I'm doing abstract animation

"I'm the boss."

A fierce-looking man walked out of the crowd, clutching a child tightly in his hand.

"What's wrong, miss? If it's for car repairs, one tire costs 30,000, and four tires cost 120,000. If it's anything else, then I'm sorry I can't serve you."

The boss spoke with a forced smile, and the child he was leading also looked indifferent and arrogant.

"30,000 for a tire? That's outrageous!"

Hijikata Yosuke was so angry that he trembled all over.

Komi Shoko shook her head, continued writing a sentence on the whiteboard, and then took out her phone with her left hand to make a call.

"We've chosen to call the police. Don't worry, we have time."

Handing the phone to Yosuke Hijikata, Shoko Furumi gestured for him to tell the truth, then stood there holding up a whiteboard.

"It's okay, fingerprints aren't that easy to erase."

The boss's face darkened. In their line of work, they weren't afraid of being scolded or beaten; what they feared most was being taken seriously. If things got serious, they were all doomed.

After all, society is not like it used to be. If you really want to be serious, the police can easily tow them away with just a quick check. After all, who doesn't love credit that comes to them?

"Wait a minute."

The boss's expression changed drastically in an instant, and he turned around and slapped the child across the face.

"You bastard, who told you to puncture other people's tires?!"

The child was stunned by the slap, and after a moment of hesitation, he burst into tears.

Furumi Glass: "..."

Is this what society is like?

That's quite realistic...

By the time the boss arranged for someone to fix the tire, it was already afternoon.

Although Xiao Kui still had a slight fever, she was in much better spirits and was eating an apple that her father had bought for her while watching cartoons in the ward.

corridor.

Hijikata Yosuke's face darkened further. He irritably lit a cigarette, but before he could even take a puff, Kaien snatched it away.

But unlike his previous silence, this time he erupted.

"Hey, can't you mind your own business?"

Hijikata Yosuke looked furious: "You're just a passenger going in the same direction, and you're not even paying! Can't you see the situation?"

“My mother is still seriously ill, and I don’t even know if I will be able to see her one last time. I’ve been stuck in traffic and encountered scammers along the way. I’m so frustrated. My life is a mess. Can’t I just have a cigarette to relieve some stress?”

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, and the expression on his face began to show signs of collapse.

There is a limit to how much pressure a person can bear. What often breaks a person down are the various trivial matters in life. The accumulation of small things is more likely to cause a person to break down than a sudden major event.

Hijikata Yosuke was already on the verge of collapse.

He divorced his wife, and custody of his daughter was awarded to her. He even had to pay her to see his daughter. His work was also not progressing, which put him under a lot of pressure. On top of that, his mother was seriously ill, and he encountered a series of bizarre things on the road. He didn't even know if he would be able to see his mother one last time. The fact that he was able to hold on until now and finally exploded shows that his resilience is at its peak.

Looking at Hijikata Yosuke, whose eyes were red and whose face was irritable, Kaien pursed her lips, seemingly at a loss or perhaps sighing.

In the end, no one spoke again, and the entire corridor fell silent.

They say the sun always shines after the storm, and Xiao Kui's fever subsided that very night, which was the only good news after a bunch of bad news.

So the group drove through the night to prepare to move forward.

The atmosphere on the bus was somewhat somber, perhaps because of Hijikata Yosuke's outburst earlier, or perhaps because Kaien felt that he shouldn't say too much given his position; in any case, the previous joy was gone.

"Sister, did you and Dad have a fight?"

Xiao Kui didn't go to sleep immediately this time, probably because she went to bed too early at the hospital.

Perhaps she heard her father's angry roar in the hospital room, which is why she asked that question.

Haiyan paused for a moment, then glanced at Hijikata Yosuke, who was driving with a blank expression, and said with a smile, "No, your dad is just in a bad mood. We didn't argue."

“Everyone talks loudly when they’re in a bad mood, so your sister won’t mind.”

This can be considered a form of forgiveness!

Komi Shoko glanced at Hijikata Yosuke, who was driving, and noticed that he had breathed a sigh of relief, and his previously expressionless face slowly fell.

The journey by car was always dull, and soon Xiao Kui couldn't stand it anymore. She fell asleep in Haiyan's arms, feeling dizzy.

"Where are you now?"

After Xiaokui fell asleep, Haiyan suddenly asked.

Yosuke Hijikata glanced at the navigation: "Almost there, we should be there in about two more hours."

His tone was slightly more relaxed, after all, they were about to reach their destination, and there had been no call from his hometown, which proved that his mother had not left yet.

"Yosuke, how is your relationship with your mother?"

Kaiyan suddenly asked, and Komi Shoko glanced at her slightly. To be honest, such a question was a bit presumptuous, especially given that the other party's mother was seriously ill.

But perhaps out of guilt for his earlier outburst at Kaien, Hijikata Yosuke replied sullenly, "To be honest, it's not very good."

"Why?" Haiyan asked, somewhat puzzled. It wasn't that her question was strange, but rather her expression—a mixture of dissatisfaction and disbelief.

"Well, well..." Yosuke Hijikata sighed. "My mother was very strict with me when I was little. She would scold me severely almost every time I made a mistake. You see, I was just a child back then. Isn't it normal to make mistakes? Which child hasn't made mistakes? She was always so strict with me, but when other children made mistakes, their mothers would always gently say, 'Just don't do it again next time...'"

"She's too controlling. She even objected to my marriage... But it also proves that she has better taste than me..."

"Isn't it normal to get scolded for making a mistake?" Haiyan was a little puzzled, but she didn't pay attention to what Hijikata Yosuke said at the end.

Hijikata Yosuke scratched his head: "I'm not saying she did anything wrong, and I've never blamed her, but this will definitely have a big impact on a child's personality. I guess my personality has become so bad because of this!"

“But I think you have a great personality!” Haiyan was even more puzzled: “You have already fulfilled your responsibilities as a father. You are very anxious when your child is sick, you will argue with reason when you encounter injustice, and you will even help me, a stranger. You are responsible and kind. Isn’t that great?”

"I didn't expect you to have such a high opinion of me..." Hijikata Yosuke was surprised at first, then sighed, "But this won't do. It's impossible to survive in this society like this. This society is full of injustice, and kind and responsible people have no room to live..."

Is such that.

Although Komi Shoko remained expressionless, she sighed inwardly.

She remembered Yuki Osamu telling her that this society was actually more terrifying than simply fighting monsters from another dimension. It was full of deception and malice. Even two completely unrelated people could develop hatred over the smallest entanglement. Kind people had no place to thrive, while cunning people rose to high positions... In short, this country was doomed.

Haiyan was also stunned, seemingly unable to understand why this would happen.

"So I often wonder, if I could treat others with the utmost malice, would my life be different?" Hijikata said self-deprecatingly. "But after thinking about it, I can't do it, no matter what. I would rather hurt myself than hurt others, like an idiot... Of course, maybe my mother is right, but I really can't adapt to this society anymore."

Haiyan was silent for a moment, then shook her head: "I don't think that's the case."

"Oh?" Hijikata Yosuke smiled. "Then which one do you think it is?"

He found it somewhat amusing and also somewhat dismissive. Haiyan was just a ten-year-old girl; how could she possibly have more life experience than him?

I guess it'll be some naive talk about exchanging sincerity for sincerity again...

“I don’t quite understand the social issues you’re talking about, but I think your mother just wants her child to have a kind and upright heart.”

"Kind people may be more easily hurt, but they are also more easily accepted by others, aren't they?"

"While cunning people may live well, I imagine they must be very tired."

"Mothers actually hope their children become upright and kind people more than they hope they become successful. Such people are more likely to be favored by others. Look at Xiaokui, isn't she very dependent on you?"

"While I'm sorry for your failed marriage, everyone encounters the wrong people in their life. You can't let one mistake define you from everyone else. Kind people always attract kind people. Try going back and see how things go; you might just meet someone who truly loves you!"

Kaien's words didn't make any grand sense, but they silenced Hijikata Yosuke.

Because of their different perspectives, he saw his own tragic experiences and the wickedness of society, while Haiyan saw things from his mother's point of view, looking at how a child should grow up correctly.

That is indeed undeniable.

Komi Shoko watched from the sidelines and found it very strange, especially when she saw Kaien speaking these words so earnestly; the sense of incongruity was almost overwhelming.

What's wrong?

Komi Shoko: 'I don't understand.'

The car sped off the highway and gradually slowed down.

"where is your house?"

Hijikata Yosuke asked, thinking that he would send the girl home first and then go back to his hometown, which should not take much time.

"Sanmine Shrine, on the hillside opposite."

Hijikata Yosuke was taken aback: "Opposite to Mimine Shrine?"

If he remembers correctly, his hometown is near Mitsumine Shrine...

Haiyan smiled and said, "Yes, it's right under those three big trees across the street."

Hijikata Yosuke laughed too: "Yes, yes, there are indeed three big trees over there. I remember I used to play there a lot when I was a kid. I never thought we were neighbors. I didn't even know which family you belonged to."

"Hehe, you'll find out."

The car started to slow down. Although the village had a cement road, there were just too many turns.

The rising sun faintly appeared in the sky, and the pitch-black night gradually passed.

"Alright, that's enough for me."

Haiyan knocked on the car window, indicating that it was fine to park there.

Komi Shoko looked out the window and saw the Mitsumine Shrine they had mentioned, as well as the three large trees opposite the shrine.

"Don't you need me to take you up?"

Despite saying that, Yosuke Hijikata still stopped the car.

"No need." Haiyan got out of the car, stretched, and smiled as she faced the rising sun.

For a moment, Hijikata Yosuke was in a daze, vaguely realizing that the girl looked somewhat familiar.

"Sister, will we ever see each other again?"

Xiao Kui poked her little head out of the car window and asked pitifully.

She had a very good impression of this older sister; in fact, she was quite close to her.

"Haha, of course I will, Xiao Kui." Haiyan reached out and patted Xiao Kui's head, a look of apology suddenly appearing on her face: "Also, I'm sorry, Xiao Kui."

Why did she apologize?

A question mark popped up above Komi Shoko's head.

"And glass..."

Kaiyan looked at Komi Shoko's expressionless face, wanting to say something, but after thinking about it, she said nothing, only winking at her playfully.

"Alright, I'm leaving now. You guys should go home too."

Haiyan waved to them, then turned and ran up the mountain with great speed.

"Hey, wait..."

Hijikata Yosuke withdrew his hand with some regret; he had wanted to invite her to his home.

The car slowly started moving again. Komi Shoko stared intently at the girl running up the mountain. The morning sun shone on her and through her onto the lush green grass.

The girl's figure gradually became ethereal until it disappeared.

Komi Shoko's eyes widened, and she even rubbed them.

It was discovered that the petrel had indeed vanished.

Before she could even express her surprise, the car slowly came to a stop.

"arrive."

After saying something casually, Hijikata Yosuke hurriedly got off the car. Komi Shoko had no choice but to suppress her doubts and carry Aoi into her hometown.

As soon as I entered the room, an old man hurriedly came to greet me.

"You've finally arrived! Hurry up, your mother is dying!"

Without asking any further questions, Hijikata Yosuke rushed into the room, followed closely by Komi Shoko.

In the bedroom, an elderly man with white hair lay on the bed, staring blankly at the door.