Tokyo: Starting with a fake boyfriend

[Full Attention] Closed.

[Last Stand] Closed.

However, he couldn't fall asleep as easily as before. After shutting down the dual state, the emotions that had been rejected and suppressed, as well as the fatigue and pain that had been ignored, surged up from the depths of his body.

What followed were a series of scenes that left a deep and unforgettable impression on him.

The first scene shows Minami Yamabuki shaking her head, tears streaming down her face, begging him not to leave.

The second scene shows Hojo Yuki holding her daughter tightly in her arms, her head bowed sadly.

Last night, these two scenes tormented Shiratori all night, keeping him tossing and turning and unable to sleep, with many nightmares.

He didn't want to upset the mother and daughter, but because of his unexpected appearance and emergency evacuation, he made them sad and upset.

These two events alone were enough to haunt him, and tonight's events brought even more memories.

In the third scene, Hojo Yuki brings him ice water and fruit, and he calls her "mother-in-law," which makes her beam with joy.

In the fourth act, Minami Yamabuki was called "Minami" by him and got so excited that she cried.

In the fifth act, Minami Yamabuki and Yuki Hojo are shocked to learn that Ryoma Hojo plans to take them back to Kyoto during the summer vacation. They ask him for help, but instead of offering assistance, he drops the bombshell of taking them back to their hometown during the summer vacation.

However, all these scenes ultimately freeze on the moment when the perfect world line converges.

To be more precise, the convergence of world lines is a great visual, but the key is the meaning behind those words.

Minami Yamabuki and Yuki Hojo's happiness is simple; they are not greedy at all, all they need is for him to stay.

His choice to collude with Hojo Ryoma and plan to disappear during the summer vacation is tantamount to giving them happiness and then personally depriving them of it.

As this thought surfaced in his mind, Shiratori Shu, who was lying in bed, turned over and rolled his head up with a pillow, trying to suppress the regret and guilt in his heart.

"I didn't do anything wrong..."

"I did this for their own good. It's the best choice for them to go back to the Hojo family in Kyoto with Hojo Ryoma."

"I'm not a good man. I can't give Xiao Nan a lifetime of pure love."

"My relationship with them is very shallow, only 11 days including today, and the time we spend together is also very short, only 17 days even if you count until summer vacation."

“If we’re apart for 40 days during summer vacation, this feeling will gradually fade. If Minami transfers to Kyoto University, that will be goodbye forever. The old man will give them the best life and let them live like rich young ladies. They will forget me before long.”

Shiratori kept trying to convince himself, but no matter what he did, he couldn't suppress those images.

Focusing fully improves memory, not only helping him remember knowledge from textbooks, but also everything he sees.

Human hearts are made of flesh and blood. The sight of Xiao Nan and his mother-in-law being heartbroken made him feel very regretful, guilty, and ashamed, even though he hadn't meant to make them sad.

Actually, he has feelings for Xiao Nan and his mother-in-law, perhaps because they haven't spent much time together yet.

In a moment of crisis, Xiao Nan chose to run to an internet cafe and take out 50 yuan to ask him for help. She had been showing him kindness, goodwill, trust and reliance. The many days they fought side by side, spent time together, and shared a bed left an indelible mark on his heart.

That's why, even if Hojo Ryoma offered incredibly generous terms, including but not limited to an endless allowance each month, or even money to help him have an affair, he had no intention of agreeing.

Because he didn't want to lie to Xiao Nan. Perhaps he is lying to Xiao Nan now, but the nature of the lie is completely different.

His act of pretending to stay while actually wanting to leave will indeed make Xiao Nan sad and upset, but he does it for Xiao Nan's future happiness.

But if he agrees to Hojo Ryoma's conditions and chooses to stay, it would be an act of adultery, a betrayal, a scenario where the dragon slayer becomes the dragon himself.

Xiao Nan has family traumas from his father's infidelity and his mother's injury. Because of this, even if there is only a 0.01% chance of it being exposed, he doesn't want to take the risk and doesn't want Xiao Nan to suffer the same pain as his mother-in-law.

Moreover, people who have been cheated on are more sensitive to infidelity. If he has an extramarital affair, his mother-in-law might be more likely to find out and get hurt by him.

He was right; Xiao Nan and her mother-in-law absolutely hate philandering men.

His choice of the Dongyun sisters was correct; he made the right choice.

Although he is greedy, not only wanting Shinonome Mizuki but also coveting Shinonome Chiho, this is unfair to his older sister. However, the twin sisters have such a good relationship that marrying the same person in the future might not be a bad thing for them.

Perhaps these twin sisters made some kind of pact when they were young, such as never being separated for life or being best friends for life. Otherwise, how could they have the possibility of enjoying the blessing of having two wives?

"It's time to sleep. I can see Shinonome Mizuki again when I wake up tomorrow, and maybe I can even see my sister-in-law."

When the images of Shinonome Mizuki and Shinonome Chisei appeared in his mind, Shiratori Osamu's heart, which had been adrift on a turbulent sea, finally found a gentle harbor where it could find rest and enjoy a brief moment of peace.

However, while a person can control their consciousness and thoughts when they are awake, they cannot do so while asleep.

When the night is still and quiet, the regrets buried deep in my heart always resurface.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Having slept for 8 hours, I'm now feeling refreshed and energetic.

In the darkness, these words appeared in his mind, and Shiratori Shu suddenly opened his eyes as if he had turned on an automatic switch.

"Fully revived!"

The next moment, Shiratori Osamu sat up, feeling full of energy, and shook his arms while holding his shoulders.

Compared to yesterday morning when I was woken up by the alarm clock, feeling weak, sore, and even heavy, I feel very relaxed today.

"That was so awesome, so awesome!"

Feeling refreshed, Shiratori Osamu muttered as he got out of bed to pee in the bathroom.

In no time, he arrived at the sink and brushed his teeth in front of the mirror.

"..."

Although he didn't have dark circles under his eyes and his complexion was rosy and healthy, his eyebrows and eyes were drooping slightly, as if he was troubled by something and looked very tired.

Seeing this, Shiratori Osamu turned on the tap, filled his left hand with water, and splashed it on the mirror.

After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he went back to his bedroom, opened the door to the tiny balcony, threw his slightly damp pillow on the table to dry, and then opened the wardrobe to change his clothes.

After changing his clothes, he went back into the bathroom to look in the mirror and started combing his hair.

"Should I find a chance to dye my hair back?"

While combing his hair, Shiratori noticed that the black roots of his hair had grown longer, and he couldn't help but think about it.

After he awakened his memories of his past life, he actually wanted to dye his hair back, but he didn't have enough money in his pocket.

Although in this parallel world with an anime art style, blonde hair isn't considered a characteristic of delinquents because everyone's hair and eye color are multicolored.

However, blonde hair with black roots, clearly showing signs of dyeing, can represent rebellion.

"Forget it, let's wait until summer vacation starts. Changing my hair color suddenly will attract unnecessary attention at school tomorrow."

After careful consideration, Shiratori Osamu quickly made a decision.

We've already gone through so much time, there's no need to rush.

After tidying himself up, Shiratori Shu returned to the bedside, picked up his phone, and started checking messages.

Mother-in-law: "Good morning, Shiratori-kun. Are you free to come over today?"

This is a Line message from my mother-in-law. She sent it at 6:23 this morning. She woke up really early.

Osamu Shiratori: "I have plans for today, I'll go after school tomorrow."

This was the itinerary he had agreed upon with Hojo Ryoma: go once on Monday, then again on Thursday after his exams, and leave on Friday when summer vacation started.

The message was sent just now, and it changed from unread to read.

"?"

Upon noticing this, Shiratori Osamu was taken aback.

Read in seconds? What's going on? Is his mother-in-law keeping an eye on his Line?

He's probably overthinking it. More than an hour has passed since his mother-in-law sent the first message. She probably made breakfast and was just relaxing, figuring he should be waking up soon, which is why she's been keeping an eye on her phone.

Mother-in-law: "Okay, I'll wait for you. See you tomorrow."

Shiratori Osamu: "I have to go."

Mother-in-law: "Have a safe journey."

Mother-in-law: "You haven't said good morning to me yet."

Shiratori Osamu: "Good morning."

Mother-in-law: QQ

Shiratori Osamu: "Good morning, mother-in-law."

Mother-in-law: "Go ahead and get busy, bye-bye. (Smiling emoji)"

Shiratori Shu: "Bye-bye."

"hiss……"

After a conversation, Shiratori Osamu finally put down his phone, scratched his head, and gasped.

For some reason, he suddenly felt that exchanging contact information with his mother-in-law was not a good decision.

Given this situation, even if he disappears under the guise of going back to his hometown for summer vacation, his mother-in-law will probably still send him messages frequently.

Apart from his clingy mother-in-law, no one else texted him.

Shiratori Osamu checked the weather forecast again, confirmed that it wouldn't rain, put his phone in his pocket, picked up his schoolbag which he had packed the night before, and his wallet from the table, and set off.

It's actually quite far to get from the apartment in Toshima Ward to the Shibuya Aozora Study Room, even farther than to the school itself. It takes more than half an hour to get there, including a 12-minute walk to the station and a 20-minute train ride.

That being said, it's worth it, since you get to spend the whole day with Shinonome-sensei and get to eat a bento box.

On the way, he also stopped at a convenience store and bought a sandwich and rice ball with milk to fill his stomach.

8:42 AM, Shibuya Sora Study Room.

"About the same as yesterday."

Upon reaching the second floor, Shiratori Osamu took out his phone, glanced at the time, and nodded in satisfaction.

Immediately, he lifted the curtain at the stairwell entrance and went inside.

But unlike yesterday, he had only just entered the front desk area when he saw a tall figure.

"?"

At this glance, Shiratori was completely dumbfounded.

Because Mr. Shinonome wasn't wearing a suit and trousers today, but instead a T-shirt tied at the waist, jeans, and chunky sneakers, which made him look very refreshing.

No, that's not Shinonome-sensei, it's Shinonome Chisei. She's not wearing her signature frameless glasses.

"Good morning, brother-in-law."

Dongyun Qianxing, who was standing by the wall with her head down playing on her phone and waiting, felt the gaze on her. She looked up and met Bai Niao Xiu's eyes. Her eyes lit up immediately, and she walked forward with light steps. She called out "Brother-in-law" in a voice that others could not hear, and then waved to greet him.

"Dongyun-san? What are you doing here?"

Seeing this, Shiratori Osamu was a little confused. What was going on?

Chapter 126 Envy, Jealousy, and Hatred

A warm and proactive greeting doesn't elicit the same or similar enthusiasm in return, but rather confusion; this emotional difference can lead to a sense of disappointment.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come."

Because of his surprise and confusion, Shinonome Chisei was a little unhappy.

Although she knew her brother-in-law liked her sister but didn't have any feelings for her—after all, they had only met yesterday—her enthusiasm was still met with an excessively cold reaction from him.

“I didn’t say you shouldn’t have come. Actually, I’m very happy to see you again,” Shiratori Osamu responded, then asked, “Where’s Shinonome-sensei? I haven’t seen her.”

"My sister wasn't feeling well today. She looked terrible, her feet hurt, and she was unsteady on her feet. She must have been overheated yesterday. She said she couldn't concentrate on her studies without someone supervising her, and she insisted on coming over, but I made her go back to bed."

The first reaction is the true reaction; a belated explanation is worthless. Although Dongyun Qianxing was sullen, she still explained the situation to him.

"As expected... Only this can explain why you are here."

After hearing her explanation, Shiratori Osamu frowned and muttered to himself.

"?"

Seeing the worry on his face, Shinonome Chisei was somewhat puzzled.

The next moment, she realized what was happening and her body stiffened.

Oh no, she seems to have misunderstood her brother-in-law.

When her brother-in-law first saw her, his reaction was not happiness, but surprise and confusion. It wasn't that he didn't want to see her, but that he immediately guessed that something had happened to his sister.