Uneasy daily life

Yukino Yukinoshita, who seemed to be chatting casually with the white figure, didn't seem to show any disgust or rejection.

"I tried to pull him into the river but failed, and Yukino-chan followed him and jumped in successfully." Yukinoshita Haruno sighed deeply and patted Sakurajima Mai's shoulder familiarly. "I just think that the rascal's good deeds outweigh his bad deeds, so I won't hold it against him—Sakurajima-san, you should still be more careful."

Mai Sakurajima's expression was particularly interesting... What kind of situation could drive a normal person to the point of contemplating jumping into a river? Admittedly, there are times when I do want to attack the haters, and the most direct action I've taken right now is probably stepping on their toes... Hmm? I think I've unconsciously started making mild personal attacks?

Thinking carefully, what circumstances could drive me to want to jump into the river with the other person and die together? The most likely scenario is a conflict between myself and my mother.

Whether it was the performance or that life game, the hater did indeed flirt with the edge of a minefield.

If he recklessly starts a fire... and you dare to dance in all sorts of dangerous places now, what do you plan to do in the future? Point fingers and pontificate with self-righteousness?

Mai Sakurajima frowned slightly, her gaze deep as she stared at the white figure who was talking to Yukino Yukinoshita.

Sigh... Which one is the real jerk? How did he even manage that? It's incredibly difficult to imitate. I just tried to have a deeper conversation using similar experiences, and it almost ignited a firestorm. There's no doubt that family issues are a major minefield for him. Understanding someone in a short time is far more difficult than deceiving your own mother.

Actually, the issues between myself and my mother were also minefields... How did that jerk manage to get over them back then? Right, he made me misunderstand his relationship with Yukino, and misunderstand that he had a good relationship with my mother—wasn't that even more outrageous?

How many faces does this guy have? Kindness? Malice? Likes to play tricks? Which one is the real face?

Yukinoshita was very curious and walked over with a smile, when she suddenly heard a rather discordant conversation.

"Have you noticed that your sister's ability to tease you has improved lately? Of course! It's often said that children imitate their parents' behavior. Your sister is learning to take off her mask, so she's just like a child. It's normal to imitate adults' behavior before finding your own way."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Father and Mother don't have such a twisted relationship."

"Hahahaha—Auntie and Uncle wouldn't find it funny to tease you, but I would. Is it possible that your sister is imitating me?"

"Ok?"

Yukino Yukinoshita subconsciously turned her head and met Yukino Haruno's eyes—in her mind, the two girls who always liked to play tricks on her vaguely overlapped.

Yukino Yukinoshita: "Sister... how about we really go see a psychologist?"

Yukinoshita Yono: "..."

Let's just try tearing this guy's face off with our bare hands—especially his mouth!

……

……

Chitanda House.

"Father, Mother, I want to have a serious talk with you about the issue of succession."

Chitanda Eru sat upright, trying her best to put on a serious expression.

Chitanda's mother smiled, poured tea, and pushed a cup towards Oreki Houtarou, who had his head down.

“I’ve been seriously discussing this issue with you, but before that…”

Chitanda's father looked at Oreki Houtarou with a deep gaze: "Why are you here?"

"..."

I'd also like to know the answer to this question.

Houtarou Oreki pondered his answer: should he be more serious, saying, "I am the reinforcements Chitanda brought?", or perhaps more playful, saying, "I think, therefore I am?", or maybe more respectful and friendly, starting with, "Hello, Uncle?"...

“I asked Oreki-san to come and persuade my father,” Chitanda Eru replied, then, somewhat puzzled by her father’s earlier words, asked, “Does Father know Oreki-san?”

Chitanda's father said kindly, "Now we know each other."

Oreki Houtaro: "..."

Ah, I really should have cleared my head. I knew Chitanda was a bit single-minded and didn't think things through, so why did I let myself be dragged into this without thinking? Oh no, dealing with Chitanda's problem is probably going to be even more difficult now.

"In short, Father."

Chitanda Eru firmly stated, "I have no regrets or hesitation about becoming the heir to the Chitanda family, so the freedom you've given me only makes me more confused and troubled!"

"Eru, this concerns your future, and it can't be determined with just a few words now."

Chitanda's father said in a deep voice, "I have already explained the situation. I will find a way to solve the future of the Chitanda family. You should not be bound by this responsibility. You may not regret it now, but can you guarantee that you will not regret it later? I did not regret it when I was training you to be my heir, but I regret it now... The changes of the times are unstoppable, and the decline of this place is inevitable. The family is becoming a shackle. I failed to manage everything well, and that is my mistake."

"You shouldn't pay the price for my mistakes, and I won't allow it."

"Well--"

Chitanda Eru really wanted to argue back and say that she didn't care about the consequences, but when she caught sight of Oreki Houtarou trying to make himself invisible, she snapped out of her emotional state—she had helpers!

"Oreki-kun!" Chitanda Eru looked at Oreki Houtarou expectantly.

Chitanda's father looked at Oreki Houtarou quietly, his gaze filled with scrutiny, speculation, contemplation, and an emotionless stare.

Oreki Houtaro: "..."

I haven't said a single word, but why do I already feel so tired?

Today, we are destined to be unable to conserve energy.

"Uncle Chitanda is right."

Chapter 149 I Have a Plan

Agree? Aren't you an accomplice that Eru hired?

Chitanda's father frowned slightly, his mood not very cheerful—having his opinion agreed with was even more unpleasant than being refuted!

"Huh? Oreki-kun?"

Chitanda Eru was somewhat confused. Why was Oreki agreeing with her father? Was he really helping her or betraying her?

His gaze unconsciously met that of Houtarou Oreki, whose eyes, which usually seemed listless and indifferent, now responded with focus and seriousness.

Is Oreki serious? Why? Chitanda Eru subconsciously began to ponder.

When I speak, Airu immediately retorts; when you speak, Airu ponders.

Is this a form of discrimination?

Chitanda's father instinctively reached for a knife. Although there were no samurai swords or other decorative items in the house, there was no shortage of kitchen knives and wood-chopping knives.

"Am I right?"

Chitanda's father spoke up quietly, asking, "My esteemed guest, what I said makes no sense?"

"The environment changes, and people change accordingly. It is only natural that they make mistakes and feel regret. It is also reasonable to want to avoid regret and making mistakes."

Houtarou Oreki lowered his eyes, trying to avoid the pressure from both Chitanda's father and Chitanda Eru's gazes. He kept filtering and adjusting his logic in his mind and said, "Chitanda, your uncle doesn't want you to regret it or feel that you made a mistake and repeat it someday, so what I said is natural and reasonable."

“But I have never regretted this matter since I was a child,” Chitanda Eru said earnestly. “Father, please consider it.”

Houtarou Oreki chimed in, "Chitanda genuinely wants to get involved in this."

Which side are you on?

Chitanda's father's mood was even more unclear. He maintained a calm and gentle tone and said, "Just because you don't have it now doesn't mean you won't have it in the future."

Chitanda Eru earnestly declared her determination: "Father, I will never regret this!"

That's not what I meant... Chitanda's father had a headache.

“That’s not what Uncle meant,” Houtarou Oreki continued, bowing his head. “What Uncle regrets is leading Chitanda down this wrong path. If Chitanda were to inherit the family business in the future, things would definitely be worse, and one day he’ll probably regret it too…”

Chitanda's father's eyes twitched slightly—even though he was speaking up for me, I felt like ants were crawling all over me, it was really awkward.

"Is Father really sure I will regret it and make mistakes?" Chitanda Eru asked.

The fence-sitter fell again: "It may not be appropriate to judge the present based on assumptions and speculations."

"Because you and I used to be very similar, and if you inherit the family business, you will face a situation that is far more difficult than what I faced back then."

Chitanda's father temporarily put aside his guests; his immediate priority was to persuade his daughter to change her mind and not cling to a crooked tree: "Losing your goal may cause you confusion and pain for a while, but that's unavoidable. You should have the freedom to choose..."

Houtarou Oreki looked up at Eru Chitanda and echoed Chitanda's father's words, saying softly, "People can't avoid regrets and mistakes. The only thing you can do is face them. Uncle faced his own mistakes and came to the conclusion of giving Chitanda freedom."

Hmph, all you say is nice.

Chitanda's father cast a deep gaze at her.

Houtarou Oreki looked at Eru Chitanda.

Chitanda Eru blinked, looked at her father, and said forcefully, "If people are bound to regret and make mistakes, why do you think you can help me avoid making choices that will lead to regret and mistakes in the future?"

"Would Chitanda have avoided this kind of thing if she had taken a different path?" Houtarou Oreki added.

Chitanda's father: "Because I regretted and made mistakes because I went down this path, I naturally don't want you to repeat the same mistakes... This is the pit I fell into, and it's gotten even bigger. Do you want me to fall into it again?"

Houtarou Oreki insists on his fence-sitter approach: "The experience of elders comes from life lessons. My uncle believes that the family business is a difficult trap. If Chitanda takes this path, she may face the failure in that story."

“Even if it fails, it is still an achievement called failure,” Chitanda Eru replied.

Houtarou Oreki collapsed again: "If we negate an action based on the possibility of failure, then whatever we do will be negated, right? That's unreasonable."

Chitanda's father, seemingly unaware of the situation, glanced at Oreki Houtarou, who was sitting with his head bowed, and said, "It's different. The Chitanda family truly lacks hope and a future; this is the trend of the times. When I inherited the family business, I was also optimistic and ambitious, believing that society was booming and that even in a remote rural area, there was a promising future. In the end, I couldn't avoid the current predicament..."

Houtarou Oreki said, "My uncle thinks that Chitanda can't do it and will fail like him if he continues."

Chitanda's father: "?"

Chitanda Eru couldn't help but shout, "I don't think Father failed. Everyone respects Father!"

“This profound feeling is not something that can be simply generated by being asked, nor can it be summarized by simple success or failure.” Oreki Houtarou paused slightly and said softly, “How can a single request and a few abstract positive words compare to the weight of traversing mountains and rivers and enduring the trials of time?”

Chitanda's father: "..."

Wait a minute, I almost got caught up in this. My daughter has a brighter future and more choices, which is better than clinging to the burden of the family business.

Chitanda's father frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "I support your choice to have more options, to study abroad, and to see more of the world..."

Houtarou Oreki immediately switched sides: "Chitanda's future is freedom; she can fly anywhere she wants to go."

“I don’t want to…” Chitanda Eru paused, then immediately said, “Since you’ve given me wings, I can fly to the edge of the field, right?”

Houtarou Oreki skillfully jumped back: "If it's truly freedom, then Chitanda should be allowed to choose, not have her choice denied."

Chitanda's father: "..."

"Eru, stop for a moment."

Chitanda's father rubbed his temples, feeling his thoughts had been distorted—his idea should have been that [the family business would become a burden for Eru, so he should let her go out and find her own future, freeing her from this constraint], right? That was reasonable, consistent with the objective situation, and shouldn't be a problem.

"Don't stop! We must make the issues clear, express our opinions clearly, and discuss the matter thoroughly!" Chitanda Eru grunted, ready to press her advantage.

"This is a question that will not be answered until the dust settles."

Houtarou Oreki lowered his head and said, "No matter who it is, they can only take one step at a time and move forward slowly. Whether they will turn around, stop, or turn back, the conclusion can only be reached when they actually take that action."

"To determine what will happen several years or even decades from now, we can only use present and past arguments to speculate and imagine, which will inevitably lead to distortion, omissions and too many assumptions... Unexpected events will certainly occur, and regrets and mistakes will arise from them, as will surprises and achievements."

"I feel this deeply."

My imagined, gray youth is now shattered...

Chitanda, you are an accident, a shock, and probably a pleasant surprise.

Hmm? Does Oreki-kun mean I'll change? It doesn't seem to be that simple. Oreki-kun's words must have a deeper meaning. Hmm—! Where is the deeper meaning?

Chitanda Eru tried hard to think.

These words were primarily addressed to Chitanda's father.

Determining the future based on current logic and experience inevitably leads to logical contradictions and conflicts. To force a decision based solely on personal inclinations and emotions would be to deny and restrict one's daughter, rather than to grant her freedom and love.

Chitanda's father frowned and pondered. Eru was just a sixteen-year-old child. Even if she was strong, she was still just a strong child... The more she expressed her determination, wrote down her intentions, and argued, the more he felt that he had made a mistake, and he was determined not to let his family restrict her.

If we simply treat her as a young, innocent, and naive child...

I can't figure it out, I can't understand it, am I pulling the child's head?

“Eru, let’s each take a step back. You’re still young. You’re in high school now, and there’s university to come. You can learn, work hard, broaden your horizons, and gain experience step by step—prove to me with results that your determination is a firm commitment, not just a habitual inertia.”

“During this period, you can take the initiative to share household chores, but I will not ask you for anything more.”

Hmm? Father isn't denying it anymore?

If you want to prove it, then it's simply through hard work!

Chitanda Eru nodded and replied, "Yes!"

The atmosphere relaxed.

"Have you finished talking?" Chitanda's mother asked with a smile, clasping her hands together. "You can eat when you're done."