CHAPTER 429: CHAPTER 307 LOVE AND PHILOSOPHY_2

Uesugi Sakura recognized the undertone in Hanamaru Hanabi’s smiling face and her violet eyes.

"How about going to see the flowers? I saw online that the wisteria in Tochigi Prefecture bloomed for the second time this year."

"Sure."

"Then it’s settled." Uesugi Sakura extended her pinky finger to her.

Hanamaru Hanabi looked at him, extended her pinky finger and hooked onto his, as their fingers tightly intertwined.

Standing in front of the train platform, Uesugi Sakura lowered her waving hand, watching the train carrying Hanabi depart.

As the train cars went farther, a tailwind blew in her face, the clattering sound of the rails lingering in her ears, gradually fading into the distance, surrounded by people looking at their phones, waiting for the next train.

To meet like this from childhood among so many people, it’s truly lucky.

Uesugi Sakura withdrew her gaze from the distant city and left the station.

Entering the University of Tokyo campus, walking for seven or eight minutes, she could see a large grove of ginkgo trees, with many cleaners in blue uniforms wearing hats, cleaning the campus. Just as she walked near the Yasuda Lecture Hall, she saw a familiar figure.

"Professor Okuno."

Uesugi Sakura went up to greet him under the gleaming ginkgo tree.

Professor Okuno seemed to have just arrived at school, carrying a briefcase, and turned around when he heard someone calling him.

"Oh, it’s Sakura."

"Yes, good morning, Professor." Uesugi Sakura had learned from an email last night that Professor Okuno had returned the day before yesterday.

"Do you have any classes this morning?"

"No."

Professor Okuno showed an unsurprised expression.

"Aren’t you planning to attend Nagai Ken’s class on Hegelian studies?"

"Professor Nagai’s class is great, but I don’t plan on attending."

The implication of this sentence is: although the class is worth attending, I’m too lazy to go.

"You’re being willful." Professor Okuno shook his head.

The reason Uesugi Sakura didn’t take that elective was that he wanted to immerse himself in the library reading novels, occasionally catching up on class notes.

Professor Okuno raised his head as if he remembered something, deliberately straightening up, and said with a drawn-out tone:

"Sakura, July is upon us."

Uesugi Sakura immediately realized, it’s almost the end of term, and her fate is in Professor Okuno’s hands, "Professor, please give me another chance."

"Well... hmm... while on a business trip, I hastily drank a type of Italian coffee made with espresso, milk, and cocoa powder. I quite enjoyed it, but I don’t know what it’s called."

"Concentrated milk caffè, I know it, it’s a bit niche, but I can make it."

The pesky power that comes with it, but whether or not I fail at the end of term all depends on the professor’s decision.

"As long as you can," Professor Okuno smiled slightly, "there will be some interesting questions on the final exam for you all."

"Like what?"

"I remember you chose Chinese for your second foreign language, right?"

"Yes."

"Then for the last question, just sing a song in Chinese, and writing down the lyrics will earn you extra points."

Isn’t that considered leaking the exam questions in advance?

But a university final exam, wouldn’t singing a song be too simple?

"Professor, this..."

"Too simple? It’s not simple, you know your classmates’ levels? Even I find it unbearable to listen to them. They’re all talking about some May Blues and running off to play. Pay more attention, and talking more with a few Chinese international students won’t lead to translating ’legs sore’ as ’stinky feet’ or translating ’walking with sore legs’ into ’stinky feet on the road.’

"The character ’酸’ in Japanese is only used when describing taste."

Uesugi Sakura could almost picture the Chinese professor laughing out of frustration while grading the papers.

He guessed that student didn’t know what ’walking’ in Chinese meant and just randomly translated it.

"Have you been writing any short papers lately?"

"I have."

"You’re so playful; write another one for me to see your level."

"Professor, things like papers can’t be done so hastily."

Professor Okuno encouragingly patted his shoulder, "Write a 3000-word essay casually, no limit on ideas. Cite good references, and let me see it."

No matter if it’s elementary school, middle school, or university, teachers like to assign extra homework to students.

Uesugi Sakura was being specially cared for. He also understood that the professor didn’t want him to waste his education.

But encountering the professor with a friendly greeting, only to find himself suddenly assigned a short paper, was truly unexpected misfortune.

Looks like one should be careful about casually greeting a teacher.

The morning classes were nearing noon, so Uesugi Sakura still went to the comprehensive library.

Walking between the Western-style bookshelves, he saw a book titled "Hegel’s Philosophy."

Having heard the name Hegel again today, though never having studied it, he randomly picked it up to browse.

Standing in the hallway for more than ten minutes, he read the book, pacing back and forth, finally finding an empty spot to sit down.

The content in the book was quite interesting.

There was some contemplation inside.

I = I ≠ I.

Could it be that I cannot equal I?

When thinking of this, it again raises the question of "how do I prove that I am I."

Uesugi Sakura pondered while stroking his chin, assuming a character B, using B’s perception to determine oneself as A.

B knows that A is A, that is, I = I.

But this A is 6-year-old a. In B’s perception, he only knows 6-year-old A.

a grew up and developed, a is still A, but not the A that B knew, that is I ≠ I.

Hegel also mentioned "the circle of truth," "taking the end as the beginning" in the book.

After A and B parted ways when they were young, they reunited. B recognized that A was once 6-year-old a. B then enriched his understanding of 6-year-old a, realizing that a is A.

But after the two part again, A will inevitably grow, and B is likely not to recognize A, falling into the formula "I = I ≠ I."