Uneasy daily life

"..."

To make something awkward less awkward, it's best to immediately find something else to replace it.

Yukino Yukinoshita calmly asked, "Have you heard of Mai Sakurajima?"

The minister is with Mai Sakurajima? Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but wonder before he could even answer.

"Sakurajima Mai?" Yuigahama Yui shook her head. "Never heard of her. Who is she?"

Yukino Yukinoshita said calmly, "A character created by Haku-kun..."

"What are you talking about?" Hachiman Hikigaya asked curiously. "How could you not know Mai Sakurajima? She participated in the club president's devil's game too."

Yukino Yukinoshita and Yui Yuigahama both looked at them with strange and questioning eyes: "Hachiman/Hachiman-kun, are you alright?"

Hachiman Hikigaya leaned back and said, "You've been misled by the minister and want to carry out a group scam against me?"

"Huh? No, I don't know Mai Sakurajima." Yui Yuigahama quickly shook her head and said, "I really don't know Mai Sakurajima."

Yukino Yukinoshita said calmly, "It seems like Hikigaya-kun has been bewitched by Haku-kun."

"Tsk, then let's produce some concrete evidence."

Hachiman Hikigaya took out his phone and searched.

[A fan knelt down, pleading with Mai Sakurajima to return to the entertainment industry, their tearful plea deeply moving.]

Judging from the videos and pictures that haven't been released yet, it seems like I've stumbled upon a huge bombshell.

Hachiman Hikigaya had a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Hachigaya-kun, where's your evidence?" Yukino Yukinoshita asked suspiciously. "Could it be that Haku-kun is colluding with you to pull a trick?"

Ha—under the snow, you're courting death!

Hachiman Hikigaya opened the video and turned his phone towards the two of them: "Look, isn't the one the minister caught Sakurajima Mai? You said I was lying, but it's clearly you two who are colluding with the minister to deceive me."

Yukino Yukinoshita watched the video, then looked at Hachiman Hikigaya, her brows slowly furrowing as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Hey, why are you looking at me like that? Hachiman Hikigaya sensed something was off.

Yui Yuigahama complained, "There's no Shiro or Mai Sakurajima in the video at all. It's just a street video at dusk, isn't it?"

"what?"

Hachiman Hikigaya looked down. The screen was indeed showing the captain grabbing Mai Sakurajima's foot: "The resolution is a bit blurry, and the camera is unstable and drifting, but you can still tell it's the captain, right? He's still wearing his school uniform."

"Bai Jun wants to stir things up, so I'll grant his wish."

Yukino Yukinoshita sighed, closed the book, put it in her bag, picked up her shoulder bag and said, "It seems no one will come to make a request today. Please keep an eye on the activity room."

"Hey! What's with this attitude of not wanting to waste time with me?"

Hachiman Hikigaya was utterly bewildered, then glanced at the video playing—"This is a ministerial matter, and you're saying there's no minister above you?!"

"That's what you mean. See you tomorrow."

Yukino Yukinoshita left with her schoolbag slung over her shoulder.

The activity room fell silent.

Hachiman Hikigaya rubbed his temples and slowly remarked, "Is Yukinoshita trying to emulate the captain and learn his tricks?"

"Xiaoqi, what are you talking about?" Yui Yuigahama asked, puzzled. "It's clearly you and Xiaobai who are lying to us."

"Hey, Yukinoshita's already gone, you don't need to keep acting, right?"

Hachiman Hikigaya sighed. Yukinoshita wanted to skip club activities and find the club president. Wouldn't it have been better to just do it directly like before? Why did she have to beat around the bush and find some excuse, even dragging innocent Hachiman into it... Yes, this must be Yukinoshita making excuses!

Hahahahaha...

Yui Yuigahama returned a bewildered and worried look: "H-Hachi...Are you alright?"

"……fine."

Hachiman Hikigaya put away his phone without any expression.

I feel a bit cold.

……

……

Forgotten?

Is it really possible that Yukinoshita was tricked by Shirokage into a large-scale scam? Rationally speaking, it's very possible, but from another perspective, Yukinoshita shouldn't be the type of person who would be involved in a scam like Shirokage... The other Yukinoshita is more likely.

The call logs and phone numbers seem to prove that the conversations just now were not a trap set by Bai Ying who had recorded them in advance.

Mai Sakurajima frowned, her mind racing through various possibilities.

"Isn't that absurd?"

"You're right. This is a large-scale fraud program directed by Bai Liang and Bai Ying, with Yongzhe and others participating. It uses various traps to make the unsuspecting former stars show all sorts of amazing reactions as a highlight to increase ratings. The program's official name is 'The World of Yongzhe Plus'."

"..."

Mai Sakurajima rubbed her temples, trying to think calmly, but found that no matter how she thought about it, she felt a sense of absurdity and powerlessness.

Bai Ying, hands clasped in his pockets, asked curiously, "This amateur scientist, what do you think of what just happened?"

“I’m neither an ordinary citizen nor a scientist. As for what just happened… common sense dictates that you, Azusagawa, and the person on the other end of the call were all acting.” Rio Futaba sighed and pushed up her glasses. “If what happened just now wasn’t acting, then that would be very unbelievable.”

"Is it unbelievable?" Sakuta Azusagawa pondered. "Simply put, it's like going from a popular star to a has-been, right?"

Mai Sakurajima nodded and said, "If it's just being forgotten, it's not a big problem."

Bai Ying agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "That's right. Brave Plus has mastered the law of mental victory—as long as I feel it's okay, then nothing is a problem. This is a kind of invincible will."

"...Okay, I might have been a little too impulsive." Mai Sakurajima took a deep breath and asked seriously, "You're really not kidding me?"

Bai Ying leaned back in her chair and chuckled, "Whatever you think is true."

Sakurajima Mai's eyes twitched; she really wanted to grab the alcohol lamp on the table and whack this guy!

"Alright, Futaba-san, could you please explain this to me?"

"It's not really an explanation, because I don't know what happened either. At most, I'm just making a far-fetched connection based on what I know, and I can't guarantee the accuracy of the explanation—it might be right, or it might be wrong."

Rio Futaba pondered for a few seconds before speaking: "To put it in the simplest terms, if I had no interaction with Sakurajima-senpai in my entire life, if I didn't know you, had never seen you, had never even heard of you from anyone, and had never been exposed to any of your dramas or magazine interviews... then for me, who has not observed any 'Sakurajima Mai phenomenon,' Sakurajima-senpai simply doesn't exist."

"Only when I met Sakurajima-senpai, learned about her from others, or watched her TV dramas and movies and observed the [Sakurajima Mai phenomenon], could Sakurajima-senpai be considered a definite individual to me."

"Objectively speaking, Sakurajima-senpai exists. Whether I observe her or not, in my subjective judgment, I must observe her to confirm her existence. This is the basic logic."

Rio Futaba pondered for a moment, then continued, “Schrödinger’s cat goes a step further. The ‘facts’ become uncertain, no longer objective facts. Observation becomes an action that interferes with the ‘facts’... To put it in an inappropriate way, I must observe the ‘Sakurajima Mai phenomenon’ for Sakurajima Mai to exist in objective reality; otherwise, Sakurajima Mai does not exist.”

"From this perspective, if what just happened didn't involve deception, then it means that Sakurajima-senpai is facing a problem in reverse—you are transforming from an objectively existing 'fact' into an uncertain quantum state. This process is manifested in the fact that people who should have observed you suddenly can't observe you and all the phenomena you caused."

Sakurajima Mai frowned and said, "Just like before, Yukinoshita couldn't hear me?"

"Oh dear, why is Hero Plus so clumsy? In situations like this, just assume you don't exist and then proceed with the deduction."

Bai Ying summarized: "Those affected will feel that Mai Sakurajima does not exist. They cannot hear you when you speak, they do not know your appearance or name, and in their eyes, the TV dramas and movies you star in probably do not exist at all. Even if they sense that there is a logical error, it will still be corrected as a matter of course. If you try to contact them, they may pass through you like air."

"Don't think you can just hide and do illegal things."

Sakurajima Mai didn't have time to pay attention to someone's teasing; she felt a little cold: "...Then what should we do?"

"do not know."

Rio Futaba hesitated and said, "Although from a quantum perspective, as long as there is an observer, the result will always be determined. In other words, as long as one person remembers you, you will still exist. But how to completely solve the problem... I can't give an answer for now."

Sakuta Azusagawa gave an example: "Drink more hot water?"

"We can't be sure if the root cause is a psychological problem, can we?" Rio Futaba sighed. "What Shirakage suggested was just a guess and a line of thought."

Bai Ying said solemnly, "I will remember you. Have a safe journey."

Mai Sakurajima's lips twitched slightly as she forcefully stomped on the white figure's toes.

Chapter Fifty-Four: Imaginary Enemy?

"What exactly is puberty syndrome?"

Sakurajima Mai asked, quite puzzled, "If it were a psychological problem that could cause such an inexplicable phenomenon, society would have been in chaos long ago, wouldn't it?"

"I do not know."

Rio Futaba shook her head and said, "All my current understanding is limited to this. All discussions are based on the premise that puberty syndrome exists. I am more inclined to believe that this is a scam."

"I do not know."

Sakuta Azusagawa shrugged and said, "I encountered some incredible things, and because they are incredible, I can't understand them."

"I don't even know where the end of the universe is, so how would I know about such things?"

Bai Ying scooped two spoonfuls of coffee into the cup, added mineral water, and stirred: "Be careful not to become a fool in the tiger's misconception."

"Tiger Misconception?" Mai Sakurajima asked curiously, "What kind of strange statement is that?"

"The tiger clan in the forest held an annual selection meeting for the most touching tigers. First, one tiger after another took the stage to introduce a series of outstanding humans. The tigers then voted for the most touching person among them."

"First, a very strong tiger came on stage and said, 'Once I was so hungry that I couldn't walk. Suddenly a human shouted, "What's so scary about tigers?" I slid in and killed it. He rushed over and slid in again, putting the tiger directly into my mouth. Instantly, I was full!' The tigers in the audience felt that this kind of human was very touching."

"Then a fierce-looking tiger came on stage and said, 'As we all know, hunting is always a hassle. Those rabbits and deer have become very clever and run away when they see us. If we're unlucky, we'll go hungry. Once, when I was hunting, a human came up to me with something strange and started talking about benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, and the eternal fame of Confucius and Mencius. I bent down to pounce on him, but that guy didn't run away. It was the easiest hunt I've ever had.' The tigers in the audience found this very touching."

"The last tiger came on stage and shouted, 'There's a human watching us! Brothers, it's time to eat!'"

"I was eaten by a tiger."

Bai Ying snapped his fingers, lit the alcohol lamp, and brewed coffee: "This is called the tiger's misconception. Fools will get eaten by tigers."

Sakuta Azusagawa nodded with his arms crossed and said, "If you see a tiger, you should turn around and run."

“If it’s truly an unbelievable thing, so unbelievable that no one but the person involved could possibly know about it, then it’s certainly reasonable…” Mai Sakurajima frowned, adjusting her mindset. “I don’t understand the logic behind it, but the problem still needs to be solved.”

"My explanation from a quantum perspective is far-fetched, and Bai Ying's explanation from a psychological perspective is also far-fetched. They are both similar lines of thought, and neither of them is necessarily correct. A single leaf outside the window can make all the scientific knowledge that humanity has accumulated so far seem ridiculous. Whether the problem exists or not, and how to solve it, we can only take it one step at a time. Maybe you will wake up tomorrow and find that the anomaly has disappeared."

Rio Futaba offered a word of comfort, then pushed up her glasses and asked, "How did you find the coffee?"

"Of course, it's based on intuition."

Bai Ying said, "I feel that the main problem for the Brave Plus is psychological. Remember to drink more hot water when you get back and maintain a good mindset."

Mai Sakurajima hesitated and asked, "Is this all you need?"

"How would I know?" Bai Ying said matter-of-factly, "Anyway, we might as well try anything..."

Mai Sakurajima: #!

Rio Futaba picked up the beaker and poured coffee into the cup: "I'll go back and look through my books to see if I can find any solutions to your problem, senior."

"Excuse me."

Mai Sakurajima sighed softly, feeling troubled. How could she have encountered such a strange thing? Was it really not a large-scale scam orchestrated by the anti-fans and a few others?

Feeling down won't solve anything. Try to adjust your mindset. Although the hater has said that his reasoning may not be correct, use whatever methods are available for now.

The three bid farewell to Rio Futaba and strolled away from the school at dusk. Mai Sakurajima looked dazed, her steps were somewhat heavy, and her worldview had been severely shaken.

“When I first encountered puberty syndrome, a bruise appeared on my chest out of nowhere and I was taken to the hospital,” Sakuta Azusagawa said. “At that time, I explained the incredible situation to the doctors and people around me, but neither my parents nor the doctors believed me. In the end, it was determined to be an accident… Thanks to that incident that was rumored to have caused me to be hospitalized, I have made some really good friends.”

“Sakuta-kun…” The white figure reached out and hugged Azusagawa Sakuta, pressing his head against her chest gently, and said tenderly, “It’s okay, let me comfort you.”

Sakuta Azusagawa retorted, his neck stiff: "Sorry, your chest can't comfort me!"

Bai Ying pressed her hand down forcefully: "It's okay! As long as you feel it with your heart, my chest is warm and soft!"

"If I feel it with my heart, it means that it is neither warm nor soft in reality."

"You still want to lean on a girl's chest? Stop being a pervert, only a brother's embrace will be open for you."

"I also have a younger sister."

Two elementary school students are playing and fighting.

Sakurajima Mai mentally scoffed and picked up her phone to search for the hospital incident on the school forum. What started as a discussion about Azusagawa Sakuta being sent to the hospital in junior high had quickly escalated into a discussion about him being a violent maniac, having ties to the yakuza, and being a delinquent.

“It’s unbelievable…” Mai Sakurajima put away her phone and shook her head. “I thought the discussion environment among students would be more innocent.”

Bai Ying sighed, "My school's forum is like that too, a bunch of people say I'm weird every day."

“Yes, that’s definitely not appropriate.” Mai Sakurajima wholeheartedly agreed. “At the very least, he should be a mental patient.”

"Ah... I have to go now, my little sister is waiting for dinner at home."