I, who advocate giving up, feel like a disqualified person

But later I realized that probably only princes and princesses can be truly happy.

People just need to know that they live happily, so they don’t care whether the hunter who let Snow White go was punished or exiled; they don’t care that the number has not changed, but seven dwarfs will become inexplicably lonely in the days that follow; they don’t realize whether the foam floating on the sea was just to see the prince; they don’t pay attention to any characters other than the prince and princess.

It's natural, but unreasonable.

So... it's fine without a prince.

She must have thought so.

......................

"Could you please explain to me what it means to be a book? I've been thinking about it, but I can't come up with an answer... If you can, I'd like to know."

That question has always been bothering me.

"...Before that..." She reached out and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and took a deep breath, "I want to confirm first... Can I rely on you later?"

I never imagined someone like me could be asked to do something like this by someone I liked. Could I handle it? I wasn't sure. In my mind, she wasn't the type to rely on others... but now, she was just a fragile girl who had dropped all pretense.

I don't know...but I'm willing to try.

"...sure."

It's like making a promise I didn't understand...but I'm not at all confused about it.

"I see... That's great..."

Although I don't quite understand it, the distance between me and her seems to have become closer. If possible, I want to know more about her...

"It's been a long time since I found someone I could rely on."

......

"It's been a long time since I found someone I could rely on."

Has it been a long time?

When I found them, they were standing close together, as if hugging, on a rarely-traveled path in the park. It was... too close, so close I couldn't accept it and wanted to interrupt them immediately.

As I got closer, I heard these words from Xiaohui.

So...it's been a long time...

"Akane-san, you're lonely too, right?"

When she put the phone with no call records in front of me, when she asked me with tears in her eyes, when she used the word "also", I naturally brought it into my own experience.

Yes, at that time...I didn’t make any calls at all, because no one would care about what I did.

"We are the same..."

I am like a stranger who has nothing to do with my parents, and she lost her father when she was young.

Having suppressed my emotions for so long, I thought I had found someone I could confide in. I also thought I could be someone she could rely on.

But...

Well, yes, isn't that reality? How could the princess, in front of the prince, mention how the hunter had been kind to her in the past, or how could she remember the dwarf's concern for her?

I understand...it wasn't her fault.

It's because of him...

That guy...who was shopping with other women and having an ambiguous relationship with them, is now pretending to be innocent. Ugh...how disgusting. That's what men are like.

It seems like this kind of scumbag is not just in our school, but everywhere...

"Hey! Xiaohui, your mother just called me and said she will be here soon. She seems to have a lot of things with her, so she asked us to go pick her up." She told the two people who were talking about something the lie she had made up without any hesitation.

Ah, seems I overlooked someone...

When he turned around, he found that the younger generation named Yi Sheji had disappeared since he didn't know when.

Never mind... leave him alone.

"Wow! Xiao...Xiao Qian, when did you come here!?"

"...Just now."

"Ah...really..." Her face turned red due to shyness, and she naturally pushed the scumbag next to her away, "Well...well, let's find a chance to talk about it next time."

"Oh...oh...in that case, there's nothing we can do..."

Are you still pretending to be well-behaved at this time... Well, forget it. Anyway, I will not let you go no matter what you do in the future.

"Then let's go."

Xiaohui came over and took my hand, "Really... why are you coming at this time? Are you quitting your job? And why did you contact you..."

"They said your phone couldn't be reached, so maybe you didn't take it."

"Ah, it really is..." She let go of her hand and checked her handbag. After finding that there was really nothing, she said, "I really... How could I forget it this time..."

"Maybe your IQ has dropped because you've been trying to meet someone you like?"

"Ugh...Ahh, stop it."

Seeing her usual shy expression, I couldn't feel happy at all. If the person I could rely on wasn't me, I wouldn't be happy at all.

"Maybe I was in too much of a hurry to go out."

Of course not, because I took it out on purpose when she wasn't paying attention.

............

[Easter egg?]

“There are so many people at this intersection…”

"Speaking of which, which station did my mom get off? What did she bring with her? She had so much."

"But... there really was some misunderstanding between him and me, and after it was resolved, I found that..."

"...Akane-chan?"

I don't know when it started, but it felt like Ming Xinxi, who had always been by my side, had suddenly disappeared. All I could see were people coming and going, completely unrelated to me.

This world is really troublesome

It seemed like the first time I could remember squatting at an intersection with nothing to do. Honestly, it wasn't comfortable, bearing all the weight from above with my legs. I couldn't figure out how those people who often do the so-called "rogue squat" do it... While I looked unremarkable, it would have been difficult for me to stand there straight and wait for someone.

How should I put it? So this is what it feels like to wait for someone...

"What a hassle... sizzle..."

After a brief grumble, I continued savoring the lollipop in my mouth. I chose the blueberry flavor. Although I'd never really tasted it since I was a child, I was completely drawn to this artificial taste.

However, this is not a return to innocence, but rather a way to get change. Generally speaking, this kind of thing is not worth that much money... The merchant's style is really...

"Um..."

Well, let’s not think about those things for now and return to the issues we were thinking about before.

I gently closed my eyes, and even though I tried to lower my head to avoid it, the sunlight reflected from the ground still dispelled the darkness in front of my eyes without hesitation... Even though I hated the scorching light so much at this moment, it still performed its duties without knowing the current situation and in a rigid manner.

“...Ah...” What a hassle.

Is it wrong to like someone?

will not.

When it comes to relationships, clear-cut definitions of right and wrong don't apply. Everyone has the right to like and be liked, whether it's voluntary or not. To arbitrarily determine right and wrong... I think it's completely illogical.

So, is there anything wrong with pursuing happiness?

If possible, I hope everyone can be happy.

But, that's impossible... If winning the lottery is happiness for a person, then only a few people can win. In other words... in this case, only a few people will be happy. In other words, those who strive for happiness are actually causing others to suffer misfortune in some way.

However, we cannot arbitrarily judge right or wrong in this situation. If the price of happiness is another person's misfortune, then there are many people in this world who silently endure their own misfortune for the sake of others.

Because of its loneliness and sadness.

Just so that the person in my heart can get the happiness that he or she desires.

But if you are unhappy, will others definitely feel happy?

"You must be joking..."

This kind of thing...

It seemed that more than half of the sugar had been dissolved and swallowed in his mouth. He moved his teeth slightly, and the already fragile part turned into pieces with a small "crunch" sound.

The chewing did not stop, and I kept biting the thin plastic stick until it was twisted and deformed.

"puff..."

Then, I tossed it aside in a corner. In the shadows, a worthless piece of trash, all alone and insignificant, it seemed so insignificant that even the sanitation workers responsible for cleaning it wouldn't notice it.

"...Want to achieve happiness..."

Gusts of warm wind blew by, as if urging me to get up.

There is nothing wrong with wanting happiness, and there is nothing wrong with working hard for yourself.

but...

"Ah...what a hassle." He blurted out suddenly as usual.

Strange, was this my catchphrase before?

I stood up suddenly. Perhaps because of this movement, my brain was not getting enough blood, and my consciousness became a little blurry. But it didn't feel like that...

It was an extremely familiar feeling that seemed to have appeared before.

"...It's...delightful."

I think this is what I like to say.

Chapter 31: This World is Really Troublesome

If the princess hadn't suddenly appeared, the prince would have lived with the mermaid who had legs, right? Even if they hadn't been told of their different races, they wouldn't have been able to communicate normally... But as long as he could be by the side of the one he loved, it wouldn't matter...

“Da…da la la…”

The melody in my head reappeared, like a piece of music extending from the depths of my heart.

"La la ~ um hum hum..."

At this moment, Xiaohui should have noticed that I was missing... She must be feeling uneasy at such a busy intersection with so much traffic.

But, I'm sorry... I have more important things to do now. After I finish them... I will be with you.

"Hmm~"

It turned out to be the right decision to speed up from then on. I finally found that guy on the road not far from the park...was he heading home?

The pace quickened again, and the guy gradually became larger in the sight.

"Senior! Wait a moment!"

When I was still some distance away from him, I shouted at him in a very eye-catching tone.

"...Um?"

As expected, he stopped and after seeing that it was me, he showed a puzzled expression.

"Didn't you...leave with Yinghui?"

"Ah, that's true."

That melody still echoed in my head. Then, I quickly adjusted my state and put on an urgent look.

"But...Xiaohui...she..."

"What happened to her..."

Ah, I've taken the bait.

"Xiaohui has been entangled by a group of bad boys!"

....................