Tokyo Three Generations

After all, Aine was still wearing her pajamas at the moment.

Despite being looked at with disapproval by many, Aine seems to be completely unconcerned.

Since arriving here, she has lived a repressed and withdrawn life, ignored by others. So why should she care about other people's opinions when she is leaving tomorrow? She has completely let go.

Although it was a bit "out of line," it's a good thing that she has this mindset right now; it's much better than constantly feeling stifled.

The two chatted and walked all day, and before they knew it, they came to a meadow.

The grassland is vast, offering a wide and open view. Only in the distance can one vaguely see the trees and scattered houses.

Looking at the meadow, both of them suddenly felt a sense of vastness and openness.

Yes, we're still so young. So what if we encounter some setbacks? The future still holds endless possibilities and endless hope.

Just then, as if by divine intervention, the dark clouds that had covered the sky were slightly parted, and the gap widened until finally, golden sunlight poured down like a waterfall, as if laying a velvet carpet over the land.

“It’s so beautiful…” Ai Yin couldn’t help but exclaim. “It’s a real shame that I haven’t had a chance to properly explore the famous historical sites in England, even though I’ve been here for so long.”

“If you want to go sightseeing, I can postpone my flight for a few days so we can have a proper tour,” Jun Takasaki replied.

"No... I should go back as soon as possible." Aine shook her head. "I can come back anytime I want to travel, but it's better to go home first. I miss home so much... Besides, I have to catch up on my studies. Although my study abroad plans have fallen through, I can still try for prestigious universities in China..."

"Speaking of your studies, I do have a question I'd like to ask you," Jun Takasaki chimed in. "I've asked my mom, and she can help you transfer schools. But would you like to go back to our alma mater? Or would you prefer to switch?"

“Let’s choose another one!” Aine answered almost instantly, which didn’t surprise Takasaki Jun. “I… I’m too ashamed to face my old classmates again. After all, I made too many boastful promises to them before leaving Japan…”

See? This is the danger of speaking too confidently. If I hadn't publicized this matter so much before, I could have used "something happened at home" to appease my classmates and wouldn't be in such an embarrassing situation as to face my family and friends.

Aine, sometimes I really admire your courage—you have absolutely no confidence, yet you leave yourself no way out...

Of course, Jun Takasaki didn't voice this harsh criticism.

Even if he didn't say it, Aine, having spent so many years with him, could obviously tell.

She felt both ashamed and embarrassed, wishing she could dig a hole in the grass and disappear like a rabbit.

The beautiful scenery, coupled with her guilty conscience and shame, suddenly gave her an impulse to give up on herself.

Since we've already gone too far in terms of shamelessness, we might as well go all the way and embarrass ourselves to the very end.

"Brother Chun, do you remember when we talked about the beaches in Hawaii?" Aine asked, mustering her courage.

"Yes, of course I remember." Jun Takasaki nodded.

“This meadow now looks just like a green beach…” Ai-yin said, her face flushing slightly and her voice lowering, “Can we relive that feeling?”

What did it feel like back then?

Jun Takasaki was initially confused, but then he realized what was going on when he saw Aine's expectant and suggestive eyes.

"You mean you want to..."

Ai Yin blushed and nodded, everything understood without words.

Jun Takasaki took a deep breath and looked around. Luckily, there was no one around.

Although it was a little awkward, Aine really didn't want to refuse her at that moment.

So he nodded slightly.

Then, he turned his back to Aine and squatted down on the ground.

Ai Yin also cautiously observed her surroundings. Although it was her suggestion, she was filled with nervousness and shyness at the moment.

However, the urge to relive her childhood dreams, along with the sense of dependence and trust, ultimately helped her overcome her shyness.

She walked behind Jun Takasaki, then leaned down slightly and gently knelt down beside him.

Jun Takasaki felt the pressure coming from behind him; he knew that Aine had arrived.

It's a little embarrassing, but it's also kind of interesting to revisit past memories at this time.

"Are you ready?"

"Mmm," Aine's voice was very soft.

Jun Takasaki stood up, then grabbed his legs which were passing under his ribs with both hands, and tentatively took two steps forward.

Yes, not at all.

So light!

That was his first reaction, followed by pity. Ai Yin was already thin, and with Yu Yu and illness lately, her weight had dropped even further. She definitely needed to take good care of herself when she got back.

So flat!

That was his second reaction, and then... he felt a bit disappointed. Seriously, she's such a pretty young girl, how come she's so disappointing in this area? She really should catch up on her skills when she gets back... But then again, she's already this age, is there any hope of her growing up any further?

Ah, what have you been thinking about! Only then did Jun Takasaki realize that he had had some very impolite thoughts, so he forcibly nipped these wild ideas in the bud.

If Aine, who was lying on his back, knew that her beloved and trusted brother Jun could have such a rude thought, she would definitely be so angry that she would punch his back hard with her little fists...

Fortunately, Aine certainly didn't have mind-reading abilities. She simply rested her head on his shoulder with a contented smile, then slightly narrowed her eyes, enjoying the warm moment that belonged only to the two of them.

I wish I could stay in my carefree childhood forever... but unfortunately, that's impossible.

And so, the two of them walked among the lush green grass under the sunlight, their shadows overlapping in the overhead light, just like they had back then.

115, a crushing defeat.

At Chihaya Aine's request, Takasaki Jun carried her back and forth across the grass for a long distance to cheer her up.

When Aine had finished enjoying herself and asked Takasaki Jun to put her down, he, who was usually very fit, was actually a little tired.

However, it was all worth it, because at this moment, Ai Yin's gloom had completely dissipated, her eyes regained their brilliance, and her originally pale and sickly face regained its color.

She has finally come back to life.

Compared to Jun Takasaki's relief, Aine's feelings were much more complicated.

She glanced at the brother opposite her, a pang of guilt flashing through her mind.

At this moment, Jun Takasaki's once neat and well-fitting clothes were now wrinkled, not only from the creases left when he carried her, but also from the tears that soaked through his suit and the shirt underneath.

She bowed sincerely and then apologized to Takasaki Jun, "Jun-nii, I'm so sorry! I've made you go through so much trouble, and you even messed up your clothes."

"It's okay, it's just a piece of clothing. I can change it when I get back." Jun Takasaki waved his hand, then joked, "But it smells so sweet and soft, I don't want to wash it."

Ai-yin's face immediately turned bright red, and she dared not speak for a moment.

However, she proved she wasn't angry by taking action, and instead reached out and grabbed Takasaki Jun's arm again. "Let's go back to the dorm. I need to change my clothes and then say goodbye to my roommate properly... Even though I'm terrible at this school, my roommate is a really nice person, and I want to leave her some souvenirs..."

Jun Takasaki, of course, did not object, so the two of them walked back to the dormitory building they had just left. Jun Takasaki stayed downstairs and watched Aine go inside.

Aiyin walked up the stairs back to her dormitory.

She looked around the simply furnished room. Although she had been there for a while, she still hadn't gotten used to it.

There was no lingering attachment whatsoever.

She glanced at it, then opened her wardrobe. Instead of choosing a school uniform, she picked out a dress she had brought from Japan.

This school uniform is evidence of a nightmare for her. She will take it back to commemorate her past setbacks and pain, but she will never wear it again in her life.

She composed herself and then began to organize her personal belongings.

She didn't have many items, so it didn't take her long to pack them into her two suitcases.

Because she was not fully recovered, beads of sweat soon appeared on her forehead, and she sat down on the bed to rest, exhausted.

Her things were all packed, which meant that her study abroad experience had truly come to an end.

So there's only one last thing left.

My roommate has class today, so she's not in the dorm. Actually, that's fine. She doesn't want to say goodbye to someone awkwardly at the last minute.

Since we'll probably never see each other again in this lifetime, I might as well leave quietly.

With this feeling of loss, she placed one of her favorite cartoon pendants (which she bought in Japan) on her roommate's bedside table as a parting gift.

There was also a piece of paper under the pendant, on which Ai Yin wrote "thank you for everything!" and drew a red heart at the end of the sentence.

This is the last trace she can leave in England.

After leaving the gift, she had no more lingering feelings. She picked up her suitcase with both hands and staggered downstairs.

As she walked to the door, Jun Takasaki, who had been waiting for her, immediately went to greet her and naturally took the suitcase from her hands.

“I’ve already rented a car. We can go back to London today and check into a hotel. Then we’ll go straight to the airport tomorrow morning and be home tonight. My mom and your mom will pick you up at the airport.”

“Okay.” Ai Yin nodded gently, having no objection to his arrangement.

Over the years, the two families have traveled together many times and stayed in hotels together quite often. Moreover, the two mothers would book adjacent rooms in the hotel so that it would be convenient for them to travel together. Therefore, Ai-yin is used to staying in hotels with Chun-gege.

However, this time, none of their parents were with them. Perhaps this is proof that they've grown up.

While reminiscing about the past, Aine suddenly remembered a question, "Brother Chun, why don't you book a double room? It'll save you some money. I've already spent so much on you, so let's save a little bit if we can. That way, I'll feel more at ease."

“We’ve already spent so much money, what’s a little more for the hotel? It doesn’t matter.” Jun Takasaki shrugged, then joked, “Besides, according to you, wouldn’t it be cheaper to book a double room? We could squeeze in.”

"..." His teasing made Ai-yin's face turn red instantly, and she immediately protested, "That's harassment! I'm going to tell Auntie when I get back!"

"What, is Aine so unwilling?" Jun Takasaki's smile vanished, and he seemed a little hurt. "Even if you're unwilling, there's no need to complain..."

"I didn't say I was going to report you! I was just saying it in anger, don't take it seriously." Ai Yin immediately regretted it and quickly defended herself.

After a pause and a little struggle, she lowered her head. "If Chun-gege really wants this, I... I can too. But only a hug, okay?"

Now it was Jun Takasaki's turn to feel awkward. He knew he had gone too far with his joke, and seeing the shy and flustered Aine in front of him, he was suddenly moved.

But no, this is my most cherished childhood sweetheart, I can't do something so casual.

"No, I was just joking. Don't worry." He quickly shook his head. "I already booked both rooms, we can just check in."

If he weren't carrying suitcases in both hands, he would have reached out and playfully pinched her nose.

Upon learning that he was just joking, Aine felt relieved, but also felt a little disappointed.

However, there's plenty of time. I'm still young now, and it won't matter when I'm older.

So she quickly adjusted her mood, and the two of them walked out of the private girls' school, chatting and laughing, and got into a ride-hailing car, heading straight to a hotel in London.

------------------

The next day, the two of them went to the airport early in the morning as planned and boarded a plane back to Japan.

After a flight of more than ten hours, their plane landed at Narita Airport in the evening.

The two of them took their luggage and walked out of the plane, then walked all the way to the exit, where their mother had been waiting for a long time.

"Aine!" The moment Mrs. Chihaya, who had been waiting anxiously, saw the girl, she rushed to her daughter and hugged her tightly. "You're finally back..."

Seeing her daughter's emaciated appearance, she was heartbroken. She couldn't utter a single word she had prepared, only feeling sorrow and relief that "at least she's alright." Then, tears streamed down her face again. "It's good you're back, Mom... Mom missed you so much."

Aine was already very excited when she saw her mother, but now her crying touched her heartstrings even more.

So she hugged her mother tightly, and tears streamed down her face. "Mom, I miss you so much... I'm sorry, I'm so useless."

"Don't say that, Mom doesn't care, as long as you come back safe and sound." Mrs. Chihaya shook her head repeatedly, then choked up and said, "Nothing else matters..."

Seeing that she had clearly escaped home in a sorry state and caused her parents so much trouble, but her mother didn't scold her at all when they met, only saying that she was glad to be back safe and sound, Aine felt both touched and guilty.

Having such parents is truly my greatest fortune. On the contrary, it is I who have caused so much trouble for my family because of my willful and reckless behavior, making my mother cry like this. I am truly ashamed to face them.

Thinking of this, she cried even harder.

Although they hadn't been separated for long, the mother and daughter acted as if they were going through a life-or-death separation, hugging each other and shedding tears, which attracted the attention of passing passengers.

Mio Takasaki and Jun Takasaki stood to one side, neither of them saying a word, letting Chihaya and her daughter vent their emotions.

Once they had vented their anger, Mio Takasaki stepped forward and spoke softly.

"Aiyin, it's been a long time."

Upon seeing her, Aine quickly released her embrace from her mother and then bowed respectfully to her.

"Auntie, it's been a long time. I miss you very much over there."

"Now that you're back, let's forget all those unpleasant things from before... As long as you're alright, that's all that matters." Takasaki Mio looked at Aine with loving eyes, her tone extremely gentle. "Speaking of which, I should apologize to you. I didn't dissuade you when you mentioned wanting to study abroad, and as a result, things have escalated to this point..."

“Auntie, please don’t say that,” Ai Yin replied solemnly. “Studying abroad was my own decision, and the lack of preparation was my own carelessness and recklessness. Now that I have to interrupt my studies and return home, it is my own incompetence. The responsibility naturally lies with me. What’s wrong with you having hopes for me?”

Seeing how well Aine handled the situation and how smoothly she communicated, Takasaki Mio secretly felt relieved—thankfully, although the child had suffered a huge blow, she wasn't ruined, so it was just a temporary setback and nothing serious.

"There's no need to be so harsh. Everyone has things they're not good at. You just happen to be unsuitable for studying abroad. This lack of skill shouldn't be used to negate your life... Aiyin, you're still young, smart, and beautiful. At worst, you can start over in China. Auntie still has high hopes for you! We will do our best to help you. Don't be afraid, you're never alone."