Ghoul: Starting with Sharingan

"Oh, so it's Uchiha..."

Minami started to politely respond with a "Nice to meet you," when she suddenly paused, realizing something was off about the name.

"Eh?!"

Her expression shifted to one of slight surprise.

They shared the same surname—Uchiha—which could only mean they were family. But they didn't look like siblings...

While both Byakuya a and Eto had striking features, they didn't share the subtle resemblances typical of siblings.

Could they be married?

No... surely not, right?

Confused and curious, Minami hesitantly asked, "Miss Eto, you and Byakuya... you're not... married, are you?"

"What if I said we were?" Eto replied with a mischievous smirk.

Minami was momentarily stunned. Were they really married?

Perhaps Eto just looked younger than she was — her actual age could very well be over 18. It wasn't impossible. After all, Arima was only 18 and looked no different from a high school student.

"Well... congratulations to the both of you" Minami said awkwardly, forcing a smile.

Her discomfort came from initially assuming they were siblings. But to Eto, that hint of awkwardness seemed to carry another layer of meaning.

"Hmm~" Eto murmured, resting her delicate chin on her hand, her playful gaze fixed on Minami.

This girl was cute, sure, but she didn't exactly qualify as a loli.

Though Eto had been teasing Byakuya about being a lolicon, he had consistently denied it. Maybe he wasn't one after all...

The thought left Eto feeling a little uneasy.

After all, Minami didn't fall into the "loli" category...

The atmosphere grew a bit awkward as Eto's antics complicated the situation. Byakuya, standing nearby, found himself at a loss for words. He was determined to keep Minami from discovering Eto's true identity.

As for being mistaken as a married couple, it didn't bother him enough to argue.

"Alright, alright, just kidding" Eto finally admitted with a grin. "Byakuya and I are just indulging in some... special play. We're neither siblings nor a married couple"

While this cleared one misunderstanding, it created an even bigger one — intentionally so on Eto's part.

"Special... play?"

Minami, naïve in such matters, was briefly taken aback.

Though she had displayed ferocity when hunting, she was surprisingly innocent about relationships.

After a moment, her cheeks flushed as she began to piece together what "special play" might mean.

"Uh... well, I don't fully understand, but... I guess Byakuya has his own... preferences" she muttered, her face turning red.

Byakuya, finally unable to hold back, interjected, "No, don't listen to her nonsense. I don't have any weird preferences!"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood!" Minami quickly apologized, embarrassed.

Eto chuckled to herself, secretly enjoying Byakuya's frustration.

Meanwhile, Arima, who had been silent the whole time, observed them with his usual unreadable expression.

Minami, now thoroughly confused, decided to let the name "Uchiha Eto" slide without asking further.

"Please, come in and have a seat" she said, eager to shift the focus.

"Thank you, Minami-chan~" Eto replied sweetly.

"N-not at all" Minami stammered, feeling that Eto was strangely difficult to read.

Despite just meeting, Eto had already called her "Minami-chan" so casually, as if they were long-time friends.

And she seemed particularly close to both Arima and Byakuya.

Could Eto be a ghoul investigator like them?

Concerned, Minami quietly pulled Arima aside to ask, "Arima, is Miss Eto also a ghoul investigator? Should I act as human as possible around her?"

"No need" Arima replied flatly. "She's not an investigator, and she already knows about your ghoul identity, so there's no need to pretend"

"Oh, that's a relief" Minami sighed, visibly relaxing.

Pretending to eat in front of human friends had always been a struggle for her, often requiring her to induce vomiting afterward.

"By the way, Arima, how long have you known Miss Eto?" she asked, a bit uneasy. Eto's charm and intelligence made her feel slightly threatened.

"Not long" Arima replied without emotion.

"Ah..." Minami's mood dampened.

Even though they'd only met recently, Eto seemed to have formed a close bond with Arima.

Assuming Eto was human, Minami poured her a cup of tea—despite knowing ghouls couldn't consume anything but coffee.

For herself, she brewed coffee mixed with the concentrated nutrition pellets given to her by the manager of Anteiku. It was both satisfying and delicious for a ghoul.

At that moment, Minami couldn't resist asking Eto a question.

"Miss Eto..."

"So, Minami" she teased with a sly grin, "do you already have someone you like at school?"