I have bound two systems.

Are you doing something that you don't want me to know?

With this thought in mind, Hiratsuka Shizuka waited quietly at the door.

Soon, Isshiki Caiyu opened the door, turned sideways and invited her into the room.

"Hiratsuka-sensei..."

Unlike the last time I visited, this time the curtains in the house were all drawn, allowing light to flood in, and one could see the kind of light and fluffy decorations that were unique to girls' rooms.

For example, the dolls placed side by side on the bedside table, or the bow with ambiguous meaning on the dressing table.

In addition, what Shizuka Hiratsuka was most concerned about was the desk. The thick Six Codes and the Japanese Criminal Code were placed on the table, with labels of different colors sticking out from between the pages.

This is the point at which we can draw a conclusion.

Isshi Ishiiwa did not buy these legal books just for the sake of reading them. She was really absorbing the knowledge contained in them seriously and taking notes.

"I'm sorry to have made you worry, Hiratsuka-sensei."

Isshi Iroha took a step forward seemingly casually, blocking Hiratsuka Shizuka's line of sight towards the desk, and at the same time naturally moved the armchair in front of her.

Shizuka Hiratsuka did not choose to sit on the chair, but stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed, then reached out and patted the seat next to her.

Isshiki Caiyu understood the meaning of her action and walked over and sat down obediently.

"I've been worried about you, and so have the other students at school."

Shizuka Hiratsuka started a conversation casually, and she subconsciously reached for the cigarette in her pocket, but soon realized that she was in a student's home, so she suppressed the sudden urge.

"Don't mind me, Mr. Hiratsuka. My father usually smokes at home. I'll go downstairs and get you an ashtray."

"No, I didn't come to your place today to create secondhand smoke in your room."

At a close distance, Hiratsuka Shizuka softened her tone.

"There must be a reason why you suddenly stopped going to school and asked your mother to take a leave."

"..."

Isshi Caiyu's mouth corners, which had been forced to rise slightly since the beginning, slowly returned to normal.

As she slowly lowered her head, her eyes, which were originally meeting with Shizuka Hiratsuka, also shifted away.

"You still don't want to tell the teacher?"

"..."

Isshi Iroha continued to remain silent.

Hiratsuka Shizuka did not show any disappointment at her reaction. She smiled easily and reached out to touch Isshi Iroha's head as an elder and teacher.

The flaxen hair, just like the girl's outstanding appearance, is both delicate and soft, making people involuntarily want to hold her in their hands.

"The teacher can understand. It has nothing to do with age. Everyone has some secrets or concerns that they don't want to share with others. This is normal. The teacher has also had such experiences, so I won't ask you about it, let alone force you."

"Thank you, teacher……"

Isshi Iroha answered dryly, forcing a smile back on her face.

Hiratsuka Shizuka stared into her eyes, her smile still gentle, and she continued speaking as if everything was normal.

"You don't have to thank me for such a small thing. Your life is in your own hands. You can choose whether to open your heart to anyone. Similarly, you can do anything you want without anyone's consent. It's just that it's best to discuss with your parents and friends before making certain decisions and choices."

"..."

Isshi Iroha was silent for a long time this time, and Hiratsuka Shizuka was no longer in a hurry to say anything like she was before.

She cast her eyes toward the transparent glass window.

The crows outside the window are chattering on the telephone poles.

There was nothing or scenery worthy of her attention, so most of her attention was focused on Isshiki Iroha, observing her secretly through the corner of her eye.

From the moment Isshiki Iroha opened the door and entered the room, Hiratsuka Shizuka had already noticed that this usually lively and cheerful student of hers was completely different from before.

"teacher……"

After a long silence, Isshiki Iroha finally spoke.

"In fact, even if you didn't come to see me today, I was going to go to school tomorrow. The reason I asked for leave is because I was under a lot of pressure due to the monthly exam. But after reflecting at home for the past two days, I realized that escaping can't solve any problems. The future direction of my own life will ultimately depend on my hard work and self-discipline."

As she said these words, a very bright smile appeared on her face, and she made a cute gesture of clenching her fists to pump air.

The colorful feather of the past seems to have returned.

Hiratsuka Shizuka smiled with satisfaction and touched her head again with much greater force.

"Since you can think of this, it seems that your parents and I don't have to worry about anything anymore. You can officially report to school tomorrow, right?"

"Yes!"

Isshi Caiyu's answer was very powerful, and she nodded vigorously in response to the teacher's confirmation.

An hour later, Hiratsuka Shizuka said goodbye to the Isshiki family with a smile on her face.

As she drove away, the smile on her face slowly disappeared and she gradually calmed down. After lighting a cigarette and taking a deep puff, she slowly became uneasy and sad.

"This is not good..."

Hiratsuka Shizuka muttered to herself.

Eyes are the windows to the soul.

Although Isshiki Caiyu concealed it well and even gave a lively smile that tried to confuse her judgment, she still discovered it.

That is the numb and negative reality hidden under the false appearance of cheerfulness and normality.

----

Chapter 244: Mother's Test

Tonight, the dinner on the Sawamura family's table was as sumptuous as usual.

After her husband came home, Sayuri Sawamura considerately took off his coat so that he could go wash his hands, then quickly turned around and called Eriri to come down for dinner.

During dinner, Mr. Spencer, the head of the family, talked about interesting things at work. The atmosphere among the three of them was relaxed and happy until this little episode occurred.

Eriri, who was quietly eating fried fish, suddenly asked her mother a question.

"Mom, what would you do if Dad fell in love with another woman?"

"Cough! Cough cough cough -"

Mr. Spencer was shocked by his beloved daughter's shocking remarks, and gave a particularly intense reaction before his wife did.

Sayuri Sawamura stared at her husband playfully, and when he stopped coughing, she considerately handed him a tissue.

Then she looked at her daughter and asked with a smile,

"Why are you asking this suddenly? Did you find out that dad cheated on you?"

Mr. Spencer slammed the table and stood up.

"How is that possible, dear? I will always be loyal to you!"

"It's just a joke. There's no need to get so excited. Just continue eating and don't interrupt my conversation with my daughter, or I'll really consider you a suspect."

With just one sentence, she calmed her husband down. Sayuri Sawamura looked at Eriri again, quietly waiting for her answer.

Eriri gave the reason she had already thought of.

"I plan to draw a book about lovers and a third party. This time I have to take into account not only the pictures, but also the plot as much as possible, to show the dark side of human nature."

She lied and refused to share her true distress with her mother.

There is nothing that can be done about it. If my parents knew the real situation, even if they are extremely open-minded, they would probably faint instantly out of fright.

"I see. So, as a stupid daughter with no dating experience, I want to get some mature advice from your mother who has been through it all. You can use it as a reference."

"That's it."

Eriri nodded and answered vaguely while chewing asparagus.

Mr. Spencer grumbled in dissatisfaction.

"Even so, please don't use me as an example. It's not a good thing."

But the mother and daughter at the table ignored his complaints.

Sayuri Sawamura spoke up.

"Of course I have to meet your request, but your father is too honest. He always takes me with him no matter what party he attends. He doesn't have the habit of going to clubs or bars. Even if he goes out at night, it's either for work or to go fishing in the wilderness. So I don't have any experience in dealing with this kind of thing."

"Sorry, it's my fault. I'll try my best next time..."

Mr. Spencer, who was complaining at the right moment, started to complain, but before he could finish his words, his wife blocked his mouth with a lunch roll and gave him a dangerous, warning look.

He didn't dare to look at her, picked up his plate with resentment, and walked into the living room to watch the football game.

The mother and daughter were left to continue the discussion.

"It's okay. I just want to hear what my mother would do if she encountered such an incident. It's just for reference."

It can also be regarded as a reference for the situation I am facing now.

Ying Lili muttered to herself.

"If your father really encountered something like that, then my reaction would probably depend on how far he and the so-called third party had progressed."

"degree?"

"Well, if your father took this wrong step just because of the sudden novelty, and at this stage we are just chatting and occasionally meeting privately, then I will probably forgive him, provided that he sincerely apologizes to me and promises to never get involved with that third party again."

Sayuri Sawamura took a tissue and gently tore it open.

"Of course, if this really happens, even if we reconcile afterwards, our relationship will no longer be as seamless and close as before. No matter how beautifully the cracks are repaired, it will never be as perfect as it was at the beginning. When you draw the book later, Eriri, you can pay attention to extending the conflict points of the plot from this aspect."

This is consistent with my mother's answer, but it is not the answer I want.

The desire for advice was still there, and it continued to urge Eriri to ask questions.

"What if the situation gets even worse? What if Dad has developed feelings for a woman other than Mom, and brings her to Mom, saying that he wants to live with her in the future?"

Sayuri Sawamura suddenly laughed when she heard this question, but when she saw her daughter's serious expression as she was seeking a solution, she still controlled her emotions and thought about this question seriously based on her life experience.

Soon, she spoke again.

"First of all, I'm not slow enough to let the situation develop to that point. Secondly, even if the situation is really that bad, the nature of the matter has actually changed. It's no longer something that can be reversed or saved by me alone."

"So, what would you do, mom?"

Sayuri Sawamura spread her hands.

"Let's part ways amicably with your father. Now that it has come to that, it doesn't matter what the third party is like. What matters is the attitude your father shows. Since he has such an excessive idea, I don't need to continue to deceive myself. So ending this twisted and abnormal relationship as soon as possible is the most correct choice, isn't it?"

Although it was Eriri who asked the question, Sayuri Sawamura slowed down her speech while answering it, staring closely at the changes in her daughter's facial expressions, and finally asked a rhetorical question.

Ying Lili sighed in disappointment.

"Really? This kind of plot is too difficult to handle. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. I'll just go back to the humiliation plot that I'm familiar with."

"It's good to have ideas, but they have to be combined with your own abilities. It's up to you."

Sayuri Sawamura shrugged, drank a sip of soup casually, and then suddenly spoke without warning.

"Eri, are you in love? With Chisato."

As a mother, she has clearly noticed some changes in her daughter in recent times. These changes seem small, but they do exist.

Such unnatural changes are most likely caused by something.

Such a strange question today made her alert again and she made a tentative move.

As for the name "Chisato", it was something she heard from Eriri's dream when she came to her daughter's room one day. At that time, she was also very emotional.

However, Eriri's reaction was beyond Sayuri Sawamura's expectations, and she looked quite confused.

"Mom, why do you suddenly think like this? And what did you say next? What?"

Isn't it what I thought?

Sayuri Sawamura stared at her daughter's expression, which did not seem fake, and smiled with relief.

"Nothing, let's eat quickly. As for your question just now, I actually have a better suggestion."

"what?"

"Go ask Shiyu. She's a professional novelist and has a better grasp of the plot than you as an artist. You might be able to get some inspiration and ideas from her."