Tokyo Three Generations

In this environment, unless it's a top-tier university like Harvard, MIT, Oxford, or Cambridge, studying abroad doesn't offer much benefit to young people, or at least it's not cost-effective. So it's understandable that young people in Japan have very low enthusiasm for studying abroad.

However, none of this is a problem for Aine—after all, she comes from a good family, is very beautiful, and society has almost unlimited tolerance for people like her; she has the right to make mistakes.

That's why Jun Takasaki didn't explicitly express his opposition—in his view, even if things went badly, it would all be for nothing, and the Chihaya family could afford the loss. Letting Aine experience some setbacks might not be a bad thing.

After laughing for a while, Chihaya Aine bowed slightly and solemnly thanked Takasaki Jun.

"Thank you so much, Chun-ge, for giving me such great advice. With your guidance, I've finally shaken off my confusion... I'll definitely work hard!"

"So you've made up your mind?" Seeing her like this, Jun Takasaki probably understood what she was going to do.

“Yes, I will try!” Chihaya Aine nodded emphatically. “Now that I’ve come this far, I’m going to see it through to the end. I want to experience England firsthand and learn how to live in a foreign country.”

Sigh, it's still the same in the end... Jun Takasaki sighed inwardly.

This was not the outcome he wanted, but he respected her choice.

“If this is your personal will, then I respect it. With Aine’s talent, she might be able to do a great job. Even if she fails, so what? You still have such good conditions. You can always start over…” At this point, Jun Takasaki suddenly changed the subject, “However, Aine, I need to ask you for a favor.”

"What's wrong?" Chihaya Aine asked, puzzled.

"If everything is fine, then disregard what I said. But if things are bad, or even terrible... you don't need to force yourself to persevere. Life is short, and you can endure hardship to live, but you can't live to endure hardship. Sometimes, escaping is a way of survival, even if it's not so honorable, it's at least a wise move."

Imagine if, in a battle between two armies, your forces were outnumbered and instead of retreating, you chose to force a head-on confrontation, ultimately resulting in the annihilation of your entire army…wouldn't that be utterly foolish?

Chihaya Aine blinked, not understanding why the usually assertive Jun would say such a thing.

Jun Takasaki looked a little embarrassed, but he continued, "I know this might sound discouraging, but considering your mental and physical health, I have to warn you in advance. After all, everything there is still unknown, and I'm really afraid something might happen to you."

In his view, Ai Yin has many paths to choose from in life, and there's no need to stubbornly persist on a path she can't continue on. Since she's already made her decision, she should give it a try first. If she can't make it here, she can simply come back; the losses will be borne by her parents anyway.

Another moment of silence followed.

"How scared are you?" After a moment, Chihaya Aine suddenly asked a question that caught him off guard, "Is it the kind of fear that keeps you up at night because you're worried?"

……

Not receiving a prompt response from Jun Takasaki, Aine Chihaya lowered her head in dejection.

"As expected... I'm not that scared. That makes sense, after all, Chun-ge is the kind of person who doesn't take the initiative to care about others. He's contacted me very few times since graduating from high school, and he never thought of taking me out during summer or spring break... I was overthinking it."

What appeared to be self-blame was actually a hidden complaint, which Jun Takasaki naturally discerned.

There's one advantage to knowing each other since childhood: he understands Ai Yin well and has long been accustomed to his "junior sister's" occasional sweet words.

The solution to this kind of sweet talk is simple.

"Stop joking around. Aren't we talking about studying abroad right now?"

As he spoke, he casually placed his hand on Aine's head, as if to both soothe and suppress her.

Starting from elementary school, older students would use this head-patting trick to get younger female students to act out, and it never failed.

However, perhaps because Aine had grown up and entered her rebellious phase, this time, she was not suppressed. Instead, she had a strong sense of resistance. She not only shook her head to get rid of his hand, but also raised her head and glared at him with dissatisfied eyes.

"I'm not making a fuss..." she muttered softly, "These are all facts, can't you just deny it?"

Seeing that he couldn't get away with it, Jun Takasaki could only answer seriously, "I need to put in the effort to adapt after entering university, and besides, I always reply to your messages seriously—"

"Is university really that busy?" Chihaya Aine looked at Takasaki Jun with a skeptical gaze. "Besides, he only replies when the girl has to start a conversation. Isn't that just being perfunctory?"

He hadn't thought there was anything wrong with it at first, but seeing Chihaya Aine looking at him with such a wronged expression, he felt it might be a bit much.

"But you're also in your third year this year, your studies must be very demanding, and I don't want to bother you unnecessarily." He made up another excuse.

"But isn't this year of junior high the time when I need encouragement and psychological support the most?" Chihaya Aine was still not fooled. "Being ignored by my seniors affected my performance..."

"Huh? You've really been affected?" Jun Takasaki exclaimed anxiously.

He immediately conjured up a scenario in his mind: "Chihaya Aine, under immense psychological pressure, failed her entrance exams and had no choice but to study abroad." Then he genuinely regretted it; he should have shown more concern for the junior high school girl.

Seeing his anxious expression, Chihaya Aine immediately calmed down.

"I was just kidding. I'm your proudest junior, I would never fail my exam and embarrass you." She smiled with a hint of pride. "Besides, Chun-ge's coldness actually turned my grief into motivation. I studied hard and did even better on my entrance exam than before..."

"Hey, why make it sound so serious?" Jun Takasaki finally breathed a sigh of relief, then complained, "I really didn't mean to distance myself from you."

"I know, Jun-nii has always been like this, how could I not be used to it..." Chihaya Aine glanced at him, then sighed softly.

Then, she whispered, "Actually, I asked my aunt about studying abroad."

"Huh?" Upon hearing that his mother was also involved, Takasaki Jun quickly asked, "What happened?"

“It’s nothing serious. I just heard that my aunt studied abroad, so I asked her if she would support me studying abroad… and she said she would support me 100%,” Chihaya Aine replied.

Although she spoke casually, Jun Takasaki was a little annoyed.

Why are you giving advice on such an important issue to a little kid?

He secretly kept a record of his mother's expenses.

"Why do you have to study abroad just because my mom studied abroad?" he couldn't help but complain. "Look at her, what's the use of studying abroad? In the end, she still got married and became a housewife. She didn't earn back the money she spent on studying abroad, and she didn't contribute anything to society."

…………

Chihaya Aine didn't reply, but just silently looked at Takasaki Jun, making him very uncomfortable.

Fortunately, she didn't dwell on the topic any further, and simply continued walking towards her home.

The two of them started walking side by side again, and the conversation turned to their usual topics from the past.

Back then, when the two of them met, besides discussing student council affairs, they would sometimes chat about other topics, such as literature, comics, and history.

Although Aine is young, her abilities as a top student are undeniable. She has a vast reading volume and can discuss all sorts of topics and content.

Of course, due to her limited experience, many of her understandings were not profound. However, for her, it was enough to grasp those superficial aspects and garner the amazement and admiration of her classmates.

Jun Takasaki didn't need her to be too profound; the two of them just chatted back and forth.

As they discussed modern British history, the Ai-Yin family's detached house came into full view under the streetlights in the distance.

We've already seen you to the door; it's time to say goodbye.

Jun Takasaki stopped and tried to say goodbye to Aine.

But when the words of farewell came to his lips, he suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

After this farewell, Aine will be traveling thousands of miles away. When will we meet again?

After all, she's a junior I've known since childhood, so it's impossible not to feel reluctant to part ways.

A simple "goodbye" is hardly enough to express how I feel right now.

Aine didn't say goodbye; she just stood there quietly, as if she wouldn't speak unless Jun Takasaki spoke.

"Aine, you must take good care of yourself." After a moment, Jun Takasaki finally mustered up his courage and earnestly instructed Aine, "Also, remember what I just said... I, I really hope everything goes well for you, more than anyone else."

"I know."

Chihaya Aine could completely sense Takasaki Jun's worry and reluctance from his tone and expression.

Then she finally smiled contentedly.

"There's no need to make this so serious. Mom said she'd let me come back whenever there's a long holiday. So it's not like we'll never see each other again... It's just that if you ignore me again, then there'll be nothing I can do."

"Absolutely not," Jun Takasaki quickly assured him. "I'll share any news with you. Just tell me when you get back, and I'll definitely come find you."

Chihaya Aine gave a "that's more like it" smile.

"Okay, it's settled then." She nodded gently.

Logically speaking, by this point, it should really be time to say goodbye, but she felt as if there was still something left undone.

She remembered.

"Goodbye." She bowed slightly and said goodbye to Jun Takasaki.

Goodbye, Aine.

"Before we part, will you give me one last time?" Chihaya Aine suddenly asked.

"What?" Jun Takasaki asked in confusion.

"Just like before—" Chihaya Aine prompted again.

Then, she pouted, as if she was about to throw a tantrum again.

Jun Takasaki immediately understood.

However, before he could even understand, his hand had already moved.

Then, it was placed on her head.

Her long, pink hair was thick and silky, with a feel like brocade, making her feel very comfortable every time she touched it.

He wasn't the only one who felt comfortable.

Chihaya Aine closed her eyes slightly.

Just now, she was very resistant when her head was patted, but what she was resistant to was the feeling of being "perfunctory," not the patting itself.

And now, she is enjoying the moment, as if she has been blessed.

"Aiyin, have a safe journey!"

Yes, we will! We definitely will! We can't lose!

Chihaya Aine secretly encouraged herself.

63. Argumentation and Greed

After dropping Aine off at home, Jun Takasaki walked back the way he came to the shopping mall where they had eaten earlier.

However, Mio Takasaki and Mrs. Chihaya are still in the spa.

Because the store was exclusively for female customers and had a membership system, Jun Takasaki had to find another place in the mall to play on his phone for a while before his mother and aunt slowly came out and reunited with him.

Because they had just finished a spa treatment, both middle-aged women looked radiant, their skin seemingly glowing.

"Have you sent Aine home yet?" Takasaki Mio asked her son as soon as they met.

"I sent it back." Jun Takasaki put away his phone and nodded.

"Did you enjoy your conversation along the way?" Mrs. Chihaya asked again.

"Yes, we had a pleasant chat." Jun Takasaki nodded. "I wish her a safe journey ahead."

Upon hearing that her daughter was determined to leave, Mrs. Chihaya, who had been happy, suddenly became sad again. "I really don't understand why she insists on going through this suffering..."

Just now, she was too embarrassed to speak directly in front of her daughter, but now that her daughter was gone, she spoke her mind without any reservations. "Aine has such good grades at school and her college entrance exams went very smoothly. Why doesn't she just go to high school like Tsunku and then get into Tokyo University? ... Why does she have to make things difficult for herself? I really don't understand her."

Jun Takasaki was just as pessimistic as Mrs. Chihaya, but now that things had come to this, he comforted his aunt and spoke well of Aine.

"Auntie, don't worry so much. Everyone has seen Aiyin's performance all along. She is an excellent child. I believe she can overcome the difficulties of studying abroad."

“It’s not about her studies. I’ve never worried about her studies.” Mrs. Chihaya shook her head, then sighed. “What I’m worried about is that Aine has always been such a well-behaved child. What if she goes to a place where she doesn’t know anyone and gets bullied or isolated by her classmates? What will she do if that happens?”

Actually, Jun Takasaki thought the same thing, but what else can be said now?

“Aiyin is so popular at the school here, so she’ll definitely get along well with her classmates over there.” He could only offer this consolation once again.

Unfortunately, these words of comfort could not completely dispel Mrs. Chihaya's worries, but there was nothing she could do about it. So she could only sigh, then smile bitterly, and finally apologize to Jun Takasaki.

"I'm sorry, Jun-kun, I'm sorry you had to see this. I was just worrying too much. Actually, I really believe that Aine can do a good job. I guess I'm just worrying unnecessarily..."

After apologizing, she looked sincerely at the young man in front of her and said, "You are a child I have watched grow up, and I am very proud of you. I have always taught Aine to take you as her role model, and she has done so. So, Jun-kun, I hope that even if she goes to study abroad, your relationship will not be neglected, okay? Whenever she comes back for vacation, I will let her come to visit you."

“Of course, in my heart she’s always been a lovely and reliable junior, I like her a lot,” Jun Takasaki replied immediately. “If there’s anything I can do to help, I definitely will.”

"That's good, that's good..." Mrs. Chihaya was both relieved and saddened, and seemed to be on the verge of tears.

She held Takasaki Jun's hand tightly, as if entrusting him or pleading, "Jun-kun, Auntie is counting on you. You must never abandon Aine in the future..."

Seeing her gaze, which seemed to be grasping at a lifeline, and hearing her suggestive words, Jun Takasaki immediately felt somewhat embarrassed.

He glanced at his mother out of the corner of his eye, but she seemed to ignore him and didn't seem inclined to interrupt.

No one knows a mother better than her son. Jun Takasaki understands his mother's temper. If she is unhappy, she will turn against even her best friend of decades. So this is tacit approval, or even encouragement.

So he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say a lot of nice things, which finally calmed Aunt Chihaya down.

The three of them chatted as they rode the elevator to the mall's underground parking garage.

Haruka Chihaya said goodbye to Takasaki and her son, then drove home in her own car, while Jun Takasaki got into his mother's car as well.

Jun Takasaki remained silent at first, watching his mother start the car and drive it out of the underground parking garage.