Uneasy daily life

"You're used to arguing with me. When I stop arguing and start to behave, you're initially a little surprised, but then you start to worry if there's something wrong with me. Once you're sure there is something wrong, just like every time we've argued before, you start trying to pull me back on track. Habit really is an invisible and terrifying force."

Feng Bin and Hua sighed, "Mom went with the tide in your era, and I went with the tide in my own. The different frequencies and directions of the flow collided, forming a family going with the tide under the times. This is the social vortex that is hard for mankind to escape."

Feng Bin's mother: "???"

"Life, you are indeed a winding and tortuous thing."

Feng Bin and Hua opened their mouths and sang a line with great skill, then picked up their schoolbags with great enthusiasm: "I've finished my reflections on life, Mom, you go to work, and I should go to school too."

Some mothers in Fengbin, still caught off guard, watched their daughters leave the house, speechless for a moment, overwhelmed by a sea of ​​questions.

Is Kaname in a good or bad mood? Is her behavior strange or normal? Could it be that she's been too engrossed in some theatrical rehearsals lately and can't seem to break free from them?

Fengbin's mother was disheveled in the wind and remained somewhat confused until she took the tram to the company.

When I got to the company, I suddenly realized what had happened.

I forgot to tell Kazuka that I asked for the day off, because someone was taking her out to play!

……

……

It took me a little time to confirm my direction, but I successfully arrived at school before class started.

Sakuraba Academy is a prestigious school in Yokohama, which is both a key high school for college entrance exam preparation and an all-girls school.

What's it like to be in a class that's all girls?

Like a group of boys.

A white figure dressed as Toyohama Kazuka entered the classroom and quickly started chatting with her deskmate. As they chatted, more and more people joined in. Clearly, the person impersonating Toyohama Kazuka had been diligently making many new friends for her, creating the impression of a campus star.

“Classic story structures—such as a dragon stealing a princess and a hero fighting a dragon—can be slightly modified to suit gameplay, giving rise to the Mario series. On the other hand, making small subversions to some structural elements can add more fun to classic but somewhat dull stories while retaining their essence.”

"For example, a dragon stealing a prince, or a female warrior fighting a dragon?"

"Why isn't it the mother dragon who snatches the princess, and the female warrior who fights the mother dragon?"

"If it's just about subverting genders, it feels pretty ordinary, right? I guess elements like those in a romantic poem drama are much more interesting? A dragon who possesses power yet is feared, who yearns for someone yet cannot approach them, and suffers terribly because of it; a princess who possesses status yet is bound, who loves someone yet cannot bend down, and sighs with melancholy because of it; a hero who possesses passion yet has no power or influence, and wants to marry a princess with all his heart and soul—that's the feeling?"

"This feels good."

"What do you think of Hehua? Is it the kind of performance you usually give?"

“Well…” Feng Bin and Hua (Shirokage) clasped their hands in thought before speaking, “If we’re going to use this kind of setup, we could try a three-perspective approach, gradually unraveling the full story structure…”

"In order to marry the princess, the hero volunteered to fight the evil dragon that attacked the royal city and declared war on the kingdom. He finally slew the dragon with his sword, successfully married the princess, and later succeeded as king. This is an inspirational story of a kingly path."

"When the princess went on an incognito tour, she accidentally met a hero who was still growing up. After they got to know each other, they developed feelings for each other, corresponded with each other and even went on adventures together. Until the evil dragon attacked the royal city, the princess stepped forward to protect the people and revealed her identity to the hero. This is a love story in the youth."

"The dragon had long harbored a deep affection for the princess and loved her dearly, but limited by its race and status, it could only gaze at the castle from the mountaintop. Sometimes it would breathe fire to shatter the inappropriate dark clouds in the sky for the princess who always stayed on the balcony reading, and sometimes it would flap its wings to stir up a gale, allowing the princess in the garden to bathe in a sea of ​​flying flowers."

"Until the princess rarely appeared on the balcony, the dragon could no longer see those views and accidentally discovered the relationship between the princess and the hero. It attacked the royal city with the flames of jealousy, wanting to destroy everything with its hatred of what it could not have, and squandered its power as if it were invincible—until the princess stood in front of it, the jealousy in its heart collapsed, and it arrogantly dropped a declaration of war and then fled in panic."

"On the final battlefield, the dragon, in order to fulfill the princess's love and to vent its resentment at unrequited love, chose to fight the hero with all its might, and finally died by the hero's sword. Its corpse transformed into the steps that led the hero to the throne, becoming a bridge that bridged the gap between the two."

The combination of classic romance, youthful passion, and a touch of heartbreaking unrequited love has fueled the discussion.

One girl said hesitantly, "It sounds like a very complicated situation."

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) waved their hands and said, "Your hesitation means the story has already captivated you."

The girl with glasses complained, "Why did Kazuha come up with a tragic story?"

"Using comedy to highlight tragedy makes the tragedy's flavor linger longer—if you pretend the last story doesn't exist, isn't that a perfect comedy? Good end!"

"Do you think I can knock myself into amnesia?" The girl pushed up her glasses, her eyes darting around slightly. "Can you turn a story into a comedy if it only adds to the plot and never subtracts from it? People still prefer to watch lighthearted stories, right?"

Girl #1: "The dragon didn't die, and the three of them will live happily ever after?"

"Wow, this has gone beyond tragedy, it's practically a horror movie!" Toyohama Kazuka (Shirokage) sharply remarked. "It's the kind of thing that looks beautiful at first glance, but gets scarier the more you think about it, and finally becomes utterly terrifying."

Girl #1: "I don't believe it."

Kazuka Toyohama (Shirokage) gave an example on the spot: "You can always finish your homework."

Girl No. 1 sank.

Girl #2: "Then, then let the dragon's diary be found, and after the princess and the hero read it, they'll understand everything and live on with gratitude in their hearts?"

"What kind of comedy is this?" Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) complained again. "Is a character who stares at you all day, stalks you, secretly interferes in your life, and then comes over and makes a scene out of jealousy, really worth thanking?"

Girl #2: "...Suddenly I feel disillusioned with the story."

“So the perspective of the story is very important,” said Kazuka Toyohama (Shirokage) logically. “For example, we are having a great time chatting here, but it would be awkward if the teacher stood at the door, because she would soon interrupt our conversation.”

A group of girls turned their heads and looked at the male teacher at the door.

The teacher stood at the door, taking a moment to prepare.

Feng Binhe and Hua (Bai Ying)’s voices rang out: “All the other classes on this floor are quiet, but we’re the loudest.”

The teacher, whose spellcasting had been interrupted, fell silent for a moment: "Regarding the story you are discussing, does Feng Bin have a way to turn the original story into a comedy in just one sentence?"

"The dragon is the princess's father."

Girls: "?"

teacher:"?"

"The doting father always secretly showed concern for his daughter, until he suddenly discovered the approach of a scoundrel." Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) seemed worried that everyone might misunderstand, so they sang a more emotional interpretation: "After a big fight, the daughter forced her father to back down. On the battlefield of changing dynasties, with feelings of resentment and relief, he handed his daughter into the hands of another man, and turned to leave a weathered silhouette in the sunset on the horizon."

"end".

Kazuka Toyohama (Shirokage) nodded seriously, thinking the idea was brilliant.

Girl #1 nodded in agreement: "It does sound very comical."

"To me, it's a real tragedy."

The teacher, a father himself, frowned. Thinking about his daughter who had recently entered puberty and hadn't listened to his advice to attend a girls' school... he felt a subtle sense of empathy. He decided to stop thinking about this topic, because it was easy to empathize with her.

The teacher placed the lesson plan on the podium, changed the subject, and casually raised a question: "Feng Bin, didn't you ask me for leave yesterday?"

"correct."

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) nodded, slung their backpacks over their shoulders, and said with a grin, "I just stopped by to drop by. You all go to class, I'm off now!"

Girls: "?"

teacher:"?"

The logic seems sound, but something seems odd about it.

The teachers and students in the classroom watched blankly as Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) left, humming a little tune.

Before anyone could react, I naturally skipped class!

After successfully leaving the classroom and making their way out of the school, Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) briefly pondered – 9528's leave of absence must be to go to Zongwu High School to hang out, since if there are no acquaintances around, it is easy to fall into a state of decadence and confusion where there is nothing to do.

Then...

Doodle.

Kazuha Toyohama (Shirokage) pulled out her pink phone and answered—"Let's get some notes, Kazuha-chan."

Oh right, I have a 9528 phone.

Hey! Did you do something weird?

Mai Sakurajima's (Wahana's) voice came through.

"Strange things? What do you mean?"

[Mom suddenly called! Luckily I reacted quickly and hung up to text her. She said I should take the day off and that Dad is taking me out!] Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) was suspicious and seemed to be identifying the culprit. [That's weird, what did you do?]

“It’s very simple,” Feng Binhe (Bai Ying) described. “Look—our daughter suddenly became obedient, her grades improved dramatically, her work ability increased dramatically, and she no longer argues or talks back to me… Why do you think that is?”

Because you're deliberately causing me trouble.

"No, it's definitely because you have a mental illness!" Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) said logically. "Isn't it normal for your mother to care about you because she thinks you're sick?"

It sounds more like she has some kind of inexplicable illness.

"Oh dear, people are so strange. Hey, Hana-chan, send me your dad's phone number, I still need to deal with him later."

【understood. 】

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) hung up the phone in a rather annoyed tone, and a few moments later a phone number came through.

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) coughed twice and dialed a phone. Ultimately, it was the stick figure's weak body that lacked the original body's extraordinary talents. Otherwise, if Feng Bin's mother's voice were used, she would definitely be able to kill the stick figure's father.

"Hey? We'll meet at Chiba Station... What do you mean 'that far'? My mom said I'm in charge today, and you're taking me out to play... Huh? I'll call my mom then... Hmph, I'm going to take the train now."

After hanging up the phone, Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) hummed a little tune happily and skipped towards the tram stop.

Chapter Fifty-One: A Heart-wrenching Cotton-padded Jacket

At Chiba train station, a man in casual clothes is checking his watch. He's nearly forty, but doesn't look old. One of the differences between ancient and modern people is probably that one often engages in physical labor and shows signs of aging before aging, while the other often works late into the night and shows signs of frailty before aging.

With slightly sparse stubble and clean, neat hair, he exudes a mature and sophisticated charm, suggesting he must have been quite handsome in his youth.

I was actually quite upset.

The man unconsciously frowned, pondering how he should greet his daughter when they met later.

How's your studying lately?

Is your mom alright?

Is your allowance enough?

These greetings always feel a bit cheesy.

Okay, let's think about it again.

Ultimately, since you're taking Hehua out for fun, you should ask where you're going, and then casually chat about anything along the way, such as: Have you been having any difficulties with your studies lately? Is your mom in a bad mood? Is there anything you want to buy?

Why does it feel like the same thing?

The man sighed in frustration, feeling a bit resentful. He thought, "If I'm going to be in charge of the family affairs and you won't let me get involved, then I should just manage them myself. But when something goes wrong, you always expect me to step in and fix it. Sigh."

But there's no other way, I still have to step up... When was the last time I talked to Kazuka?

"Hey, Dad!"

A face suddenly appeared in front of me from the side.

The man paused for a moment, then coughed and said, "Hehua's here... Have you eaten?"

"I ate a long time ago." Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) crossed their arms and said solemnly, "Actually, I've been here for a while now."

"Huh?" The man looked around in confusion. "Didn't you find me? This place is pretty conspicuous..."

The slender girl with blonde hair tied in a side ponytail suddenly brightened up, as if she had seen something interesting. She took a few steps back with her hands behind her back, her eyes crinkling as she said with a grin, "I was watching 'How a middle-aged man with no status in the family communicates with his estranged daughter.' I thought the opening scene would be asking something like 'How are your studies?' But surprisingly, it started with 'Have you eaten yet?'"

puff!

man:"……"

Completely out of touch, is this what modern young people are like?!

"Ahem!" The man coughed, picked up the shelf and placed it under his feet, frowning slightly as he looked down at his father. "Is that how you talk to your father?"

"Ugh?"

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) widened their eyes in surprise: "A father who is almost never home, who has barely spoken a few words to me, and who likes to fool around outside and hide from his mother, can actually lecture his daughter with such confidence?"

The father's airs were kicked away, and the man almost fell on his backside. He quickly and helplessly changed the subject: "Adults have adult matters to attend to..."

“Because I’m afraid of being around my mom and being lectured and criticized by her, I feel more comfortable and relaxed outside under the guise of work.” Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) sighed, stood on tiptoe and patted the man’s shoulder to comfort him, “It’s really too hard being an adult.”

puff!

Wow! How did you raise your daughter? She's so strange!

The man stared blankly at his daughter, then forcefully changed the subject: "Anyway! Where are you planning to go today? Chiba's summer amusement park? Or an amusement park or something?"

"Let's skip those places. Once you go in, you get this feeling that you have to have fun. It's like you have no choice but to go." Toyohama Kazuka (Shirokage) raised her fist and smiled broadly. "I'm going to participate in Soubu High School's sports festival."

"?"

The man asked curiously, "Your school doesn't have a sports festival?"

“By learning from the successful experiences of other schools and observing the interesting events of their sports festivals, we can accumulate materials for our own sports festival and strive to create a sports festival with an innovative spirit and a modern feel.” Toyohama Kazuka (Shirokage) rattled off a string of words, adding casually, “Dad probably doesn’t know much about this. I’m a member of the student council, and in order to gain enough capital to seize power, I have to work hard to do more.”