Uneasy daily life

This is not a good thing; a dulled sense of feeling will also make it difficult to experience happiness and joy.

Hayato Hayama stared blankly at the fireworks, letting his thoughts wander aimlessly.

"Ok?"

Angelina was biting into a candied apple when her phone suddenly started ringing with notification sounds.

[Bai Liang and Bai Ying: 9527! Come to the rescue immediately!]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Although I'm impulsive and strongly encourage employees to take initiative and actively participate in zero-cost projects, I'm a good boss! As a loyal subordinate willing to share your boss's burdens, your new mission is here—get to the shrine as quickly as possible. You'll find your boss being held hostage by thugs. No need to say more, just charge!]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Hey? Are you there? Come to the shrine, they have special sweets at half price.]

[Anxin Home: What kind of snacks are available?]

[Bai Liang and Bai Ying: You're in for it, come quick!]

[Anxinyuan: ?]

[Anxinyuan: I've already eaten, so I don't need any.]

[Bai Liang and Bai Ying: Have you lost confidence in your stomach?]

[Anxinyuan: What did you get arrested for? Was it because you set off a middle finger firework? Yukinoshita is going to settle the score with you?]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: The main problem was 9528's sudden betrayal; to be honest, my situation was very bad.]

[Anxinyuan: Oh.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: In short, it's time to show your loyalty, 9527.]

[Anxin Hospital: Okay, I'll be right there.]

Angelina bought another candied apple and a small bag of snacks. While watching the fireworks with great interest, she headed up the steps towards the shrine. In short, she was already moving at full speed.

"It's too long to read, so I'm afraid you'll have to stand me up."

The white-clad figure sat surrounded on three sides and said sincerely, "Brave warrior, I will go and arrest her immediately because she has fled out of fear of punishment."

"Baijun, don't you think you're the culprit?"

Yukino's eyes were a little deep. Her parents were also at the fireworks festival and would most likely see a big middle finger firework blooming in the sky... Great, she was already starting to think about where to bury herself and Shiro-kun.

"Given the thick skin of this hater, he might even try to interpret the middle finger gesture as something else entirely," Mai Sakurajima said bluntly. "Yukinoshita, it's going to be very difficult for you to win an argument."

"you're right."

Bai Ying's voice shifted, becoming deep and resonant: "During the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the 15th century, English archers inflicted heavy casualties on the French army. As a result, the French swore that after defeating the English, they would cut off the middle fingers of the English archers who used to draw their bows. In the end, the French were defeated and retreated. The English archers raised their middle fingers to show that their fingers were intact, thus mocking the French."

"Raising the middle finger is a symbol of success and victory, a sign of contempt and mockery of failure. It vividly reflects the person's enthusiasm, confidence, and positive mindset. However, in specific situations, those who consider this gesture an insult are the ones who are arrogant and utterly defeated..."

Mai Sakurajima curiously reached out and grabbed a long plume from the white figure's head, tugging at it and making the crown crooked.

"Stop, stop, stop. A gentleman uses words, not fists."

"I'm not a gentleman..."

"Hey! You despicable person!"

"?"

Sakurajima Mai, momentarily speechless, changed the subject: "With your appearance and ability to flip things over and over, are you planning to act in a sword-fighting film?"

"Hmm..." the white figure inquired, "Is this plan you're talking about—the plan of someone with the surname Okita?"

Mai Sakurajima laughed and said, "Director Okita did say that he wanted to make an action-oriented film for his next movie. It seems that he had this idea after reading some shonen manga."

"Does the director of 'The Untamed' think he's got it all? He actually dares to challenge himself with sword and spear films?"

Bai Ying was greatly shocked: "He flopped all the way with his low-budget art films, then made some money by riding the wave of popularity, and immediately jumped into the pit of sword and spear films? Is he 'another Pro Warrior in the world'? He thinks life is too easy, so he just writes 'It's very simple,' and chooses the most difficult way to pass the level?"

“It’s just a thought,” Mai Sakurajima said, shaking her head. “Director Okita is probably still in the dark room working on the script.”

Bai Ying said seriously, "I fully support the director's determination to constantly challenge himself and make great progress. If you have time, please find out where he lives so I can go and tease him... to give him a little push."

Yukino Yukinoshita said softly, "Isn't Shirakami afraid of being illegally detained by the director?"

"I am invincible as long as there is no death-dealing pursuit."

"Would you like to challenge your own weaknesses, Mr. Hater?"

"How can a mere deadline be considered a weakness?"

The white figure didn't seem to care, and suddenly asked, "Hero, when do you plan to kill your father and seize power?"

"It's too early to take over Father's work. I should at least finish my university studies." Yukino Yukinoshita felt a little uneasy. What? Does Haku-kun want to be a loyal follower?

Instead of continuing the conversation, Bai Ying turned to Sakurajima Mai and asked, "Brave Plus, when is your next work going to be released? I'll give it a bad review as soon as possible."

"I haven't decided what to film next yet," Mai Sakurajima replied with a smile. "Thank you so much for your attention to my schedule, haters."

"Hero, what are you having for breakfast tomorrow?"

Yukino Yukinoshita was taken aback: "...Huh?"

Isn't this topic a bit of a leap?

"Brave Plus, do you usually sleep on your side, back, or stomach?"

"?"

After each casting a question mark, the two realized what was happening at the same time and stared at the white figure with rather unfriendly eyes.

The white figure leaned back slightly, flicking two long ahoge (cowlicks) from its head, which landed on the head of Yukinoshita, who was squatting behind it: "Traitor 9528, why do you think they suddenly fell silent?"

"It's probably because you made it too obvious that you were trying to find topics to talk about."

Yukinoshita Haruno pretended to be serious and said, "You rascal, do you think if you put Yukino-chan and Sakurajima in the same room, they would have endless things to talk about?"

"Absolutely impossible."

Bai Ying firmly denied it.

"How to say?"

"Because editors will kill off authors like that."

“The script has limited length, and every second on screen is irreplaceable. It’s inevitable that different characters will try to steal the spotlight,” Mai Sakurajima said meaningfully. “For example, this Ms. 9528?”

Yukino Yukinoshita pursed her lips slightly and glanced at her older sister.

"Well, I think you guys are pushing the plot forward a bit too hard."

Yukinoshita Haruno smiled and reached out to grab the two long feathers on the white figure's headdress, tugging at them: "Making conversation when there's nothing to say is just making trouble for no reason. If you really have nothing to say, why not just stay silent and watch the fireworks? Isn't that a good thing?"

"That's it."

As Bai Ying tilted his head in agreement, he said, "So you traitorous scoundrel, quickly let go of my hand. This outfit cost me a lot of money..."

“This isn’t just making small talk,” Mai Sakurajima said dismissively. “I really look forward to working with Black Fan again… Black Fan, who made this costume of yours? It feels like a real-life version of an outfit described in a book.”

"The stage props were designed and made by the prop master—he was a bit obsessive-compulsive about replicating the textures and details of the original work."

Bai Ying openly slandered, "Whether it's the mouthpieces in the troupe who like to play with puppets or the prop makers who are good at making all kinds of props, they all have the problem of using external objects to express and verify their own ideas. It's commonly known as 'bad students have too many stationery items'..."

"Will it explode?"

Yukino Yukinoshita blurted out a question without thinking.

Huh? Why would I ask such a strange question?

It's probably based on my understanding of the Scarlet Troupe members.

Sakurajima Mai froze, tilting her head slightly to examine it: "It'll explode?"

"Absolutely impossible. How could my outfit explode? By tearing off my clothes?"

The white figure fiddled with and inspected the filial piety suit on his body. The pair of antennas on his head were not filled with gunpowder and could not be lit. Although the armor plates on his body were not made of metal, they were not something that could be torn apart with a single tear. He would have to use at least 70% of his strength to ignite them...

"Aren't people sometimes strange?"

Bai Ying stared intently at a tattered piece of cloth in his hand, inlaid with a few pieces of armor.

Mai Sakurajima curled the corners of her lips: "Like what?"

Bai Ying: "For example, if you feel that something is not solid and is at risk of breaking, you reach out and fidget with it to check if it is solid enough, and end up breaking it yourself—I call this a Greek tragedy."

"That is indeed quite strange."

As Yukino Yukinoshita was speaking, she suddenly felt that the surroundings suddenly became noisy, with fragmented sounds irregularly pieced together into a lively shape.

She belatedly looked up, and the scissor-shaped shape in the night sky was gradually disappearing.

"The fireworks are over."

Yukino Yukino sighed softly, her mood indescribable, whether it was sadness or a sense of relief that everything had settled down.

"Yes, congratulations Yukino-chan on proving you can stand on your own." Yukinoshita Haruno squatted on the next step, peeking out from behind with a smile and asking, "How does Yukino-chan feel? Is it nothing special? Much less satisfying than you expected? You can do it but feel very uncomfortable? You thought you would like it but actually don't?"

Yukino Yukinoshita slightly pursed her lips and said calmly, "Neither. Is all you can do, sister, is offer such gloomy predictions?"

Mai Sakurajima casually guessed: "At first, you felt like you could do a lot of things, but then you realized you couldn't do that much, so you felt a bit disappointed?"

"If I had to say, I'd say a little."

Yukino Yukinoshita's tone was somewhat conflicted.

"Don't be sad, brave one. You've already done your best to be a good mascot."

Bai Ying comforted him, "You must be confident. Compared to your sister, that exiled and deposed crown prince, you are the true Prince of Lorendan..."

"The struggle for the throne is just that ruthless," Yukino Yukinoshita said hypocritically. "As long as Yukino-chan doesn't throw my bowls out of the house, it'll be fine."

Yukinoshita Yukino: #!

Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at the two annoying people in every sense of the word, then got up to go down the mountain. She still had things to take care of to wrap up the fireworks festival.

"Hey, you jerk, I suddenly realize I might want to try dating."

Yukinoshita, with her chin resting on her hands, suddenly spoke in a voice that was not loud but just right.

"you?"

Bai Ying glanced at her strangely: "Is this a lost dog poster?"

"Hey—that's a weird question of yours, isn't it? It's kind of disrespectful."

Yukino Yukino pouted to express her dissatisfaction, then said casually, "I'm not like Pochi-chan, who impulsively wants to have a relationship just because she envies other people's lives. I'm just curious about what it feels like to be in a relationship."

"After all, there's a saying that dating isn't about seeing others clearly, but about seeing yourself clearly."

Yukino Yukinoshita said with a smile, "So, you'll be my boyfriend. No room and board included, but you get all the time off all year round, and I won't ask about your attendance."

"it is good."

Bai Ying gave an OK sign, looking completely indifferent and fearless.

Yukino Yukinoshita and Mai Sakurajima, who had turned around, were somewhat taken aback by the rapid development of the situation. For a moment, their logic faltered, and they were completely stunned.

With lightning speed, Yukinoshita Hiyori flashed a peace sign at the two of them, stuck out her tongue playfully, and hopped down the steps.

Yukino Yukinoshita and Mai Sakurajima shifted their gazes for a moment before quickly fixing them on the white figure.

"Stickman—!"

The white figure turned its head and loudly cast a summoning spell.

Feng Bin and Hua, who were already heading this way, rushed over as if they had been put on an accelerator.

"what are you doing……"

"Be my boyfriend!"

The white figure said in a resounding voice.

"what?!"

Feng Bin and Hua were stunned for a moment, their eyes widened, then they panicked, took a half step back, and finally frowned, realizing something was wrong.

"Is this mockery? Is this mockery?! You're mocking me, aren't you?!"

"Calm down—great legwork! But wait, you're my boyfriend..."

"Xinei!"

Amidst the commotion, Yukino Yukinoshita and Mai Sakurajima exchanged a glance, unable to find an opportunity to catch each other.

It's really... a complete mess.