I'll Have a Family of My Own

Just as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was steadily pushing his plan toward its final step, Kitagawa Ryo had already left Tokyo.

To be precise, he is currently in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, about 800 kilometers away from Tokyo.

Although the distance sounds intimidating, it is actually only an hour and a half flight from Tokyo's Haneda Airport to Hokkaido's New Chitose Airport. Kitagawa Ryo departed in the morning and arrived at his destination by noon.

As for why he came to Hokkaido in the middle of the Special Exam, we have to go back a day.

"A place where you can see snow at this time of day?"

Facing the girl who had traveled across several wards of Tokyo by subway to find him after finishing her part-time job that day, Kitagawa Ryo was a little confused and repeated the question she had just asked.

"But it's July now."

The blazing sun on the horizon made it clear that it was the height of summer, but Xue herself insisted:

"But I don't know when Ryo and I will be able to go out of school for free again. Besides, it doesn't necessarily snow in Tokyo during winter. It didn't snow when Ryo went home for Christmas last year, did it?"

As she spoke, Xue pouted, looking a little aggrieved:

"I don't expect Ryo to put on a grand show for me at Tokyo Tower like she did for Arisu. I just want to go see the snow with Ryo one more time."

"Okay, okay, let me think... There should still be some snow left in the high-altitude mountainous areas of Hokkaido, and the ski resorts will probably use stored winter snow or artificial snow to provide snow activities at this time of year."

Completely unable to withstand this attack, Kitagawa Ryo quickly came up with a solution. After doing a quick search on his phone, he showed the screen to Yuki:

"The Furano Ski Resort in Hokkaido has a special 'Summer Snow Hill' area for tourists during this season. Want to go?"

"I want to go, I want to go."

Xue nodded without hesitation:

"Anyway, Ryo and I both have Protection Point, right? It won't be a problem if we temporarily break the rules of this Special Exam and skip work for a few days."

At this point, she added, seemingly casually:

"If anyone else has Protection Point, they can come with us too."

Because she had done her research beforehand, Xue knew that among the girls around Liang, none of them had any Protection Point except for her. This made it perfectly logical to turn this Special Exam, which everyone was participating in, into a private world for just the two of them, a plan that went exactly as intended.

But to Yuki's complete surprise, when the two met again in the waiting area of Haneda Airport the next day after they had finished packing, there were two more girls that she knew very well by Kitagawa Ryo's side.

"What a coincidence, the company just happened to send me on a business trip to Hokkaido."

This is Amasawa Ichika, who started working at her family's company on the very first day of the Summer Special Exam, perfectly embodying the meaning of the phrase "playing house as a rich girl."

"I was also visiting Hokkaido University at the same time."

Oh, this is another one, Sakayanagi Arisu, who's also playing house like a rich girl.

It can only be said that the three bonds of the last simulated ward riot were not so easy to get rid of. Faced with Xue's behavior of not even pretending, the other two chose to follow suit without hesitation.

What else can we say? Let's board the plane together and head to Hokkaido.

And so, Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu, who were using Protection Point to avoid expulsion, along with Amasawa Ichika and Sakayanagi Arisu, who took full advantage of the loopholes in the rules to come and keep a close watch on them one-on-one, effectively doubling their time together. The four of them took the same flight to Hokkaido.

Although the average temperature in Hokkaido in summer can reach around 20 to 25 degrees Celsius, the group was going to a mountainous area where a ski resort was located, so they specially prepared warm clothes before going and changed into them immediately after arriving at the ski resort in the Yamanaka.

It has to be said that Matsushita Chiaki Sakayanagi Arisu on the cruise ship last year was indeed correct. A petite and cute girl like Sakayanagi Arisu is definitely more suited to winter clothes than summer clothes. With a silver-white down jacket, brown fur gloves, and a small beret, Sakayanagi Arisu standing in front of Kitagawa Ryo at this moment really makes people want to lean in and kiss her little face.

Whether intentionally or not, the three of them deliberately chose similar color schemes for their down jackets, with the Arisu's was a dreamy silver-white, Yuki's was a caramel brown, and Ichika's was a brighter red. Combined with their already striking hair colors, they looked even more radiant in this snow-covered world.

Although the group had come to a ski resort where snow still lingered, none of them knew how to ski, so they initially just practiced haphazardly on the designated practice Matoba. However, since they actually enjoyed the relaxed vacation atmosphere more than skiing, they soon dropped their skis and, after Amasawa Ichika's first sneak attack, started a snowball fight.

Amasawa Ichika, a graduate of the White Room, needs no introduction. Although Sakayanagi Arisu been training diligently for over a year, she couldn't match Amasawa's years of experience at the White Room gym. Yuki, a former top student from the White Room, was carrying the body of someone who had spent several years in the hospital in the real-world timeline. Therefore, even after more than a year of rehabilitation, she couldn't fully recover to her previous level. As a result, she was quickly overwhelmed by Amasawa Ichika and they unconsciously formed an alliance, starting a righteous two-on-one fight.

While the three girls were exchanging snowballs, each carrying their own grudges and personal grievances, and engaging in genuine and heartfelt interactions, Kitagawa Ryo was quietly starting his own snowman-building project.

The ski resort provides snowman-building tools such as plastic snowball makers, mini snow shovels, spray bottles, and food coloring. In addition, Kitagawa Ryo is indeed amazing in stamina. In no time, he had already built a huge happy... cough, kitten on the snow, which quickly attracted the attention of a large number of other tourists around him.

"Are those fireflies in the pile of cool water?"

By this time, the girls, who were also tired from playing, gathered around and curiously examined the cat snow sculpture that had risen from the ground.

"Okay, let's take a picture to remember this moment."

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryo used the food coloring in his hand to add a fluorescent hue to the frozen black bottle cap, then pressed it into the snow sculpture's eye with a snap. He then clapped his hands to announce that he had succeeded, and several children spontaneously clapped their hands.

After casually snapping a couple of photos, Kitagawa Ryo generously gave the kitten to the other children who were eagerly waiting to take pictures with him, and then went to the rest area to sit and relax.

A short while later, Xue also came over and sat down next to him.

"Ichika and Arisu went to try skiing on the beginner's track."

After all, the three of them could be described as sisters who have survived all hardships and can forget all their grudges with a smile when they meet again. So when Yuki herself expressed that she wanted to spend some time alone with Kitagawa Ryo, Amasawa Ichika and Sakayanagi Arisu very tactfully took their skis and walked away, giving the two of them enough space and time to chat alone.

Kitagawa Ryo saw through her intentions but said nothing. After Yuki came over, he took the initiative to reach out and grab her hand. Both of them had taken off their gloves beforehand, but before she came over, he had already warmed his palms with a hot drink from the vending machine next to him for a while, a temperature that was enough to warm her up as well.

Are you still cold?

"Hmm-hmm-it's so warm."

Xue gently shook her head. There were still traces of the snowball fight on her forehead, and the melted snow water glistened on the ends of her hair.

"Looking back now, I realize that when I introduced my name to Ryo in the White Room, I didn't give a comprehensive overview at all."

As she spoke, she rested her head on Kitagawa Ryo's shoulder again, but her eyes remained fixed on the snow-covered world ahead.

"I only told Liang that snow is white and cool, something that falls from the sky like flowers, but in fact, it is also something that cannot exist for long on its own. When you eat it, it has no taste other than coldness. When it comes into contact with something warm, it melts away without a trace in an instant, as if it has never existed in this world."

"Furthermore, snow isn't always pure white."

She glanced at the spray bottle of food coloring that Kitagawa Ryo had placed to the side, and at the little snow sculpture of a cat with ears and whiskers painted on it by him not far away. Then she rubbed against the person next to her a couple of times.

"I've already been stained with the color of coolness, haven't I?"

"According to this logic, I've actually been dyed the color of snow long ago."

"What's wrong with this? Isn't Liang satisfied?"

"I didn't say anything like that. That's just Xue's own delusion. Besides, I've already heard Ying say that you really tormented me with some long delusion."

When Kitagawa Ryo suddenly revealed her biggest dark history, Yuki's expression stiffened slightly, then she bared her teeth and claws like a puffed-up kitten and retorted:

"So what? Does Liang think she's at a disadvantage? You can fantasize about me—no, just put it into practice! I'll definitely cooperate."

"... Besides, Liang knows that those are just all sorts of strange fantasies coming from his mind; we should judge by actions, not intentions."

Just like the descriptions of 'snow' that she had just added, for a long time in the past, Yuki did indeed add these vague perceptions to herself, just like when Kitagawa Ryo first took her out of the White Room and she personally caught those pure white sprites fluttering down from the sky, that complex feeling that was both beautiful and fragile.

That's why, when she pushed Kitagawa Ryo into his dorm during last year's Cultural Festival, she whispered in his ear, "Ryo, you have to promise me that I will always be a rose, a white moonlight as pure as snow, not a rice grain... a cinnabar mole, not a mosquito bite."

Yuki didn't want a short-lived connection or relationship, or rather, she was afraid that her relationship with Kitagawa Ryo would turn out like that—a snowflake that was stunningly beautiful for a moment but would soon vanish.

"Well, so I don't think it's anything. Although I know Xuexin is still feeling uneasy, I can assure you that the thing you're most afraid of will definitely not happen."

"For me, snow is not just snow, but also the Christmas morning sun, the little squirrels on the branches after the first snow, and the most beautiful snow camellia, also known as Hime-Shirayuki, whose flower language means flawless beauty."

Kitagawa Ryo was never surprised that Yuki cared so much about her name and pursued the imagery behind it almost blindly. After all, in a place like the White Room, time, actions, the future, and even one's own feelings... none of these things belonged to them; they were beings that could be manipulated at will. Only the name was different.

Without names, unless you're physically close enough to see and touch each other, you can't say "I like you" or "I like him" in the second or third person.

But if you remember someone's name, no matter where you are or who you're facing, you can say directly, "I like coolness, I like snow." That's the value of a name in White Room; it's the starting point for many kinds of emotions.

If you think about it carefully, the trio from the last simulation, who also accompanied him to the ski resort in Hokkaido today, all have names that contain some precious memories between them and him. These memories are part of what makes each of them a part of themselves and strongly proclaim their presence.

He once stopped all time like the Mad Hatter to find the only solution for Alice, who had Arisu entered Wonderland. In the long years since then, he has been gently illuminated and enveloped by an everlasting summer. Finally, he dyed a snowflake that fell from the sky into his human world and was held in his palm with his own unique color.

For Kitagawa Ryo, he truly couldn't let go of any of his ties.

"Let's rest for a bit and then head back to the hotel. I'm a little tired."

Perhaps it was because the memory was a little hazy, or perhaps it was because he had seen too much of the snow-covered Matoba and was a little tired from snow blindness, but Kitagawa Ryo spoke to the snow with his eyes closed.

"Hmm, I remember the hotel has a hot spring for couples. If you're tired, Liang, let's go soak in the hot spring together later."

Yuki reached out and hugged him, whispering this suggestion in Kitagawa Ryo's ear.

She felt it would be warm by then.

Anyway, she's not like snow that melts at the slightest touch of warmth, confined to her own little world.

P. S.: Thank you for reading and subscribing.

PS2: The only spoiler I can give for the new book is that it will still be a youth romance slice-of-life harem story, but it will be an original work.

Chapter 86: I Will Have My Own Family

"Wow, this is where my sister usually works?"

"It's an internship... and it's only for this month. But I'll probably continue working here after I graduate from Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, so it's not really a lie to my mom."

Ichinose Honami reached out and took her younger sister Maki's hand, leading her for a short stroll around her workspace before taking her to the staff cafeteria. A short while later, she used her employee ID to obtain two meal tickets, retrieved two set meals from the counter, placed one in front of herself, and pushed the other towards her sister.

"The food in the cafeteria here is pretty good, have some."

"Hmm, I'll try it... It's alright, better than the ones at our school."

After taking Ichinose Maki casually asked, "..."

"Isn't brother with sister?"

"Ryo should still be in Hokkaido, but he should be back in the next couple of days, since there aren't many days left until the end of this Special Exam."

"I see."

Ichinose Maki, biting her chopsticks, nodded as if she understood, then leaned over and whispered to her older sister:

"Actually, Mom came here specifically to ask me to tell you that you shouldn't... well, make her a grandmother while she's still in high school?"

After racking her brains to come up with the most tactful way possible, Ichinose Maki began to observe her sister's reaction intently, trying to discern any subtle changes in her expression.

However, Ichinose Honami's facial expression management had indeed reached a level of perfection. After all, she had spent almost a month training in the bank's finance department, and her polite yet aloof fake smile was second nature to her. She simply nodded slightly in response.

"Maki, go back and tell your mom I know."

"Or does she think I'm a child who doesn't even know what's right about these things? She's raised me for over ten years, she should know this better than anyone. After all, isn't that what she used to claim to be?"

Ichinose Maki didn't seem to mind Ichinose Honami's sarcastic attitude. After all, theoretically, she was the one who was rebellious between the two sisters, and she knew that her older sister was just complaining a little. When her mother suggested visiting her internship, she immediately made preparations and arrangements, and finally managed to send her mother home safely around noon.

As for why she didn't stay for lunch with her, the only explanation is that her mother had leftovers from last night in the refrigerator, and they would spoil if they weren't eaten by lunchtime today.

Ichinose Honami's attitude is now very clear: she will go along with her mother's wishes as much as possible, and will absolutely not try to change her deeply ingrained beliefs. She will try to find a balance between family and personal life that is acceptable to both sides.

This includes her current internship.

After several rounds of simulations and real-life experiences, Ichinose Honami finally grasped a few key principles for getting along and communicating with her mother.

First, when it's time to express your emotions, you must do so appropriately; otherwise, the other person may not even know that you are genuinely upset or angry.

Secondly, if possible, one should even take the initiative to cry first, because for Ichinose Honami, if her mother shows signs of grievance and tears first, even if she is actually in the right, she will be overwhelmed by unconscious guilt and even remorse.

Third, try to show her your current growth and independence in a way that she can understand.

If her mother's expectation of her was worldly success, Ichinose Honami was willing to show it to her.

She would no longer explain her deeper motives for getting a job in finance or her ambitions for the future; she just wanted her mother to see that she was working for a large bank or company with excellent benefits and high salaries.

After all, for someone her mother's age, she probably couldn't possibly distinguish what each of the many departments and sections in a bank was supposed to do. Perhaps in her eyes, the daily task of bank employees was simply to count banknotes over and over again in front of a money counting machine, just like what she had seen on the occasional occasions when she went to the bank to make deposits or withdrawals.

The same goes for Ichinose Honami wouldn't explain every detail of what happened between the two of them to her mother, nor would she explain Ryo's family background or that he had other lovers besides her. She only needed to tell her mother that she had someone she liked who also liked her, that he was a good person, and that they planned to get married after they came of age.

Ichinose Honami hopes that her mother's later years will be better than her earlier ones, and she is confident that she can make her mother's life even better.

Therefore, she also hoped that her mother could believe this.

I believe her daughter will have a better life than her mother.

After all, with the exception of a very small number of parents, most parents in this world do not want their children to live worse than they do, Ichinose Honami's mother was no exception.

After going over these thoughts in her mind again, Ichinose Honami's facial features softened slightly as she reached out to wipe away the sauce that had accidentally gotten on her sister's lips.

Compared to her mother, who had already experienced everything before she was born and had almost no ideas or abilities to make a change for the rest of her life, and could only stubbornly move forward alone along the established path, Ichinose Honami was naturally more willing to spend more on her younger sister, who was two years younger than her and whose values had not yet been formally formed.

After all, if we're only talking about the rest of her life, her younger sister will be a companion who will go further on this path than her mother.

Although I feel that the other person's feelings for Liang are a bit strange right now.

Ichinose Honami had considered nipping this budding romance in the bud, even though her younger sister herself wasn't sure about it. But then she thought, if she did that, she wouldn't be any different from her mother in the past.

So she chose to wait and see.

After finishing lunch and seeing her younger sister off, Ichinose Honami returned to her staff dormitory alone.

Chukyo Bank treated her, an intern from Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, very well, even assigning her a nicely furnished single room in the dormitory.

When Ichinose Honami was about to go back to her room to rest and take a nap so she could face her work in the afternoon with the best energy, she suddenly found someone waiting at her door.