Daily life in Zongman

My current thought is: Ms. Xue No can do what she wants to do, without having to be by my side all the time, which will make me feel happier. "

Children are always bold, straightforward and full of action. Fujiwara Haru says what he thinks and does what he says.

Yukino Fuyu paused, pointing her finger at the point: "Is that so?"

"Yes, I am very grateful to Miss Yukino, and I hope to repay Miss Yukino when I am well again. I want to have a good time with Miss Yukino now. I don't want Miss Yukino to feel nervous or embarrassed. However, you are sitting there stiffly, which makes me feel a little uncomfortable. You don't have to worry too much about my situation. I hope you can relax a little. This is your home, not mine. Miss Yukino, you should be bolder."

Fujiwara Haru's words were a bit long-winded, and he was trying hard to express his thoughts through words.

"Um...um...so I'm going to the living room to read?"

"Ms. Yukino, don't worry about me. Just do whatever you want. This will make me feel comfortable. I think this will make Ms. Yukino feel more comfortable too, instead of sitting here awkwardly with me. If possible, please give me a book to read."

Xue No Shendong looked at the boy on the bed, placed her hands on her chest, took a long breath, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

"Sure, and thank you."

——End of Chapter————

Note ①-Yukino Fuyu: Yukino comes from "My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected" (I'm sure it's a Oregairu fanfiction).

The original setting for the Snow Woman is that her sexual desire increases with each passing year as long as she remains pregnant. This concept, combined with other folk tales of Snow Women raising children, extends this concept: even when a Snow Woman reaches adulthood and remains childless, her maternal instincts grow stronger with each passing year, and she yearns to raise a child. The Snow Woman's timeline here is several years before the events of the original novel, when she is a senior in college, awaiting graduation and marriage.

18. Domestication, creating connections, and becoming unique

Leaning against the head of the bed, Fujiwara Haru was flipping through the book given to her by Miss Yukino Fuyu - "The Little Prince". This was the book she had been searching for and hesitating for a long time before taking from the bookshelf.

In the book, a pilot makes an emergency landing in the desert, and beautiful illustrations appear on the paper. The little golden-haired prince, the rose, and the fox appear one after another, leaving Fujiwara Haru with a lot of confusion.

[The little prince has left the planet. Will the rose be lonely?]

What does domestication mean? Why is establishing a connection part of domestication?

[Okay, the little prince finally returned to his own little planet.]

This fairy tale book was not long, with bright illustrations filled with text. It was a story he couldn't understand yet, and to him, it wasn't as interesting as the cartoons.

Fujiwara Haru changed a book and continued reading.

His body felt a little sore and weak, and he hadn't fully recovered yet. He wouldn't pretend to be strong and say that he was completely fine. If he wanted to leave, then his body wasn't well yet, and he would be able to better repay Miss Yukino once he was healthy.

When lunch was approaching, there was a knock on the bedroom door: "Dongdong~Dongdong~"

Fujiwara Haru didn't say anything, and there was another knock on the door: "Dongdong~Dongdong~"

"Please come in."

Feeling that if he didn't reply, she might not come in, Fujiwara Haru felt that this was his bedroom now, and Yukino Fuyuki outside the door was a guest.

After hearing the response, Yukino Fuyu pushed the door open and asked quietly, "Fujiwara-kun, I'm going to make lunch. Is there anything you want to eat?"

I thought and chose my words: "I am a person who was rescued, and I am considered a guest. I feel a little embarrassed when you ask about my care because I can't give anything in return for the time being.

I thought about it for a while and felt that I couldn't say anything like "whatever" because it would cause you trouble. My favorite food is meat, and if possible, I would like to have some meat for lunch."

Yukino felt relaxed in the depths of winter, with a faint smile on her face: "How about spare ribs? There are still some in the refrigerator."

"I am looking forward!"

Feeling the joy of relaxed communication, she closed the door and began preparing lunch. Yukino Shindong began to enjoy this feeling. In the past, when she interacted with others, she was always introverted and wanted to take care of others, which unknowingly put her in a weak position. Occasionally, someone would try to take advantage of her gentleness to bully her, but fortunately, as a snow woman, she had the strength to protect herself.

But because of this, she never had any friends and was never good at interpersonal communication.

She was sure she wouldn't be able to survive in society any longer. How could she deal with this? She chose to escape.

Although escape is shameful, it is very effective. As long as you don’t communicate with others, you won’t be troubled. As long as you don’t establish connections with others, you won’t be bullied.

And now, she felt a little relieved and happy about this accidental exchange, and she liked this feeling a little.

After making lunch in a relaxed mood, she knocked on the door again: "Fujiwara-kun."

"Please come in."

Her knocking on her bedroom door was natural.

After rescuing Fujiwara Haru last night, she wanted to take good care of the child, starting with kindness and compassion. Now she was also respecting the child's privacy. Although it was her bedroom, since Fujiwara Haru was temporarily staying there, she wanted to take care of his feelings a little.

Her gentle and kind thoughts make her actions very gentle.

After pushing the door open and entering, she touched the school uniform on the coat rack and found that it was still a little damp, so she opened the wardrobe, took out a neutral beige sweater from the middle, and placed it on the bedside: "Fujiwara-kun, please put on my clothes first."

"Thank you, Ms. Yukino."

Fujiwara Haru took it and slipped out of bed to get dressed, throwing the sweater over his naked body. He knew that physical contact between men and women was a matter of courtesy, and he was aware of the physical differences between men and women, but he didn't yet understand the relationship between them. With his undeveloped body, he was naive about sex, and at that moment, he felt only gratitude for the piece of clothing.

Yukino Shindong pulled up Fujiwara Haru's sweater, which had fallen below his shoulders. The sweater was a bit too big for him, covering most of his body, and the collar was wide and slipped down. Only then did she realize that the boy in front of her was much thinner than she was, which made her a little bolder.

Fujiwara Haru grabbed the collar herself and jumped off the bed: "Miss Yukino, do you have a clip? Just clip it."

"Yes, wait a moment."

Yukino Fuyu provided a hair clip and slightly clamped one side of the collar so that the towel could be worn normally.

When Fujiwara Haru walked out of the bedroom, he felt a gust of cold air hit him again. Yukino Shindong noticed that he shivered and quickly walked to the shelf to find a remote control: "Ah... Sorry... I forgot to turn on the air conditioner in the living room. Fujiwara-kun, please go back to the bedroom for a while."

"It's not very cold. I feel this temperature is fine. I'm warm even with a sweater on. Besides, I want to eat quickly. I'm looking forward to the meal and I'm a little hungry."

Yukino Fuyu breathed a sigh of relief: "Is that so? Then let's start eating lunch right away."

She is now communicating more and more easily. Except for the occasional unconscious panic, she can communicate normally at other times.

Fujiwara Haru looked at the food on the table. They were divided into two portions, including braised pork ribs, cold bean sprouts and leeks, stir-fried pork with carrots and a bowl of tofu soup.

"Well... they're not very fresh. They're all ingredients I stockpiled last Monday, but I can guarantee they're all good."

"It's so filling! I can't wait to start eating!"

Yukino Shindong looked at Fujiwara Haru who was staring at the food and smiled: "Then, let's eat together."

"I'm starting!"×2

Fujiwara Haru began to finish the food quickly, almost wolfing it down.

"Eat slowly, don't be in a hurry, just take your time."

He paused while eating: "Ah...oh..."

It's not that Fujiwara Haru doesn't know that chewing food slowly is good for the body. He always eats very slowly in the He Miao Orphanage. But he used to eat slowly and was often urged to eat, and occasionally even beaten and scolded. So he slowly sped up his eating until he got used to eating like a wolf.

He slowed down his eating speed, but still finished his meal first. Yukino Fuyu noticed this and asked, "Are you full, Fujiwara-kun? Do you want some more food? Yes, there's more."

Fujiwara Haru kept speaking his mind: "I want to eat more, but I feel like this isn't a good idea. I feel a little uneasy about being taken care of all the time."

Yukino Fudo, who was sitting opposite, stood up and said, "It's okay. It's just a piece of cake for me. It's not a big deal."

As she spoke, she returned to the kitchen and served the meal she had reserved for dinner. "Besides, how should I put it... I also love eating. When I'm home alone, all I do is read and study food. Now that I see you enjoying your meal so much, I feel very happy too. I feel a great sense of accomplishment!"

"Eat more, I'll prepare more in the evening."

Looking at the abundant food in front of him and feeling the warm sweater on his body, Fujiwara Haru did not answer this time. He lowered his head and ate silently.

I slept for a while in the afternoon, and after waking up I read for a while, and then it was time for dinner.

Time flies! How come it's already evening? Fujiwara Haru was silent as he felt his strength returning to his body.

In the evening, there were some leftover dishes such as braised pork ribs at lunch, and grilled eel and tamagoyaki were also added. The food on the table was fragrant and made people want to eat it.

Fujiwara Haru swallowed his saliva and unconsciously started eating quickly again, then heard the sound of chopsticks hitting the bowl.

clang~clang~

The crisp sound of chopsticks knocking on a bowl attracted Fujiwara Haru's attention. She looked over and found that it was Yukino Shindong. After noticing Fujiwara Haru looking at her, she smiled back: "Hey, pay attention~"

She chewed each mouthful of rice and each bite of vegetable carefully, and only swallowed it after about ten times.

Then he shook his chopsticks slightly and said in a gentle tone: "Is the food I cooked delicious?"

"very delicious."

"Then you can chew them for a while longer and slowly savor their deliciousness~"

"Ah."

After Fujiwara Haru responded, he lowered his head and ate slowly, this time very slowly.

19. What you toss is a coin, what you make clear is your intention.

Happy times are always short. Even if you eat slowly, dinner is finished quickly. Fujiwara Haru, who wanted to help wash the dishes, was stopped.

"Let me do it, Fujiwara-kun. The kitchen is a woman's battlefield, you shouldn't go in there."

"Ms. Yukino, I want to help as much as I can. I feel bad for eating and drinking for free all day."

"Hmm~ Could you please make me a cup of tea? I want to chat with Fujiwara-kun later, and I'll feel better if I have some tea. The tea leaves are in the drawer under the TV. Oh, and remember to make yourself a cup too."

【Ms. Yukino is such a nice person. 】

Fujiwara Haru was not stupid either. He went to make tea with the idea that he must repay Yukino Shindong in the future. After making sure that his clothes were dry, he changed back into his autumn and winter school uniform, rummaged through his schoolbag, and sat on the sofa waiting.

After washing all the dishes and tidying up the kitchen, Yukino Shindong sat down on the sofa, picked up the tea and took a sip, then let out a relaxed "Ha~".

Then she looked at Fujiwara Haru: "Fujiwara-kun, are you feeling better?"

"Thank you, Ms. Yukino. I feel well now."

Xue No Shendong tilted her head slightly and supported her face with one hand: "Hmm..."

She hesitated for a moment and then asked softly, "Hey, can you tell me why Fujiwara-kun lives alone in that house?"

Fujiwara Haru pursed his lips, somewhat reluctant to answer this question. He had never answered Mr. Takeuchi's questions before, nor had he answered Aunt Katsura's questions about his parents. He really didn't like reminiscing about the past.

"Um... I'm sorry... Did I ask something I shouldn't have asked... I'm sorry... I'm really not good at chatting..."

The conversation had been going smoothly, but Yukino Shindong didn't get a response and instantly became a little embarrassed. She reflected on whether she was too complacent and how she could ask such a sensitive question casually without considering other people's feelings.

Kind, gentle, introvert, weak, and with a somewhat flattering personality, she is always in a weak position even when facing children. Fortunately, she is a snow woman and has strong self-protection abilities.

"Ms. Yukino, there's no need to apologize. I'm just... sorry, I don't know how to say it... Please let me think about it..."

Fujiwara Haru's heart was also complicated when it came to his parents, filled with anger, sadness, gloom, and - a little longing. He longed to be loved, and even for his parents who had long since abandoned him, he still had some residual longing for them.

He didn't know how to explain his story. After thinking for a long time, he just said dryly and briefly: "My parents lost their money gambling, lost their house, and ran away."

After that, he didn't know what to say and lowered his head.

Suddenly, I was hugged. The slightly cool arms and warm embrace were filled with tenderness and care. "I'm sorry, I made you recall the unpleasant past. I'm really sorry."

Fujiwara Haru didn't know how to describe his feelings. This was the first time he was cared for by someone, and it was also the first time he clearly felt being hugged.

It's very warm, I can clearly feel my heart beating, my whole body is warm, my brain is numb, as if a subtle electric current is flowing through my mind, full of comfort.

But his nose felt a little sour.

He hurriedly broke free from her embrace, not daring to feel the warmth too much. He lowered his head and stuffed all the money he had just taken out of his schoolbag into Xue No Shen Dong's arms: "Ms. Xue No, I really appreciate your care. I can't repay you for now, but this is some reward, please accept it."

"Eh...Eh?"

Yukino Shindong looked at the scattered coins in her arms. They were well preserved and not wrinkled at all. There were not many banknotes and after they were scattered, the amount could be seen at a glance: 5180 yen.

She watched Fujiwara Haru take out his schoolbag from the bedroom and prepare to leave. She stopped him in a panic with confusion: "Um...Fujiwara-kun, are you leaving?"

Looking at Miss Yukino squatting in front of him and looking at him level, Fujiwara Haru lowered his head and walked around: "Well, my body has fully recovered. Thank you very much for taking care of Miss Yukino. I will try my best to find a chance to repay you later. I'm sorry that I don't have the ability now."

"Um... um... Fujiwara-kun... you can stay here forever."

Fujiwara Haru paused in his action of pushing the door open. He felt that his thoughts were very calm at the moment, and his rationality had long controlled his emotions. He knew very well that if he didn't want to feel sad in his future survival life, the best thing to do was to stay away from this tenderness that was destined to last only a moment.

What you think is what you say: "Ms. Yukino... although it is rude to question, you must be a little hesitant to say this. Are you sure you have thought it through?

We've only been together for one day, and you can't fully understand me, but you say you can let me stay here forever.

You are just a senior student. Living here all the time will cause you a lot of trouble. Can you really bear to live with me?

I have a big appetite and can't work part-time to earn money for you, which would be a waste of your money. I'm not very smart either. I've never gotten first place on a test, so I can't bring you honor. I'm even unpopular. I've never satisfied my parents or made any friends.

'Always'

That's a very long time. They can't do it, so what can you say? Please don't easily say something you can't do. "

Xue No Shen Dong was stunned for a moment: "That... is not the case..."