Login with GoogleChapter 53: Surprising, Isn't It?
Yagyū Simozi is a fine young lady, but she also possesses a touch of eccentricity.
It is not easy to find a suitable outfit from her wardrobe. She is the type of person who can only wear suits, with a taste in clothing that is rather ordinary.
However, there are still a few decent clothes in the wardrobe that can be easily paired together.
After inquiring, Bai Wei discovered that it was Jingūji who recommended her to purchase it, but she hasn't worn it more than a few times since buying it.
Bai Wei's heart suddenly became filled with complex emotions.
Jingūji is truly a fine young lady.
Next time, invite her to have a fifty yen barley tea to compensate for her wounded soul.
"Are you really so repulsed by Jingūji?" Bai Wei couldn't help but mock his own sister.
"No, who would go out with someone they dislike?" Yagyū Simozi shook her head. "If you insist, let's call it a form of fondness."
"Is your way of expressing affection a bit twisted?"
"Brother, you don't understand," Yagyū Simozi sighed helplessly. "The more indifferent I am to her, the happier she becomes."
"…..Ah??" Bai Wei was confused.
"She also has poor interpersonal relationships, without any friends. We have been sympathizing with each other for many years; perhaps it's because we both tacitly acknowledge the certain aspects we dislike about each other that we have managed to peacefully coexist for so long."
Bai Wei didn't quite understand this mode of coexistence.
"Then I wish you a pleasant day of shopping," Bai Wei reminded, "and remember, don't pay any attention to strangers who approach you. Come home early in the evening."
"Don't worry, brother. I'm also going to buy a new wooden sword today. The previous one broke. If anyone dares to approach me, I'll use the wooden sword to hit them hard on the head."
"Very well, in the evening I will go to the police station to pick you up."
"Hi there, brother, I'm heading out now."
The gate was closed.
Yagyū Simozi, with a smile on her face, took three steps forward and then composed her expression.
Her smile is indeed rare, rarely seen by others. Paired with Bai Wei's tranquil makeup, even in the warm sunlight, she appears like a snow maiden walking in the midday radiance, exuding a subtle fragrance of plum blossoms.
Bai Wei's makeup skills have even garnered the approval of the exclamation point.
[Stunning Beauty.]
[Countdown: 23 hours, 45 minutes, 00 seconds]
The beauty limited by time is artificial.
…
"Foul!"
"You are committing a foul!"
"You agreed to cultivate our inner selves together, and yet you secretly went to a beauty salon. This is excessive, absolutely outrageous!"
On the bustling street, Saki Jingūji tugged at the sleeve of her dear friend, weeping and causing a commotion. Oh, how pitiable she seemed, sobbing incessantly.
Yagyū Simozi maintained a cool and composed demeanor, suppressing her amusement. "I didn't go to the beauty salon," she withheld her laughter, "Didn't you notice that my hair looks the same as it did a few days ago? If I had actually been to the salon, wouldn't my hair be different?"
Jingūji carefully observed, "Indeed, and the clothes you're wearing also seem to be the ones I picked for you."
Yagyū Simozi, recalling her brother's disdain for her fashion sense, raised an unhappy eyebrow and remarked, "I may not possess the skill of selecting clothes, but this time, I have emerged victorious!"
"I am without any makeup, so naturally, I cannot compete with you…"
"Ugh, have some shame!" Yagyū Simozi extended her hand, ready to rub Saki Jingūji's cheek. "I could knead two pounds of flour on here!"
Jingūji pouted; her makeup, in fact, was quite sophisticated. There are several levels to the art of makeup, and the true skill lies in the ability to make oneself increasingly resemble one's authentic self.
Miko, too, must learn how to apply makeup and dress. During the apprenticeship at Fushimi Shrine, miko must also acquire knowledge in these areas. For miko, makeup signifies pleasing and offering to the deities. Inari Okami, in particular, favors young and beautiful women, so it is quite normal for miko to wear makeup. It is a matter of true refinement unless one is either lacking funds or is a heroic spirit.
She may have lost, but she is not willing to accept it.
"How could you possibly secretly learn such advanced makeup techniques? Who taught you?"
"This is irrelevant. I didn't resort to underhanded tactics. I am willing to accept defeat." Yagyū Simozi stood with her hands on her hips. "You will be responsible for the expenses of our meal today, and also…"
"Do not seek help from your brother, I understand," Jingūji wrinkled her nose. "Next month, I must reclaim what is rightfully mine."
"You have no chance left!" Yagyū Simozi exclaimed with arrogance. "When it comes to makeup, you have already lost to me, and lost by a great margin."
"Damn it," Saki Jingūji clenched her fist. "Who on earth taught you? With your interpersonal skills, it would be impossible for any girl skilled in makeup to approach you. After all, your personality is so terrible, your tongue is full of poison, and yet you happen to be attractive, physically striking, and a wealthy woman. Ah… it hurts, stop pinching! Don't pinch my flesh!"
Yagyū Simozi, displeased, said, "Even if it is the truth, refrain from speaking it carelessly."
"It's all true. It's not just random talk."
"…it's my brother."
"Hmm?"
"My brother helped me with my makeup," Yagyū Simozi boasted, "Envious, aren't you?"
"Does he also know how to do makeup?"
"Of course, isn't this quite normal? Boys understand how to play with girls even better than girls themselves."
"??… What kind of fierce and cunning words are these."
"I don't understand what you're saying. I was only talking about makeup and dolls. I am just a seventeen-year-old girl."
"…I am suspecting that you are trying to deceive me. He doesn't seem like someone who knows how to do makeup, after all, he…"
Saki Jingūji almost blurted out… I've never seen him wearing makeup on a normal day.
She held back and secretly thought it was close. If those words were spoken, their friendship would have ended on the spot today.
"My elder brother is much more formidable than you think, and there are many things that you are completely unaware of."
Yagyū Simozi raised her hand against the sunlight, her left hand circling the back of her neck, while her right hand was raised high, stretching out lazily.
"I have returned to Yingzhou, desiring to reclaim the family's school plaque. Besides fulfilling my parents' final wishes, it is also to prove myself."
This is the first time Saki Jingūji has ever heard her speak her mind willingly.
"Prove?"
"Not to prove my greatness, but rather to reclaim what my elder brother has lost, I will personally retrieve it for him."
Inquisitively, Saki Jingūji asked, "Has anything happened in the past?"
"There have been many things, but they are all in the past. Perhaps my elder brother doesn't even care anymore."
"But you still remember."
Of course, I enjoy having my brother by my side right now, but it doesn't mean I will forget about the past. My brother may choose to forget the unpleasant things, but I can't, because I am a petty girl after all." Yagyū Simozi's eyes were distinct in black and white, with flames burning faintly within.
……Her face is filled with the words of holding grudges.
Saki Jingūji became even more curious, but before she could ask, Yagyū Simozi took the initiative to end the conversation.
"Let's go, there are still many things to buy today."
"Oh… Speaking of which, can we discuss something, Simozi?"
"Go ahead."
"Can I come over to your place for dinner tonight? It's been a while since I've had your cooking. Lately, the shrine has been offering limited vegetarian options, and I've lost weight from being so hungry."
"Sure, no problem."
"Really?"
"You can squat outside the door and eat."
"How can a petite mouth of thirty-seven degrees utter such chilling words? What about our friendship of over a decade?"
"That's true… In that case, how about this?"
"Um?" Jingūji's eyes filled with anticipation.
"Let me add a small stool for you."
…
The night gradually grew deeper.
Bai Wei sat in the room, feeling a hint of loneliness all by himself.
He heated up the meal twice, but his younger sister never came back.
He was alone in the courtyard, pouring wine for himself, raising his cup to invite the bright moon, making it a party of three with his own shadow.
Suddenly, some sharp noises came from the other end of the street, and the alternating red and blue lights shone through the courtyard wall.
A series of urgent knocking sounds echoed.
Bai Wei opened the door, and outside stood two police officers from the Metropolitan Police Department.
"Hello, may I ask if this is the Yagyū residence? Are you the guardian of Yagyū Simozi?" the young police officer asked nervously.
"I am her temporary guardian. May I ask what the matter is?" Bai Wei's expression remained composed.
The two police officers exchanged a glance, took off their hats, and uttered a slow, apologetic statement, "Miss Yagyū and her friend, Miss Jingūji, encountered a horrific attack while traveling on a tram… They were caught in an explosion, and one of them has unfortunately passed away despite rescue efforts."
