Yuume sipped on the potion and thought this timeline really was better. Shiori was ten years old and was doing great in school. Hotaru was a smart five years old girl. And there was also Yuuta, this cute toddler crawling between Yuume's legs, when he was spending time with Tsuneo and his kids. Tereya prefered to stay in the kitchen, making some tasty food. She's always been like this. Tsuneo told him that before they started dating, she didn't even have friends.

This time both brothers were invited for a family dinner to their parents. Yuume thought that it's the best time to tell them that Tsuneo is alive because of his actions. He still didn't tell them, he didn't want to worry them.

He got into the car and turned on the radio. He put his hands on the steering wheel and sighed.

He should be happy, right? After all, that's what he wanted. Saving Tsuneo and his family.

So why did he feel empty inside?

Ah, right.

Because he planned to invite the yubiwa who saved his brother to a dinner. Introduce him to the family. Call a hero. Give back to him somehow, not just by paying.

Instead, he got a big crush on him and then was cruelly snatched from this intertiming illusion of happiness.

Kin was dead. Yuume didn't know, when he died. Maybe he's already dead? He was afraid to call him, because he was afraid he wouldn't answer. He was so afraid that it seemed to him that all the yubiwas he had met in his life had died long ago. Even the yubiwa, who had once saved him from being the victim of another reckless driver.

He couldn't tell his parents. Tsuneo knew Yuume was bisexual, but... He found out by accident. Yuume never got a chance to come out of the closet to his parents.

Maybe he should hide the fact that Kin is a man? He's dead anyway and the chances of Yuume being able to save him are very low, so...

Hikouri clenched his hands into fists. Time to stop thinking, time to go to family home.

He just needs to heal his hands first, because of course he hurt them with his fingernails...

* * *

As soon as he reached his family home, the door flew open. Shiori and Hotaru jumped into his arms and he picked them up and smiled brightly at his mum.

"Here's my doctor" Yuzuki pinched his cheek. "Why it took so long for you, birdie?"

"I got lost in my thoughts" Yuume put Shiori and Hotaru on the ground. "Where's dad?"

"I told him to finish the dinner. He knows, how to put rice in bowls, right?" Yuzuki chuckled.

"Grandma, is uncle Yuume a doctor?" asked Shiori. "You called him that."

"Vet doctor" explained Yuume.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Hotaru. "And you heal pets?"

"Yes" Yuume ruffled her hair.

"Kitties?"

"Yes."

"Doggies?"

"Yes."

"Cowwies too?"

"Sometimes" Yuume shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"I have a cowwie" announced Hotaru, as she climbed onto the chair. "Her name is Muni and I love her."

"Muni?" asked Yuume.

"Dad thinks that cow's milk is a good idea" explained Shiori. "For me it's yuck, but as he wishes."

"By the way, Shuichi is coming tomorrow, because they're having Harunosuke's birthday" announced Koji, Tsuneo and Yuume's dad, bringing the bowls to the dining room. "Seiji mentioned that we should come."

"Syoguri didn't tell me anything about it" said Yuume.

Koji and Yuzuki looked at each other.

"I don't know, if we should tell you about it, birdie" started Yuzuki. "Syoguri and Setsuko had a little argument."

"A little? It's weird that the whole town didn't hear them" mumbled Koji.

"He probably didn't tell you, because he didn't want to worry you. You know, how he is, you've known him since forever" Yuzuki put vegetables into the bowls. "Seiji is trying to explain to her that Syoguri doesn't have a choice and can't be the way he is, but... For now he achieved nothing."

"Do I want to know, what happened?" asked Tsuneo.

"So you don't know too?" Yuume was surprised.

"Ume, even Shuichi doesn't know. He would tell me" Tsuneo glared at their parents.

"Tsune, can we not talk about it during the dinner?" Tereya grabbed his hand gently. "I want to eat in a friendly atmosphere and not feel nervous."

"But I'm worried, sweetheart" Tsuneo raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers gently. "I want to know, if my friends are okay."

Tereya just chuckled.

"I want to know more than him. Aunt Setsuko has her mood swings, but I didn't think that she can almost disown Syoguri and won't invite him for her grandson's birthday" announced Yuume.

Yuzuki looked at Koji again, then she looked at Yuume. Her glasses in white frames tilted a little.

"Well, it was about grandchildren exactly" she announced. "I mean, it started with this topic. You know, Yoshie can't have more children, so Setsuko pushed Syoguri a bit too much and he ended up doing something that almost ended up with a frying pan on his head."

"Seiji and Shuichi stopped her" added Koji.

"What Syo has done again?" Tsuneo sighed.

"He invited a boy to his home" explained Koji. "I mean, his boyfriend."

"He invited Akiichi to his home, his mum disowned him and they didn't tell me?" Yuume blinked. "I am full of admiration that Aki was able to keep a secret."

"Wait, Syoguri has a boyfriend and you know him?" Tsuneo almost dropped the chopsticks.

"Syoguri came out to you that he's... What was the word?" Koji looked at Yuzuki.

"Bisexual, darling" replied Yuzuki.

"Yeah, that's what I meant" Koji nodded.

"Actually, he didn't have to come out" said Yuume. "He just seduced me."

This time Tsuneo dropped his chopsticks.