"Speaking of which, why did you just call me to kidnap you?"

"Brother, you have a knife in your hand... There is duct tape ... He also accosted me alone. ”

When you think about it, it is still a sparsely populated rural platform on a rainy day, which is indeed a little intimidating.

“... Shouldn't the normal situation be fear? ”

"If someone kidnaps me, my mother will come looking for me."

What a naïve idea... Kamihara thought to himself.

[Self] in the perspective seems to have the same consciousness.

"What a naïve idea...... Don't think like that in July, if you are really captured by the bad guys, you will never see your mother for the rest of your life. ”

"Hmm." She nodded on her back.

"Understood?"

"Understood."

Although July had a somewhat eccentric personality when she was a child, she was not as quiet as an ordinary five-year-old girl, but her answer still had the cuteness of a child's promise.

She's still a kid after all.

Follow the road towards the village. The closer you go, the colder and narrower the scenery becomes, and the countryside and wasteland disappear into your place, replaced by old Japanese buildings with black roofs and moss-covered bluestone pavements. The dark green cedar trees that grow around the black ridge are moistened by the rain, and the foliage that stretches out into the street sways in the wind, gently shimmering with the sheen of the water.

On the streets, in the rainy season, there is not a single figure to be seen.

When [Kamiharaku] was walking around the village with Xiao Qi Mingyue on her back, she was leaning behind her back as if she was constantly looking at something around her with her eyes.

"Looking for Mom?"

"Hmmm......"

The camera turned, [I] or heard the little girl's words, and began to help her look around.

Not to mention people, even the orange cat that usually lies on the eaves is gone.

"Don't worry, let's go for a walk, maybe we'll meet each other."

"Okay."

As we move forward, the surrounding scenery still maintains a uniform tone, and there is no human figure. Slowly, Little July gradually lowered his eyes and buried his head behind his shoulder, deeper and deeper.

"Mom, I'm probably looking for you in other parts of the village."

“... Are you sure? ”

"Well, yes, you see, in July, our village is still quite large, and there is a harbor, and there are so many people living there, so if Mom doesn't meet us for a while, it's normal."

"What my brother said makes sense......"

"Because that's the case," [Kamihara] tried his best to coax the children, "There are always moments in life when it is difficult to meet, maybe because someone stepped on a stone on the road and accidentally injured their foot, they turned around and went to another road." ”

"I don't understand."

"Well, it doesn't matter if you don't understand it, you'll understand it later. I think you're still very smart in July, and you'll definitely understand later. ”

The little girl suddenly fell into her voice: "I'm not as smart as my sister..."

"Why, you're great."

"Brother isn't trying to please me, is he?"

“... What am I trying to please you for? ”

"Kidnap me and make me listen to you. I heard that there will be that kind of lustful uncle who likes to kidnap little girls. ”

“... I said that I am an older brother, not an uncle..."

A cold wind blew, and she hugged [Kamihara] tightly.

"Is it cold?"

"Cold..."

"Then in July, you hold on a little longer, and when you cross the bridge outside the village, you will almost arrive at your hotel. Promise my brother not to sleep. ”

"Okay....."

Hotel Clément.

Standing on the edge of the village, near the pier, the hotel is somewhat out of place with the houses in the village.

Essentially, it is a seaview hotel that was born to promote local tourism.

Located on the edge of Matsuyama City and bordering the Seto Inland Sea, the village is one of the main producers of Ehime mandarin oranges, and is blessed with famous spots such as Inszo Shrine, Dogo Onsen, Castle Tower, and Shimanami Kaido.

The Hayami-gun government, which is affiliated with Matsuyama City, also wants to get a piece of the pie and encourages the local people to successively launch Ehime orange picking experience, Seto inland seafood fishing experience, pearl picking handicraft production, pottery production, and rural life experience... and so on.

The Clement Hotel has only just been built, and the tourism project is still in an unfinished state.

My aunt and two sisters were supposed to be the first visitors here.

Coming to the door of the well-known modern hotel in the village, Xiao Qi Mingyue shook her head on her back.

"Not here."

"Huh? Not this hotel? ”

"It's this hotel, but my mother's temporary place is next to the hotel, in a house by the sea."

That place.

It seems to be a tourist villa area, a place for people with special money to open VIP channels.

[Shenyuan Le] continued to carry Xiao Qi Mingyue on his back and walked forward quickly.

"In July, your family is very rich, and you live in that place."

"Mom is a big star."

"Big star? No wonder you're so cute, and your hair is blonde. ”

"My brother really wanted to kidnap me."

"Don't worry about this, for you, I threw all the firewood knives at the station... Is your mom a big star abroad? ”

"England."

"It's no wonder that it's half-blooded. But why do you speak Chinese? ”

"Waiguild Chinese."

"Waiguild Chinese? Oh, I probably do. ”

"Mom will too, and so will Daddy."

"Your mom is of mixed English and Chinese descent, right, but why does your dad too?"

"Dad is very good, he can speak a lot of languages, and he will be a barrister in the future."

"So, your mother came to Japan to get married?"

"Mmmm, mom and dad are amazing."

[Myself] smiled: "I feel like you like Mom and Dad so much in July." ”

"Dad... And my mother, who was very kind to me and my sister. ”

"That's a really warm family. You have money, and your parents are very good to you, I think this dress on your body is probably also very expensive. ”

"I don't know how much... Brother's family has no money? ”

"No, our family is just ordinary farmers, grandpa and grandma are."

"Do you want me to give your brother money?"

"Haha, where do you have any money?"

Chatting all the way, the bumps from the body made Xiao Qi Mingyue's mood seem to be much better.

I don't have so much sleepiness and want to sleep.

......

Shen Yuan Le felt that Xiao Qi Mingyue at this time was the kind of ordinary little girl.

She longs for her parents very much, likes them very much, and is easy to accept people who are good to her.

This is very different from the seven bright moons of the sky and sea in the future.

As for the reason why she became like that, as [herself] walked through the rainy season, Kamihara thought that she had spied on a part......

Around a villa surrounded by palm trees and flowering vines.

[Kamihara Le] walked around with Xiao Qi Mingyue, who was injured in his foot.

Because they couldn't remember the first few houses, they walked through three or four villas in a row.

"There's a piano."

A hint of light music mixed with the rainy season.

This small piece of piano is repeated repeatedly, as if the piano is being played to practice the piece.

[Kamihara] looked up and looked at the last house in the villa area.

"Isn't it over there?"

He asked the little girl behind him.

But Xiao Qi Mingyue didn't know why, after hearing this piano, her mood suddenly fell, and her little head hid in the shoulder of [Kamiharaku].

"What's wrong?"

"It's... My sister is practicing. ”

"Your sister?"

"Uh-huh....."

[Kamihara] continued to approach with Xiao Qi Mingyue on his back until he stood outside a metal fence.

He peeked in to the left and right, looking through the cracks in the fence for the figure in the villa window.

He saw the figure in the room, standing behind a little girl.

And the other little girl with the same hair color as Xiao Qi Mingyue seemed to be listening to her mother's teachings, and kept beating the pitch-black upright piano with her hands.

The fingertips reveal beautiful music.

Even though the little girl was visibly tired, her fingers were still playing.

The mother had a smile on her face, her fingers holding her chin and nodding regularly to the rhythm of her daughter's piano.

The little girl, soaking wet, saw this, saw this in the rain.

The mood is getting lower and lower.

On one side is a home full of warm lights, a mother full of smiles, and an older sister who is practicing the piano hard.

On the other side, under the heavy sky, it was raining, her feet were injured, and her sister was wet.

......

The little girl seemed to grab the clothes from [herself] shoulders.

[I] didn't look back, and kept looking at the scenery inside the house.

Although Kamihara Le couldn't see anything other than [his] perspective, he probably understood Qi Mingyue's mood.

My mother was still standing in the house teaching my sister.

This shows that this whole afternoon, Mom... I didn't look for her at all.

Even she got wet, slipped on the hills, and waited quietly for hours alone at the country station.

Her mother didn't look for her at all.

.......

Kamihara even involuntarily remembered the appearance of the little girl who was waiting under the village station just now.

.......

“...... I'll take you back. ”

Xiao Qi Mingyue seemed to hesitate, hesitated for a few seconds, and after glancing at her mother and sister in the room.

She avoided her gaze and kept shaking her head, shaking her head and shaking her head.

She didn't want to accept the fact that her mother didn't come to her at all.

"But your mother... And it's right at home, if you don't go back, you're sure to catch a cold. ”

She still shook her head and grabbed the clothes on [Kamihara's] back with her hands.

Kamihara can understand [one's] thoughts right now.

In any case, the person inside was her mother.

[I] am just a stranger at the moment.

[Himself] sighed, bypassed the fence on the side, and began to walk towards the door.

"Don't."

At this time, the little girl behind her grabbed his clothes with her hands, and expressed her inner thoughts at the moment with her actions.

[Kamiharaku] tried to dissuade.

"Don't... No... I don't want to go back..."

"But you're not going back—"

"I don't..."

She just repeated.

"But you're going to get sick like this."

"I'm not going back."

This kind of tugging went on for quite some time, and no matter how much [Kamiharaku] tried to comfort her, she refused to enter the house.

[Kamihara] wanted to remind the people in the house that Xiao Qi Mingyue was in a hurry, and bit him with his teeth to stop him from shouting.

I almost fell off my back because of it.

The little girl on her back didn't know if her body was cold, and she hugged [Kamihara Le] from her back more closely.

"Really don't want to go back?"

The little girl did not respond and acquiesced.

With such a big child, it is impossible to leave her outside.

She didn't want to go back.

And if she is forced again, she has the strength to seek death and life.

(Aunt, this is really bad enough, Qi Mingyue is not in the afternoon, but I can't find it.) ）

The camera glanced at the beautiful woman in the room who was very happy.

Inside is the sister who is neatly dressed, which makes it even more of a contrast.

"Really, really don't want to go back?"

Xiao Qi Mingyue behind him still didn't respond, but buried her face deeper.

"You're really going to catch a cold now."

Although the rainy season in June is not too cold, it cannot withstand the long toss.

There is no way, in the face of a little girl who refuses to go anywhere, [Kamiharaku] can only suggest to her to go to his house.

"Anyway, my house is not far from here, and there is a phone at home, we have passed, how about you call your mother first?"

......

"Hmm."

In this way, [I] carried Xiao Qi Mingyue back the same way. 、

......

When I got to the door, [I] pushed the door and found it locked.

I knocked on it and waited under the eaves for a long time, but there was still no response.

Kamihara instantly guessed that it must be his bastard dad who went to play cards and locked the door.

"My dad doesn't seem to be here, let's go to my grandmother's house, I've been living there recently, and my grandmother's house is not far away."

Listen to what [you] have said.

Kamihara really felt that he was a child abductor and trafficker.

Although I was only 7 years old at that time.

......

Grandma's house was not locked.

Grandma and grandfather were also not at home, and Kamihara Le, who didn't know what they were doing, had to settle down with Xiaoqi Mingyue first.

This little Lori is not in a very good mood at the moment.

Recently, he and his sister have been staying at his grandmother's house, and his father was there for him to come back for two days, so his grandmother's house also has Ah Ling's clothes.

Xiao Qi Mingyue's wet dress must be replaced.

"Does your foot still hurt?"

"It hurts."

"Then will you be able to take a shower alone? If it's raining, you have to take a hot shower. ”

"My sister washed it with me."

- The implication is that she has someone to accompany her.

At that time, a seven-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl could have any strange ideas.

After witnessing [himself] asking repeatedly, Xiao Qi Mingyue buried his face and nodded in silence to agree to let him help him take a bath.

"Then let's go, go to the bathroom, I'll help you undress."

Wash her hair, wash her hands, wash her arms, and the important thing is that she washes herself.

After rinsing the hot water, [myself] put a towel over Xiao Qi Mingyue's head and helped her clean her hair.

"Isn't it much more comfortable to take a shower?"

“......”

"Wait a minute, will you put on my sister's clothes first?"

Just gently "Hmm." "Yes.

The elderly often have the kind of sprain ointment and bandages in their homes, which can be used in emergencies.

Xiao Qi Mingyue sat on the sofa and stretched out her injured little feet.

[Kamihara] used an ice pack to help her apply to her wounds.

"Cool ......"

"Bear with me, your feet are a little swollen and you have to apply ice," [Kamihara Raku] smiled at her to help her relieve the pressure, "Aren't you able to speak, July?" ”

After some time, I took a bath again, and at this time, Xiao Qi Mingyue's mood seemed to recover a little.

"Brother, will you heal your wounds?"

"I don't, but I'm still good at dealing with this sprain."

“......”

"Why don't you talk again? It's a lot of fun to chat. Or do you want me to ask you? For example, where did you live, where did you come from, what do you usually like, and so on. ”

"I don't know."

"Don't know?"

"I don't know what I like or what I like to eat."

"That's not right, children have their own favorite things."

"That brother is also a child, what does my brother like?"

"Me?" While dealing with the ointment applied to her little fleshy feet, he said, "I don't have anything I like, I can eat, anything, and my family is not too rich... If you want to say that you like it, it's probably to play with my sister. Alas, I don't know if it's a return to childhood, but I had a lot of fun with my sister, helping her make some little toys, and then watching her worship my brother with envy. ”

Xiao Qi Mingyue didn't listen to what he said too much, but kept paying attention to his actions of pinching his feet and helping him deal with his injuries.

Her belly began to growl.

"Hungry?"

"Well, I'm hungry."

"Then you wait, I'll see."

[Kamihara] got up on his knees, left the living room, and went to the kitchen for a while.

"What is this?"

"Potato chips... The snacks my grandmother bought for her, I don't know if it was my sister put in the refrigerator, it's a little cold, you will eat it first, and then I'll make you a bowl of fried rice. ”

Xiao Qi Mingyue took the bag he handed over: "I haven't eaten it..."

"Do you know how to open it?"

Shake your head.

[Kamihara] helped her tear open the bag of potato chips again, "Take it and eat it." ”

......

Watch this scene from a first-person perspective, with the mindset of a bystander.

Kamihara didn't even realize that he was so good at it... Abducted and sold Lori, and let her be obedient in three or two sentences.

......

The perspective continues.

Because there was still leftover rice in the fridge, as well as green onions and eggs, [I] planned to fry a bowl of the most ordinary egg fried rice for her to eat.

I was worried that she didn't like it, so I fried some meat foam in advance and added flavor to the fried rice.

The fried rice is fried to the back, and it already has a fragrance.

[Myself] suddenly came back to perspective.

At the door of the kitchen, Xiao Qi Mingyue was looking at herself against the wall. She was carrying the potato chips she had just eaten.

"What's wrong?"

"This... It's delicious......" she carefully carried the bag.

"Finished eating?"

"Not yet."

"Then you wait a little longer, and the meal will be ready soon."

The seven-year-old himself was really neat in his hands and feet, and he fried a plate of fried rice with minced meat and eggs in three or two clicks.

The fried rice with minced meat and eggs came to the front of the five-year-old Xiao Qi Mingyue, and it was specially equipped with a spoon.

She stared at the food for a long time, and her stomach growled with hunger, but she still didn't start eating.

"Don't like it?"

“... I'm sorry. ”

"Suddenly say what to do."

"Shouldn't have bitten you......"

Seeing that this child was so reasonable, [Kamiharaku] comforted her again and told her to eat quickly.

"How's it taste?"

He didn't speak for a long time.

"Delicious, what is this?"

"It's just regular fried rice."

"Haven't eaten this..."

"No, you're five years old, and you haven't ever eaten fried rice? What do you usually eat? ”

"Bento boxes at the convenience store, and bread... Eat big lobster, big crab once in a while. ”

......

Kamihara Leneng can speculate that it is probably because the aunt is too lazy to cook, so she brings them some bento to eat on weekdays.

Big lobster and crab or something, that must be something to go out to eat.

It's not that these things are bad, but they don't taste like rice at all.

To be exact, Qi Mingyue should have never eaten a home-cooked meal.

Judging from the speed of eating, she really likes this fried rice.

"Is it delicious?"

"It's delicious."

"That's good."

Halfway through, Xiao Qi Mingyue's eating speed slowed down again.

"Thirsty?"

"Hmm."

"Wait, I'll fetch water for you."

After taking a glass of water and handing it to her, Kamihara went to the yard to pick a few fresh oranges of early ripening varieties and peel them for her to eat.

I'm worried that I'll find her a fluffy blanket to drape in the back.

After eating a full meal, I ate potato chips and oranges, and my body was no longer cold.

Xiao Qi Mingyue pinched the blanket that warmed her body and continued to lower her head.

[Kamihara] sat next to her, and seeing that she was still a little unhappy, continued to tell her some interesting stories or some stories. He took out Ah Ling's toys and gave them to play with.

When he got to the back, Xiao Qi Mingyue looked at him several times.

The story he said was quite fascinating, and Xiao Qi Mingyue listened to it several times.

......

After that, my grandmother went home, and after [Kamihara] explained it to my grandmother, my grandmother didn't say anything about the little girl's existence.

It's just that I got her mother's phone number from her mouth and contacted her by landline.

Eventually, her mother and sister came to pick her up.

At this time, Xiao Qi Mingyue could still feel that her stomach was full, and there was the residual aroma of fried rice in her mouth.

She is reluctant to give up on her brother who wants to abduct and sell her today.

"After I go back, can I still see my brother?"

"Of course, feel free to come and play."

Until the moment when her gaze completely disappeared, her eyes were still on his body. 、

.......

I don't know if it's because dreams often don't match the real world, but this time has been going on for a long, long time.

For several days in a row.

From the very beginning of the encounter, to the next day, Qi Mingyue was led by her mother to play with him.

Later, she played with him by herself.

And [myself], who was idle and bored anyway, led her and the two to visit all the scenery around the village.

Take her to climb the mountain, take her and Ah Ling to the side of the creek to plug fish, make a fire to make a branch barbecue, take her to a cruise, take her to the beach to fish.

Tell her where there is a cat nest in the village, where there is a sparrow nest.

He even took them to steal an orange or two from the orchard in the next village.

Although it is indeed a bit unkind and whimsical, it is really exciting to run away with two little girls.

Oh yes.

Ah Ling didn't climb over the wall halfway, and there was a big black dog in the yard, so he was so anxious that he was stunned in place, crying.

Then alarmed the mistress of the orchard. Unexpectedly, she was still a friend of her mother.

Naturally, the three of them were left here and cleaned the land for an afternoon as compensation.

Visible to the naked eye, Xiao July became cheerful.

Shen Yuanle watched it all the way, and he sighed a lot.

It wasn't until later that Little July became more and more fond of playing with herself.

even went against her mother's wishes and ran out before completing the piano lessons.

Just to sneak a peek at him.

This naturally faced her mother's punishment, grounding + practice.

After the lockdown ended, it was also the night when the rainy season ended.

[Myself] helped Ah Ling bury her fireflies.

It was from here that Kamihara observed that something was wrong.

- I always tell her what Sherlock Holmes is, how powerful and smart Holmes is in it.

Xiao Qi Mingyue has to enjoy it.

She was probably not in a good mood today because she couldn't match her sister's talent on the piano, and [she] noticed this, and began to encourage her again, and made a promise to her.

- Make an agreement that "the next time we meet, as long as you learn a little more, I will prepare an extra story you like in exchange." ”

Xiao Qi Mingyue asked [herself] why.

[Myself] replied to her, "Because I like people who know everything."

Xiao Qi Mingyue heard [herself] words, lowered her head, and looked at the ground, as if repeating this sentence again and again.

I also pulled a hook and made a promise.

......

When Kamihara saw this, he wanted to slap himself.

Is this a sin of one's own making?

......

As she said goodbye, [herself] beckoned to her, and she stared at herself from afar.

His eyes were full of reluctance.

This scene.

Directly let Kamihara understand it.

Why is Qi Mingyue, why does Qi Mingyue know so much knowledge.

Why she loves to read.

Why just ask her, she can answer.

Actually, she didn't like these things at all.

It's these things, the goals that she brought to her.

She has always been moving forward because of her agreement with her.

After more than ten years, she didn't know how much knowledge she had learned, but she never brought her a story that interested her.

It was the penultimate day before she left.

In the early morning of the next day, at the last moment of going home, she ran to say goodbye to her.

She was very reluctant, and invited him to go home with Ah Ling and herself.

She would introduce him seriously to her mother.

This is naturally impossible.

"We'll have a chance to meet in the future."

- His own words seem to have an inexplicable convincing power for Little July.

It took her a long time to convince herself, and then she made a promise to him:

She'll be sure to come back to him.

And at the end of the day, he gave her a shark keychain as a gift.

......

From here, the dream becomes chaotic and disorderly.

The airport, the look back when I returned to Tokyo, the little girl sitting alone in the room looking at the moon with reluctance on the window of the plane, the notebook full of route maps, the reproach of my father, the crying of my sister, and the sound of the train that kept ringing in my ears.

There seems to be a lot of memory behind this.

But Shen Yuanle frowned, and his consciousness deviated in the chaos and disorder.

The real-world sky was already bright, and the winter sun was shining obliquely into the house.

Kamihara opened his eyes, as if he had broken free from a long, long dream.

There is also a fragrance of green apples, and the feel is very soft, so soft that people can't help but pinch it twice.

Wait, the smell of green apples...?!

At this time, Kamihara Le realized that he didn't know when he hugged Xiao Qi Mingyue, whose face had matured many times, and she was in his arms.

Snow shoulders are exposed, hair is hanging down, and he looks at himself expressionlessly.

Kamihara's right hand subconsciously retracted. There is also a rebound.

"I said it was an accident, do you believe it?"