The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

At this moment, the world seemed to be free from the filth of worldly and evil thoughts. The "simple" environment, which originally had nothing worth mentioning except the pristine scenery of nature itself, seemed to have become a paradise on earth.

At this moment, everything in the world is ablaze with light. This scene, at this moment, is truly a radiant eternity. Day after day, this place will always welcome such a beautiful and moving sunset. Thousands of years from now, Pingxin may no longer exist, but this beauty will continue.

Chapter 20: The Sweet Tomakomai Travelogue Part 3

Tomakomai, located in the eastern province of Hokkaido, has little to offer other than its papermaking industry, port city, and Lake Utsu-nai, a designated Wetland of International Importance. However, Meganelle, who hasn't traveled far since her father's death, is thrilled.

The two, who had been roaming around Lake Utsu-nai as budget veterinarians since around 11 a.m., were hungry by the afternoon and desperate for supplies. As the saying goes—man is iron, rice is steel, even vampires need bread—so after leaving the wetland reserve, the two set out on a foraging spree.

As the largest international trading port in the northern eastern region and Hokkaido's maritime gateway, Tomakomai Port has played a significant role in the development of Hokkaido's economy. Its catch of clams (also known as basking clams) accounts for approximately 10% of the total catch in the eastern region, earning it the title of Tomakomai City's city shell.

As night fell, Meganello was enjoying a platter of fish sashimi and scallop sashimi with lemon juice in a ramen restaurant. Although she couldn't give any high-sounding food reviews and wouldn't show off her clothes, the food was very fresh and delicious, which made Ping Xin look embarrassed.

Although Tomakomai City is a tourist city, it is not a very famous place with a large flow of tourists. It is a place where people are stuck and cannot go up or down. Therefore, in this small noodle shop that looks a bit old, there are only two "outsiders" besides some familiar office workers and children from the neighborhood, namely Heishin and Nilu.

At this moment, the owner of this store, a middle-aged uncle with squinty eyes, was standing behind the counter with his arms folded, staring at the two of them. Although Ping Xin didn't know how he looked at them, he could still feel his gaze and the pressure he felt.

How could this be? Could it be that there is an unparalleled warrior ambushing the army here?

Ping Xin glanced at the shop's name printed on the menu, and only after confirming it wasn't "Ichiraku" or "Shouda" did he feel relieved. If they had a Chibaku Tensei or Tengai Zhenxing, he'd be a dead end now. He was so frightened that he quickly sipped a few more mouthfuls of noodles to calm his nerves, but the boss's pressure only grew stronger.

Hmm... could it be poisonous? But Ripple didn't sense anything unusual. The seafood broth in the port city was delicious, the noodles were chewy, and the cheap barbecued pork, fish cakes, and large sheets of seaweed looked normal. They just looked commonplace. But why was the boss looking at him like that?

"...The sound, the sound!"

Sound? Ping Xin then remembered that in Dongguo, when eating ramen, one must make noises. It wasn't like Yanguo where "silence is the etiquette," and the louder the noise, the happier the chef, the more satisfied you were. When traveling, one should always follow the local customs. So, it was he who was being rude.

So Pingxin ate it slowly, ate it hard, and ate it like crazy! He finished the remaining half bowl of ramen in one breath, making people sigh that he is really a hero among gluttons.

"Delicious (Yan Mandarin), Oukawali (Another bowl)!"

The unknown owner nodded in satisfaction, revealing a somewhat shy smile. Perhaps he was very pleased with the praise from the long-lost tourists from other places. Besides, it seemed that since the tourists were from Yan Country, it was reasonable for them not to know "ramen etiquette"~

So the shy middle-aged man put down the big steel spoon in his hand, turned around and started preparing new ramen.

"Ping Xin, why don't you try it? Coming to Tomakomai and not eating Hokkaido clams is like going to the Vatican and not visiting Jerusalem. You'll only live a relatively failed life—"

Meganilu has been unknowingly infected by the wisdom of netizens and gradually become a fool.

"You are right, but the Vatican is the headquarters of the Catholic Church, and Jerusalem is a holy city shared by Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. If you say that, you will at least get beaten up by someone on one side.

"I never eat raw food, and I rarely even eat cucumbers as a cold snack," Pingxin complained.

"Savior, this young man from Yan Country! The rosy red flesh of the Hokkaido clams is fiery, with a crisp, sweet, and tender texture. Hokkaido clams are renowned for their rich texture and sweetness, making them a natural choice for sashimi and a favorite of both the people of Dong Country and many international diners."

"Uh--"

"It has the delicious flavor of seafood when eaten straight from the dish, and even when transformed into Chinese dishes, it can withstand numerous 'tests', such as stir-frying, sautéing with soy sauce, or preparing with scallion oil. Every year, a large number of scallops are exported to the Yan Kingdom. Scallops take 12 years to mature, so if you don't eat them now, they might not be available next time."

"Then... let's have a grilled one."

Seeing the originally shy boss bring the second serving of ramen and start to talk endlessly about his city's specialty, Beiji Beilai Pingxin couldn't hold back. If Nilu wasn't his person, Pingxin would now suspect that all the other customers in this store were hired by the restaurant.

"By the way, boss, why did you open this small shop here? I see that the location here is rather remote. With your craftsmanship, business will definitely be much better if you open a shop in a better place." Ping Xin asked the question he had prepared long ago. He came here well prepared.

"...Brother, what do you think of this city?"

"Hmm—perhaps it's 'aging.' Just like some cities in Yan Country, young people have gone to pursue the prosperity of those big cities and the prospects and dreams others have painted for them. In the end, the empty villages and cities are left behind, leaving only children who can't afford to leave and the elderly who are already very old."

It's like a living coffin, slowly dying - Ping Xin added in his heart.

This phenomenon is especially common in rural areas. Therefore, there are no young people in many villages now. There are only elderly people who can no longer leave the house and children who will not leave the house in the future. Even the birth of a newborn will become the topic of the entire village or even the entire town.

Urbanization attracts excellent and perhaps not-so-excellent talents, and then devours their most precious youth and the most capable period of their lives in exchange for rapid economic development. However, the price of allowing capital development to allow the economy to take off in the short term is a low birth rate and an aging population.

"When I was young, I also wanted to pursue my dreams in Tokyo. After all, it's the most prosperous city in the East... But after graduating from high school, I found myself there, with nothing to offer. I could only do simple manual labor. After a few years, I returned home in despair and inherited this shop passed down from my grandfather."

At this moment, the boss was roasting northern clams in front of the small stove in the store. Pingxin could only see the side of his face covered with sweat, but who could be sure that these were not the tears left by the young man who was once full of dreams?

Chapter 21: The Sweet Tomakomai Travelogue Part 4

“…So you are students from Tokyo? That’s amazing, but today seems to be a weekday—” The ramen shop owner’s eyes became sharp, although no one could see through his squinting eyes!

"Ahaha... We took a good leave. She's been in a bad mood lately, so I thought of taking her out for a walk. We just went to Lake Utsu-nai during the day and took a lot of photos." Pingxin touched Nile's little head, and for some reason, the latter moved her head away stubbornly this time.

"I see... You're such a good brother. Here, your grilled clams are ready."

The boss placed four skewers of grilled scallops on two plates and placed them in front of the two people.

"Oh, thank you! I'd like to be her brother, but Nero is actually a year older than me."

"Eh, really?!"

Hearing that the petite girl, less than 150cm tall, was actually bigger than this energetic young man from Yan Country, who was about 180cm tall, even the boss, who had once moved from southern China to Tokyo, couldn't help but stare wide-eyed... well, probably wide-eyed, right? At least Ping Xin could sense his surprise from him.

"I'm Asuka Maheishin, 16 years old, and she's Meganelu, 17 years old. Isn't that right, Nilu Senbei (senpai)~?"

"I'm so annoyed, eat your food!"

Pingxin poked Nile's cheek, and Nile, infuriated, stuffed the roasted scallop she'd bitten into her mouth. When she realized something was wrong and tried to pull it out, she couldn't pull it out, but after using too much force, she could only stare blankly at the saliva-stained chopsticks in her hand.

"...Mei Gan, could it be that [Mei Gan]? The beautiful Mei, the sweet Gan?!"

Compared to the two people who were fighting, for some reason the owner of this store was even more excited. Even his squinting eyes, which had not changed since the two people entered the door, curved and gleamed.

"Yeah, what's wrong? I remember this surname is quite rare. Is it really that powerful?" Ping Xin pretended to be stupid.

"Little girl, are you the son of big brother Mei Gan? It's true at first glance... Although the hair color is different, your sharp eyes and the unruly ahoge on your head are exactly the same as those of the big brother back then. There's no doubt about it!" The ramen shop owner vowed.

"Do you know my father? Wait... Ramen, could it be you?!" The ahoge on Nilu's head trembled twice and then she also received the signal, and then the two began to communicate -

Meganil rarely listened to her father talk about the past, and he was even reluctant to talk about the parts about the "Vibrant Club". It was only later when she heard what Megan's mother said that her father had broken up with his family and went to Tokyo alone.

As if inspired by his courage, other young people in the village and even the town followed his footsteps and went to Tokyo to pursue their dreams. At that time, they were a disadvantaged group, without money, connections, or even solid skills, so the only people they could rely on and trust were their fellow villagers.

With Mei Gan's father, a handsome, skilled, and magnanimous elder brother, leading the way, everyone initially supported each other and managed to get by, finding joy in the midst of adversity. However, as some betrayed and some gave up, the people gradually lost heart. By the time the ramen shop owner returned home, only a few, including Mei Gan's father, had made a name for themselves, at least managed to gain a foothold in the city.

This is the origin of [Megan] in Tokyo, and also the past that Meganelle has never known.

After hearing these words, Nilu was deeply moved. She then shared with her boss the interesting stories and changes she had heard from Meigan's mother about her father. Even though Meigan's father had passed away, his image gradually became more vivid through the memories of the two, and he once again lived in people's hearts.

Ping Xin just watched the conversation between the two. From time to time, they talked to each other happily, and from time to time, they fell silent without warning and reminisced together. The bond across time and space created by Mei Gan's father connected these two friends of different ages.

There weren't many people in the shop to begin with and most of them were regular customers. People who came later didn't interrupt their conversation but left with a smile, or sat quietly in an empty seat next to them and listened to the story of a stranger they had never met. Perhaps this was the "human touch" that only small places have, Pingxin thought.

It was around 6 o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived. After Pingxin and Nilu had their meal and "accidentally" discovered the connection between the store manager and the Meigan family and started chatting, several hours passed. But around 11 o'clock, the store manager and Nilu finally ran out of fuel and had nothing to say but dry chat. The store manager's daughter, who came to urge her father to go home, started a new round of topics.

When the store manager's daughter heard about the uncle's daughter, Migan Nero, whom her father often mentioned, and Asuka Maheishin, also from Tokyo, she became very interested in them. After all, there is hardly any young person in the East who doesn't yearn for Tokyo. So the store manager invited them to stay at his home for the night and even wanted his daughter and Nero to become sworn brothers.

Although Hirayukoshi is socially anxious and can't even say a few words to women, his "cool and quiet" style, coupled with his stunning looks and physique, actually satisfied Tomakomai's fantasy of a handsome Tokyo guy. As a result, he gained a fangirl without her knowledge, which is really a cause for celebration.

Ping Xin originally planned to refuse their invitation, after all, it was not in his plan, but after seeing Nilu's eyes, he compromised.

It was only after arriving at the Raku family's door and seeing the house number that Hirayuko finally learned the ramen shop owner's last name. Speaking of which, you guys haven't even gotten to introduce yourself after all this time, right? If Hirayuko hadn't "accidentally" mentioned Meganelle's name, the two families probably wouldn't have connected further.

When they opened the door, they all saw Mrs. Le Yi standing at the entrance. She probably thought that Ping Xin and Ni Lu might be some late "illegitimate children", so Mrs. Le Yi raised her eyebrows and was about to teach her husband a lesson for coming home late. Seeing Uncle Le Yi's evasive eyes, Ping Xin knew that he was an unreliable father who was afraid that his wife would be a failure!

Uncle Le: There are no men who are afraid of their wives, only men who love their wives!

So Ping Xin stepped forward, and because of his extremely social phobia towards women, he couldn't utter a word for a while. Anyway, he stammered a few words of praise like "Hello, sister" and passed the test easily. After that, he "accidentally" told Ni Lu that her father died young and her mother remarried. So Mrs. Le Yi, who was overflowing with maternal love, agreed to let the two stay overnight and immediately asked Uncle Le Yi to clean up a guest room.

In this way, Pingxin and Nilu stayed with the Le family.

Chapter 5: The Sweet Tomakomai Travelogue

Ping Xin finally breathed a sigh of relief after coming out of the Le family under the pretext of getting his luggage. At first, the Le family only asked Meganil questions and showed concern for him, but later they suddenly started torturing him for some reason, which tortured Ping Xin for a while. He felt like a prisoner being dragged to jail by four plastic-level wardens.

Fortunately, he can finally escape now——

"...Goodbye, cage!" Ping Xin raised his hands and shouted softly next to a vending machine near a hotel.

"Sir, I have prepared everything."

The shadow maid, Delta, who happened to be there with a change of clothes and some other necessities for the two of them, happened to see this scene and went up to greet them without hesitation. Since Delta was not embarrassed, Ping Xin could only accept the things and waved goodbye to Delta, and then gave her a day off tomorrow.

Tomakomai after nightfall was unlike Tokyo. Late at night, there were no dazzling neon lights, no bustling streets, and noisy crowds. Instead, there were only a few lights still on in the houses and streetlights scattered along the road. In this foreign land, Hirayuko felt a chill in June.

“…Let’s go back—”

Ping Xin set out on the journey home, but not to his home.

"...Oh, finally here, welcome back."

Even after a shower, Nilu's extra-long adobe hair still flowed freely. The hot water from the bathroom scalded her cheeks, and she was ready to fight back against any criticism from Ping Xin the moment she got it. She was wearing clothes that had belonged to her junior high schooler, Le Yi. It was hard to say whether they belonged to her in elementary school or earlier in middle school.

"...Well, I'm back."

Pingxin held her in his arms, and then walked inside regardless of Nilu's struggle. Then, when he passed the living room, he was stared at silently by Leyi's family. Pingxin had to speed up his pace and pretend not to see it.

After a simple wash, it was time to rest. The Le family lived in an ordinary single-family house, so there were some spare rooms. However, because some rooms were used as storage rooms, there was only one empty room. So Pingxin and Nilu declined and squeezed into one room to sleep.

There was no bed in this empty room, which was usually used as a retreat/study room, so the two of them rested after spreading a layer of bedding on the tatami floor. The switch cord of the old circular fluorescent lamp swayed gently with their breathing and the breeze outside the window.

In the moonlit night, where they could see each other's profiles by just tilting their heads, both of them slept with their eyes closed.

"Hey... Ping Xin."

"...I fell asleep." Pingxin said ventriloquizely.

"How can a sleeping person say that he is asleep... Really——"

Meganelle smiled silently and turned over to look at the profile of the person beside her, who was pretending to sleep. Ping Xin's facial features looked quite ordinary individually, but when they appeared on his face, they seemed so special, so unique. It was like we, originally ordinary people, met in this world, and finally triggered one miracle after another. It was a moving experience.

"...Thank you. You arranged all this, right? Even if it's fake, I'm happy."

"...It's not fake—Meganelle, do you believe in [Gravity]?"

"gravitational?"

"A priest once said: The attraction between people is like gravity. Meeting for the sake of meeting is an inescapable fate. Perhaps he's right—I did hear there might be clues related to your father here, but my plan should have been to bring you here tomorrow."

"That means..."

"That means you chose this ramen shop on your own will—that means you used your own strength to find the traces of your father's legacy in this world. Congratulations, Meganelle."

"What...big liar..." Nilu turned her head away and turned back after a while.

"But that's not enough."

"Not enough, what's not enough?"

Ping Xin always left things unsaid in front of her, but that was to provoke her to think. If he was talking to someone who was worthless and had given up thinking, Ping Xin would not even bother to pay attention to him. Ignoring or giving orders was the best approach.

As a Sensi (instructor), he teaches students according to their aptitude; as a leader and commander, he knows how to use people well, but as himself... he is just a nice guy who is not good at talking, and he has always been like this.

"I can't wait for fate to favor me, I can't put my life and my path in the hands of others. I want to seize fate - will you come with me?"

Pingxin opened his eyes and turned to meet Nel's gaze. His gaze was fierce and overbearing, a look she had never seen before, a look that made her heart race. If Pingxin's words that morning had unconsciously pierced her heart and churned all her emotions into a mess, then the look now was like a craftsman transforming decay into magic, integrating and sublimating those unknown emotions within her heart.

Even though the final work's subject matter, title, and even artistic form were completely unknown, at least for now, Meganelle wanted to experiment with it as an Aibo (companion), a companion, alongside Hirayuko. How could she, always wearing a cool jacket embroidered with a golden dragon, refuse such a pleasure?

"Then... let's have a great fight!"

Nilu looked back at him, then they smiled at each other and bumped fists. Finally, they both turned away, blushing. The night was still long, and tomorrow held new plans and goals, but neither of them had the heart to sleep.

My, our future...what will it be like?

With these thoughts in mind, the two fell into a deep sleep...

But it seemed that someone was not asleep.

Pingxin, can I trust you?

Meganilu did not ask this question out loud, because the moment she thought of this question, she already had the answer in her heart, an answer that belonged only to her, and no one could give the answer for her.

Meganil reached out and grabbed Ping Xin's hand. Although she didn't know where she would go in the future, she would not feel panic or anxiety at this moment because Ping Xin was by her side.

Then the next day—

"Brother Pingxin and Sister Nilu, wake up! ... Mom and Dad, listen to me, they're sleeping together—!"

"Really? Then we're going to have red bean rice today..."

"Damn it, this brat... If you dare to bully her, I won't let you go! Wuwuwu——"

What the hell is that sound...

Chapter 23: The Sweet Tomakomai Travelogue Part 6