Hikigaya, the Son-in-law of Three Surnames

Chapter 19, Scene : Reed's Love

May looked at the audience around her, including students and parents, who were willing to come and watch the stage play. Most of the audience here had a certain literary literacy. When they saw the unexpected prologue of "The Happy Prince" at the Sacred Heart Festival, there was a hint of anticipation on their faces.

May recalled Ichika's prince costume just now. She was somewhat androgynous and would occasionally wear boys' clothes. Putting on the gorgeous prince's robe, she looked a little androgynous.

Yotsuba said softly, "The second act has begun, so stop looking around."

After a long burst of electronic music, the stage play continued.

——Act 2. Reed’s Love——

The girl named Mizuhara Chizuru was wearing a black and white haori and gently waved her hands. Her simple dance steps revealed her agility and agility.

A little Swallow flew up to the city, for all her friends had gone to Egypt, but she stayed behind, for she loved the most beautiful Reed.

"Can I love you?" said the Swallow, who always liked to get straight to the point, and the Reed bowed deeply to her.

The props team of the drama club was very attentive. They actually wove a dress that fit the girl who played the role of Reed out of reeds, instead of buying a funny dress that looked like a green onion online and ruining the atmosphere of the stage play.

"Such a love affair is ridiculous. She has no money and has so many relatives." Other swallows murmured.

That’s not the case with Jiao. The reeds growing by the river are all her relatives, and they are everywhere.

Then autumn came and they all flew away.

After they left, Xiaoyanzi felt lonely and began to hate her lover.

Mizuhara Chizuru walked along the stage, tapping her shoulders lightly. She said, "She doesn't talk, and I'm afraid she's a slut because she's always flirting with others."

It is true that when the wind blows, the reeds perform the most charming curtseys.

Qian He's Xiaoyanzi once again showed a lamenting expression: "I believe she is used to staying at home, but I like traveling, so my wife should also like traveling."

"Are you willing to go with me?" Xiaoyanzi couldn't help but ask her finally.

The girl in the reed costume shook her head, seeming to be very attached to home.

"So you've been playing a joke on me!" Chizuru flapped her wings vigorously, as if to express her anger.

"Goodbye, I'm going to the pyramids!" Then she left without looking back at the reed.

——Act 2. Reed’s Love——

The curtain slowly closed again. Mayu saw many people clapping softly, which should mean that the performance was very good. Hachiman and Haruno also looked relatively calm.

So she asked, "Well, Mr. Hikigaya, I've always found it strange. Little Swallow is supposed to fall in love with the Happy Prince, so why is there a love story between her and the Reed here? And Little Swallow seems to be so rude and willful. I don't understand."

In fact, he had discussed this issue with Yukino before, and May was not the only one who had doubts. Many readers who have read The Happy Prince would also find this paragraph a bit abrupt at first glance.

But both he and Yukino had relatively positive comments about this episode.

Although Hachiman does not have the problem of being a know-it-all, he is still half a teacher after all. Guiding students to think instead of instilling answers is also an important educational principle.

Hachiman smiled and asked, "What do you think Yotsuba-san?"

Just like being suddenly called by the teacher in class, Yotsuba's muscles tensed subconsciously, and then she curled her lips, only to notice that May was looking at her.

I was thinking in my heart that if I always let this guy show up in front of May, it would be bad if I really lost May's favor.

So he racked his brains, trying to think of something to say to shut May's mouth, recalling the absurd and frivolous love between Reed and Little Swallow.

Her head, which was actually as rusty as May's, was spinning at high speed. The hateful thing was that there was not much ink in it.

Siye wanted to give up, but when she saw the man's frivolous smile, she felt that if she gave in, he would definitely laugh at her for being illiterate.

Yotsuba frowned as she thought about it. If Fuutarou was here, when she thought of this, something seemed to flash through her mind.

"Yes, be free," Yotsuba whispered.

Hachiman showed a surprised expression and said, "It seems that Yotsuba-san's brain is not as bad as her grades show."

"If you want to call me stupid, just say so!" Yotsuba said unhappily.

Hachiman quickly surrendered, "It's my problem. As Yotsuba-san said, I think what is expressed here is the freedom of the swallow."

Wu Yue looked at Yotsuba with admiration: "Yotsuba, when did you become so powerful?"

You were obviously a fool like me before.

"Huh, don't you even look at who it is?"

Hachiman smiled and said, "At first glance, the love between the swallow and the reed is absurd, just like the love between a fish and a seabird, one in the sky and the other in the water. Even if they intertwined, it was only for a brief moment. But isn't this a portrayal of most people's love? When they first met, it was vigorous, absurd, and unstoppable, but after a long time, they realized that they would not change anything for each other. The reed would not travel around for the swallow, and the swallow would not stay here for a long time for the reed. In the end, they separated because of a little quarrel, but we have to admit that the swallow is free at this time. She loves when she wants to love and leaves when she wants to leave. She has not been bound by anything to keep her wings."

"I would rather die than be without freedom" is the best portrayal of Xiaoyanzi during this period, and it is also to contrast with the choices Xiaoyanzi made later, highlighting the power of tragedy."

Hachiman said calmly.

Yotsuba subconsciously followed Hachiman in repeating "Give me freedom or give me death".

Why did she associate swallows with freedom? Probably because she saw her former self in the little swallow.

Once she was as free as a swallow, and it seemed that nothing could restrain her running legs. She would always be the dashing Nakano Yotsuba.

Until one day love came, while enjoying the sweet love, she also unknowingly paid a lot for this relationship.

The reeds will not leave their beloved home, the warm reed marsh, because of the swallows.

But she will.

Does she regret it? Probably not. But when she looks back, seeing Yan Zi being so willful and free, she feels a little envious.

Chapter 170: Finale: Sincerely for You

After the little swallow left the reeds, she came to the city of the Happy Prince and flew close to the magnificent and shining statue.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am the Happy Prince."

The swallow asked again: "Why are you crying? Look, you have soaked me all over."

Ichika, dressed as a prince, paused for a moment, her eyes wandering among the audience. Finally, she found the person she wanted to see among the audience, which made her feel very relieved.

She had seen Nino's concert, and she knew very well that, in the final analysis, Nino was performing for only one person.

Well then, please watch carefully, Mr. Hikigaya. Please watch my confession.

"Yika, yika, say the words!" Chizuru reminded in a low voice, she was too nervous in the future.

The next moment, Yihua shed a trace of sorrow and said in a gentle voice: "Little Swallow, there is a poor woman on this little street. She is a tailor and is sewing dresses for the palace maids. Her face is thin and sick, her hands are rough and red, and her fingers are full of needle holes. Her child is lying in bed sick and shouting for oranges to eat. But the woman has nothing else to give him. Will you take the ruby ​​from the hilt of my sword and give it to her?"

"My friends are waiting for me in Egypt," the free swallow didn't want to waste time on such things.

“Little Swallow,” said the Prince, “will you not stay with me for one night, and be my messenger? The child is very thirsty, and his mother is very sad.”

At last the little Swallow consented, and pecked the great ruby ​​out of the hilt of the Prince’s sword. She laid it on the table beside the woman’s thimble, and fanned the child’s forehead with her wing.

"I feel very cool. I will definitely get better." After saying this, he fell into a deep sleep. He slept very soundly.

“Although it is very cold, I feel very warm,” said the little Swallow, returning to the Happy Prince.

"Because you did good things," said the Happy Prince.

The second time, the Happy Prince began to beg the little swallow.

"Swallow, swallow, little swallow."

The prince said, "Will you not stay with me one more night?"

"My friends are waiting for me in Egypt," answered the Swallow.

"On the top floor of the city lived a young man, his head buried in a desk piled with manuscripts, he was writing a play, ready to write to the theater manager to send, but he was too cold, can not write a word, there is no fire in the stove, he was hungry and dizzy."

"Do you want me to send him a ruby ​​as well?" said the Swallow.

"Alas! I have no rubies now," said the Prince. "All I have left is a pair of eyes, made of rare sapphires which were found in India a thousand years ago. Take one of them and give it to him. He will sell it to the jeweler and get the money to buy food and firewood so that he can finish his play."

The audiences in the audience couldn't help but look at Ichika, who had an expression of compassion for the world, and were gradually drawn into the show.

Everyone says that the level of Shuchiin's drama club is very high. Now that I've seen the leading actors' performances, I know that their reputation is well deserved.

Ichika, who was getting into the groove, had no idea what the audience was thinking. In fact, in essence, her performance was the same as Nino's. They didn't really care what others thought of them.

The Happy Prince had fewer and fewer decorations on his body. The most precious things on him were three things: the ruby ​​on the hilt of his sword, a pair of sapphire eyes, and the gold foil all over his body.

The ruby ​​has been given to the poor tailor mother, and a sapphire eye is about to be pecked out and given to the frustrated writer. This is a story about giving up and gaining.

The things that were important to the Happy Prince in the eyes of others became less and less, but he began to be happy from the bottom of his heart.

Ichika had to admit that Nino was much more decisive than herself, who was always cautious and considered the feelings of her sisters and her father at other times, but that was only until today.

From then on, she was Ichika Nakano and the Happy Prince.

She can give up all the important things in the eyes of the world, whether it is money, morality, fame, power, or even the responsibility of being the eldest daughter, in exchange for something that can make her truly happy.

Then, the Happy Prince gave the other sapphire eye to the little match girl.

At this time, the ruby ​​on her hilt was gone, and her eyes were blind. Xiaoyanzi felt very sad.

"It's okay. Even though I can't see you anymore, my heart can feel you more clearly than ever before."

As Ichika's movements flourished, the audience below the stage became more and more fascinated, as if they were completely immersed in it. It was not as exciting as a concert, but it was still intoxicating, and the aftertaste was even longer.

The weather was getting colder and colder. Although the Happy Prince tried to persuade the Little Swallow to leave and go to Egypt, the Little Swallow had already fallen in love with the Happy Prince and was unwilling to leave the blind Happy Prince here.

"I will stay with you forever." The little swallow said, and fell asleep at the prince's feet.

The little swallow told the Happy Prince about the interesting experiences of her travels, chirping with joy.

“You have told me many wonderful things,” said the Happy Prince, “but the most wonderful thing is the suffering of so many men and women. There is nothing more wonderful than poverty. Fly over my city, little Swallow, and tell me what you see here.”

So the little swallow flew into the sky and saw the poverty and hunger in the city, as well as the despair that was intertwined between the two.

Yihua said to Xiaoyanzi sincerely: "The gold foils that are all over my body are the only valuable things on me now. Please take them off piece by piece and give them to the poor. The living people believe that gold can make them happier."

Yan Zi cut off the gold foil piece by piece and distributed them to the poor. The streets were filled with warm smiles from both children and adults.

"We have bread now," they cried.

However, the Happy Prince lost his majestic rubies, precious sapphires and luxurious gold-foil clothes, and he became gray and ugly.

The alderman exclaimed in surprise: "Oh my God, the Happy Prince, who was originally gloomy, actually smiled."

But he turned around and said, "But now it's too ugly. It will make outsiders think that this city is terrible. No, we have to tear it down."

When winter came, the Happy Prince persuaded the little swallow to leave and go to warm Egypt, otherwise she would die.

The little swallow refused. The Happy Prince could give up the gold foil and gems, but he didn't want the little swallow to follow him to that colder world.

"I don't love you. You are too frivolous and sentimental. In your eyes, I am just another reed."

The Happy Prince drove the little swallow away with hurtful words.

Finally, the time came to take down the statue of the Happy Prince.

"It's too cold and too solid for this statue to be taken down."

Workers hired by the councillors complained.

Then a little swallow appeared and obstructed their demolition work. The little swallow crashed into the cold machine but couldn't stop it. It was knocked to the ground and then died on the cold ground.

Suddenly, the statue, which had been impossible to dismantle no matter how hard it was drilled, began to crack and then slowly broke into pieces. The lead heart hidden inside the statue also fell to the ground and broke into two pieces next to Xiaoyanzi's body.

——Final Scene·Sincerely for You——

As the actors bowed collectively after the final scene, Ichika felt that the air was a little stagnant.

The audience clapped slowly at first, and the applause seemed to wake up the spectators who were still immersed in the play. The applause gradually increased like rain, and finally turned into a long-lasting hymn like thunder.

There were no fans shouting "encore" here, but the audience's enthusiasm did not diminish at all.

Yihua conquered the audience in her own way.

But this didn't matter to her, she looked at the man from a distance.

Mr. Hikigaya, have you conveyed my decision?

Far away, where Ichika and Hachiman couldn't see, at the edge of the football field, Nino stood there in a daze. She said she wouldn't come to see, but in the end she couldn't help herself.

"Ichika, you are still..."

They, the sisters, always seem to be unable to escape the same fate.