Uneasy daily life

Looking back now, why did that jerk make a non-interference agreement with me? Yukino was there too, why didn't he make an agreement with her as well?

Judging from the content of the agreement, the difference between myself and Yukino-chan is... When I used to pretend to be a social butterfly, I was used to making familiar physical contact. For some people, this behavior can better bring them closer.

Yukino-chan couldn't do things like patting someone on the shoulder from behind and laughing and joking around with her friends, since Yukino-chan didn't have any friends.

The conclusion was that, in order to avoid a surprise attack, the guy lured him into signing an agreement that now seems quite meaningful.

Hmm—if we follow this line of thought, in that bastard's recording of his mother's deception, his portrayal of a stalker and his fetishistic, perverted quotes is like scoring 120 out of 100 on a test.

Does this mean that Bai Ying has a hand fetish...?

He couldn't have been unaware of his own actions when he suddenly made such a conspicuous move. That jerk, let alone playing a hand fetishist, he was incredibly convincing as a foot fetishist when he teased Mai Sakurajima. He's a master of deception, putting on one face after another; you have to improvise to get into character.

As Yukino pondered this, she chuckled to herself.

Why bother figuring out whether this is true or false? It's not important. You can't play around with idiots without getting yourself played. You should use that time to plan for the future. Although my original intention for going to the camp was to relax and have some fun, I unexpectedly got a job.

Do I like music? I still don't know.

Yukino Yukinoshita leaves the train station with her guitar on her back.

If you're looking for a place in Tokyo where the music scene is at its most vibrant... check out Shimokitazawa.

……

……

Bai Ying stepped off the tram, dragging her suitcase and humming a song. She hadn't gone far when her phone rang.

"Hello, I've done some calculations, and your fate is exceptionally good. You're destined for boundless happiness and longevity, living to a ripe old age. But as the saying goes, the heavens have their cloudy and sunny days, the moon waxes and wanes, and the earth has its ups and downs. If your luck is too good, you're bound to experience a little bad luck, like writing your name wrong on a final exam..."

On the other end, he listened quietly until he finished speaking, skillfully ignoring everything, and then went straight to the point.

[Bai-kun, what's the story behind Mai Sakurajima announcing her retirement?]

"Of course I did it."

[Can I interpret this as a confession? Bai Jun is really something, managing to get a big star to announce his retirement.]

"I'm a professional hater, an expert at finding fault from every angle and launching targeted attacks. But this is just a temporary victory. Brave Plus will definitely pull off a comeback after retiring," Bai Ying said with a sense of satisfaction. "Consider it revenge for Brave Plus."

So what exactly did you do?

"To use a description that a hero can empathize with—you wake up to find your sister lying in bed, and give her a scolding that does zero damage."

In that situation, I think I would have tried to kick my sister off the bed.

"You enter the living room to find your mother sitting on the sofa, announcing that she will be giving you special attention and guidance. From now on, your mother will live and eat with you, accompany you to school, and constantly monitor your behavior and conduct. Her primary responsibility is to cultivate you into an outstanding member of the family, and her lifelong goal is to make Yukino Yukinoshita even greater..."

Then I should immediately inactivate the white fungus.

"At most, I'm just the one who helps open the door."

[Hmm? My sister and mother are both here, but what about my father?]

"Your dad?" Bai Ying tilted her head and thought for a moment, then made an analogy, "Your dad thinks your sister is more suitable, and he makes your sister learn from you every day."

It's really a mess.

Yukino Yukinoshita roughly understood, and looking at the slightly old buildings around her, she said calmly, "In other words, Haku-kun showed Sakurajima Mai the truth, which indirectly led to Sakurajima Mai's retirement from the entertainment industry, completing the final victory for a hater."

[They're generally quite good, so let's give them a few more compliments!]

Praise you? You're clearly asking for a beating.

Yukino Yukinoshita paused to gather her thoughts before coldly saying, "Sakurajima Mai is truly magnanimous for not eliminating Shiraki."

[The brave guy even chased me so hard I jumped into the river! Ugh! He couldn't vent his anger, so he took it out on me, an innocent bystander. If the rural buses hadn't been so slow, my escape plan would have been a breeze.]

Run away? Bai Jun has already returned from the formation?

Yukino Yukinoshita suppressed the question rising in her mind, her thoughts flashing back to the lessons she had learned about Haku-kun—never consider things like liking or disliking him in front of him. As long as you're not thinking about those things, no matter how sharp Haku-kun's eyes are, they won't see through you. You can maintain a close, friendly distance in your behavior, but you must never show any signs of trying to close that distance.

In short, just maintain the same attitude and words you used when you were living together.

Yes, it's a very simple thing. Anyway, I don't usually have many facial expressions, so it shouldn't be too difficult... Just kidding!

Aside from Bai Jun, who lies like water, who can control their behavior and speech all the time? I've never learned that kind of social skill since I was a child. Besides, even my sister, who has reached the pinnacle of her skills, was completely outmatched by Bai Jun.

I can't and don't want to do things like pretending or lying.

The only way to avoid being exposed is to remain silent. Don't say anything until you're certain, and don't even think about it in front of Bai Jun.

[Hello—are you there? Why did you suddenly stop talking?]

Yukino Yukinoshita snapped out of her daze, her gaze momentarily unfocused. She then spotted a middle-aged man rushing over, looking radiant with the energy of someone celebrating a demolition project. She casually replied, "Busy."

beep--!

Hang up the call.

The person in charge of the company next door went up to greet the landlord and exchanged a few pleasantries. The landlord then took out his key, opened the door, and said warmly, "Come in and have a seat."

Yukino Yukinoshita remembered her father's advice to observe and learn. Since she didn't understand anything, she couldn't really say much. Her biggest takeaway so far was learning the functions of some positions within the company. Some needed to communicate with homeowners, some needed to handle government documents, some needed to confirm construction schedules, and some needed to conduct site visits to confirm demolition plans… No wonder her father could be holed up in the office playing games instead of doing his job.

The phone, which hadn't been put away yet, vibrated. Yukino Yukinoshita followed her into the house, answered the call, and before she could even speak, the other party hung up with a beep.

Yukinoshita Yukino: "..."

Even hanging up the phone requires being quick and not lagging behind others?

"The demolition date is in a month and a half. Take a look at the documents. This is the compensation..."

"Mmm." The landlord beamed, then hesitated, as if remembering something, and said, "Speaking of which, I rented this place out..."

"If there's a rental agreement, this needs to be resolved through negotiation between the gentleman and the tenant." The person in charge glanced around the deserted state of the room, with a slight amount of dust on the floor. "It doesn't look like anyone lives here."

"I rented this place before, and I didn't expect it to be slated for demolition... I'm checking now."

Fearing his good fortune would slip away, the landlord immediately pulled out his phone and dialed: "Hey... young man, something's gone wrong with the rental... Hmm? How did you know my house is going to be demolished? Hahaha, that's certainly good news... Do you have time to come over? I'll refund your deposit... Is it nearby? Let's do it today..."

The landlord hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that things were going smoothly, the person in charge breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid of encountering someone who would try to cause trouble and gain benefits by making a scene, which would increase his workload for no reason, not to mention that the boss's daughter was with him... This was different from the daughter the boss had arranged to observe and learn from before; she had a cold, serious, and piercing look throughout.

He seems to be just a high school student, but in terms of age, he's the same generation as his daughter.

The boss's daughter is, of course, of the same generation as me.

The person in charge seemed a little more relaxed and chatted casually, "This house is in a remote location and has been around for a while. The surrounding area is not very developed, and the house itself isn't very big, so it's quite difficult to rent it out..."

"The young man renting the room is quite strange, with very peculiar interests," the landlord said, recounting some amusing anecdotes. "He said things like, 'You can only see the full picture of a light in the shadows,' 'Loneliness helps with thinking,' and 'This is a perfect place to meet deadlines,' which are probably what young people call 'chuunibyou' (middle school syndrome) these days."

Yukino Yukinoshita, who was simply observing, was taken aback.

Wait a minute, this description sounds a bit...

"The mountains and rivers stretch for thousands of miles, yet there is no place to place an awl... I can't think of anything, forget it."

A familiar voice drifted closer from outside. Yukino Yukinoshita instinctively turned to look at the doorway. A white figure, carrying a large backpack and dressed in a ronin-like style, walked up to the door. The two stared at each other, both stunned and bewildered.

Bai Ying: "?"

Yukinoshita Yukino: "!"

The white figure exclaimed indignantly, "So! You're going to play dirty tricks on me, aren't you?!"

Yukinoshita Yukino: "#!"

Chapter Thirty-One: Don't come any closer!

It's quite a coincidence that we suddenly encountered each other while observing the work. I guess that's a kind of fate.

A little surprise, a little astonishment, a little joy that welled up spontaneously, a little familiar annoyance—a pebble was thrown into the calm lake of my heart after several days, and ripples kept spreading, each trace carrying memories… I carefully suppressed my feelings, not wanting anyone to know them, but I didn’t feel pain or annoyance. Instead, I felt a quiet, inexplicable joy.

The feeling of liking someone is really strange.

Yukino Yukinoshita was surprised when she heard the other party shout.

"Too deceiving!"

The white-clad figure strode aggressively closer, speaking with grief and indignation: "I was once a model student at the General Martial Arts Academy, a well-behaved wanderer from afar, but who would have thought I'd fall for such a scoundrel! You arrogantly seized my activity room, forced me to sign a gambling agreement, and while I was down and out, you feigned kindness and then used it to your advantage, hoping to steal my victory! I've already swallowed my pride and tolerated it, yet you continue to press on, and today you've even used your family's influence to try and expel me from this place!"

"Have you stooped so low as to use any means necessary to achieve victory?!"

Yukino Yukinoshita opened her eyes wide in slight confusion, the lingering emotions in her heart immediately dissipating. When she looked at the landlord and the person in charge beside her with strange expressions, her slight annoyance instantly rose into a cold and murderous aura with tense expressions—this was not an encounter, this was clearly a battle! This was not fate, it was all a karmic entanglement!

"I didn't know your new apartment was here. You can forget about Baijun's wishful thinking."

Yukino Yukinoshita explained logically, "In the end, isn't this just a matter of Shirai-kun's preferences? It likes to take root in dark and remote places, so it's reasonable that my family has demolished it twice in a row. This is not some kind of deliberate targeting."

Bai Ying's eyes widened: "Huh?! Was it your house that was demolished last time too?!"

...It seems I haven't mentioned this to Bai-jun? That makes sense! With all those things happening during the school trip, this little problem was long forgotten.

Yukino Yukinoshita calmly said, "My family owns the largest construction company in Chiba. Recently, they have been carrying out a redevelopment plan, and various old houses are being demolished and rebuilt. I am just observing and learning. If Shirogane wants to complain about the petri dishes being dismantled, let's find the right person first."

Bai Ying's mind raced, and she decisively pointed out the culprit: "So, last time it was your sister who demolished my house, and this time it's you?!"

Yukino Yukinoshita forcibly suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and said calmly, "Instead of the pointless act of looking for someone to take responsibility, Shirakami should think about where she's going to stay tonight."

"You actually want to force me to live in your house?!"

Bai Ying gasped, then declared resolutely, "I will not yield! Your threats and inducements are useless!"

Oops—I've been seen through! Calm down! Calm down even more! In the end, I never intended to earn commission points by renting a room in a vacant house!

Yukino Yukinoshita leaned back slightly, then noticed that the landlord and the person in charge also leaned back slightly. She was immediately startled and looked at the person in charge… If one were to interpret Shiro-kun's vague and strange statement from an outsider's perspective…

"—!"

The person in charge suddenly sat up straight, eyes downcast, nose down, mouth down, heart down, with a solemn expression, as if he were deaf and hadn't heard a thing. His thoughts were racing like lightning, his gossip-loving heart was surging like a tsunami, and there was a thrilling feeling of accidentally stepping on the edge of a cliff.

The boss's daughter was bullying men and women, and he just happened to witness it!

As a working person, I guess I can only pretend I didn't see this, but something just feels off... What reason does the boss's daughter have to play the bullying game? And even use the demolition compensation to bring people into her home?

Perhaps I misunderstood...

"White Fungus!" Yukino Yukinoshita gritted her teeth. "Don't give me any nonsense that's easy to misunderstand!"

"Wasn't it your company that demolished my pitiful rented apartment twice? Wasn't it you who made me live in your house for half a month?" Bai Ying accused emotionally, as if she had been cornered and had nowhere to retreat. "You are so vicious! Is there any need to deny it now?!"

The blame was forcefully slapped onto her head with a thud. Yukino Yukinoshita remained calm, crossed her arms, and said disdainfully, "Shiro-kun really has an exceptionally high opinion of himself. Being repeatedly demolished is just a matter of luck. In the end, it's normal for Shiro-kun to have bad luck, right? After all, he has committed many evils. I originally took you in out of kindness, but I didn't expect you to turn around and bite the hand that feeds you, framing me by twisting the cause and effect. It's truly chilling."

Bai Ying retorted indignantly, "Did I lie?!"

“To deliberately and subjectively manipulate facts for some grand purpose is itself a form of lying.” Yukino Yukinoshita tried to clear herself of the blame. “While Shirakami is certainly adept at distorting facts, from a common-sense perspective, I have no need to specifically target Shirakami in any way.”

"You self-proclaimed cute guy, you're so greasy." Bai Ying, like a poor Cinderella being forced into a corner by a domineering CEO, said in a fit of grief and indignation, "So what if you're rich? So what if you own a house? Give up, I will never do as you wish! Even if others think you're cute, you're still trying to bully women and men! And you're using common sense to cover up the despicable nature of your behavior!"

You're the one bragging, aren't you? You're the one bullying women and oppressing men! You're the one using common sense... no, you have absolutely no common sense!

"How could I possibly do such a thing? Baijun really needs to correct everything!"

Yukino Yukinoshita's lips trembled slightly, and she clenched her fists, wanting to immediately stop her weak verbal criticism and launch a strong physical attack.

There's absolutely no need to hide your emotions or control your behavior; this guy can easily push his emotions to extremes in just a few minutes!

"Impossible? You think it's impossible just because you're a woman?" Bai Ying decisively stepped aside and approached the person in charge, who had transformed into a silent, unyielding figure. "Auntie, please give me a fair answer. Is it even possible for her?"

The person in charge subconsciously took a closer look at Bai Ying. Logically speaking, it was indeed impossible. The boss's daughter was beautiful, rich, and would most likely have power in the future... You're still wearing your school uniform this weekend, which means you're clearly struggling financially. You look like a drowned rat after being dried, looking disheveled from head to toe... Upon closer inspection, you have deep eyes, well-proportioned features, and an exceptionally handsome face. A few strands of messy hair fall from your forehead, which actually makes you look carefree. Looking at your simple clothes paired with your healthy, youthful, and well-proportioned figure, what a young man who is distressed but still has a pure heart...

If I were ten years younger, and also rich and powerful...

It's very possible!

The person in charge just wanted to pretend he knew nothing. He felt incredibly unlucky to have just witnessed his boss's daughter behaving so arrogantly.

"Young man, this is your rent deposit. I'll return it to you first."

The landlord counted the deposit several times, handed it over, and said, "Please check it."

"Former landlord, aren't you even interested in watching this drama unfold?" Bai Ying scoffed as she took the rent. "Where's your conscience and sense of justice? Right here in front of us, some woman who doesn't want to reveal her name is abducting an innocent young man in the street..."

"Oh, young man, it doesn't matter if the food is good or not, as long as it's free." The landlord was clearly not interested in this, only finding the two young people too noisy. "Um—where do I sign the demolition contract? What are the specific procedures? When can I receive the demolition compensation?"

The person in charge, feeling as if granted a pardon, immediately continued the conversation, explaining using several documents on the table: "The details are as follows..."

What cold-hearted adults! They don't care whether the rich heiress is bullying women and oppressing men. One just wants to finish work quickly and go home, while the other just wants to know when his money will arrive. Bai Ying sighed deeply at this, then felt a sharp, cold glare from someone.

Bai Ying calmly pocketed the deposit and dashed towards the door.

You think you can just run away after messing with someone?!