A New Character Joins (How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?)

In a single-parent family where only the father exists.

The quality of life is decent.

However, children who lack maternal love may become overly aggressive and impatient.

In a family where only the mother exists.

The situation is even worse.

Because women's wages are far lower than men's, their quality of life is lower.

Because the mother is the head of the household, the children often dare not easily speak out when they are wronged, for fear of adding to their tired mother's burden.

Because of a lack of fatherly love and a lack of security.

Therefore, this is the situation most likely to occur in daughters from single-mother families.

Even the smallest acts of kindness or care from others can be misinterpreted as deep love.

Before truly understanding the other person's true nature, she easily regarded them as her "Child of Destiny," throwing herself into the relationship like a moth to a flame, ultimately repeating the same fate as her mother.

Another possible outcome is that they succumb to temptation and gradually fall into depravity.

Suffering follows you, and life ends there.

This is the desperate cycle of suffering in Japan families where mothers raise their children alone.

Ichinose Asuka is an intelligent woman.

Therefore, she didn't want her daughter to end up like her.

She didn't exactly entrust herself to the wrong person, but she wasn't much better off.

She could only focus even more on raising her two daughters.

Try your best to pay more attention to them and carefully guide their growth in life.

But now...

One million yen!

Honami... what struggles and considerations did she go through before finally deciding to talk to him?

How many hidden stories lie behind this decision, unknown to her as a mother?

But reason cruelly reminded her—what did that gleaming diploma from the Advanced Nurturing High School mean?

What does its direct pathway to top universities mean?

What does that ideal job, which guarantees lifelong security and can change one's social class, really mean?

That was the Noah's Ark ticket that Honami desperately wanted to grasp, a ticket that would change the fate of his entire family!

And what tangible support could she, as a mother, offer Honami, besides helpless worry and overwhelming love?

My daughter works so hard at school, isn't it all so that our family can turn our lives around?

Perhaps... perhaps Honami is truly more far-sighted and mature than she has been?

Perhaps she has learned to make the most rational choices in the face of harsh reality?

Ichinose Asuka's gaze unconsciously swept over her youngest daughter, Risa, beside her.

Risa's grades are far inferior to her older sister's, and if she wants to continue her studies, it will be another considerable expense...

If we accept this money now, at least Risa's basic education can be guaranteed, and Honami can be completely free from worries and devote herself wholeheartedly to her studies...

Once this thought takes root, it creeps up on you like a vine.

Her reason was being eroded, threatening to completely crush her remaining willpower.

Her inner struggle was clearly written on her face; her brows were furrowed, her lips were pursed until they were white, and her rough fingers were twisted together tightly.

Tanaka Yukishin waited patiently, without urging her, silently conveying her understanding and support with a calm yet firm gaze.

Time seemed to stretch out, each second feeling incredibly heavy.

Finally, after a suffocating silence, Ichinose Asuka seemed to have exhausted all her strength, and her shoulders slumped slightly.

His face was a mixture of almost tragic compromise and overwhelming gratitude.

She let out a long, almost silent sigh.

It's like shedding part of a heavy burden, or like taking on a new, heavy responsibility.

"I see."

Her voice was a little hoarse, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, "Then... thank you so much, Tanaka-kun."

She stretched out her slightly trembling hand, hesitated for a moment, and finally grasped the two heavy bundles of banknotes.

The cold touch and heavy weight of the banknotes seeped through her skin, filling her with a mix of emotions.

Her gaze met Tanaka Yukishin's clear eyes again, and as if she had made a major decision, her tone suddenly became exceptionally solemn.

"Tanaka-kun, please," she said clearly, enunciating each word, "After you relay what Risa and I just said to Honami, please be sure to add one more sentence for me."

Tanaka Yukishin turned serious, and she nodded earnestly.

"Please speak, Auntie."

"Cherry blossoms, hair clips, seasonal items."

Ichinose Asuka slowly and clearly uttered the six words, looking at Tanaka Yukishin with a complicated expression, as if to confirm whether he had remembered them.

Cherry blossoms? Hair clip? Seasonal?

This seemingly random combination of six characters resembles a cryptic code or cipher.

This is clearly some kind of coded language between Ichinose and her mother that outsiders cannot understand.

He was filled with confusion, but his face remained expressionless as he solemnly nodded again.

"Okay, Auntie. Cherry blossoms, hair clips, seasonal items. I've got it all. I'll definitely pass it on verbatim."

Having received the money and conveyed the coded message, Tanaka Yukishin took her leave once again.

This time, Ichinose Asuka didn't try to stop him; she and Ichinose Risa simply escorted him to the door.

"Tanaka-kun (Xuexin's brother), be careful on the road!"

The mother and daughter said goodbye at the door.

"Auntie, Risa, please wait."

Tanaka Yukishin nodded slightly, then turned and went downstairs.

Just as his figure was about to disappear around the corner of the stairs, Ichinose Risa peeked out from behind her mother and couldn't help but call out, "Yuki-chan! Will... will you come again?"

Tanaka Yukishin's steps did not stop; only her clear and calm voice came from the stairwell.

It was like a promise, and also like a rehearsal.

"As long as Honami-chan needs it."

This brief yet profound answer stunned the mother and daughter standing at the door, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Honami... you child..."

Ichinose Asuka stared at the stairwell, muttering to herself, her expression complex and unreadable.

He tightened his grip on Ichinose Risa's hand.

Ichinose Risa stood on tiptoe, gazing into the depths of the now-empty staircase.

She murmured softly, her voice filled with dreamy longing, "Brother Xuexin... he really looks like a prince straight out of a comic book..."

Stepping out of the dimly lit stairwell and back into the sunlight, the pre-noon sun was already quite scorching.

Tanaka Yukishin glanced back at the old apartment building and let out a soft breath.

Honami-chan...

He recalled Ichinose Honami's always sunny and responsible smile, and the simple scene inside the house and his tired yet resilient mother.

Next, it's time to go to Sakura Sae's house.

He took out his phone and glanced at the time. Fortunately, he was still within the plan.

"Cherry blossoms, hair clips, seasonal items"...

A thoughtful glint flashed in his eyes; this was clearly some kind of code from the Ichinose family, perhaps carrying emotions and promises that only they understood.

He will convey it faithfully; as for the deeper meaning, let Honami-chan herself.

He started walking, his figure blending into the sparse crowd on the street, heading towards his next destination.

Chapter 143, Section 142: New Character Joins (Let's Work Out, Sweaty Girl!)

10:50 a. m.

The agreed time is getting closer.

But Tanaka Yukishin's figure still hadn't appeared.

After serving the last plate of beef brisket to the diners at table number 8, Sakura Hibiki...

He returned to the front desk and muttered to himself.

"Tanaka -kun, when are you going to arrive?"

Sakura Hibiki spread her hands out like two flower petals, supporting her face, and stood like a waiting-for-husband rock at the front desk of "Sakura Manor Barbecue", staring longingly at the street outside the glass door.

She muttered to herself, her delicate face filled with undisguised anxiety and anticipation.

As the youngest daughter of the Sakura family, Sakura Hibiki inherited the best qualities of her parents.

Her long, slightly wavy blonde hair exuded vitality, and her fair skin had a healthy glow.

Her large, round, emerald-green eyes looked even more lively with anxiety. Below her small nose were her lips, which were always slightly pouting unconsciously, and the little tiger teeth that were faintly visible on her lips added a touch of playfulness to her.

As she muttered to herself, she thought of her silly second brother again.

A year has passed.

She hadn't seen her second brother since he went to the Advanced Nurturing High School.

Although the brother and sister used to bicker and tease each other, they actually had a very deep bond.

She missed her brother, who was always smiling but would get furious at her provocations.

"This is the 7th time."

A low, slightly helpless voice came from the side.

Sakura Ibuki sat in the corner of the bar, her slender fingers still rapidly typing on her laptop keyboard.

He had a handsome face with well-defined features.

For today's conversation, I even changed out of my usual clothes and into more casual, homey attire.

"Ah?"

Sakura Hibiki turned her head, looking somewhat bewildered.

"In today's technologically advanced society, we have mobile phones for instant messaging. If Tanaka-kun really encounters traffic jams or other unforeseen circumstances and cannot arrive on time, he will definitely call me again, just like he did last night. Be patient."

When Sakura Ibuki heard his younger sister mention "Tanaka -kun" again and again, he finally couldn't help but look up at his sister.

His gaze swept over the empty dessert plate in front of Xiang, then fell on the rounder lines of her cheeks, which appeared even more pronounced as she lay face down, and his eyes deepened imperceptibly.

"Big brother, don't you miss second brother?" Sakura Hibiki, somewhat disgruntled, her large, bright green eyes glaring accusingly at Sakura Ibuki. "I miss him terribly!"

Sakura Ibuki stopped typing and closed her laptop.

He leaned back slightly, placed his hands folded on his lap, and calmly met his sister's gaze.

"Missing Sae? Of course. After all, it's been a year."

He stated the facts in a calm tone, then changed his tone, revealing a hint of mischief.

"But, Hibiki, don't you feel guilty about this? The reason Sae ended up studying at such a faraway Advanced Nurturing High School is ultimately because of you."

"Ah?!"

"What does this have to do with me?!"

Sakura Hibiki instantly straightened up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, hands on her hips.