While Fujiwara Nagi racks his brains to figure out how to trick out the secret number, the other side...

——

Saionji Akino is playing flying chess with the children, playing a game of e-fun on his mobile phone, and drawing ghost cards.

When it was time for dinner in the evening, Saionji Akino chatted with them casually, but basically they were talking about future dreams and things they wanted to do, and they didn't say a word about secret numbers the whole time.

"When you talk about pastry chefs, barbers, and nail technicians, don't you think about going to university and going on to a job?" Saionji Akino looked at the three well-behaved and obedient children and asked.

"University?" The three children were stunned, they obviously had no idea about the word.

Looking at their blank eyes, Saionji Akino put down his chopsticks and said with a smile: "After eating, let's get to know each other together, right?" What kind of place is a university exactly? ”

After hearing this, the three children accelerated their chopsticks in unison, and they almost devoured their food.

Although they don't understand what a university is, their instincts tell them that a university is a better place than a vocational school.

Saionji Akino took out his mobile phone, found a promotional video of the University of Tokyo campus, put it in front of the three children, and asked them to watch it slowly.

Looking at the vast campus, the free and happy learning atmosphere, and the lively scene of the university festival, their young hearts were strongly shocked.

Especially after comparing the environment with the previous orphanage, they began to instinctively yearn for the beautiful environment of the university.

"In addition to these changes in the environment, there are so many majors at the university..."

"Big brother, what is the Department of Space Engineering?"

"Do you know rockets, and space vehicles?"

"No, I don't know, what sounds cool."

"Well, wait a minute, I'll find a video for you to see."

Saionji Akino found a video of the rocket launch, as well as a movie clip of the spacecraft flying in space.

Looking at the special effects in the video, the three children made a wow sound in unison, and they all watched it with relish.

"The Department of Aerospace Engineering is to learn how these machines work and what is related to aerospace."

"What's the use of learning this?" The little girl tilted her head.

"Stupid, this is cool, it's cool!" The little boy said in a somewhat excited tone, this was the first time he had shown such obvious emotions, and he had always been quite restrained before.

"I can't see what's cool, big brother, can we look at the others? I just saw a course called Life Cognitive Science, what is it studying? ”

"Big brother, the discipline of history and culture is the study of history, right?"

"Why is this the question I want to ask!"

"I'll ask first!"

"Shut up, I'm going to keep watching the rocket!"

Saionji Akino looked at them as if they were about to fight, and couldn't help but smile: "Don't worry, come one by one, explain one by one." ”

Two hours later, Saionji Akino explained to the children 90% of the majors at the University of Tokyo, which fully satisfied their curiosity.

It also ignited their desire to go to college.

It's just that this desire is just a small flame, and it is possible to extinguish it at any time.

After all, in fact, the three children are also very clear about their current situation, after all, Fujiwara Nagi has made it very clear to them before, they came to Fujiwara's house to be servants, and in this life, they should be doing servant work, going to college or something, it is estimated that it is just a luxury.

Saionji Akino could see that they were a little disappointed, so he smiled: "You all want to go to college and see the wider world outside, right?" ”

The three children looked at each other and did not answer.

"If you can't say it, then nod your head, or shake your head?"

The children nodded their heads.

Saionji Akino: "After a while, will I send you out to school?" ”

"Huh? School? ”

"Can we still go to school?"

Saionji Akino: "Of course, not only can I go to school, but I can also leave here." ”

"You won't stay here for long, there is still half a month at most, I can send you out, when the time comes, I will help you arrange the school, and the future host family, then you can go to school well, and then go to chase your college dreams."

"......" The three children listened to this dream-like narration, and they all woke up at once.

This is a pie, right?

Like the dean, like the big brother called Fujiwara Jimitsu, he just created a false beauty to make them believe, to make them voluntarily work for these unattainable goals.

Although Saionji Akino was very good to them just now, much better than Fujiwara Jimitsu, but after all, it was for those secret numbers that he did this, right?

Saying that they can go out and go to college is just their deceptive words, right?

"Big brother, are you telling the truth?" One of the little girls asked.

The other two children were silent at this moment, observing Saionji Akino's expression.

"It's true."

"Why... What about helping us? ”

"Because I am the one who involved you in this so-called competition, and it affected your original life."

"Although we only met for the first time today, and we have only been together for a few hours, I can tell that you are all very good children, so you should not receive some distorted education, nor should you be deceived and used."

"You don't need to care about the content of this competition now, and I never thought of deceiving your trust in exchange for any secret numbers."

"But... But in that case, won't you lose, big brother? ”

"Then let's lose." Saionji Akino smiled nonchalantly, "Trust is not something that can be cultivated in a day or two, it is very precious and worthy of our cherishing, but if trust is betrayed just for some interests, it is undoubtedly devaluing the original value of trust." ”

"You three are very good friends, aren't you?"

The children nodded again.

"Then if one day, someone else wants to lure you into betraying each other through some despicable means, will you do that?"

“… No, it won't! When the little boy heard this, he immediately responded.

And two little girls followed.

"No!"

"Yes, friendship and trust are things with unique value, which cannot be compared with any material benefit."

"So, I'm not going to betray our current friendship for the sake of those things."

"Our friendship?"

"Yes, Ryotaro, Kashi, Mitsuko, we're friends now."

"Therefore, as your big brother and your friend, I am willing to help you realize your dreams and help you get admitted to university in the future, instead of watching you live in this quagmire and ignore it."

"Believe me, what I said to you today will not be a lie."

Saionji Akino stretched out his hand, gently stroked the heads of the three children, and said with a smile: "Okay, it's almost time, have a good rest, and I'll come to play with you tomorrow." ”

With that, Saionji Akino got up and walked out of the room slowly, saying goodnight to them with a smile before leaving, and then closed the door.

The flickering flame in the hearts of the three children, stimulated by the words just now, burned more and more, and they felt this burning desire in their hearts for the first time.

When they came back to their senses, they found themselves all staring at the door that Akino closed at Saionji Temple for a long, long time.

……

The next day, Saionji Akino really didn't mention the so-called secret number, and in the evening, after dinner, he accompanied the children to watch a touching movie "Loyal Dog Hachiko".

Saionji Akino looked at the children gently while handing them tissues.

Feeling this care, and thinking back to what Saionji Akino said yesterday.

It's about trust, it's about friendship.

It is something that shines brighter than anything, more than a diamond, and is clearer and purer than the sky. It's like Hachiko's friendship with his master.

If you ask him to tell him those numbers at this time, it will betray this friendship?

No, it's not true...

That's not true!

The three children stopped him in unison as he left Saionji Akino.

"Big brother!"

"Huh?"

"Thank you... We believe in you, we believe in what you say, good night! ”

"Okay, good night." Saionji Akino waved at them and left with ease.

He really didn't think about cheating these kids, and he was ready to lose this round of competition.

There are three competitions.

This is only the second round of the first competition.

As long as the next two wins are made, that's fine.

Saionji Akino thought so, but his hanging hand clenched into a fist.

After he had left completely, the three children opened the door together and went to the other side in the opposite direction, where they found Aunt Kyoko, who had the most impression and the friendliest attitude towards them.

"Kyoko, Aunt Kyoko!"

"What's wrong?" Kyoko was surprised that the three children would come to her at this time.

"We want to talk to Grandpa Fujiwara!"

"We have important things to say!"

"Can Aunt Kyoko take us to meet him?"

“…”

"Yes." Kyoko nodded softly.

——

Fujiwara Yoshiaki looked at the three children who looked at him and couldn't stop trembling, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What do you have to say?" His momentum was as oppressive as ever, and adults would be overwhelmed by it, let alone these five or six-year-old children.

"Grandpa Fujiwara, I, our numbers are ......" led by the little boys, who recited the correct numbers in order.

"We don't need Big Brother Akino to help us relay it, we trust him, so... We want him to win! ”

"......" Fujiwara Yoshiaki looked at the three children quietly and waved his hand slightly, "Go back." ”

"Fuji, Grandpa Fujiwara!"

"Don't call me Grandpa Fujiwara, you're not from the Fujiwara family yet."

“……”

"Go back, I see."

"Then, is Big Brother Akino winning now?"

Fujiwara Yoshiaki looked at the three children with a stubborn expression and nodded slowly.

"He won."

"Great, great!"

"Thank you, Grandpa Fujiwara!"

"Thank you!!"

After hearing the satisfactory answer, the three children looked happy, so they thanked them politely, and walked out of the tea room where Fujiwara Yoshiaki was gently well-behaved.

"Good night Grandpa Fujiwara!"

"Good night!"

“……”

After Fujiwara Yoshiken instructed Kyoko to send these children back, he looked down at the tea set on the coffee table, and wanted to hold back his smile, but he couldn't hold back anything.

Eventually, I burst out laughing.

After laughing for about five or six minutes, he noticed Kyoko who had returned and was waiting by the door.

"Ahem, why didn't you talk when you came back?" Fujiwara Yoshiaki coughed lightly, and his old face turned red.

"It's rare to see Lord Yixian smiling so happily, so I want to see more."

“……”

"So Yoshi-hsien-sama has tested a satisfactory result?"

"Not yet, but it's pretty much there."

"Do you know why I'm looking for some children to come over as test subjects?"

"I can't guess what Lord Yixian thinks."

“… You can guess a little. Fujiwara Yoshiaki felt a little sore about Kyoko, who was not cheering.

"Adults are blinded by their interests and have a lot more weaknesses than clean children, and it's not hard to control them as long as you catch them."

"And children seem to be easy to fool, but in fact, it is very difficult to gain their true trust, and children are like a clean mirror, which can reflect a lot of things, and Lord Yoshiken, you judged the talent of Miss Nagi and Young Master Akino in controlling people based on the reactions of these children?"

"......" Fujiwara Nagi opened his mouth, unable to speak for a while.

Kyoko immediately said with a sense of humor: "Lord Yixian, I can't guess, please make it clear." ”

“……”

"I'm tired, go back and rest." Fujiwara Yoshiaki was still an inflated hot air balloon just now, but at this moment, after Kyoko finished speaking, the balloon was suddenly punctured and turned wilted.

"Lord Yixian, I just said nonsense, please make it clear."

"I said, let you go back to rest and sleep!" Fujiwara Yoshiaki's tone aggravated a little.

"Lord Yixian..."

"You don't sleep, do you! I'll go back to sleep! Fujiwara slammed the table, got up angrily, and left the tea room.

And not long after Fujiwara Yoshiaki left, the tea room resounded with "poof" laughter.

(End of chapter)