The pond is surrounded by round stones, and some lamps lean on the outside to illuminate the nearby mountain forest.

In the dense water vapor, there are snowflakes.

Enjoying this large hot spring pool exclusively, Naruse soaked for a while and then changed places, and only came out of it when he was completely comfortable.

"There's always a feeling that we're already on vacation...... Wouldn't it be nice to start relaxing now? ”

After all, I have to go to school early tomorrow morning for exams.

Shaking his head and putting aside his distractions, Naruse changed into a yukata and went outside.

The heating in the hostel was turned on so you didn't have to worry about getting cold. Came to the room on the second floor and stayed, he stood by the window for a long time, and Song Qianqiu came back.

"It's so comfortable......"

"I'm already a little hungry." Naruse looked at the few people who came in.

"I've said hello, and dinner will start right away." Miss Sato said.

Sitting down around the low table, Naoko noticed that Naruse seemed to have something to say, so she moved closer.

"Just now I sent a message saying that she and Sister Yue went to my house."

"Ah......h

"I didn't find anyone."

"Did Harumi tell her?"

"Well, I said we were out for dinner."

Naruse looked at Matsu Chiaki, who was sitting opposite, "When are you going back to Tokyo?" ”

Song Qianqiu didn't answer directly, and looked at the assistant beside him, "What's going on over there, is there any news?" ”

"Mr. Tatezaki is still in the hospital." Ms. Sato said, "However, I am recovering well physically and mentally, and I seem to have the idea of being discharged from the hospital." ”

"It's not okay to delay too long."

"There should be a new decision tomorrow."

Song Qianqiu looked at his son, "That's it." ”

She didn't know how many days she would be able to stay at home.

"Sister Yue wants to come and visit you." Naruse said.

"Let her come back tomorrow, at least one more day anyway."

Naruse sent the message to Hikaru Takikawa and got a quick reply.

"Then come over tomorrow night."

After a short while, the sliding door opened, and several elderly hotel waiters came in with the food, and the dinner finally began.

The first to be served was a pre-dinner appetizer, two different types of tofu, and two pieces of sushi, with a piece of fish next to it, and a piece of something that Naruse didn't recognize.

When the waiter went out, Miss Sato suddenly said, "Most of the people who work in the hotel are old people." ”

Song Qianqiu picked up the tofu and put it in his mouth, "This is the countryside, and the young people who can run around have basically gone to the big city." ”

"The aging population is getting worse."

"yes...... When I get to that age, not many people will like me. ”

"Where, Miss Song's youth will last forever."

"No matter how nice it sounds, it won't raise wages."

"You can still go up a little bit......"

"Go tell the business."

Starfish sat between the two adults, completely unable to interject, and somewhat regretted not sitting on the opposite side.

And Naoko and Naruse got together, still speculating about what the pink piece in the appetizer was.

"It should be made of flour."

"Carrot juice maybe?"

"Is carrot juice this color......

The appetizer was almost finished, and the next dish was served, which was Wagyu beef sashimi as a starter.

The fresh beef is thinly sliced, like a piece of paper, and comes with a special sauce, giving it a unique taste and texture.

"It seems to have a slight smoky taste." Naoko said.

"I guess it's the flavor of the sauce."

"You can't eat beef, it's raw."

"Hmm."

The delicate dishes were delivered one after the other, and according to Ms. Sato, the meal would last two hours.

Mother is opposite, Naoko is by her side, and Naruse is not in a hurry to go back, even if it is three hours of eating, it doesn't matter.

Matsu Chiaki also asked for a bottle of Daiginjo, but there was no second adult on the table who could drink alcohol except Yoko Sato, and the assistant lady had to drive them back later, so she could only pour herself a drink.

"Don't drink too much." Miss Sato watched greedily from the side.

"Just a few drinks." Matsu took a sip.

"Young master, I'll help you get a car later."

"I don't care...... The question is, can you get a car here? ”

The answer is no.

Song Qianqiu didn't let her covet her for too long, saying that a few drinks are a few cups, and she was not greedy.

"Yoko must have had a lot of bars yesterday at Lake Jushoda."

"I can't drink a few drinks by myself."

"How many glasses?"

“…… Two bottles. ”

The dish was then delivered, and it was a bowl of boiled food.

The color is plain and the flavor is relatively light, but as a blend of the previous dishes, it tastes good.

"It's beef, too."

"Well, it tastes much lighter after cooking."

Although the amount of each dish is not much, it is brought one plate after another, and Naruse keeps eating and is a little full.

Before the next dish served, he got up and walked around the private room, surveying the objects hanging on the wall or on the floor.

"Are you bored?" Matsu asked.

"No, just a little full."

She didn't care about him, continued to eat food, and chatted with the assistant about the past two days.

After a while, the starfish couldn't sit still, got up and walked to the window to look.

On the side of the hotel, there is a snowy slope.

The low street lamps are covered by snow, but they are still on, connecting into a path that seems to be able to walk in when it is not snowing.

Starfish was watching, and Naruse walked over and stopped beside her.

"How do you feel about today's exam?"

“…… Not bad, isn't it? ”

Starfish looked at him, and in the afterglow, Naoko stood up.

"It's not very difficult."

"Can't be careless."

"Hmmm......"

Naoko stood beside the two of them and looked out the window.

At the dinner table, Miss Sato's gaze swept back and forth on the faces of the three children for a while.

"Isn't the busty sister really the young master's girlfriend?" She whispered.

“……”

Song Qianqiu was almost choked and glared at her, "Don't shout." ”

"But ......"

"She's Naoko."

"Okay." Miss Sato glanced at Naoko's chest again, "Miss Naoko and the young master, is it really not that kind of relationship?" ”

"Not yet."

"But keep an eye on it."

Song Qianqiu was silent for a moment, and also looked at Naoko, "After all, she likes Harumi so much." ”

"I can see it all, doesn't the young master know?"

"Knowing is knowing, but how to do it is another matter."

"The young master is still very inactive......"

"It's good to just say negative."

"I also have to consider Miss Song's feelings...... Why are you drinking again! ”

Song Qianqiu poured a glass of wine, "It's all your fault, I have to borrow wine to drown my sorrows now." ”

“……”

She looked at the three of them by the window and said in a low voice, "Isn't Yoko curious, why did I suddenly decide to send Harumi back to Aomori in the summer?" ”

Miss Sato stared at the almost overflowing wine glass, "Isn't it so that the young master can go to a stable high school?" ”

"That's the main reason, but the person who advised me to do it was actually the kid."

She lifted her gaze, "Eh......"

"I thought about it for a while and found that there really wasn't a better way.

And Chunhai has also grown up, self-reliance is not a problem, and the two children can also take care of each other, so they sent him back. ”

"It's amazingly positive...... Compared with the young master, it is simply a heaven and a place. ”

Song Qianqiu rolled his eyes, "It's not that exaggerated." ”

Miss Sato smiled, did not refute, and her gaze fell on the starfish again.

"Then again, Miss Starfish and the young master also have that meaning......

Song Qianqiu didn't speak, picked up the wine glass and took a sip.

"The relationship between these two children is complicated, and there seems to be something going on that I don't know...... However, I am still more optimistic about Naoko. ”

She looked out the window and peeked at the starfish in Naruse, and sighed again.

"So even though Starfish is no longer my daughter, I still want to give her a little more love."

"The young master is really 'sinful'...... But this is youth. ”

"Who made him have a face similar to mine?"

"That's right, this is called Tianzi National Color, peerless, unparalleled in the world, incomparable......"

"Okay, okay......"

The two adults chatted in a low voice, and after a while, the next dish was delivered.

Naruse returned to his seat, followed by Naoko and Starfish.

As Ms. Sato said, the whole dinner lasted more than two hours.

After eating, several people rested for a while before preparing to leave.

There was a lot of snow outside, and Miss Sato controlled the speed of the car, and it took nearly fifty minutes to get a few people home.

"Let's come and play tomorrow too." When the starfish was dropped off at the Maki Hotel, Matsu Chiaki said to her.

"Hmm...... Well! ”

When I went to Naruse's house, Miss Sato didn't leave and stayed in the guest room for the night.

(End of chapter)