After midnight, the rain outside seemed to lighten a bit.

The courtyard was still dark, and there was barely any light to be seen.

Naruse turned sideways to the outside, his eyes open, not blinking.

The starfish, who had been driven back to their bed, looked inside, looking at Hikaru Takikawa, who was asleep, and his mind was not on her at all.

Each of them deliberately controlled their breathing, and there was only silence in the dark living room.

After some time, the starfish rolled over and stared at him for a while.

"Are you asleep?"

No response.

She came a little closer.

"If you dare to come over a little more, I'll throw you into the yard."

“……”

Given some past physical exchanges, his intimidation is still somewhat deterrent.

Listening to the sound of rain outside, Starfish bit her lip and did not come any closer.

After a long time, when Naruse turned her head again, she was curled up in the quilt, already asleep.

"Hmm......"

Squinting at the time on his phone, it was almost two o'clock in the morning, and despite his heavy thoughts, he was too sleepy.

It's good that you can sleep long on the Shinkansen tomorrow, he thought.

After one last look at the starfish, Naruse pulled up the quilt and turned to sleep.

The next morning, when Nagase woke up again, he saw Hikaru Takikawa's face when he opened his eyes.

"You're awake."

She sat next to his futon, "Last night he said he would call me when he woke up in the morning, but Haruhai woke up later than me." ”

Naruse rubbed his face, his consciousness had just woken up from the fog, and he was empty for a while.

“…… What time is it? ”

"Well, it's past one o'clock in the afternoon."

He sat up suddenly, "What time do you say?" ”

"Hahaha." Hikaru Takikawa laughed, "Just kidding...... Ah, it hurts. ”

Pushing her with his knee, Naruse searched left and right, picking up the phone that was placed next to the pillow.

"It's only past seven...... Scared me. ”

He breathed a sigh of relief, and then was surprised that he had gone to bed late and had risen early.

Is it because you're worried about getting up early to go back?

Although before falling asleep, his mind was full of starfish......

Hikaru Takikawa had already changed into his own clothes, and it was estimated that he had been up for a while.

The corners of her mouth still had the afterglow of jokes, "Did Chunhai sleep late last night?" ”

“…… Pretty much. Naruse looked at the futon next to him, the starfish was completely shrunk under the quilt, and only a few strands of hair were still exposed.

"The starfish hasn't woken up yet." Hikaru Takikawa said, making a motion to lift the quilt, "I just saw it." ”

Naruse didn't say anything, and sat for a while, becoming more conscious.

It was still early, but he wasn't ready to go back to sleep.

"I'm getting up."

"Hmm."

He glanced at Hikaru Takikawa, "I mean I'm going to change my clothes." ”

She smiled and got up to leave the living room, "I'll go upstairs and have a look." ”

Taking off his yukata and changing into his own clothes, Naruse stared at the starfish's futon and remembered to pay attention to the weather outside when he went to wash.

The sky was white, and the rain, which continued unabated in the second half of the night, had completely stopped.

"Spring Sea."

Naruse brushed his teeth, and Hikaru Takikawa leaned in at the door, "I'll go around the neighborhood with Tsuki and I, and I'll be back soon." ”

He rinsed his mouth, "Now?" ”

She nodded, "I'll be back later, take a little turn." ”

"Well, I'll prepare breakfast."

"Ah, then I'll stay and help......" Takikawa said.

"No, Sister Yue should go shopping."

After washing, Naruse came to the kitchen.

Last night, he specially left some ingredients for breakfast, and he cooked water while making a fire.

As a result, when he made breakfast for four, he still didn't see the Takigawa sisters come back.

You can't get lost, right?

Naruse sent a message to Hikaru Takikawa.

Hikari: Lost.

“……”

Hikari: Every side road and intersection here looks like it, and it doesn't look the same at night or during the day.

Naruse: Where are you?

Light: I feel like I'm near the right junction.

Naruse: Don't run around, I'm here for you.

I went to the living room to take a look, the starfish was still asleep, and he didn't plan to wake her up, so he went out alone to find the Takigawa sisters.

And Hikaru Takikawa's feeling was not wrong, as soon as Naruse walked out of the alley where the guesthouse was located, he saw her coming from the other side waving her hands.

"Spring-sea-"

The two walked over, and Hikaru Takikawa smiled, "Oops, I almost didn't have breakfast." ”

"Good thing you didn't go far."

"It doesn't matter if you run far, you will get lost on the small road, but you won't get lost when you go to the main road." She came up behind him and pushed him back with both hands, "This is what Haruhi taught me." ”

"Yes."

"yes. Harumi said......"

The three of them were unhurried, but after returning to the homestay, they heard the cry of a starfish from inside as soon as they entered the door.

"Light—"

"Sister Yue—"

"Where the hell have you been—woo...... Spring Sea ......"

Naruse immediately quickened his pace.

When I entered the door, Starfish was sitting barefoot in the middle of the stairs, her hair disheveled, her eyes watery, crying more wretchedly than the first time he had done it to her.

“……”

Looking at each other, she squinted to confirm that it was him, and sobbed again, but the crying stopped.

Naruse didn't speak, turned around and went to the kitchen, where Hikaru Takikawa and Takikawa Tsuki immediately stepped up the stairs to comfort her.

Starfish...... Why are you crying like this, your eyes are so swollen. ”

Naruse was in the kitchen, and she could also hear her sobbing and crying:

When I woke up, there was no one in the living room, no one in the kitchen, no one in the upstairs room, and there was no one in the whole house, and there was no response to any shouting;

She couldn't find anything for their luggage, only three sets of pajamas that had been changed;

There was breakfast in the kitchen that hadn't been touched yet, but it felt like a little comfort in leaving her alone in Kyoto......

"Everyone's luggage is in the closet, haven't the starfish woken up yet?" Hikaru Takikawa comforted with a smile.

Naruse shook his head and brought the freshly served miso soup to the table.

The voice on the other side of the stairs suddenly lowered.

“…… I thought he was going to leave me. ”

Naruse pursed her lower lip.

Even when he was most unkind to her before, he wouldn't have done it to this extent, right?

The one in her heart, how bad is he.

…… Or was last night, when he spoke too harshly?

But between him and her, that relationship had to be ended—no, it had already ended, and now it was time to prevent a resurgence.

Resurgence......

After all those things, does the starfish really still have this kind of plan?

He finally realized that the state he hoped for each other to get along with each other back to normal was really reluctant.

Frowning, Naruse was only glad that he had prepared breakfast earlier and didn't let the mess affect the food.

"Leaving the starfish? How could Chunhai do such a thing. Did starfish have nightmares? ”

“…… Probably. ”

After a few more moments, the sisters helped the starfish back to the living room to change their clothes, and then came over for breakfast together.

"Hey, why did Chunhai eat it by himself?"

"You're moving too slowly. I'll go back alone when I'm done eating, and I'll leave all three of you behind. ”

"Haha."

Starfish glanced at him and couldn't laugh. It's just that during the day, her emotions in all aspects have converged a lot and she hasn't said anything.

Naruse didn't care about her, buried himself in breakfast, and it ended quickly.

He came outside and contacted the owner of the B&B to talk about checking out.

“…… Is it okay to keep the key in the mailbox? …… I know. ”

By the time the three of them had finished breakfast and cleaned up, and then took their luggage and prepared to leave, it was almost nine o'clock in the morning.

"As a result, the landlord didn't show up from beginning to end." Hikaru Takikawa sighed with emotion.

"It's just that we don't know him."

Naruse put the key to the house into the mailbox at the door, "The landlord lives nearby, maybe I'll meet him when Hikari and Sister Yue go out for a walk in the morning." ”

"What a shy landlord."

"Ordinary B&Bs seem to be like that."

Leaving here, the four of them got on the bus and got off at Kyoto Station.

Before getting on the Shinkansen and heading back, Hikaru Takikawa was going to buy a station ben for lunch.

Starfish was just about to catch up with her, but was pulled by Naruse.

"Sister Hikari and Yue will pick out a bento for me and the starfish."

Naruse didn't look at her, "I'm going to buy a drink with Starfish." ”

(End of chapter)