The three children walked into Naruse's house, greeted each of the adults inside, and gave their first greetings of the new year, and then they all sat down next to Naoko.

They smiled at each other and said, "Happy New Year." ”

"Happy New Year."

Naruse returned to the living room and looked at the few people sitting together, as well as the starfish sitting on the very edge, and did not sit down.

"Why did you come here together?"

"I met on the way." Hikaru Takikawa said, "The starfish happened to be coming over, so we went together...... What is Harumi standing for? ”

"It's fine." Naruse thumped his waist, "I sit with a pain in my back, stand for a while." ”

“……”

The starfish and Shangzi both looked over, and even took Song Qianqiu to look at him.

Naruse pursed her lower lip, "I'll pour you a glass of water." ”

After pouring a glass of water for all three of them, he shook it around the living room two more times, and then sat down on the other side of the sofa, next to the flower.

"Uncle Tetsuya, the ...... you said last night"

He casually found a topic related to the institute to talk about, and a few people on the other side looked at him twice, and they didn't pay much attention to it.

Except for starfish.

She looked at him for a while, and listened to him talk to Hua Che about things, and knew very well in her heart that he was already avoiding her.

She didn't ask anything......

The starfish was secretly distressed, and on the other side, seeing that the topic of Hua Toru was getting deeper and deeper, Naruse was also a little unable to answer.

“…… Wait a minute, Uncle Tetsuya, can you tell me this kind of thing too, doesn't it need to be kept secret? ”

"It doesn't matter. What I'm telling Haruhi now is what has already been published. ”

"Ahh

"I went on to say that the project is currently on the Blackstone branch side......"

Kazuko Hanasa sat next to her, occasionally interjecting a sentence or two, and most of her attention was still on the New Year's special on TV.

[So! The next topic - is it really okay for parents to use the New Year's money "kept" for their children without authorization? We have Mr. Nitta, a senior lawyer......]

She and Song Qianqiu beside her said "ah" at the same time.

The two looked at each other again, smiled, and then one got up and went home, and the other went to the bedroom.

After a while, Song Qianqiu came out of the bedroom first and smiled at the children in the living room: "I've sent a red envelope." ”

"This is Naoko." She handed over the red envelope with Naoko's name written on it and took out another one, "This is a starfish." ”

"It's the moon and the light."

The four of them took the red envelope from her hand, and they were all very happy, "Thank you!" ”

She looked at the child sitting alone on the other side again, "Does Haruhi want it?" ”

Naruse pursed his lips, "Whatever." ”

"Really, the first day of the new year was so awkward." Matsu Qianqiu still gave it to him.

"I've got a leaf ready, will she come over later?"

"I don't know." Naruse shook his head and opened the red envelope he had just received, and inside was a brand-new Fukuzawa Yukichi.

He raised an eyebrow, "That's generous." ”

The girls also opened the red envelopes, and without exception, they all received 10,000 yen.

"It's a lot, thank you, Miss Song." Hikaru Takikawa smiled.

Song Qianqiu was a little surprised, "Isn't the red envelope for high school students so much?" ”

Katoru also shook his head, "We're giving five thousand yen here." ”

"Ahh

After a while, the flower Sawako who went home to get the red envelope also came, and the red envelopes sent to several people were really 5,000 yen.

"Is it all for Yukichi Fukuzawa in Tokyo?"

"yes." Song Qianqiu said.

She also muttered, "That's generous." ”

Receiving 15,000 yen at once, the starfish was temporarily free of depression and was happy for a while.

"It's a big loss that Kazuha didn't come." Hikaru Takikawa said.

"Hmmm......"

Starfish nodded, took out his mobile phone, thought about it, and asked quietly:

"Isn't it nice to call her over now?"

Hikaru Takikawa also thought for a moment and said:

"I didn't feel good about running so far to get the red envelope, and Ichiba probably won't come over...... Her family lives too far away. ”

That being said, she still asked Starfish to send a message to Morimi.

"After all, Auntie and Shangzi's mother have already prepared her red envelopes."

Morimi quickly sent a reply.

As Hikaru Takikawa guessed, she felt a little embarrassed to come over to get the red envelope, so forget it.

Hikaru Takikawa smiled, "Then let's talk about it later." ”

The starfish pinched the red envelope for a while, and after putting it away, his eyes involuntarily drifted to the other side of the living room.

Naruse is still sitting next to Toru Hana, with no intention of coming.

She was suddenly annoyed.

It's just that his eyes fell on Naoko beside him, and this little emotional fluctuation was replaced by more and deeper confusion and uneasiness.

All her plans must start with a question.

And the answer to the question has long been clear at a glance.

And that instinct told her that maybe there would be a different answer......

After sitting for a while, the Takigawa sisters got up to say goodbye and went home first.

Naruse sent them out, and by the way, he asked about the arrangement of the first word.

Takikawa Hikaru thought for a while, "I think it's okay any day, but there will be more people in these two days." ”

"Are there more people?" Naruse repeated her words, smiling inexplicably.

"What's wrong?"

"It's okay...... I just remembered that when I was in Tokyo for the New Year, I went to Sensoji Temple in the middle of the night to wait in line for the first time. ”

She also laughed, "You can't compare it to Tokyo." ”

In a place like Iwakiyama Shrine, which is not well-known, there are probably not as many people as there were at Sensoji Temple.

"Then let's talk about it." Naruse wasn't in a hurry, "Naoko and I have time any day." ”

“OK～”

The sisters said goodbye again and turned to go home.

Naruse returns to the living room and finds the starfish standing up as well.

Is she going back too?

The two looked at each other, and she looked away and turned to go to the bathroom.

Naruse pursed her lower lip.

I thought that after the night had passed, she would be more or less at ease after getting rid of the special atmosphere of yesterday afternoon, but the actual situation seemed to be the complete opposite—from the moment she came, her eyes had been poking at him, consciously or unconsciously, without stopping.

And whether she has more plans, Naruse is completely uncertain.

"Spring Sea?" Naoko looked at him.

Naruse shook her head and sat down between her and Matsu Chiaki.

After a short while, Starfish returned to the living room and sat down beside Naoko.

She habitually glanced over to him again, and when she turned her head, she met Naoko's gaze.

“……”

Starfish looked at the TV, and the issues that had been discussed for a long time in the New Year's special finally came to a conclusion at this time.

"I didn't expect parents to use their children's New Year's money without authorization, which is not allowed by law......

Naoko smiled, "After all, I took it in the name of 'safekeeping'." ”

"Hmm...... However, it is still difficult for ordinary high school students to get back their New Year's money from their parents through legal means. The starfish continued to be speechless.

Before Naoko could say anything, Song Qianqiu spoke first: "Starfish is very concerned about this issue, has Mr. Seiichiro confiscated the New Year's money?" ”

"No, no, no......"

Starfish quickly explained, "It's just a little curious." ”

"That's right."

Naruse sat in the middle and looked at the ceiling.

After a few more moments, the couple stood up and prepared to go home.

"What are Qianqiu's plans for the afternoon?"

"Me? Watch TV at home. ”

"Are you going to visit the mall in Aomori?"

"Okay. Sawako driving? ”

"Of course it's Toru who drives."

"What about the kids?"

"If you want to go, you can go."

The two of them discussed their plans for the afternoon in a few sentences.

"I'm going back." Naoko also stood up and followed her parents home.

"Hmm."

"If you want to go out in the afternoon, you have to pick out the clothes you want to go out." Matsuchiaki returned to the bedroom.

Only Naruse and starfish were left on the couch.

She moved to the side, and he immediately stood up.

“……”

Naruse walked directly to the bedroom door, "Let the starfish pick it for you." ”

"Huh? All right. Matsu Chiaki beckoned the starfish in.

The two passed by at the door, and Naruse turned around and went upstairs.

Buzz –

"Light, message—"

"Hmm, ...... from the starfish"

Starfish: Let's go to the first day tomorrow.

(End of chapter)