Crossing over, and then being blocked by a rich JK.

Chapter 539 On the Road
For both Watanabe Yu and Yasuhara Risa, the longer it takes to meet the latter's parents, the worse it will be.

After all, things can easily change over time.

Therefore, the meeting time was set for 7 p.m. this Saturday.

Do you think it can work?

Saturday, evening.

On the way to the agreed meeting place, it was Ayana Amamiya, who was sitting in the back seat, who took the initiative to start a conversation.

Since she was going on a picnic, she didn't dress too flashy and chose a simple, casual home-style outfit.

She wore a chestnut brown coat over a light brown knitted sweater, with a white scarf around her neck, and light brown trousers and leather shoes.

Her overall attire leans towards a mature style, and coupled with her relatively cool demeanor, she exudes a youthful female CEO vibe reminiscent of those in Korean dramas.

"How would I know? All I can say is I'll do my best."

Watanabe Yu leaned back, listening to the soothing music playing in the car, and his thoughts gradually calmed down.

He wasn't particularly nervous about what was about to happen, since he had to go through it all eventually, but he did feel a lot of helplessness.

God knows how he got into all this trouble. It's as if there's some kind of connection in the dark, these kinds of problems always seem to find him, and he doesn't even have the right to refuse.

It was either Tongzi's instigation or a request from someone close to him.

He couldn't refuse either the former or the latter.

Perhaps this is what they mean by being caught in the web of life and having no choice in the matter.

He sighed inwardly.

"I thought you'd be more...confident at times like this."

Ayana Amamiya smiled, leaned forward slightly, opened the car's mini-fridge, and took out a can of juice, handing it to him.

"You know perfectly well that I would never give a definite answer to something like this."

Watanabe Yu took the juice, expertly unscrewed the tab, and handed it back.

"Yes, yes, I know you're the kind of person who only makes promises about things you're sure of."

Ayana Amamiya took the juice, took a small sip, and then said this with feigned helplessness.

She knew Mr. Troll's personality all too well.

From this perspective, he is truly a born 'scumbag,' never promising anything he's not sure about; in other words, he doesn't make promises easily, and going a step further, he neither refuses nor takes initiative nor assumes responsibility.

However, she also knew that this was just her own twisted imagination.

If she, Ryoko, and Yuki had all refused, he would definitely have chosen only one. In fact, if she hadn't persuaded him, that was his original plan anyway.

At once……

Silly and cute.

"So why did you suddenly think of asking this?"

Watanabe Yu looked at her with some curiosity. In his memory, she was not the kind of person who would ask such a question at a time like this.

Because in the past, she would only ask questions before or after something happened; she would never ask questions while something was in progress.

If I had to say something, she would only say encouraging and positive things.

In her words, asking questions during the process and then uncontrollably saying things that are discouraging and negative will make even the most resilient person feel tense, irritable, and even self-doubting.

She would never do such a thing.

"Because of curiosity."

The young lady blinked and took another small sip of juice. The icy coolness made her mind very clear. Although Yu usually didn't let her drink iced beverages, it was okay for her to have one occasionally today.

"After all, this is the first time you've seemed so calm, I mean when doing something you're not sure about."

She shrugged and truthfully recounted what she had observed.

However, on the other hand, Yu has always been very good at managing his emotions. Whether he is 'calm' or 'nervous', only people who have spent a long time with him and are relatively close to him can tell.

Outsiders and the like are basically undetectable.

As for those seasoned veterans who have been around for a long time, there is a possibility they might see through it, but the probability is not high.

—Yu has already experimented with this many times in front of her.

"The problem is, being nervous won't help."

Watanabe Yu shrugged, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He had no choice at all.

However, if he were given another chance to choose, he probably wouldn't refuse.

"So you really intend to do as Yuki suggested?"

Ayana Amamiya coughed lightly, changing the subject from the previous one to a new one.

She sensed his helplessness, so she decided not to linger on the previous topic.

"Hmm...not entirely."

Watanabe paused for a moment; he wasn't as 'fragile' as the saintess thought.

To put it bluntly, so what if he asked? What's the big deal? Besides, Risa said that he just needs to do his best.

He doesn't have the kind of burden that makes him feel obligated to do this or that.

"What does that mean?"

Ayana Amamiya tilted her head, her clear, beautiful eyes reflecting his face.

"I will change my approach slightly. Instead of trying to persuade them, I will listen to their views through communication and express my own views at the same time."

Watanabe Yu turned his head and looked at her profile with a very serious expression.

"Although this sounds similar to what Yuki said, there will be a big difference in the actual performance."

The solution Yuki came up with was twofold: first, to test the waters, and second, to try and persuade them.

His approach was exactly the opposite: first, to communicate; second, to express his own ideas.

They sound similar, but they are actually worlds apart. The former automatically takes the opposite side, while his approach is more like casual conversation.

Comparatively speaking, the latter attitude is less forceful and more easily accepted than the former.

"You don't need to explain to me, I know."

Ayana Amamiya turned her head and met his gaze.

They've known each other for so long, how could they not have this much understanding?

She thought so too.

Although she initially thought Yuki's idea was excellent and her solution was good, upon reflection, she realized that things were not quite like that at all.

If you try to sound them out, how could they not understand what you mean?

Instead of trying to show off your skills in front of Guan Yu, it's better to be honest and open, and have a casual chat.

If we're really going to get serious and get into some kind of hidden meaning, Yu definitely can't compete with Risa's parents.

This is not to look down on You, but an objective fact.

So she genuinely agreed with the method Yu just mentioned. In fact, her original thought was that if Yu didn't change his mind and chose to use Yuki's method, she would try to persuade him.

"But I'm worried that because of the age and status difference, Risa's mother won't take what I said seriously."

Watanabe Yu sighed.

The advantage of casual conversation is that neither party needs to be reserved or feel that the other is implying something, but that's also the downside.

Since it was just a casual chat and both sides were relaxed, the other person naturally treated them as a junior.

In Japanese society, the concept of hierarchy is very important. Although there is a saying that subordinates can overthrow their superiors, generally speaking, seniors are expected to have more status than juniors, and the latter have no choice but to accept it.

If this is the case with the hierarchy, then it goes without saying that it's between elders and juniors. Although he had met with Risa's family several times and they were aware of what he had done and what achievements he had made, it was precisely this "awareness" that led them to habitually form preconceived notions.

In other words, they would treat him as a junior who has achieved good results...

Although he is indeed a junior, when discussing Risa's situation, his status cannot be definitively defined as that of a 'junior'.

Because once you're stuck with this identity, many things become difficult.

So the problem he faced was not just how to communicate, but how to get Risa's parents to treat him as an adult.

It can only be said that the difficulties are far greater than imagined.

To be honest, Risa really is a hands-off manager. Damn it, she just dumped such a headache-inducing problem on him.

“Well…” Ayana Amamiya thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement, “Indeed.”

The probability of what You said is very high.

Because that's how communication between elders and younger generations is supposed to be.

If this is the case between parents and children, it goes without saying that it's even more true for elders and younger generations who are not so close to each other.

"But let's go back to what we were saying earlier: what's the use of being nervous in this situation?"

Watanabe Yu shrugged with a wry smile.

When a problem arises, the only solution is to address it; simply trying to escape it won't work.

The problem is, there's nowhere for him to escape.

Moreover, he's the kind of person who, once he's promised someone something, will always do his best to fulfill it.

So for him, it seems he'll have to wait until after the meal is over before he can completely 'give up' on this matter.

"Useless."

Ayana Amamiya nodded slightly.

She suddenly realized that he had another good point.

That is, even if he knows something is difficult, once he agrees, he will definitely try his best to do it, even if he knows the probability is slim.

It has a certain meaning to the optimist who always moves forward.

So, why not just relax?

Watanabe Yu shook his head and looked away from her.

"I believe you can handle it."

After thinking for a moment, Ayana Amamiya still managed to say something encouraging.

Actually, she wasn't sure herself, but that didn't stop her from saying it.

There's a saying that goes something like this: if you keep hypnotizing yourself into believing you can do it, then you might actually be able to. After all, humans are creatures that can be influenced by self-suggestion.

Of course, the most crucial point is that she won't tell him that what he's doing is impossible; she will only encourage him and tell him that as long as he wants to, he can succeed at anything he does.

This was one of the few family philosophies her mother taught her: encouragement is much more effective than suppression.

After all, suppression is bound to cause resentment.

"Thank you."

Watanabe Yu responded nonchalantly, but a few ripples stirred within him.

People naturally feel anxious when faced with problems that are difficult to handle but must be dealt with.

And if someone stands up and clearly expresses their support for you at such a time, the feeling is indescribable.

Although anxiety will still exist, it will be suppressed by other positive emotions.

This is completely different from the feeling of no one explicitly expressing their support for you.

The former can inspire strength, while the latter can make people feel depressed, since they are isolated and helpless.

Although loneliness is the main theme of life, who wouldn't want someone to support them by their side?

Of course, if you can remain completely hopeless and full of hope even when you're alone, that's a whole different level.

"There must be a road before the car reaches the mountain."

Ayana Amamiya took his hand, placed her small hand over his large one, and then gently scratched the back of his hand.

“Let’s take it one step at a time. Besides, Risa’s parents are reasonable people. The way you’re suggesting has a good chance of success.”

This is both a comforting statement and the truth.

Moreover, this is the only thing she can do right now. Once they arrive at their destination, she can't help You too obviously.

The reason is simple: their coordinated efforts would become obvious, and Yu's original plan would be disrupted.

So in a little while, he'll only have himself to rely on.

Thinking about it this way, she suddenly had an indescribable feeling.

He worked really hard.

"Ah."

Watanabe Yu responded and turned to look at the receding street scene outside the car window.

He needs to start preparing his thoughts for later.

Although he often improvises, it is still important to have a mental outline to refer to.

At least this thing can give him a backup answer when he doesn't know what to say.

"Do we need to do it ourselves later?"

The young lady took another sip of juice and continued her story.

This was both to keep the atmosphere from getting cold and to help You relieve the tension in her heart.

You mean cooking?

Watanabe Yu asked a question.

"Yes."

Ayana Amamiya nodded.

Although Yuki initially said she would cook for herself, she actually didn't want them to do it themselves.

The reason is simple: if you do it yourself, it will be more natural and everyday. But why would you have to do it yourself when you go out to eat?
The key question is whether Risa's parents will agree.

She felt the chances of her agreeing were slim. She was already very busy, with work piling up, and now that she finally had a day off to relax, she was told she had to go out and cook. Who could stand that?

"If nothing unexpected happens, yes."

Yu Watanabe provided an answer.

He had already looked into that restaurant. Its main selling point was a relatively spacious area where guests could cook for themselves, much like an open-air restaurant in a children's amusement park.

Anyway, it's all laid out on the grass, and then the guests grill their own food.

However, this place is a bit different. Customers need to handle the ingredients themselves, but it's just simple cutting and marinating. For more complex dishes, the seasonings are all prepared and ready to use.

"...Then you'll have to put in a lot of effort."

She reminded him of something.

"I know."

Watanabe Yu nodded, a hint of weariness barely perceptible in his eyes.

Now that this matter is settled, he really needs to get some rest.

Work-related matters should be set aside.

(End of this chapter)