Naoko rarely shows her emotions, especially the less gentle parts of it.

But her current anxiety can be felt by everyone.

Morimi slightly regretted sitting next to her - not only did he have to bear the negative emotions she unintentionally released at this time, but perhaps he had to cooperate with her to cover up afterwards, which was not a pleasant thing.

But she could fully understand her reaction.

Morimi glanced back, and across the two rows of empty seats, Naruse and Starfish were sitting together, talking something.

The bus went all the way, and the humming sound of the engine completely drowned out the muffled voices of the two, and nothing could be heard.

Starfish said there was something to ask him, what was it?

She was also a little concerned.

After staring at it a few times, Morimi withdrew his gaze and glanced towards the seat next to him.

Naoko doesn't know how many times she has turned around.

Every time she looked at it, she turned back, but after less than half a minute, she would turn back again, and she felt tired for her.

The restless engine roared, and only the hands kept clenched.

The two in the back row kept their distance and were just talking.

What made Naoko so uneasy was the expression on the starfish when she grabbed Naruse just now - it was like she was going to confess to him.

Although she felt that the odds were low.

It's only been a day, but how many things have happened that she doesn't know?

Unable to guess anything out of thin air, Morimi could only retract his gaze, and suddenly found that Takikawa Moon in the front row had also turned around.

And the person she was looking at......

Seems to be yourself?

"Sister Yue?"

Takigawa shook his head, indicating that he was fine, and quickly turned back.

Morimi didn't care.

And Naoko, who was sitting next to her, turned back again.

Where her gaze was focused, Naruse was tilting her head and whispering.

“…… Ten minutes have passed, and now half of it has passed. If you don't want to speak, I'll go back. ”

"Wait!"

Starfish hurriedly stopped him and pursed his lips again, "Let me think about it...... Think again. ”

Naruse didn't speak, inhaled and sighed, and glanced at Naoko in front of him.

He shook his head, and she squeezed out a smile and slowly turned back.

He looked at the time again.

"Three minutes to go."

“……”

Starfish took a deep breath, "Do you like Naoko?" ”

I hesitated for a long time, thought of a lot of rhetoric and cover-ups, and didn't use a word.

Naruse's heart jumped, and he raised his eyes to look at the back in front of him, and then looked at her.

"Hmm."

The moment he nodded, the starfish's nose was sour, and he almost burst into tears.

Sure enough, this is the answer......

It can only be this answer.

How could he deny it? The only person who thinks that there is another answer to this question is himself.

But in this case, why are they just childhood sweethearts and not lovers?

Weaving hope for herself out of nothing, she continued, "Naoko likes you too. ”

Naruse looked at Naoko again and nodded quickly, "Hmm." ”

Starfish looked at him: "Why didn't they have a relationship?" ”

Naruse took a slow breath.

"There are many reasons ......"

He wanted to say that the problem was with him, and Naoko was just accommodating him, and both of them were willing to keep the status quo, but then he felt the need to explain it to her too clearly.

"In short, to date or not to socialize, it is my and Shangzi's business."

The starfish bit her lip and didn't speak.

The two were silent, and time jumped to the next minute in silence.

"Ten minutes is up."

Naruse got up, ready to return to the front row where he was supposed to be sitting.

Starfish suddenly grabbed his hand, "Wait a minute." ”

Feeling the softness in her hands, Naruse quickly pulled away, and she grabbed his clothes instead.

"It's because ...... I...... Is it? ”

"What?" He looked in front of him and sat down again.

His chest rose and fell with his breathing, and the starfish's voice grew lower and lower.

"It's because I...... You didn't have a relationship with Naoko. ”

The speed of his denial broke her heart.

"How is that possible?"

“……”

Starfish moved her lips, her chest dull as if it had been hit hard. The hand that grabbed his clothes also hung down weakly.

She and he had already crossed the line called liking.

Although, for him, it was pretended.

But the time spent together for two years is not false, and each other's bodies and hearts have left a deep imprint that only belongs to each other.

No matter how long they have been separated from each other, this imprint will not disappear completely, even if it will fade.

At least for her.

She felt, more or less, that he should be the same.

She had always felt that way.

And his unthinking denial completely shattered everything.

When looking at him in front of the mirror, the momentary hesitation that appeared on his face was really just her illusion?

Was his previous initiative to get close was also an illusion?

If it was really an illusion, then why was his gaze on her body?

And when she covered her chest, he told her to take her hands away......

"Do you like my body?"

“……”

Naruse gave her a suspicious look, then stood up again, walked to the front row without looking back, and sat behind Morimi.

Hearing the movement, she and Naoko both turned around.

The moment she turned her head, she noticed that Naoko's expression was noticeably more relaxed.

And Naruse, who had just sat down, looked a little distracted.

"You're done talking to the starfish?"

"Hmmm......"

Morimi looked at him, then at the starfish sitting alone at the back, and got up to get ready to go.

"Wait a minute!"

He subconsciously grabbed her, and quickly let go, "Let her stay by herself." ”

"Why?"

"Hmm...... She had a head problem. ”

"Huh?" Morimi looked at him in surprise.

Naruse couldn't explain it too clearly, and she was worried that the starfish would talk nonsense to her, so she had to sit down first, and she went back to the back.

Starfish sat stunned, lost in despair.

"Don't talk nonsense to them."

“……”

She looked at him and lowered her gaze, "I'm not talking nonsense. ”

Naruse took a deep breath, "Then what the hell do you want to do?" ”

"I want to ......"

Starfish stared blankly at his hands that had nowhere to put them.

She asked everything she wanted to ask.

And he had already admitted everything she wanted to know, and at the same time denied everything about each other, what else could she do......

"I don't know."

She didn't know how to accept the fact that she was really the only one who liked him unilaterally.

Two lines of tears flowed silently.

“……”

She was calmly in tears, and Naruse opened her mouth, but after all, she didn't get up to leave, but just sat next to her in silence.

Neither of them spoke again until half an hour later, when the bus stopped in front of the shrine.

"I'm going down." His eyes were dry, and the starfish was clutching his soaked tissue, and his voice was a little hoarse.

Naruse got up, and she came out of it and walked straight forward.

Starfish ......

She ignored Naoko and Morimi and got out of the car directly.

Starfish...... Hey? ”

Seeing Starfish get out of the car alone, Hikaru Takikawa realizes that something is not quite right.

Looking at the two companions behind her, she looked at Naruse at the back, "Harumi, what's wrong with the starfish?" ”

He shook his head and didn't explain, "Let's get out of the car first." ”

The bus didn't stop for long, and a few people hurried to get off the bus, while the starfish had already passed through the torii gate and walked to the approach.

"Starfish—"

Hikaru Takikawa shouted, but she didn't react.

"Let's go inside." Naruse quickened his pace to keep up.

Naoko followed him, looked at the starfish's back again, and didn't ask anything.

Morimi was much more direct, "What's the matter, why are starfish crying again?" What the hell did you talk about? ”

Naruse looked at the stone torii in front of him, "We talked about old things between brother and sister." ”

She frowned, not convinced, just not knowing what to ask.

Walking into the shrine, the long approach road is covered with snow, and there are not many people who came here today.

And the starfish kept moving forward without looking back, and soon blended into the crowd and disappeared.

"I'll go find her." Morimi dropped this sentence and chased after him.

Hikaru Takikawa and his sister slowed down and waited for the two to catch up, "What's wrong with the starfish?" ”

"Something on your mind." Naruse said.

Takigawa Yue looked at him, then at Naoko, and grabbed her sister who wanted to ask again.

"Chunhai will solve the problem of starfish."

Naruse frowned and smiled.

"I hope so."

(End of chapter)