When I woke up in the morning, the starfish washed up and prepared to go out to Naruse's house.

"Starfish, are you going to pass over today?" Hearing the movement of his daughter coming down, Seiichiro Maki probed from the kitchen and asked.

"Hmm...... I'm going to play. ”

"I cooked mirror cakes." Seiichiro said.

"Ahh Starfish was stunned for a moment.

These days, she has been running to his house every day and has nothing to do, and she has lost her sense of time.

No wonder there was a banging sound downstairs just now, it turned out to be breaking the mirror cake.

Is it the day of the mirror......

School is coming up in a few days, have you been holding on for so many days?

She didn't understand what she was insisting on, but if she suddenly decided not to go, she would feel like she had given up.

And she's not going to give up.

Seiichiro looked at his daughter, "It's already cooked, do you want to eat a piece?" ”

"I want to eat."

Went to the kitchen to eat a boiled mirror cake, and the starfish went out.

As she walked past Morimi Kohonto, someone stopped her, "Starfish." ”

"One Leaf ......"

She has been staying at Naruse's house for the past few days, facing Naruse and Naoko all day long, and in contrast, she is far away from other friends.

Not to mention the Takigawa sisters who went to Morioka's grandmother's house, the last time she saw Morimi seemed to be a week ago.

"Good morning."

Morimi came out of the store and tilted his head to the other side of the county road, "You want to go over there?" ”

"Hmmm......"

Starfish nodded, paying attention to her expression.

In the past week or so, she has gradually become accustomed to Naruse's cold reciprocity, as well as Naoko's calm gaze, and she can already be cheeky and pretend not to care about the two of them either directly resisting or silently exploring.

But when she faced Yiye at first glance, she didn't know what kind of attitude she would have.

She also didn't know how much Kazuha knew now.

And Morimi's expression was calm, and the starfish couldn't see anything, "The starfish seems to have been staying at the Naruse family lately. ”

"Hmmm......"

She got closer, and her gaze from behind the lenses was projected straight in: "What are the starfish doing over there?" ”

After a brief glance at each other, the starfish looked away.

"Didn't do anything...... It's about staying with everyone. ”

Although the so-called "everyone" is only two people.

"Just staying at his house?" Morimi continued to ask.

"yes."

"Isn't it boring?"

"It's okay......" Starfish pursed her lower lip, no wonder if she wasn't bored.

Morimi looked at her for a while, testing her attitude one last time.

"Why?"

"Eh......"

Starfish looked at her and hesitated, "Because...... I haven't had much to do lately, and I'm bored at home. ”

Seeing that she still avoided talking about her true purpose, Morimi sighed softly.

"I see."

Seeing the disappointment and helplessness flashing on her face, Starfish suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"One Leaf ......"

"School will start in a few days." Morimi quickly adjusted his mood, at least on the surface, "It won't be boring then." ”

Starfish looked at her and nodded slowly.

"That's it, nothing else." Morimi smiled at her.

"Then I'm ......"

"Hmm."

A few steps after she had just walked out, Starfish suddenly heard her say behind her:

"If you're really bored, you can actually come to me...... If only it was boring. ”

She turned around, but Morimi just waved at her and turned to go in.

“……”

Starfish stood in place for a moment and walked towards Naruse's house.

It was Naoko who came to open the door again.

"Good morning."

With her long hair draped behind her, she smiled and said hello and leaned sideways to let her in.

"Disturbed ......"

Starfish glanced at Naoko's pajamas and could tell that she had just gotten up.

- I came too early.

"We just got up. Chunhai is preparing breakfast, and the starfish will sit down for a while. Naoko said, raising her arms again, stretching her long waist, the pajamas on her chest being stretched fuller and fuller, and the buttons tightened.

The starfish pretended not to see it, took a half-circle around the living room, and turned around and went to the kitchen.

Naruse was holding a knife, cutting or chopping something.

Syllable! Syllable! Syllable!

The starfish got a little closer, and under the knife, it was indeed a mirror cake.

Syllable!

He raised his knife and slashed hard, cutting out a small piece of the mirror cake that had been divided into four.

"It's just been left for more than a week, how can it become so hard......" Naruse complained as he cut it really hard.

"It's been two weeks." Starfish said.

He turned his head to look at her and shook the knife in his hand, "Stay away from me." ”

Starfish took two steps back, and he turned around again, took another small piece of mirror cake, and continued to cut it laboriously.

It wasn't until the whole piece of mirror cake was cut into suitable pieces that Naruse breathed a sigh of relief.

Putting the mirror cake in the oven and waiting, he turned his head to look at her, saw that she was still standing in the kitchen, and said, "Do you like to eat mirror cakes?" ”

Starfish looked at him and replied, "Generally." ”

"I've been eating mirror cakes all day today - my family's mirror cakes have been eaten, and there are also Naoko's people who don't like to eat mirror cakes, and they can go home now."

“……”

She pursed her lips and moved her footsteps twice, but still did not go out.

Heat the cake in the oven and Naruse cooks the red bean soup.

Ding——

After waiting for a while, I turned on the oven, and the originally hard mirror cake was baked to swell and fluffy, faintly burnt yellow, and exuded a faint aroma.

Fill a bowl of thick red bean soup and soak the hot mirror cake in it, and the breakfast for three is ready.

When Naoko came over for breakfast, she was still in her pajamas, and her hair was combed together and hung down on one shoulder.

"Hikari seems to be coming back today."

"She's been in Morioka for a few days."

"I think I had a lot of fun."

The red bean soup was sweet and greasy, and the starfish took a bite of the mirror cake and swallowed it slowly.

After breakfast, the three of them returned to the living room, repeating the idleness of yesterday, the day before yesterday, and even from the first day of the new month to the present.

At noon, lunch is still red bean soup and mirror cakes.

The starfish was a little greasy, but he came here to eat and drink, and he couldn't say anything.

And the mirror cakes of the two families combined, the three of them ate two meals, and there was still a lot left, and she began to think about whether it was better to go back early in the evening.

As a result, Naruse himself couldn't stand it anymore.

"Do you have to finish the mirror cake?"

Starfish looked at it expectantly.

Naoko smiled, "The mirror cake is the sojourn of Lord Nianshen, so it's better to eat it, it will be blessed." ”

He was a little helpless, "Let's eat differently that night." ”

"Uh-huh."

Starfish also quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

At about two o'clock in the afternoon, Hikaru Takikawa came to the door.

"I'm back."

She smiled at Naruse who opened the door, holding some souvenirs she had brought back from Morioka.

"Well, the starfish are here today."

After entering the door, she saw a starfish sitting on the sofa, and she gave her one of the specialties, "It just so happens that this is for the starfish." ”

"Thank you......" Starfish took it.

"I don't know if Kazuha is here at the bookstore, so if he's not, he'll have to run a little longer."

"Kazuha's words, I've been at the bookstore in the morning, and I don't know if I'm still there." Starfish said.

"It's okay, I'll just check it out."

Hikaru Takikawa didn't plan to stay long, so he delivered the gift, chatted a few more words and prepared to leave.

"Do you want to go back with the starfish?"

"I ......"

She didn't know how to explain her reason for staying, and subconsciously looked at Naruse, and he looked at her.

“……”

He was waiting for her to nod.

"I'm not going back."

"Yes." Takikawa Hikaru smiled slightly, didn't care, and left first after greeting the three of them.

When she came to the Morimi Komoto store, she glanced inside and found that Kazuha was still here.

"Great."

"Hikari ......" Morimi pushed his glasses, "Are you back?" ”

"Well, I'll be back at noon." Hikaru Takikawa lifted the paper bag in his hand, "This is a specialty for Ichiba." ”

"Thank you."

Morimi took it and looked at it, and then asked, "Sister Yue, let's come back together." ”

"Uh-huh, the month is studying at home. After she returned, she had already entered a state of preparing for the exam wholeheartedly. Hikaru Takikawa said.

Morimi took a deep breath, "As soon as school starts, it's going to be a common exam, so there's not much time left." ”

"yes...... Well? Hikaru Takikawa leaned on the counter, only to suddenly notice that there were books and notes in front of her.

"Kazuha is also learning."

Morimi nodded.

"If you're studying, why don't you go home?" Hikaru Takikawa asked, remembering that she rarely studied here because she couldn't stay focused all the time.

Morimi smiled, "Because I guess Hikari will come." ”

"Yes." Hikaru Takikawa also laughed, "Then I won't disturb your study, I'll go back first." ”

"Hmm...... Wait a minute. ”

Morimi stopped her, "Just from the Naruse family?" ”

"yes."

"The starfish is still over there."

"Yes. Having said that, has Starfish been staying at Chunhai's house these days? ”

Morimi was silent for a moment, then shook his head again, "I don't know. ”

Hikaru Takikawa didn't ask much, and said hello to Morimiki, who came out when he heard the movement, and went back.

Seeing that her daughter was staring outside, she came back to her senses and hurriedly lowered her head to read the book, and Morimi said, "I'm here here, Ichiha should go home." ”

She didn't speak, shook her head, and then put away the book and notes.

Stretching, she picked up the idle book that she had put aside, but her eyes were looking out.

"Let's start tomorrow."

At dinner, Naoko put the last bit of broken mirror cake in the pot and cooked it with the meat slices, which tasted quite good.

Both Naruse and Starfish ate a lot, and the latter drank a lot of broth, and after eating, he collapsed on the couch, unwilling to get up.

"Lie down at home." Naruse drove people away mercilessly, "I'll send you back." ”

"Wait a little longer...... Good support. ”

She leaned feebly on the couch, trying to get comfortable.

Naruse glanced at her a few times, "You don't want to stay overnight." ”

Naoko didn't speak, but she also looked over, waiting for her answer.

"Who's going to stay overnight?" Starfish quickly denied it, but involuntarily moved a little in his heart.

During this time, she basically went home after dinner, and it would not be more than seven o'clock at the latest.

The time of the night was left to him in its entirety.

And the night a long time ago was always the time when he and she hurt each other during the day, and then approached each other with their own hearts......

Starfish glanced at the side of his face.

Together, the thought grew wildly uncontrollably.

It's just that she has personally rejected it just now, and she needs a chance to confirm it again.

He won't give her a chance.

She looked at Naoko again.

"I'd like to take a shower over here."

Naoko looked over, and it took another two or three seconds before he spoke: "Is the starfish going to take a bath?" ”

"Hmm. May I? ”

"Of course. I'm going to put water ......."

Naruse interrupted her, "Can't you go home and wash it?" ”

"Can't you wash it here?" Starfish asked rhetorically.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because it's my bathroom."

......Seeing that he couldn't say any clear reason to object, Naoko sighed in his heart, "I'll go release the water first." ”

Blocking to no avail, waiting for her to leave the living room, Naruse turned his head to look at the starfish: "What do you want to do?" ”

"Bathing ......"

"And then?"

“……”

Starfish looked to the side and didn't speak.

Naruse took a deep breath, "You don't want to stay overnight. ”

"Why not?"

"You just said you didn't want to stay overnight."

“……”

Starfish was speechless.

And Naoko quickly returned to the living room, "Starfish can go and wash." ”

"Thank you......"

Starfish got up and went to the bathroom.

Naoko sat down next to Naruse and watched TV.

After a while, she leaned in.

"I think I forgot to get pajamas for the starfish......"

"She doesn't stay overnight."

She nodded slightly, her body becoming more relaxed, "Hmm." ”

After a while, the starfish, having finished taking a shower, put on his clothes and returned to the living room.

"I've washed my ......," she said, curling her hair and glancing at Naruse and Naoko respectively, "I should go back." ”

Naruse was a little surprised that she changed her mind so quickly, and of course she wouldn't object.

"I'll send you back."

She nodded.

Putting on his coat and going out, Naruse walked in front and she followed behind.

"When did it start snowing......

Before he could reach the intersection, he suddenly noticed that the starfish had not followed.

Looking back, she was crouched in the snow with her head buried between her arms.

Naruse took a few steps back, and before she could speak, she could hear her sobbing deeply.

“……”

He pursed his lower lip, inhaled silently, and stood aside.

After a while, the sobs gradually subsided.

"Isn't Naoko starting to hate me too......"

"Nope."

After a few rubs on her arm, she looked up and wiped it on her face again.

"I won't be here tomorrow."

Naruse looked at her, "Hmm." ”

“……”

She was silent for a moment, the wind and snow constantly hitting her face.

"I don't know what to do anymore."

Naruse looked at the lights at the intersection, black and white snowflakes shuttled under the lights, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye, connecting into unclear lines, chaotic.

"Don't think about the impossible, just act as if nothing happened, and you'll be fine in a few days."

“……”

She lowered her head and hugged her knees, "How can you say 'act as if nothing happened' so easily...... Ah, you don't like me. ”

She wiped it under her eyes, "I should have understood...... No, I already understood. ”

It's just that I haven't been willing to accept it.

The starfish bit her lip so that her voice didn't tremble too much.

"So at that time, I really read the wrong ......"

Naruse looked over, "What?" ”

She shook her head slightly, her movements so small that she could barely see them.

"I won't like you anymore."

“……”

Naruse took a deep breath of the cold air dipped in the wind and snow, only to feel a stagnation and tingling pain in his chest.

"Well, that's long overdue......"

Syllable!

A cloud of snow smashed over him, right in the chest.

The sudden outburst used up almost all of her strength, and the starfish trembled and calmed down for a moment, then took a few deep breaths.

“…… I'm sorry. ”

Naruse didn't speak, just patted his clothes.

She tried to get up, but she fell to the ground again, struggling a few times to get up, and didn't shake his outstretched hand.

"I'm going home."

"Hmm."

The two walked back on.

Walk out of the intersection and turn into the county road, the time is only six or seven o'clock, and there is no one on the road for a long time.

Two lines of footprints by two people, all the way to the door of the real wood hotel.

"Here we are."

"Hmm."

"Thank you for sending me back." Starfish turned her head and put a smile on her lips, "Good night." ”

"Good night."

When she got home, Naruse also turned around and went back.

He lowered his eyes and followed the footprints he had made all the way back, when suddenly a few calls came from the wind and snow.

“…… Naruse ...... Naruse! ”

He turned his head and narrowed his eyes, "Morimi...... Haven't you gone back yet? ”

"Just about to go back. When you and the starfish came, I was standing in the doorway, didn't you see? ”

Naruse took a deep breath and regained his spirits, "I didn't pay attention. ”

“……”

Morimi looked at him for a moment, "What's wrong?" ”

"It's a little cold."

"Huh?"

"No, nothing ......"

He looked at her, "You're going home?" Do you need me to send you. ”

Morimi opened his mouth.

"Isn't it too far?"

"It's still early."

Grand Chapter

Continue to ask for a monthly pass

(End of chapter)