I won't be a loser.

It really surprised some people.

After staying in Chiba for 3 days and the school festival ended, Fujiwa and Nvnu returned to Tokyo with Elio, leaving Kento in Chiba. Facing the peaceful life, there seemed to be a little ripple in Kento's heart.

At the end of December, the school was on vacation, which lasted about 12 days. The four of them went home, and he would not stop anyone who wanted to stay in Chiba. On December 15, he returned to Tokyo and met his sister and wife.

Xianren, who hadn't seen Feng Xiaochun for a while, talked about his plan to return to Itomori this year. She didn't react much, just nodded and asked Xianren if she could go back to Itomori with him.

"of course."

He smiled slightly at his wife, and after making some preparations, they contacted their sister Mitsuha Miyamizu and expressed their intention to return to Itomori for the New Year. Mitsuha Miyamizu's reaction seemed very calm.

"Oh."

Pingdan gave an answer. On the morning of the 28th, the three of them took the Shinkansen back to Gifu, and then returned to Itomori from Hida.

When he entered the house and saw his mother, grandmother, and young Miyamizu Yotsuba, Kento, who had not been back to Itomori for a while, felt a little nostalgic. He walked up to Miyamizu Yotsuba and picked up his sister, which made Miyamizu Yotsuba, who was not young either, blush. She stayed in Kento's arms, hugging his neck and staying in her brother's arms for a while.

When she learned that Feng Xiaochun, who looked about the same height as her, only slightly taller than her, was her brother's wife, and her sister-in-law, her expression froze on her face. She stared at her brother for a long time and struggled slightly.

Miyamizu Yotsuba came down from Feng Xiaochun's arms and came to Feng Xiaochun. She stared at Feng Xiaochun for a while, then politely bowed her head and greeted him.

Feng Xiaochun, who had always known about Miyamizu Yotsuba's sister from her husband, showed her kindness to this polite sister and handed the gift she had prepared in Tokyo to Miyamizu Yotsuba.

Miyamizu Futaba was not at home. The only adult at home was her grandmother Miyamizu Kazuba. After hearing some noise, she came out of the room and saw her eldest grandson and her eldest granddaughter.

"How long do you plan to stay in Ito this time?"

Miyamizu Ichiha, wearing thick old-age glasses, asked about the wise man's preparations.

"I'll probably stay here until the end of the New Year, and then return to Tokyo between January 1rd and January 3th. I can't guarantee the exact time, but if anything happens, I'll have to go back to Tokyo first."

"I understand."

Miyamizu Ichiha nodded, her eyes fell on Feng Xiaochun, and she nodded slightly to the wife of her eldest grandson. She learned some things about the wise man in Tokyo from Miyamizu Futaba.

She had also seen Feng Xiaochun's photo, so when she saw the girl, she recognized her identity. She was a little concerned about the fact that she was the wife of a virtuous man, but since they had already gotten married, she couldn't say anything more. She quietly returned to the room, took out a woven lace, and handed it to Feng Xiaochun.

"Take it."

The wise man on the side looked at the laces and spoke to Feng Xiaochun.

The girl nodded silently and accepted Miyamizu Ichiha's gift.

In the afternoon, as it was getting dark, a car stopped on the road in front of Miyamizu's house. Since there were not many people around, there was no need to worry about the problem of occupying the road. Miyamizu Toshiki and Miyamizu Futaba got out of the car together.

After returning home, Miyamizu Toshiki looked at his son with a serious expression, while facing his father, Miyamizu Kento's attitude was more casual. The moment their eyes met, Miyamizu Toshiki couldn't help but frowned and wanted to say something, but he pursed his lips and held back.

"I heard you brought your wife back?"

"Xiaochun, this is my father, Miyamizu Toshiki, and this is my wife, Feng Xiaochun."

He introduced his father to Feng Xiaochun and his wife to Miyamizu Toshiki.

"Nice to meet you, father."

Miyamizu Toshiki looked at Feng Xiaochun. Facing the petite and cute Feng Xiaochun, he frowned, was silent for a while, then relaxed his brows and nodded slightly.

"Well, Xianren...I'll leave it to you."

"Yes, Father."

It seemed like he had a lot to say, but under the gaze of Miyamizu Futaba, Miyamizu Toshiki just pursed his lips and suppressed the thoughts in his heart.

Later, Feng Xiaochun took out the gifts he had prepared and gave them to Miyamizu Futaba and Miyamizu Toshiki, including some skin care products for Miyamizu Futaba and some tea for Miyamizu Toshiki. Both Miyamizu Futaba and Miyamizu Toshiki nodded slightly, expressing their satisfaction.

But whether they are really satisfied or not, only the two of them know it in their hearts. For example, Miyamizu Toshiki is actually not very satisfied with Feng Xiaochun, but probably because Miyamizu Futaba, as her mother, has already told Miyamizu Toshiki about Feng Xiaochun's identity, Miyamizu Toshiki also suppressed the little unhappiness in his heart, nodded quietly, and did not delve into it.

Miyamizu Mitsuha, who had little presence, felt a little jealous when she saw the family having so much fun. She stood silently behind Xianren, and from time to time she stretched out her hand, clenched it into a fist and gently hit Xianren on the back, expressing her dissatisfaction in a childish way.

Xianren couldn't stand it anymore, so he turned around and held Sanye's hand. He looked at her and sighed, and Sanye calmed down a little.

In the evening, the family sat in the newly expanded living room and had dinner together. Miyamizu Toshiki left home, leaving Miyamizu Futaba at home to take care of the others.

After everyone else went into the bathroom first and returned to their respective rooms, Xiancai and Feng Xiaochun entered the bathroom together. Miyamizu Yotsuba, who had not yet slept, was stunned when she saw the two of them enter the bathroom together.

"..."

He kept looking back at Miyamizu Mitsuha and asked his sister about what happened between his brother and Feng Xiaochun in Tokyo.

Miyamizu Mitsuha, who happened to not like talking about these things, wrapped herself tightly in the quilt after hearing her sister's question, and lay down with her eyes closed to rest, completely ignoring Yotsuha's repeated questions.

- - - -

Thank you all for your monthly tickets and blades! Thank you all for your recommendation tickets!

Chiba New Story: 461. Heart-Stirring Days in Itomori

Life back in Itomori was very different from life in Tokyo. For example, every morning, he could sleep a little longer. The bed was a little small, but Feng Xiaochun was petite, so the two of them didn't feel crowded when they lay on the bed. Late at night, Feng Xiaochun would even unconsciously lie on his chest, and their bodies pressed together, which made Xianren feel a little warmer.

The body was originally light and weightless, so it was natural that the virtuous man would not feel difficulty breathing. The virtuous man, lying in the bedroom, did not wake up in a daze until around 8 o'clock in the morning.

Returning to his familiar hometown and his familiar room, his whole spirit relaxed at once. When he woke up, he saw his wife, her eyes staring at him.

"Good morning."

Feng Xiaochun, who was lying on Xianren's chest, saw Xianren wake up and then greeted him.

"…Um, well, good morning."

The wise man woke up, looked at his wife, and slowly breathed a sigh of relief. His expression gradually relaxed. He raised his arms little by little and hugged his wife. His face was a little dazed, and he had not yet adapted to being back in Itomori.

"After such a long car ride from Tokyo back to Itomori, I'm still a little... not fully adjusted."

Not much has changed since Itomori and Kento left last time. Even the original road of Itomori is still a bit dilapidated. Kento, who took the bus back to Itomori, felt uncomfortable because of the bumpy ride.

"This is where Xianren grew up. It feels very different from Tokyo, and the air here is very fresh."

"As long as you don't hate it."

For example, the sage's room was actually slightly renovated after he left, and it was a little different from before. When the sage returned home, he could notice some clues, but the changes were not big, and for him, it was not unfamiliar.

The two of them lay quietly in bed like this until Xianren couldn't hold it any longer. Then he slowly looked at his wife and asked her if she wanted to get up.

"Ah."

Although she wanted to continue lying with Xianren, Feng Xiaochun still agreed to Xianren's question.

After staying in bed for a while, the two of them crawled out of the quilt together, and then walked out of the room together. When they came to the living room, there was no one there, only a Yotsuba watching TV.

"Good morning, brother, and... uh..."

"Call me Sister Xiaochun."

Seeing Siye didn't know how to address Feng Xiaochun, Xianren came to the living room and asked his sister to just call Feng Xiaochun by her name.

"Oh, Sister Xiaochun, good morning."

"Good morning."

In response to Siye's greeting, Feng Xiaochun smiled and nodded.

"Where are the rest of the family, Mitsuha?"

"Mom went out to buy some food. Grandma is in her room. My sister went out to look for Sayaka."

Sayaka Natori is Mitsuha's good friend, but unlike Mitsuha who went to high school in Tokyo, Sayaka Natori stayed in Itomori. Without her friend Mitsuha to accompany her, it is unknown whether she would feel lonely in Itomori.

He thought of some things about Sayaka and recalled the girl's story. Xianren, who was standing in the living room, nodded slightly, and then looked at Feng Xiaochun beside him.

"Want to take it out and look around today?"

"I...don't need it."

"Go a little east and climb a little up the mountain to find my family's shrine. I think Sanye and Yotsuba will be performing the Kagura dance during the New Year."

This made Feng Xiaochun a little curious and surprised. Seeing Feng Xiaochun's interest, Xianren talked to her about some things in his family. The intimate posture of the two in the living room made Miyamizu Yotsuba, who was watching TV, look at the two from time to time. Her eyes were full of curiosity and a little envy.

It was not until near noon that Sanye returned home with a look of surprise and unexpectedness on her face. She walked into the living room, looked up and saw Xianren sitting in the living room, and quickly came to Xianren's side.

His hand landed on Xianren's shoulder and he patted his brother's shoulder repeatedly.

"Now, you know what I saw... knew?"

While chatting with Feng Xiaochun about the past of the Miyamizu family, Sanye, who had returned home, suddenly looked shocked, which made Xianren stunned for a moment, and then he looked at his sister.

"what?"

"Saayaka is in love."

"Oh."

It's not surprising that the seemingly ordinary little girl has already entered high school and is in love.

"Is it with Teshigahara Katsuhiko of the construction company?"

"how do you know?!"

Mitsuha looked very surprised when she heard her brother say the name of Sayaka's boyfriend.

"It's not that hard to guess, right? Didn't you two grow up together? Now that you've left Itomori, it's just her and Teshigawara. Her personality isn't one that would fit in well with other people, and the only person she can rely on is Teshigawara Katsuhiko. So it's only natural that the two of you would get so close and become a couple, right?"

This completely reasonable guess made Miyamizu Mitsuha stunned.

Looking at Kento's calm expression, she sighed, nodded, and pursed her lips to acknowledge the accuracy of Kento's speculation. After she left Itomori, Sayaka was alone. She had not realized this before leaving, but when she returned to Itomori and saw Sayaka who had changed, she realized the impact of her departure.

"But even if there have been some changes, it's not to the extent that I'm completely unfamiliar with him. Itomori is still pretty much the same as before."

In an unknown and prosperous town, no matter how much time passes, nothing will happen that makes people feel that things and people have changed. For example, if you leave this place in your youth, when you enter middle age, you return to the town and the people you are familiar with are still there, but you have grown older.

All those underdeveloped towns and villages are like this. Those who cannot make up their minds to leave this place will eventually be completely bound to the place they are familiar with and become a bird in a cage.

If you think about it carefully, it still feels a bit scary.

Just like a living earthbound ghost, it will feel scared when leaving its familiar environment. After leaving for a period of time, it will be eager to return to its familiar environment.

It seems that a wise man cannot stay in Itomori for too long. There is no problem staying in Itomori for a short time, but if he stays there for too long, seeing the same people and the same things every day, the always "unchanging" daily scenery will eventually cause some stimulation in his heart.

"Don't you care at all?"

Just as Xianren was thinking about the content of "bondage", Mitsuha's words made Xianren come back to his senses and look at his sister.

"What do you care?"

"Is she dating someone?"

Facing Sanye who asked him cautiously, Xianren, who was sitting in the living room, felt a little strange.

"Why should you care? Everyone who stays in this town will eventually get married and have children here, right? Isn't that what we've all been seeing since we were little? Or do you think that if you stay in Itomori, you won't experience anything like this?"

A simple rhetorical question caused Sanye to fall into silence, as if she was lost in thought. Xianren looked at the thoughtful Sanye, chuckled, and chatted with Feng Xiaochun about other things...

After walking for a while on the rugged and somewhat worn cement road, Fujiwa Nunu, holding Elio's little hand, took a long time to return to the door of their home. Looking at the old gate and then at the Miyamizu family house located on the hillside on the side, Fujiwa Nunu looked down at his daughter who looked a little tired.

"Here we are. Do you want to sleep in my bed for a while?"

"Um... um."

She agreed, but Elio's little hand tightly grasped her mother's hand.

Fujiwa Nvnu also thought that Elio had not returned to Itomori, and it was normal for her to feel uneasy as she came to an unfamiliar environment. She smiled and led her daughter into the house.

Fujiwa's mother, who hadn't seen her daughter for a long time, was cleaning up at home. When she saw her daughter appear in the living room and in front of her, she raised her head and looked at her daughter with a helpless expression, and her gaze turned to the young Elliot.

"...It's really like when he was little. When you contacted me a while ago, you said he already knew about his child and was ready to take responsibility. When are you two planning to get married?"

In response to her mother's question, Fujiwa Nvnu smiled.

"They won't get married. He will take on the responsibility of raising Elliot, but he has his own considerations regarding marriage."

"..."

She wanted to say something, but after staring at her daughter for a while, Fujiwa's mother still didn't speak. She sighed silently and continued to sweep the dust on the ground with her head down. Fujiwa's daughter held her daughter's hand and went into the bedroom where she had not returned for a long time.

Although they were very angry and dissatisfied with Fujiwa Nunu's choice, her parents did not do anything excessive to her. Knowing that she would be back in the New Year, they specially tidied up her room.

After letting Elliot lie down on his bed, Fujiwa Nvnu sat beside him, watching his daughter and slowly coaxing her to sleep...

In the afternoon, Feng Xiaochun sat with Xianren in the bedroom, and the two played shogi. In this aspect, Feng Xiaochun's talent was obviously better than Xianren's. After a series of games, Xianren felt that he seemed not suitable for this game.

"Aren't you going to do anything about Miss Setsuna?"

"Would you be willing to let her live with us?"

"If the wise man is willing, I am willing too."

"Did you think about this matter from your heart, from your own perspective, and come to the answer of 'yes'?"