Uneasy daily life

[Yukinoshita Daidai: Yukino-chan, I'm going to visit my boyfriend, want to come along?]

[Yukino Yukinoshita: Come to the apartment when you're done playing. I need to talk to you.]

Um? ?

I don't quite understand that!

Yukino Yukinoshita suppressed her many questions and opened the door with a smile: "Welcome, Ms. Shiro Eika. The prop master once said that he could identify you by grabbing your crotch... Hmm, could it be that Ms. Shiro Eika's superpower doesn't allow her to change her gender?"

"Who would randomly go and grab someone... huh?"

Yukino Yukinoshita glared back, her eyebrows twitching, and suddenly asked warily, "You—Shiro Eika?"

"Oh? Using the trick of the thief crying 'stop thief' to confuse the public is quite a boring technique. Compared to Mr. Puppet's singing voice, Mr. Mouthpiece's puppets, and Mr. Props Master's wonderful creations, Miss Bai Yinghua's deception is really inferior."

Yukino clicked her tongue regretfully and showed her phone: "Miss Shiraehana, times have changed, traditional scams are no longer effective."

"My phone was stolen on my way here." Yukino Yukinoshita sighed wearily, rubbing her temples. "Are all the people in the Haku-kun Theater Troupe outlaws?"

Isn't that reason a bit too perfunctory?

That's what Yukinoshita Haruno was thinking.

"Looking for a boyfriend to play with..." Yukino Yukinoshita looked at the content on the screen and asked somewhat blankly, "So, sister, are you saying that you like Haku-kun?"

"Boyfriends are something you can get along with and then discard if you don't. For Yukino-chan, this kind of thing is a bit too mature."

Yukinoshita shrugged, put away her phone, and let the other person in: "If you think this is liking, then of course it is liking."

"If this is what liking someone means, then two people who like each other are constantly breaking up and getting back together, forgetting the arguments when they're happy and forgetting the happy things when they're unhappy, like fish with only a few seconds of memory?"

Yukino Yukinoshita's voice was somewhat low, she bit her lip slightly, her face full of confusion and helplessness.

It's as if I'm seeing the Yukino-chan of the past, wanting to stay true to herself but unable to break free from constraints, yearning for herself yet loathing comparing herself to herself, scoffing at fake relationships, yet also a child who fears loneliness once she takes a step...

She wasn't the immature, arrogant, aloof, conceited, and good-for-nothing Yukino Yukinoshita that others perceived her to be.

That was a little girl holding a small wooden sword, stubbornly shouting that she was a princess in the empty wilderness.

Haven't you already found your knight? Maybe you'll even become a queen? Why do you still look so sad and helpless?

What a pushover!

"sit down."

Yukinoshita Haruno seemed oblivious to her sister's odd behavior. She smiled and took two cartons of milk from the refrigerator, placing them on the table.

"Today is the limited-time return of the confidante, Yang Nai!"

Yukino Yukinoshita didn't touch the milk. She sat down and said in a calm tone, "I was fooled by Hakuei Hana pretending to be Hakuei. It was a very stupid scam."

Yukino raised an eyebrow slightly, understanding the situation, and chuckled, "Miss Shiraeka, Yukino-chan isn't as frank as you."

"Then just consider me a white hibiscus." Yukino Yukinoshita raised her dim eyes and asked dejectedly, "If you can't even recognize the person you like, isn't that a kind of liking..."

She bit her lip, her voice heavy: "A lie to deceive yourself."

Yukino Yukinoshita paused for a moment, then rested her cheek in one hand and gently touched her sister's forehead with the other.

"Yukino-chan really does get stuck on things."

Chapter 88 Yukinoshita, aged 18...

"Lies, truths, fakes, real things... The more people you meet, the less you want to think about these 'meaningless' things. In the end, we're all just people. If you just deal with others casually, you'll just deal with yourself casually. You might not even understand who you are, let alone talk about sincerity."

Looking at her sister's haggard expression, Yukino sighed softly: "If it were before, I would definitely use harsher words to force you to face your troubles, but the situation seems different now. You are asking me a question that I don't even know the answer to myself."

"Is it difficult for your older sister?"

Yukino asked in a low voice.

"You were so adamant before that you liked jerks, and now you're asking me what 'like' means. Should I laugh at you?" Yukino Yukinoshita pouted, her smile fading slightly. "Have you ever wondered why, after what happened, I almost completely cut off all my social relationships in college?"

"Sister doesn't like it?"

“That’s true, I dislike it even more than the interpersonal relationships in high school. I don’t even feel like going through the motions.” Yukinoshita Haruno rested her chin on her hand, her eyes narrowed into slits. “University social interactions start to resemble those of adults, but they’re mixed with a bit of naivety. It’s precisely that naivety that easily reveals a kind of innocent hypocrisy—upperclassmen will discuss which freshman is the prettiest and bet on how many days it will take to win her over. I’ve experienced that myself.”

"That kind of look, where he looks at you but it's not like he's looking at you, but like he's looking at a medal, is really annoying... Later, that guy pursued another girl. When I was having dinner, I happened to see him introducing that somewhat introverted girl to his other friends. The scene was like a monkey king showing off his success, while the girl sat there forcing a smile. It almost made me laugh."

Yukino Yukinoshita said, "The two broke up not long after."

Yukino Yukinoshita was a little confused: "Why is my sister talking about these gossips?"

"Later, the boy got a new girlfriend, and the girl got a new boyfriend. Based on my observation, the girl was probably going to dump her boyfriend. Unfortunately, I didn't pay much attention after that, so I don't know what the situation is now," Yukino Yukinoshita said slowly. "Similar situations are not isolated cases, but are very, very common. Students who have just entered university are still inexperienced, and they are quickly consumed by the atmosphere and become part of that atmosphere in the more relaxed atmosphere and management of university... If they get along, they will talk; if they don't, they will break up. Clinging on will only become a topic of conversation and a laughing stock."

"Yukino-chan has probably seen plenty of love stories about snobbery and social disparities. They mainly discuss the impact of global inequality on marriage and love. But in university, global inequality hasn't assimilated everyone yet... The differences in people's hearts will first teach them to be conscious or unconsciously hypocritical."

Yukino Yukinoshita frowned slightly and murmured, "The fickleness of human nature..."

“Hmm, to use an analogy…” Yukino Yukinoshita thought for a moment, “It’s probably like buying vegetables, right? You look around, check the appearance, take the ones that look good, and leave the ones that don’t. If you were a customer, would you care why a vegetable looks like this? If you had a choice, would you choose a vegetable that doesn’t look good? If you buy a vegetable and are not satisfied, would you hesitate to return it because of your own pride, the opinions of the stall owner and other customers, or the feelings of the vegetable itself?”

Yukino Yukinoshita frowned unconsciously and said, "You're picking things out while others are picking them out yourself. It's just like a bustling market."

"Oh dear, when the time scale is extended to a month, it's not as lively anymore," Yukino Yukinoshita said leisurely. "Yukino-chan, that's what atmosphere is. People who are similar in some way create an atmosphere, and the broader and stronger the atmosphere, the faster it will assimilate newcomers—it could be a group of university students, a group of high school students, people who like grapes, or people who hate grapes... Is the liking formed in this kind of atmosphere the kind of liking you want?"

Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head decisively: "Isn't this just a frivolous flirtation?"

"If it's consensual and everyone feels they're being serious, how can that be considered flirting?"

“When someone approaches me with that kind of thinking, I think that’s flirting.”

“The closer you get, the closer your hearts are. But if your hearts are too close, they will hurt each other if they are not on the same level.” Yukinoshita Haruno said with a smile. “Getting closer while keeping your distance is a way to respect each other, respect privacy, and get along very easily. It’s normal for Yukino-chan to hate this kind of thing, since she is the victim of the atmosphere.”

"Is liking something that doesn't fit the atmosphere really liking it?"

"I don't know. Stories always like to set up a balance between life and love, love and wealth, love and law to indirectly depict the greatness and importance of love... If you insist on asking, I can only give a hypocritical answer that doesn't reflect my true feelings."

As Yukino Yukino spoke, she paused for a moment, the smile fading from her face. She murmured dreamily, "It doesn't matter who hurt whom, it's not about selling vegetables, but about putting seeds into the soil, tending to them casually, earnestly, and haphazardly, and what grows in the end... it will probably be a strange shape? But it should be something pieced together by the heart, right?"

Yukino Yukinoshita smiled and said, "After all, she's someone who takes people and herself very seriously. It would be strange if she didn't."

Yukino Yukinoshita pursed her lips slightly: "Is my current question also part of what I like?"

“I think so.” Yukinoshita Haruno propped herself up, cupped her sister’s face in her hands, and met her somewhat bewildered gaze. “You can ask anyone, and you can get many answers, but in the end, you will answer this question yourself—don’t be afraid of ruining your current relationship, don’t be afraid of the entanglement and pain in your heart, answer this unique problem that belongs only to you, Yukino-chan is a hero…”

Yukino Yukinoshita took a soft breath, her eyes brightening slightly as she looked directly into Haruno Yukinoshita's eyes: "And what about my sister?"

"what?"

"Is your sister worried about the family's reaction, so she's planning to give up on this question?"

"What nonsense are you talking about, Yukino-chan? I've already defeated Mother!" Yukinoshita Haruno laughed. "If Mother hadn't come to me to apologize back then, I would have already started my own household. Why would I be worried about the family..."

“I’m still here at home.”

"..."

"So, this is your answer, sister? Using false feelings and words to make me seek the truth? Don't you find that absurd?" Yukino Yukinoshita's lips trembled slightly, her gaze dimming. "Approaching while pulling away...aren't you talking about yourself?"

Yukino Yukinoshita was speechless, feeling unusually flustered and helpless, realizing that she had been unknowingly cornered.

It seems you won't admit to liking jerks, but the 'typical' person you just mentioned is yourself?! But you do admit… Yukino-chan! Think about what you're doing? Are you asking for trouble? Are you creating a rival for your affections? Are you trying to challenge Mother's Aikido? I…

"Oh dear, I don't even understand my own thoughts anymore..."

Yukinoshita Haruno tried to smooth things over.

"Enough! I don't need your excuses! In your heart, I'll always be that useless little sister who can't do anything, always needs your charity, and can be easily fooled and ridiculed!"

Yukino Yukinoshita immediately overturned the basin.

"I hate you!"

She turned around abruptly and ran towards the door.

Caught off guard, Yukino could only watch her sister's figure disappear. After a moment of stunned silence, she looked down and noticed a few tear stains on the table.

Seriously... Yukino, could you be any more serious or stubborn?

I wonder how much chaos the Yukinoshita family will be thrown into if the two sisters fall for the same guy?!

You little pushover—aren't you afraid of getting hurt?

Yukino Yukino sat in her seat with her arms crossed and her brows furrowed.

Slow and leisurely, like a kitten that won't budge from its warm spot, it will meow and stare at you if you try to urge you to move, but if you actually ask it to give up its spot, it will reluctantly step aside first...

Are you still yelling at me now?!

Yes, yes, I know you hate me. I used to be used as a role model to criticize you all the time, it would be strange if you didn't hate me... What does this hate mean now? Do you feel ashamed that I'm 'giving in' to you? Do you feel that I'm not being sincere and that I'm deceiving your true feelings?

Are you tired of your life going too smoothly and want to create some drama for yourself?!

Seriously, be more mature... Okay, if Yukino were a smaller version of myself, I'd just find it disgusting and boring.

I admire and like Yukino's hard work, earnestness, and struggles, but I also find it incredibly annoying that she takes her own seriousness to heart...

I'm starting to feel like I'm in trouble? The real trouble is this brat!

Okay, Xiangmei.

I'm getting angrier the more I think about it!

Yukinoshita Haruno pulled out her phone and angrily pressed the buttons.

[Yukinoshita Daidai: I should have just pulled you into the river back then!!]

Yukino put away her phone, got up, and left with her keys and bag.

I need to find Yukino right away. I have to get this straight today. This scoundrel is nothing compared to Yukino.

Anyway, someone like me is used to just fooling around, at most I'll just fool my own feelings a little more.

Don't get so caught up in this that you'll lose your mind, Yukino...

……

……

Kaven is the abyss; when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

My sleep schedule was so messed up that I was woken up by Knight and King together at noon. I forced myself to wash my face, eat, feed the cat, and reply to my sister's inexplicable private message. Yukino Yukinoshita continued to meditate at her desk.

Suddenly, I could understand Bai Jun's usual swaying, whimpering, and squeaking behavior.

The script is set in ancient times, which is kind of embarrassing, so we'll bring out the classic princess and samurai characters and start setting up... What are the reasons that the samurai falls in love with the princess?

Appearance, love at first sight, lust at first sight? Forget it. Bai Jun may be stunning in appearance, but the stunning effect often ends with his words.

Wealth and status? Forget about them, I don't like them.

Talent, ability? Forget about it, it's not that kind of thing.

A unique experience? A childhood sweetheart promise? Pass. Although it's a classic plot design, it completely hit my sore spot.

Why not just tell the audience that samurai simply like princesses? Pass! How can you be so perfunctory?

Like all of them? That doesn't quite fit my mind.

This feeling of having strong emotions inside, but no matter how I try to write it, it just doesn't feel right...

She wanted to create something different to vent the manic episodes caused by Calvin.

Why not change our approach and ask my sister and Sakurajima what they think? The more I develop the script, the more it resembles a princess choosing a husband, but this princess seems to be like Princess Kaguya, completely uninterested... No, the meaning of the script is to find out Princess Kaguya's thoughts and also to find out our own answers.

Make yourself a cup of coffee to perk yourself up.

Yukino Yukinoshita looked at the manuscript paper with its scattered words and phrases, then at the time, and couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

At least it's better than Bai Jun's completely blank screen...

I went to the living room, found the coffee beans, and boiled water. As the water was being brewed, white steam rose, carrying the aroma of coffee beans that gave me a slight boost of energy.

Hmm? I'm starting to get an idea?

boom!

The door was suddenly pulled open roughly.

I've lost my train of thought.

"#!"

Yukino, with immense willpower, suppressed her irritation and frowned as she looked towards the door: "Sister?"

"Yukino..."