Time gradually passed, several hours went by, and seeing Rikka constantly dozing off, Yuta decided to call it a day.
Yuta also returned home, his face full of exhaustion, and upon opening his front door, he saw Toka and Yumeha sitting on the floor playing house, while Fang Wuwei was on Yuta's bed, holding a handheld game console and playing, and Kuzuha was leaning on Fang Wuwei's leg, reading a book.
"Why are you all here?"
"When I came home, I saw you all studying so intently, and I didn't want to disturb you, so I left first," Toka said, taking a sip of beer and reaching out to take the paper Yumeha had scribbled on and handed to her.
"What about you?" Yuta looked at Fang Wuwei with a black line over his head; Toka was understandable, but why was Fang Wuwei wearing pajamas?
"Hmm? I'm staying overnight at your place tonight, your mom agreed."
"Why?!"
"Well, you see, it's so late, and it's not safe to go back, right?"
You must have specifically run home to get pajamas and then run back!
Yuta looked at the pajamas on Fang Wuwei, full of complaints he wanted to voice, but he was quickly drawn to the interaction between Toka and Yumeha on the floor.
The paper Yumeha was scribbling on read: [Yumeha and Toka are divorced].
"I'll raise the children!" Yumeha, who was only 5 years old, spoke astonishingly, saying something completely beyond her age.
Toka, opposite her, looked unwilling, gritted her teeth for a moment, and then slowly spoke, her voice tinged with sadness, "Don't forget, you promised to let me see the children once a month."
"What are you two doing?!"
"We're just playing a realistic game of house."
"It's too realistic!" Yuta couldn't help but exclaim.
"Do you have an opinion?" Toka silently pulled out her treasured item—a cooking spoon—from behind her back.
"Really, big brother, be quieter, Mom is already asleep!" Kuzuha, leaning on Fang Wuwei's leg, also spoke up to help.
Facing the two's combined front, Yuta instantly backed down, only able to nod silently.
"Since you're back, I should go back now." Toka stood up, stretching her shoulders, "Where is she? What is she doing?"
When Rikka was mentioned, Yuta felt a surge of relief; she was finally willing to study properly. "She started dozing off at the table, so I let her go to sleep first."
"Is that so?" Toka picked up her coat from the table, walked past Yuta, and softly said, "I'm so envious."
It was unclear if she envied Rikka's ability to live such a relaxed life, or if she envied Yuta's good relationship with Rikka.
So, next up was...
Yuta looked at Fang Wuwei with an annoyed expression, but Fang Wuwei met his gaze and just smiled.
"What's wrong? It's not like I haven't stayed here overnight before."
"...I'm going to take a bath."
.........
As night deepened, Kuzuha took Yumeha back to her room to sleep, Yuta lay on his bed, and Fang Wuwei, who had made a bed on the floor with a futon, looked at the ceiling, feeling a sense of familiarity; past memories that weren't his always influenced him.
"Hey, Wuwei."
Yuta spoke first, breaking the silence.
"Hmm?"
"What do you think of chuunibyou?"
Facing this question, Fang Wuwei was silent for a moment. He knew the true meaning of Yuta's words, and letting Yuta understand clearly, pushing the plot's further development, was actually the real reason Fang Wuwei insisted on staying overnight.
"You're asking about Rikka, right? I've talked with Toka, so I probably know much more than you. If I'm not mistaken, Rikka hasn't talked to you about her family matters, has she?
Let me think... where should I start?"
Fang Wuwei pondered for a moment, deciding to let Yuta understand everything about Rikka in advance, so he started from the beginning.
Her father's illness... her mother and sister's concealment... her father's sudden death, Rikka's unwillingness to accept reality...
"Do you know? About two years ago, after I had already moved out, Rikka used to live here. And at that time, you were still a chuunibyou, and you liked to act silly in the neighborhood."
"Ah..." Yuta remembered this, after all, Toka had once used a recording from his chuunibyou period to threaten him. Why did Wuwei suddenly bring this up? Wasn't he talking about Rikka's chuunibyou?
"Could it be!" Yuta was startled; he thought of something.
"Yes, at that time, it was you who changed Rikka, making her willing to believe that there are extraordinary powers in this world that could bring her father back to life.
In other words, it was you who changed Rikka."
Hearing this, Yuta recalled his past self, holding his head in annoyance.
"Now you know why Rikka is so clingy to you?" Fang Wuwei chuckled lightly, then asked Yuta, "After hearing all this from me, what do you think of Rikka?"
"Rikka, she..." Yuta's mind flashed to the girl sitting with her knees hugged, staring blankly at her phone, "...is very lonely."
"Is that so..." Fang Wuwei heard this and said no more. There was still more to the plot ahead, so he had to know when to stop. He could appropriately speed up the progress, but definitely not rush it. The rest, they would have to handle themselves.
"Hey, Wuwei..." Yuta still had a lot to say. He turned his head, but found that Fang Wuwei had already fallen into a deep sleep. In the end, he could only close his eyes, clear his mind, and follow suit.
— — — — This is a lonely dividing line — — — —
Time passed quickly, but the pace of life was even faster.
With only a week left until the final exams, even if Rikka's learning absorption rate wasn't high, Yuta had to force Rikka to study.
He even adopted a "if you answer this question correctly, I'll give you this candy" animal-training-like education method.
Coaxing Rikka to study diligently in this way, the exams arrived in a blink of an eye.
The math exam, the final boss in Rikka's eyes, was declaring war on the Evil King's True Eye, and the Evil King's True Eye would not be defeated, so the two sides began a fierce battle...
As for the outcome...
Yuta walked down from the podium with his 62-point test paper, sighing inwardly that he had neglected his own studies for the sake of teaching Rikka.
But looking at Rikka, who was slumped over her desk feeling down, and her 48-point test paper, he could only dim his eyes and accept reality.
But soon, the math teacher changed his mind.
"Hmm, I told you, didn't I? I want to see your determination." The math teacher held Rikka's test paper, examining it, while Rikka and Yuta stood in front of him. "I've seen all your efforts during this period, and I've seen your determination."
These words brought a glimmer of light into the depths of Rikka's originally despairing eyes.
"Besides, the average score for this exam in the class was only 45 points. Rikka exceeded the average, which already proves she studied hard. Teachers were young once too, and I know this association is very important to you, but I want to tell you that you cannot neglect your studies." Looking at Rikka, whose smile was gradually appearing, the math teacher patted the test paper and returned it to her, "I'll make an exception this time, but Takanashi, if you score too poorly again and neglect your studies, don't blame the teacher."
"Yes!!!"
Watching Rikka cheerfully walk out of the office and Yuta silently follow her, indulging her antics, the math teacher picked up his teacup and took a sip.
Hmm... Oriental Student is indeed wealthy and influential; high-quality tea is just different...
He couldn't understand why Oriental Student, such a good child, would be willing to play with them. He was clearly as mature as an adult, and even if he joined the Student Council, he would surely be the top student...
Meanwhile, Fang Wuwei stood on the overpass, watching the two playing below, bathed in the setting sun.
Yuta, who had originally decided to bid farewell to chuunibyou forever, transformed back into his old self under the setting sun, playing and acting chuunibyou with Rikka.
With gestures that seemed exaggerated and absurd in the eyes of others, he presented the reward he had once promised Rikka—a new email address.
"black raison d'etre"
Its meaning is "black reason for being."
Yuta was once the Dark Flame Master; the Black Flames, different from normal flames, were his characteristic. So, whose meaning is the black existence?
In Rikka's eyes, Yuta at this moment was so handsome, so much so that he was like the setting sun in the sky, impossible to look at directly.
The throbbing in her heart was unbearable, and Rikka chose to quickly run away from Yuta, but when she looked back, her eyes were already filled with unconcealed happiness.
Fang Wuwei watched the two below finally get on track, and slowly left, walking into the setting sun...