The temperature of the sun shines directly on the earth without hesitation, and the air is filled with the smell of wet and salty seawater. It was the same hot and humid weather as usual, and Saotome Nao's life had not changed much since yesterday. Of course, including the boy I met after school yesterday, I met again today without any changes.

After the school bell rang, Nao left the school with his school bag and embarked on the necessary way home every day. At the corner where her footsteps had stepped onto the school wall, the sound of chasing footsteps and a shout full of energy sounded behind her.

"Hey!!Wait a minute!!"

"Here we go again......" The corners of Nao's eyes twitched unconsciously when she heard this familiar voice. Judging from the current situation, today's dinner time is going to be reduced again. She sighed and turned back, and before the dazzling gold could be heard, she said with a scowl in her face, "I told me that I don't have a secret to not wearing a uniform!"

"No, no, it's not about that, I have something else to say to you!"

The visitor saw that Nao had stopped, and hurriedly waved his hand to greet him. Before Nao could react to his words, his attention was first drawn to the person who was following him......

With short black hair and a long body, only a primary school student is already as tall as a middle school student; his eyes are round and big, but there is no trace of the clarity and innocence that a primary school student should have, but it seems to be shrouded in a layer of fog, revealing an unbounded mystery; as if he has often undergone some torture, even his eye sockets are deeply sunken. Just staring at his eyes, it seemed that a chill rose from under his feet, which made people involuntarily frightened. Such an appearance, whether placed in school or society, must be an undesirable type.

And in fact, it is exactly so, because this person, she knows.

"Hello, Zhinian-kun. ”

I don't know if I was attracted by the chill in his eyes, or if I had the sense of belonging to "the same person who was not welcome in the school", Nao actually took the initiative to say hello. But the boy didn't speak, just nodded to Nao.

"Huh, you know each other?" the blonde boy asked in surprise, looking at Nao and then at Zhinian.

"Well, we're in the same class. "We're in one class. The two of them spoke as if they were discussing.

"What, it's a class! No wonder you know about her......" The blond boy glanced at Zhinian dissatisfiedly, "Hey, why didn't you say it earlier, I wouldn't have to ask her, just ask you!" It made me so embarrassed and said excessive things to the people I met for the first time......"

"Whether it's a class or not has nothing to do with whether you know it or not. Zhinian's face was expressionless, "Pingguchang, have you forgotten the purpose of your visit today?"

“…… What about that?" Nao listened to the ambiguous words, sensitively intuitively sensing that something was wrong, and frowned unconsciously.

"Ah yes, you didn't say I really forgot......" The boy slapped his head, turned to face Nao, and bowed ninety degrees, "I'm really sorry for yesterday's incident!!"

"Hah-?!It seems to be ...... We only met for the first time yesterday, right?" Nao's brain couldn't take the rapid jump, and the black lines hung all over the corners of his forehead, "What the hell are you thinking? Yesterday too, he suddenly came to me and asked me something strange, and today he suddenly came to apologize...... Speaking of which, I don't even know you!"

"Didn't I introduce myself?...... Ahaha, sorry sorry. The boy looked at Nao's confused face, scratched his face and laughed, stretched out his thumb to himself, "I'm Rin Hirakuba, first grade group E, please take care of me!"

"Hello...... Nao nodded in salute, "Saotome Nao, 1st grade group B, please advise." ”

"Uh-huh, don't you know each other like that!" Rin Hirakuba smiled, then became a little embarrassed, and scratched his neck-length blonde hair embarrassedly, "That...... I'm so sorry yesterday, I didn't know your parents were ...... That one...... Anyway, I'm sorry!"

"Also?" Nao caught the keyword, and instantly changed his expression, looking a little cautious, "Are you ......?"

"No, no, it's not me!" Heiguba looked at Nao's inquiring eyes with a little pain and pity, and quickly interrupted her guess with both hands, "It's Zhinian, his father ......"

"Pingguchang, are you done?" Zhiniankuan's cold voice made Pingguchang Rin swallow the words that followed.

“…… Ah, that's all I'm going to say, nothing else. Heikoba was silent for a few seconds under Zhinian's seemingly unfocused eyes, Fuer raised his face and regained a bright smile, and waved his hand to Nao, "Saotome, I'll go first, and we'll talk tomorrow!—bye!"

"Well, tomorrow...... Let's talk again?" Nao reflexively waved his hand, and was suddenly stunned for a moment, looking at the back of Pingguchang, and muttered in disbelief, "...... Tomorrow, you'll talk to me again...... What do you mean?"

"Ah, that's what that guy meant. Zhinian Kuan on the side affirmed Nao's uncertain thoughts, and looked at the direction of Pingguchang's departure and raised the corners of his mouth invisibly.

Nao looked at the fleeting tugging of Zhinian's facial muscles, and his eyes widened and he was a little glazed.

Although Zhi Niankuan is in the same class as her, he has not had any communication. Not only her, but all the classmates turned away from this boy with a gloomy feeling. Although a few bold people took the initiative to talk to him, there was no further explanation in the few sentences of Zhinian. Although she hadn't heard any rumors about him directly, based on her experience, she was almost 100% sure that there would be no more of that kind of thing in the shadows.

It can be heard from the words of Pinggu Field Rin just now that Zhiniankuan's family situation must be very similar to her. If you look closely, you can see the same pain in the boy's eyes. But this pain is buried so deep that ordinary people cannot even perceive it, and only those of the same kind who have experienced the same pain can read the gloom in the water of the abyss.

-- That's the pain of losing a loved one.

"Zhinian-kun, you ......" Nao opened her mouth, and finally swallowed the question. Because she wanted to trust her instincts more than to lift the bloody scars. She stretched out her right hand to Zhinian and said something she thought she would never say: "...... Can you be friends with me?"

"Friend?" Zhinian frowned, folded his arms and snorted softly, "Hmph, I don't need that kind of boring thing. ”

Nao's outstretched right hand stiffened, and her fine eyelashes drooped. But before she could withdraw her hand, she was grasped by a hand that was two knobs longer than hers. The palm of her hand was hot and even slippery with sweat, but she felt that the temperature coming from the palm of her hand was cool and refreshing, like a spring flowing slowly through her heart, and then with the blood flowing down to every vein, so comfortable that she felt like crying.

"It's not bad to have one more companion. The gloomy boy gripped the girl's small palm, and showed an expression that no one had ever seen except his family and another companion, Rin Hirakoba, a smile that was not bright but was very sincere.

The two children, who should not know what to worry about, were too precocious because of their unfortunate families when they were still in the age of Huangkou. The way of communication that only teenagers can have in them when they are only seven years old may seem comical and subtle to others, but these two children, who were forced to give up their childhood, have come together because of this way of communication that only they understand, and they have become companions who can rely on each other.

For them, they need a companion who can understand each other more than friends who play and play together. Supporting each other and licking each other's wounds until someone or something emerges that can erase these painful memories of childhood.

Since then, Nao has often been able to work with the two of them after school and play together, while Zhinian, who originally relied on collecting shellfish from the beach and selling them to restaurants, has been introduced by Nao and entered a dojo near Nao's house to work. Although the money I make is not much more than that of picking up shellfish, I was able to learn the ancient martial arts of Okinawa while working part-time, and I wanted to have the ability to take care of my younger siblings like Nao, although I still looked expressionless, but I was very happy in my heart.

Rin Hirakuba was envious of the increasingly powerful skills of the two, and finally entered the dojo with hard work for his family. But he didn't come to work part-time, but officially learned Okinawa-ryu karate with the master of the dojo. Nao and Zhinian snickered inwardly, and after the part-time job was over, they took the Pinggu field aside after they had finished learning, and "forced" him to teach them the orthodox ancient martial arts with the advantage of being numerous and powerful.

Since then, after the part-time job at the dojo has ended, there are two more children practicing basic skills in the small courtyard of Nao's house, surrounded by palm trees, and they are also each other's opponents and sparring partners. Although they were always bruised the next day after each practice, the three children's interest was getting higher and higher, and they didn't want to give up at all. I don't know if it was because of their sharpening eyes, or because of the incident in which they beat one or two people who were not afraid of death, no one despised and ridiculed Nao anymore. The three of them were very satisfied with this result, and they went to the beach to play with great interest.

As a result, the Ryukyu East Elementary School Iron Wall trio was formed.