On a gloomy rainy day, the window seats in a fast-food restaurant have a unique atmosphere.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is, but it makes the rain outside seem beautiful, and the cool chill seeps through the transparent glass, permeating the heart.
It’s as if the world comes to a standstill in a haze while the gentle rain falls, filling the ears with its sound.
To stimulate the appetite, restaurants often choose soft warm lighting for the ambiance.
From a psychological perspective, this makes dining feel romantic and evocative.
And more skillful designers hide the lights in such a way that they aren’t easily noticed.
Compared to the rainy world outside, this kind of light and warmth is even more comforting.
The waitress brought the tray to the table, and catching the scent of the food, Uesugi Sakura snapped out of the rainy scene outside.
"Is this Chiaei’s first time at the aquarium?"
"Ah... yes, it’s the first time." The reply was slightly shy.
Uesugi Sakura wasn’t foolish enough to ask "why." Since no one cared for them since childhood, they never had a chance to go to places like aquariums that require adult accompaniment.
"Delicious~" said Aei with her mouth full of beef.
Chiaei: "Aei, you should be quieter while eating."
"Why should I be quiet?"
"Why...?" Chiaei stumbled, confused by her sister’s question, caught off guard.
Swallowing a mouthful of rice, Uesugi Sakura didn’t explain with principles: "Isn’t shouting after every bite tiring? It’s just to save yourself some effort."
Aei had a sudden realization, trying to swallow the unchewed food: "Oh, right, talking while eating is tiring, being quiet is more comfortable."
"Chew more and don’t choke," Uesugi Sakura reminded.
Having heard the recent conversation, Chiaei, too, seemed a bit bewildered but thought she understood.
"Sakura, they don’t know anything yet,"
Hanamaru Hanabi meant not to teach the kids misleading things.
"I’m just stating the truth."
"Sakura," Hanamaru Hanabi called his name again.
"Alright, alright," Uesugi Sakura instantly gave up being stubborn, turned to the two little girls in front of him and said, "What I said earlier was nonsense; you should be quiet at meals because it’s polite, no one likes a girl who smacks her lips."
"Brother! As long as a girl dresses prettily, someone will like her."
That was indeed the truth.
Uesugi Sakura immensely agreed with Aei’s statement; there were many examples. Like in Hanabi’s childhood, when she was short and chubby, no one particularly liked her.
But as she grew into middle and high school, the once unassuming girl blossomed beautifully, and many suitors came her way.
Just the pursuit of beauty.
Unlike a proper person like Uesugi himself.
So, he solemnly said:
"Ahem, it’s not like that, as long as you have a kind heart, you will eventually be liked."
"It sounds exactly like what teachers say in textbooks."
"After all, everyone is taught kindness, and this is the benefit of being kind, so of course, it’s written in elementary school textbooks."
"But is there any downside to being kind?" Aei took a big bite of beef, remembered to chew more before swallowing.
"Of course, there is."
"There is... a downside?"
Chiaei got interested in the topic too, looking at Uesugi Sakura with the same curiosity as her sister.
Her eyes revealed a pure child’s curiosity unique to them.
"Kindness is essentially compromise, accommodating others, making them happy, and in turn, feeling happy yourself, but being too kind can make your existence trivial, accommodating everyone’s wants and needs. The middle way requires self-assessment of one’s talents and wisdom, knowing one’s limits, the art of handling matters lies in using the right method, kindness should have its limit, and should be used on the right people."
Chiaei didn’t quite understand, but she felt it was impressive, reminiscent of a teacher’s earnest teachings.
"Sakura," Hanamaru Hanabi tugged at Uesugi Sakura’s arm, "Chiaei-chan doesn’t understand."
Uesugi Sakura smiled and said: "It’s okay not to understand, as long as she knows to only use kindness towards good people."
Aei: "What about bad people?"
"Bad people will take advantage of your kindness for profit, selling you out!" Uesugi Sakura intentionally startled Aei with this.
Aei instead giggled, "Brother is a bad person."
"Oh? Then who paid for the beef rice you’re eating?"
"It wasn’t me who said it, it was Hanabi sister who said it. When Hanabi sister is with brother, I often hear her say ’Sakura is a bad guy,’ ’Sakura is a bad person.’
The originally composed face of Hanamaru Hanabi immediately flushed pink, reminded of certain things.
Being made embarrassed by a little girl, after all, she is yet an adolescent girl.
Uesugi Sakura could readily accept Aei’s innocent remarks and explained:
"In a sense, this ’bad person’ is a term of endearment."
"Brother, what is a term of endearment?"
"A name for someone you like."
"Then can I call brother that?"
The endless "whys" from children are really hard to handle.
Forget it, Uesugi Sakura casually bluffed with a few words and then, in an adult tone, urged her to finish her meal quickly.
Aei likes to read and knows quite a lot, but there are many common sense things she’s not clear on.
After all, her parents wouldn’t teach her, so she has to learn from books herself.
Her constant questioning is just a side of her being a child.
After breakfast, Uesugi Sakura went to the vending machine again to bring three bottles of milk for them.
He felt like he was becoming a babysitter.