The light of the rising sun seeped into the living room through the transparent glass window.

The darkness in the horizon was gradually dispelled, and it was covered with a misty light.

In this way, in the stimulation of light, consciousness is gradually awakening.

But what really woke up Tetsufumi Hirakawa was the closed eyes, in the faint light, the shaky shadows that blocked the light.

There was still a slight murmur in my ears, footsteps, and breathing.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa opened his eyes.

So, in the light that fills the living room in the early morning, everything in front of me is clearly imprinted in my eyes and into my mind.

It's the face of a young girl.

Crystal clear skin, sparkling eyes, small nose, thin lips...... Shiori Shinohara squatted on the edge of the sofa, a slight smile on the corner of her mouth, and looked at him quietly.

"Good morning, Mr. Hirakawa."

After opening her eyes wistfully, the girl opened her mouth and spat out a nice sound.

Voices imprint into my mind.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa looked at Shiori Shinohara in a daze, a little confused.

In the dream that I had just woken up, the face of the girl who was under the fireworks and shimmered in various colors overlapped with the eyes of her.

The person in front of me seems to have really come from a dream.

It wasn't until a few seconds later that his brain was completely awake, and Tetsufumi Hirakawa finally figured out why Shiori Shinohara's was here, instead of staring at her if she had come out of a dream.

He blinked and spoke.

"Shinohara-san?"

"Hmm."

"What are you doing here?"

Shiori Shinohara stood up and answered his question with a smile.

"Let's see when Mr. Hirakawa wakes up."

"What's so nice about this."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa replied casually, but as he spoke, his voice gradually became a little smaller unnaturally.

Because Shiori Shinohara's got up, her face in the original field of vision was replaced.

At the height of the sofa, lying on the side with a level line of sight, all you can see is the skirt of the girl.

The pleated skirt swayed slightly because of the girl's action of getting up, like undulating waves, faintly revealing the girl's white thighs from the stockings to the skirt.

A touch of white and tender with a swaying skirt, just woke up and didn't fully wake up to see this kind of scenery, it's really ......

It's pretty bad.

It didn't take about two seconds for a brain to get rid of the instinct to stare subconsciously.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa raised his face, his gaze moving away from the girl's lap and moving upward.

Miss Shinohara-sama's face re-entered the line of sight, and her gaze realigned.

After staring at each other for several seconds.

"Mr. Hirakawa, what's wrong with you?"

Shiori Shinohara looked at him with some confusion.

“…… No, nothing. ”

I was stunned for a moment because I looked at each other's legs...... Something is bad.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa shook his head and said, stretched out his hand from the thick quilt, propped his body up, and prepared to get up.

However, after sitting up, Tetsufumi Hirakawa, who was about to stand up, silently stopped and continued to get up.

The living room was quiet for a moment, Shiori Shinohara's eyes were still on him.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa met her gaze and smiled lightly: "Shinohara-san, can I trouble you to leave for a while?" ”

"Huh?" Shiori Shinohara didn't seem to quite understand, "Why?" Don't have clothes on? ”

"Uh...... Not for this reason. ”

It's because of a physiological response that normal men have in the morning......

It's too embarrassing for a young girl to watch from the sidelines, right? It's also unseemly.

"Anyway...... Why don't you leave for a while? May I? ”

“……”

Shiori Shinohara still couldn't understand him, but at the end, after dropping a "okay", he left for the time being.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa breathed a sigh of relief, took advantage of this time to lift the quilt and get up, and went to the bathroom to change his clothes.

Everything is back to normal.

……

Next, for the girl's washing, I went to a convenience store not far from my home to buy a toothbrush and a towel, and bought breakfast by the way.

While eating breakfast, I chatted with Hisada on the line and said good morning.

As for Shiori Shinohara's affairs...... Because he can't figure out what this girl is thinking at the moment, he can't explain it for the time being.

But since it was agreed that she would tell him the reason tonight, then he would also talk about it after tonight.

In this way, after eating breakfast, Tetsufumi Hirakawa looked at the eldest lady who was holding a tissue and gently wiping the corners of her mouth opposite.

"Shinohara-san."

"Hmm." Shiori Shinohara wiped the corners of her mouth, put down the tissue and answered him.

"I'm going to work now." Tetsufumi Hirakawa said, "Then what are you going to do after that?" ”

"Hmm......" Shiori Shinohara thought for a moment, "Shiori is waiting for you to come back at Mr. Hirakawa's house." ”

“……”

“……”

"Can't you?"

“…… It's not impossible. Tetsufumi Hirakawa sighed helplessly, "Then it's up to you, then, tonight, you'll explain the situation to me, right?" ”

"Poetry." Shinohara poems weave the head.

"That's it." Tetsufumi Hirakawa stood up, "I'm leaving." ”

He doesn't have much time to ask any more questions now, and he's going to work.

"yes, okay."

No matter what Shiori Shinohara's intention is, what problems she wants to ask him for help, I will know after tonight.

We'll talk about that then.

In this way, putting this matter behind him for the time being, and bidding farewell to the girl who came to his house for no apparent reason, Tetsufumi Hirakawa opened the door and walked towards the tram stop.

It's just that while riding the tram and standing on the tram in a daze, Tetsufumi Hirakawa suddenly remembered last night's dream.

Or it shouldn't be a dream, but it is a repetition of reality, another invasion of the mind from a memory that I thought I had forgotten.

Shiori Shinohara, Miss Shinohara-sama, a former student, someone who used to be absurdly together...... How the hell is he going to face her now?

Both Android and Apple are available. 】

At the very least, it has been proven that deliberate evasion is useless.

He knew his own thoughts, and when the girl reappeared in front of him, he knew the irrepressible emotions in his heart.

Last night's dream also confirmed this statement.

The summer festival has become an experience that he cannot ignore.

And the girl in the cherry red yukata who kissed him three times when the fireworks rose into the sky was also someone he couldn't ignore.

deliberately ignored and avoided her, but it did not make him forget her.

So, maybe he really should treat this memory and emotion in a different way.

Face it calmly, then forget.

Isn't that right?

Tetsufumi Hirakawa still remembers his thoughts before going to bed last night.

So be it.

……

After arriving at the studio, Tetsufumi Hirakawa gathered all his ideas and threw himself into his work.

The project of the spy play house has been passed, and now it is necessary to continuously improve the follow-up script.

Although I can't remember the plot clearly, it doesn't matter, Tetsufumi Hirakawa didn't intend to be exactly the same as the original plot.

It's good to learn from the excellent setting, the plot or something, it's no problem to create it yourself.

He also doesn't think that the plot he created will necessarily be worse than the original in the previous life...... At least when creating, you have to have that kind of confidence.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa, who has this kind of self-confidence, created a script about Shinichi, and was vetoed three times by Ogasa Sasako in one day today.

Well......

It turns out that things don't rely on self-confidence to do well, and as a newcomer to the comics industry, he still has a long way to go.

In the frustration of failing to make the manuscript over and over again, Tetsufumi Hirakawa silently left work.

Well, it's better to go home.

……

After taking out the key and opening the door, Shiori Shinohara and two cats came to greet Shiori Shinohara when they heard the door opening.

"Mr. Hirakawa, welcome back, meow." - Meow is a cat meow, but the connection is perfect, like Shiori Shinohara.

In this case, it's a lot like a maid, right?

Dressed in a maid's outfit, she said "Master, welcome back", and then meowed cutely, like this.

Wrong...... This kind of maid doesn't sound very serious.

It's hard to imagine what Shiori Shinohara's words would be like.

Naturally, some images appeared, and the complexion was slightly unusual.

…… was able to have such uncontrollable fantasies about Shiori Shinohara, and he really couldn't let go.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa paused at the entrance of the gate, and after a moment, sighed, pushed the strange association out of his mind, and convinced himself to accept the fact that he still had an unclear affection for Shiori Shinohara.

Face it calmly and forget it, eh.

Thinking about it, Tetsufumi Hirakawa also greeted the girl.

"I'm back."

After changing his shoes, he walked to the living room under the gaze of Shiori Shinohara and the two cats, and then asked the girl behind him casually.

"Shinohara-san, it's almost evening now, so you should be able to tell me about you, right?"

Footsteps came from behind him, and Shiori Shinohara slowly followed, answering.

"Now, I can say a part of it first."

"Part of it?"

Tetsufumi Hirakawa sat on the sofa, took the kitten impermanence that pounced on him, rubbed his cold hand over its warm body, and turned around to ask.

"Well, let's talk about part of it first." Shiori Shinohara stood behind Tetsufumi Hirakawa and replied softly in his gaze.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa couldn't help but ask, "Why a part?" ”

I don't understand.

However, Shiori Shinohara had no idea of explaining the problem at all...... If everything is clear, how will her plan unfold?

"Mr. Hirakawa, now, can Shiori trouble you and accompany Shiori on a trip?"

Tetsufumi Hirakawa's doubts deepened: "Go out, why?" ”

"Of course, it's to solve the problem that Shiori asked Hirakawa-sensei for help."

“…… So what's the problem? ”

“……”

“……”

"Okay, okay." Faced with Shiori Shinohara's expression of "I'll know when the time comes", Tetsufumi Hirakawa could only answer helplessly.

"Where are you going?"

"Mr. Hirakawa will know when he goes." Shiori Shinohara replied.

“……”

If there is anything to promise next time, Tetsufumi Hirakawa must add a premise and describe all the problems clearly.

……

In short, that's it, and for no apparent reason, Tetsufumi Hirakawa, who had just returned home, walked out of the house with Shiori Shinohara.

Speaking of which, it's Christmas Eve, right?

As he walked to the tram stop, he remembered the festive decorations on the street, the colorful light strips, and the Christmas tree that was placed in the courtyard and protruded from the top of the wall.

Christmas Eve...... I was going to spend it with Kuda, but on the way back, I was still talking to her on the phone and complaining about it.

As a result, now, because Shiori Shinohara asked for help inexplicably, he had to go out with the girl.

It's going to be a little weird, right?

After all, the possibility of going out together on Christmas Eve is quite high......

"Mr. Hirakawa, what are you thinking?"

While thinking about it, Tetsufumi Hirakawa suddenly heard Shiori Shinohara next to him asking questions.

He turned his head, and in front of the girl's beautiful face, a cloud of heat slowly escaped in the cold winter air.

"Nothing." Subconsciously answered like this.

But after saying that, Tetsufumi Hirakawa thought again...... Be calm.

Calmly opposite.

Sure enough, it's easier said than done.

People always subconsciously avoid those things that they don't want to face.

After a reflection in his mind, Tetsufumi Hirakawa changed his words again.

"That's not right."

"Huh?"

"I'm thinking about ......" Tetsufumi Hirakawa faced Shiori's curious gaze and said what he had just thought quite solemnly.

"Shinohara-san, I just thought, it's easy for someone like us to go out together on Christmas Eve as a couple, right?"

“…… So? Does Hirakawa-sensei think we are like a couple? ”

"Yes, it used to be."

“……”

“……”

Saying such things, Tetsufumi Hirakawa spent all his courage.

"That...... What's wrong, right? In Shiori Shinohara's unexplained gaze, Tetsufumi Hirakawa actually felt a little embarrassed, and turned his face to look ahead.

"Snort." Shiori Shinohara chuckled softly, "No, I just didn't expect Hirakawa-sensei to say that." ”

"It's just that I think Shinohara-san, you're right, you need to admit what happened in the past."

"That's right."

"Well, no longer shy away from the past, calmly face the past." Tetsufumi Hirakawa said.

"And then?" Shiori Shinohara sensed that there was still the second half of the sentence.

She felt right.

"And then you can completely forget."

"Is it to forget Shiori?"

"Hmm."

"Doesn't that mean that Hirakawa-sensei hasn't forgotten Shiori yet?" Shiori Shinohara asked with interest.

After hesitating for a moment, Tetsufumi Hirakawa did not avoid his gaze this time.

"Yes."

“……”

actually admitted it.

Shiori Shinohara brushed her hair.

Before she could speak, Tetsufumi Hirakawa stared at her and continued.

"Last night, I dreamed of Shinohara-san."

Shiori Shinohara is a little unnatural.

"Did you dream of Shiori? What did you dream about? ”

"It's a summer festival."

“……”

“……”

"Of course." Tetsufumi Hirakawa went on to explain, "I say this to face it calmly, to forget. Either way, I wouldn't have the idea of going back and doing it all over again. ”

Shiori Shinohara stared into Tetsufumi Hirakawa's eyes, and after a moment, sighed lightly.

"It's really too much for Mr. Hirakawa to say this kind of thing to a girl."

"Maybe." Tetsufumi Hirakawa responded casually.

Shiori Shinohara's purpose is unknown, but at least, he must take a stand now.

He's got Hisada already.

"By the way, where are we going now?"

"Playground." Shiori Shinohara replied.

“……”

“……”

"What?" Tetsufumi Hirakawa suspected he hadn't heard clearly.

"Playground." Miss Shinohara-sama retold it lightly.

“……”