The friendly atmosphere has vanished, replaced by a tense standoff between two of the children.
"Hey, what's with you? Why did you steal my candy? Haruno gave that to me!" Child A yells, her eyes filled with fury and her fists clenched.
"Yeah, didn't Haruno say she was going back to get more candy? Why would you steal someone else's?" Child B asks, their mouth full of candy.
Child C has already unwrapped the candy and put it in their mouth. "Hey, it's just one piece of candy. Haruno's gone to get more. She can just give you my share later," Child C says indifferently. She had no intention of stealing from anyone, but when she saw someone unwrap the candy, its color and scent were so tempting that a wicked thought crossed her mind. She wanted the candy, and she wanted it now. So she chose the smallest child, Child A, and snatched the candy.
Finally, Child A can't take the anger anymore and grabs Child C's hair, refusing to let go.
"What's wrong with you guys? Don't fight! Aren't we friends?" little Haruno yells, her face filled with anxiety. The driver, wearing sunglasses, stands motionless like a statue.
"Hey, stop fighting! Haruno's back," Child B says, pouring cold water on the tense situation. The two girls fighting let go of each other. A look of resentment flashes in both of their eyes. Child A turns away, deciding to cut ties with Child C from now on. She walks up to Haruno and looks at her with moist eyes.
"I'm sorry, but there's no more candy. I'll bring more next time. Aren't we all friends? Don't be mad," little Haruno says quietly. She isn't a fool; she understands the tension, but she's still hoping for the best.
As her words sink in, all three children look at her with disbelief.
"Haruno, didn't you say there was more?" Child A's voice is choked, and she looks hurt. Her quiet sobs turn into full-blown tears. Seeing Child A cry, the other two join in.
"Yeah, Haruno, didn't you say there was a lot more?"
"Don't promise things you can't deliver. Look, Child A is crying!"
"This is all your fault. We were getting along just fine."
Even the child who stole the candy is now hostile toward Haruno. She seems to have forgotten that she was the one who caused Child A to cry. But she instinctively avoids that thought. If she hadn't stolen the candy, she would be the one crying. She concludes that everything is Haruno's fault.
Little Haruno feels helpless for the first time. She looks at the crying Child A and the other two hostile children. She then turns back to her mother in the car, who looks calm and composed. A million thoughts rush through her mind.
"Leave. You're not welcome here," Child B says, ordering Haruno away.
Child C tries to apologize to Child A, but Child A pushes her away, and she falls on her bottom. The driver seems to have received a command. He walks up to little Haruno and says respectfully, "Let's go, young mistress."
Yukinoshita Haruno doesn't remember how she left the sand pit. She returns to the back seat of the car, her head down, the light in her eyes gone.
"Haruno, did you see that? Relationships between people are so fragile." Mrs. Yukinoshita says softly, placing the candy box on her lap.
"Mother, why did you do that?" Haruno asks, her voice hoarse, her head still down.
Mrs. Yukinoshita isn't happy with her daughter's reaction, but considering her age, she patiently explains. "You are the daughter of the Yukinoshita family. You don't belong in their world. You were born into high society."
"How fake is that friendship? Your new friends were fighting over just two candies. The distribution of benefits is the most dangerous thing. People are not afraid of having too little but of having it unevenly distributed."
"If it wasn't for you, they would have never tasted that expensive candy. Yet, in the end, they resent you for not giving them more."
"Haruno, the candy you can eat anytime is something they've never tasted. This is the benefit your family brings you, and benefits often come with responsibility."
"When you encounter a problem, you must learn to solve it yourself, not rely on me. You can never become a strong person or bear the responsibility of the Yukinoshita family if you always depend on others."
"If you don't belong in someone's world and you force your way in, you'll only destroy their world. People in high society can easily affect the lives of ordinary people. Don't forget your last name, Haruno."
As she says this, Mrs. Yukinoshita opens the candy box. There's a lot of candy inside. She takes one out and hands it to the dejected little Haruno. Haruno sees the candy, then the full box. She understands everything now. Her mother is teaching her a lesson. Little Haruno's hands tremble as she takes the candy. She has never dared to defy her mother. She doesn't dare to ask for what's not given to her, and she doesn't dare to refuse what is.
"Eat it," Mrs. Yukinoshita says coldly. Without experiencing pain, one cannot grow. It's better to cry now than to bleed later. The Yukinoshita family doesn't need a naive and weak successor. It needs a successor who can understand human nature, manage relationships, and is capable and responsible.
Little Haruno unwraps the candy and puts it in her mouth. Her favorite candy now has no sweetness, only bitterness.
"Does it taste good?" Mrs. Yukinoshita asks indifferently.
Little Haruno looks up, her eyes full of tears that she refuses to let fall. Her chest heaves, and her fists are clenched so tightly her knuckles are white, her nails digging into her skin without her realizing it. Finally, a forced, brilliant smile appears on her face. She looks at her mother and answers in a faux-firm voice, "It... it's very sweet!"
Mrs. Yukinoshita nods and says calmly, "Haruno, you'll have your piano lesson first tonight, and your etiquette lesson after dinner."
Little Haruno seems like a broken toy. She wipes her eyes, and the innocence in them seems to have been completely erased. Her smile becomes even more brilliant. "Yes, Mother!"
This is how Haruno first learned to wear a mask in front of her strict mother. From then on, she closed off her heart and began to observe everyone around her with a facade. It wasn't until her sister Yukino was born that the new life touched her soft spot. She loved her sister. Only when she was alone with her sister would she show her true self. She decided to protect her sister and willingly took on the responsibilities of the Yukinoshita family, working even harder.
As she grew older, Haruno's mind became more meticulous, and her observations of others became more detailed. She could use her highly contagious, sunny smile to make anyone drop their guard. Her excellence earned her mother's approval and favor. Her mother's expectations for Yukino lessened, as all she needed was a qualified successor. Haruno's outstanding performance satisfied Mrs. Yukinoshita. Sometimes, when Haruno saw her mother pay less attention to Yukino, she felt a pang of envy, but she always kept it hidden deep inside. She only wanted her sister to grow up healthy, and she was willing to bear everything herself.
Until one day, Yukinoshita Haruno discovered something. She found that her sister, Yukino, was constantly trying to imitate her, even trying to become another version of her. Her only goal was to prove to her mother that she wasn't inferior to her sister. How naive, my Yukino.
Later, Yukino was ostracized at school. Haruno, remembering the sand pit incident, hesitated to help her sister. Is it really a good thing to help Yukino fit in with people who reject her? So Haruno chose to watch, letting Yukino handle it herself. She didn't realize her way of teaching her sister was becoming more and more like her mother's.
...
"Haruno, did your mother send you?" The head of the Yukinoshita family has come out of the house. He sees his daughter lost in thought while looking at the moon. His soft voice brings Haruno back to reality. "Yes, Father. The guests have arrived." The head of the Yukinoshita family nods and walks to the front courtyard. Soon, the father and daughter arrive and see people whispering and buzzing in small groups. The head of the Yukinoshita family sees the source of the commotion and immediately walks over. Haruno glances at the crowd with her beautiful eyes, and they light up. She immediately finds Hiratsuka Ryosuke in the crowd and walks toward him with her father.