Uneasy daily life

Hachiman Hikigaya paused for a moment, then said subtly, "Minister, you should know about Japanese New Year customs, right?"

“Of course I know. My troupe and I have been here for three years,” Bai Ying said. “We also occasionally perform traditional dramas during the New Year.”

Hikigaya Komachi's eyes lit up: "What kind of show? Is it an exorcism or a festival dance?"

"For example, a story about a couple who are separated by distance but come to a shrine together during the New Year to pray for each other."

"Oh oh oh——!"

"The boyfriend held a reincarnation certificate, hoping his girlfriend in the mortal world would find happiness. The girlfriend, with her fiancé and pregnant, mourned and blessed her boyfriend in the underworld—and a miracle happened! The boyfriend was reincarnated as the child in his girlfriend's womb..."

"What kind of traditional drama is this?!"

"Huh? Praying for the deceased ancestors and hoping for blessings in return, with everyone living happily ever after—isn't that the most traditional drama? Does that mean everyone's prayers are just empty words?" Bai Ying waved her hand confidently. "Anyway, no one understands customs better than me!"

"Uh..." Hachiman Hikigaya hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Why didn't Yukinoshita invite the club president?"

"Because the hero deliberately didn't say, subtly causing me trouble, testing who I should go to worship for the New Year with. If I answer in a way that pleases her, then I'm happy; if I answer in a way that displeases her, then she'll use it as an excuse to have fun—a win-win situation," the white-clad figure sneered. "But do you think I'll fall for her trick? I'll just go with you all!"

Hikigaya Hachiman: “?”

I don't quite understand. What the heck? If Yukino finds out later, will she see me and Komachi as rivals in love?

"Huh?" Komachi's eyes lit up. "Brother Haku, you and Yukino wouldn't be... you know...?"

She gestured with her little finger with an expression that said, "I know, I know."

Bai Ying thought for a moment, then stretched out a hand and tucked in her thumb: "It should be this one."

Ugh? !

Komachi Hikigaya stared blankly at her four fingers—if the pinky finger represented her girlfriend, then the sequence of fingers...

She slowly raised her head, staring incredulously at the white figure... the progress was incredibly rapid?!

"Did you and Yukino have a fight? Let's go to the shrine together!" Komachi Hikigaya said enthusiastically. "Let's make up during the festival!"

Hachiman Hikigaya retorted, "Isn't Komachi overthinking things?"

"When are you going to find me a sister-in-law, brother!" Komachi Hikigaya turned around and said with dissatisfaction, "Hasn't my brother been corrected yet? Looks like I'll have to get Brother Bai to put in some effort!"

Hikigaya Hachiman: “?”

You're not my sister, tell me! Who are you...? Well, that's exactly the kind of thing Komachi would do!

"Don't worry." Bai Ying gave a thumbs-up with the hand holding the incense burner. "Your brother has already confessed to me. He's now the most popular guy in the whole school!"

Hikigaya Komachi: "?"

You're not my brother, tell me! Who are you...? Well, if it's for some reason, that's exactly what a brother would do!

While the brother and sister were bewildered by the wind, they had already arrived at the location of a nearby shrine.

Even though it was past the time for tourists to pray at the shrine in the early morning, people were still coming and going outside the shrine, and long queues had formed. Among the various tourists wearing down jackets and thermal underwear, trying to fight the winter cold, a family wearing kimonos stood out, exuding an aura of prioritizing style over warmth.

The weather this year is so cold! What a blunder! I thought about clothes but not pants. My pants are only half-cold, but my feet are freezing cold, and there's snow on the road!

Under the snow, the father's expression was calm and dignified, very much like the head of the family, while inwardly he complained that this year's snow was even heavier and colder.

But it's okay, I'm happy!

The younger goddess returned from abroad and was able to spend the Lunar New Year with her family. The middle goddess no longer had to feign happiness like before, and even had the mood to complain to the older goddess, "Isn't it a bit strange for the whole family to go out in traditional clothing? It's a new era now; everyone prefers to dress comfortably when visiting relatives for the New Year, rather than dressing formally..."

How come the goddess of the Chinese drama started to change her expression again without me noticing?

“I didn’t ask you to wear it,” Yukino’s mother said calmly. “You were the one who excitedly dug out the kimono and gave it back to Yukino to wear your old kimono.”

"Anyway, I haven't worn it that many times." Yukinoshita Haruno said casually, "Kimono does have its advantages. You don't have to worry too much about your figure. My kimono from high school didn't look bulky at all when I wore it."

"#!"

Yukino Yukinoshita smiled faintly, "It's definitely not cumbersome at all, and it fits perfectly."

"is it?"

Yukino Yukinoshita replied with a smile, expressing her regret that she was wearing a kimono, which made it difficult to make a visual impact. After all, kimonos don't have the ability to accentuate one's figure, unless it's the kind that's indecent... Well, if she wore that kind of kimono, her mother would probably use Aikido on her.

"Humph."

Yukino Yukinoshita gave a soft snort, her gaze unconsciously sweeping around her. There were just too many people...

It's not that I care about anything, but in terms of the number of people, shouldn't they accompany me and my sister to the shrine first? Sakurajima and Waka are definitely accompanying their respective families to the shrine, so it wouldn't be appropriate for them to go anywhere else. Shouldn't they come here to worship?

Although I don't have any particular feelings about the New Year, I think I will if Bai Jun comes along.

Didn't your sister secretly send Bai Jun the location?

After letting her thoughts wander a little, Yukino Yukinoshita followed her family through the torii gate and into the spacious front of the shrine.

"Wow! This lady's been having some good luck lately, she must have achieved quite a bit in terms of wealth. But remember to stay humble and avoid arrogance. Once good fortune reaches a certain point and starts to decline, even if it's better than before, it's hard to avoid losing your composure—what? You're saying I miscalculated? Aren't you already losing your composure? As the saying goes, pride comes before a fall..."

"Asking about marriage? Little sister, you're quite interesting. It's no wonder I went through all this trouble to make you look like this, you're so cute! Wait a minute~ why did you leave? Am I not pretty enough?"

"Hello, sir. Hmm? What do you want to ask? You don't want to ask anything, you're just joining in the fun. I suppose you've celebrated the New Year dozens of times, and you can't find a reason to be happy anymore, right? No problem, no problem, you can warm your heart by watching others be happy."

"This kid is something else! He's got the makings of a Tokyo University student! I suggest he take all the cram schools, buy all the college entrance exam papers, and pile up his workbooks a meter high... The kid's angry! The department is coming to sell him candied hawthorns—here, it's only 200 yen, buy one get one free."

In a corner next to the shrine, a familiar figure stood, with Komachi Hikigaya stealing a candied hawthorn next to her, and Hachiman Hikigaya looking completely numb.

The white figure chatted enthusiastically with those who gathered around, but soon the place became deserted, and even birds ignored it.

That's outrageous. Be careful, or you might get kicked out by the shrine staff as a troublemaker.

Yukino Yukinoshita rolled her eyes inwardly, then walked lightly to the front with her family, tossed a few coins into the offering box, clapped her hands, and silently made a wish.

hope……

It seems there's nothing I can wish for? I've reached an understanding and reconciliation with my mother and sister, and I have a clear direction for the future. I don't need the gods to help me with these things. My love life is a bit strange, but I don't need to trouble the gods with that either. I just want to experience, resolve, and achieve results on my own.

Is it because I've been abroad for three years and have lost interest in this kind of traditional activity, or is it because I don't have any wishes I want to make?

Then...

I hope your wish will come true.

After their prayers, the Yukino family naturally headed to a corner of the shrine.

Suddenly, Yukinoshita's father activated his speed-up skill, dashing away from his family and instantly appearing in front of the white figure. He coughed twice in a mocking manner, "Hmm~ It's so nice during the New Year..."

"That's really nice." Bai Ying reached into his pocket and pulled out a few hundred yen in coins, handing them over with the humility and respect of a junior, and said, "Happy New Year, Uncle!"

"Um……"

Yukinoshita's father subconsciously picked up a few coins, but then his forehead twitched and his eyes turned cold—you brat, you really are a wolf in sheep's clothing, defying the proper order of things!

"I appreciate your filial piety. Come, come, this is your uncle's loving heart..."

He calmly put away the coins and took out a New Year's money envelope from his pocket and handed it over—in China, this is called a New Year's money red envelope.

The white-clad figure composed himself and said in a clear, resonant voice, "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!"

Hmm? They accepted it? They accepted it? They accepted this troublesome rebel? Hahaha! Indeed, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests!

Under the snow, the father's expression remained calm, but his heart was filled with joy. Excellent! This piece of jade will henceforth be proof of his status, a symbol of his class, and a reminder of the fundamental principles of human relationships, from elders to juniors!

Father-in-law, I'm experiencing the exhilaration of being in a high position; this is what it feels like to be on the throne...

"Shouldn't you give me two portions, Uncle?"

The white-clad figure asked with innocent eyes.

I didn't mean anything by it, I was just asking.

"?"

The joy in the father's heart froze and shattered instantly under the snow. The throne cracked, and all that remained of his high spirits was breath, floating around on his forehead.

I take that back.

There are always eternal enemies in the world!

Chapter Two: Fair Match

As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to him, and he who takes another's gift is obligated to him." You've already taken one portion, and you want another?!

You traitor!

Just as Yukinoshita's father was about to lash out, her family members approached from behind.

"Haku-kun, Hikigaya-kun, Komachi, happy new year."

Yukino Yukinoshita nodded gently in greeting.

Happy New Year, Yukino-neechan!

Hikigaya Komachi is very energetic.

"Happy New Year."

Hachiman Hikigaya only wants to open Jun.

"Hero, 9528, Auntie, Happy New Year." The white figure didn't transform, but simply greeted each person earnestly, then immediately made a self-deprecating remark, "It feels like all relatives are the same, always wishing each other a happy new year."

"Then what else do you want to be like?"

Her long, jet-black hair was piled up behind her head, with a few strands of smooth hair falling from her fair cheeks and draping over her shoulders. Her light-colored kimono, decorated with pale cherry blossoms, stretched from her shoulders to her legs, cinching at her waist. She stood tall and dignified, with a scarf wrapped around her neck. Yukino Yukinoshita raised her hand and gently tugged at the scarf, glancing over with a faint look.

Bai Ying pondered, "What's it like under the small snowflakes, under the middle snowflakes, and under the large snowflakes?"

Yukinoshita Yukino: “?”

"It seems so?" Yukino Yukinoshita was dressed similarly, with her hair up and wearing a kimono, though the colors were slightly darker. She looked her mother and sister up and down and said with a smile, "It seems I'm still the most carefree one—right, Nakajo Yukinoshita?"

Yukinoshita's mother said calmly, "You can wear several layers of thermal clothing, put on a down jacket, and become a big ball of Yukinoshita."

"My mother has absolutely no idea about the clothing industry these days. There are lightweight and warm clothes available even in the dead of winter."

Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head and clicked her tongue, saying, "Kimonos are troublesome to wear, and they really do look like a head stuck on a piece of clothing..."

"It's really good-looking!"

Komachi Hikigaya, holding a straw target, popped her head out and praised enthusiastically, "Yukino-neechan looks very elegant and beautiful in this, right, Haku-nii?"

"What's so interesting about one?"

Yukino Yukinoshita's gaze shifted slightly, her tone indifferent.

"One line means 'good looks and a sleek profile'!"

Hikigaya Komachi gave him a frantic wink—Brother White! Aren't you going to go for it? Hurry up and praise him!

"Hmm..." Bai Ying pinched her chin, her head like a camera, carefully examining Yukino Yukinoshita from top to bottom, then from left to right, looking at all three Yukinoshitas. Suddenly, she frowned, "Auntie, I have a question, but I don't know if I should ask it?"

Yukino's mother, with a calm and composed demeanor, said, "What questions could you possibly be afraid to ask?"

"I dare not ask when Auntie will consider matters concerning the elders," Bai Ying said casually, then pondered, "Wearing a kimono means you have to put your hair up, right?"

“That’s not necessary,” Yukino’s mother shook her head. “It depends on the occasion and your mood. Hair up makes you look more serious and proper.”

“Indeed.” Yukinoshita Haruno raised her hand and poked her sister’s hair that was tied up at the back of her head. “Look, Yukino-chan deliberately left some sideburns hanging down, and she looks much cuter.”

"Of course, you should do whatever makes you happy," Yukino Yukinoshita changed the subject. "Why are you asking this, Haku-kun?"

Bai Ying asked seriously, "Won't it be heavy to put your hair up in a bun?"

"Heavy?" Yukinoshita's mother paused for a moment, then said, "I didn't feel it... Hmm?"

Yukino Yukinoshita casually remarked, "Hair isn't heavy to begin with... huh?"

Isn't this question a bit strange?

"How heavy is it? We'll find out by weighing it, won't we?" Yukinoshita Haruno raised her hand and made a scissor gesture, suggesting in a serious tone, "Let's take Yukino-chan's hair down from its bun, put it on the scale, and we'll know how heavy the burden she usually carries..."

Yukinoshita Yukino: "...#!"

"What a stupid question Brother Bai asked!"

Unable to contain her anger any longer, Komachi Hikigaya delivered a karate chop to the white figure's neck: "Your head must be so heavy, it's so stupid!"

"The person who asks the question isn't stupid; the one who thinks seriously is! Hehehe!"

The white figure decisively dodged to the right of Yukino Yukinoshita, and then jumped from the right to the left.

"You're the idiot! Hehehe!"

Hikigaya Komachi swung her sword a few times but didn't see it, so she stuck out her tongue and mocked him, then turned around angrily, hugging the straw target and even taking the white shadow's incense burner with her: "Brother! Let's go!"