Uneasy daily life

Chapter 108 Life, Dissected a Second Time

"This looks really fun!"

Chitanda Eru had already excitedly pulled up a chair and sat down, patting the chair next to her and waving, "Oreki-kun, come and play too! Uncle Shiro is really amazing, he can make up all sorts of stories so easily—but Uncle Shiro, if you come and play too, who will make up the stories?"

"Of course it's me."

Bai Ying casually blew his bangs: "Don't worry, although I am both a referee and a player, I will never hold back or blow the whistle unfairly—Uncle, don't look at me, that divine move that turned the game around for you was really thrown by Hachiman Hikigaya."

The father smiled without saying a word, his favorability towards the white-clad figure already marked with a minus sign. Wasn't that a case of biased refereeing? I don't believe it.

Hachiman Hikigaya wholeheartedly agreed. "Wasn't that a biased refereeing decision? I don't believe it. If I hadn't actively cooperated, and the captain hadn't intervened for dramatic effect, would I have thrown 12?"

It must have been done by a traitor (the minister)!

Angelina held the cola she'd bought from the front desk, biting the straw, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. She hadn't received a signal from her superior, and she hadn't used her superpowers on that dice roll... but her superior must have used some methods! Hmm!

"You're all attached to appearances."

Bai Ying could only shake her head at this, saying disdainfully, "In that situation, whether Hachiman wins or loses, the subsequent plot is very simple. It's nothing more than the older Komachi returning to her job, or Hachiman tearfully parting ways with Komachi to avoid burdening his sister, or the uncle winning and discovering that his lifespan is coming to an end when he is full of pride, ultimately passing away before his enemy. From revenge to lifelong regret, no matter how it's written, it has a dramatic beauty."

"How could mere dice dictate my drama?"

devil!

Several people cheered inwardly.

The father's expression was solemn under the snow.

What a terrible villain.

I once thought the goddess was my biggest worry. After finally starting a relationship with her, her father became my next biggest worry. I honed my skills diligently, finally gaining the confidence to visit her father and earn his approval. Then, my old friend's son, Hayama Hayato, became my next biggest worry. After Hayama Hayato's self-destruction, I thought everything was settled, but then Hikigaya Hachiman appeared—and before I could even deal with him, the ultimate nemesis, the villain, took to the stage!

The father observes the scene with his hands tucked into his pockets.

Houtarou Oreki really didn't want to sit down: "Um, I'm going to the restroom..."

"Okay! Go and come back quickly!" Chitanda Eru said with a fist.

"..."

Can I go and never come back?

Houtarou Oreki had a bit of a headache, while Chitanda was completely unaware of the bloodshed that had just taken place in the game—the version she had watched was censored.

But...

As Oreki Houtarou left, he glanced back at the Yukinoshita sisters, who seemed somewhat uneasy at the table, and at the composed Yukinoshita aunt.

As long as Bai Ying doesn't unleash his full firepower, there shouldn't be a big problem; those few are the ones to be focused on.

And his own identity card...

[To cling or to enlightenment: A few names are etched in history, bones lie scattered across ten thousand miles of yellow sand. Success and failure are fleeting, why strive for victory or defeat? A mere grain of sand on the vast ocean, there is neither win nor loss. Sitting in meditation to seek enlightenment, is this clinging or enlightenment?]

[You'll definitely understand, but your uncle is really annoyed—the game starts with 160 squares. When playing solo, you can choose to skip event squares and decision squares; this doesn't apply when playing with others.]

Houtarou Oreki could indeed understand it. Although his grades were only average on the surface, that was a choice made to avoid raising his parents' expectations. He loved reading and, with his literary skills, he understood the general meaning at first glance.

These are two poems. The first four lines of one poem express an inquiry, while the last four lines of the other poem provide an answer and ask a rhetorical question.

Is my ideal of a gray, energy-saving youth an obsession or a realization?

Houtarou Oreki thought for a moment and then put the question aside.

If you don't think about it, you'll save energy; the more you think about it, the easier it is to fall into the other person's trap.

I'd rather go to the toilet.

……

……

Yui Yuigahama couldn't understand it, but she vaguely felt that the poem on the identity card was very important.

Although Xiaobai acts haphazardly and sometimes seems crazy, he never does things without a purpose.

Just like last time at the school gate, it was only by trying to remain calm and overcome the embarrassment and shame of being bombed that I realized the car accident was a misunderstanding and took the initiative to resolve the chain of misunderstandings.

Simply put—everything that Xiaobai is tinkering with must have a deeper meaning!

But I can't understand it.

Yui Yuigahama couldn't help but put on a mask of pain. Could you give me a simple, straightforward description, Xiaobai? In short, to understand the meaning of this poem, I need to find someone else.

Xiaoqi's Chinese grades are excellent, but my intuition tells me it's not a good fit; Xiaoxue is already on the torture device—I mean, on the game table; Youmei's grades are relatively good, but maybe not enough, there are so many Chinese characters in this poem…

Looking for Shiro? Shiro doesn't seem to be available either. Chitanda seems to be doing very well academically, but the other person is also waiting for the game to start...

Got it!

Yui Yuigahama looked at Hayato Hayama, who seemed a bit dazed, and leaned closer: "Hayama-kun, can you do me a favor?"

"..." Hayama Hayato paused slightly, then rubbed his hair and chuckled, "Sure, what can I do for you?"

Yui Yuigahama took out her ID card: "I don't quite understand the poem that Shiro wrote. Can you explain what it means?"

Bai Ying's poem?

Hayato Hayama's eyes twitched. He looked at her carefully, pondered for a moment, and then lowered his voice.

"I love the bright, clear light of the moon at night; it's the moon reflecting sunlight."

"People use autumn winds and falling leaves to express sadness and loneliness, but in other places across the sea it is springtime."

"Are red beans truly the blood of the heart that expresses longing and yearning? That's just a cultural perception created by literati to express the pain of parting."

"The essence of a moth flying into a flame is nothing more than a moth mistaking artificial light for moonlight, acting out of instinct..."

Hayato Hayama hesitated for a moment.

Yui Yuigahama pressed on, "And what about the last sentence?"

"The last sentence should be considered in conjunction with the preceding statements—when people express their emotions, they like to use things like the moon, autumn leaves, red beans, and moths flying into a flame to express them. In reality, those things themselves have no feelings; they are heartless. Yet, people always borrow them to express their sentimentality."

Hayato Hayama added, "This poem has a scientific and rational aspect, using the essence of things to refute emotional thinking. You can read both admonition and satire into it."

Yui Yuigahama asked, "Then, what do you mean by interpreting it from two different perspectives?"

“From an ironic point of view, it’s about satirizing self-delusion. From an admonitory point of view, it’s about advising people to recognize the true nature of things and not to be misled by their habitual emotions,” Hayama Hayato said. “Combined with the title ‘Blinded by a Leaf,’ it has more of an admonitory meaning.”

Of course, combining sarcasm with admonition might be more in line with that person's style.

Hayato Hayama belatedly realized—wait a minute! Did I become a scapegoat for the white shadow?!

Yuigahama Yui fell into deep thought.

Yui Yuigahama covered her head.

Yui Yuigahama leaned back in her chair, turning into a pale stone statue.

"..."

Hayato Hayama felt sorry, but he was also a bit confused and couldn't do anything about it.

……

……

Mai Sakurajima had only come by chance and didn't know the players present, so of course she didn't know about the bloody atmosphere inside the game. She vaguely sensed that there was a big difference in the mental state of those who started playing the game and those who finished playing it. The most normal ones were the one with the long neck and Angelina Anshinin, while the others were more or less listless.

It's a bit strange, like hearing someone open a door upstairs but not hearing it close for a long time.

Bai Ying extended an invitation: "Miss Sakurajima, would you like to join us? If you're included, we'll have seven players, just like last time."

"It seems quite interesting."

Mai Sakurajima pondered, "Actually, the whole game is quite monotonous, and the gameplay might not even be as fun as Monopoly. It's just that this hater's hosting skills are very solid. He improvised and acted out a series of interconnected stories, making the overall experience interesting and not boring for the audience."

Without this kind of narration, it would just be a simple record of who took how many steps, who gained how much wealth, who lost how much wealth, who traveled with whom, and who parted ways with whom.

From an actor's perspective, I feel I can't match the other person's ability to improvise and their immersive performance at the start of the show.

What kind of weird, multi-talented hater is this?

"If it seems interesting, don't hesitate!" Bai Ying reached for a blank card. "Don't just think about it, take action! GO! GO! GO!"

Let me probe your depths, see the darkness within your heart, and then detonate it on the spot—hehehe!

"Your invitation to me so enthusiastically makes me feel like you have ulterior motives."

Mai Sakurajima, hands tucked into her sleeves, asked with a smile, "What if one of the hosts has ulterior motives and makes up some embarrassing scenarios for me?"

"Who do you take me for, Miss Sakurajima? Why would I do something so pointless?"

Bai Ying frowned, looking quite dissatisfied: "Besides, such ambiguous requests won't do. At least you have to tell me what would constitute an awkward plot, right?"

“That’s true.” Mai Sakurajima joked, resting her chin on her finger. “Well, I’m a big star, Mr. Bai should at least give me something, right?”

Bai Ying asked, "If I were to rebuke you for being blinded by greed right now, wouldn't you feel embarrassed?"

Mai Sakurajima smiled and said, "No, not at all."

Celebrities' skin is truly as thick as a condom, capable of two-way NTR!

Of course, as someone who wasn't a hater, Bai Ying toned down his aggression a bit. He always lured the other party in first so that he could attack them legitimately. So he reached into his pocket and took out a scarlet ticket: "Here, your reward."

"Tickets for that Scarlet Theatre Company?"

Mai Sakurajima took it and looked at it.

"You can sit in the front row when the show starts. Isn't that a great deal?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you'll be giving away that stack of tickets to everyone here later, right?"

"Just say whether you want it or not."

"Of course I want it."

Mai Sakurajima put the ticket away: "Actually, I'm more interested in your play. Could I have a look around during the rehearsals?"

"Rehearsal? Sure, but it might not be the rehearsal you're imagining."

What could be different about rehearsals?

Mai Sakurajima became even more interested and sat down on the chair next to her.

stare……

Yukino Yukinoshita gazed at him intently. "Sakurajima-san…a celebrity…Sakurajima Mai? Didn't that guy say he was a hater of Sakurajima Mai? Why do they seem to be on good terms? Is this how you act as a hater?"

She was a little bothered, but with her mother nearby, she tried her best to pretend she wasn't familiar with Bai Ying.

Yukino lowered her eyes and sat obediently.

Hmm? Why are you hesitating and looking like you want to say something?

The mother saw everything under the snow, her expression unchanged, but her mood dropped by 1.

Feeling concerned yet not taking the initiative—is she perhaps trying to emulate that cowardly teacher who dies without a soul? What a timid child, it's exasperating to look at. I should have been more ruthless back then and not sent Yukino abroad to study…

But it's okay, I'll take action.

Just as Yukinoshita's mother was about to introduce Sakurajima Mai, Oreki Houtarou returned.

"Everyone's here, let's begin! Phantom!"

Bai Ying stopped chatting and casually pushed the written identity card to Sakurajima Mai, gesturing with her eyes.

Phantom nodded slightly.

"Then let's begin the dissection of life."

Chapter 109 Half Sunny, Half Cloudy

Haruno, you are the woman who will support the future of the Yukinoshita family, so calm down.

Only by thinking calmly can we find a way out.

Think back to the last game, why wasn't that guy who couldn't pronounce his name properly noticed by the white shadow?

Because the other person doesn't have any psychological issues that would lead to being attacked—just an ordinary high school girl from an ordinary family. Her biggest worry is probably that she gained a few kilograms today, and her other worries are nothing more than things like, "Oh, the exam is coming up, I need to cram at the last minute."