Kazuya browsed the book for a while and noticed that Yoko was already engrossed in the TV. Toratoro was in front of her, carefully licking the can. The can was cleaner than if it had been rinsed with a high-pressure water gun.
Kazuya was also curious, glancing at the TV. It was still that drama "Mikan, for your love!". He asked, "Is this drama still airing?"
Yoko didn't take her eyes off the TV, "Of course! I heard they're planning to film over four hundred episodes. It's just the beginning, Onisan."
Kazuya was shocked. This absurd night drama was planning to make over four hundred episodes? Shouldn't it have been cut off long ago? "Is the viewership high?"
"It's very popular. Many people in school are discussing it!" Yoko really liked it, probably a die-hard fan of this drama.
Kazuya lowered his head to reflect, thinking that maybe it was because he was a foreigner, and his aesthetic sense didn't quite match with the people in this country. He casually picked up a piece of pastry and prepared to watch and figure out what was going on.
On the fourteen-inch TV, the screen flickered, and voices echoed:
"Toratoro Sensei! Please stop chasing me. I can't make you happy!" A girl whose body wrapped in bandages like a mummy but strangely running fast, sprinted through the night streets. Tears streamed down her face as she ran, muttering something incoherent.
Silver serpents occasionally flashed across the sky, while the strong wind howled, sending leaves swirling.
Kazuya was confused, "Is this Mikan? Hasn't her injury from the last accident healed?" It had been at least twenty episodes and the plot progress seemed slow.
Yoko shook her head, answering with a hint of sadness, "Yes, it's Mikan, but it's not from the last injury. After the last car accident, she had another one when the ambulance sent her to the hospital. Then there was a medical accident where she got the wrong kidney removed, and during a shower, she suffered severe burns... her life full of misfortune."
Is it that tragic? Kazuya looked at the TV with some astonishment. In the next scene, the male character seemed to have gone crazy, riding a bicycle desperately chasing her, repeatedly reaching out and crying in grief, "Mikan, I can't live without you. Come back soon!"
Mikan shook her head and choked with sobs. Even though she run very fast, her posture was quite graceful. The teacher chasing behind on a bicycle had his buttocks off the seat but couldn't catch up. Instead, he was slowly left behind as seen from a distant angle.
Kazuya was even more perplexed. He couldn't hold back and asked in a low voice, "Isn't this a bit unreasonable?" Although TV dramas weren't documentaries and could have some exaggeration, this seemed exaggerated to the extreme!
Yoko sniffed, seemingly empathizing with Mikan's plight. She replied, "Mikan is outstanding at school, not only excelling academically but also the captain of the track and field team, so she runs very fast."
Kazuya was astonished once again. There was such a character setting? Judging by her covering-her-face posture and the bandages, Mikan can be even faster without these restritions. With a conservative estimate, she could be running at around 120 km/h. She could easily win a gold medal at the Olympics, even Bolt would probably only see her back.
He watched the main characters chase and escape for about five minutes, interspersed with many melodramatic lines like "I love you, but I can't marry you!", "I'm so sad, please let me die!", "I can't live without you, if you die, I'll die too!", etc. The thick scent of melodramatic blood hit him, making him want to bang his head against the wall.
Kazuya watched in shock as they continued the chase and escape for the whole episode. Was this how it ended? Just as he was wondering, a construction truck suddenly appeared on the street. It was the kind with a load capacity of 10 tons. It completely ignored anything but crashed the bandaged girl at full speed.
Mikan was crashed and soared into the sky, spiraling upward like a tornado. The white bandages fluttered like feathers, creating a scene of heartbreaking beauty. She shouted, "Ah~~~ Toratoro Sensei!"
Unfortunately, before she could finish her line, a lightning bolt as thick as a water bucket struck her frail body in midair. The special effects were excellent: the white bones alternated between light and shadow, blinking continuously and quite conspicuous.
The scene then shifted to Toratoro Sensei who mysteriously lost his bicycle. He knelt on the ground, looking up at the sky and howling, "No!!! Mikan!"
The screen suddenly froze, leaving only the lingering echo of the male character's scream. The director's message appeared on the screen, "What would happen next? Could true love overcome difficulties? Where would fate lead them? Please tune in tomorrow for the next episode!"
Kazuya took in a sharp breath. He turned his gaze to Yoko, who was still clutching her chest, seemingly not having recovered yet. Kazuya tentatively asked, "How do you feel about this episode, Yoko?"
Was this forcible melodramatic drama really so popular? Was it a loss of morality or human nature, his own problem or a difference in cultural values?
"It's very good, both touching and shocking, and it leaves suspense... What do you think, Onisan?"
Her small face was full of anticipation, and her small hands were clasped in front of her chest, as if hoping to share the same opinion with Kazuya.
Kazuya pondered for a moment, gently nodded without daring to speak the truth, "It's pretty good!" However, there was always a feeling that something wasn't quite right. However, there seemed to be something wrong. It seemed like the director and Mikan had a grudge!
...
"Mikan, for your love" maintained one episode a day and never stopped updating. As time flew, it was already mid-May, the most comfortable time of the year with a maximum temperature of around 24-25 ℃. The weather was neither too cold nor too hot, making people feel extremely comfortable. However, the winds blowing from the sea were gradually intensifying.
Haruka reached out and pressed the disheveled pages affected by the wind, frowning in displeasure. She took off her black-framed glasses, pouted, and stood up to peek out of the window, feeling the increasing strength of the sea breeze. A gust of wind messed up her hair, making her give the air some punches in anger.
While she was venting her frustration, Akiho knocked on the door and entered with a soft call.
It was already late at night, and the shop was closed. Akiho just took a bath and changed pajamas, having. Seeing Haruka leaning on the windowsill, she curiously asked, "Big sister, what are you looking at?"
Haruka withdrew her head, tidied up her ears, and replied with a sullen expression, "The wind is strong outside. There might be a strong wind tomorrow."
If a strong wind warning was issued tomorrow, it would affect the business of the shop, making her even more displeased. However, she couldn't change the weather, and her displeasure wouldn't alter that fact, so her annoyance grew.
Akiho smiled helplessly and comforted her with a white lie, "It might not happen. Big sister, don't get angry. I bring the milk" When they were alone together, Akiho naturally showed more of an elder sister demeanor.
"I hope so. Lately, everything has been going wrong. Do you think that gigolo ruined our luck?" Haruka complained. She was still not happy, but obediently took the glass of milk and sipped it reluctantly. Her face became even more bitter, as if she was drinking medicine.
Akiho didn't reply, sitting beside her. Although the relationship between big sister and Kazuya had eased recently, her temper couldn't change. She would still mutter behind his back, but Akiho pretended not to hear.
She quietly watched her elder sister drink the milk, and the room in front of her remained the same as before. Big sister used to like decorating the room, full of girlish heart, until later when their mother passed away. Her energy shifted to the family and the room remained unchanged.
Looking around the room, she always felt a bit sentimental.
In the room, there was a large bed with pink sheets and a fringed bed cover. There was also a pillow with cherry blossom petals imprinted on it. A pirate bear plushie sat beside the pillow, wearing an eye mask and a ferocious expression. The bookshelf was also filled with various small plushies, along with a complete set of shoujo manga. On the wall, there were several CG posters, featuring a floral sea and grassy plains.
Haruka pinched her nose and finished the milk. She didn't like milk very much, always feeling a bit fishy, but she endured it. Then, she leaned forward, grabbing the rail at the head of the bed, "Do it, Akiho!"
"Okay, big sister!" Akiho snapped back to reality and agreed. She grabbed Haruka's ankle and pulled it with force, which was her main purpose for coming here before bedtime.