Chapter 91: Hated by My Daughter.
[The birth of your daughter is like winter snow: you are moved by the beauty of the snowflakes, but also worried about the impending harsh cold.]
[You pay close attention and soon realize that your wife has very conflicted feelings toward your daughter.]
[When there is no one else in the room, or when she thinks you are already asleep, she keeps a half-meter distance from the crib, looking at her daughter with a complex expression. Her hand often rises and falls, wanting to get close to the baby but fearing the baby might bring misfortune.]
[Her attitude towards her daughter is like facing a fierce black cat, wanting to touch its fur but afraid of a sudden attack.]
[In the end, your wife chooses to distance herself from your daughter, but this discovery brings you comfort. At least this time, Yuko hasn't completely rejected Mayuri.]
[You temporarily entrust Mayuri to your parents. Every week, you and Yuko visit your daughter, hoping your wife can adjust herself and get close to your daughter soon.]
[But this waiting yields no progress. You choose...]
[Option 1: "Maybe some tough measures are needed."]
[Option 2: " It's been a while since we saw my mother-in-law's family."]
[Option 3: "It's time to tell Mayuri that she has two stepmothers."]
[Option 4: Free Simulation.]
"Choices again."
Minami Yuuki sits up, supporting himself with the bed board, with no memory scene appearing for a long time, so there's no need to continue lying down.
He takes a sip of the cool boiled water beside the bed. The oolong tea in the fridge is long gone. The tasteless cool water brings a bit of refreshment to his body but has no other effect. If possible, he'd like to drink something sweet during the simulation.
Maybe he should simulate on Asano's couch next time so he can enjoy the drinks in Asano Nao's fridge for free.
Shaking off these extraneous thoughts, he continues to look at the options.
Three options: one is aggressive therapy, two is a gentle approach, three is actively arranging for the aftermath.
Minami Yuuki clicks on option two.
[You decide to ask Honoka for help.]
[Nakajima Yohei and Honoka vaguely know something about Yuko and Mayuri from your parents and their own observations. Honoka feels this is her fault, thinking she wasn't a good mother, which is why Yuko is so averse to the mother-daughter relationship.]
[She hands the child to Nakajima Yohei and comes alone from Misaki City to stay at your house.]
[Yuko feels uneasy about her mother's arrival, but she doesn't resist Honoka.]
[Under the arrangement of Honoka and your parents, you and Yuko take Mayuri and drive to a large aquarium in the neighboring city for a visit.]
[The baby-sounding whale, the acrobatic dolphins, the very beautiful jellyfish under the lights, none of these could liven up your atmosphere. The problem lies not only with Yuko but also with Mayuri. Both treat each other as if the other is invisible.]
[Mayuri, who has already started primary school, is somewhat precocious. She initially thought this trip was a signal of her mother wanting to reconcile with her. Before the trip, she pondered for a long time whether to forgive her mother and at what moment to forgive her.]
[After meeting, Yuko's attitude made her feel that her worries were a joke. This mother didn't look at her at all; she was being self-indulgent. Her rejection of her mother deepened, along with her resentment toward you.]
[The trip to the aquarium was very unsuccessful, as you expected, so you weren't upset. This meeting was a signal, indicating that you would fully begin to intervene in their mother-daughter issue.]
[After returning home, you, together with Honoka, talked to Yuko, persuading her to accept Mayuri. Yuko remained silent. Is her silence a firm refusal, or is she also unclear about her own attitude? You think it's the latter.]
[You leave Yuko to Honoka and return to your parents' home. Besides Yuko's attitude, Mayuri's attitude is also crucial.]
[Your departure makes your wife anxious, and she wants to find you but is stopped by Honoka. The matter of the daughter and her mother's comfort gives Yuko an unprecedented tolerance. Despite her immense worry, she doesn't come to find you or obstruct you.]
[Honoka took Yuko back to the small town where she grew up. All the beautiful scenes of Yuko's childhood are preserved in the corners of this modest town.]
[Progress is smooth on Honoka's side, but on your end, you've encountered some minor issues.]
[Mayuri seems to have inherited your stubbornness or Yuko's; she is exceptionally obstinate.]
[She refuses to talk to you because she knows clearly that you are on Yuko's side. She says she hates you and doesn't want you to appear in front of her again, just like before. Is this really her true feeling?]
[Your father and mother have joined a senior travel group and gone on a trip. Your sister is attending college in Misaki, so it's just you and Mayuri at home.]
Looking at the simulated text, Minami Yuuki sighs. This daughter seems to have significant issues too.
However, this is all his and Yuko's fault; he can't blame their daughter.
How to break this deadlock?
Just as he was pondering, he felt a bit dizzy—a sign that the memory scene was about to appear.
He quickly lay down on the bed, ready to receive the incoming memories and feelings.
[In the morning, you prepared a Western-style breakfast for Mayuri.]
The memory scene appears.
His parents' house is very old, silently old. It doesn't have creaky floors, mottled, drafty walls, or a leaking roof that drips rain.
Instead, it reveals its old age in the style of the furniture, the cramped storage, and the subtly changing colors of the walls and floors.
"This house needs renovation." Minami Yuuki places the breakfast, takes off his apron, and sits at the dining table.
He looks at Mayuri across the table. The girl has shoulder-length short hair. Even though she is only in the second grade, she is almost as tall as Yuko.
In contrast to her height, her face looks a lot like her mother's. Looking at her, Minami Yuuki recalls the first time he met Yuko.
"Why don't you renovate your own house!"
The girl makes a fierce face with her cute features, frowning and pouting, glaring at Minami Yuuki aggressively.
"Doesn't Mayuri think this house is very old? How about making a game room after renovating? Would you prefer a modern game room with carpet or a Showa-era style game room with tatami mats?"
A game room? Carpet or tatami mats?
Mayuri is momentarily torn, both seem great.
The modern style looks cooler, but the Showa style is more comfortable.
Which renovation to choose?
No, why should she support Dad... support this man's renovation plan!
Mayuri, Mayuri, the person in front of you is Minami Yuko's first general, your lifelong arch-enemy.
You can't be tempted by him!
Although a game room is nice, you must oppose anything the enemy supports!
"This is my grandpa's house, not yours! If you keep being so presumptuous, I'll kick you out!" She says coldly for an elementary school student.
"Eh?" Minami Yuuki teases her, "Did Mayuri forget that your grandpa is my dad too? According to the Minami family rules, when the head of the family passes away, the house goes to the eldest son. So, if grandpa is not around, this house is mine!"
The girl had never thought about this problem, and she is momentarily flustered, her intentionally fierce face showing a hint of panic.
Thinking about her trump card failing and that she has been living in the enemy's house all these years, her heart fills with sorrow, and tears well up in her eyes.
Minami Yuuki didn't expect the girl to be so easily defeated and hurriedly tries to make amends:
"But grandpa hasn't passed away, so we can't go by the family rules. Given how much grandpa loves Mayuri, he would definitely change the family rules to leave the house to Mayuri."
Mayuri's sadness stops, but the tears brimming in her eyes cannot be withdrawn.
She can only cover it up by eating bread, quietly wiping the corners of her eyes.
Raising her head, the girl returns to her earlier fierce demeanor, glaring at Minami Yuuki:
"You better know that!"