Uneasy daily life

[If that's the case, shouldn't the aunt have some kind of mental block?]

A knot in my heart? Decades have passed, and I can understand my father's attitude and some of his words back then. Undeniably, he had a significant influence on me. For example, my demands on Yukino and Haruno were mixed with my own selfish desires stemming from their unfulfilled potential, only obscured by the hope of 'making them better people, with a brighter future,' which made me feel justified in hurting them…

[Really not? Because she's a woman, it's not acceptable. No matter how hard the auntie tried, she still didn't gain recognition.]

He is more suited to support the family business than I am, and I am not recognized because I cannot do it.

[Is that really all? Why did the aunt and her father distance themselves and stop living together after the hero was born? Then why does the aunt still remember her father's disapproving attitude when contemplating her own thoughts? Why does the aunt remember so many of her father's appearances, the things he did, and his different states at different times when she talks about him?]

I can't explain it clearly, but I remember it clearly.

[I can't quite put my finger on it; it's a knot in my heart, a source of confusion, a deep-seated anguish—that's when I come in! Would you like a Frostmourne?]

what?

Every father has his own Seven Wolves, every child has his own Frostmourne. I'm a professional sword dealer, but I'll have to wait until I get the blueprints and forge the sword.

……

……

Yukinoshita's mother pulled herself together from her reverie and focused her attention on her father across from her.

Could that sentence really be useful? I don't think it would be useful to my father.

If we're going to use it, if we're going to try it out, shouldn't it be here? Can we talk about it now?

Grandpa Yukinoshita had a stern face, his expression filled with anger and dissatisfaction. Today had been a mess, and the culprit was that damned brat!

Beside the small dojo, Yukinoshita's father and Yukinoshita Haruno acted as spectators, completely unable to persuade the two stubborn people who had directly clashed.

Yukinoshita's father even suspected that if he ran into the arena and tried to stop the sparring with his body as a shield, both sides would not hesitate to give him a double Aikido slam.

Yukino Yukinoshita, on the other hand, looked like she was watching a show, her gaze falling on her mother. She had a vague sense of familiarity with her, which reminded her of the big argument they had during the battle... Hmm? Could that jerk have given her mother some Frostmourne?

"Since it's a competition, there must be a winner and a loser!"

Grandpa Yukinoshita spoke in a muffled voice: "I won, you break up this messy relationship of theirs! You won, I don't care anymore!"

"I asked, I looked into it, and I intervened. They proved to me that they weren't just fooling around, so I can agree," Yukino's mother said calmly. "If Father thinks it's inappropriate, why doesn't he intervene himself? Is it because he can't control it anymore? Or is it because he's not very familiar with Yukino and doesn't dare to make direct requests?"

You think this is normal?!

Under the snow, the old man's forehead veins bulged, and the past memories that had been stirred up vanished. He looked at his daughter with great confusion and anger: "When did you become like this?!"

"I have my own judgment, and I don't need what my father calls 'normal'."

Yukinoshita's mother remained indifferent: "Or is it that... you feel you've done something wrong, but you can forgive yourself, and that's what's considered normal?"

Yukinoshita's father froze for several seconds, his expression complicated as he opened his mouth to say something. Yukinoshita's mother had already seen this and took a deep breath.

"bring it on!"

The wooden planks creaked underfoot as the daughter was instantly in front of her father.

Before the actual confrontation even began, the father had already been pierced by Frostmourne, which suddenly appeared from behind. This sudden and intense disruption was enough to decide the outcome of the battle.

The back-and-forth punches and kicks, the counter-attacks, have virtually no real combat value; the true outcome is decided in an instant!

Losing the initiative, the father was a beat too slow in his retreating and adjusting movements. His right wrist and elbow were grabbed. He quickly lowered his center of gravity to try to stabilize his body, but one foot slid down the floor and, with a tilted angle, smashed into his right leg, disrupting his balance.

The daughter grabbed one of his hands and quickly pulled him backward, dragging her unbalanced father to the ground.

Before her father could even resist, the daughter had already let go and stepped back.

"Being knocked to the ground means defeat is inevitable—don't assume your opponent will stand there and kick you. In real combat, they will use their weight and height to suppress you, so you basically have no chance to fight back."

Yukinoshita's mother said softly, "I think that's what Father said back then."

Grandpa Yukinoshita sat up blankly on the ground, momentarily unable to process that he had lost.

That sudden remark did have an impact, but I still have a chance to turn the tide. Whether I retreat decisively or hold my ground, as long as I stabilize the situation, I can launch a counterattack later. Even when I'm old, it won't be that difficult...

Am I really getting old?

Yukinoshita's mother looked down at her father, while Yukinoshita's grandfather looked up at his daughter. The surroundings fell silent for a moment, and no one spoke, or could find anything to say.

Seeing the situation, Yukinoshita's father prepared to step forward and distract the two...

Yukino Yukinoshita stopped him. Facing her father's questioning gaze, she lowered her voice and said, "Father, don't interfere. The process of committing the crime is more interesting than who the murderer is."

You still committed murder?! Yukinoshita's father's eyes widened, but then he realized—it was the same parents and children, the same entanglement and revelation, the same situation of mutual benefit... Was the goddess in the middle looking for the goddess's answer?

"What other murder could there be? It's all the fault of the evil spirit, I mean the white shadow..."

The father lowered his voice as he spoke through the snow.

That kid, he stirred things up with a few words and then ran away!

"then……"

Grandpa Yukinoshita stood up, looked at his daughter's familiar face, and couldn't help but sigh: "I really shouldn't have said that when Yukino was born..."

"Grandpa, it's not like that."

Yukino Yukinoshita ran into the dojo from outside. Seeing the distance and posture between the two, she quickly said, "Mother didn't say she couldn't forgive you, but she never thought Grandpa was wrong!"

Grandpa Yukinoshita was taken aback, not understanding what was going on. Before he could speak, Yukinoshita Yukino walked over and said, "Whether you like boys or girls, it's just a difference in opinion. Did Grandpa ever do anything unreasonable or excessive to Mother just because she's a girl? In Grandpa's eyes, is Mother just an unreasonable person who only vents her emotions? If Mother thinks Grandpa is wrong, she won't try to prove herself, but will directly point out Grandpa's mistakes."

"It's like someone saying that spicy food is better than salty food. If you think that's an unforgivable mistake, you should be targeting the person who said it, not the statement itself. It's even less likely that you would try to make salty food in the hope of giving the other person a different opinion."

“Grandpa likes collecting cold weapons, Mother likes calligraphy, and my sister likes music…” Yukino Yukinoshita stopped and stood in front of the two of them. “These differences aren’t really mistakes. If they’re not mistakes, then how can we talk about forgiveness? There’s no need to forgive, and naturally, there’s no way to forgive. That’s Mother’s main point…”

"In short, don't take any action; that won't solve anything!"

Yukino Yukinoshita tried to cheer herself up, sorting through her grandfather and mother's thoughts in her mind. If things were explained clearly, everything would be alright... Hmm? Why is everyone so quiet?

Yukinoshita's mother said calmly, "The sparring is over. I won."

Yukinoshita Yukino: “?”

“No…” Yukinoshita took a deep breath, “When you said you couldn’t forgive me, you still had some resentment towards me, even if it wasn’t the main point, you still had some complaints.”

Yukinoshita Yukino: “?”

Yukino Yukinoshita muttered under her breath, "Yo yo, did you just copy the standard answer?"

Yukinoshita Yukino: “?”

"Ahem..." Yukinoshita's father added, "I like playing games."

"Oh." Yukino Yukinoshita said coldly, her face tense. "I remember now, Father likes to secretly play games about raising daughters in his office."

Yukinoshita's father fell silent, too afraid to speak.

“Father, I truly never blamed you for anything, nor did I think you did anything wrong, so I cannot forgive you.” Yukino’s mother’s expression remained calm, her gaze somewhat distant. “I just couldn’t help thinking about the past, and naturally I thought of you… Out of selfish regret and what I considered my own right to be forceful, I raised Yukino and Haruno from a young age to aim to inherit the family business. The former was always not good enough and was criticized by me, while the latter always obediently met my demands while hiding her inner pain. It wasn’t until we had a big fight that I realized I had deeply hurt Yukino and Haruno.”

"Under pressure, Yukino developed a bad habit of avoiding problems, and Haruno, in her pretense, learned to be hypocritical, to conceal and kill herself, and to lose sight of her own direction... I want them to be happy, but these personality traits and habits that can affect their lives will hinder their happiness. I think I made a big mistake."

Grandpa Yukinoshita was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Yukinoshita's father—What are you good for?

The father smiled awkwardly at Yukinoshita.

“Although I was rejected by you from beginning to end, although I ultimately failed to achieve my goal, although people and things are different…” Yukino’s mother sighed softly, “Yukino and I, Yukino and Haruno, you and I, seem to be repeating the same mistakes, as parents, we take it for granted that we impose our selfishness and ideas on our children—Father did not do anything wrong, I was constantly rejected and constantly proved, which made me who I am today; I did something wrong, Yukino and Haruno were indeed hurt.”

"You..." Grandpa Yukino hesitated for a moment, still finding it too absurd, "Let two children fight over the family business? You..."

“The victors inherit the family business and support their families, while the losers can also hone their skills and stand on their own in society.” Yukinoshita’s mother said calmly, “I used to think there was something wrong with this idea, because that’s how I failed—and Shirokage put in a lot of effort to unravel this flawed problem.”

Grandpa Yukino frowned subconsciously. What had that kid done? Was it worth sacrificing two of his daughters?

“That’s why I wanted Grandpa to hear about our situation before making a decision.” Yukino Yukinoshita composed herself. “Mother didn’t mean to blame Grandpa, it’s just…”

Ok?

If Mother wasn't there to settle old scores with Grandpa, then why did she come to visit him?

Oh no! I was so focused on clearing up the misunderstanding that I hadn't even thought of this...

"I want to know you—my father—and I want to know what I really feel."

Yukinoshita's mother suddenly glanced at Yukinoshita Haruno, then looked away and stared directly at her father: "I admire you and look up to you because I say you are the man who supports the family. I remember once I went to the construction site to bring you food. You were covered in sweat and leading the others in their work. Afterwards, you were arguing with someone about something. You were so impressive."

"Really? Really?" Grandpa Yukinoshita was stunned, trying hard to recall. "I don't remember."

“Because you told me to hurry home as soon as you got the food, I glanced back on my way home,” Yukinoshita’s mother recalled. “If I want to become that kind of person, then naturally I should be the one to inherit the family business.”

"Ahem, this kind of thing is quite rare, isn't it?" Yukinoshita's father offered a clue, "Dad, when you used to work on construction sites, what were some of the scenes where you often argued with others?"

“Organizing strikes, helping workers get their wages, yelling at material suppliers, and beating up thugs who came to cause trouble—it used to be tough working.”

Grandpa Yukinoshita's answer was full of martial virtue.

Yukinoshita's father: "...That...that is indeed quite difficult to recall."

"Later, I continued with enthusiasm, even when you rejected my ideas, saying that girls shouldn't or shouldn't consider these things. The more you disapproved, the more I felt the need to prove myself and gain your approval," Yukinoshita's mother sighed softly. "But with constant rejection, I probably couldn't maintain that pure enthusiasm. In the end, I realized I wasn't as good as him, and we confirmed our love... Suddenly, I lost my longing for you, lost the enthusiasm to continue gaining your approval, and, based on your strong personality, prepared myself and chose an extreme method to confront you."

Grandpa Yukinoshita felt uneasy and glared at Yukinoshita's father with a death stare.

"Later, Yukino was born. He threw a tantrum and protested against your words for the first time. I was also angry with you for the first time. Perhaps I had fleeting resentment and anger when you rejected me before, but that time was the most intense and the most memorable."

Yukino's mother continued, "I gave birth to Yukino, and she was born into this world through me, but her father denied it with a single sentence, 'It's a pity she's not a boy'... After that, in my eyes you were somewhat of a rigid, stubborn, and unreasonable father."

"After that incident, you retired and moved to the countryside to live out your days. He and I would visit you from time to time. This continued for more than ten years. The anger had long since disappeared, and we acted as if nothing had happened, getting along normally. I unconsciously got used to this and never thought about what my feelings for you were. After all, you are still my father no matter what. The past should be left in the past, and no one needs to mention it. Let it just pass by normally..."

"It wasn't until Yang Nai and I had a big fight that I started thinking about this problem, but I still don't have any answers. In fact, when I recall the past and remember how you repeatedly rejected me, I feel more resentful now than I did back then, which I can't even understand myself."

“I can’t forgive you. I did say that with some resentment in my voice. I’ve realized that I can’t accept this dismissive and casual attitude. I need to know what I really think of you before I can answer Yukino and Haruno. I can’t hesitate either, otherwise, once you’re gone, there will be no chance to resolve this issue.”

The mother's voice unconsciously grew heavy under the snow.

The old man in Yukinoshita gave a strange smirk and said, "I'm still perfectly healthy..."

“Having time left is just wasting time,” Yukino’s mother retorted without hesitation. Looking at the old man, she saw half of her own life reflected in him. “Actually, I’m more disappointed in Father now. I feel like I was wrong, and out of guilt, I pretend to be a good grandfather in front of Yukino and Haruno. I do things that deceive myself…”

Yukinoshita wanted to offer some explanation, but felt that if she did, it would seem like she was implicated.

"My feelings for my father—now it seems—are exactly what Bai Ying described."

Under the snow, the mother sighed softly and murmured: "I would admire and yearn for that powerful figure, rejoice at receiving a compliment, and be motivated to strive for recognition. Even if I was treated wrongly, I would understand it as my own fault. Until this pure and passionate feeling was gradually submerged by more and more things... Rational examination put on makeup; right and wrong were distinguished and clothes were put on; contradictory anger was displayed; denial and affirmation were gazed upon. Time pushed my most passionate period of life into the furnace called the past, and my heart was burned away little by little, leaving a void, and I felt inexplicably relieved."

"Unsolved questions, unanswered questions, unknown stories, all turned into gray mysteries. Longing, admiration, dependence, joy, confusion, contempt, disgust, anger... too many emotions have been fermented by time into wine, leaving no trace of any of the original ingredients."

"The taste of this wine exceeds the limits of the taste buds, leaving only a taste of nothingness."

"At some point, I suddenly feel a pang of nostalgia, realizing that I've lost someone who made me so sentimental."

Yukino Yukinoshita was a little stunned, while Yukinoshita-sama's face darkened: "I'm not dead yet!"

“Yes,” Yukinoshita’s mother nodded. “So before Father passes away, I need to figure out how he views you.”

Grandpa Yukino coughed and asked, "So what's your opinion?"

"Ugh……"

Yukino's mother simply sighed, "I went to the hot springs in town."

Yukinoshita's mother walked straight out of the dojo, probably to get a yukata to wear to the hot spring, leaving Yukinoshita and the others inside looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Let's go, let's go soak in the hot springs."

Yukinoshita Haruno grabbed her younger sister and rushed out of the dojo first.

No wonder the goddess was rather quiet today; she was probably observing her father-in-law the whole time…

As Yukinoshita's father pondered, he suddenly noticed the death stare emanating from Yukinoshita's grandfather.

"..."

……

……

Is this what family love feels like? Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness will eventually be settled by time, leaving a projection in the heart that sustains that feeling until that person leaves the world, taking that feeling with them.

Could Bai Jun understand this kind of thing? He could understand it and tell his mother about it…

Yukino Yukinoshita was lost in thought as she made her way to the village in her yukata, accompanied by Haruno Yukinoshita, who was unusually quiet.

Unable to contain the growing doubts and questions in his heart, he naturally uttered them in a muffled voice.

"Sister... is Bai Jun really happy?"

"Hmm? When is he ever unhappy?"

“No, it’s not the kind of happiness that comes from doing something interesting, or being happy in a positive and carefree way. I mean…” Yukino Yukinoshita pursed her lips, “Has he ever felt happy because he was in a relationship, because we were a couple, and because of that?”

Yukino Yukinoshita paused for a moment, then chuckled.