Uneasy daily life

Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head, completely calming down: "I just want to understand why I felt uncomfortable back then—you didn't care who was right or wrong... I used to think that you were caught in the middle between me and the other classmates, and it was difficult for you to be the good person, so you made the decision to choose the majority to solve the problem."

"Now I understand, Hayama-kun—you were chosen by the majority."

Hayama Hayato: "..."

If most people think I'm wrong, then you can't support me. Even if you want to resolve conflicts and disputes, you'll only aim to help 'everyone' make peace. You might think in your heart that I'm right and others are wrong, but your actions won't reflect that.

While many classmates were discussing where to go on their school trip, Hayato Hayama had already made a decision—either wait for or collect the final decisions from the other classmates and cast his vote for the one with the most votes, or simply abstain and choose not to participate.

Once the confusion was resolved and the anger of sudden realization was realized subsided.

Yukino Yukinoshita sighed, "Hayama-kun, this time it was my mistake."

"..." Hayama Hayato said, "Chitanda-san, if you really want your school trip to be to your hometown, I..."

“No need.” Yukino Yukinoshita gave him a deep look. “I don’t want to be friends with you, and I don’t want to have any expectations of you, Hayama-kun.”

If you're just looking for casual friends, Hayato Hayama is the best friend; he'll meet your expectations.

Hayato Hayama's friends won't be his best friends, because he's become accustomed to expecting things from Hayato Hayama.

Once this is understood, past grievances will be released.

Just as he insists on being right, even if it means being ostracized by others, Hayato Hayama chooses to respond to expectations, even if it makes him seem 'unable to distinguish right from wrong'.

My past self was too naive and failed to understand Hayato Hayama, which is why I felt confused, angry, and betrayed by my friend.

The correct Yukino Yukinoshita shouldn't be expected from Hayato Hayama.

After understanding, I actually felt sorry for him compared to what had already happened, but Hayato Hayama didn't need that pity, and I wouldn't allow myself to pity him.

Yukino Yukinoshita turned and left, walking from the rooftop into the stairwell with light and strong footsteps.

"I don't hate you anymore, Hayama-kun."

Chitanda Eru and Yuigahama Yui quickly followed and left—it was a conversation they couldn't join in on, and they only half-understood.

On the rooftop, only Hayato Hayama remained in an instant.

...You've been completely seen through.

Hayato Hayama sat down against the barbed wire fence, looking somewhat tired.

Has the snow changed, or has it grown?

It's more like they've grown up.

The mistake I made in elementary school, the one I regret the most, was thinking that imitating adults would naturally resolve the conflict—my immature self didn't really solve the problem. The seemingly reconciled scene was just a subconscious pretense by other classmates in front of me.

For example, children pretending to be well-behaved in front of their parents and teachers seems to be an innate instinct.

The exclusion was not resolved; in fact, because of his interference, others became even more jealous of Yukinoshita, ultimately leading to Yukinoshita going abroad to study.

If I had another chance, I would have a more mature solution, but...

I can never stand on the right side of the snow.

beep--

[Household Department: Hayato! Haven't you taken care of peeing yet? I'm so tired, so tired, so tired...]

Hayato: Coming right away.

Hayato Hayama looked at his phone and suddenly typed out a line of text.

[Hayato: Tobe, where are you going for your school trip?]

[Ministry of Revenue: I haven't decided yet. I'm planning to vote for whatever you vote for, hehe, pretty loyal, right?]

Hayato: I might vote for Kamiyama City.

[Ministry of Revenue: What kind of place is that?]

I don't know either... I hadn't even figured out what was going on when Yukinoshita attacked me with a thousand arrows.

Consider this a one-sided apology, and I never said I would vote for Kamiyama City... I feel a tightness in my chest from deceiving my friend.

Hayato Hayama rubbed his hair and stood up.

"But then, Princess Kaguya uprooted a thousand-year-old bamboo, fighting three against one, her bravery unstoppable! The Emperor exclaimed, 'Whose general is this! She is truly a god descended to earth!' Princess Kaguya charged into the fray, shouting, 'I am Princess Kaguya of Hourai—!'"

Hmm? This sound...

Hayato Hayama peered through the gaps in the barbed wire fence and saw a white figure carrying a thick paper tube, chasing after two men and a woman in the courtyard of several school buildings, yelling and shouting.

Hayama Hayato: "?"

Chapter Sixty-Nine: White Shadow: Defense Descends!

"Little Snow, bye-bye~"

Yui Yuigahama waved spiritedly.

"Well, see you tomorrow."

Yukino Yukinoshita nodded goodbye, glancing at Hachiman Hikigaya pushing his bicycle away. His back view exuded an inexplicable sense of vicissitude. On the other side, Angelina, carrying a bag, was also walking away, her movements a little strange and distorted.

One is mental exhaustion, and the other is the aftereffects of exercise plus the physical exertion from rehearsals.

"Bai Jun, are you up to something?"

Yukino Yukinoshita stood at the school gate, staring suspiciously at the white figure.

The original plan failed, and when they returned to the activity room, they found no one there. It wasn't until after school that they found a white figure wandering out from the school gate, along with Hachiman Hikigaya, who looked like he had burned out.

"Stir up trouble?" Bai Ying asked curiously. "What's the definition of 'stir up trouble'?"

Violating public order and good morals—that doesn't seem to be the case?

Making loud noises in public places—well, does that count?

Yukino Yukinoshita was momentarily at a loss for words, and changed the subject, saying, "I mean, why aren't you going back... why are you waiting here?"

Bai Ying said, "I have arranged to meet with my niece Eru and Oreki to see a distinguished person. This is part of the commission that must be resolved."

Yukino Yukinoshita asked warily, "You're not really going to kidnap or bribe the principal, are you?"

"There's a kind of neurotic beauty to the brave man's actions today. How could I possibly do something illegal or criminal?"

Yukino Yukinoshita breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm going to take them to visit the guardianship association."

Guardianship Association? Oh, parent-teacher association... to address potential problems on the adults' side? That makes sense. It's nominally a student-led vote, but if the students voted to go on a school trip to the suicide hotspot of Aokigahara Forest, only an idiot like the adults would ignore it.

Kamiyama City may have some fame, but it is virtually unknown to the general public. If students suddenly choose a place they've never even heard of, there's a high chance that the adults will intervene. This should be taken into account and addressed in advance.

Bai Ying seemed overconfident, as if the voting result was already predetermined... Well, she was somewhat frustrated that she hadn't considered things as thoroughly as the other party.

Speaking of the Chiba Guardian Association... huh?!

Bai Ying was watching to see when his niece would come out when he suddenly caught Yukino Yukinoshita getting very close. He jumped back to create some distance, adopting a defensive stance, and said warily, "What are you trying to do? Ambush me?!"

Yukino Yukinoshita's expression froze, her gaze deep and unfathomable, her lips trembling slightly: "The noble person you wish to see..."

Bai Ying politely replied, "Your mother."

Yukino Yukinoshita said decisively, "I'll go back and help you pack your luggage. Remember to take it with you when you go."

"Seriously, landlord? What did I do wrong that you're treating me so cruelly?" Bai Ying asked, puzzled. "Visiting influential figures among the adults to preemptively resolve any potential problems is just the right thing to do, isn't it?"

Because it was that woman—

This is utterly unreasonable.

Yukino Yukinoshita took a deep breath: "Why does it have to be the Guardian Association?"

"Because the best way for students to influence the school's decisions is to coordinate with the parents, and to find the parents, you naturally have to find the leader among them, which is the guardianship association, right?" Bai Ying looked puzzled.

Yukino Yukinoshita retorted, "You can go to the student council."

"From my perspective, compared to my hometown, the student council is an organization that divides some of the teachers' power. They are still responsible for managing students, and of course they have channels to communicate with the school—but why should the student council accept this? In fact, when the voting results come out, the student council is more likely to side with the school, believing that going on a study trip to a remote and unfamiliar place is risky and needs to be modified."

Bai Ying simply explained: "The student council and the school are not equal, so it is difficult for the student council to influence the school. However, the guardians' association can influence guardians, and parents can influence the school. It's that simple."

Yukino Yukinoshita was somewhat agitated, then frowned in thought, calmed down, and glared coldly at the innocent-looking white figure: "Did you do that on purpose?!"

Bai Ying immediately denied it: "I absolutely did not know that the representative of the Guardian Association was your mother!"

You mentioned earlier that you were going to visit my mother...my mother!

Yukino rubbed her forehead, her head throbbing.

"Don't worry, it's just a visit. I absolutely won't mention anything related to you during the visit," Bai Ying said, waving her hand. "I'm a master of risk management; wouldn't that just create trouble for my own goals?"

That's true... When you're doing something important, telling someone's mother that you live with their daughter is like cutting in line on the road to the underworld—I just hope you can be reincarnated quickly.

No matter how outrageous, chaotic, or elusive the white shadow may be, it wouldn't necessarily seek its own demise.

Yukino Yukinoshita felt a little relieved.

"If you cause any consequences, don't even think about shirking responsibility. I'm willing to rent you a guest room, but my mother will kick you out immediately."

After giving a warning, Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head and said, "Besides, you want to persuade Mother... I'm afraid it's impossible."

"Hmph." The white figure succinctly expressed its disdain.

What are you humming about? You have no idea how powerful that woman is; you could even call her a dictator.

Once she makes a decision, no one can change it. She harbors strong hostility and rejection towards anything beyond her control. Trying to solve the problems on the adult side by starting with her mother might backfire.

Yukino Yukinoshita didn't say it aloud, but Shiro found out after he hit a wall.

I need to hurry and buy things like cat food bowls, cat litter, and a cat bed. I need to get home quickly to check on Knight's condition. I also need to prepare cat stickers. I only realized today that I haven't put up the victory stickers yet after completing the cat adoption request.

……

……

"Yes, yes, we need to address the adults' concerns to ensure there won't be any unexpected issues when the voting results come out, right? I understand!"

Chitanda Eru clenched her little fists, her fighting spirit burning brightly: "I will definitely do my best, Uncle Haku!"

"The school is responsible for the issues of ticket booking and route planning. Jinde District of Kamiyama City is also a district - so if you want your school trip to be your hometown, you must take the route planning into consideration. The trip should be short and the price should be affordable. You should try to reduce the school's concerns from all angles and persuade the representatives of the guardianship association."

Bai Yingzun instructed, "At the same time, you must remember firmly—you are not speaking as a minor student."

"I know this."

Chitanda Eru smiled and said, "I am a daughter of the Chitanda family, and I would like to introduce my hometown to everyone."

"That's right, that's the kind of momentum."

Bai Ying gave a thumbs up.

Houtarou Oreki followed along, looking somewhat weary. The conversation between the two made him feel a little uncomfortable and confused... The white figure's tone seemed to suggest that Chitanda was taking the lead in the negotiations? Why Chitanda? Could it be that Chitanda had some advantage in the negotiations?

"I am Bai Ying, one of the three who made the appointment."

"Yes, that's right—Lady Yukinoshita is waiting upstairs, please come in."

The day before yesterday, the young lady flipped through the notebook to confirm, and glanced at the three of them a few more times. They looked like an adult with two children, but upon closer inspection, she realized that all three of them were wearing high school uniforms.

I went upstairs to the office and opened the door.

The interior is simply furnished, with tatami mats on the floor, a few potted plants in the corners, a low table in the center, a pot of steaming black tea for entertaining guests, and a dignified woman sitting behind the low table.

Yesterday, I was caught off guard and got the upper hand, which led me to be led by the nose and thoroughly outmaneuvered.

To be honest, I felt more amused and appreciative than resentful, but there was still a bit of resentment.

I thought I would have to wait half a month to get my revenge, but the other party called me the next day and said they had something to discuss with the guardian's representative.

This is my home turf.

Yukinoshita's mother, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them, looked at the three young people at the door, and nodded slightly: "Please come in."

Times have changed. The office used by the Guardians Association is a different one—furnished with sofas and a meeting table, more in line with the habits of many people today. It is actually a lounge decorated according to personal preferences.

This time, I'll go first. Let me properly copy and test your mettle!

The mother, Yukinoshita, had a kind expression but an imposing presence, her attention focused on the young man who had tricked her once.

"Auntie, excuse me."

The white figure smiled, waved his right hand behind his back at the uncomfortable Oreki Houtarou, took off his shoes at the door, walked into the room, and sat down simply and directly at the low table to the left of Yukinoshita's mother.