The next day, the sun slowly rose.
Overworked, Miko was still asleep in bed.
Mrs. Yotsuya had also gone out to buy groceries.
At this moment, only Ye Xiao, Mr. Yotsuya, and the dog were in the living room.
"So you're here for Chai Taro?"
"That's right, I want Chai Taro to become Miko's familiar, or rather, her guardian spirit, a guardian spirit unaffected by grudges, and one that can greatly help Miko in the future."
Ye Xiao answered Mr. Yotsuya's questions one by one.
Mr. Yotsuya was stroking the dog, which was in its evil spirit form, deep in thought, then he said to Chai Taro.
"Do you want to continue guarding Miko?"
Facing his master's question, Chai Taro let out a harsh, hoarse sound.
"I... leave... home... what to do?"
"I'll be here if you stay at home, Taro. Actually, I want to ask you to protect Miko well, okay?"
"No... problem."
Under Mr. Yotsuya's persuasion, Chai Taro nodded in agreement.
Since Chai Taro had agreed, now all that was needed was for Yotsuya Miko to wake up and form the contract.
Time passed little by little.
Yotsuya Miko slowly woke up; the tearing sensation from last night was completely gone.
She noticed that Ye Xiao was not beside her.
Yotsuya Miko changed her clothes and slowly went downstairs.
As soon as she reached the staircase, she heard.
"Look, these are Miko's childhood photos. Aren't they cute?"
"Hmm, like a little dumpling."
Yotsuya Miko hurried downstairs and saw her 'deadbeat' dad showing Ye Xiao her childhood photo album.
"Dad!"
"Miko's awake."
Yotsuya Miko's face flushed with embarrassment, she rushed over, both angry and anxious, snatched the album, and chided, "Dad, how could you just show my childhood photos to others!"
Mr. Yotsuya chuckled, "What's the big deal? Ye Xiao is your husband, not an outsider."
Ye Xiao looked at Miko's adorable appearance and couldn't help but laugh; a shy and angry Miko was also quite nice.
After a while, Ye Xiao also told Yotsuya Miko about his conversation with Mr. Yotsuya.
She looked incredulously at the dog, which looked like an evil spirit, realizing it was Chai Taro.
"So... Miko, are you ready for the contract?"
"I'm ready."
Yotsuya Miko walked up to Chai Taro.
She stroked his head.
As magic power was infused and the magic circle unfolded.
"By the name of Yotsuya Miko, I make a contract with you. You shall be my familiar, my companion, my family. Please respond to my contract, Chai Taro."
Chai Taro didn't speak, only agreed wholeheartedly.
Light emanated from both of them, then they were enveloped by the glow.
Chai Taro's form began to change.
His previously hideous body slowly shrank and transformed into the appearance of a small dog.
At this moment, the door suddenly opened.
Mrs. Yotsuya walked in with her grocery basket, looking a bit bewildered by the light in the living room, and her grocery basket dropped to the floor.
Everyone turned around, frozen.
They never expected Mrs. Yotsuya to return at this moment.
At this moment, Mrs. Yotsuya was too shocked to speak.
The next second, Yotsuya Miko and Chai Taro, who had just become a familiar, appeared vividly before her.
"Chai... Chai Taro!?"
"Woof!"
Looking at the familiar small dog, Mrs. Yotsuya called out its name uncertainly, and Chai Taro responded.
"It really is Chai Taro!?"
Mrs. Yotsuya incredulously rubbed Chai Taro's head.
After a while, Mrs. Yotsuya looked up at Ye Xiao and Miko.
"Tell me, what's going on?"
"Auntie, let's sit down and talk."
Mrs. Yotsuya sat next to Mr. Yotsuya on the sofa. Ye Xiao couldn't shake the feeling that Mrs. Yotsuya could see things, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.
After thinking for a moment, Ye Xiao decided it was better to confess than to resist.
"Auntie, I'm sorry for hiding it from you. Actually, I am a demon."
As Ye Xiao spoke, he spread his wings, but Mrs. Yotsuya showed no surprise; instead, she looked at the candid Ye Xiao with satisfaction.
"Actually, yesterday when Miko and I came home, it was also for Chai Taro. I wanted Chai Taro to become Miko's familiar so he could protect Miko in the future."
"Sorry, we didn't mean to hide it."
The atmosphere was a bit quiet. After a while, Mrs. Yotsuya said.
"Actually, I know all of this."
"Eh!?"
Hearing Mrs. Yotsuya's words shocked Yotsuya Miko and Ye Xiao.
However, Ye Xiao quickly realized that if the daughter could see, then how could the mother, who had the same eyes, not see?
Mrs. Yotsuya rubbed Chai Taro's head and continued.
"It seems Miko's eyes can see now too, right?"
"Eh!? Mom, do you mean..."
Hearing her mother's words, Yotsuya Miko's eyes widened.
Under her shocked gaze, Mrs. Yotsuya continued.
"That's right, I can see too, but I can only see shadows. But I also know that Dad, my brother, and Chai Taro are at home, guarding this home."
"And I've also noticed Miko's change. Miko is not the same as before."
"Mom, aren't you scared?"
Hearing Yotsuya Miko's question, Mrs. Yotsuya stroked the dog and showed a gentle smile.
"Not scared. Why should I be scared? Dad and Chai Taro have always been protecting us."
"And Miko is my daughter, you know~ What mother would be afraid of her own child?"
Yotsuya Miko's eyes reddened slightly. She had always thought her mother didn't know these things, but she never expected her mother actually understood everything.
"As for why Mom knows Miko and Ye Xiao are different, it's because Mom has also summoned demons before~"
"Eh!?"
Then Mrs. Yotsuya recounted many things.
Regarding the ability to see, Mrs. Yotsuya's side of the family all had some form of it.
However, everyone in the family saw things differently.
Mrs. Yotsuya could see souls, but only their blurry outlines.
The reason she noticed Miko and Ye Xiao's uniqueness was because their souls had an extra pair of small wings.
As for demons, Mrs. Yotsuya had also received a card when she was young and tried to summon one once. After a simple wish was granted, she paid with dessert as compensation.
Ye Xiao and Yotsuya Miko listened silently.
Likewise, Mr. Yotsuya and Kyosuke, who were next to them, placed their hands on their loved ones' (mother's) hands.
This scene was so beautiful in Yotsuya Miko's eyes.
Yes, her family was still there, just accompanying her in a different way.
"Alright, it's not late. After lunch, you still have to go back to school."
(This is a bit hair-pulling to write. Just bear with it and read it. It's a bit tough.)