Along the approach, you will find the vermilion gate. Reflecting the snow, the colors of the shrine buildings are also more vivid.

Naruse didn't have time to admire, and walked straight under the door of the building, stopping and looking twice.

If you climb a few more steps, you will see the worship hall of Iwakiyama Shrine, and on your right hand side is a snow-covered path leading to the next shrine.

Morimi came out of the worship hall and stood on the steps against the flow of people, looking at him below.

The two are looking for starfish.

"Not here."

"That's going over here." Naruse looked at the path on his right, and there were no footprints on the snow, and he couldn't see anything.

"If she comes in." Morimi looked out of the door.

Before entering the building, there is also a road that leads to the left-hand side, and many people are going there.

"I'll look outside."

She walked down, took out her phone and looked at it, "Still not replying to messages...... What the hell did you tell her? ”

"I don't like her."

“……”

Mori saw a pause, and the worshippers behind couldn't dodge and bumped into her.

Naruse reached out to hold her.

"Ah, I'm sorry." The man paused and apologized, "Are you alright?" ”

"It's fine."

She quickly stood still, broke away from Naruse's hand, and stared at him for a few more seconds.

She didn't say anything after all.

"I'll look outside."

"Hmm."

Passing through the door, Morimi squinted his eyes and saw the three people who were still walking this way on the approach from a distance.

The snow was deep, and Hikaru Takikawa helped his sister and Naoko, and his steps couldn't get up.

She looked back again, and she couldn't see Naruse anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Morimi looked for the path on the other side.

On the side road leading to the shrine, Naruse walked between the worshippers until he came to Inari Shrine at the end of the path.

The fox statues on both sides have been hidden by snow, and there are still no starfish among the worshippers who bow with their palms together.

On one side of the path was the courtyard wall of the worship hall, and on the other side was a sea of trees and a sea of snow made up of towering trees that reached into the sky, and she didn't seem to have come here either.

Naruse had no choice but to turn back and find somewhere else.

Walking back to the side of the road, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a series of footprints that had deviated from the path.

“……”

Footprints in the snow lead to a sea of trees.

It's a lonely string that is hard to find, but once you notice it, it's very conspicuous.

Naruse raised his head, and the overlapping giant trees blocked his view, and he couldn't look too far.

He took a breath and followed the footprints inside, wishing she was at the end of the trail but not wanting to be alone with her again.

“……”

He didn't go far, and when he really saw the back of the starfish, Naruse didn't know how to describe his feelings.

Naruse: I found it.

Morimi: Where?

Naruse: I'll talk about that later.

She sat behind a large tree, seemingly in a daze.

Hearing the footsteps, she turned her head to look, and when she saw that it was him, her eyes lit up at first, and then dimmed again.

Naruse stopped next to the tree, "What are you doing?" ”

“…… Didn't do anything. ”

"Where are you going?"

Starfish looked down at the snow on the ground.

"I'm not going anywhere."

She kept walking, and she didn't think about where she was going, but suddenly found that the road was at the end of the road, and simply turned into the sea of trees.

After walking a few steps, she faintly felt that if she continued to walk, she would inevitably get lost in this icy jungle, so she stopped.

She also saw the news of Morimi and wanted to be alone for a while, but she didn't expect him to find her so soon.

She didn't even have time to sort out her mood.

And when he had said two words, he said no more, and both of them were silent.

Starfish didn't know if he was waiting for her to speak.

After a few moments, he suddenly took a few steps forward and sat down next to another tree opposite, facing her.

Looking at the shattered sky above her head, Naruse looked at her again, "Let's talk again." ”

It's far more suitable for intimate conversations than the back seats on buses.

Starfish looked at him, hugging his knees.

“…… What to talk about. ”

"Let's talk about the fact that you like me."

“……”

She pursed her lower lip and hugged her legs, her body shrinking into a ball.

"What else is there to talk about."

"There's really nothing to talk about, I ...... Like Naoko, there is no end to anything between you and me. ”

“……”

Starfish stared down at the snow on the ground.

"But if the starfish doesn't give up, it's a problem for me."

She grabbed a handful of snow and threw it over.

"-I've been dead for a long time!"

The snow flew away, and he just squinted his eyes and patted him lightly on his body a few more times.

"When I came back from Kyoto, I thought so."

She stared at him.

"But what the actual situation is, starfish know better than me."

Naruse paused.

"Or do you think that after we reconcile, this can start again?"

Starfish couldn't answer, because she couldn't remember when she had rekindled hope.

Was it after the so-called reconciliation, or was it at an earlier study session?

He sighed suddenly.

"It hurt you then and now, and I still can't make you give up?"

“…… What exactly are you trying to say? ”

Naruse looked at her, "I've made it clear: don't embarrass me anymore. ”

“……”

"What am I going to do to make the starfish completely dead?"

The starfish fell silent.

Dead hearted......

She couldn't imagine herself really giving up liking him.

Even if my heart was broken just now, even if it was a lie before.

As long as he looked at her, she would have wanted his gaze to stay on her.

Unless, she will never see him again.

"Unless ......"

Naruse wasn't afraid of her conditions, but she was afraid that she would be silent all the time, "Unless what?" ”

"Unless I'm dead."

“……”

He was silent for a few moments, then suddenly stood up, walked up to her, and stared at her without saying a word.

“…… Do? ”

"Do you think it will be before anyone dies here?"

“……”

The starfish moved back.

He crouched down, raised a hand, and slowly reached for her neck.

She quickly retreated, and his hand stopped at her neck.

"Aren't you going to do it?"

Naruse looked at the sky, closed his eyes again, and sighed deeply.

"Stop talking stupid."

In the cold darkness, a cool, soft hand came up and pulled his hand to her neck.

“……”

He opened his eyes and stared into her eyes for a moment, his hand straining slightly.

"Why can a stupid person like you grow up healthy until now?"

"I don't understand either...... Hmmm......"

There was a slight feeling of suffocation coming from the neck.

She closed her eyes, took his hand, and continued to exert force.

"Suddenly I remembered...... Not...... When you kissed me for the first time...... He grabbed me by the neck. ”

Breathing became difficult, and he suddenly let go of his hand.

Plop –

There was a muffled sound in the snow.

"You idiot...... Miserable for both of us. ”

(End of chapter)