Daily life in Zongman

16. Intelligence is a gift, kindness is a choice

On Saturday afternoon, Meiko Homma's mother, Irene Homma, left Minato Elementary School. She had been at the school for two days, bringing her daughter Meiko Homma with her.

Last weekend, Meiko Honma drowned and was sent to the hospital by a kind passerby who called the emergency number. After asking in detail, she learned that before the ambulance arrived, a boy gave her daughter first aid. She wanted to thank him, so after her daughter was discharged from the hospital, she took her to look for the boy.

Based on the school uniform clue, Honma Iren confirmed that the boy should be at Minato Elementary School. He found the principal on Friday, told him the whole story, and was given permission to accompany him to look through the student information.

I spent the whole Saturday at school with my daughter Meiko Homma to confirm which boy it was, until I saw the student information of Class 2, Grade 6.

Fujiwara Haru, male, 10 years old, showed great intelligence in the first grade of elementary school. At the strong request of his mother, he skipped the second and fifth grades.

Meiko Honma pointed and confirmed that it was him. After confirming the information of her daughter's savior, Irene Honma left the school. She planned to wait until Monday to thank the boy properly. If it weren't for him, she might never see her daughter again.

It was snowing heavily on the street. The two took the bus, passed the unfinished building, and returned home.

The roadside cinema was playing the weather forecast, saying there would be heavy snow tonight, and the heavy snow would continue tomorrow with local blizzards.

In the best area of the town, Katsura Manami bought a villa with a courtyard in full last year, and since then she and her family have lived here every day. After dinner, she leaned against the fireplace and looked through the information that the private detective had just sent her.

Fujiwara Haru, male, ten years old, was abandoned at home by his parents who ran away after their gambling debts. Eventually, the house was mortgaged by the creditor to pay off the debt. He is now wandering around the small town, picking up garbage for a living.

The information Katsura Manami obtained was more detailed, including not only basic information and academic information, but also evaluations from many acquaintances.

The classmates’ evaluation of him is: a smart bad boy, who studies well, but is also very violent, likes to beat up classmates, and no one dares to be friends with him.

Teacher's evaluation: He is a wild child whose parents don't care about their affairs. He has no manners and doesn't respect teachers. Apart from having good grades, he doesn't have many advantages.

The owner of the breakfast shop I often go to: He is a very polite and good kid, but he doesn’t seem to have many friends. I always see him going to school alone.

Neighbor of his former residence: He is a very miserable child. His parents are both gamblers and alcoholics. You can often hear them quarreling and smashing things in the room. Sometimes you can see him huddled at the door. He has never worn new clothes and is very thin and small.

Katsura Manami's family was not well off many years ago. She is now so rich thanks to her own hard work and luck. She is very capable and smart, and can analyze a lot of things from the details of the information sent by the private detective.

First of all, Fujiwara Haru's years of academic performance are undeniable; she must be very intelligent and studious. The phrases "studious" and "bad boy" don't overlap much, so she suspects she was likely bullied at school and, out of fear and terror, fought back strongly, leading to the assault of her classmates.

And the teacher who gave the evaluation should not be a good person. His focus was that Fujiwara Haru was not respectful enough to his teacher, and children are always straightforward. If the teacher is not a good person, then he is not a good person. He will not hide his thoughts too much.

Finally, after his parents abandoned him, he struggled hard to survive in confusion, and bravely stood up when he saw others in trouble. It is enough to show that he is a strong, hardworking, brave and kind child.

Katsura Manami made a judgment: This is a shining gem!

She was originally very puzzled as to why Fujiwara Haru from Minato Elementary School appeared at her daughter's school and happened to save her daughter. She thought there was some conspiracy, but now through investigation she found that he probably went to loot the vending machines.

She was tempted and had originally planned to transfer her daughter, Kaede Kotonoha, to an aristocratic girls' school, but if she could adopt this child, perhaps she could temporarily postpone her daughter's transfer and allow her to continue her studies normally.

After all, Katsura Kotonoha is already in the fifth grade of elementary school. A hasty change of environment may cause her discomfort, so it is better not to change it if possible. After adopting Fujiwara Haru, it will be good for the growth environment of Katsura Kotonoha. At the same time, it will also provide her with a little bodyguard, who will take care of her during the short period of absence when she goes to and from school.

Katsura Manami thought a lot at this moment. She didn't have to worry about the loyalty of her child since childhood. If her daughter developed well in the future, the issue of heirs might be solved perfectly. If she didn't like it, she would be a good and loyal assistant if she was arranged to manage the subsidiary.

Looking at the heavy snow outside the window, she called a private detective: "Where is Fujiwara Haru now?"

"I'm very sorry, because the time was short and the visit took up a lot of time, I didn't track down and confirm where he lives now."

Katsura Manami sighed regretfully and hung up the phone. "Let's look for that little guy tomorrow. It's just a heavy snowfall, so it shouldn't be a problem."

If something really happens, then forget it. I can transfer my daughter to an aristocratic girls' school so that she can receive an aristocratic education.

Katsura Manami's thoughts are plain and full of interests. She is a strong woman, smart and strict. Except for her family, she looks at everything from the perspective of pros and cons.

Maybe she could spend a lot of money to have someone search the whole city, or maybe she could send someone out to try their luck, but she didn't have such an idea in her mind. What she thought about was that she could wait until the heavy snow tomorrow before appearing in front of Fujiwara Haru. Such timely assistance would be more perfect to gain his loyalty.

If she failed, she wouldn't have to pay anything. As a strong woman, she thought this was the best solution, so she chose to wait one night.

Outside the window, only streetlights remained, illuminating the soft and smooth snow-white ground.

As the night deepened, the snow fell heavier.

The rustling sound of footsteps on snow could be heard, and it was very obvious in the deserted street. Under the beam of streetlight, a figure appeared.

Her light blue hair was twirling around, and snowflakes fell on her head, forming white ice crystals. The woman seemed not to feel the cold, and was walking in the snow with a faint smile on her face.

She seemed very happy, and changed from strolling to jumping, lightly tiptoeing, she jumped on the soft snow, like a sika deer in the snow, light and elegant, with a lively beauty.

The streets were lonely and cold late at night, and she was the only one left. Although she had some social awkwardness, she was very satisfied with the silence.

After leaving the rental house, she walked along several streets. When she passed an unfinished building, she stopped and looked in that direction.

There is an extremely weak life in the house.

The woman is a snow girl. Her abilities will be greatly enhanced in heavy snow, and her perception of living things in the snow will also increase significantly.

At this moment, she could clearly feel that the weak life was beating with all its might. It might be able to last until tomorrow daytime, but there was also a chance that it would disappear.

She took a few steps forward, paused, and then walked back quickly.

The Snow Girl walked into the dark unfinished building, followed her intuition to a corner, and saw a small snowball.

With a wave of her white hand, the snowflakes scattered, revealing a ball of quilt. The tiny life force was wrapped in it, beating weakly.

The Snow Girl controlled the snowflakes, blocked the doors and windows, and after making sure there was no air leakage, she slightly opened the quilt.

She saw a boy, his face flushed and sweating, his body occasionally trembling, a short and thin figure, not good-looking overall. He was unconscious with his eyes closed, curled up in the quilt, and unresponsive.

The Snow Girl reached out and held him in her arms, using her power to create a snow barrier to further isolate the wind and snow, and carefully preserved the boy's body temperature, which made the weak and beating vitality slightly more stable, and the boy woke up briefly in confusion.

His eyes were hazy and he was trying to keep them open as he looked at her, but he no longer had the strength to do so, not even to keep his eyelids open.

Such a weak boy looked at her dazedly for a while, revealing a slight smile, a smile full of peace of mind.

"So warm... Mom...?"

He fell unconscious again.

The Snow Girl softened even more. She carefully combed the boy's hair and unbuttoned her coat, wrapping him in it and letting him lean against her chest for warmth. She gathered her schoolbag and other belongings on the ground, intending to pick them up later. Without lingering on the snow, she quickly returned home, carrying the boy.

The streets were deserted again, and the snow had turned into a blizzard.

17. The Unsociable Snow Woman

Fujiwara Haru felt that his dreams tonight were intermittent. Sometimes he was watching cartoons in the orphanage, and sometimes it was pitch black and he had difficulty breathing, feeling very uncomfortable.

After struggling for a long time, when he left the orphanage again, he felt a soft and comfortable feeling enveloping him, making him feel very at ease. He didn't know what had happened, but he felt very warm in a hazy state.

That feeling was so far away... He had experienced it a long time ago.

After that, he watched cartoons in the orphanage for a while, seemed to be taking a bath, then went back to the orphanage to watch cartoons again, was fed bitter water, and then slept on a clean and soft big bed.

Then the cartoon played smoothly and without interruption until I finished watching it, played with my friends and went to bed.

Fujiwara Haru woke up and saw the unfamiliar ceiling. The pure white latex paint made the house look clean and bright, much better than the black cement roof he had before.

He felt very comfortable at the moment. Even though his body was limp and his mind was a little unclear, he felt very comfortable. His clothes were taken off, and it was as if he had taken a shower. His whole body was clean and his hair was refreshed, without the greasiness of the previous few days.

Naked, he felt the soft quilt and mattress. The quilt and mattress were much softer than the quilt he had bought. It had a pleasant smell and was fluffy. He felt as if he was soaking in marshmallows, sweet and comfortable.

Turning his head, Fujiwara Haru surveyed his surroundings. The room looked like a bedroom. To the left of the bed was a hallway and drawn curtains. To the right was a nightstand with a pot of blue flowers, the names of which were unknown, and a glass of water. Against the wall stood a row of blue and white wardrobes, currently closed.

At the end of the bed is a more open space. In one corner is a large beige desk with his schoolbag next to it. Above the desk is a wall-mounted bookshelf, and on the other side is a closed door.

The bedroom is unobstructed and the overall blue tone is simple and clean.

Fujiwara Haru wanted to get up, but he had no strength in his body and it was difficult for him to think. Finally, he closed his eyes to accumulate some strength, but fell asleep again.

When he woke up again, Fujiwara Haru saw a woman sitting by the desk. She was wearing a light blue coat, and her long ice-blue hair was draped over her back and fell to her waist. Some of the hair on her face was crystal clear under the sunlight, as if it were pure ice silk.

The woman was reading a book. At this time, Fujiwara Haru, who had regained some strength, propped himself up, making a rustling sound. Startled, she quickly turned around and looked over.

"Eh? Good morning... Good morning..."

The woman's voice was very clear, not loud, with a hint of panic and a slightly hurried tone.

Fujiwara Haru was a little restrained: "Good morning, thank you, thank you very much for saving me."

The woman breathed a sigh of relief: "Huh..." A gentle smile appeared on her face: "You're welcome. I'm so glad you woke up."

"By the way, I thought you might be hungry when you woke up, so I prepared some rice porridge. Wait a moment."

After she finished speaking, she opened the door and walked out. Fujiwara Haru looked through the open door and saw that outside the bedroom was a small living room with an open kitchen and a separate bathroom.

A stream of cold air rushed in through the door, and then he found that there seemed to be an air conditioner in the corner of the closet. It was turned on, keeping the whole room warm and comfortable.

Not long after, the woman came in with a bowl of lean meat rice porridge. After confirming that it was warm but not hot, she handed it over. Fujiwara Haru thanked her and took it, gobbling it up quickly.

He was indeed very hungry, and this bowl of lean meat rice porridge was extremely sweet.

After finishing the meal, he put the bowl and spoon aside and once again expressed his sincere gratitude: "It was delicious. Thank you very much."

The woman sat on a chair beside the bed, looking even more restrained than Fujiwara Haru. She unconsciously crossed her hands and pressed her thumbs together. “Um… you’re welcome.”

The two of them suddenly fell into silence. The woman sat there stiffly, thinking about how to start the conversation. She was really not good at socializing and chatting.

"My name is Fujiwara Haru."

"Eh? Ah..." She paused for a moment, thought for a moment, and replied, "Um... I'm Yukino Fuyuki, a fourth-year student at Waseda University... Hello, Fujiwara-kun."

Fujiwara Haru, who was originally a little restrained because he was in an unfamiliar environment after being rescued, found that Yukino Shinfuyu was even more restrained than her, which made him bolder.

"Ms. Yukino, please tell me where my clothes are. I'm feeling much better now, and I'd like to get dressed and move around a bit."

Yukino Fuyu stood up: "Ah, um... wait a moment."

She walked out of the bedroom again and went to the living room, then entered a cubicle that seemed to be a bathroom. She heard the sound of something being opened, and Fujiwara Haru saw her coming back holding some wet and cold clothes.

Yukino Shindong was a little embarrassed: "Um... I'm sorry, Fujiwara-kun was covered in sweat last night. It was uncomfortable to sleep like that, and it wasn't good for your recovery. So I took the initiative to help you wash it, and washed the clothes in the washing machine."

"And... I forgot to dry it... I'm so sorry!"

"No, no need to apologize. I should be the one thanking you. Ms. Yukino has done so much for me. I'm really grateful."

Xue No Shen Dong gently stroked her chest: "Please wait, because there is no dryer at home, I need to go to the store outside to dry it, I will be back soon."

As she said that, she walked out and closed the bedroom door. Fujiwara Haru had no time to stop her.

Yukino Shindong breathed a sigh of relief as she stood in the living room. She was terrible at communicating with people. Every time she replied to a conversation, she would unconsciously think about what the other person would think. Because of this, she had never had any friends. After leaving her family to live on her own during college, she felt much more at ease.

Now Fujiwara Haru is awake. Even when facing a child who is more than ten years younger than her, she is still a little nervous. There are not many random thoughts in her mind, but more of the subconscious nervousness brought about by her introverted personality.

Now, she is going to a dry cleaner to have her clothes dried.

As a reclusive snow woman, she had never been to a dry cleaner before, and most of her clothes were dried on the balcony. Now she was trying to muster up her courage, rehearsing in her mind how she would go in, what her first words would be, and how she would respond if the clerk spoke first.

She rehearsed it in her mind for a long time, making sure she had thought of every possible solution, then took a deep breath again and prepared to go out.

Then she found that the wet and cold clothes in her arms had already soaked her clothes. As a snow girl, she was not very sensitive to cold and had not noticed the slight dampness and coldness just now.

I have to change my clothes before going out.

However, this means returning to the bedroom, where Yukino's winter clothes are placed in the bedroom closet.

How much time has passed now? Will he be considered a prankster if he goes back and doesn't help dry the clothes? What should he say first when he gets in?

Yukino Shendong was once again in a dilemma. She felt very troubled. After thinking for a long time, she gently opened the bedroom door a crack and looked inside quietly, praying that Fujiwara Haru had fallen asleep again so that she could go in and get some clothes to change.

The bedroom door slowly opened, making a creaking sound that was even harsher and longer than usual, and Yukino's heart skipped a beat.

Their eyes met.

Bang! The door was quickly closed.

Fujiwara Haru looked confused. He felt that he was not a poor person who needed help, but rather the owner of this house, and Yukino Fuyuki outside the bedroom was a timid guest living in his house.

When two people are together, if one of them is in a weaker position, the other person will naturally be bolder and behave more "rampantly".

Fujiwara Haru was now much bolder. He shouted, "Ms. Yukino! Please come in!"

The bedroom door creaked continuously, and Yukino Shindong walked in, explaining quietly, "Um...my coat is wet. I'll change my coat and go dry the clothes."

"Ms. Yukino, you can put your clothes under the air conditioner to dry them."

"Eh? Ah... yes... yes..."

Before the deep winter, Yukino's clothes were slowly dried in the sun. As a snow girl, she rarely used air conditioning, so she didn't think of using it. This was more convenient than going to a dry cleaner and she didn't have to worry about how to communicate with others.

She went to change her clothes first, then brought in the coat rack, hung up the wet clothes, and sat back in the chair, pointing her fingers together, and fell silent again.

Xue No Shendong was silent for a while, then said softly: "Um... I'm sorry... I don't know what to say at this time..."

"Social disorder?" This is a new word that Fujiwara Haru has learned recently.

Yukino Fuyu decided to answer honestly and thought about her words for a while: "Ah... a little bit... I don't know how to chat. I don't know how to respond to what others say. I always think about what the other person will think when I say this, and because of this, I always can't communicate with others... Sorry... I feel a little weird..."

Fujiwara Haru thought for a moment and said seriously: "Ms. Yukino is not strange at all! I feel that Miss Yukino is very gentle and kind. You are worried about others and that's why you have such concerns.

I get it! As long as I express my thoughts, you don't have to guess, and communication will definitely be much better this way.