Uneasy daily life

Mai Sakurajima: #!

Are you trying to scare me?

Mai Sakurajima carefully considered someone's behavior in daily life...

[Want to Be a Bunny Girl: Hello, my name is Bai Ying, a first-year student at Soubu High School. I'm good at acting and creating, and I even have several friends. My favorite thing to do is jump around, I enjoy killing people, I'm homeless, and I'm an ordinary male high school student who burns incense for himself.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Unqualified! Your self-introduction is too bland, like when you're writing a resume and you just fill the honors and special skills section with a word you can find!]

[Want to be a Bunny Girl: Oh? How would you introduce yourself?]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Hello, my name is Sakurajima Mai, a once-popular star forgotten by the world. Currently, I've been sidelined by my entertainment company because my popularity has faded. If you give me 50 yen, I can persuade reporters to interview me, contact my loyal fans, and I can make a comeback, becoming a sensation across Japan. Then, I'll officially crown you as the head of the fan club.]

What a naive scam! Hmm? Could this be the reason?

[Want to be a Bunny Girl: If the online persona of Bai Liang Bai Ying isn't observed in person, it's impossible to determine if it's a hater; there's a possibility it's a fan or even a troll.]

[Bai Liang and Bai Ying: How dare you! How dare you assume I'm not Milk Powder Guy?!]

[Want to be a bunny girl: Baby formula is still too outdated for elementary school students.]

[Bai Liang and Bai Ying: Fighting with a child for food is a man's romance.]

[Want to be a bunny girl? ]

[Want to be a Bunny Girl: This hater is quite distinctive, not at all different in real life or online.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Isn't it normal for someone to suddenly start dancing at home and make "ee-woo-woo-woo" sounds?]

Most people don't hide themselves too much online, and because of this, most people exhibit two different behaviors online and in real life.

Mai Sakurajima seemed to be deep in thought, and was about to continue replying.

"Ugh……"

A sigh came from the bed. Feng Bin and Hua, who were lying on the bed, took out their phones, turned them over, and looked worried.

Mai Sakurajima curiously peeked out and saw her contacts on the screen, with a number labeled "Mom" on it.

Her decision to leave the entertainment industry did not lessen her aunt's excessive expectations of Kazuka. Instead, because of her own words of comfort, Kazuka, no longer needing to consider becoming 'Sakurajima Mai', engaged in an even more intense exchange of opinions with her aunt and brazenly ran away from home again.

Mai Sakurajima couldn't quite understand what her aunt was trying to do; it wasn't just a matter of competition.

After a moment's thought, I put aside my hesitation and doubt, and decided to do my best while I still could.

Even if I have no other options, I still hope that everything will turn out well.

Although I have a way in mind that might help Kazuka remember everything, it might not be a cure...

The facts have proven that whether or not one shines in the entertainment industry has no direct impact on their family relationship.

……

……

The next day.

As a runaway girl who mooches off her family, Toyohama Kazuka willingly takes on household chores, including breakfast.

Despite possessing the fierce spirit of a wild boar, her culinary skills are surprisingly good. Her dishes are not only visually appealing and delicious, but also feature some creative touches—not the daring run towards hell of Yui Yuigahama's "The Deadly Chef," but rather the finishing touches that bring the dish to life.

"Eighty points."

Bai Ying offered her evaluation and suggestions: "I hope you can make some stronger-flavored breakfasts next time."

"Climb over." Feng Bin and Hua gave a somewhat affirmative and definite answer to the suggestion, then said disdainfully, "If you want to eat, make it yourself. Don't mooch off my breakfast!"

Bai Ying glanced at the breakfast on the table, which was clearly for two people, and chuckled, "You're so arrogant."

Toyohama Kazuka: #!

"Alright, stop staring at each other. I'm kind enough to give you a place to stay, so it's normal for you to be my maid and do some housework." Bai Ying said casually, then added earnestly, "I can see you're starting to regret it. Go home and apologize to your mother and make up with her."

Feng Bin and Hua put down their chopsticks, glaring at each other and saying, "Are you looking for a beating?!"

"Don't rush, let's discuss this seriously—look, you don't have many friends, and you've come to my house for help. It's easy for a man and a woman to have problems alone, and even if there are no problems, people will notice." Bai Ying coaxed patiently, "There will be a time when you have to meet your mother again. The longer you delay, the stronger your mother's reaction will be when she finds out that you've been living with me for a while."

"Tsk, what kind of reaction could she have? What else could it be but dissatisfaction?" Feng Binhehua said irritably. "I really don't know what she's thinking!"

Bai Ying said, "Is it possible that she wasn't thinking anything at all?"

Feng Bin and Hua returned the look of utter disbelief: "You're the one who didn't think anything at all."

"If you don't believe me, let's do an experiment." Bai Ying took out her phone and quickly pressed a few buttons.

Feng Bin and Hua were immediately drawn to Bai Ying's phone. Adhering to the first law of attacking jerks, they mocked, "Hey—rabbit phone case? Your hobby is really disgusting~"

Sakurajima Mai: "..."

"Hmph!" Bai Ying snorted coldly, retorting confidently, "What's wrong with pink bunnies? Don't you think they're cute? I'm a guy and I have more girlish sentiments than you. Shouldn't you reflect on how pathetic your own lack of femininity is?!"

"Only elementary school kids would use this kind of rabbit phone case," Feng Binhua scoffed. "Feminine charm? More like childish!"

Bai Ying was furious. She glared and opened her mouth, saying with an air of authority, "Try saying that again?!"

Is such a big reaction really necessary? Getting angry over a joke?

Feng Bin and Hua instinctively flinched, then someone's actions flashed through their minds, and they instantly straightened up: "Childish, childish is childish!"

"You scold again?!"

"Not only does it use a rabbit phone case, but it's also a crazy pink one!"

"you're right."

Bai Ying composed herself with satisfaction and dialed the phone.

Strange, I won the argument so easily today?

Feng Bin and Hua were a little puzzled, then frowned and realized something was wrong: "Who are you calling?"

"Your mother."

"?"

I've been betrayed?!

As Kazuka was still in shock, her thoughts were about to switch from language to physics, when she heard the white figure speak in an unfamiliar female voice: "Ms. Toyohama, you also want to know where Kazuka is, don't you?"

Who are you? And where are the flowers?!

“My name is Sakurajima Mai, and Kazuka is currently staying at my house.” Bai Ying said calmly, “Ms. Toyohama, please calm down. Kazuka does not want to talk to you right now, so please do not ask Kazuka to answer the phone or ask her to come home. I am just an intermediary and Kazuka’s friend. I have no right to ask her to do anything.”

"I'm only calling you to avoid making you worry."

[Tell me not to worry, then let Hehua answer the phone herself! If you're her friend, you should persuade her to go home! Running away from home over a disagreement, what kind of behavior is that?!]

Feng Bin and Hua frowned, almost unable to resist grabbing the phone to launch into another round of motherly love and filial piety from afar!

“In that case, let’s be frank,” Bai Ying said softly. “Tomorrow afternoon is the premiere of the movie ‘Them’, which was filmed by Kazuka. Please go to the designated cinema to watch the movie and bring 100,000 yen as compensation to cover the economic losses that Kazuka has caused me over the past two days. I will also bring Kazuka there to return her to you.”

"...Are you a kidnapper?!"

“Ms. Feng Bin, please do not make false accusations—this is not extortion, this is a demand for compensation. The person who should call the police is not you, but me.”

Bai Ying said in a serious tone, "Please book your tickets as soon as possible. I've decided to settle this privately and will not accept any bargaining."

[Wait! How is Kazuka? Let Kazuka talk to me! Kazuka? Kazuka, are you alright?!]

Feng Bin and Hua froze, hesitating whether to reply. She quickly realized she didn't need to hesitate, because Bai Ying had already mumbled a reply in her own voice: "Mom, I'm fine..."

【and--】

Snapped.

Bai Ying hung up the phone and shrugged, saying, "It seems your mother's concern for you doesn't really have any real meaning."

"So annoying!" Feng Bin and Hua retorted angrily, "Mind your own business!"

Even so, Feng Bin and Hua's mood improved considerably, as they sensed direct concern from their mother's brief but anxious reaction.

Mai Sakurajima watched this scene with a hint of relief.

"What's there to be happy about? You'll be crying your eyes out sooner or later." Bai Ying always enjoyed contradicting her.

"Crawl, crawl, crawl." Toyohama Kazuka pouted, puzzled. "Was that Sakurajima Mai's voice just now? Who's Sakurajima Mai?"

Bai Ying became solemn, and said with a dignified expression, "Sakurajima Mai is my idol, a superstar, far superior to idols like you who can only shout a few times underground! She is the only god in the world; because of her existence, humanity knows what worship is! If Sakurajima Mai wanted to compete with me in dancing, I would choose to have my limbs amputated to preserve my reputation, even if I were reduced to bones." Michael said. "Her acting moves me deeply, because she has no acting skills at all." Sakai Masato said. "When she sets foot on the land of the divine kingdom, I will immediately cede territory and pay reparations; before her, my brilliance is insignificant." Jehovah said…

"In short, Mai Sakurajima made the word 'idol' famous!"

Feng Bin and Hua took out their phones and searched for a bit, then nodded and said, "There's absolutely no news about him. He's probably just an ordinary guy."

"How dare you disrespect Mai Sakurajima?!" the white figure roared. "You, a nobody who only reached your peak in training but retired after your debut, have no right to comment on Mai Sakurajima!"

Toyohama Kazuka wasn't about to back down; in fact, she retorted with great enthusiasm: "I'm a debut idol, after all. This Sakurajima Mai probably doesn't even have a name, right? You're probably the only one with fans who's laughable. With that kind of popularity, you want to be an idol? Ha~"

The battle between fans and haters suddenly intensified. Toyohama and Hana made extensive accusations against Mai Sakurajima, attacking her with such intensity and radicalness that it was astonishing.

For a mere idol with only a name and no online popularity, Feng Bin and Hua, as experienced individuals, offered condescending advice, transforming social influence into linguistic output, and striking hard at the fans' weaknesses, thus winning a resounding victory.

Bai Ying stormed out in a huff, while Feng Bin and Hua stayed home in high spirits, preparing to go to the practice room later.

I hesitated for a moment, then took out my phone and thought about it. I decided to wait until tomorrow to go to the movie theater—maybe my mom will praise my acting.

Feng Bin and Hua hummed a song casually, picked up an incense stick, lit it, and placed it in the incense burner of the shrine.

Rest in peace, you bastard!

……

……

Walking downstairs.

"Auntie? It's me. I just called you, hahaha... You didn't call the police, did you?"

【Huh? You? No, it was a woman just now…】

"It's just a simple voice imitation, a very basic acting skill," Bai Ying explained with a smile. "The main thing is that Miss Feng Bin is angry, and I can't speak up for you. If she gets so angry that she runs away from home, it could easily lead to an accident, so I have to keep her calm and act to scare you."

[Screenwriter...] Feng Bin's mother's emotions were in turmoil, and she couldn't muster any anger. [Why are you following her nonsense?]

"Haha, this isn't exactly ridiculous. Miss Fengbin feels that you don't care about her at all, so this is the only way I can try to let her know that you care about her. It's just a bit out of line, which is why I called you to explain—don't worry, she's in a good mood right now and she's not around."

Bai Ying said, "Auntie will go to the movies with Miss Feng Bin tomorrow, praise her a few times, and encourage her to keep striving for improvement. That would naturally lead to a reconciliation, wouldn't that be wonderful? Based on my professional judgment, Miss Feng Bin is very talented and will surely shine in the acting industry. Her running away from home is just a childish tantrum; with a little effort, she will definitely stand out..."

In short, just praise Feng Bin and Hua! Praise them lavishly!

After successfully flattering Feng Bin's mother to the point of elation and receiving a few words of thanks and a request for help, Bai Ying hung up the phone, revealing a sinister smile: "A little girl whose mood comes and goes quickly needs a good beating from an adult, hehehe."

"Hey hater, can I beat you up right here?"

Sakurajima Mai asked quietly, her mind already conjuring up the horrific scene of tomorrow… In just the time it takes to eat breakfast, Kazuha is already nearing the end. Leaving aside the slanderous accusations against 'Sakurajima Mai' that she was manipulated into believing, the mere misjudgment of her family issues was enough to open her eyes wide.

The white figure went downstairs happily without reacting, hopping and skipping down the steps as if nothing was wrong, appearing perfectly normal.

"?"

Mai Sakurajima froze, a long-held prediction instinctively popping into her mind: the day had finally come… Wait, he hadn’t slept…

"Hahahaha-!"

Canned laughter erupted from the stairwell below.

Mai Sakurajima, her face dark, hurried downstairs.

……

……

"Um……"

Sakuta Azusagawa woke up and looked at the diary prominently displayed on the table with a questioning expression. The diary had a line of large characters written on it: "Show me!"

What the heck? I'm a respectable person who doesn't keep a diary, so it was just a prank by Bai sneaking into my house?

Sakuta Azusagawa curiously flipped through the diary and naturally remembered that it was about puberty syndrome. It seemed that Kaede, himself, and Shoko Makinohara were all caught in the vortex of puberty syndrome. If the scar on his chest was caused by a forensic doctor... then it meant that at some point, he would either have undergone surgery on a surgeon who was a forensic doctor, or become one of the materials for a surgeon's operation.

Removing the heart could be a good angle to investigate. Although she is just an elementary school student, Makinohara Shoko's words and actions are not like those of an elementary school student. Kaede... or Kaede before she lost her memory, was a girl who was proficient in cruel cat claws when she was in elementary school, and she was also the one who was most attached to her older brother.

Of course, once she entered junior high school, she started to show her disdain like a younger sister...sigh.

Sakuta Azusagawa shook his head, no longer thinking about it. As he put down his notebook, he suddenly received a call from Rio Futaba.

[Sakuta, last night when I was organizing my books, I found a note that I think I wrote myself. The note asked me to tell you something, and to have you pass it on to Hakuei, but I don't remember writing anything like that... The only possibility is some kind of abnormal situation, like puberty syndrome.]