She didn't call Shinichi Iwahashi, but Shinichi Iwahashi's call came unexpectedly.

Akina Nakamori left the living room and stood in front of the telephone. When I press the number, I can't tell what it's like.

I'm happy to have him call, but I'm annoyed to call him back.

A new possibility unfolded in front of her. However, while realizing this new possibility, she was ignorant, but she also realized another thing.

When you discover something new, it's hard to stay in the same mood as before. And she herself, still don't know how to contact him.

The phone went out, rang three times, and was answered.

"Happy New Year, Akina-san. Iwahashi said.

Akina Nakamori held the microphone, followed his rhythm, and also replied, "Happy New Year." ”

"I just went downstairs to get a Chinese New Year postcard. Shinichi Iwahashi told her, "I read what you sent." So, I want to give you a New Year's call. ”

On the phone, Shinichi Iwahashi's voice was kind and cheerful, no different from every meeting and every call in the past. But Akina Nakamori listened to such a tone without a hint of haze, and the feeling that only she was unilaterally troubled was clearer.

Shinichi Iwahashi didn't know anything, and he wouldn't necessarily have a similar mood as her......

When Akina Nakamori thought of this, she didn't feel good in her heart, and she didn't know what to do.

"I think the New Year's postcard I sent you arrived in your mailbox around the same time. When Shinichi Iwahashi said this, he turned his head and asked, "Has Akina-san returned to his hometown?"

Akina Nakamori said "um", "I'm still in my hometown." ”

As she spoke, she regretted her blunt tone again, and asked instead, "What about Shen Yijun, haven't you returned to your hometown this year?"

Shinichi Iwahashi didn't care, "I'm going to Osaka on the 5th of this year, and I'm going to talk to Kansai TV about some business." When you return from Osaka, you can take a trip to Shizuoka in between. ”

Akina Nakamori listened silently.

On the other end of the phone, Shinichi Iwahashi also sensed that she was not in a good mood and asked, "Did something happen?" After speaking, he smiled first, "I'm sorry to ask this kind of question on the first day of the new year." ”

After all, it's the first day of the Lunar New Year, and there are enough people who can't speak.

Hearing him say this, Akina Nakamori also realized that she was too listless, so she quickly cheered up, "It's not like that." ”

On the phone, the absent-minded Akina Nakamori that Iwahashi Shinichi had just sensed was gone, replaced by an energetic and witty Akina Nakamori who made jokes.

The atmosphere was lively, but the more the phone calls were made, the more wrong they became. Even Akina Nakamori herself, although she said it with her eyebrows fluttering, felt that it was too deliberate.

A phone call can't be said to be a pleasure.

It's still Shinichi Iwahashi, who can't bear to listen to her force herself any longer, so he diverts the topic and talks to her about the peacock origami, "Just now, I was helpless against the peacock, just waiting for you to teach me how to fold." ”

He guessed that maybe something unpleasant happened to Akina Nakamori when she returned to her hometown. Origami teaching, when I met, I could listen to her if I had anything to say.

Just as origami teaching is inconvenient to do on the phone, some words are inconvenient to say on the phone.

But Akina Nakamori was vague and didn't give an exact time, "I'll ...... when Shin Ichika-kun returns from Osaka."

The two agreed on the phone that they would make an appointment later. Iwahashi Shin was half joking and half serious, and said, "I might be stumped by you this time." ”

When he said this, he reminded Akina Nakamori of the feeling of wanting to stump him when he was learning origami.

What is the reason for that feeling of wanting to stump him?

After hanging up the phone, Akina Nakamori stood in front of the phone, thinking about the conversation with Shinichi Iwahashi just now, regretting and uncomfortable. The way he looked just now was like he was going to push Iwahashi Shinichi far away.

However, although he did something to push him away, he was thinking in his heart that he was obviously so far away from him...... He didn't know anything either.

said that he was pushing him away, and he used his strength, but in fact, he didn't even touch the corners of his clothes, but just waved his fists and feet into the air. However, it was obviously against the air, but every time she pushed, she really regretted it first.

What the hell is she doing?

Iwahashi Shinichi didn't know it, but she felt jealous and unhappy unilaterally at first. Now, because of his ignorance, he wants to push him away, but he regrets it.

Attracted to him, so I want to get close to him. I'm afraid of getting hurt, so I want to push him away. I'm worried that I'll lose my current state if I say it, so I want to maintain the status quo.

When one party is unaware, the other party has to take responsibility for making choices.

It was to take a step back, to move away from him. Or bury this possibility, and he maintains the status quo.

Or, even if she was the only one who discovered this possibility, she chose to take a step towards him. Even if it's in vain, really reach out.

The question that doesn't know the answer yet makes Akina Nakamori overwhelmed, and she doesn't know how to face Shinichi Iwahashi. I even felt a little timid because I had to make a choice.

At this moment, I heard the sound of the entrance. Akina Nakamori looked up and saw her sister Akina standing there, and she didn't know when she came back.

She subconsciously let out an "ah".

Nakamori Akiho looked at his sister, but he didn't react to her surprise, and said, "I'm back." "Go around her and go inside.

Then, Akina Nakamori hears the voice of Akiho talking to her mother.

After dinner at home, Akina Nakamori said goodbye to her family and went back to her apartment.

Before getting out of the car, remembering that Shinichi Iwahashi said on the phone that he had received a postcard from her, Akina Nakamori also went to check the mailbox and took out a thin stack of postcards from it.

New Year's postcards from people who have business dealings are sent to the office, and there are not many people who exchange New Year's postcards with her privately. In previous years, there were only thirty or forty sheets for the entire New Year.

It will be sent in a day, and there are only a dozen of them.

After entering the elevator, Akina Nakamori flipped through the postcard in her hand and found Shinichi Iwahashi's one. Familiar handwriting, exactly the same wording habits as in the letter.

Akina Nakamori looked at the postcard and remembered that there were still letters in the drawer that he had sent that he had not replied to, as well as a new origami study that was halfway through.

I want to stump Shinichi Iwahashi...... I haven't seen him embarrassed yet.

He said on the phone that he might be stumped this time.

See you next time...... But when is the next time? Can she make a choice before the next time? She couldn't make up her mind herself.

This time, there was no one around to tell her which was the best option, and no one to encourage her what to do. She didn't even know what Shinichi Iwahashi thought.

Shinichi Iwahashi, who didn't know anything about these things, is there now, and nothing has changed.

Now, whether to approach him or push him away is up to her, and she has to make her own choice.

Akina Nakamori felt as if she had been given a wonderful freedom.

Freedom like never before...... But it's also a responsibility that has never been felt before.

......

On the afternoon of the second day, Kanda and Yoko walked out of the apartment together and headed for Shibuya. Small record stores may not be open normally, and if you want to buy records, you still have to go to the big record stores in the center.

Every New Year, it is an important battlefield in the ratings war of various TV stations.

During the New Year, various special programs take turns, even if there is a self-exclusion order hanging over the head. However, the TV station with the highest ratings is still trying to make the program broadcast normally.

The battle for ratings in the first month of the TV station actually began on Chinese New Year's Eve of the previous year.

In addition to NHK's Red and White Song Party, each TV station has its own Chinese New Year's Eve program and New Year's Eve program. The reason why the Red and White Song Club works so hard for ratings and topicality is nothing more than because competitors are also eyeing each other.

On Chinese New Year's Eve, after watching the Red and White Song Party, Kanda and Yoko began to exercise their rights as spectators and switched to TBS TV. Halfway through the show, I started to cut into commercials.

Kanda picked up the remote control and was about to change the channel, but as a result, he heard with one ear that the background music of this advertisement was "Future Forecast II" that he had heard at the Red and White Song Party not long ago.

I've always liked this song, and I just listened to it not long ago, so I feel very kind.

What kind of advertisement is this? He paused as he pressed the button on the remote control.

The main characters of the ad are a couple in love, about the same age as Kanda and Yoko. In the background music of "Future Visionary II", the element of "five downs" runs through it.

And this background music seems to be annotating the small actions related to the "five strokes" that they keep repeating.

Until the male protagonist drove the female protagonist home, watched her go around the corner, and flashed the brake light five times, the whole advertisement lasted for more than 20 seconds.

Kanda doesn't know what foreign TV commercials look like, but in this book, it is common to advertise for extra-long and series of advertisements.

However, Kanda could never guess what kind of product it was advertising.

It wasn't until five times after the brake light flashed that an album cover appeared on the TV screen.

It is a new album by DREAMS COME TRUE, called "LOVE GOES ON... It also has a release date, which was December 26 last year.

On December 26 last year, Kanda didn't pay any attention to it.

Before Future Visions II, he had little interest in the band. After I liked this song, I wanted a single that included this song.

As a result, looking at this ad, this song is an album song?

Kanda watched the commercial for instant miso on the TV screen, and realized that the long commercial was a promotional advertisement for the band.

“《LOVE GOES ON... "Isn't the album a good name?"

At this time, Yoko was heard to speak like this.

On the third day, Kanda was going to take Yoko back to his hometown. So on the afternoon of the second day, the two went to the record store together, ready to buy an album and listen to it on the way to the car.

As a result, when I arrived at the store, I found that there were more people looking for this album than I expected.