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"Have you noticed anything weird about Nanako recently?"
Yukiko shaked her head at Yu's question. "Not at all. Is it something about school? Any problems with her grades or anything?"
Yu's life had become a bit of a flat circle, ten years after moving to Inaba for the first time. A very wonderful and fulfilling flat circle, but one none the less. He only spent a few years back in the city before moving back with a job which mostly had him writing online. The pay was decent, but that couldn't compare at all with being able to live with his recently wedded Snow Black and watch Nanako grow up. Which led to where the two are now, sitting across each other in the Junes Food Court. Junes itself has changed little, the biggest difference being the televisions on display having smaller and smaller notches, their sizes growing converse to it.
Yu scratched his nose a little. "Not exactly, but kind of?" Yukiko gave him a curious look at this reply. "But some of her behavior there has been worrying. Her homeroom teacher told me that some kid was talking about his grandpa dying, full sobbing and everything. You know what Nanako-chan's response was? She looked at him straight in the eyes and said, 'Aura gone.'"
Yukiko feigned a cough, but Yu could see through it. She's gotten better at hiding her amusement at the more morbid things in life over the years, but she still finds a way to shine through with that sense of humor of her's. "That's awful! She usually seems completely fine when being around with her classmates. Did she at least apologize?"
"Yeah, but she's still talking like that, even at home. It's gotten Dojima worried sick. He has no clue where it's all coming from, but I have an idea." He sighed as he finished speaking, but looked up again after seeing who was approaching Yukiko from behind her. "Speaking of..."
Nanako threw her arms around Yukiko's neck, bringing her in to a sudden hug and rubbing her face up and down Yukiko's cheeks. "Hey there, Big Bro and Big Sis!" Both Yu and Yukiko lit up at her arrival, pushing any nonsense about her misbehaving to the side. Yu stood up and walked up to the two girls in front of him, reaching our to ruffle Nanako's hair. "It's great seeing you here Nanako-chan, but don't you have your drama club today?" Seeing how he was nearby, he also quickly went for a kiss towards Yukiko's bare forehead. Had to set a good example for Nanako, after all!
Nanako was in a normal Yasogami high tracksuit, but clearly hasn't worked up a sweat in it like Chie used to do during training sessions with Yu. "Yeah, but the club leader had to cancel it. Some 'family emergency'." She reached up to adjust the ribbons in her hair. The pigtails were gone, but the ribbons stayed as a cute accessory to her now shoulder length hair, which did require a LOT of pleading from Big Sis. "That's nice," Yukiko butted in, "but your big br-"
Excitable as always, Nanako cut her off. "By the way, are you still friends with Chie like you were when I was a kid?" Yukiko was taken aback at her sudden question. "She's Officer Satonaka to you, young lady," trying to pick up the tone again, "but yes. We're still just as good as friends like we were through school and when Yu-sama came for a year."
Same smile as always, without skipping a beat, Nanako landed her next question. "Does she or you have a more W Gyatt?" This didn't phase Yukiko at all, but spurred Yu into action at once. He took her to the side, placing himself between her and Yukiko. "Nanako-chan! That is no sort of question to ask anyone, especially towards your cousin-in-law!" He was trying his hardest not to make a scene in public, but his annoyance was clear from his voice. Meanwhile, Yukiko was still left confused, both by Nanako's question and Yu's outburst. "What's the big deal, Yu? And what even is a g-gyatt anyway?" Even saying the word was getting her to snigger.
"This is exactly what I was talking about! And it means 'butt,' by the way." Yu let out a sigh, seeing his answer was a cause to Yukiko to chortle even more. At this rate, Yu wasn't even sure what was getting him so riled up: Nanako continuing to use this slang with full abandon, Yukiko finding that it suits her taste of humor perfectly, or that he knew the exact answer to that question. Whatever was going on when I was away, he thought to himself in some guilt, Yukiko has definitely caught up to Chie's bubbly behind when it came to that business.
"Oh! Nanako-chan, h-h-how could you ask abo-about that to me!" She was doubtlessly serious in her appraisal to Nanako, but it didn't come through at all in her voice. Nanako was still able to put herself together, shocked by her Big Bro reprimanding her and his way with explaining just exactly what a gyatt was to Big Sis. "I'm sorry, Yukiko!"
No matter what trouble she could get herself into, she was still Nanako Dojima, so any anger from Yukiko could not sustain itself very long. "I forgive you, Nanako. But what has gotten into you lately? Asking all sorts of questions a-about my butt and this 'aura' thing your big brother's been telling me about." Yukiko was successful in shoving her giggles away, but Nanako seemed to have caught a case of them as well. "I was just thinking how much of a Rizzler Big Bro was back in the day, and the question just kinda popped into my head." Struggling to contain her joy, she turned to Yu with a grin. "Isn't that right?"
Sadly for Nanako, Yu was not endeared by her follow up statement, and his palm swiftly went around her mouth to quiet the last of her question. "Nanako-chan, do you have any idea about how much that is not appropriate to bring out it public." Yu was fuming now, barely getting his words out into her ears with a hiss. It was bad enough to receive 'manwhoring' accusations from her when she was six, but to get them back again like this again at sixteen?! In front of his wife?
Yu breathed in and let go of Nanako's mouth, choosing instead to place his hands on both of her shoulders and crouching to meet her at eye level. "Nanako, I'm really sorry for having to get worked up like this." His voice was much less shaky than before. "But you really are concerning your old man and I with how you've been talking. You don't just look tasteless when you speak like that, most people think you're talking complete nonsense." Nanako appeared much more serious now, smile replaced with a slight frown and pout. Yu swore Yukiko was coughing up something again, but ignored it. "Now, do you have anything else to say to me and Yukiko?"
Nanako seriously paused before speaking again. Really, she did. This is the first time she's seen him mad like since, uh, forever? Yu looked really scary like, so she decided, once she spoke again, to calm down whatever anxieties of delinquency he and her dad must have been having about her.
"Big Bro's tweaking right now!"
The dam broke at this. Yukiko was completely doubled up in her howling. She had to practically lay on the bench to not fall on the ground, struggling to catch a breath to fuel even more laughing. Spasms of the words 'tweaker' and 'rizz' could be heard from her in between her frantic cackles. Nanako nearly matched her, and rested her hand on the table to support her wheezing, certainly getting looks from those passing by, the head of the Amagi Inn and Detective Dojima's daughter having lost it over some joke or another
Yu was still standing there in surprise. Looking over both of them, laughing at how much of a fool he must have been looking now after this 'crash out' of his, only one thought remained in his mind. Gods, I love them so much.