Shizuka sighed silently when she saw the two of them like this.
"Alright, alright," she leaned forward at the right moment, patted Shouko's shoulder, and quickly smoothed things over, saying,
"It's only right for Shouko, as the person involved, to stay and listen to this matter."
After speaking, she even gave Shouko a reassuring wink.
At this tense moment, neither Daisuke, with his stern face, nor Tsuna, who was caught in the middle, could easily intervene.
Only her status was most suitable for mediating, being both Mom and a best friend.
"But..."
Yaeko's lips moved, wanting to say something more, but under Shizuka's comforting gaze, the words were caught in her throat, leaving her speechless for a moment.
"Alright, Yaeko, we will help you solve the problems you're worried about."
"..."
Yaeko pursed her lips, wanting to refuse but unable to speak. She indeed had no ability to solve the problems she was worried about at the moment.
"Cough cough...!"
Daisuke let out a timely cough, drawing everyone's attention from the quiet atmosphere.
"What I said just now was too absolute," he paused to organize his thoughts:
"Currently, most congenital sensorineural hearing loss (the most common type of hearing loss present at birth) cannot be completely cured.
Nishimiya, you should know more about this issue than I do."
Yaeko nodded hesitantly.
"But we still need to see what the experts say first. To be conservative..."
"I think improving Shouko's hearing impairment shouldn't be a problem for the experts!"
Shizuka gently took over the conversation. Daisuke didn't speak again; he was a businessman and never easily made promises he wasn't sure about.
"Then... has an exact time been mentioned?"
"No," Daisuke shook his head, "I only know it's in a few months, but I'll keep an eye out for the exact time."
"Once the time is set, I'll drive you over. You and Shouko don't need to worry about other issues."
With that, he gave Shouko a gentle smile; after all, he had watched this child grow up since she was little.
Hmm... what's more, she had long been the daughter-in-law he and Shizuka had wholeheartedly approved of.
Seeing that the conversation was almost done, Shizuka's gaze shifted from Yaeko to Shouko's face, and she smiled gently, saying,
"Alright, next are the adults' whispered secrets. You two young ones should hurry upstairs and enjoy your time alone."
As she spoke, she even waved her hand at the two of them, feigning distaste.
"Mom... Mom, what... what are you saying!"
Shouko's face instantly turned as red as a tomato because her mother was still present, making her so flustered that she couldn't speak properly.
"Haha..."
Shizuka was thoroughly amused by her shy and flustered appearance, her shoulders shaking.
She quickly gave a meaningful look to Tsuna, who was stunneding beside her. He understood, reached out and took Shouko's hand, "Let's go." and left the living room first.
...
The pattering footsteps went up, gradually fading away, and finally disappeared completely at the end of the stairs, leaving the living room quiet again.
"Thank you!"
Circles of tears spread on the tatami mat.
"Alright, alright," Shizuka handed her a tissue: "Like you, we are all happy that Shouko's ears can get better."
"No! This is not the same!" Yaeko's voice was a little choked, with a heavy nasal tone.
She knew this was no longer a matter of money; Daisuke must have used a lot of his connections.
Moreover, to invite an expert for a personal consultation? Not to mention the money, there were probably countless intricate and unimaginable ways involved that she could never fathom in her lifetime.
Immediately after, she moved back a step, startling Shizuka, who guessed what she was about to do.
Even Daisuke, who often saw this gesture, was surprised by her.
Without another thought, Shizuka's body reacted before her brain. She lunged forward in one swift motion, gripping Yaeko's arms tightly with both hands, pulling her up with all her might!
"Yaeko! What are you doing!" Her voice changed pitch: "If you do this, Daxiong and I might go back on our word!"
——————
Evening.
"Hehe..."
In a slightly messy room, several wrinkled clothes were scattered haphazardly against the wall, piled without any order.
Suzuki On, however, ignored them, comfortably sprawled on the bed, her mouth wide in a grin, completely immersed in the story.
"It seems Yamauchi Sakura still has a chance to be saved; the plot is developing in a good direction."
"The male lead is also gradually coming out of his shell with the female lead's help, hehe..."
When she returned home this morning, she read the synopsis and couldn't resist asking Jun for spoilers.
Unfortunately, she only received a one-sentence reply before the call was hung up.
'Yamauchi Sakura will not die from her illness.'
But with just those few words, Suzuki On imagined a sequel where the female lead actively cooperated with treatment, got cured, and then began a sweet romance with the no-longer-introverted male lead.
"Suzuki-chan, dinner's ready! Come out and eat quickly!"
The voice of the Girl with long black hair sounded from outside the room, interrupting her silence.
Pursing her lips helplessly, Suzuki On exited the bedroom.
As soon as she came out, a waft of food aroma hit her. Following the scent, she saw two dishes and a soup neatly arranged on the dining table.
Ban Lanqian was standing by the table, wearing an apron, evidently, these were her accomplishments.
Since the two started working and sharing an apartment, they had a rule: Suzuki On cooked on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, she cooked on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and they cooked together on weekends.
Although the office provided two meals, they usually only ate lunch, and cooked dinner themselves when they got home, unless they worked too late or were too tired.
"Suzuki-chan, you've been in your room all day, aren't you hungry?" Ban Lanqian asked curiously while untying her apron.
"Not hungry, no. Isn't there a saying, 'forgetting to eat and sleep'? Haha..."
Suzuki On shook her head, pulled out a chair and sat down, shouted "I'm eating!" and began to use her chopsticks, stuffing food into her mouth while shouting "Five ants!"
"..."
Ban Lanqian looked at her wolfing down the food; she didn't seem to be forgetting to eat and sleep, but rather like she was starving.
After a whirlwind of eating, Suzuki On languidly slumped back in her chair, contentedly rubbing her slightly bulging belly, and asked with a grin,
"Qian Jiang, where have you read up to in 'i want to eat your pancreas'?"
"Why?"
Ban Lanqian, who was still chewing slowly, looked up at her in confusion: "I only read the first half. I'm not like you, cooped up in the room all day."
"The first half? Where is that?"
"Hmm..." Ban Lanqian paused to recall: "It's... where the female lead discovers the male lead knows her secret."
"Oh, oh..." Suzuki On nodded quickly, revealing a mischievous smile: "Let me tell you, later the female lead...—"
"If you dare to spoil it, I'll smear this dish on your face."
"..."
Ban Lanqian's calm words as she chewed her food made Suzuki On pout, forcing herself to calm down and suppress her urge to share.