The Fourth Period Is Modern Chinese (Continued)

Thump thump thump thump, ding.

Note: The sound effect used when Ikkyū-san thinks in Ikkyū-san.

After a mysterious period of contemplation, Mama-no opened her eyes.

"...All right. We'll find a way somehow."

"What do you mean?"

I couldn't help asking, but Mama-no merely smiled faintly.

I wanted to ask what she meant, but I held myself back. I could only endure it because I was the eldest son. If I'd been the second son, I definitely wouldn't have been able to.

Note: A reference to Tanjiro Kamado's line in Episode 12 of Demon Slayer.

But even if I asked, it probably wouldn't help. Her elegant smile implied that further questions would be pointless.

Mama-no raised her fan to her lips and asked again with the same unchanging smile.

"What do your parents do?"

"They both work in publishing and advertising-related fields... Huh? What is this, an interview?"

"Just making conversation. So, are you interested in that industry too?"

"No, I'm planning to think about that after I get into college... Huh? This really is an interview, isn't it?"

"It's merely a background check. So, have you decided which university you want to attend? And your major?"

"No, I still don't know. Hahaha. You just admitted it was a background check."

The stormy exchange continued, one verbal blow after another. Yukino and Haruno's gazes moved back and forth between Mama-no and me like tennis spectators. Meanwhile, I was having trouble breathing and felt mentally and physically exhausted, as though I were being relentlessly grilled in a stress interview.

Only Mama-no remained completely composed—if anything, too composed. She opened her fan, covered the edge of her mouth, and quietly closed her eyes as though pondering something.

"I see, so you haven't decided anything yet..."

"Y-Yes."

After that, she said nothing more, and