In the afternoon, the sun shines into the classroom, and the blackboard is divided into two parts: light and dark. The classmates who were traveling together left the classroom one after another, and I was supposed to pack my schoolbag and go home, but at this time, my mind drifted out of the window, and I saw the seniors who were struggling to play football, and I was envious of their physical fitness.

I'm out of breath even when I run, and the sports in physical education class can't even compare to some girls, alas, I'm really useless......

Shouldn't I work harder and be more proactive?

A familiar voice sounded, and I immediately interrupted my thoughts, and the classroom door was pushed open, revealing a figure.

"Kiyono-kun, shall we go home together?"

Seeing Aoko standing at the door, I immediately stood up, "Okay, Sister Natsumiya, please wait a minute" I began to quickly organize my books, pack my desk, and school bag.

"Huh... Kiyono-kun is the only one in the classroom," Aoko said casually unconsciously

I turned my head to look around the classroom, and sure enough, there was no one, and it turned out that I was the only one left in a daze (my mind was flying).

"Ahh Haha, yes, it seems like I'm the only one......" I replied as I smiled and touched the back of my neckline.

"Alright, let's go" I picked up my bag, closed the classroom door, and walked out of the school building with Aoko.

"Kiyono-kun is studying hard today," Aoko said with a smile

I shook my head violently and said, "No, it's the same as usual, I was in a daze just now...... it seems that Aoko mistakenly thought that I was staying in the classroom to study.

"Haha... Really?"

"Well, I'm in a serious daze."

"Haha...... I see, I haven't seen Kiyono-kun in a serious daze...... I'd love to see it."

I waved my hand, shook my head and blushed, and said, "Sister Xia Gong, don't talk about it...... It's a shame......

"Haha......" Aoko smiled even brighter

We walked out of the school gate together, and today Aoko and I walked home on the path in the field, Aoko rarely walks this road, this time I offered to go back from the path.

"Sister Summer Palace......

"Huh......?" Aoko turned her head to look at me, meeting my eye for it

"Do you know the story of the Raven Maiden......?"

"Raven Girl......?" Aoko, who looked puzzled, shook her head.

"What is it?" Aoko asked a little curiously

「…… Yes...... Probably there was a small town where suddenly one day a crow appeared circling the chimney of a noble mansion all day long. It makes an unpleasant scream, and the people who live in the neighborhood hate it. There is a girl living in the aristocratic mansion, the girl is very lonely, her father is a nobleman who is busy all day long, and it is rare to see her once a month, the girl's mother also died in childbirth, the servant's restraint and some sinister voices behind her back make the girl tired, the room is full of countless dolls, but it can't fill the girl's empty and lonely heart, so the girl looks out of the window with weak and tired eyes all day long, until one day, a mournful crow flies in front of her eyes. The girl heard the closed and gloomy crow's cry, and she inexplicably felt that the crow, like herself, was a species that was gradually closing in her heart, a species that wanted to lick each other's wounds, so the girl had the idea of being friends with the crow. So the girl fed the crow and befriended the crow. Every night after that, the girl would dream of a boy of the same age, and they would talk in the dream, and the boy seemed to know everything, and he seemed to have been to many places, and he knew a lot about the forest, and the boy told the girl some strange rules of human beings, and in short, the girl was very interested, and every time she could wake up smiling......

"It's just that time flies quickly, one day the girl's father picked up the girl and asked her to go to the aristocratic school to learn aristocratic etiquette, the girl agreed, but wanted to take the crow away, the father did not agree, it was the first time the girl and the father quarreled, and the father of the girl's father also slapped the daughter for the first time. The girl hugged the pillow and cried, and heard her father asking the housekeeper to clean up the crows near the house and his friends...... That time, the girl dreamed again, she asked the boy if he could help her, told the crow not to come again for a few days, the boy asked why, the girl said that because she was leaving here, her father would ask the housekeeper to clean up the crows near the house, so please help me......

「…… The boy got up and left, gave the girl a warm smile, and then turned away from the girl's dream, his back drifting away...... The housekeeper put the girl's luggage in the car, and the girl sat in, looking back at her room, praying that the crow would never come again. The girl left the town that day, and the crow did not appear. It was only for the next seven days that the town had a strange raven that everyone could see, and it circled around the chimneys of the noble mansions, and chirped sadly, which aroused the disgust of the people, and on the seventh day the butler called the hunter, and the gun rang out, and the raven was forever at peace with the red blood and black feathers...... The girl was writing with a quill pen, and suddenly the happy and innocent laughter of the boy and girl came from nowhere...... It echoed for a long time, and finally slowly faded away...... The girl was inexplicably left in tears and muttered 'I'm sorry ......'"

"This is the story of the Raven Maiden," I said

"This story fits Kiyono-kun's style quite well......," Aoko said

Accord with... My style...

I blushed a little and panicked and said the origin of the story, "Actually, this story was made up by me when I was in a daze......

"Really...... Kiyono-kun has such a talent!" Aoko said in surprise

I shook my head in a panic, "No, no...... No, talent or something, I ...... Not really."

Seeing me like this, Aoko laughed again, "Kiyono-kun, you have to have more confidence in yourself, I think you do have talent."

As soon as Qingzi said this, I was even more embarrassed, my neck was hot, and I didn't know what my face had turned red. It's a shame......

There were a lot of wildflowers on the way, most of them couldn't be named, and some of the vegetables grown by the farmers had not yet grown, and they didn't know each other very well, until a field of golden flowers with huge flower plates appeared......

"It's ...... Sunflower... Let's go."

「…… Good...... It's beautiful......"

I've been here with Aoko for a long time, and sure enough, beautiful things always make people linger......

In the late summer dusk, the noise of the cicadas faded away, but the sound of frogs in the field became fuller, like a symphony one after another, and the notes jumped in the air......

……

This tree......

The space changes with your footsteps, and you can feel the wind sliding backwards, and you can already see Aoko and my house here, at the intersection of this path and the concrete road.

We stopped here and looked at this maple tree that I planted with Aoko when I was a child.

"This tree...... I planted it with Kiyono-kun when I was a child."

"Hmm...... It was a long time ago."

I nodded, thinking to myself that the tree was already so tall.

"It seems...... I haven't paid attention to it in a long time...... This tree is taller than me and Aoko now......

"It was only up to our calves,......," I sighed

Aoko said thoughtfully, "Actually, we pass by here every day when we go to and from school, and every time the maple tree flashes under our eyes, but it changes so much from our eyes unconsciously...... It's just that the Empress Dowager Kiyono-kun and I realized it later."

「…… That's right" I could only nod in response, accepting the innocuous change.

「……」

"So...... Kiyono-kun"

"Huh......?"

「…… I have an idea."

I listened carefully to what Aoko said, and Aoko took a deep breath and said, "Let's do something after we go home today, write down our current troubles or unspeakable things on paper, and of course we can also have things or wishes such as longing for the future, and then put our thoughts into a box, and choose a time that you and I don't know to bury the box around this maple tree. If the person who buried it very coincidentally digs up the box of the person who buried it first, then please do not open it and bury our boxes together."

"Wait until one day in the future, if we suffer unbearable pain in our hearts, this can be regarded as a chance for our future selves to come to our childhood and find salvation."

"What does Kiyono-kun think......?"

Aoko looked at me, but I've never seen Aoko look like this...... We look at each other quietly, but our hearts should not be at peace.

I nodded and said solemnly.

"Well, I think it makes a lot of sense."

Aoko smiled, her smile was warm, and her gaze made me feel comfortable as if bathed in the winter sun......

"But...... Maybe we won't remember this kind of thing by then......" Aoko said half-jokingly

I shook my head and replied very firmly to Aoko, "No... I guess we won't forget it."

「…… Even if Sister Xia Gong forgets...... I won't forget it."

Aoko laughed out loud, she looked at the setting sun, trotted in front of me, and then turned around, her hair fluttering, the setting sun shining on Aoko's face like a red and intoxicating rouge, she said softly, "In that case...... Then I won't lose to Kiyono-kun, and I'll remember it forever."

The moon began to loom, and one or two bright stars faded and began to blink......

At that time, we all thought about it......

……

That little idea, Qingzi and I should both attach great importance to it, but it seems that at the same time we both have the same careful thoughts, that is, "wait for the other party to bury it first".

After two days, I thought that Aoko should have been buried, so when I came out to run at half past five that morning, I buried the box.

……