else around here.
Yuki picks up his scattered things, which had fallen to the ground after the crash. Annoyed, he mutters to himself, "Great, they completely ruined my stuff."
Watching him, Onna asks, "Who are those for anyway?"
"Just for Haru, Mika, and Yukito," Yuki replies.
Hearing Yukito's name, Onna's eyes widen slightly. She pauses, clearly deep in thought, and asks, "Who are they?"
"My siblings," Yuki says simply.
Onna stands silent for a moment, weighing something in her mind, before telling herself, _No, I have a mission here, and I need to finish it._ Turning to Kuroba, she hurries him along. "Kuroba, let's go. We need to move."
They make their way toward the Place of Seal Grounded. As they walk, Kuroba speaks up. "You know, if Tasumi (SIN) hadn't convinced the village chief, getting in here would've been a nightmare, don't
you think?"
The Tasumi he is referring to is actually one of their own people. She possesses a powerful ability to manipulate others, which she used when she accompanied Onna to meet the village chief, effortlessly bending him to their will.
Just a minute after they arrive at the entrance, Yurie (GHOST)appears. She urgently motions for them to step back and hide. Akari is already there, having returned to look for something she accidentally left behind the other day.
Onna, Kuroba, and Yurie quickly pull back to safety. "Onna, don't go in there right now," Yurie warns softly. "It's too dangerous."
Kuroba spots a familiar face. "Look, isn't that the boy we saw on the road earlier?"
Onna looks over and recognizes Yuki. Her mood immediately sours.
"Yeah, Yurie is right," Kuroba adds. "We shouldn't go in yet.
Confused, Yurie asks, "Wait, you guys know him?"
"Just that little brat," Kuroba mutters.
Onna looks closely at the person next to Yuki. "But who is that woman?"
"I think she might be..." Yurie starts.
Onna cuts her off. "No, she looks like the boy's mother."
"Yeah, looks like it," Kuroba agrees.
Watching them linger, Yurie says, "They aren't leaving. What should we do?"
"Use your power and get them out of there," Onna commands.
Nodding, Yurie begins to whisper a chant under her breath. She uses her abilities to subtly nudge Akari and Yuki away from the area. Within two minutes, the trick works, and the two finally walk away.
With the coast clear, the trio slips inside.
*Walks up and stares at the seals. As she gazes at them, a quick flash of a memory—a brief, distant scene—reflects in her eyes.*