Yukinoshita's Correction Method

But only if...

Haruno Yukinoshita tilted her head. "Are you really that confident you can beat me?"

For Dong Yunshan to propose this correction method was not much different from declaring war on Haruno Yukinoshita outright.

"Honestly, the way I see it..." Dong Yunshan smiled. "You're much easier to deal with than she is."

This was not bravado. It was fact.

Adults really were easier to handle than children.

At work, no matter how your boss chewed you out, it caused not the slightest ripple in your heart. You might even want to laugh.

After work, a single careless remark from a child could stir your heart and make you feel like crying.

[Uncle, if you're only getting off work this late, you must be making a lot of money, right?]

Back when he heard those words, Dong Yunshan's heart had collapsed.

One sentence broke his defenses three times, every cut a critical hit.

After years as a corporate livestock animal, Dong Yunshan was all too familiar with the petty scheming between adults.

If anything, pure goodwill from children was what made him feel more at a loss.

For example... Yukino Yukinoshita, who had quietly asked her older sister to help him solve his problem.

"What wonderful spirit~" Haruno Yukinoshita pressed her pale palm lightly to her chest. "But I'm not an elephant, and..."

Her fingertip lightly poked Dong Yunshan in the chest. Haruno Yukinoshita raised her face slightly. "You don't seem willing to be a little mouse either, dear underclassman."

"That's exactly the other thing I wanted to say." Dong Yunshan brushed away Haruno Yukinoshita's finger. "Losing to Yukino is much more interesting than beating you, big sister Yukinoshita."

During the previous Film Research Club haunting incident, Dong Yunshan had lost to Yukino Yukinoshita.

And so the haunting incident had been resolved perfectly.

Hojo had confirmed Miki's feelings and stopped repeating his drawings in confusion;

Miki had cleared up her misunderstanding with Hojo and let go of the guilt of scaring Tanaka;

Tanaka had dispelled his original fear and even gained inspiration for a new movie;

Sasaki had ended his self-deception and gained the courage to face himself.

Everyone was happy.

But in the KTV couple incident just now, Dong Yunshan had solved the riddle Haruno Yukinoshita had set.

Yet nothing had been resolved.

Kazuya, who had been out of the loop, was still out of the loop;

The obstacle between Riko and Kosuke was still an obstacle;

The problem Naoko had just solved would appear again in the future;

Haruno Yukinoshita's test of Dong Yunshan had not proceeded smoothly either.

Compared to losing to Yukino Yukinoshita, beating Haruno Yukinoshita... was simply far too boring.

"Awful... saying things like that on purpose to make me mad." Haruno Yukinoshita pouted her glossy lips in complaint, put the hand Dong Yunshan had brushed away behind her back, and drew out her words in a huff. "Ah~~~ I was originally going to warn you about the weakness you've already exposed—fine, I've decided. I won't tell you!"

Haruno Yukinoshita pressed a pale finger to her cheek, stuck out her tongue, and made a playful face.

Like a child provoking an adult.

At the very, very end, Haruno Yukinoshita had still found the correct way to deal with Dong Yunshan.

So...

Looking at Yukino Yukinoshita's face across from him, a face seven parts similar to Haruno Yukinoshita's, an interesting question surfaced in Dong Yunshan's mind.

What would Yukino Yukinoshita look like if she made a funny face?

"What are you looking at me for?" Yukino Yukinoshita glared at him irritably. "Is there a question written on my face?"

"If there were, I wouldn't be looking." Dong Yunshan propped up his chin. "I'm tired from studying. Taking a break."

"I thought you were full of energy and knew no fatigue." Yukino Yukinoshita lowered her head to read. "Giving out this quickly?"

Yui Yuigahama, who had not been focused to begin with, instantly had her thoughts veer off course, and when she raised her eyes, they met Komachi Hikigaya's gaze.

That line felt like it could be used later too.

The two, their little faces bright red, saw the same thought in each other's eyes.

"I overused my brain. The fact that I've managed to study this long is already pretty impressive." Dong Yunshan's fingers moved, the pen spinning rapidly between them, dazzling to the eye.

Just like Dong Yunshan's thoughts.

He had already been trying very hard to operate.

But just as they were parting, Haruno Yukinoshita still managed to get one over on him.

"I was going to remind you about the weakness you've already exposed—but I've decided not to tell you!"

A weakness he had already exposed...

Was Haruno Yukinoshita bluffing, or had she really discovered his weakness?

Dong Yunshan did not think he was perfect and flawless, without a single weakness.

But knowing about your own weakness and having someone else know about it were two completely different things.

The difference was something like knowing you had hidden a few things in your room, versus your mother suddenly popping out with, "Guess what I found in your room."

With the former, you knew it yourself, so you just had to be a little careful.

With the latter, it was downright hair-raising.

So what weakness had he exposed, exactly?

—If you ran into a problem you couldn't solve, set it aside for now.

Then there was Yukino Yukinoshita's method of correcting him.

He had to admit, Yukino Yukinoshita's move really was brilliant.

If Dong Yunshan did not think, he would have to face the new order Yukino Yukinoshita had carefully thought up.

If Dong Yunshan thought for too long, then Yukino Yukinoshita's goal would be achieved.

Nearly two weeks had already passed, and Dong Yunshan did not have much time left.

He needed to think as little as possible and come up with a request that was within reasonable bounds, yet impossible for both him and Yukino Yukinoshita to complete. Only then would it count as the greatest possible victory.

Finding the optimal solution in the fewest steps, huh...

—If you ran into a problem you couldn't solve, set it aside for now.

Haruno Yukinoshita did not look like the type to let things go.

She would definitely make another move after this.

Haruno Yukinoshita's previous actions had all been based on information she had obtained from other people. Now that she had made direct contact, she must have discovered even more useful information, and she would use it to come up with some targeted method.

He had to guard against it... but he had no idea how.

Or he could take the initiative and attack first, using offense as defense.

But it was a little too early to use the preparations he had made before.

—If you ran into a problem you couldn't solve, set it aside for now.

Then there was repaying Yukino Yukinoshita.

No matter what Haruno Yukinoshita had done, Yukino Yukinoshita's desire to help Dong Yunshan had not changed.

Considering the relationship between Yukino Yukinoshita and Haruno Yukinoshita, that goodwill carried more weight than usual.

Dong Yunshan liked it when other people owed him favors, but he did not like owing favors to others.

He needed to think of a good way to repay Yukino Yukinoshita and express his thanks.

But what method could possibly help Yukino Yukinoshita?

That person herself radiated an aura of "I'm fine, I don't need help."

He could not very well create trouble and then help her out of it, could he?

—If you ran into a problem you couldn't sol... no, this one couldn't be set aside.

Three strikes was enough.

The pen in Dong Yunshan's hand froze instantly. "Right, do you two have any plans for spring break?"

He would just use the old method.

Yukino Yukinoshita turned a page. "Reading at home."

"You're still going to read after exams are over?" Yui Yuigahama suggested, "You should take a break once in a while too. Let's go out and have fun together!"

Just as planned.

Yui Yuigahama really had not disappointed Dong Yunshan.

When it came to going out to have fun, Yui Yuigahama's enthusiasm never disappointed.

"Exams are merely a periodic assessment of the results of one's studies at school," Yukino Yukinoshita said with a stern face. "They are not the purpose of reading, much less the end point of reading."

"Then it's fine to treat them as a pause button, right?" Yui Yuigahama was no longer the little girl who would be scared by Yukino Yukinoshita's serious expression like she had been at the beginning. "Don't people always say you should balance work and rest? When it's time to study, you study seriously, and when it's time to relax, you should relax properly too, right?"

Yukino Yukinoshita said, "Were you serious when you studied, then?"

"I..." Yui Yuigahama's pink cheeks puffed out slightly. "That's why I have to be twice as serious when I relax!"

"Leaving aside how exactly one is supposed to be twice as serious about relaxing..." Yukino Yukinoshita pressed a hand to her forehead as if she had a headache. "Everyone relaxes in different ways. You think going out to have fun is a very good way to relax. To me, reading is also a very good way to relax."

Dong Yunshan had originally thought that if the girls arranged to go out shopping together, it might help Yukino Yukinoshita loosen up a little.

But on second thought, people were different from one another.

Some people felt being alone was a struggle against loneliness, so when they were tired, they liked to find two or three close friends to get together with, talk and laugh, and recharge.

Some people felt socializing drained their energy, so when they were tired, they liked to act alone—a cup of tea, a movie, or a book, recovering their energy in solitude.

Dragging someone who liked being alone to a gathering, or making someone who liked gatherings be alone, both counted as forcing it.

Unless Yukino Yukinoshita wanted to go out herself.

"You could find a place where you can both hang out and read." Komachi Hikigaya's eyes flicked with an idea. "Speaking of which, a new cat café opened recently. Have you been there?"

"Cat... café?"

Yui Yuigahama and Yukino Yukinoshita spoke the same words, but in completely different tones.

A rare, obvious longing appeared in Yukino Yukinoshita's voice.

A rare, obvious resistance appeared in Yui Yuigahama's voice.

The two looked at each other, their voices almost overlapping.

"You like cats?" "You don't?"

"I... I like cats, of course." Yui Yuigahama dodged Yukino Yukinoshita's gaze. "Cats are so cute~ Yeah, super cute! If you like them, Yukino, let's go together after exams."

Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head. "No need."

Yukino Yukinoshita believed people should overcome their fragile selves, but she would not force others to change harmless likes and dislikes.

Yui Yuigahama said she liked them, but both her expression and her tone showed obvious strain.

"It's not that I don't like cats..." Yui Yuigahama pressed her lips together. "I really do think cats are cute."

Dong Yunshan had a guess. "Allergic to cat fur?"

"No..." Yui Yuigahama lowered her eyes slightly. "I used to live in an apartment building. Back then, it was really popular for everyone to secretly keep cats."

"Popular?" Komachi Hikigaya thought for a moment. "Ah... apartment buildings don't allow pets, right?"

"Mm." Yui Yuigahama nodded softly. "When I was in fourth grade, I hid it from my family and secretly kept a stray cat. But one day, it suddenly disappeared. So now when I see cats, I feel a little... well, I don't really know how to describe it."