In the convenience store, after saying goodbye to the two uninvited guests who suddenly arrived, Reya Hazuki, who was standing in the cashier counter and watching their figures disappear, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

I didn't expect this to happen.

How did you meet the teacher's student in Kyoto? It's a coincidence, isn't it?

Could it be that if this has something to do with the teacher's business, the probability of a coincidence will be greatly increased?

When I met him on the street before, it was quite a coincidence.

- But forget about this coincidence, it almost happened.

By the way, it's just curiosity rather than concern – what is the state of that teacher right now?

Successfully left the job, or what?

Well...... Judging from the state of the student named Shinohara just now, he didn't care about the teacher's affairs.,Didn't show any concern.。

Most likely, he had already left his job after saying his final goodbye to the students, as he had planned, right?

Reya Hazuki guessed that this was the case.

As for guessing correctly...... She didn't know about it, and she couldn't ask the teacher for confirmation.

- Speaking of which, the two of them have met so many times, but they have not exchanged contact information once, and the meeting is all by luck, meeting at a convenience store, and bumping into each other on the street - if she finishes work or has a slightly staggered route of action, she will not be able to see her.

Well, yes, it's a coincidence.

It's amazing.

And sure enough, what she said just now was right, it's just "people I know", so it doesn't matter if I don't have contact information, it's not right to say that I am an "acquaintance".

"—Hazuki."

Just when Ye Yue Limi was distracted, immersed in chaotic thoughts, an extremely familiar voice was suddenly caught in his ears.

"—yes."

After hearing the voice, Ye Yue Reya immediately responded, raised his gaze with his head lowered and hidden under his cap, and looked ahead.

A middle-aged woman, about forty years old, stood in front of the cash register and looked at her.

「……」

It's a store manager.

"Manager...... Good afternoon."

After reacting, Ye Yueliya's already well-behaved face immediately showed a bewildering and well-behaved smile-

If you are someone who knows the character of this girl, such as Tetsufumi Hirakawa, you will definitely find such an appearance too confusing.

"What's wrong, what are you thinking?"

"This...... It's nothing." Ye Yue Reya shook her head, and then, "Speaking of which, it's time to get off work now, right?"

The store manager crossed his waist and smiled helplessly: "Can you only think of getting off work when you see me?"

"By the way—" Hazuki Reya remembered and grinned, "salary."

「…… You."

"Hey, hey." Reya Hazuki continued to laugh obediently.

"Give."

"Thank you, manager." Reya Hazuki took the envelope handed by the store manager with both hands, "Then I'm off work?"

"Well, let's go."

……

Reya Hazuki pinched the envelope and came to the convenience store staff room.

She walked in, took out her backpack from the storage room, and stuffed the envelope inside.

The convenience store was paid daily, and she had several identical envelopes in her backpack.

Stuffed in, she zipped up her backpack and turned to the next changing room.

Pulled the door open, took out the regular clothes he wore when he came to work today from the cabinet, took off the staff clothes on his body, and the cap, hung it aside, and after changing his clothes, Ye Yue Limi walked out of the changing room.

Strap on your backpack and say goodbye to the store manager.

"Manager, I'll go first."

"yes, okay."

Out of the convenience store.

Actually, normally, she has to work until the evening, but at this fixed time every week, she still has things to do.

The cold wind outside the store, just out of the warm convenience store is still a little uncomfortable, Ye Yue Reya stretched out his hand, but did not touch the cap.

I had to brush my hair, which was floating in the wind and quickly became cold.

She looked up at the sky, and then took out her phone from the pocket of her clothes, and on the screen, several cracks spread from the corners, and she saw the time when the cracks were cut into several pieces—

It's five and seven.

……

At five and fifteen o'clock, Reya Hazuki caught the tram.

Very good, there is still some time before the off-duty rush of the commuters, and there are still vacant seats.

Because of her part-time job, Reya Hazuki, who had been standing for a long time, immediately walked over and sat down.

It wasn't until she sat down, breathed a sigh of relief, and felt the sourness coming from her legs, that she began to pay a little attention to the girls around her who seemed to be the eldest lady of a rich family-

Moriya?

When I caught a glimpse of the badge tattooed on the left chest of the uniform, I was stunned for a moment.

He blinked his eyes curiously several times, and retracted for fear of being offended, and began to muttered silently in his heart:

How is it a student of Moriya again?

I remembered the two people I had seen at the convenience store today.

How can you see so many schools in Kyoto?

Thinking so, from the whispered chatter next to me, I caught the key word-

"It turned out to be a school trip."

Reya Hazuki understood.

Coming from Kanto to Kansai and from Kanto to Kanto, it's normal to have such a school trip.

Some time ago, her class voted for a school trip to Tokyo — she just didn't go.

That's why when I saw those two people at the convenience store this afternoon, I didn't think about the school trip...... I thought it was something else.

……

The winter sky was getting late quite quickly, and it didn't take much time even on the train, but when Hazuki Reya walked out of the tram stop and looked at the sky again, the sky, which was still shining, was already dark.

The clouds in the dark of the night are gray and dull.

Reya Hazuki withdrew her gaze and walked towards her destination.

is a hospital.

……

Under the illumination of the bright street lights, Ye Yueli first went to the self-service deposit machine next to the hospital and deposited the money she had saved from her part-time job into the bank card.

After depositing, there were several empty envelopes.

It's 50,000 yen this week.

Well...... Of course, this kind of income is an illegal part-time job, and if it is exposed, it will be found by the police.

However, the manager took the risk to let her stay, which is grateful.

After depositing the money, Reya Hazuki walked into the hospital.

……

The lights of the hospital were so bright and bright that they banished the darkness of the winter night.

With the smell of belonging to the hospital lingering on the tip of her nose, Reya Hazuki walked into the ward area.

Skillfully circling, the sound of footsteps echoed in the cloisters of the hospital, and soon reached the destination.

Reya Hazuki stopped.

This is a single room.

With her backpack on her back, she stood in the doorway, looking at the closed door of the ward.

「……」

She pushed the door open and walked in.

……

In the ward, the lights are still bright and pale to the point of being a little pale, and the lights outline the picture in the ward.

The dark windows, the white hospital bed, the man lying on the bed, the woman next to the bed, the gloomy face that the light can't dispel.

「……」

Reya Hazuki quietly closed the door gently.

After closing the door, she turned around, and she saw the woman next to the bed staring straight at her.

His eyes were stiff, and the whites of his eyes were bloodshot.

「……」

Reya Hazuki's footsteps paused slightly

Under.

She reopened her legs and walked over. The woman's neck did not move, and her eyes followed her figure smoothly, not leaving her.

It's coming to you.

Reya Hazuki looked down and looked at her.

「……」

"I'm coming."

「……」

"Go get some rest."

「……」

There was no response, but her mother got up anyway.

With a sluggish look, he stepped aside.

「……」

Reya Hazuki sat in her mother's place.

She glanced at the person on the hospital bed, and scanned it roughly, not daring to look closely.

The white quilt covered the body, revealing only a head.

His face was withered, and his eyes were closed.

Reya Hazuki's gaze left.

She looked at her mother, who seemed a little sluggish, took out a change of clothes from the closet next to her and quietly walked out the door.

Reya Hazuki retracted her gaze and stared at the white hospital bed and bedding.

……

When her mother returned, it was half an hour later.

"Reya."

Dry, like an old machine with no lubrication—the noise-like sound came from her mother.

Reya Hazuki stood up and looked at her mother, who had changed her clothes at the door.

"Yes."

"Come out."

「…… Yes."

Looking at her mother at the door, although she didn't know what was wrong, Hazuki Reya still walked over.

As she walked past, her mother's eyes stared straight at her.

It wasn't until she came to the door and walked out that her mother's eyes looked away.

"Let's go back." She spoke suddenly.

"What?" The voice was too dry to be heard.

Her mother's hand grabbed her arm, "Go back."

「……」

Now Ye Yue Limi heard it clearly, she turned around and looked through the gap in the open door of the hospital room and glanced at the person on the hospital bed.

"I just fell asleep, and I didn't wake up so quickly."

「…… Oh."

"Bang." The door was shut, blocking the view.

Her mother grabbed her arm and walked on her own.

Some of my dry hands, through the winter clothes, were scratching a little painfully.

Ye Yueli pursed her lips and followed.

Not a few steps though.

"Mom."

Hazuki Limi tugged at her mother's hand.

「……」

Her mother's footsteps stopped, her head turned suddenly, and she stared at her stiffly.

Reya Hazuki pointed to the clothes in her mother's hand, "Your clothes are still there."

「……」

She reached over and took the clothes.

"Shall I put it back?"

「……」

After a dull pause, her mother grabbed her hand and slowly released it, watching her back to the room.

He put his clothes away, came out of the room again, and stared at her again until he walked in front of him step by step.

Her mother grabbed her hand again, turned around as before, and without saying a word, headed out of the hospital.

Reya Hazuki continued to be pulled forward.

"What are you going back for?"

After walking a few more steps, Amid the sound of empty footsteps echoing in the corridor, Reya Hazuki finally asked the question.

But I couldn't get an answer.

Her mother still walked on her own without saying a word.

Ye Yue Limi closed her mouth and moved forward in silence.

……

The wind was blowing in the night.

The evening breeze in Kyoto in December is cold when it blows in your face.

Reya Hazuki glanced at her mother's not too thick clothes.

Still just got out of the shower.

"Will it be cold?" —The words that were about to be asked, as her eyes moved to the bloodless side of her mother's face, and inexplicably, in a little uneasiness, stuck in her throat.

"What are we going back for?"

Ye Yue Limi asked again.

All she answered was the cold wind whirring.

……

The two people standing at the entrance of the hospital stopped a car in front of them, which was a taxi.

Reya Hazuki looked at the taxi, and then looked at her mother's outstretched hand that seemed to be frozen in mid-air, beckoning to the taxi.

"Mom?"

「……」

Reya Hazuki shouted in surprise, but her mother just glanced at her.

"Get in the car."

The jerky machine popped out a few syllables.

「……」

……

Taxis in Japan are expensive.

It's definitely a lot of money to get back home from here.

It's not too expensive to pay, but definitely an unnecessary burden...... There was still a man lying in the ward.

Reya Hazuki stared at the odometer in front of her with some uneasiness, and then at her mother, who was sitting in the back seat with her, still holding her arm.

The dim light in the taxi made her mother's already gloomy face a little terrifying.

"Mom-"

Reya Hazuki shouted again, hoping for an explanation.

However, her mother did not even look at her, staring at the backrest in front of her.

……

Reya Hazuki was indeed uneasy.

She struggled lightly with her grip on her arm, unable to break free.

"What the hell is going on?"

When she came to the house, her mother took the key out of her pocket with one hand.

"Mom?"

「……」

In the midst of her inquiries, and the clanging of keys, the door was opened.

……

In the dimly lit home, her mother pulled her in.

"Go change your clothes."

As soon as she walked in, before she could change her shoes, her mother gave the order.

Reya Hazuki looked at her mother.

In the darkness, her mother's eyes reflected a faint light.

Reya Hazuki reached out and turned on the light.

The lights suddenly turned on, and her mother's face and eyes suddenly appeared in full view.

"Your school uniform."

Her mother popped out a second sentence.

「…… School uniform?"

"Take a shower first." Her mother popped out a third sentence.

「……」

Ye Yuelimi hesitated for a moment, and formed three sentences into a sentence: "Take a shower, and then change into a school uniform?"

"Hmm."

Her mother nodded stiffly.

「……」

Reya Hazuki felt more and more uneasy.

Pale face in the pale light, dull eyes,

"Why? What is this for?"

She asked again, but there was no answer.

……

Bright lights, in the bathroom, Hazuki Reya finished taking a bath.

Through the frosted glass door, it can be seen that her mother has been guarding the door of the bathroom, and has not left.

「……」

Reya Hazuki changed into Uyama's school uniform and opened the bathroom door.

As soon as I went out, the cold eroded my body that was still wet.

She was confronted by her mother, her eyes staring at her.

"Let's go."

「…… Where to go?"

「……」

Her mother reached out and grabbed her hand and dragged her stiffly towards the door—in the process, at some point, Reya Hazuki seemed to finally realize what was going to happen.

Her face suddenly lost its color.