Tokyo: Starting with a fake boyfriend

He walked quickly, heading straight for the front door without looking back, and sat down in the entryway to put on his socks.

"Shiratori-kun, are you leaving?"

Just then, Yamabuki, looking completely bewildered, came up behind him and spoke softly.

"Ah."

Shiratori Osamu didn't speak, but responded to her with a nasal tone.

"Are you arguing with Xiaonan? Is it because I said something wrong last night and messed things up?"

Upon realizing that he was clearly sulking, Yamabuki immediately became worried.

Actually, she had thought about this while tossing and turning last night.

Xiao Nan came to the kitchen to pour water last night and noticed that she was clearing the dishes but didn't speak to her. Could she be angry...? Because at the dinner table, she couldn't help but question her husband, wanting a definite answer, which messed things up.

"You didn't say anything wrong; you did a great job."

Shiratori Osamu bent down to put on his socks, then picked up his shoes and put them on.

"Then why did you two argue?"

Realizing that it wasn't her fault, Yamabuki was immediately baffled.

"You should ask your daughter about this, but you'd better be prepared."

After putting on his shoes, Shiratori Osamu stood up, left a message, and stepped forward to open the door.

"Shiratori-kun, I made you breakfast. Would you like to eat before you leave? I also made you a bento box."

Seeing this, Shan Chuixue didn't want him to leave in a huff, so she gently tried to persuade him to stay.

"..."

Faced with her plea to stay, Shiratori Osamu, who had already unlocked the smart lock and opened the door, suddenly paused and couldn't help but look back.

My mother-in-law has an excellent figure; she is slender and delicate, yet she is like a small branch bearing a large fruit.

Her jet-black, lustrous hair was pinned up with a shark clip, not covered by her black fitted dress. Her slender arms and legs, exposed by the black elements of her outfit, appeared as white as jade.

She has a delicate and beautiful appearance. Although she is not the kind of stunning beauty that makes people swoon at first glance, the gentle and kind temperament that she exudes from the inside out makes it impossible for anyone who sees her not to feel a sense of goodwill.

Because she radiates a gentle and maternal glow that seems to have the power to heal hearts.

Shiratori Osamu's gaze lingered on her, scrutinizing her from head to toe, as if trying to etch her image deeply into his mind.

"Shiratori-kun?"

Yamabuki felt embarrassed and ashamed as the eighteen-year-old boy looked her up and down. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear to avoid his gaze, and whispered a reminder to him, her slender, white neck turning slightly red.

Although she knew that Shiratori-kun thought she was very pretty and would stare at her when necessary to make her husband jealous, this time it had been far too long... and her husband wasn't there this time; he was still sleeping in the house.

“Mother-in-law, you are a good woman. To be honest, I really want you and your daughter to be happy.”

Faced with her attempt to stop him, Shiratori Osamu withdrew his gaze and spoke.

As soon as he finished speaking, a text box suddenly appeared in the corner of his eye:

[Because you treated Yamabuki with genuine sincerity, your character designation as "sincere" has been successfully verified.]

This was the first time he had seen the "Successful Judgment" notification since receiving the "Sincerity" persona reward after school on Friday.

Does this mean he hasn't triggered any effects these past few days? Is he really that insincere towards others?

"Huh?"

Yamabuki, who was so shy that her toes were clenched tightly, was completely stunned when she heard what he said.

I really want her and her daughter to be happy. What does Shiratori-kun mean by saying that? Could it be a confession of love?

She must have misunderstood; after all, she's old enough to be Shiratori-kun's mother.

Moreover, she had long since stopped believing such words. Her husband had said similar things countless times back then, but in the end, it all came to nothing.

But Shiratori-kun seemed particularly sincere, not like he was lying—he seemed to genuinely want her and her daughter to be happy.

What does this mean? Does Shiratori want to be her husband and her daughter's stepfather?

No, no, she already has a husband. Shiratori-kun should want to be her son-in-law, her daughter's husband.

"It's a pity that Xiaonan and I disagree, so I have to say goodbye to you. But before I leave, I want to give you a piece of advice."

Although distracted by the assessment of his sincerity, Shiratori Osamu continued to deliver his pre-rehearsed lines.

"Please speak."

Because his confession was so sudden, Yamabuki was completely bewildered. However, seeing that he still had something to say, she quickly responded.

"Life is not just one path. If one path is blocked, then take another."

After all that buildup, it was finally time for the most crucial line. Shiratori Xiu looked solemnly into his mother-in-law's gentle, watery eyes, and spoke earnestly.

After saying that, he didn't linger any longer, opened the door, and left.

Shiratori Shuu turned around outside the door, glanced at her again, and gently closed the door.

"Click."

Although the sound of the door closing as he left was very soft and gentle, Yamabuki's heartstrings still trembled, and she felt a strange sense of loss.

Based on the scene and conversation just now, it seems that Shiratori-kun's departure this time was a final farewell to her, and he doesn't plan to come to her house again.

They had been working together very well before, so what kind of fierce argument did Konan and Shiratori have that led to them going their separate ways?

Filled with doubt and confusion, Yamabuki turned and walked towards her daughter's room, wanting to find out what was going on.

When she entered her daughter's room, she found Xiao Nan standing in front of her desk tidying up.

"Xiao Nan, breakfast is ready."

Noticing this, Yamabuki knocked on the door with the back of her hand and called out softly.

However, Minami Yamabuki had her back to her and did not respond; instead, she was taking deep breaths.

"Minami, Shiratori-kun left without having breakfast. He said he disagreed with you before he left. What happened?"

Realizing her daughter was throwing a tantrum, Yamabuki went to her side and asked softly.

"..."

However, Minami Yamabuki remained silent, only glancing at her slightly to the side before continuing to pack her books and pens.

"Xiao Nan?"

Startled by her cold glance, Yamabuki was in disbelief.

She must have been mistaken. Why did she sense a hint of disgust in her daughter's eyes?

"Get out of here."

Seeing her mother's stunned reaction, Minami Yamabuki felt a pang of heartache, but she still gritted her teeth and uttered the lines she had prepared in advance.

"Huh?"

Upon hearing this, Yamabuki's almond-shaped eyes froze, and she was completely stunned.

What was Xiao Nan saying just now?

Get out of here? What do you mean, get out of here?

Who should I tell to get out of here? Should I tell her to get out of here?

As she kept interpreting the meaning of the words "get out of here," Yamabuki felt as if she had been hit hard on the head with a hammer. In a dizzying moment, her body went limp and she collapsed to the ground.

"I don't want to get involved in your failed marriage anymore, so I hope you won't get involved in mine either."

Minami Yamabuki didn't dare look at her at all, afraid that she would soften her heart if she looked at her even once. She could only force herself to keep a cold face, pick up her schoolbag, finish her lines, and turn away.

"Xiao Nan, are you angry? Mom apologizes, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Although Yamabuki was confused about the situation, when she saw her angrily carrying her schoolbag and walking out, she quickly got up, chased after her, grabbed her arm, and apologized hastily.

“You’re always like this. Every time something happens, all you do is cry and then do nothing… Mom, you’re so disappointing.”

Hearing her tearful apology, Yamabuki Minami forcefully shook off her hand, uttered a single sentence in utter disappointment, and left with her head down.

"Waaah—"

She forcefully shook off his hand, and Yamabuki, overwhelmed by the series of blows, collapsed to the ground with a thud, tears streaming down her face.

As Yamabuki Minami finally stepped out of the room, she heard the crying behind her and instinctively pressed her hand to her chest, trying to suppress the heart-wrenching pain.

It hurts, it hurts too much.

Even though Xiu Jun had given her a thorough dressing-down last night and told her to go to bed early and get enough rest to face this tough battle, the harsh words and deliberate attempts to hurt her mother were more painful than she had anticipated.

Chapter 72 My Mother-in-Law Has Come to Her Sense

"No turning back! No turning back!! No turning back!!!"

"A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one. It's crucial to make Mom realize that this path is blocked and that a change must be made."

"Xiao Nan, you did this to make your mother happy."

“If you go back now and comfort your mother, and tell her the whole truth, she will never be happy in her life.”

"Xiu Jun's plan is perfect. Everything is in line with his plan. I just need to follow it."

Hearing her mother's cries, Minami Yamabuki kept trying to convince herself, walking away without looking back, wanting only to escape as quickly as possible.

She wandered aimlessly, no longer knowing where she was, until she heard a reassuring voice:

"Xiao Nan".

As consciousness returned to her body, Minami Yamabuki realized that there was a person standing in front of her. Looking up, she saw Osamu Shiratori's face.

"Xiu Jun? Are you waiting for me?"

Upon seeing his appearance, Minami Yamabuki felt nothing but disbelief.

Yes, I'm waiting for you.

Meeting her gaze, Shiratori Osamu nodded.

Although he left first, he had no intention of going far, but waited at the door of the Yamabuki house.

Because he knew that Minami Yamabuki was delicate and sensitive, much like his mother-in-law. Although it was part of the script, it was a very cruel arrangement to have her speak ill of her beloved mother.

And that was indeed the case. When Minami Yamabuki walked out of her house, she looked like a soulless zombie, completely dazed and confused.

“Xiujun…”

Upon receiving his response, Minami Yamabuki realized it wasn't a hallucination and rushed into his arms, making a whirring sound like a little train.

"Cry, cry."

Although Shiratori Osamu wanted to keep his distance from Yamabuki Minami, at this moment, he opened his arms and gently hugged her, softly comforting her.

"Mom was crying so hard just now, she was so sad, it broke my heart to hear it."

"If it weren't for the plan, I really wanted to hug her at that moment."

"I said such hurtful things, will Mom hate me? Will she ignore me and abandon me in the future?"

Burying her head in Shiratori Osamu's arms, Yamabuki Minami poured out the frustration, sadness, and worry that had been choking her.

Even though she knew she was doing this to make her mother happy, the feeling of intentionally hurting her mother was too painful.

“If my mother-in-law could really hate someone so easily and ignore them, we wouldn’t need to go to such lengths to put on this act.”

Although Shiratori Osamu didn't witness it firsthand, listening to Konan's account, he could imagine how distressed his mother-in-law must have been, and he couldn't help but sigh.

People with gentle personalities are often indecisive, and it's very difficult to get them to make a decision.

[Because you treated Yamabuki Minami with genuine sincerity, your character designation of sincerity has been successfully verified.]

No sooner had he finished speaking than another notification popped up in the corner of his eye.

No, buddy?

He just said what was on his mind and sighed. Is it really that simple to determine success?

Therefore, the criteria for judging the "sincere" persona should be truthful statements plus genuine emotional expression.

The reason he hadn't been able to trigger [Sincerity] before was probably not because he wasn't sincere enough, but because he had been using the [Concentration] talent for the past few days, abandoning useless emotions.