I, who advocate giving up, feel like a disqualified person

There was no way to investigate the situation at Rinsenkawa's house... The information available so far was entirely from what the two of them had said themselves - but information about the family business was indeed quite limited, and the government had no interest in it.

"Besides my one sister, Rinsenkawa, I don't have any other siblings. Generally speaking, a male is the heir to a family business, but things have already come to this. Fortunately, my parents aren't the stubborn type... so they didn't insist on having a male heir. Otherwise, I might have had too many sisters, and maybe even a younger brother who would have taken over the family fortune—"

In fact, Rin Hanekawa hid some things.

After growing up, Hanekawa realized that his parents still wanted a male heir. Otherwise, they wouldn't have given birth to Rinsenkawa in such a short time. But if that were the case, what would be the fate of him and his sister?

So, she began to work hard to show herself - as long as she could show that she was smarter than men, she would be able to make her parents give up this idea. And in fact, she did succeed, and now she is respected by her parents... but it also brought a lot of responsibility.

"However, now that things are stable, it's naturally me who will take over the family fortune... After that, I'll go study abroad, and then wait for my parents to hand over the family fortune to me, and then find a place to settle down... Anyway, everything is arranged, and I just have to do it obediently."

"oh oh--"

Sheji immediately let out a cry of envy. Indeed, for someone like him who had absolutely no desire to work hard, he truly wished his life was clearly laid out—regardless of personality, everyone was surprisingly unanimous in this regard.

"Why do you have such an envious expression? Don't you think this kind of life is boring?"

"...As long as I can get through it smoothly, I don't have any objections." Besides, it's a life that is quite clear and has a happy ending.

"Oh my, this is really..."

Summer insects cannot talk about ice. Rin Yuchuan had lost the mood to explain her current feelings to him.

"But judging from your tone, Linquanchuan shouldn't need to do this, right? After all, she can't handle many things like you, and she's not good at communicating with others... If I'm not mistaken, she has been abandoned by your parents."

"Well... to say she's giving up is too serious. Of course, I won't sever ties or anything like that... But as a member of the Rin family, she naturally won't have any say in attending banquets or making decisions about future developments—after all, she's simply not suited to it. And she hasn't considered this herself."

"...I see. Now I understand."

The two people who are still attending the same high school have actually embarked on different paths.

"...Now that you understand, try not to make her angry. And don't go around deliberately provoking others to hit or kick you under the camera... Although I didn't hold you accountable this time, I can't guarantee there will be a next time."

"Okay, okay, I got it~"

"Ah... I didn't realize you've stopped me and chatted with me for such a long time. Seriously, I still have a lot of things to do—and lunch break isn't long enough..."

"Then, as compensation for this matter, I will give you a word."

"...Send me a message or something. Who do you think you are?"

Although she didn't really take his words seriously, curiosity still made her stop. After all, she felt that since that guy could say such arrogant words, he must have something to talk about.

"Actually, Rinsenkawa isn't as difficult to communicate with as I imagined. Maybe she was like that before, but now she's quite easy to talk to... And she's not someone who acts recklessly all the time. She has a good grasp of the right balance."

"...So? Is this the kind of thing you want to report to me?"

In fact, Rin Hanekawa is still very concerned about the fact that the two of them are getting closer. As for whether it is because he is worried about his sister being taken away or because of his feelings for the country, it is unknown - perhaps it is a combination of both.

"No. What I mean is, you should actually try to find a chance to talk to her alone. She's sure to understand."

"...Eh?"

If she had heard this sentence a year ago, she would never have heard it. But now it is different. After a year, Linquanchuan has changed a lot compared to before.

"There's no need to deliberately approach her or ask someone like me, who has nothing to do with you, to figure it out. The solution is actually very simple. Just approach her as if you were talking to me. As long as you call her in time, she shouldn't avoid you."

"Hey, why are you suddenly saying something like that?"

"Because I think the time is ripe... If I want to explain the situation to her, this year is the last year, right? You also said that after graduation, you will go abroad and embark on a life that is clearly planned. If that's the case, how can I not explain it clearly?"

"But... this... should be your business... Besides, you clearly agreed to this matter..."

Rin Hanekawa was a bit emotional and incoherent. It wasn't because she felt helpless because no one was helping her... but because now, there was no reason for her to ask him to accompany her.

"How can this be my business... What I've done is enough. Rinquanchuan will definitely try to listen to you now... Try to talk to her. Then you will know whether I have fulfilled your request well or not."

"...Well, whatever you want."

"What do you mean by letting me do whatever I want...it's obviously your business."

"Ah, okay, okay—I get it. I'll just do it, okay?!"

It had been nearly a month since I said that. It wasn't until now that I mentioned this to my sister—it seemed like she had made a big decision.

But all in all, the effect was quite good. The country at that time also laid a very important foundation for its future self.

If I had to say it, things in the world are impermanent.

Now, let's return to the time when Rinhanekawa and Rinzenkawa were having a normal conversation. After hearing Rinhanekawa's persuasion, Rinzenkawa finally stopped rejecting her—well, that wasn't persuasion, it was more like a threat that explained the specific situation—and it was precisely because of this sense of crisis that Rinzenkawa stopped wanting to escape.

It seems that guy is quite important to her. Rin Hanekawa quickly came to this conclusion.

"Hmm...let me ask you...who is the person you are referring to? I suspect you have made a mistake or something--"

"...Ah, so that's what it's about..."

She hadn't actually denied that she had a crush on someone. Was it because she was nervous, or did she feel like she couldn't hide it any longer? Regardless, all she could do was help.

"Why are you still pretending to be confused at this point? Of course his last name is Yi and his given name is - um -" Before she could finish saying the guy's name, Rin Izumikawa in front of her covered her mouth with both hands with a red face.

"I...I know you're not mistaken! Damn it...don't mention anything about low-level insects now!"

"..."

Does she like or hate that guy?... How could she say such words in this situation? The relationship between the two is really strange - Rin Hanekawa, who was temporarily unable to speak, couldn't help but think about it.

"...Of course I can't not mention it." As he said that, Rin Hanekawa took her hand away from his mouth, "It's definitely not possible to avoid it... However, I'm still quite curious about what you like about him... Hmm..."

"Who...who would like that kind of person!"

"..." What on earth was this guy trying to say... He had already exposed it to me a long time ago. Rin Hanekawa was feeling quite helpless now, as if he was leading a teammate who had no idea how to play. One could imagine how powerless he felt.

"It's just the two of us, and I won't say anything... So don't be so secretive... I've already said it, right? If you keep going like this, that guy..."

At this time, she tried her best to resist the hands that wanted to cover her mouth again because of shyness.

"That guy...seems like he has no resistance to girls. If someone else confesses first, he'll definitely belong to someone else—what are you going to do then?"

"...Hmm..." At this time, Rinquanchuan finally put down his hands, "Why do you always talk to yourself like this..."

"I'm not just saying this... I'm considering your future. While it's up to you to decide what to do... if you really like someone, it's best not to miss out."

“...But...But——”

Rinquanchuan was actually very worried. He was worried about so many things, but ultimately, the biggest concern was that guy had absolutely no interest in him... and his usual attitude towards him wasn't very good. It was actually quite atrocious.

"You won't know the outcome if you don't try. If you're worried about whether he'll like you, I can only tell you that generally speaking, no one would fall in love with someone for no apparent reason. Unless they're incredibly beautiful."

"..."

"Ah..." Suddenly realizing something, "Of course, my sister is quite beautiful, so there's no need to worry about that. But I don't think that guy really cares about appearance, so if you want to win him over, it's better to be direct."

"...What...what does this mean?"

Even though he didn't understand, Rinquanchuan was still quite excited. After all, it was about love.

"There's no need for any preparation... After all, you're already very familiar with each other. So just pick a time that's right for you and tell him how you feel."

The tone was quite calm.

However, for her, it is impossible for her to confess her love to the person she likes without any delay...So, naturally she would want Rinquanchuan, who can do it, to do it.

"...Is that so..."

He didn't refuse immediately, nor did he agree. Rinquanchuan simply nodded to show his understanding, then turned his gaze back to the time on his phone.

"...I understand. But the time for talking to you is over, and I have things to do."

"Well, in that case, I won't waste your time."

In fact, she still had a lot to say - but now that they could have a normal conversation, they could just choose another time to continue.

"..."

She sighed as she watched Rinquanchuan walk away. Just as she was about to turn around, she caught a glimpse of Rinquanchuan turning around.

"See you tonight... sis."

"——!!!"

Rin Hanekawa, who had no idea how to react, just stood there in a daze until Rin Izumikawa's figure completely disappeared from his sight.

"...This...This is how a younger sister should behave!"

Well, as for what kind of joy Rin Hanekawa was feeling at that moment, we won’t get into it for now.

Chapter 16: The world is unpredictable.

My head feels like it's going to explode.

I vaguely remember that this feeling seemed to have appeared before... From this, I inexplicably connected it to the situation when the universe exploded - when I closed my eyes, the image caused by this feeling was like something exploding in the dark... It was really a very wonderful experience.

“Please spare me…”

If a cold seems so deadly...wouldn't it be equally fatal if I got a more serious illness later?

Thinking of this, he still forced himself to get up from the sofa despite the headache, then picked up the cup and poured himself some water.

“…Gurgle gurgle…”

No matter how much warm water I drink, it seems like it can't moisten my dry lips. It also doesn't seem to help my sore throat feel any better. It seems the saying "drink more hot water when you're sick" is a complete lie. Excess of anything is bad—even harmless water, if you drink too much, probably isn't good.

"Ah... This is so troublesome." I scratched my hair, but it still couldn't reduce the pain all over my forehead. "I can't sleep like this..."

But keeping my eyes open was a real struggle. My fever was high, and my eyes became sore... Of course, I couldn't rule out not getting enough rest. And I finally understood why fever-reducing medicines often contain a sleep aid... Otherwise, a headache wouldn't let me sleep properly.

“…”

Ye Hui should still be busy in the kitchen at this moment. And I have absolutely nothing to do right now... so I'd better try to write a little bit first.

I still picked up the pen and paper with trembling hands. If I put this energy into writing a novel, Xiaoye would definitely be so happy that he would wonder if he was dreaming... But right now, I can hardly spare the energy for the novel - I've already told Xiaoye this via email, so there's no need to worry about it anymore.

"........"

The air conditioner had already been turned to warm. The room was actually quite warm already... I knew patients needed to keep warm, but since the heater was already on and I was still covered in such a thick blanket, I couldn't think of any other benefit other than making me sweat more.

Honestly, I really wish I could plunge my head into cold water to cool it down. Maybe the physical low temperature would temporarily relieve the pain—although the wet towel on my head is completely useless.

"...Does physical cooling really work..."

Although this is often shown on TV, I have questioned the rationality of this plot since I was a child...but I can't deny this phenomenon based on my own feelings.

“Swish, swish—”

The pen in my hand felt quite unsteady as it moved across the paper. It wasn't that my thoughts couldn't keep up... but because of the constraints on my body and vision, it was hard to keep the words I wrote on the same line as before... No wonder they say that sick people's work ability declines. "The will is there, but the strength is not" probably refers to this situation.

“…cough cough…cough cough cough…”

Life is really hard.

“…cough cough…”

However, compared to my current situation, there are many people who live a more miserable life than me... It's not that I'm acting like "not as good as the best, but better than the worst." It's that I have to focus on people other than myself.

"..."

"What does other people's business have to do with you—" "Don't bother with those people, or you'll get into trouble too" "If you don't have the ability, don't get involved" "What can one person accomplish alone?"

People always try to avoid getting involved with people they don't care about. Whether they can help or can't, they see it as a nuisance. It'll cause them trouble, bring them no reward, and they might even get hurt... There are always many reasons.

Not only do they refuse to do it themselves, they also can't stand seeing others do it. Those who can do it do it, and it's taken for granted... Those who can't do it do it anyway, and are criticized for overestimating their abilities... When did the world become like this? Or is it just the way it has always been?

Perhaps this is what the saints have always wanted to change. But no matter how hard they try—even now, in an age when saints are extinct—the peaceful and prosperous era they envisioned still hasn't materialized.

"..."

Deep down, I might still want to believe...that truth and goodness exist in the world. But the truth tells me that those things are quite fragile...and that's why someone should stand up and defend them, right? And why can't that person be me—or everyone around me?

“…”

"Why are you so disobedient? I told you to lie down and rest, didn't I?" Before I noticed, the paper in my hand was snatched away again - what a familiar feeling.

"Eh? No... This is just—"

I want to argue, but it seems like there's nothing I can say... Really, I don't really like the feeling of being restricted in every way.

"No need to say more. It seems you won't do what I say." Ye Hui looked a little angry. She was clearly concerned about me, but she got angry because of me... How interesting. Anyway, she waved the book in her hand and said, "Well, I'll keep this for now."

"....Forehead..."

There's absolutely no need to be so strict.