In the anime series, Goto Ichiri is actually my childhood sweetheart?

This is a ridiculous idea, but the fact is that countless people naively think so, and then fall into confusion when they become adults. Seeing people around them moving forward, they are still standing still. Because they are not ready, they can only pray that adulthood can bring them strength.

Power always comes from within, from within, to influence the outside world; it never comes out of thin air.

And Shihua is extremely good at reflecting and thinking about herself, and she can find her own way through constant denial.

From being on the gymnastics team in high school to resolutely choosing to study Italian cuisine and become a chef after her father's death, no one knows how many psychological assumptions she made for herself during this period except herself.

However, although she can analyze herself, she knows nothing about Rikka and chuunibyou.

She has only had one strategy for dealing with Rikka: indulgence. Although she feels that Rikka cannot continue like this, she cannot take any effective action because she cannot understand or comprehend any of Rikka's behavior and can only let her do as she pleases.

As the eldest sister, she is able to pave the way for Rikka's future, which may be a perfect fulfillment of her duties, and there is no problem with that.

But things are complicated, and all decisions must be made based on actual conditions. Just like at this moment, the mother of the two sisters is no longer able to do what a mother should do, and Touka is the first heir to this responsibility.

Moreover, she loves Rikka, and her concern for her is not out of responsibility, but out of love.

Therefore, after Takahashi Kaede told her those words, Touka began to think about Rikka's condition.

"Feng, can you tell me what exactly is your Chuunibyou?"

Suddenly, Touka opened her lips and asked Takahashi Kaede.

The room had been quiet for a long time. At night, cars drove through the street, and the light from the car lights shone on the glass of the room, and shadows passed by. Gao Qiaofeng had seen this countless times.

He really enjoys the feeling of seeing people around him thinking, because no one is stubborn and everyone is moving in a better direction.

Good, very good! This is the right attitude to take towards things!

Takahashi Feng's expression changed, and his brain started working.

"It's a state, and also a tool. Everyone has a different definition of it, at least that's how I feel about it. I think everyone needs to be a little bit second-year."

"Status? Tools?" Shihua chewed on the two words in confusion.

"The state means that people with middle school mentality are often in a state of delusion. In their hearts, there is always a worldview that is not accepted by others, and they themselves will play a very important and logically self-consistent role in this worldview. They can get happiness and satisfaction from this self-role-playing."

"And the tools are why they carefully design such a role-playing world for themselves, and what is the purpose of shaping this worldview in the final analysis."

"I am not recognized by others, and the school exams cannot prove my excellence. Instead, they limit my performance. Then I must be a strong person in my world, destroying the world at will and making others bow down to me with a wave of my hand. Or maybe I have very few friends and don't understand the meaning of interpersonal communication. I am a complete layman in making friends. Then I will create a lot of imaginary friends for myself. Among these friends, 'I' am the absolute backbone. Of course, these are just simple demonstrations from me. The actual situation is definitely ten thousand times more complicated than this."

Takahashi Feng thought of his past when he was immersed in a fantasy world, and suddenly felt a little sad. If someone had enlightened him at that time, he would definitely become a more positive person than he is now.

But there is no if, he can only try his best to prevent others from being confused.

"Many people only have the bad side of Chuunibyou, thinking that these people talk to themselves and have no respect for others. I don't deny this, but everything has its degree. For example, I have many imaginary friends. If I am in the outside world, they will never appear. They will only appear when I am alone in the room. This is a relatively mild degree. But some people will be instigated by their imaginary selves to beat others. This is a more terrifying degree."

“No one is qualified to interfere with the former, and the latter cannot be generalized.”

"The worst part is that some people's Chuunibho is actually a defense mechanism that the body sets up for itself in times of crisis. Without this system, they would not be able to survive to a great extent."

Shihua turned around and looked into Takahashi Kaede's eyes. In the dark night, his pupils seemed like bottomless black holes. No light could escape from them and could only fall into this bottomless abyss.

"Work pressure is too great, and if they don't have fantasy, they will be crushed; they have made many mistakes, and setbacks are one after another, and if they are not sure of their destiny, they will be depressed; and... the grief brought by the sudden death of their loved ones... and the sense of unreality, they have no choice but to imagine that their loved ones have not died."

Touka's pupils suddenly shrank, and every detail of her and Rikka played in her mind like a rewinding movie. Every word, movement, and expression of Rikka revealed the fact that she wanted to escape from.

"I feel like I'm selling anxiety, but this is what people with weak mental strength will do when faced with setbacks. Sister Shihua, not everyone can easily recover from a major blow like you and me."

Takahashi Kaede smiled bitterly.

There is a psychological term that sounds scary called "regression", which means that when people are frustrated or face anxiety, stress, etc., their behavior patterns will suddenly become childish, their thinking will become childish, and the actions they take will be as simple as those of a child and inappropriate for their age.

This is also a terrible result of extreme emotions.

"So Rikka doesn't want chuuni, she needs chuuni...right?"

Touka's voice was trembling a little, and Takahashi Kaede's cold words made her feel a little scared.

"Rikka's condition is not as serious as I said. Don't be so extreme. Even if so many things hadn't happened, she would still wear an eye patch and shout that she has the Evil King's True Eyes. But her change must have been affected by her father's death and your concealment. The 'invisible boundary' is the biggest evidence."

"My father is trapped in the 'invisible boundary', and the 'invisible boundary' cannot be found. I have to keep walking on the road to find the 'invisible boundary', and there is a powerful enemy like you on this road. This is almost an impossible task."

"It is precisely because this task is impossible to complete that Liuhua can always complete it. In the scenario she sets up, her father will never die and she will always have something to do. To be honest, this is very clever. Not only can it effectively deceive herself, but it can also satisfy her fantasy desires."

Shihua nodded knowingly, and suddenly realized the problem.

"It's fine for Rikka as long as she can indulge in this fantasy, but she is still living in the real world, and the challenges she faces are also real..."

What she worries most is whether Rikka's self-deception will eventually turn into escapism.

"So please give her the confidence to be able to step out and rely on herself."

"She is a genius in tailoring, and her level is comparable to your cooking skills. You two sisters have your own unique skills. You think from the worst perspective. No matter how you try to escape, she still has a skill that allows her to survive and not die."

"My favorite saying is 'You're already at the bottom, and any way you go is up.'"

Takahashi Feng opened his fingers, placed them on Touka's head and gently pressed her scalp to clear the blood vessels in her head.

"That's a really pessimistic statement." Touka smiled.

Her smile was like sunshine after the ice broke, illuminating everything around her.

“Pessimistic, but useful. Sometimes a pessimist is just an optimist who is confused.”

Takahashi Feng also responded with a smile, but suddenly he realized that Touka was about to stand up, so he withdrew his massaging hands.

As if she had been sitting in the same position for too long, Shihua stretched her limbs, trying to activate her stiff joints.

The moonlight seemed to be summoned and shone on Shihua's body. Her eyes were like sparkling rubies under the bright light. The tight clothes outlined her perfect figure stroke by stroke. The hem of the clothes moved up under the pull of her hands, revealing her slender waistline.

This iceberg-like fighter showed his defenseless side in front of Takahashi Kaede for the first time.

"Sister Shihua, you'd better go out through the main door later. Climbing through the window every day is really a bit shocking--!"

Takahashi Feng's eyes politely avoided Touka's revealed figure and body. He thought Touka was about to leave, and was reminding her not to go through the window again, when a pair of cold but delicate hands held his face and gently changed the direction he was facing.

Touka quietly placed her forehead against Takahashi Kaede's. She could clearly feel Takahashi Kaede tremble slightly, but then he accepted her action.

"Thank you."

After saying this heartfelt thank you, Shihua opened the screen window, supported herself on the windowsill, and climbed out lightly without making any sound.

In the blink of an eye, Takahashi Kaede was the only one left in the room, as if Touka's arrival just now was just his illusion.

......

Because he talked with Touka Yoshi until very late last night, Takahashi Feng slept in. When he woke up in a daze, Ryoko had already gone to open the store, and he was the only one left at home.

Looking at the clock, the hour hand is already to the right of twelve.

Am I a pig?!

While washing his face and brushing his teeth, Takahashi Feng began to think about what he was going to do today.

Since she opened the store, Ryoko has become an alternative workaholic. Since she is the boss, she can decide for herself when to open and close the store.

This means that she can work overtime without limit, and even on weekends, she can rush to the store early to open for business.

But she is happy. Opening such a woodworking shop is a very happy thing for her, and she can keep doing happy things.

I heard from her that many people in that neighborhood have become familiar with her, and a few young girls always come to her shop to eat. She also makes use of the equipment left by the previous owner, and makes milk tea for herself and her customers when she has nothing to do, for free.

"Drink less milk tea, it's not good for your health." This was Gao Qiao Feng's subconscious answer after hearing what she said. As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that he had spoiled other people's fun.

Sometimes people don’t need to be reminded, everyone understands the truth, but affirmation and praise are invaluable.

But Ryoko didn't feel disgusted at all. She had already gotten used to Takahashi Kaede's nagging. To her, this level of nagging was as common as asking her to remember to take out the trash when she went out.

I guess Goto Ichiri has gotten used to the nagging. Wait, Goto Ichiri?

Gao Qiaofeng picked up his phone. He hadn’t checked whether there was any reply to the message he sent last night before going to bed.

[I just fell asleep. Xiao Feng, what are you doing? Can't you sleep? ]

[If you have anything to say, you can tell me.] This message was posted about half a minute after the previous one.

【Xiao Feng, are you asleep? 】

【Well, you may have already fallen asleep, so good night?(?? ? ??)?】

Four unread messages hit Gao Qiaofeng's face. Without even thinking or taking out his toothbrush, he quickly replied.

[After I sent you a message yesterday, Shihua came to talk to me. We talked until very late and I didn’t check my phone before going to bed. I’m really sorry for not replying to your message QAQ! ]

Hey.

After replying, Gao Qiaofeng sighed and took the initiative to go find the other person, but he didn't reply to the message.

While eating breakfast while waiting for Goto Ichiri's reply, Takahashi Feng wondered if he had forgotten something.

It seemed like I had promised Rikka that I would go out with her.

Just when I thought of this, a call came in from someone named 'Evil King's True Eye User'.

Takahashi Feng answered the phone nervously, and Rika's soft voice came through, seemingly without any anger in it.

It was not until he hung up the phone that Takahashi Feng let out a long breath. Fortunately, Rikka also slept in. The call just now was to ask him if he had time to go out and the designated gathering place, and there was no accountability in the afternoon.

Just as an apology for standing up Rikka, Takahashi Feng arrived at the agreed location as scheduled in the afternoon.

Because he was very sleepy, Takahashi Feng was not in a good mood, but Rikka was full of energy and took him for a walk along the river.

According to her, she sensed the fluctuations in space caused by the 'invisible boundary line' and determined that it was nearby.

Gao Qiaofeng doubted that she just wanted to take him for a walk, but it didn't matter. It was nice to go out for a walk and sweat.

There were people selling marshmallows on the road. Gao Qiaofeng bought two, ripped off a little and stuck it on Rikka's face. Rikka chased him for nearly five hundred meters.

Ultimately the search plan failed, and the two men dispersed and went back to their respective homes.

And Christmas is not far away.

Chapter 25 Christmas Eve and happiness are not equal

Liuhua exhaled a puff of white steam and drew a silly smiling face on the glass with three strokes.

Various things were picked up and put down, but a sound came from the side, a huge suitcase was opened and collapsed on the ground, and Rikka's mother was busy at the moment.

Clothes, toiletries, books, and some of Rika's strange things and toys were all stuffed into the suitcase.

After seeing the notebook filled with all kinds of second-year secondary words, Rikka's mother frowned secretly, but did nothing and just sorted it out silently.

Today is Christmas. The snow started falling early, covering everything outside with a silver coat. Even now, fine snowflakes are falling one after another. Although they are not big, they are cold enough to fall on the body.

Rikka looked away and met her expressionless self behind the glass. She slightly adjusted her red and white Christmas hat with a small white ball on the top, and looked at her busy mother behind her.

"Where are we going next?" she asked timidly. She inexplicably felt that her mother was much more cheerful today than usual.

"Go to your grandparents. We're spending Christmas with them."

Rikka's mother turned her back so that Rikka couldn't see her expression.

"Where's your sister?"

"She is too busy. She is fine if she lives alone in the apartment. Didn't she say she has met some very good neighbors? They will take care of her. Don't worry."

The figure of Takahashi Kaede appeared in Rikka's mind.

"When will you take off that weird eye mask? How can you still behave like this in front of me? When we get to your grandparents' house, you must not lose your temper. Your grandpa is not as easy to talk to as me." Rika's mother turned her head to look at Rika and said.

Rikka tilted her head to the side and said nothing.

Rikka's mother frowned in annoyance. Although she had been in a depressed state recently, she still noticed the changes in her daughter.

Ever since he went to Shihua's place that time, he became weird and weird after coming back. He kept muttering "Evil King's True Eyes" and "Invisible Boundary Line" all day long. Later he even wore an eye patch.

Shihua had told her about Rikka's escapism problem, and she knew about it, but she was too lazy to care. Her husband had passed away, and she couldn't take care of Rikka, who was suffering from a heart disease, by herself. Now what she wanted to do most was to unload all responsibilities, walk away by herself, and throw away those sad memories and the burden on her.

Thinking that she would be free if she sent Liuhua to her grandparents, Liuhua's mother's frown suddenly relaxed.

boom!

This was the sound of the suitcase being closed, followed by a teeth-grinding zipper sound.

"Rikka, put on your shoes, we're ready to go."

Turning to look at the glass, the smiling face she had just drawn had disappeared. Rikka obediently walked to the door and put on thick snow boots.

Rika's mother asked Rika to stand at the door, and then began to tidy up her clothes. She tucked her autumn pants into her socks, straightened her rolled-up sleeves, folded her collar, and then tucked her hair behind her ears. She had no idea how many times she had done this. When Rika was still little, she had tidied her appearance in this order.

"Okay, take your suitcases and go. I've already called a car. We'll take the limousine directly to your grandparents' place." Rikka's mother finally touched Rikka's head out of habit. Everything was so natural.

The two went out and found the car they had called in advance in the increasing ice and snow.

From the street to the car, Rikka experienced a transformation from an ice cave to a warm stove.