At five o'clock in the morning, put on your shoes and close the entrance.

"I'm out"

I started running, running from my house to the town, where a few morning shops were busy, passing through shrines where morning incense was burned, crossing historic stone bridges, running past stations where many people were waiting for the bus to read the newspapers, crossing traffic light intersections, bypassing the back gate of Luyin Elementary School, and continuing to run home from the small dirt road in the fields and forests......

The morning sun is starting to shine on the land, and it's 6:40.

"I'm back"

When I got home, I was sweating all over, my legs and feet were throbbing, and I was so tired that I fell asleep against the wall in the entrance where I changed my shoes...... The clock quietly ticked to half-past seven.

When my parents got up, I didn't know it, they saw me sleeping in the hallway, looked at each other strangely, shook their heads, and woke me up. I woke up and immediately returned to my room, washed my face and brushed my teeth, packed my school bag, changed into my school uniform, and rushed out of the door with two pieces of toast in my mouth, and said slurredly.

"I'm out"

「……」

"This kid ...... What's going on today......

……

Running all the way to school, I saw Aoko at the entrance to the school gate, and I greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning!"

"Kiyono-kun, morning!" She smiled in response.

"Kiyono-kun, you're up late today... I thought you left first, went to your house and called you, and you didn't respond."

"Aha...... I'm sorry, I slept too deeply... Haha."

"Looks like Kiyono-kun didn't tell me anything good... Do you have a favorite girl?"

Hearing Qingzi say this, he was startled, his face turned pale red, and he waved his hand and shook his head again and again.

"No, no, how could I have ......?"

Halfway through the words, I realized that something was wrong.,I do seem to have a girl I like.,But she's right in front of me.,My feelings for Qingzi should be like it.,Although I've never thought about getting married or something.,Distant things.,But it's also like!

"Also... It's not for nothing... Why can't you say her name in front of this person...... And I don't know if I like it......" I said very vaguely and probably, but the sound of my words was that I liked Aoko in front of me, and I think Aoko should not be aware of the careful thoughts of my words.

"That's right...... If you like it, you have to express it well.,Kiyono-kun is so gentle.,That girl might have a crush on you too...... Haha."

Sure enough, Aoko didn't think about herself at all.

"Anyway, it feels like Kiyono-kun is growing up all at once...... It's only the fourth grade."

「……」

There's just a trace, there's only a trace, but I do see it. When Qingzi said this, there was indeed a trace of loneliness in his eyes......

"Let's go, it's almost class, you go back to the classroom."

"Sister Xia Gong, goodbye"

We split off at the corner of the staircase.

……

6th grade class 3 classroom, noon.

"Aoko, there's a junior boy looking for you at the door, the kid who lives near your house," Aoko's classmate Kae stood at the door of the class and beckoned to Aoko, who was sitting in the seat, and gestured out the door

"Oh, thanks, I'll go out and have a look."

"Bang" closed the door, and Aoko came out.

"Sister Natsumiya, did you eat your lunch box at noon?"

"Not yet, Kiyono-kun, what are you looking for me?"

"I want to have lunch with Sister Natsumiya."

"Well, that's fine, where are we going to eat, cafeteria?"

"I'll take you, follow me."

I pulled her where she wanted to go.

"Where does Kiyono-kun want to take me?" Aoko asked as she walked.

"You'll find out later!"

"Then why do you suddenly want to eat with me?"

I didn't answer her, but quickly took over the conversation as my spatial perspective shifted.

「…… It's coming."

She and I came to the rooftop, a gust of wind blew, the sun was refreshing, the sky was high and the clouds were light, and the wind and the sun were beautiful.

「…… It's on the rooftop."

"It's not here."

I continued to lead her around the rooftop and under the water tower at the top of the school.

"Sister Xia Gong, you're going to climb up from here......

"Huh...... It's so high, it's going to be dangerous, forget it... There's no one here, so I'm eating bento here......

"Sister Xia Gong, come on!"

I held out a hand to her

Qingzi was stunned at first, and then she just sighed and said

"I can't help it."

So I took her hand and slowly climbed up the water tower and landed on the bungalow that operated the water storage next to the water tower, which was the highest place in the school!

"This is the highest part of the school, and you can see the whole school from here."

Aoko stood here and looked around, feeling a sense of novelty.

"Kiyono-kun... When did you discover this place, great place... I've never seen a school like this...... It actually feels a little strange...... It's really a matter of angle..."

"Do you feel strange......

"I've discovered this place a long time ago, but I've only been here once."

「…… Why only once?"

"Maybe it's because a... Bad feeling, maybe it's the strangeness that Sister Xia Gong said... When I stand here alone, I see that there are people in every part of the school, several people together, together with a common field, talking and laughing, playing, kicking, studying, chasing, they all have their own small groups, intentionally or unintentionally. Whether it's true or not, their smiles make me feel like they're so happy, and I feel out of place when I'm standing here, and I'm afraid of this feeling of being off the rails, and I haven't been here since."

"Maybe it's because I don't have many friends myself......

「……」

"All of a sudden...... I don't seem to know much about Kiyono-kun...... But... I've always known that Aono-kun is not a simple guy.,Since the first time I met Kiyono-kun.,When we lived happily together in the future.,The books Kiyono-kun read.,And some of the books that Kiyono-kun recommended.,I've read them.,Those aren't simple... I'm just a fourth-grade kid... Hee-hee..."

"It's just...... I've always told myself that when I'm with Kiyono-kun, I don't have to think about anything, I can make anything easy, I can meet Kiyono-kun, play, read books together, listen to songs...... These precious memories bring me spiritual ...... Eternal happiness and growth"

"But there are many things that I have come into contact with before Kiyono-kun, and gradually, more or less, I have undergone some changes, which are inevitable changes, but I don't want Kiyono-kun to change...... It's very selfish, one-sided wishes......

"Now it seems that Kiyono-kun must have secretly changed for a while... However, I'm really glad that Kiyono-kun can bring me here."

「……」

"Actually, the main reason why I brought Sister Xia Gong here is not this...... Haha, let's eat a bento!"

"Also, I said something superfluous... Haha, let me see what Kiyono-kun brought today..."

Open the bento and nod to each other.

"I'm going to go."

"Here you go, tempura, and eggs."

"Do you want muffins? I'll do it myself!"

"Yes, yes"

"Why do you like green peppers?"

"It's because of health."

"Even if that's it...... I don't like it either."

"Can't be so picky......

……

We ended lunchtime happily, I brought oolong tea, poured a cup for Aoko, and we sat here to observe the school.

"That, Kiyono-kun's classroom, there," Aoko said, pointing to my classroom

"The one above, the second room from the right, is Sister Summer's class."

I smiled silly at Aoko

"Haha, I saw Gui Yue in our class, she came out of the cafeteria with Crow Hua and Zhi Shu."

"Araki is chasing the sages, and I don't know what they're doing......

"That's that...... That one... Is Zhishi actually dating Ye Hui... I didn't even know that they had just held hands and went into the garden."

"On the other side of the sand pool and woods, there are actually people fighting!"

……

It turns out that you can see the behavior of so many classmates who you don't usually see on the roof of the building, is this a voyeur? It's funny, I think. Originally, I was happy with Aoko...... It's just that......

「……」

「……」

Suddenly, for some reason, Qingzi stopped talking and fell silent. I noticed that her eyes were frozen, so I naturally followed her gaze – it was the basketball court.

It's her!

That bad girl called 'Wuxiang'! There are a few other bad ones on the pitch, as if they are cheering for someone.

Some of the tall, sixth-graders on the basketball court play basketball there......

Qingzi She looked at it for a long time, and she didn't take her eyes off, and sure enough... The matter of bullying has always had an impact in Qingzi's heart.

That's what I think...... But I ...... There's nothing you can do about bad girls......

Then my eyes darkened.

Until the end of the basketball game, a boy withdrew, and the bad girl 'Yamamachi Wuxiang' immediately stepped forward to hand over the water and towel, looking very enthusiastic, and then left with the boy one after the other.

Isn't it ambiguous with that 'left-of-the-road' senior... Why are you hitching up with another boy now?

Really......

Bad girl or something...... It's disgusting to me

……

In between, Aoko looked over there, her own expression much more complicated.

I cautiously asked Aoko, "Sister Summeriya... Do you care about that bad girl... It's the one who bullied you last time..."

「……」

Aoko didn't speak, just nodded slightly

"Want to reconcile with her before you leave......?"

「……」

"Kiyono-kun...... This thing... I hope I don't ask..."

"I want to keep a little secret... Just a little... This is a way to appreciate the school before leaving...... It's so good."

Aoko changed the subject, she lowered her delicate eyebrows, and her eyes flashed with a hint of emotional emotion.

At this time, the sky was cloudless, but an untimely wind blew and made Aoko's hair flutter...... I couldn't see Aoko's delicate side face clearly—and her micro-expression that looked like disappointment or loss.

Can't see clearly......

At that time, I instinctively had a terrifying, nightmarish thought in my mind. Like an ugly plant in a pitch black box, it suddenly trembled. So I found a bigger box and covered the box and plants inside.

And this bigger box - is the departure of Aoko.

"Ah! That's right... Hehe...... Now that lunch is over, let's go back, Sister Natsumiya!"

With a cheerful smile on my face, I didn't ask any more questions, and put away the dishes. Aoko nodded slightly, stood up, and stroked the hem of her skirt.

Aoko went down first, and then I was on top of her, but something unexpected happened.

"Click"

Qingzi's feet slipped, but he didn't step on the next horizontal ladder steadily, and swiped straight down, and his hand didn't have time to grasp the upper horizontal ladder. Subconsciously, I let go of a hand to grab her wrist, but with my physical strength, I couldn't stop the downward inertia of our body at all. The foot is unstable and keeps falling, and there is a rapid collision and friction sound between the ladder and the ladder.

Even though each ladder was unstable, there was still a cushioning effect, so when we fell to the ground, Aoko and I just fell into a ball without light or heavy, and there were words and actions like gasping and saying 'it hurts'.

Then, we all sat up facing each other, and after a brief silence, we all let out a laugh that resolved each other's embarrassment.

"Hahahaha......"