Uneasy daily life

The nobleman couldn't help but admire her. Although the reply said there was no need to ask about the season, he did not go up the mountain to propose marriage directly. Instead, he prepared to write a letter to Princess Kaguya to express his feelings. As he pondered the content, he couldn't help but think of his deceased wife with each stroke of his pen. His emotions flowed from his pen as he outlined words on the paper.

You should also ask the other person if they mind that you have a wife.

Twin lotus blossoms stand tall, born of the same root. One falls, the other remains; their entanglement is beyond comprehension.

The letter was sent to Izukiyama, and a few days later, a maid delivered another reply.

Fallen petals melt into mud, nourishing and adding luster. All things flourish and wither, but a peaceful heart makes beauty endure.

With mixed feelings, the nobleman put away the letter. After exchanging letters with Princess Kaguya several times, he finally made up his mind and climbed Mount Izuki.

The nobleman had his servants prepare some gifts for the meeting, and, led by a maid, he met Princess Kaguya again in the secluded bamboo forest, a place he had met once before. Compared to her beautiful appearance, it was her quiet and serene temperament that reminded the nobleman of his deceased wife.

The nobleman said sincerely, “I wish to ask for the princess’s hand in marriage. Your temperament and talent remind me of my deceased wife. She was also a woman of great talent and tenderness, just like you. Unfortunately, she fell ill early and left me alone in this world. Of course, I am not asking you to replace her, but the similarities between you make me miss you dearly.”

Princess Kaguya looked at him quietly and asked, "So, you like two people?"

"Perhaps." The nobleman nodded, his gaze carrying a deeper meaning. "Do you see any problem?"

“Of course, no problem. The one you like must have something outstanding and beautiful about her. Maybe we can even become as close as sisters.” Princess Kaguya chuckled, then her voice suddenly turned serious. “But I’m sorry, I refuse your proposal.”

The nobleman was taken aback, but not surprised; he was merely puzzled and asked, "Why?"

Princess Kaguya said solemnly, "Because I am a warrior of pure love, I will not be a minotaur."

noble:"?"

You just said there was no problem! What do you mean? Going back on your word? Strange judgment criteria? If you really meant what you said, then why did you say those things? The nobleman was somewhat confused, and a strong sense of doubt and wavering arose in his heart. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether it was a scripted scene, a veiled criticism, or just someone acting out of character.

So, how do I feel...?

A voice suddenly rang out.

"You confide in me through letters, you express your feelings through conversations, but when we are face to face, why do you feign your true feelings in your words and actions?"

The same clothes, the same voice, as if it were the same person, came walking in as if singing: "Beautiful and gentle, wise and talented princess, I have never looked down on you, so why do you use a reason that is tantamount to slander to tarnish my deep affection?"

Princess Kaguya frowned and said, "Are you angry?"

Noble Number Two replied firmly, "Not yet."

noble:"#!"

She's already getting angry!

"You don't see me as a replacement for someone else, but I can't fill the void in your heart."

Princess Kaguya stepped forward and said softly, "You placed your deep affection in her, and her departure left a gap in your heart. Even if you didn't see me as a replacement, you still saw me as the one to fill that gap—what you loved was the feeling of being loved, not the person you loved... I will not be your support, I will not be your gap, and I will not be the one to fill it."

"To love is to open one's heart, and to open one's heart is to complement each other. If we are truly in love, how can the other not feel a sense of loss if one leaves? And if one feels a loss, how can it not be filled?" The second nobleman strode forward with a dignified and composed air, seemingly questioning yet puzzled, "If you say this is not love, then what is love?"

"Then why say more?"

Princess Kaguya waved her sleeve and said, "Please go back. I cannot fill the void in your life and your emotions, so naturally I cannot accept your marriage proposal."

"Then why did you have to disturb my peace of mind? Why did you have to meddle in my affairs? Why did you have to interfere in my life and make me pour out all my joys and sorrows for you? Now that things have come to this, you say you want to stay out of it and burn all the time we once shared to ashes—don't you think you're cold and heartless?!"

Noble Number Two's expression shifted, his face suppressing painful anger. The accusations in his words were tinged with bitterness, as if he were pulling a bloody thorn from his heart to point at Princess Kaguya.

"Absolutely not."

The nobleman suddenly intervened, speaking with a calm and forceful voice, as if addressing a figure that seemed to be himself: "Although I have developed feelings for the princess, those feelings are my own. If I were to deny them and blame the princess for the pain I feel for them, wouldn't that be self-deception and an act of blaming others? Even if these feelings are rejected and taken a step further, even if they are driven by the desire to fill loneliness, even if they bring me agonizing pain—I will not allow them to be denied!"

Even myself.

The nobleman looked solemnly at Noble Number Two.

"A fleeting moment of beauty, yet standing proudly against the late winter. The filth melts into the snow, forbidding any resentment towards the spring breeze."

Princess Kaguya softly sang the lyrics, looking at the nobleman and saying, "This feeling of being proud and dignified, needing no approval, needing no one to rely on, and needing no one to fill the void, is truly beautiful and moving."

The nobleman was stunned and before he could react, the second nobleman snorted and strode away: "What a ridiculous and absurd obsession. I see you have the air of someone who's like a green meadow on his head, tending sheep and feeding horses."

"?"

The nobleman's brow twitched slightly, and he quickly caught up with Noble Number Two.

When news spread that even noble proposals had failed, the world was in an uproar and shocked. Who else could possibly marry Princess Kaguya? What kind of person could gain Princess Kaguya's approval?

Proposals poured in, yet none ever came to escort Princess Kaguya down the mountain. Each suitor was criticized for various flaws by Kaguya, only to be rejected in return. Over time, people came to believe it was all a joke and a lie by Kaguya, that she took pleasure in the failed attempts of her suitors and didn't genuinely want to marry them. Otherwise, why hadn't she accepted any of the proposals?

This must be a prank by Princess Kaguya. She's a heartless person; anyone who proposes to her would be a fool.

As more and more people were rejected, Chuyue Mountain gradually returned to its former tranquility.

Old Man with Pockmarks was the only person around Mount Izuki who persisted in pursuing Princess Kaguya. He was always thinking about how to marry her, and even after being rejected by her multiple times, he still refused to give up. He would always tell people he had a way to marry Princess Kaguya, leaving everyone speechless. Therefore, everyone gave him the nickname "Old Man with Pockmarks."

Old Ma Zi arrived at the foot of Mount Chuyue. The people in the taverns and shops at the foot of the mountain looked at him and laughed. Some called out, "Old Ma Zi, are you going to propose to Princess Kaguya again?" He didn't answer, but said to the shopkeeper, "Give me a pair of straw sandals and a walking stick." He then laid out nine copper coins. They deliberately shouted loudly, "You must have been tricked by Princess Kaguya again!" Old Ma Zi opened his eyes wide and said, "How can you slander someone's sincerity like this..." "What sincerity? I saw you come down the mountain with my own eyes the day before yesterday, walking and crying." Old Ma Zi's face turned red, and the veins on his forehead bulged as he argued, "Being rejected doesn't count as being tricked...being rejected!...Can true feelings be considered trickery?" He then uttered a series of incomprehensible words, such as "where there's a will, there's a way," and "sincerity," which made everyone burst into laughter: the air inside and outside the shop was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Old Ma changed his shoes and cane, and started walking up Chuyue Mountain in a huff, feeling quite annoyed—what kind of persona is this? Just because he said he was willing to wait, he suddenly became an old man? Just because he said he was willing to wait even if it meant divorce, he ended up being rejected repeatedly?

First, rule out the main screenwriter's responsibility, then just eliminate the other two people who might have altered the script!

Old Ma shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions. He walked along the familiar mountain path, where the familiar maidservant stood at the end.

"You're here again."

The maid remarked casually, then turned and led the way, saying, "How many times have you come here?"

"Can not remember……"

Old Ma followed, his voice low and deep, "But this should be the last time."

"Huh?" the maid exclaimed in surprise, "You've finally given up?"

Old Ma didn't say anything.

As we walked through the quiet bamboo forest, the twilight gradually gave way to night. A familiar figure stood before the bamboo house, looking up at the crescent moon that was just beginning to emerge.

"Are you here to propose?"

Princess Kaguya turned around and asked gently.

Time has left no trace on her; she has brought familiar memories to the present.

"Yes, I'm here to propose," Old Ma said with a calm smile. "This is the last time."

Princess Kaguya sighed softly, "Are you going to die?"

"Everyone will die."

Are you still going to propose?

“Of course,” Old Ma said solemnly. “Princess, I love you deeply. Through the seasons and the passing years, this love still watches over you… Please forgive my clumsy tongue. I really can’t find the words to express my feelings.”

"I'm sorry, I have to decline your proposal."

Princess Kaguya shook her head gently, her tone remaining calm.

"Why? Why is this happening?!"

Old Ma Zi No. 2 strode forward, his once-loud voice now tinged with weakness: "I..."

“Isn’t this love?” Old Ma spoke in a low voice, taking back the right to speak. He gazed at Princess Kaguya and began to speak, “I have been waiting at the foot of Mount Izuki. Those reckless people are gone, those greedy people are gone, those lonely people are gone, but I am still waiting… I can wait until life comes to an end, I can wait until the story comes to a close, I can wait until those feelings burn out to the last embers, because I love you, I love you far more than you can imagine.”

Old Man Number Two stepped forward and loudly proclaimed, "I love you without reservation or shyness, I love you regardless of others' opinions, I will write my love for you with the passing years, and even if it means putting my life on the scales, I will hesitate when making my choice—that is even more proof of my deep love for you—"

“Your love is a kind of clinging to hope, a clinging to the first answer you refuse to give up, a hope that you desperately try to avoid a mistake,” Princess Kaguya said softly. “It is a habit, a hope, a self that you strive to embody—you have placed a part of your life into my hands, wanting me to return it to you.”

Old Ma was slightly taken aback, but a sense of unexpected calm and understanding settled in his heart.

Of course, it's undeniable that I don't value marriage highly, but therefore I value relationships even more. Once I've chosen someone, I'm prepared for a long-term commitment and plan to achieve it step by step. If I can't achieve it, then I'll consider it another wrong decision...

To take things lightly yet value them highly, to be indifferent yet take them seriously—that's probably the source of my inner contradiction.

But I haven't finished my performance yet, so I won't be kicked off the stage early.

"Even if it's a form of solace, even if it's a kind of obsession, what does it mean to you? What is your love?"

Old Ma Zi suppressed his voice, a faint sadness rising in his throat.

"You are the moon in the sky, a princess who has been abandoned by the world, distant and unapproachable."

Old Ma Zi No. 2 suddenly began to sing in an operatic style, accompanied by steps and gestures: "The human heart creates lies, and ruthlessness sees through the truth! The cold moonlight washes away illusions, leaving lies nowhere to hide—the infatuation of first love is nothing but an emotional outpouring, yet it still expects a response! The infatuation tainted by the dust of the world is nothing but a thirst for desire, searching for a medal that it deems worthy! The infatuation of loneliness and solitude is nothing but a search for emotional compensation! The infatuation of persistent waiting is nothing but the fulfillment of self-satisfaction!"

"Tear down the human heart, and you'll find nothing but illusion!"

The momentum reached a new level, the lines were coherent and clear, and the intonation was so powerful that it was like a storm pressing down on the entire scene.

Old Ma Zi didn't know how to respond for a moment, so he looked at Princess Kaguya.

Princess Kaguya slowly raised her hand, her voice as gentle as ever. She looked at the old man with pockmarked cheeks: "I have seen your youthful innocence and passionate enthusiasm, I have seen your promising youth and confident ambition, I have seen your middle age and feelings of loss and loneliness, I have seen your white hair and unwavering determination... I have seen you searching for a flower across the mountains and fields, I have seen you riding your horse with high spirits, I have seen you lingering and sighing as you put pen to paper, I have seen you dedicate yourself day after day with unwavering sincerity... I said you lacked foresight, I criticized your arrogance, I exchanged heartfelt letters with you, I guarded Izuki Mountain for you, day after day, year after year..."

"You ask me, what do you mean to me? What is love?"

Princess Kaguya looked at the old man and began to sing in a gentle voice.

"The night is hazy, the stars are radiant. Climbing the mountain path, I stroll under the low sky. The wind rustles through the bamboo forest, creating a myriad of sounds. Through spring and autumn, the beautiful scenery remains unchanged."

"Love has taken hold of me, and I am sick with it. I am ashamed to speak of it to others, and I ask them what love is. I am like a small boat adrift on the vast sea. I see through all the joys and sorrows, and the bright moon still shines."

Bai Ying looked at Bai Yinghua and said loudly.

"The human heart is inherently illusory; live a life that is truly real!"

Bai Yinghua took a few steps back and disappeared from the stage. The story of several people was strung together into the growth and changes of one character. This time, she lost a point in terms of adding scenes to the script.

Bai Ying was about to finish speaking when suddenly a figure collapsed in front of him. He quickly reached out to catch her, then squatted down and put his arm around Sakurajima Mai's back, looking into her deep eyes.

"Princess, is your love too far and too high, or is my love too narrow and too small? But I have truly heard your heart..." Mai Sakurajima tried her best to act as if she was on her deathbed, she murmured softly, "After going around in circles, I still came to your side, it's a pity that I realized it too late... You have always been here, and I can stay at any time, and leave at any time... In these last moments, I think..."

Hmph! Trying to use a plot where someone is on their deathbed and makes a heartfelt confession?

The white figure wore a solemn and sacred expression, gently covering Sakurajima Mai's eyes with its palm, and said tenderly, "Life is too tiring, rest well. I will always remember you, your impulsiveness, pride, loneliness, and persistence..."

Hmph, what's wrong with saying a few sweet nothings to me in a play? Real actors really do have to add their own drama.

Through her fingers, Mai Sakurajima's eyes blinked, and her voice suddenly became more lively: "Princess! I feel your love, such a warm feeling, my body is miraculously... um?"

Covering mouth.jpg

Princess Kaguya knelt on one knee, the human leaning against her leg. She reached out as if to tidy up the deceased's face and expression. Her profile was full of gentleness and serenity as she silently bid farewell to the human who had watched over her throughout his life.

Humans seemed to be on their deathbeds, vaguely struggling with some dying instincts, but Princess Kaguya embraced and contained them all.

Just as she watched over and embraced the other person's joys and sorrows, partings and reunions throughout their life.

This time, the curtain reacted quickly, and upon noticing the final note was falling, it began to close towards the center of the stage.

At this moment, the human finally breathed his last, resting motionless in Princess Kaguya's arms, and fell silent.

In his youth, he was naive and confused, and his confession of love failed. He then went to Kyoto to make a living. In his youth, he achieved great success and was full of vigor. He met another woman he was destined to be with, let go of the person he once loved, got married and had children. However, tragedy struck suddenly. He lost his wife in middle age and left Kyoto to find the person he once cared about, hoping to find solace for his loneliness. In his later years, he returned to his hometown. All his past struggles had become meaningless. Only one obsession remained in his heart, constantly on his mind.

He finally closed his eyes peacefully in the arms of the person he deeply loved, or rather, in the moon's embrace.

The curtain was completely drawn, closing the last page of his life.

"Separated forever, never to meet again... It really was Princess Kaguya? This seems to follow the line of reasoning based on lifespan?"

Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but complain, "There wasn't a single scene of the zombies coming back to life or a plot twist? Where's Princess Kaguya's halberd? This ending feels so normal, but there are so many strange parts! I can't accept it!"

"The bright moon shines through all joys and sorrows, yet it remains forever..."

Yui Yuigahama's eyes reddened with emotion: "As expected, Shiro can put on a great show when he gets serious!"

She clapped her hands vigorously, and the other students who had started to discuss it realized what was happening and joined in with enthusiastic applause.

Outside the curtain, applause erupted; inside, a white figure was locked in a fierce struggle with Mai Sakurajima.

"Where's your professionalism as an actor? You actually want to come back to life?! The atmosphere is already there, a professional actor should just obediently die!"

"You have the nerve to say that, you hater?! I think what you're doing is murder!"

Step on my foot!

As Mai Sakurajima angrily stepped on the white figure, Angelina yawned and pretended not to see it.

Other actors appeared from the side of the stage.

"Alright, stop pulling and tugging here." Yukino Yukinoshita frowned. "The stage needs to be left for the other students. Get down here."

Kazuka Toyohama's attitude was simple: she directly supported her sister, "Stomp the bastard to death!"

As Yukino Yukinoshita was playing with her katana, she said with a bright smile, "You rascal, I suddenly thought of a possibility... Shirae Eika needs to gather information before she can lie, right? She doesn't have your kind of insight. And considering your performance on stage just now—you didn't leak some information to Shirae Eika beforehand, so she could accurately deceive us, did you?"

Yukinoshita Yukino: “?”

Toyohama Kazuka: "?"