Death-life-contract-broad, and Zicheng said.

Hold the hand of the son, and grow old with the son.

What beautiful and happy words.

It's just that it's not for yourself

It was Akiko's last night in Japan.

Before the start of the winter vacation of this friend who was concerned about the predecessors who had become 'vegetative', she had already begun to ask her father and Richard to arrange for herself to study in the United States.

The twin maids Yui Yuzuki and Yuki Yuki, who had grown up with her since childhood, were not prepared to take them with them - even if they kept asking to go with them. After they leave, they will still go to school in the White Emperor, and by the way, they will deal with the remnants of this side for themselves.

There was only one person who came to see her off-the former student council president of the White Emperor, her sister, Gui Daisy, and also Akiko's cousin who was far away by blood, and now she was lying on Akiko's bed with her.

On a winter night, the cold is still bitter, and this year's winter seems to be particularly cold, even if the heating is on, it is still relatively warm under the quilt - it is almost early spring.

Close your eyes and open your eyes.

Close your eyes and open your eyes.

In the big bed that used to fall asleep quickly, Akiko couldn't sleep again and again - as soon as she closed her eyes, the figure of her predecessor would involuntarily appear in her mind, and the quilt was rustled by her.

"Is Akiko asleep?"

Abruptly, Gui Daisy, who had been back to her all the time, kept the same position motionless, making her think that the other party had fallen asleep, asked softly.

"Not yet."

"Can't sleep?"

"Hmm."

“？”

There was a shallow, almost inaudible sigh, and then, with her back to her, Daisy turned around and embraced her with a warm embrace.

"When I was a child, I couldn't sleep, my mother would hold me like this, and then I would fall asleep very quickly" Daisy said softly behind her,

"That's probably going to work now, right?"

"Thank you, Hinata-san."

Akiko closed her eyes

"Akiko?"

"Hmm."

"Haven't you fallen asleep yet?"

"That's it...... Can't sleep. ”

“”

"Then I'll tell Akiko a story."

After a moment of silence, as if to soothe a child who can't sleep, Daisy said.

The room was very quiet, the appliances in the room were turned off, and there was no car or other sound outside the window, only the sound of the two people's breathing and the occasional whistling wind.

"Hmm."

"What kind of story does Akiko want to hear?"

Not too much emotion could be heard from her answer, Daisy asked with a silent sigh in her heart.

"Fairy tales."

"Hmm," Daisy muttered, "Which fairy tale does Akiko want to hear?" ”

"Whichever one comes to mind, Sister Hina will talk about it."

"What does Cinderella Akiko think?"

After recalling the fairy tales she remembered in her mind, Daisy picked out one of them that she remembered more clearly and asked.

"Cinderella?"

"Huh? If Akiko doesn't like it, change it? ”

"No, that's it."

Akiko replied softly.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl who had a vicious stepmother and two sisters who had bad hearts. She was often bullied by her stepmother and two older sisters, forced to do heavy work, and often covered in dust, so she was nicknamed 'Cinderella'. ”

Daisy narrates the story in a textbook way, a beginning that almost everyone is familiar with.

"One day, the prince of the city held a ball and invited all the girls of the city to attend, but the stepmother and her two sisters did not allow Cinderella to attend, and asked her to do a lot of work, which disappointed and saddened her. At this time, a fairy appeared and helped her transform into a noble lady, and turned the mouse into a groom, the pumpkin into a carriage, and a beautiful set of clothes and a pair of crystal shoes for Cinderella to wear...... Akiko? ”

"Huh?"

"It's nothing, I just think my storytelling skills are terrible - Akiko also thinks such stories are perfunctory"

"Everyone has their own understanding of the story, so there's no problem with Hina's story."

Akiko said, with her eyes open.

Does everyone have their own understanding?

Indeed!

"Well, I'll talk about that later."

Daisy hugged Akiko a little tighter.

"Cinderella's mother died, and her father's remarriage hit her hard. Compared with the abuse of her stepmother and sisters, the loss of relatives is a more fatal pain. She didn't complain to her father, it's not that she didn't want to be cared for by him, it's just that she ......"

After a pause, she continued:

It's just that she thinks it's useless to say this kind of thing. What is lost will not be regained because of one's hope, and even if it is gained, it will never be exactly the same. Miracles do not exist. ”

"My father went out and promised to bring a gift back, and the gift she wanted was the first branch he touched."

"Cinderella took the branch that her father had brought back and planted it on her mother's grave, and a tree grew from the grave because of the irrigation of her tears. There are two small birds on it, and they can grant Cinderella's wishes. ”

"The bird's magic allowed Cinderella to successfully attend the prince's ball. She met the prince, who was handsome, noble, gentle...... No girl like the prince would not be tempted. Cinderella too, she almost forgot who she was, she wasn't a princess, she was just an ordinary person, but at that time, ......"

"Prom...... Nice clothes...... These false glamours made her forget many truths. ”

Akiko closed her eyes, and she finally felt a little tired in the dimly lit room with her eyes open.

While dancing, Cinderella was flattered by the prince's invitation, and she had no idea that this man would be in love with her. Probably because of the fake gorgeous dress on his body...... If only you had realized this earlier...... But at that time, Cinderella was just fascinated by such a perfect prince, she forgot her identity, she wanted to use the only thing she could show to make the prince smile, as long as she saw that person laughing, she felt that she was just as happy. ”

A whistling wind blew through the window, and the consciousness that had been a little blurry after listening to the story suddenly became a lot more sober. She subconsciously put her left arm on Daisy's hand.

"Twelve o'clock is coming soon, and Cinderella can't stay at the ball all the time. So she left early. ”

"The prince is very gentle with Cinderella, and even more so at the ball. And just like that, ball after ball, Cinderella enjoyed her time with the prince again and again. Almost...... The pain of losing a loved one is about to be forgotten......"

"But magic has a time limit. It's just that such a ball is no longer what Cinderella wants, she wants...... That's the impossible. Maybe...... There will be miracles...... It's like a tree growing on my mother's grave. ”

"So on the night Cinderella made her decision, she confessed to the prince."

Akiko listened quietly, and her long-cultivated tolerant character made her hold back and didn't ask anything, just continued to listen.

"Confession rejected......"

Daisy recounted.

"Ridiculous, isn't it? If you think about it, you'll know...... Such a result. Why didn't you think about it beforehand? ”

"What Cinderella longed for, the prince said he couldn't give her. The prince was so gentle that he even apologized to Cinderella, he was clear...... Didn't do anything wrong. Originally, all this was just Cinderella making a fool of herself, falling in love at first sight and falling into it. Forget who you are, Cinderella...... No matter how gorgeous magic is, it is magic after all, and how can such a void and ephemeral thing make her worthy of a prince. This truth should have been understood a long time ago. ”

"The sad Cinderella just wanted to leave the ball as soon as possible, she didn't want to be seen by the prince now, but she left a crystal slipper."

"She ran barefoot on the way home, and the prince did not chase after her."

"Crying and running on the road, like a fool. Tears flowed into his mouth, bitter and astringent. ”

"Crystal Slipper...... It will disappear after twelve o'clock, and the only thing she can bring to the prince is such a short time, Cinderella thought, maybe it will be a good memory for the prince, and he will probably forget it in a few years. And she just needs to continue to live the life she was supposed to live before. Because meeting the prince is already a miracle in itself, and if you ask for too much, you will get nothing in the end. ”

"Hina-sor"

This is a story unlike any Cinderella ever told before.

It's not just Cinderella's story, either.

Akiko couldn't find any clues in Daisy's unchanging narrative tone, unlike any version she'd heard before. However, she still has some knowledge about this cousin's past.

"Akiko hasn't fallen asleep yet?"

"The prince likes Cinderella too, right?"

Akiko asked cautiously. But she didn't get a response from Daisy, and she waited a long time without any response.

"Hina-sor......"

Akiko tightened her arm and hugged it harder. Behind it is the body of the daisy who is lying together because of breathing. In such a steady rhythm, she regained some peace of mind a little.

"The story is over, Akiko should sleep well." With that, Daisy reached out and patted the girl's head gently.

"It's so unfair......"

“”

"It's so unfair to Cinderella."

"Hmm."

"I've always liked seniors, from the time I first met."

"yes, I know."

"But the seniors don't know."

"He knows"

"I want to stay with my seniors every day, and I will be jealous when I see my seniors being gentle to other juniors, and I will be envious when I see my seniors staying with others."

"It's like that, I want to be held by my seniors, I want to hold my seniors' hands, I want to kiss...... There are many other things that I want to do with my seniors. ”

"The ...... I always knew"

"But the seniors didn't know at all!"

"I don't know!"

Akiko's crying voice rose several degrees.

"Akiko ......"

A gentle force came from the arms that hugged her, and Daisy hugged the girl in front of her even tighter. This is probably the greatest tenderness and comfort she can give her.

The initial annoyance turned into an indescribable grievance at this moment, and the bridge of Akiko's nose suddenly became sore, and tears overflowed her eyes and flowed down her cheeks to the pillow and sheets in front of her.

"Akiko...... Get some sleep and everything will be fine......"

"But I can't sleep."

"Just close your eyes and you'll be asleep after a while."

"Sister Hina, Akiko is so lonely."

"Sister Hina is right next to you...... I'm not going anywhere, I'm here for you now......"

"So Akiko doesn't need to worry about anything."

"But, but if I fall asleep...... This loneliness is even more intense......"

"Even if Sister Hina is by my side, it's the same."

"Akiko ......"

Daisy hugged her and stroked her hair over and over again.

"I'll stay awake until Akiko falls asleep...... So ......"

"Sister Hina doesn't know how much I like my seniors."

"I know ......"

"You don't know!"

Daisy's calm and emotional tone made Akiko even louder. Tears poured into the nasal passages, and the sound became very strange.

"I know, that feeling of loneliness."

"Not at all...... Didn't know anything about ......."

Unable to utter a complete sentence anymore, Akiko let go of the hand holding Daisy and wiped the excessive tears on her face.

"When I was about the same age as Akiko......"

"I've also cared about someone like you, Akiko."

When I couldn't see that person, I felt lonely and missed it so much that I couldn't sleep. ”

I want to meet, I want to be around that person......"

But when I stay together, I miss it even more. ”

The longing that can't be alleviated by hugs or even kisses is breathless. ”

It's like I'm going to suffocate......"

"But ......"

"That's not necessarily the kind of emotion you think you think it is......"

"No...... No...... I really like the seniors...... I ......"

"It's just a momentary dependence."

"Akiko is just ...... It's just a momentary dependence on the hour. ”

"Akiko...... Close your eyes, get some rest, get some sleep, and tomorrow everything will be fine. ”

"Everything is going to be fine."

Akiko stopped talking. She also had nothing more to say.

It was probably the last night the two spent together. After that, she will go to the United States, and Daisy will return to school.

"I love to cry, it's really the same as I did back then............"

Grabbing Daisy's hand firmly, Akiko closed her eyes, trying to imagine her as someone else, and then kept the false feeling in her memory.

The night is already deep.

PS: Really, the above is all rolled out of our face rolling keyboard, we don't know what the content is, we don't know anything, the above.