Comics, daily stories

She glanced around the room, pondering a few things.

For example, he should be quite happy if his parents and sister all mentioned what gifts they wanted this time.

For example, he prefers a minimalist style, so should I bring fewer of my favorite decorations into the room in the future?

Then she quickly stopped thinking about it, because he was someone who would obey her, just like her father would obey her mother.

He'll probably just think that the things his girlfriend likes are really cute.

A gentle smile spread across her lips. Kato Megumi took a few steps, opened a drawer, and glanced inside.

The drawer is almost full of candy wrappers that I've accumulated over the years. I feel like I'll have to talk to him about it soon and ask him to come up with a way to preserve them.

After thinking it over, Kato Megumi closed the drawer, turned around and walked to the window, staring blankly outside.

Chiba seems a bit strange this year; the wind has been constant and it's bitterly cold, but there's been no snow.

He prefers snow.

Actually, I also like snow, but he likes it so much that I don't like it as much anymore.

Turning around, Kato Megumi put on her down jacket, then took the black scarf he had given her from the hanger and wrapped it around her neck a few times.

She went back to the window and pushed it open.

Although my cultivation is insufficient, and I'm not as powerful as them, and I can't fly or anything like that, it's still enough for me to jump off a building and get through this cold wind to his side.

Yukinoshita said I couldn't stay overnight at his house alone, but that's easy, I'll just stay out overnight.

In previous years I would go to be with him, and of course I will go again this year.

In the wind, the girl leaped out of the window and jumped down the building.

......

During the New Year period, Mai Sakurajima finished her last work and returned to Chiba.

She was invited to the Red and White Song Festival, but she declined.

She wanted to spend the New Year with her mother and tell him as soon as possible that her work had become less demanding.

How's it going with him lately?

Mai Sakurajima chewed and swallowed the shrimp meat. Instead of looking at her mother, she looked at her colleagues at the Kohaku Uta Gassen and casually replied, "Same as before."

Ms. Sakurajima put down her chopsticks, looked at her daughter, and sighed: "We have to fight for it, at least we can get the first bite."

Sakurajima Mai paused, looking at her mother with a strange expression.

She always found her mother's reaction strange. When she first learned that the other party was someone who was seeing many women at the same time, even though she had just experienced the disappearance of the 'puberty syndrome', she still had a slightly opposing attitude. Of course, at that time, she thought that as long as she liked it, that was the most important thing.

Some time later, it seems that my mother went to that man's house. After she came back, I don't know why, but she started to wholeheartedly support her relationship.

Perhaps she was rebuffed? She discovered that the man was completely in love with someone else, and feeling resentful, she turned her desire to win over the other man onto herself?

I don't mind it myself, and it's good that my mother has changed her attitude.

However, one day, after collaborating with a major brand, her mother's attitude intensified once again.

Now, it's actually me who's persevered and finished the work, otherwise she would have been urging me to go back to Chiba to find him earlier.

Lost in thought, Mai Sakurajima suddenly thought of her best friend.

The Yukino family seems to have an unusual amount of power, treating the entire Chiba region as their own territory, essentially acting as feudal emperors of Chiba. If Yukino and her sister's affair is discovered by their mother...

Could it be that Mom wants me to steal his thunder and then steal a portion of Yukinoshita's family...?

Sakurajima Mai reached out and rubbed her temples.

"Mom, I know what I'm doing."

Miss Sakurajima looked at her intelligent daughter and sighed softly: "I know Mai doesn't like her mother like this, but it's uncertain how long his affection will last. It's definitely the right thing to do to win him over sooner and then get the reward she deserves."

“He is your savior. I can’t change the fact that you like him, nor do I have the face to do so. But you must hold on to what is rightfully yours.”

Mai Sakurajima wanted to tell her mother that she didn't need to think that way. Her family was very wealthy now, and they could live very well without all that money. She also wanted to say that Kazehaya and Yukino were people whose status and wealth couldn't be measured by money anymore, and that being with them meant that money wasn't the only consideration.

But she didn't say anything. How could she say it? This woman was in debt back then, with a burden like herself by her side, working and studying hard. Now she's finally making money and has a good life to squander. How could she possibly tell her that money isn't important?

She's the kind of person who would give herself the most meat in the only hot, discounted bento box she could get her hands on.

Mai Sakurajima took her mother's hand and led her to the sofa, then sat down and leaned on her mother's shoulder: "Mom, don't worry, Kazehaya is a good person, he won't let me down."

Ms. Sakurajima opened her mouth, wanting to say that it wasn't a matter of whether she was being fair or not, but rather that she should first ensure that she received what she was entitled to, and that she shouldn't let herself be taken advantage of.

Seeing her daughter's unusually dependent expression, she couldn't bring herself to say it. Instead, she looked towards the dining table and said, "I'll go wash the dishes first."

Mai Sakurajima took her hand: "No need, no need, there's no rush to wash the dishes. Let's watch TV first. It seems like it's been a long time since we watched the Red and White Song Festival together."

Sakurajima stiffened slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable with such intimacy.

Mai rarely does this. She has been with her father since she was very young, even when she was working, because there was no one to take care of her at home. Perhaps because of this, she became unusually precocious later on.

From the moment she first stood in front of the camera, there were very few instances of close interaction between mother and daughter.

Ms. Sakurajima used to wonder occasionally whether she wanted the daughter who used to laugh and play in the shop where she worked in her early years, or the precocious, intelligent, and talented daughter she has now.

Later she realized that as long as it was her daughter, that was all that mattered, and she was happy.

"The Red and White Song Festival isn't as good as it used to be."

After a long silence, Ms. Sakurajima uttered these words dryly.

"Huh? Really? I feel like they're all about the same." Mai Sakurajima looked up at her mother, then smiled. "Is it because the Kohaku Uta Gassen didn't invite any of your favorite artists?"

"I've never had a favorite celebrity." Ms. Sakurajima shook her head. She used to be only focused on dating, and later she was only focused on working and raising her daughter. How could she have any favorite celebrities?

"Don't I count?" Mai Sakurajima blinked.

"..." The capable and shrewd Ms. Sakurajima was unable to respond to this sentence.

It definitely counts, but it feels a little embarrassing to say it out loud.

"Does Mom not like Kazehaya?" Mai Sakurajima asked another question.

"I quite like him. After all, he saved you, and from the few times we've met, he seems to have a good personality."

"Good personality? Then your mother must not know what kind of person he is at school. He has a terrible reputation." Mai Sakurajima couldn't help but laugh.

"That's not important. What's important is his attitude and personality towards me and towards you," Ms. Sakurajima said, sharing her experience from the adult drama of love triangles.

"I see, as expected, Mom knows more." Mai Sakurajima praised again.

"..." Miss Sakurajima still couldn't react; she still preferred her capable daughter as usual.

“Kazehaya said he’d come to visit you in a few days,” Mai Sakurajima began to reveal her purpose.

"Ok?"

Holding hands tighter, Mai Sakurajima smiled brightly: "He said he didn't know what Mom liked and was a little worried, so he asked me if I had any ideas. I thought it would be more convenient to ask Mom directly."

Miss Sakurajima glanced at her smiling daughter, shook her head, and said, "Mai should know what I want most. Besides that, it's enough for him to cook a meal. There's no need to bring a gift."

“Yes, I understand.” Mai Sakurajima nodded, then applied a little more pressure to her palm.

Ms. Sakurajima sighed: "Speak, is there anything else?"

"Kazehaya is actually an orphan."

"Go."

“Okay, I’ll listen to Mom.” Mai Sakurajima stood up with confidence and quickly grabbed the down jacket from the hanger.

She waved her hand at the entrance: "I'm going out."

Ms. Sakurajima was taken aback at first, then her voice softened: "Yes, have a safe journey."

As the door closed, she stood up and went to the dining table to clear the dishes.

My daughter has really grown up. She's now full of thoughts about the boy she likes, just like I was back then.

He really didn't need to bring any gifts when he visited, because he didn't want anything. The only thing he probably wanted was for Mai to be faithful to him from beginning to end, and for Mai not to have to go through what he had gone through before.

However, even with this explanation, he'll still bring a gift, right?

That child actually has a lot on his mind, and he does care a lot about what his side thinks.

......

"Eat slowly, no one in the family will take it from you."

Sawamura Sayuri elegantly picked up a slice of beef and put it in her bowl, then looked helplessly at the person across from her who was wolfing down their food.

I have a feeling that Eriri has been leaning towards him since she started dating him. Now she's even mimicking his eating habits to a great extent.

Eriri Sawamura looked up at her mother, chewed hard, then picked up the water glass next to her, poured it into her mouth, and drank it.

She said with some distress, "There's no way around it, I need to eat more to have the strength to become stronger. I'm more like him, not like Yukino."

Sawamura Sayuri looked at her daughter and understood that she meant those abnormal abilities when she said she was getting stronger, but she just shook her head: "With him around, why do you need to get so strong? In the end, you probably still can't beat him anyway."

“But I can try to see if I can beat Yukino,” Eriri Sawamura said, revealing her desire.

Sawamura Sayuri's eyes widened in confusion: "You want to beat Yukino? What's the point of beating her?"

“It’s pointless.” Eriri Sawamura continued to put food into her bowl. She thought for a moment and nodded as if to confirm, “I just want to try making Yukino cry. I’ve never seen her cry before. It should be very interesting.”

Sawamura Sayuri covered her face, still unable to understand how her silly, simple-minded daughter had become like this.

Furthermore, how could he possibly allow you to fight when he's present?

Hmm? It seems that it's not necessarily not allowed. Knowing his personality, he might just find a place to watch the show while eating oden.

In that case, shouldn't we ask him to keep an eye out and let us know if anything like that happens? I've seen Eriri cry a lot, but I've never seen Yukino, with her cold personality, cry like that before. I'm quite curious.

But can Eriri's bloodline really compare to Yukino's talent?

Sayuri Sawamura fell into thought.

After picking up a large mouthful of beef, then another large mouthful, Eriri Sawamura picked up the bowl and stuffed the whole thing into her mouth, puffing out her cheeks as she chewed vigorously.

I should give it a try. I've wanted to bully Yukino for a while, but I always felt it wasn't a good idea. Now that I think about it, a beating is a sign of affection, right?

No wonder Haruno always teased Yukino when they were kids. It seems that besides playing with him, finding ways to cause trouble for Yukino is also a really fun thing to do. Hmm, next time I'll find an opportunity to secretly do something with him, and then accidentally reveal the news to Yukino.

Ha ha.

"I'm telling you, Eriri, with Yukino's talent, can you really win by relying on your bloodline? I heard from Kazehaya that her talent is extraordinary."

“Uh…” Eriri Sawamura stopped chewing.

She swallowed the meat in her mouth with difficulty and looked up to recall.

Last time, it seemed like Yukino got a little stronger every time she slashed him, and by the end, she had become strangely strong.

Eriri Sawamura put down her chopsticks, realizing that she had no chance of winning.

However, she still insisted, "I'll just do my best and leave the rest to fate."

Sayuri Sawamura rolled her eyes as she looked at the chopsticks she had put down.

"Oh right, Mom, there's something I forgot to tell you."

"what happened?"

Eriri Sawamura pulled her legs up on the chair, propped her face up with one hand, and looked at the person across the table: "Fengzao will be coming to the house in a few days."

"Oh." Sayuri Sawamura's expression remained unchanged, her tone casual. "Come on then."

Eriri Sawamura tilted her head: "I thought Mom would be happy for me to have taken such a big step forward."

Sawamura Sayuri paused slightly, then held up a finger, resting it on her chin in thought: "Oh yeah, Eriri finally managed to win over Kazehaya. Mom, are you going to prepare a big feast?"

Eriri Sawamura looked at her mother and gently shook her head: "No need, Kazehaya said he'll cook then."

"Alright." Sayuri Sawamura put her hand down and looked at the person opposite her. "Eriri, sit up straight. You're wearing a skirt, after all."

Eriri Sawamura casually stretched out her legs and sat up straight again: "I've been corrupted by him."

“He won’t eat with his legs tucked in on the chair, so don’t blame everything on him,” Sawamura Sayuri sighed.

"Alright, alright, it's not his fault. I'm going back to my room to change my clothes." Eriri Sawamura got up and walked towards the stairs.

"Change clothes?" Sayuri Sawamura opened her eyes, puzzled.

“Go see him. It’s New Year’s, so he’s all alone at home.” Eriri Sawamura stepped up the stairs, and after a few steps, she added, “While I’m at it, I’ll also give Yukino a cuckold’s horns.”

“Alright then.” Sayuri Sawamura had no objection.