Are you, as meal replacement users, ready for the consequences?

Page 29

"Ning, there's something I need to tell you."

The girl holding his hand spoke like this, her face turned towards the distance, her gaze darting away as if she were struggling with what to say next.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

It's impossible that their rented house was demolished and they have nowhere to go now, right?

Finally, Toyokawa Shoko stopped pausing and gave a forced, relaxed smile:

“My father has left. He said he went to work in a faraway place and told us not to worry about him.”

Simple and clear language allows readers to immediately understand the narrator's intended meaning.

"Ugh?"

It's still raining on Friday, but tomorrow is the weekend. Let's be happy, sun, don't waste everyone's rest time.

……

"I'm back!"

Ningzi pushed open the door to her home, and the gloom inside was swept away. The piles of wine bottles and the previously messy living room were now completely transformed.

It's like we've moved house.

"Ning, are you actually wearing slippers today?"

Following behind Ningzi, Xiangzi held onto the door frame as he changed his shoes. Ningzi's slippers were green, which matched Xiangzi's light blue slippers perfectly.

However, Ningzi has never worn those lake-green slippers since they were bought. This child's love for going barefoot is beyond imagination. It seems that she is not at ease unless she shows off her beautiful little toes.

"Is it strange that I wear shoes? Don't we usually wear slippers when we come indoors?"

Ningzi glanced back curiously, wondering why this idiot was spouting nonsense all day.

"Xiao Xiang, who cleaned the house? It's so clean! Even those stubborn stains on the floor that you usually don't have time to clean are gone."

Ningzi could see her blue and white bowl through the reflective floor.

My older sister likes to wear lace styles, and she loves the more intricate the patterns. But it seems like she hasn't bought any new panties in a long time.

Poverty limited Xiangzi's ability to shop. Although his sister hadn't been seen going out shopping much before, Xiangzi hadn't been seen buying any small trinkets since his wallet was emptied.

"It might be Mu, after all, it was Mu who told me that my father had left."

While anxiously waiting outside the emergency room early this morning, Wakaba Mutsumi, who was lost in thought, received a phone call.

Ten minutes later, Mu finished the call and, with a hesitant expression, found Xiangzi and revealed the news.

"It's strange that Father is leaving to look for work at this time."

But Mutsujin is really kind; he even had someone come and clean the room.

Next time, I'll treat her to her favorite cucumber.

Xiangzi carried a bag of groceries he had bought on the way into the kitchen. Mu accompanied the sisters to buy the groceries and then took her leave first.

She handed the umbrella to Xiangzi and walked away in the rain.

Ningzi tried to persuade the other party to stay several times, but the other party only responded with silence, giving the impression that "I am not in a good mood right now, and I have never felt happy staying here."

The shoe cabinet by the door was replaced with a better one, which was much more comfortable than the cheap one that Xiangzi had originally bought from the second-hand market.

Judging from the appearance, it's definitely not something Xiangzi could pull off.

My father's shoes, including his slippers, were gone, and the bedding in the bedroom had also disappeared.

Ningzi wandered around the house in her slippers, but she really couldn't find any trace of her father. It was as if he had vanished from the face of the earth.

It feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest since my father disappeared.

Both the room and my heart felt much more spacious.

Was it because the father couldn't bear to see Xiangzi support the whole family alone, so he packed his bags and went to work far away from home? ...The father is also getting better.

I sent a message to the lamp but didn't get a reply. This is the first time the "unread" mark has stayed for so long.

"It's a bit boring."

Ningzi walked back to the bedroom, thinking of checking if it had been cleaned. She saw a uniquely shaped little thing on the bed.

"This is?"

Ningzi picked it up and took a look.

This is a pick.

Under the light of the newly replaced desk lamp, the pick in Ningzi's hand gleamed with the unique luster of metal.

"A guitar pick? Mu seems to like playing the guitar, I'll give it to her later."

Ningzi put the pick in her pocket and looked outside.

It's still raining.

Chapter 35. It's almost healed.

"I'm going to work."

Last night was Christmas Eve, and there were no fatalities. In their small rented room, the two sisters had a hot pot meal.

The hot pot broth was bought by Mu at the supermarket. Before leaving, Mu secretly stuffed it into Ningzi's arms without saying a word.

This is Mu's concern. She knows that although Xiangzi has accepted a lot of her help, it does not mean that he will unconditionally ask for anything from her or completely accept all of her assistance.

If Xiao Xiang really ends up like that one day... then she'll be completely broken.

"Oh, but it's Saturday today, sister."

Ningzi walked out of the bedroom carrying her teddy bear that no longer spoke, wearing her silly older sister's slippers.

Xiangzi was really in a rush today; he didn't even realize he was wearing someone else's shoes. Is it really that hard to tell the difference between blue and green?

"There's nothing I can do. After all, I lost my perfect attendance bonus this month because of my absence last time. Even though I only have two people to support now... there's still financial pressure."

"Oh, I'm sorry, sister."

Ningzi hugged the neatly dressed Xiangzi and rubbed against the other's overdeveloped heart.

My sister likes to sleep in her pajamas, which is a shame, but her sleeping face is so cute that it makes up for not being able to see the whole thing.

"It's okay, I didn't mean to blame you. I might be back a little late... There are some things I need to take care of with Mu."

"Huh? What?"

Ningzi let go of Xiangzi; she was eager to know what he meant by what he was talking about.

"It's nothing, just a small matter. I might have to do a test or something tomorrow, but I can handle it."

As Xiangzi spoke, his eyes darted outwards unnaturally.

Ever since being kicked out of the Toyokawa family, he has been unable to handle such major incidents on his own.

I feel so helpless right now... I can't help my sister at all, and everything about her can only be arranged by Mu.

Another mess is brewing... I'm such a failure.

"Remember not to wander off. Mu... helped us pay for broadband... Ningzi can watch TV now."

"Praise!"

"Dinner is in the refrigerator, remember to heat it up."

"Good~"

boom--

The door to the two-person cabin was closed; Xiangzi went to work, leaving Ningzi alone at home.

Xiangzi now only needs to support two people, so his financial burden must have been greatly reduced.

It's strange, though, that Xiangzi never seemed to worry about where his father had gone.

It seems like Xiangzi knows something, otherwise he wouldn't be so relaxed.

As Xiangzi fiddled with the pick in his hand, his words made Ningzi fall into deep thought.

My sister said she was going to the hospital for a test. Was it because someone needed the certificate, or because she needed to know the result?

The incident occurred in Ring, and only four people were present at the time and fully aware of what happened.

Takamatsu Akari, Shiina Tatsuki, himself, and the owner there.

The school won't require your proof, and no one will report it upwards; if they did, it would cause trouble...

So, is my sister suspecting that I still have a mental illness? But I'm already cured.

Is it out of concern? Or...?

No, no, no, my sister must be doing this for my own good. After all, getting treatment for an illness is good for me, it's good for me...

But going to the hospital...

Ningzi felt disgusted and curled up her toes, which were stuck in the crack of the sofa.

Many of her loved ones passed away in the hospital, and going there would make Ningzi feel depressed.

If possible, please don't let me pass.

Ningzi rolled over and lay down on the newly replaced sofa, changing TV channels. To be honest, she hadn't watched TV for many years.

The last time she touched a remote control was when she was two or three years old, when her mother held her and her younger sister while watching Animal World.

Ningzi stared at the screen for five minutes, but she couldn't find a documentary similar to the one from back then.

Well, what's lost can never be found again.

"I'm so bored, I want to go outside and soak up the sun! The weather outside is so nice!"

Television shows other people's lives and stories, and for children who want to explore the world on their own, watching more television will only make them less willing to watch it.

Ningzi pushed open the French doors of the balcony, letting in the fresh air from outside. This was the fresh air unique to April, and just one breath of it could make one feel refreshed.

"I want to go out for a walk, but..."

My sister said we shouldn't go out, so I'm a little hesitant.

"Little Bear, what do you think?"

The patched-up teddy bear was lifted with two fingers, but this time the idiot broke his promise and didn't offer any advice as he remembered.

It was quiet... just like an ordinary little bear.

"I forgot, I'm almost fully recovered."

I am a normal person now.

I can no longer ask Little Bear for help with every problem; I have to make my own life choices.

hateful.

Ningzi envied the spring sunshine outside. Although home was comfortable, it wasn't as nice as being all alone inside...

I still really want to go out and have fun!

Ningzi jogged back to her room. She remembered that Xiaodeng had given her a notebook a few days ago.

Ningzi found the notebook, which seemed to still retain the scent of the lamp, in the small bag she hadn't touched since returning home.

only…

"If memories aren't necessarily real, then what are emotions?"

That memory... couldn't possibly have actually existed, because it was too outrageous and completely detached from reality.

But this memory truly moved me to tears, and I even developed feelings for people I didn't know.

The lamp doesn't seem to reject its own feelings; instead, it feels powerless, wanting to respond but not knowing how.

It's probably a hallucination. Even memories can be fake, so how reliable can intuition be?

Ningzi shook her head to clear her mind. She held the cover of the notebook with one hand and slid down with the other to tear off a piece of paper to stick on the door.

When you're out and about, leave a note.

What if my sister comes back and finds herself missing, and gets worried?

You can't just think about yourself all the time; you have to consider other people's feelings too.