After briefly tidying up the books and notes on the table and stacking them aside, Morimi made a few more cups of hot tea.

Naoko returned to the living room with a plate of heated rice balls, put it on the table, and looked at Hikaru Takikawa first.

"It doesn't matter if you have a bare head, do you?"

"Ahhh......h

"That's good."

Naoko smiled at her and pushed the plate into the middle of the table.

"I've been waiting for a long time, I'm in a bit of a hurry at night, so I've only prepared a little rice ball, so let's take a moment."

"No, I'm looking forward to it."

She picked up the rice balls, and Naruse and the others were not polite, and each picked up the still steaming rice balls and ate them.

"That's nice......"

Taking a bite, Morimi covered his mouth, "Sure enough, it's still hot, it's a little more delicious." ”

"The more important thing is Naoko's craftsmanship." Hikaru Takikawa said.

"Thank you." Naoko smiled.

The rice balls are small and come in several flavors, sweet and salty, and have a unique aroma when heated.

It's delicious......

Starfish thought a little unwillingly as he stuffed the rice balls into his mouth.

She looked at Naruse again, and he looked calm and didn't comment on anything.

Isn't that right...... After all, he eats the food prepared by Naoko every day, which is nothing at all.

The others didn't know what she was thinking at this time, eating rice balls and drinking hot tea at the same time, and the fatigue of studying all night gradually melted away in this temperature.

"Alive......"

Mori saw that he didn't have a big appetite, and he was full after eating only two small rice balls, "I feel that it will not be a problem to do the questions for another four hours." ”

"Don't go too far, honor student."

Naruse didn't eat much, drank two sips of hot tea, and then got out of the kotatsu.

"Take your time." Seeing that Naoko sped up the speed of stuffing rice balls into her mouth, Naruse motioned to her not to worry, "I just came out early to get used to the temperature." ”

"Do you really want to go home?" Hikaru Takikawa fell on the table.

"Light can also stay here for the night." As soon as Naruse came out, he felt cold, and it was not good to get back into the kotatsu, so he paced in the living room.

Morimi held the teacup and looked at her as well, "Do you want to stay overnight?" ”

"Hmm...... Forget it today. ”

Hikaru Takikawa stared at the last rice ball on the plate, "Let's talk about it after the holiday, it's a little more relaxed at that time." ”

"Are you here for my vacation?"

She smiled and reached for the rice ball, only to meet her other hand.

"Ahh Starfish immediately withdrew his hand, "Let's just eat." ”

"Half of us." Hikaru Takikawa smiled and split the rice ball in half and gave her half of it.

After eating the last rice ball and drinking a few sips of tea, several people prepared to go back.

"Let's continue the study meeting tomorrow." Before leaving, Takikawa proposed, "Until before the exam." ”

Morimi nodded, "I'm okay with that." ”

The other three, of course, would not object.

"Be careful on the road."

Seeing off the four of them at the door, Morimi went back to the living room alone to clean up.

Emotions floated high above an invisible layer, and when she came back to her senses, she found herself humming a song.

"Too excited......"

She touched her face, her palms were cold, and she couldn't cool down this inexplicable excitement.

"But...... It's a nice feeling for everyone to get together. ”

She continued to pack up.

On the other side, the four people who walked in the snow had already walked halfway.

The lights at the intersection of the county road in the distance are bright and dazzling, guiding the way, and nothing is invisible on the road.

The snow reflected the dark light, and even the expressions on each other's faces could be faintly seen.

"This time ......"

Hikaru Takikawa walked in front, "The starfish house should have been closed." ”

Before the starfish could speak, Naruse in front of him spoke: "The roller shutter door won't be locked, just lift it up." ”

“…… Well. The starfish responded.

"That's good."

Hikaru Takikawa didn't say much on this issue, "The Yiye family is really still a little far away. But if we have a study meeting at our house, Izuha will have to go back alone after the end, so I'm not too sure. ”

"It's like digesting after a meal." Naruse said.

She looked back and smiled, "Naoko's rice balls are really delicious. ”

"Thank you."

When we finally reached the intersection, the lights were shining, and there was silence on both sides of the prefectural road, and all the shops including the Maki Hotel and the Morimi Furumoto store were closed.

When I came to the real wood hotel, the roller shutter door fell, and the lights were still on.

Wow –

Handing the things in her hand to Naoko, Naruse bends down to hold up the roller shutter door and lets the starfish in.

"Thank you......"

Inside and outside the door, the two glanced at each other, and then looked away at the same time.

"Lock the door."

"Hmm." Starfish nodded.

Several people said goodnight to each other.

Wow –

Pulling down the roller shutter door, Naruse clapped his hands, and vaguely heard Seiichiro Maki's voice coming from inside the door.

The doors were closed, and there was no need to say hello, he turned to leave, "Let's go." ”

At the intersection of Naruse's house, Hikaru Takikawa didn't need to send it, waved goodbye to the two, and went back by himself.

The two of them also walked home.

"It's so late, does Naoko still want to take a bath at my house."

"Hmm...... Can't you. ”

"I'm not afraid of freezing when I go home, just let it be."

"It's fine."

After school the next day, they went to the school library to study together because the air conditioning was on.

Morimi didn't need to be on duty today, so there was no need to sit at the entrance, so she specially chose a location close to the air conditioning vent.

Towards the end of the semester, there were a lot of people who came to the library to study, and Naruse saw several classmates from Class C, including boys who had come to him for tutoring.

Even if he doesn't look at his face, the combination of the first two grades in the front and back is really eye-catching, and the other party quickly notices him.

The two glanced at each other, but the other party was not uninterested enough to come over to ask him to tutor at this time, but raised his eyebrows from a distance, with an ambiguous expression on his face.

“……”

Naruse was dumbfounded, and quickly withdrew his gaze.

"What's wrong?" Morimi looked at him.

"Nothing." Naruse turned the pen in his hand, "I just think Morimi really picked a good position." ”

A steady stream of warm wind blew on his face, and he was even a little hot.

She smiled, didn't say anything, and continued to explain the topic to the starfish.

Retracting his attention, Naruse touched Hikaru Takikawa's foot under the table again.

"Don't fall asleep."

She sat up straight and lay down again.

"It's a bit too comfortable here......"

"So don't fall asleep."

She rubbed her face and took a deep breath, "Well, it's not going to fall asleep." ”

The warm wind above the head is constant, although it dispels the cold, but after staying for a long time, it also blows dry.

Seeing that Naoko and the others were all immersed in the question, and they wouldn't ask questions for a while, Naruse got up and prepared to buy a bottle of drink and come back.

"Where is Spring Sea going?" Hikaru Takikawa asked.

"Buy a drink."

"I want juice, anything I want."

"Hmm."

Naoko also looked over, and before she could speak, Naruse nodded.

"Where's the starfish?"

“…… Both. ”

He looked at Morimi again, and she stretched and stood up.

"Can you take it, I'll go with you."

Leaving the library and walking through the long hallway, the vending machine is placed at the entrance of the annex building.

Bang Dang –

A bottle of juice falls, and Naruse chooses another carton of strawberry milk.

Drops –

"Is strawberry milk Naoko?"

"Hmm."

"By the way, I want coffee."

Naruse chooses another can of coffee.

Bang Dang –

Morimi bent down to take out the few bottles of drinks that had fallen, opened his coffee and drank it.

Looking outside, snow covered the flower beds and bushes in the atrium, and the cold wind blew in her, making her more awake.

"If you sit there all the time, you'll really fall asleep."

"The air conditioner is so comfortable." Naruse also opened the juice and took a sip.

"Stay here for a while and then go back." She shook the coffee in her hand.

"Hmm."

The two chatted without saying a word, and someone came over in the corridor, it was the boy from Class C.

Seeing Naruse and Morimi standing next to the vending machine, he just smiled at Naruse, bought a bottle of coffee and went back.

"Someone you know?"

"Hmm."

Neither of them cared.

When he returned to the library, Naruse suddenly noticed that his gaze seemed to be getting more and more looking this way.

(End of chapter)