"Y-Yato n' Yukine aren't here?" Hiyori felt slightly guilty for finding solace in that realization.

"They went out for a job," Daikoku replied as he was passing by the doorway, carrying a crate of fresh fruit. "If you're looking for 'em, I can say you stopped by when they get back."

"Umm…" Hiyori didn't know if she was necessarily fond of that idea.

If Yato knew I was here, he'd know I was trying to confront him about everything.

But was that a bad thing?

"Hiyo-riiiin!" The pink-haired god leaped into Hiyori's arms.

Hiyori was sent stumbling backward a few steps. Once she regained her balance, she greeted the girl in return. "K-Kofuku-san!"

"You've been gone for so long!" She exclaimed with childish tears streaming down her face. "Every time we ask Yatty where you've been, he just starts being a meanie and won't tell us!"

Hiyori blinked in surprise and allowed Kofuku to release her. "H-he does…?"

"Hai!" Kofuku nodded.

"We almost thought you forgot about us," Daikoku chimed in jokingly from where he was rinsing the fruit under a hose. "Somethin' happen between you two?"

"Yeah, w-well…" she nervously played with the rim of her school skirt. "That would be quite difficult for me to forget him. Especially now…"

Her hand moved upward to feel her belly, but she played it off as if she were smoothing out her uniform.

Had her stomach always felt firm?

"What're you talking about?" Daikoku asked, seeming to awaken the brunette from her deep thoughts.

Hiyori blinked, coming back to reality. "O-oh. Nothing..."

"Ah, come on, Hiyorin - tell us!" Kofuku urged. "You don't think we've noticed you n' Yatty have been acting sneaky?"

Daikoku, even more curious to see the result of his goddess' nosiness, listened intently. If there wasn't enough pressure on her earlier, Hiyori definitely felt it now.

She sighed in defeat. "I-... I suppose now's the time to tell you…"

I'll just lie to them. Wait, do I know how to lie? How could I? They're my friends. They deserve the truth.

Well, half of it.

"Yato and I…-"

Kofuku and Daikoku leaned in eagerly.

"Are... together. Romantically."

Kofuku's expression brightened intensely, and her high-pitched squeal reached an octave that could shatter glass. With her rosy cheeks, she hopped up and down. Daikoku, on the other hand, looked like he had consumed sour milk. His face scrunched up in disgust.

"You're-... you're dating that pile o' shit?!" He exclaimed, slack-jawed.

Hiyori couldn't help a small smirk from creeping up on her face by their contradicting reactions. She couldn't deny it was fairly amusing.

"Y-yes…" she mumbled, holding her fist up to her chest.

There was a silence just slightly long enough to cause her to become physically uncomfortable.

Realization suddenly seemed to strike the tall Regalia. "Hang on-"

Hiyori looked up at him curiously.

Judging by the disturbed expression that he'd worn, Hiyori felt a bit nervous.

"Not to put ya down or anything, but isn't it kinda wrong for a god and a human to have such relations?"

Kofuku, seeming to notice the change in attitudes, halted her celebration. She waited for Hiyori to respond.

"It-... it can't be…" she mumbled back.

"Why not, Hiyorin?" Kofuku blinked.

"B-because!"

"'Because' why?"

The half-Phantom felt a bubble of frustration form in her chest, threatening to burst. Why did they doubt her?

"'Cause Yato said our love wasn't a sin!" Hiyori blurted, causing a stunned silence among them.

Once she realized what she admitted, the girl's cheeks turned pink, and she turned away to avoid their awkward stares.

"Kofuku." Daikoku strictly stated, intimidating his master into keeping her mouth shut.

"Hiyori-chan," Daikoku approached the brunette, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I can see how much Yato means to you. We're sorry for being so inconsiderate. If there's anything you need, please - don't hesitate to ask."

Hiyori looked at him with slight surprise before she finally seemed to ease a bit. "O-of course…" she nodded.

Just as both the pink goddess and her Regalia were returning to the shop, Hiyori stopped them.

"Matte!" She called, causing both of them to turn and look.

"There-... there is something I think I need your help with," she told them bashfully. "About Yato…"

"Hmm?" Kofuku stepped closer curiously. "What is it?"

"Is that bastard being too clingy for you? Is he stalkin' you lately?" Daikoku asked, crossing his arms.

"No, no! Not anything like that," Hiyori answered, then she rubbed her arm hesitantly. "Quite the opposite, actually..."

Kofuku and Daikoku blinked at her cluelessly.

Hiyori sighed. "He's been ignoring me for weeks now. I just wish I knew what he was thinking."

"That's quite strange…" Daikoku tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"That's not like Yatty at all." Kofuku asked.

A light suddenly flipped in the goddess's violet eyes. She leaned in so only her companion could hear her. She spoke in a way that lead Hiyori to believe she knew something everyone else didn't.

"Did you n' Yatty have a fight?"

Crap!

She didn't think that part through. There was nothing Hiyori could say now without spilling the biggest secret of all.

How would they react? They'd probably tell her to cut ties with Yato as soon as possible.

She was not only a disgrace for carrying a child at such a young age, but belonged to a God of Calamity.

She needed Yato. She needed his comfort and security. She needed to know he was still there for her, and that he would be there for their baby, too.

"Well, I-I don't know," Hiyori answered. "I might've said something he didn't exactly... -w-wanna hear…"

"Oh, dear…" Kofuku murmured, a worried expression forming across her face.

"H-has Yato said anything?" Hiyori asked suddenly, concern and panic on her face. "How's he been? Is he mad?"

Daikoku blinked, surprised by all her sudden questions. He held out his hands as if to yield Hiyori.

"Woah, slow down. Yato's not mad," he reassured her.

Hiyori froze in surprise.

He isn't mad? Then... why is he avoiding me…?

"But then-..." the brunette stared at her friends in confusion.

It was only until Kofuku and Daikoku shared sympathetic glances with each other that the anxiety and confusion grew worse for Hiyori. She glanced at them back and forth, holding up a questioning finger.

"Hiyorin," Kofuku called her friend's attention, sorrow in her usually joyful eyes. "Yatty doesn't seem too good lately."

Panic rose inside her. She expected the worst. "W-what do you mean? What's going on?"

Daikoku cleared his throat, signaling it was his turn to explain. He sighed. "Yato's been quite lethargic. He keeps moping around and saying how you'll never come back."

Her reality was suddenly shaken around, and guilt gnawed at her insides. Hiyori felt like she had been punched in the stomach.

No. Wait. It was real nausea.

Hiyori felt her stomach tighten and quickly lurch with sickness. She spun around to face away from her friends, covering her mouth. The girl retreated around the corner.

"Hiyorin?" Kofuku blinked, stepping forward to see what happened.

Daikoku followed his master's lead. His curiosity got the better of him, and he went to find the trouble.

When they rushed to her aid, the two found Hiyori behind a vending machine near the shop. She was breathing heavily with her mouth still in her hand.

However, just as she turned to open her mouth to speak, she quickly turned away again. A pile of bile and digested food created a puddle by the girl's feet. The brunette fell to her knees, suddenly unable to hold herself up. She'd never felt worse in her whole life.

Daikoku and Kofuku were so shocked, they retreated for a moment. After coming to her aid and comforting her, Hiyori finally began to feel better in a few minutes.

I probably shouldn't have walked all the way here, Hiyori thought as she used the vending machine to support her while she caught her breath. Onii-chan lives further away from the shrines.

A great sense of fatigue washed over her, and her face suddenly felt hot.

"Hiyorin, what-?"

"It's... nothing. I'm alright," she breathed, her chest heaving.

"Like hell you are. What just happened?" Daikoku replied in a serious tone.

"I-I'm just... -a bit... tired."

Those were the last words before her vision blurred and blackened. She collapsed into Kofuku's lap.

. . . .

"We're back!" Yato called, untying his faded scarf and unzipping his jersey.

"I can't wait to eat!" Yukine grinned, stretching his arms over his head.

Yato sighed and rubbed the back of his stiff neck. Yukine rushed past his master, heading towards the kitchen.

"I'm going upstairs. Save a seat for me."

"Wait, Yatty!" Kofuku popped out from another room, stopping the god just as he was heading up to the attic bedroom.

Yato rolled his eyes. "What?!" He snapped. "I'll be right back, alright?"

"Yes, but there's something you should know first," Kofuku insisted, but Yato continued to make his way upstairs.

"Seriously? Can't it wait?"

"Hiyorin is up in there!"

Yato came to a screeching halt, his left foot suddenly withdrawing from the next step. His head whipped over his shoulder at Kofuku by the foot of the staircase, shock across his face.

"What?!"

"Kofuku, I told you to not get involved! It's none of your business," he strictly told her, anger visible on her face.

Kofuku squeezed her eyes shut, aggressively waving her hands in front of her. "I didn't do anything! She came here!" She defended herself.

"Sh-...- she did…?" Yato's anger dissipated, replacing with a second wave of shock.

Kofuku grinned weakly. "She was asking about you. She just wanted to know you were okay."

Yato swallowed hard. He remained silent for a long second.

Something sparkled in his eyes.

"Hiyorin is resting right now, though. We let her use your room for the moment. She fell ill earlier." Kofuku explained, which seemed to strike inward panic in Yato.

"She'll be fine. Don't come up here til I say so." Yato excused the topic and turned back up the stairs, sliding the attic door open and closing it behind him.