Naruse, who stayed in the classroom to help with the coloring, was busy until five o'clock in the evening, barely stopping to take a breath.

"That's all for today."

Since the props were to be prepared, Koji Tanaka, the executive member of the cultural festival of Class C, naturally stayed, and at this time he greeted and announced his disbandment.

Naruse and Ito, who were squatting on the ground, glanced at each other, and both breathed a sigh of relief.

"So be it. There's still more than half there, and we'll continue tomorrow afternoon. ”

"Hmm. Are these composite panels to be put away? ”

Ito shook his head and touched the paint on it again, "It seems to be almost dry, but let's leave it in the classroom to dry." ”

Naruse packed up his paintbrush and paint tray, and picked up the small bucket of washed water, ready to pour it out.

Before he could reach the corner, he saw Naoko coming from the connecting corridor on the second floor.

"Oops......"

He forgot that she was still waiting for him at the craft club.

Naruse quickened her pace to clean the bucket, and when she came out again, Naoko had already gone up to the third floor.

"Naoko."

Hearing the call, she subconsciously turned her head, still maintaining a contemplative expression on her face, and it turned into surprise when she saw him.

"Spring Sea ......"

She also noticed the bucket in his hand.

"It turns out that Chunhai stayed to help."

"Well, I'm sorry."

Naoko shook her head to show that she didn't care, and smiled slightly, "Is it over?" ”

"Just ended. I'll go get my bag and go home. ”

"Okay."

After taking the schoolbag and saying hello to the others, Naruse went downstairs while talking to Naoko about the help she had just helped.

"No wonder Harumi's clothes are stained with paint."

Naoko stopped at the corner of the stairs and stood in front of him, pulling up her uniform jacket and picking at the hardened blue paint near her chest.

"yes, I didn't even notice."

She picked her nails twice, with little effect, and looked up at him:

"This is a new uniform that just changed today."

Naruse pursed her lips, "It should be washed off......"

"I haven't washed the paint, so let's go back and see again."

"Hmm."

Letting go of her uniform, she tapped him twice on the chest to smooth him out.

"How does Haruhi feel?"

"Naoko is talking about the feeling of helping?"

"Hmm."

"Not bad, isn't it?" Naruse walked down, "A group of people working towards a common goal, not to mention the result, at least the atmosphere feels good." ”

He turned his head to look at her, "It's probably similar to how Naoko felt when she helped prepare the cultural festival works at the handicraft club." ”

Naoko showed a somewhat embarrassed expression.

"In the case of that work, something is wrong now."

"What's wrong?"

There were other students up and down the stairs, and Naoko gestured with her eyes, indicating that she would explain to him later.

"What about the spring sea? Teacher Zhongyuan is looking for you to volunteer for further education. ”

Regarding this matter, Naruse had already gotten rid of his previous emotions and said calmly: "It has been resolved." ”

"Yes."

"I said that I wanted to be in the same class as Naoko in the second and third grades, and Xiaoxue didn't say anything."

Naoko looked at him, and the smile on her face flowed freely.

When the two of them left the school and passed by the Hakaino Cafe, Naruse quietly glanced inside, but this time he didn't see anyone familiar.

Naoko suddenly spoke at this time: "Last week, Chunhai said that there were some things to deal with, right here?" ”

Naruse was stunned.

Did the starfish tell her something?

"Now in the handicraft club, there are rumors everywhere that Harumi has asked more than 60 girls to date here."

“……”

Why don't you say six hundred girls?

Naruse soon realized that this was said by the girls he had asked to go to the café themselves, and the original intention was nothing more than showing off.

He was somewhat embarrassed, and he didn't plan to tell Naoko that he was actually investigating.

"How can there be so many girls...... And it's just coffee and small talk. ”

"'Just coffee and small talk'?"

Naoko leaned slightly and tilted her head to look at him, "Harumi has never taken me to such a place." ”

“……”

Naruse stopped and grabbed her again.

"Let's take the next bus."

"Good~"

The two walked back, and when they were about to walk into the café, Naruse suddenly looked at Naoko: "I feel like you seem to be a little happy today." ”

Usually Naoko, he wouldn't have said the kind of thing just now.

"It's like...... What did you put down? ”

Naoko smiled and didn't deny it.

"Probably."

There are still vacant seats on the first floor, but Naruse has been to the second floor of the café and thinks that the atmosphere upstairs is better.

The two of them each asked for a cup of coffee and a small piece of cake, and sat down opposite each other by the window on the second floor.

"The 'tree' fell? That should be a design issue. ”

Naruse had been at the craft club for so many days, and he knew about the paper apple trees they were going to display at the festival.

"Well, we're discussing how to improve it, and it's too late to redesign something else."

"I just want to make that paper tree stable, but there are actually many ways, right? For example, with glue. ”

"No, that would be contrary to the original design." Naoko shook her head.

"Eco-friendly?"

"Hmm."

Naruse thought for a moment, "What about stringing things like wire inside?" ”

"That would be too simple and crude to reflect the sense of design."

“……”

Naruse pursed her lips and squinted her eyes to look out the window.

Naoko laughed, "That's where the handicraft club gets troubled. ”

Laughing, she paused for a few seconds, and then spoke in a lower voice several times.

"When I went to help out in the club during the summer vacation, I made a little suggestion for improvement, and today, that suggestion is said by a senior sister to be the key to not identifying the design problem early."

Naruse looked over at once.

"Takahashi?"

Naoko's eyes widened slightly, "Chunhai really knows the people in our community. ”

"Hmm...... I can guess a little, and I just guessed it. ”

Naruse concealed it, but his heart was more surprised: Naoko would actually take the initiative to tell him about the targeting he suffered today.

"Can you guess...... That Haruhi should already know that Senior Sister Takahashi occasionally targets me. ”

Naruse did not deny it, but asked rhetorically: "Is it just 'occasionally'?" ”

Naoko smiled, did not change her statement, and continued:

"I've always felt that in a club with a majority of girls, it's inevitable to encounter this kind of thing; And the seniors usually don't go too far, so I ......"

"If you can bear it, you can bear it." Naruse looked at her and said.

"Yes, after all, they're not the reason for me to stay at the craft club. I haven't told Chunhai all the time, and I don't want you to worry about me. However, it was still noticed by Haruhi......"

Naruse snorted softly.

There was the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and the clerk made his way to the second floor with coffee and desserts.

"Your coffee and cake, please use it slowly."

The clerk quickly went down, Naruse took a sip of coffee, and Naoko tasted the cake first.

"It's so sweet......"

Watching the smile bloom on her face, Naruse also tasted the cake.

The tip of his tongue felt the sweetness and silkiness of the cream, but a question arose in his heart: In this case, what is the thing that makes Naoko feel happy?

She quickly told him the answer: "The minister stood up for me today. ”

"Huh?" Naruse was even more surprised.

That "neutral" minister actually stood on Naoko's side?

"When Takahashi-sanpai put the blame on me, the minister reprimanded her in front of everyone."

"Real Fake ......"

"Sister Ogawa also spoke for me." Naoko smiled.

Looking at a little cream on her lips, Naruse reached out and wiped it off, "That's why you're so happy?" ”

"And ......"

Naoko's cheeks turned a little redder, and she continued after a long time: "The minister called me out to talk for a while, she seems to have a special plan, can Harumi guess what it is?" ”

Naruse picked up her coffee, "Do you want Naoko to replace her as the next minister?" ”

"Ah......h

She froze.

He could only feign surprise: "Did I guess right again?" ”

"I don't know ......"

Naoko shook her head, "The minister seems to mean this, but that's just my guess." ”

"I'm optimistic about Naoko." Naruse said.

"Thank you."

She smiled, and became very serious again.

"So, I don't have to worry about Chunhai here, I'll stay in Class C to help in the near future - I want to solve the affairs of the handicraft club by myself."