Basketball instruction started at 9 a.m. and lasted until 12 p.m.

"That's all for today."

After the end of the teaching, the reporter of the news agency, who did not know where to disappear before, suddenly came out again to take a photo with the children for the basketball team members.

Naruse and Naoko were almost immersed in it, and it was much more natural to be pulled to take a group photo at this time.

Click!

After the group photo and goodbye to the children, Naruse went to the vending machine outside and bought three bottles of drinks and came back.

"Give."

"Thank you." Hikaru Takikawa took the drink, opened it and took a sip, "I'm a little hungry too, let's find a place to eat." ”

"Hmm."

She also had to change her clothes, and Naruse and Naoko waited in the gymnasium as the nursery staff put together the children's basketball and basketball hoops and move them to the truck parked outside.

"It's still not convenient to snow."

"yes."

What's more, it has been snowing non-stop for several months, and outdoor sports will basically be affected.

After waiting for a while, Hikaru Takikawa changed back into his original clothes and came out.

"I'll go first—"

After greeting the other members, she pulled the two out of the gymnasium.

"Do you want to eat nearby, or go to the Civic Hall?"

"Everything." Naruse said, "But I'm not familiar with the Civic Hall. ”

"Just follow me."

Hikaru Takikawa smiled, "Harumi hasn't been there for a long time. ”

"yes, the last time I used to be in elementary school was when I was in elementary school."

"Cherry blossom festival?"

"Pretty much."

"The time when the spring sea and the starfish fell into the water?"

"No, it's after that......"

Located in Tsumae Park next to Tsuzen Castle, the Civic Hall is in a striking location, but it's a little remote from Naruse's usual commuting routes.

The trio took a bus over and got off outside the park.

"There's a soba noodle restaurant over there, do you want to go there?"

"I seem to remember that shop. Go ahead. ”

When you come to the soba noodle restaurant, the interior of the store is large, with a regular lobby on one side and tatami mats on the other.

When I came to the tatami mat, there were already a lot of people sitting inside, but it didn't seem crowded, and there were friends of Hikaru Takikawa among them.

"Are you also here to see the concert of the Wind Ensemble?"

"yes. Isn't it over today to teach children to play basketball? ”

"It's over."

"Sit here."

Hikaru Takikawa was pulled by a friend, and Naruse and Naoko sat down at another table next to him.

The two of them each asked for a soba meal, and Naruse ordered another prawn tempura and vegetable tempura.

"I remember the last time I came here, my mom said that the tempura at this shop usually tastes pretty good."

Naoko looked at him, "Is there any time when the taste is not good?" ”

"Cherry Blossom Festival."

"Huh? Why ......"

"Because there are so many tourists, the tempura in the store is fried in advance, and the texture and taste are not as good as freshly fried."

Naoko smiled, "I see. ”

Today was just an ordinary day, and the reception was not very stressful, and the tempura that was sent was fried golden and plump, and it was very crispy.

Eating soba and tempura, both of them were satisfied.

"Not bad."

"Hmm."

Naruse finished eating first, had nothing to do, touched the tatami under him, and waited for Naoko.

Snowflakes were flying outside, and the fence outside the window was only visible, and the branches and leaves were all hidden.

He remembered that there was a parking lot outside, but he couldn't see it anymore.

A few minutes later, when Naoko had finished eating, Hikaru Takikawa was still chatting with her friends.

"Light."

"Ah, has Chunhai already eaten?"

"Hmm."

"Chunhai and Shangzi go over first, and I'll come to you later."

Leaving the soba restaurant, the two walked into Tsumae Park, and instead of going directly to the civic hall, they first walked around the huge park for a while.

Trees stand in the middle of the paths, heavy snow covers the branches, and vermilion bridges dot the endless white world.

"You can't see the castle tower here."

"The view is blocked, let's go further."

Across the inner moat, the two looked at the castle tower in the snow, and agreed to come together before the cherry blossom festival next spring.

After another moment, the two of them went to the Civic Hall.

Walking into the corridor in front of the hall, Naruse stomped his feet a few times, shaking off the snowflakes on his body, and Naoko leaned over and patted him on the shoulder and hair.

When you enter the hall, the sign on the front has already hung up today's performance information.

【Prefectural Tsutaka Wind Club, Prefectural Minamitaka Wind Club, 5th Regular Joint Concert】

"It's the fifth time."

"Yes."

The entrance to the concert hall was on the first floor, and Naoko took Naruse to the second floor first, and the members of the two high school wind clubs were sitting outside the backstage at this time, waiting for the performance to begin.

"Aoi."

"Naoko!"

Naoko pulled her friend who was about to perform on stage and chatted with her for a while.

"I'm so nervous......"

"Didn't the last rehearsal go well? In the state of the time, it would be nice to do it again. ”

"Hmm—I'm still nervous!"

"Well, a moderate amount of nervousness can also make concentration better."

"If only I could stay calm like Naoko."

Naoko smiled, "I'll be nervous if I'm asked to play on stage." ”

Naruse was a little bored waiting on the sidelines, and was a little curious about the changes in the civic hall that he hadn't been here for several years, so he proposed to go somewhere else first.

"Good...... The concert will start at two o'clock. ”

"I'll just go around and not go far."

There was a stained glass wall at the entrance, which was very beautiful, and it was still the way he remembered.

A new café opened on the second floor, and there were many students from Tianjin and Nangao High schools sitting at this time, most of whom looked relatively relaxed, but there were also poor children who were so nervous that their faces stiffened.

Naruse went up and down for a full circle, and when he saw that the time was almost up, he entered the concert hall through the entrance on the side of the first floor.

There were already a lot of people sitting on the seats near the stage below, except for the students from the two schools, and the rest were basically the parents of the performers.

Naruse glanced a few times, but didn't see Naoko, and continued to walk up, and in a certain seat in the back of the middle, someone cast a gaze from afar.

“……”

After a few more steps up, Naruse also squinted at each other.

"There's a seat open here." She beckoned.

"Except for you, no one else will sit in the back of this." He walked over, "Why did Morimi come over too?" ”

Morimi looked at him, "I'm tired of studying, come over and relax a little." ”

Naruse only believed half of it—it wasn't a reason for her to come, it was more like an excuse to convince herself after coming.

He sat down, "Does Morimi have any friends in the wind club?" ”

"It's cousin." She pointed to the stage below, "And she's not in our school, she's in the wind club of South High School." ”

"No wonder I haven't heard you mention it."

"Because I don't usually keep in touch with each other, I just received a message from her yesterday and asked me to come and watch her performance......"

Morimi took a breath, didn't bother to say more about this matter, and asked him instead:

"Naruse came alone? Impossible, right, what about Naoko? ”

"I'm looking for her too."

Naruse glanced down, but there was still no sign of Naoko, and it was estimated that she might still be cheering on her friend outside the backstage.

Sending a message to Naoko, he raised his eyes to Morimi who was staring at him, "What. ”

"Nothing. It's just that seeing Naruse and Shangzi so close, it's a little lonely. ”

"It's sour."

She smiled, resting her hand on the armrest, holding her chin and looking at him, "This is true." ”

Naruse looked at her, "It seems that you have had a lot of breakthroughs recently." ”

Otherwise, she would not have the leisure to be "lonely".

Morimi smiled even more happily.

"Yesterday, I took the first place in the mock exam at the study school."

No wonder I was willing to come to the concert and was in the mood to joke with him.

Naruse raised his hand and clapped it twice, "Congratulations." ”

"Thank you."

Sharing this with him, the satisfaction that has continued until now after the exam yesterday swelled a little, and Morimi stretched out relaxedly.

"Alright...... Don't sit on my side, go find your Naoko. ”

Naruse looked down at the news and said casually: "Isn't Morimi lonely, I'll accompany you a little more." ”

There was a sudden heaviness in his shoulders.

She leaned in, "Is that okay?" ”

“……”

Naruse tilted to the side, avoiding her leaning, "バカ (ba ka)." ”

Leaning into the air, she snorted softly and pushed her glasses again.

"Naoko didn't come over again......"

Before she could finish speaking, a hand suddenly reached out from behind the seat and touched her face.

"-I'm here."

“……”

Morimi shuddered.

Shocked, she turned her head.

“…… Light! ”

(End of chapter)