Uneasy daily life

It's a pity; we should have prepared an underwater camera. The photos would definitely have been exceptionally beautiful.

Although my initial goal was simply to attend the same university as Bai Ying, I feel it was well worth it. Just the opportunity to go diving and see the underwater scenery alone is...

[Don't read out a call that's too long! Don't read out a call that's too long!]

Huh? Am I hallucinating?

Angelina looked around and suddenly noticed a white figure not far away, and a stand-in that appeared next to the white figure.

Uh-huh?!

Haven't you heard that you can use a stand-in to communicate underwater?

Huh? Is there such a setting?!

Angelina was confused. "I think so?"

But I'm not a Stand user, I'm just an ordinary psychic!

I've noticed something interesting—watch closely!

Interesting? What the heck?!

Angelina suddenly saw the double next to the white figure fly... swim... float... in short, quickly leave.

A dozen seconds later, the stunt double returned and walked straight toward him.

The stand-in was holding a salmon that was more than half a meter long, making the salmon swim at a speed that was not its own.

The diving instructor noticed something unusual and was taken aback. There were salmon this season, but could salmon swim that fast? Salmon are not aggressive fish, let alone approach a large human wearing diving gear.

Angelina dove to the side, dodging the salmon that was charging straight at her. The stand-in twisted the salmon's head and made it turn 180 degrees, then charged back at her.

[Hehehe! Take this fish head car ramming attack!]

Hey! There are people watching! Your fish swimming is so fake! It defies all common sense!

Angelina thrashed about in the water in frustration, wishing she had a stand-in to help her speak.

The diving instructor noticed something amiss and promptly retrieved his speargun. Although he didn't know what was wrong with the fish, there was clearly a risk of an accident...

Before she could even aim, she immediately put the harpoon down again. The fish, which was swimming incredibly fast for some reason, had already gotten close to Angelina. It was difficult to deal with it with the harpoon, so she prepared to swim over and take Angelina away first. Suddenly, she froze.

Angelina didn't try to dodge or run away. Instead, she raised her hand towards the oncoming fish head, her five fingers forming a chop motion, and swiftly swung it—

The sea swallowed the sound, and only a hallucinatory thud appeared in her mind. Angelina passed by the salmon, who instantly fainted and floated forward a distance as if powerless, before being caught in the arms of the white figure that swam over.

The diving instructor subconsciously looked at his hands and made a hand chop gesture underwater.

Humans are so brave?

……

"She was known as a strongwoman in high school. Don't let her thin arms and legs fool you; when she gets angry, she can easily take on a hundred people!"

"No, no, that's not true! I just happened to hit the fish's weak point! Whether it's a human or a fish, their brains are quite fragile!"

"W-Really? So it can be done like this?"

"That's right! As long as you master the right techniques for applying force and find the target's weak points, there's no problem in theory!"

"Indeed, as long as you master the application of force, even a single punch can cause an earthquake."

"Earthquake? Hahaha..."

The white figure, who was enthusiastically praising Angelina, Angelina, who was trying her best to fool her with scientific theories, and the diving instructor, who was wide-eyed with amazement, all three of them finished their dive and returned to the shop, either still wanting more or still confused, bringing back an extra salmon.

The store's interior is also different from before.

"Hahahaha! Rock-paper-scissors is my specialty!"

"Glug glug! Come on, fill it up again!"

Wow! How magnificent!

"Gaa gaa gaa! That's it! That's it! Hahaha!"

Kitahara Iori, wearing pants and shirtless, holding a glass, blended seamlessly into the party, becoming the most popular guy.

Angelina: "...What did this person say before?"

Bai Ying: "Boss, do you have a knife here? It's about time to feed the cat."

Angelina: "Wait! Can cats eat fish?"

Bai Ying: "Don't you want to listen to what you're saying? Can a cat get a fishbone stuck in its throat like you?"

Angelina: "I mean, this fish is a saltwater fish, right? Can cats eat saltwater fish?"

Bai Ying: "Ah, this..."

Fish should only be given to cats as a treat, as it lacks many of the minerals they need and should not be a staple food for long-term, large-scale consumption! Although cats have strong digestive abilities, to avoid risks, it's best to cook fish thoroughly before feeding it to your cat! Sea fish are large and have larger bones, so remember not to mix any bones into the fish meat! It's also best to supplement their diet with some dry cat food!

On the phone, Yukino Yukinoshita carefully explained the key points of feeding the cat: "[The fact that you, Shiro-kun, specially prepared fish food for Knight shows that you care, but before you care, make sure your actions are correct. Don't let Knight eat any strange things. If you really don't know what to feed him, cat food will be fine. Of course, the brand must be one of the ones I mentioned. Other cat foods are suspected of being poorly made..."

beep.

Bai Ying hung up the phone and glanced at the little white cat: "You eat more refined food than I do."

“Indeed…” Angelina complained, “You need someone to help you cook the fish and remove the bones.”

After handing the fish over to the helpful shopkeeper, Bai Ying and Angelina found a table to sit down. Suddenly, a hand patted Bai Ying on the shoulder: "Hey! Brother Bai, want to have a drink together? It's fate that we met again in Izu!"

Bai Ying turned to look at Kitahara Iori, who was holding a glass of draft beer and seemed to be about five or six parts drunk.

Angelina's eye twitched slightly: "Have you already caught it?"

"Hiccup? Contagious? What contagious! This is called mutual affection!" Kitahara Iori acted as if as long as I forgot the boomerang, there would be no boomerang. He patted the white shadow's shoulder hard. "Hey! I really envy you. You can bring your girlfriend to college and go scuba diving together. You darn bro! You're living the youth I've always dreamed of ahead of time!"

Angelina was taken aback, feeling a strange, slightly awkward unease. It seemed like she rarely encountered such a situation, being called Bai Ying's girlfriend to her face... Hmm? Logically speaking, shouldn't this have happened much earlier?

Oh right, I was given a childhood sweetheart/loser script in high school... What the heck!

"Hmm? Senior, you are mistaken."

Bai Ying suddenly asked in confusion, "Didn't you have a girlfriend before?"

Oh, that was just me bragging...

Kitahara Iori took a swig of sake: "Hmm, those are all trivial things from the past..."

Hmm, something feels off.

"Iori's girlfriend?!"

Suddenly, Nana appeared, holding a plate of grilled fish slices. With a smile, she asked curiously, "Has Iori gotten a girlfriend yet?"

Kitahara Iori: "Hahaha..."

Hurry! Get moving! My brain, my thoughts! Quickly think of an answer to cover up this lie... Damn it! Can't think of anything, I'll take another sip to give myself some time to think! Glug...

"There have been."

Bai Ying said in a deep voice.

"once?"

"Yes, it was once a story that evoked many emotions..."

The white figure struck a pose and began to recount the story of the past.

……

Has it been ten years? My memory of meeting Iori last time is a bit hazy, but I still remember the boy who always played with me and led me running around on the beach...

I heard he'll be living at home during college... Well, even if they're cousins, it still feels a little strange to be living under the same roof as someone his age and of the opposite sex...

A short-haired girl, carrying a bag, walked home, her feet sinking into the night, with lights shining ahead.

Well, school starts tomorrow, so it should be here today, right?

The short-haired girl hesitated for a moment, unsure of her feelings or how to greet him, so she simply reached out and pushed open the door.

"The senior and that girl were ultimately destined to be apart! Their once innocent romance had to face the test of reality. And when faced with this test for the first time, young people often lack experience and awareness, not knowing how to handle disagreements. In the end, they always unknowingly hurt each other, leaving behind scars and regrets that they can only discover in retrospect..."

An unfamiliar boy shook his head and sighed, recounting the story with deep emotion: "They were clearly in love, yet they had to give way to other things. The girl eventually went to another university, and the senior ended up in Izu. The relationship just faded away like that. No one initiated the breakup, but everyone assumed they had already broken up. There were no dramatic events; the love simply burned out naturally, leaving only pale ashes..."

"Waaaaah...sigh..."

Kitahara Iori couldn't help but feel saddened by this bittersweet yet beautiful and regrettable relationship. He picked up the wine next to him and gulped down a few more mouthfuls, feeling quite melancholic.

Sigh, what a beautiful yet regrettable relationship... Hmm? By the way, whose love story is this again?

As this question flashed through my mind, my good friend beside me gave me a comforting slap and handed me a drink: "Don't be sad! Drink up! A real man should look forward!"

Yes, drink!

Kitahara Iori: "Gurgle—! Ha!"

"Even after several relationships, heartbreak is inevitable—for a fleeting, burning flame, for an impulsive outcome, for a never-ending end… Heartlessness is vexing, and passion is self-inflicted; romance and fleeting pleasures come too soon. Cast aside the joy of union, cast aside the sorrow of parting; may your dream lover always be there." Bai Ying patted Kitahara Iori on the shoulder. "Ah, senior, passion always brings heartbreak. Don't be too sad. You'll definitely find new encounters in university and experience a youth that won't hurt anymore. Let your past girlfriends be in the past!"

"Hiccup—Yes!"

In her dazed state, Kitahara Iori remembered her ambition, downed her drink in one gulp, and shouted, "I want to fall in love! I want to find a lover in college!"

"Hahahaha! Impossible, impossible!"

The blond-haired man laughed heartily.

"Hey, Iori, are you drunk?"

The burly, black-haired man asked with concern, and then filled the other man's cup.

"Nonsense! How could it be impossible? I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk!"

Kitahara Iori perked up immediately, slamming his hand on the table and pointing wildly, completely disoriented: "Bro, bro, you're right! All those past girlfriends are in the past! I'll definitely find one in college! Hiccup—hmm?"

The short-haired girl pointed at at the door said expressionlessly, "I'm back."

"Chisa, welcome back," said Nanaka Kotegawa at the bar with a smile.

Chisa? Oh right, she's Nanaka's younger sister, my cousin... Wait! Why are your eyes so cold?

Kitahara Iori sobered up considerably in an instant: "...Hi, Chisa, it's me, Iori."

He was about to walk over and greet them warmly when he was instantly frozen in place by a cold, disdainful look.

"Scumbag."

puff--!

Chapter 139 All you can do is write the reference answers?!

"I never imagined that after all these years, Iori would have become such a scumbag..."

He's been dating multiple girlfriends in a row, and the relationships have been more like breakups than actual relationships. He's even planning to find another girlfriend in college...

Her overly playful and trendy persona doesn't match the image of a childhood sweetheart at all.

Chisa Kotegawa couldn't help but give her a disdainful look, preparing to walk past her.

Kitahara Iori, whose sobering effect had mostly worn off, jolted awake and quickly reached out to stop him: "Wait! Let me explain..."

Snapped!

Kotegawa Chisa swiftly slapped away the claw on her shoulder, frowned at her coat, and decisively took it off, handing it to the woman behind the bar: "This coat is no good, throw it away."

"Oh no! Am I some kind of contagious germ?!"

Kotegawa Chisa turned around and looked at Kitahara Iori.

Bare-chested, reeking of alcohol, a history of exes, promiscuous, and incorrigible...

"Tsk."

She clicked her tongue indifferently, turned around and went upstairs without paying any attention to her.

"Chisa—!"

Kitahara Iori swayed and then collapsed to her knees with a thud, whether from the alcohol or from the shock, it was hard to tell.

Angelina sipped her cola and fed the cat a kibble. She felt that Chisa Kotegawa's expression was somewhat similar... Oh! Isn't that the same emotionless, aloof expression as Yukino? And that disdainful look and gesture, although not as subtle as Yukino's, has a different kind of dramatic tension.

"I'm completely hated."

"Yes, I'm completely hated."

"Kitahara-senpai, don't panic. Family members are very tolerant of things like having a girlfriend. I'm sure she'll understand you in the future."