(ps: day change or something,At least wait until I take the train home after the exam.,So please bear with me during this time╮(╯▽╰)╭)

Tick Tick Tick ......

All I could hear was the sound of the clock hanging on the wall.

The night was approaching imperceptibly, casting an impermeable black curtain over the distant sky. In this dark night, all the vibrancy, noise and noise of the city seems to be obscured, and it is no longer possible to distinguish them.

In this silence, the owner of the room is preparing for this semester's midterm exams.

Probably a little tired from self-study, Bi Qigu left the desk, walked to the window, opened the curtains, and quietly looked at the sky outside the window - of course, he couldn't see anything except the sky red by the lights, even if he wanted to learn from the ancients to pursue that short-lived solace from the endless starry sky, he couldn't do it.

Turning back to look at the wall, the hour hand was already pointing to nine o'clock

"Let's rest and rest, sure enough, studying and working hard is still not suitable for me. While talking to himself, Hikiya opened the door and walked to the living room. Lying on the sofa in the living room, laughing and rolling around with a girl's manga weekly, it is Komachi who rolls around like an active cat, exposing the fat * to the air.

"That's right...... In the misty world, I follow the way of the househusband, accept offerings, and follow the principle of the great bodhisattva of Buddhism 'other power and original wishes' is my way of survival—only my way of forbearance"—but Biqigu ignored all of this, still thinking in fragments.

Crunching to find the MAX coffee he had purchased, he suddenly remembered that it was gone, so he had to boil water.

"What's the matter, it was that decadent feeling from the beginning!!" said my sister who was lying on the sofa in a daze.

"If those ninjas in Koha Village were the same as my brother, I guess I wouldn't be able to save them, and I would be hitting. Ah, I want coffee too~~" Komachi, who was lying on the sofa, suddenly jumped up, then put down the book in his hand, and ran to the kitchen.

"Long-winded, you care about me...... Also, why do you think that the degree of hit is too light, and it should be invade or attack (attack, formal usage), right, and why is it in the current continuous tense?" while teaching the stupid sister how to use the vocabulary, Bi Qigu poured the powder of max coffee into two cups with a helpless expression, and the water was not boiling yet, and it would take a few minutes to wait.

"Speaking of which, brother, what are you doing at this time?" Komachi changed the topic with a look of indifference, but this trick could not fool the old brother who had lived together for more than ten years

"Hey, don't ignore me, remember what you just used first!" "It's troublesome enough to take care of a stupid sister's studies, but it's twice as much trouble to take care of a stupid sister who likes to play tricks.

"Yes...... But I'll go after I'm done drinking, hee-hee~~" Laughing, the cute sister said so, and Biqigu couldn't do anything about her.

"Exam revision. Now it's time to come down and take a break."

was stunned for a moment, and then Komachi remembered that this inexplicable sentence was to answer his own question just now, so he smiled and said.

"To rest is to be ready to continue. ...... Brother, which one, has you suddenly become a businesslike person?" [businesslike: well-organized; high efficiency; Practical and serious; Purposeful】

"First of all, good businesslike doesn't mean that I like work, and I'm not like that. ...... Your English is too bad, right?" [Komachi literally understands the meaning of businesslike, like]

"I hate it, brother. Komachi is super good at English. It's a genius. I.am Genius"

In any way can not be considered a genius in English.

“...... What are you doing?" he asked, staring at his sister a little strangely.

"Uh-hmmmm ”

"What is the feeling of being dead or alive! Do you want to find fault, this little ghost, pluck your stupid hair?"

"Even if you talk about my brother, I will never fight Komachi."

"That's because you have that. If I beat you, I'll definitely be beaten by my father. That's it. Don't be mistaken."

"Uh-hu-hu-hu-. Shy has been shy."

"Uh.................. , noisy to death......"

"But ah, my brother has really changed a little recently, obviously he wouldn't be so serious before...... Could it be...... There's someone you like, so do you want to make a change?Brother?" Komachi said this with a relieved expression, as if he had seen his child finally grow up, which made Hikiya feel inexplicably sad.

"No, you think too much, it's just that people who fail exams are punished"

But the person who likes it...... Does Tozuka count, does Tozuka count?Tozuka, Aikaga, Kosai...... In this way, Biqigu's mind was brought to the pink illusion.

"What, it's so boring~~ I thought my brother would have some peach blossom luck, I'm so stupid......" Komachi said with his forehead on his forehead.

To be honest, why he worked so hard for a mere midterm exam, Biqigu himself is not very clear.

He has always been alone, why is he so accustomed to collective action?

He has long been numb from the battlefield, why does he still respect the punishment game of the Ministry of Service?

Why would he, a self-proclaimed master of loneliness, agree to games that can only be played with cash charges?

...... In his brain, the answers to all of these seemed to be ambiguous, and his brain seemed to be running away and fearing something. So, thinking, analyzing, and the like are all thrown aside.

What he had here, something uncanny that he felt a little warm, a little intoxicated, seemed to be dulling and fragile his brain.

However, he has always been Biqigu - the lonely master, like a lone wolf in the grassland living alone until now, his essence will not be easily shaken, the essence of loneliness and gentle acceptance, the conflict between the two intentions in the continuous intensification and stalemate to maintain a weak balance, fragile, easy to collapse balance.

"But what...... My brother looked so handsome when he was working this morning, and even Komachi was almost fascinated, really, ——, Komachi scored very high."

“...... I also think I'm really cool today! It's strange that people aren't fascinated by me like that. Ah, Yawata who said this also scored very high!"

"What's that!!" Komachi looked at the super cheeky old brother with a shocked expression.

At this moment, the induction cooker sounded a 'ding', which was the prompt sound of boiling water, and Biqi Gu began to clean up the table, and then put the cup containing the powder on it, turned off the switch of the induction cooker, and let it 'whir' to emit heat.

“...... However, I have to thank my brother for what happened this morning."

Then, the arm wrapped tightly around his waist and buried his face behind him as if in a hug. I felt the comfort through my skin, and I knew that I wanted to take a nap more and more. Most likely, I can't learn today, I think so...... However, with such a state of mind, I think I will be able to sleep comfortably at night.

"And Komachi has a high score, right?"

"Cut, is it exposed?"

After Komachi said this, he continued to hug him. The cool wind blowing from the window was blowing comfortably, and the hot air from the well at the mouth of the kettle was constantly brought to this side.

"Komachi, be careful to stay away, now my brother is going to start pouring coffee. Reminding the stupid sister, Hikiya reached for the kettle full of boiling water.

"Hmm," Komachi replied happily and obediently left his body.

"But what...... Great. To be able to really meet"

"Huh?

Hearing the voice of Komachi coming from behind, Hikiya asked, who was pouring water into the cup, inexplicably, and bursts of steam rose from the boiling water that rushed into the cup.

"Look, isn't that the one who delivered the refreshment? I got to know such a lovely person as Yui Senpai through a broken bone, and I also knew those reliable seniors in the Ministry of Service. ”

......

Bikiya maintains the action of pouring water like a machine, and the action carried out unconsciously, mixed with a strong impact from the heart, so ...... It was out of shape - boiling water was spilled on the table, and a few drops even spilled on his unprotected hands, emitting heat.

"Ah, brother, what are you doing! The boiling water is all spilled...... Are you alright? No burns, right?" Komachi asked worriedly.

"Ahh

But by the time he said goodbye to Komachi like a walking corpse, and returned to his room with steaming coffee—

What did that guy just say? Yubihama is the one who delivers the snacks?

- Thoughts are tumbling like boiling water, and you can't stop it

The owner of that dog is Yubihama?

The first time we met, she recognized me?

......

In fact, it was a very ordinary incident, on the first day of enrollment at Hikiya High School, I suffered a traffic accident. On the way to school, a woman walking her dog near the school took the dog's leash and got out of her hand, and then unfortunately, a limousine driven by a rich man happened to drive over. As a result of helping the dog, he broke a bone. Hospitalization for three weeks from the first day of enrollment.

And the owner of the dog is the person who delivers the sweets that Komachi said.

Thinking back to the past, there were still some confused scenes before...... The meaning contained in those strange expressions and movements suddenly became transparent. Without words, Biqigu could only show an ambiguous smile. ...... Slightly, I considered various things. After that, he laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Sure enough...... Or has it become like this...... ? ”

A thousand words, in the end, can only turn into a weak sigh.

"I shouldn't have had any expectations in the first place, what am I doing?"

After the counterfeit has been torn off the skin of the 'real', it can never go back to the past, never to go back...... It can be 'ascertained' as a 'real' moment.

=============================I'm ...... The divider =============================

The next day, the place of workplace apprenticeship

"Ah, Xiaoqi, it's so slow! everyone's gone?" the still gentle girl greeted Biqigu as usual.

Since most of the groups in the class chose the same destination as the largest group in the class, Hikiya and Yubihama, who was always looking at other people's faces, came here as a matter of course.

"Ahh I'm sorry, but I saw something ...... interesting. Then, where did those people go" Bi Qigu, who had been in a daze, reacted and tried to pretend to be flat and replied, but at some point, the others were gone.

"They're all gone to Saria...... Hehe~~" Probably aware of the fact that there are only her and Biqigu here, Yubihama scratched his face a little shyly. Biqigu's heart trembled inexplicably.

A girl in the sunset.,The shy expression is unexpectedly cute.,If it's yourself in your youth.,You're probably already fascinated.,And then under the excuse of youth.,Do impulsive stupid things......

However, that pattern has been experienced more than once - gentle girls are always gentle, not only to themselves, but also to others, but this is called gentleness. If truth is cruel, lies are definitely gentle.

So, meekness is a lie.

If you say hello, you will care, and if you send emails to each other, you will be a deer in your heart. On the day of the call, when I see the letter resume, I can't help but feel soothed...... These things are no longer going to be done. Whether it's a confession of losing a guessing game as a punishment, or a fake love letter ghostwritten by a girl but from a man, these have been automatically immunized after a long battle.

It is precisely because it is a strong man who has been honed in a hundred battles, so it is better than Qigu-

Saizeriya...... Aren't you going?"

"Huh?...... Ah, yes, how to say, I'm waiting for a small business, so be it. That one...... I feel that it would be too pitiful to leave it alone, like this," poked each other's index fingers on his chest, and Yubihama looked over with a red face.

Seeing this posture, Bi Qigu felt uncomfortable again, but he couldn't help but smile on his face.

"Yubihama, you're so gentle"

"Hey!?ahh

There's no need to deny it at all.,You're really gentle.,It's because of that kind of person to talk to someone like me-the thing that saved the puppy in that accident.,Out of inner tenderness.,Gentle Yubihama felt that she had to thank the kind people.,She thinks it was that incident that caused the loneliness of Biqigu.,So,Can't let go of the lonely Biqigu alone-

"Well, there's no need to care about me. Helping your dog was just accidental, and even without that accident, I was probably alone in high school. You don't have to worry about ...... at all"—so, just get rid of the source that was bothering her

That way, there would be no factors that bothered her

"Small, small business, remember?"

"No, I didn't think about it. You've come to my house once to give a gift. Listen to Komachi."

He is the lonely Biqigu, the Biqigu who is located under the ordinary people, just a pathetic guy who lacks youth, and Yubihama is the Yubihama that everyone longs for, Yubihama who is located in the current group, and Yubihama who is the goddess of the whole school, so that the two should have been parallel lines, and there should not be any intersection.

But as a result of an accident, the two parallel lines were forcibly twisted together, and from that moment on, something had deteriorated between the two, something false and ugly had grown in it, exuding black malice.

"That's right...... Komachi-chan......"

Ahaha, Yubihama lowered his head slightly after showing a thin smile again, and the two of them stood stupidly like that, their figures stretching longer and longer in the light of the setting sun.

The broken thing, just under such vague and ambiguous tenderness, was hidden, kept accumulating, and finally one day, it could no longer be hidden, and the excess was added to the side of the scale, so that the fragile balance was broken

"I'm sorry, but it seems to make you feel strange. Well, but you don't have to worry about it from now on. I was alone, and it was my own fault that had nothing to do with the accident. There is no need to feel guilty and sympathetic. ...... If it's because you care about this and you're gentle.,It's better to stop," for his tone was a little rough, and he scratched his scalp in annoyance, and regretted it in his heart.

- Ahhhhhh What's the hurry, me. Doesn't that make me seem to care?

Countless expectations, countless mistakes, countless shames, the originally dull teenager has also begun to be sensitive to this, or overly sensitive, so this kind of expectation or something has become tired

"Well, that, what......"

I opened my mouth, but I didn't know what to say, and I couldn't think of anything specific. Both sides were speechless, and Yubihama laughed reservedly.

"Ahh That's not the case. What?...... Ah, that's not really the case......"

Yuhihama maintained this smile, and lowered his head in some embarrassment. Because you can't see your expression when you look down. It's just that the faint voice trembles a little.

"No, that's it...... Obviously not, such a ......"

Yubihama whispered. After all, it's the gentle Yubihama.,Probably gentle to the end.,Wrap the fake thing with gentleness again.,But,Hikiya doesn't want to be deceived by this gentleness anymore.,So he said a clear refusal.

"Let's go back"

With such a greeting, Yubihama glared sharply. With tears in his eyes, he didn't look away even then, and when he saw that he was resolute in his eyes, he looked away from Qigu.

“...... Stupid"

After leaving this sentence, the girl ran away in the direction of the sunset, and a little bit of crystal drifting away with the wind was a teardrop containing feelings

......

Although I didn't expect anything in the first place, why is my heart so uncomfortable...... The boy asked himself. But after a while, this feeling was also crumpled and thrown into the corner, sinking into the deepest part of the heart, and again, blocked.

It's dark...... ?

It's time to go home