Uneasy daily life

"Yukino-chan, your motto is not to lie, right?" Yukinoshita Haruno sighed. "That weekend, you were studying in your bedroom, and when I came over, I saw a white figure in the living room..."

Yukino Yukinoshita: "...Well, it could also be a visit. Inviting friends to your home is perfectly normal, isn't it?"

Yukinoshita Haruno had no interest in teasing her stubborn younger sister and mocked, "Who would keep a guest's shoes in their own shoe cabinet?"

Yukinoshita Yukino: "..."

"I've talked to Shirakage a bit... Anyway, don't try to deny it, I do know that you and Shirakage are living together." Yukino Yukino put away her joking attitude and said seriously, "I can understand that you would do such inappropriate things for a friend you trust, but next time you should probably talk to me first."

"Hmm...hmm?" Yukino Yukinoshita forced herself to stay awake and asked in surprise, "You didn't tell on me to Mother?"

Who could it be? Could it be Bai Ying?

"Mother doesn't know yet—if I told on you, would you still be able to come on the school trip? You might as well just lock yourself up at home and reflect on your actions!"

Yukino rolled her eyes, then hesitantly voiced her guess.

Yukino Yukinoshita exclaimed in astonishment, "...You're the one who brought Mother here? You came all this way just to ask for leave and go on a school trip to scare me?!"

"Now is not the time to discuss these details! Mother probably doesn't have all the information yet, otherwise she would have come directly to us. She probably still wants to know some things... We must find a way to appease Mother immediately!"

Yukinoshita thought hard and said, "Mother has already noticed something unusual and confirmed that I am hiding something. So in order to hide the truth, we must create a false impression that is not so serious and in line with Mother's logical expectations, so as to fool her."

Yukino looked at her with a hint of unfamiliarity—deceiving their mother? Was this the kind of solution her older sister would come up with?

We can't worry about these strange situations right now; it's better to have multiple solutions than to be anxiously running around all by myself.

"Then what method should we use?"

"Don't even think about looking for Shirokage. I have absolutely no idea what that guy might do. From your mother's perspective, you've made two friends, Hachiman and Yui, right?"

"Yes, I mentioned it on the phone."

"Alright, then let Hachiman help out."

……

……

Ugh... I'm going to die... I'm so tired—huh?!

When Hachiman Hikigaya saw the figure slowly riding a bicycle ahead, his eyes lit up and he shouted, "Oreki—!!"

Brother, please save me one more time!

Houtarou Oreki glanced back, then turned and pedaled his bicycle furiously.

"..."

Oreki probably didn't hear it.

Hachiman Hikigaya stopped, took a deep breath, and suddenly turned around.

Come on, Minister!

call--!

A white shadow waving a branch rushed past him, chasing after the bicycle ahead.

Sigh... Am I free?

Hachiman Hikigaya wiped his sweat, paused for a moment, and turned to watch the departing man and car.

As it turns out, when encountering a bear, running faster than your companions is not necessarily useful.

Haha, great!

Hmm... my phone has been ringing the whole time...

Hachiman Hikigaya pulled out his phone with a broad smile.

"A phone call from under the snow?"

What do you want from me?

Hachiman Hikigaya answered the phone.

Chapter Eighty-Nine: Childhood

I have a girlfriend.

She's strict and serious with herself and others, and I understand her and can adapt to her, so that's a strength. Even though we were dragged around during holidays, researching university choices and attending tutoring classes together, and she was already thinking about her senior year in her first year of high school, I didn't find it troublesome.

On her way home from tutoring class, the bus was traveling on the road. She sat by the window, and the scattered rays of the setting sun shone on her slightly tired doll-like face, making her look very cute.

She loves planning for the future, taking it very seriously and meticulously. Occasionally, when she's lost in thought, she lets out a silly smile, or suddenly turns her face away, it always feels like she's already thinking about how many children she'll have in the future. It's quite adorable.

She would occasionally talk about her childhood friend, how the friend had overcome her laziness to get into a prestigious high school in another city for the sake of someone she liked—her glances at me now and then betrayed a multitude of thoughts. I knew she wanted to go to university with me, that neither of us should fall behind in going to the same place, and she hoped I could have a similar dedication, yet she was too shy to ask. It was adorable.

I am an indifferent person to many things. I am not obsessed with excellence or mediocrity, nor do I talk about success or failure. I am indifferent to the future, do not reminisce about the past, and take things as they come in the present. I live each day out of interest.

I have doubts about this relationship—I can't even say I love myself, so how can I really be devoted to another person?

On the day everything was decided, I knew she was going to confess her feelings, and she knew I knew she was going to confess her feelings.

Knowing and saying are definitely different things...

I'm happy to have lost, after all, she's so cute.

"Mayaka, how are Houtarou and Chitanda doing now?"

Fukube Satoshi slowly pedaled his bicycle and asked Ibara Mayaka, who was sitting behind him and had her arm around his shoulder.

"Chihiro is probably still the same as before, and Oreki..." Ibara Mayaka hesitated, "probably still lazy, but I never expected him to work hard to get into a university in another city—Oreki?!"

Ibara Mayaka stared wide-eyed at the bicycle that suddenly rushed up alongside her, and on the back seat was clearly her childhood friend Oreki Houtarou!

Houtarou Oreki clung tightly to the white figure at the helm, nodding listlessly: "Yo, a salute to your rosy youth."

Ibara Mayaka's face flushed bright red: "You—"

call--!

The bicycle accelerated, carrying Houtarou Oreki forward.

"Maya Flower, hold me tight!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?!"

"I don't know who that guy is, but he dared to look down on my cycling skills!" Fukube Satoshi leaned forward, his fighting spirit burning. "Don't underestimate him!"

Two bicycles raced each other down the road at breakneck speed, cutting through the wind like blades, neither giving an inch. The two riders' fighting spirit clashed fiercely; one, a local, knew the road better, while the other, an outsider, was more adept at using brute force.

This is an extreme clash between experience and the physical body!

"Ha ha ha ha--!!"

The out-of-town drivers burst into hearty laughter.

“Oooooohh ...

The local driver focused intently on chasing after him.

"ah--!"

The local driver suddenly slowed down.

Amidst cheers as if crossing the finish line, the bicycle in front made a graceful turn. The winner, with one foot on the ground, stabilized the bike, his eyes filled with the confidence of victory. He looked down at the belated loser and said, "You lost. Women only slowed down your drift. A true racer doesn't need women."

"I've already won too much."

Fukube Satoshi stopped his bicycle, got off, and spoke in a deep voice.

Bai Ying said knowingly, "I see. Your girlfriend is hugging you tightly and screaming with a hint of fear. You must feel a great sense of accomplishment, right?"

"Huh? Why would you..."

boom--! !

Fukube Satoshi was hit hard.

Ibara Mayaka's forehead veins bulged: "Oreki! What kind of strange friends have you made?!"

“Ah…” Oreki Houtarou introduced, “This is Hakukage, Chitanda’s uncle, or more accurately, his elder.”

The white figure raised its head and puffed out its chest: "Hmm~"

Fukube Satoshi: "?"

Ihara Mayaka: "?"

……

……

Fukube Satoshi said knowingly, "The Chinese friend that Uncle Sekiya made when he disappeared? I see. It seems he was going to film a movie on this mountain."

"Hmm? What does Brother Guan Gu have to do with acting?" Bai Ying asked curiously. "Has he suddenly become interested in acting?"

“He’s a writer.” Ihara Mayaka looked at the guy who seemed a bit suspicious from head to toe and said, “After Uncle Guan Gu came back, he hasn’t left Jinchu. He’s written and published a few novels. One of his works caught the eye of a director, which is why a film crew came to Jinchu.”

Bai Ying was quite interested: "Oh? I didn't expect Brother Guan Gu to have such an artistic flair. What did he write? 'The Legend of the Prodigal Swordsman Guan Gu' or 'My Abducted Life'?"

Ibara Mayaka glanced at Fukube Satoshi, who immediately recalled, "Hmm—Uncle Sekiya didn't write a book with such a strange title. The one that was chosen for filming, I think it was called 'Them'."

"Them? Looks like I'll have to find some time to read Brother Guan Gu's masterpiece."

Bai Ying returned the bicycle to Oreki Houtarou and locked it up. She looked up at the road leading up the mountain and could vaguely see the lush and deep bamboo forest on the mountain: "Is this still the bamboo forest of Jin-e? I'm going now."

The white figure began to climb the mountain. The three friends, who had reunited, looked at each other and then walked a few steps behind, chatting as they went.

Fukube Satoshi nudged Oreki Houtarou: "Hey, how are things going with you and Chitanda?"

"What do you mean, 'what's wrong'?" Oreki Houtarou said lazily. "Nothing's wrong, you're overthinking it."

"Then why did you still go to take the exam in another city? You were completely different from your previous lazy self back then." Ihara Mayaka had a lot to say about this. "Is it so hard to just admit it openly?"

Houtarou Oreki scratched his slightly curly hair: "You two are dating?"

Ibara Mayaka: "No way!"

"Ah."

Houtarou Oreki lazily turned his head away.

"Let me go! Xiao Fu—! I'm going to have to talk to him today!!"

A white figure suddenly ran down the mountain: "Oriki! Can I borrow your car keys?"

"Give."

Bai Ying took the key; they were almost down the mountain.

"Hey! Is there something urgent?" Fukube Satoshi called out.

"Nostalgia for childhood!"

The sound grew farther and farther away with each passing moment.

Nostalgic for childhood? The three looked at each other in bewilderment.

……

……

"I'm so tired, the bamboo forest is over there, right..."

Yui Yuigahama looked like a college student running a 1,000-meter dash, with a classic zombie vibe.

"Yes, they said it's on the mountain to the north. Just walk along the road for a while and you'll see it when you look up—and you really can see it, the mountain is covered in bamboo."

Angelina was fine, with plenty of energy, and the officer's training was quite effective: "But there are bamboo leaves at the shrine, why did we have to go up the mountain..."

"Because sincerity moves mountains!" Yui Yuigahama wiped her sweat, her eyes shining. "Didn't the shrine maiden also say that true sincerity is the unity of action, intention, and thought?"

Angelina hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself... She had a feeling that these words were something her superior had instructed Chitanda to say.

"No, that story was clearly made up by Bai Ying..."

Yui Yuigahama clenched her fist and said, "What if it works?"

"..."

Angelina was speechless.