When Naruse and Hikaru Takikawa went downstairs, all the students in the last class had already left the bathroom, and they were the only ones who were going to take a bath next.

When the two of them came over, the teacher in charge gave two more sentences, once again emphasizing not to soak for too long and not to cause trouble to the people in the hotel.

"Okay—"

No matter what they thought in their hearts, the two of them obediently responded on the surface.

Watching the teacher leave, Hikaru Takikawa turned his head to look at Naruse: "Which side?" ”

"Stop making a fuss."

"Haha."

The two of them walked into the men's and women's baths.

Even though he had already taken a bath, Naruse rinsed off a little before pulling open the glass sliding door and sitting down in the hot spring pool.

"Hmm......"

Soak it again, it's still very comfortable.

Leaning against the edge of the pool, Naruse closed his eyes, and soon heard the sound of the door opening again.

It is the women's bath next door.

Whoop -

Then there is the sound of entering the water.

"Spring Sea—"

“……”

Naruse opened his eyes.

"Spring Sea—"

"I hear you."

"What?"

"I said I heard it."

"Your voice is so small, come here."

Naruse had no choice but to get up and sit down next to the log wall that separates the men's and women's hot spring pools.

"And now?"

Hikaru Takikawa smiled, "It's much clearer now." ”

"Just soak for a while, and you have to chat."

"It's obviously two people coming together, so it's a bit boring to soak alone."

Naruse didn't say much, but moved to the side again, leaning against the stones by the pool.

"After just soaking for a while, I felt that the muscle soreness was relieved a lot, and the effect was really good." Hikaru Takikawa said.

"I feel that way, too."

"I don't know if I will have pain when I wake up tomorrow morning."

"Hopefully not...... It's hard to get to the ski slopes, and I'd like to ski a few more times. ”

"Me too."

She laughed a little, then fell into a brief silence.

"Sorry, ...... Harumi"

"The light wasn't meant to be."

"Hmm...... But, I'm sorry. ”

"Well, I accepted it."

Naruse looked at the wooden wall in front of him, "Neither of us was injured, it's already a blessing in misfortune, so let's stop it if we are entangled or something." ”

“……”

After a brief silence, she laughed again.

"Thanks, Harumi."

Naruse raised his hand and shook it on the surface of the water, and the sound of the water was a response.

Leaning on the moist and warm stones, my body and mind are constantly relaxed, and I even want to sleep here for a while.

"—I'm thinking about the moon."

Hikaru Takikawa suddenly spoke, dispelling the little sleepiness he had just risen.

"Sister Yue should be resting now." He spoke.

"No, I mean afternoon skiing."

“……”

The voice on the other side paused, as if reminiscing.

"'What is Moon doing now?' At that time, this thought suddenly popped into my mind, and then I couldn't help but think about it...... In the blink of an eye, Harumi suddenly appeared in front of me. ”

“……”

Naruse looked at the sky.

That's what caused the two of them to lie in their room all afternoon......

"It's better to focus on skiing...... What's more, it's still on the advanced road. ”

"I know...... But the advanced Tao here is just like that. ”

"Is the point here?"

Her tone, which had just risen a little, fell again.

"I'm sorry."

Naruse was silent for a moment.

"Don't you still want Sister Yue to leave?"

"yes...... But I've long understood that sooner or later the moon is going to leave. ”

Hikaru Takikawa leaned against the edge of the pool, tilted his head, and looked at the pitch-black sky overhead.

"Yue knew early on what she wanted to do and where she was going, and it was good, there was nothing better than that...... I'm not going to stop her, but ......"

She lowered her gaze to her knees, which were slightly above the water.

"If the moon leaves, I will have a feeling that I don't know what to do."

Naruse was silent for a while and said, "I didn't come to this world just to take care of Sister Tsuki. ”

"What is that for?" She asked rhetorically.

"For the sake of ...... In order to create the life that you want in light. ”

"What do I want in life?"

"You have to ask yourself."

"I don't know."

“……”

"So what is the life that Harumi wants?"

“……”

The silence became even longer.

The same question, the same answer from another person's mouth, "I don't know." ”

Both fell silent.

After a long while, Naruse heard the sound of water coming from there.

"Are you going out?"

"Nope."

She just said this, and the sound of the water continued, and it gradually faded away.

Naruse listened for a while, thinking that she just wanted to soak in a different place, so she didn't care.

And a moment later, he heard her come back again.

"Light?"

"Well, I just went for a walk."

"'Walk'?"

"Take a walk in the hot springs."

Naruse was silent.

"It's so small here." She said again.

"Hmm." Compared to several hot spring inns I've been to before, the hot spring pools at this hotel really aren't big.

"Spring Sea."

"Hmm."

"You say, can you climb over this wall?"

“…… Don't mess around. ”

Naruse looked carefully at the wooden wall separating the two sides, and was sure that at least on the men's bath side, it was impossible to climb over it alone.

And Hikaru Takikawa just asked like this, and there was no movement after that.

"Light?"

"Hmm."

Confirming that she was still there, Naruse said, "You soak honestly for a while, the time is almost up." ”

"I'm soaking."

"Then keep soaking."

After a while, she suddenly spoke: "For the common exam on the weekend, I'm going to go outside the exam room to accompany Yue." ”

"Is the examination room for the common exam at Tianjin University?" Naruse asked.

"yes."

"After that, the entrance exam of Northeast University, the light will also pass?"

"Of course. I'll send the moon over and come back with her. ”

Naruse answered, but didn't say anything.

"Is Chunhai coming?"

"I'll forget it."

"Just to gain some experience in taking the entrance exam in the future?"

"No, you only need the results of the common exam to go to Tianjin University."

Hikaru Takikawa replied after a while.

“…… All right. ”

Naruse was about to say something, but she stretched, and then seemed to stand up.

"It's almost soaked, let's go out."

Neither of them had their phones with them, and they couldn't see the time in the bath, but it shouldn't be a few minutes away.

"Hmm."

Naruse left the bath, put on his clothes and went out, and Hikaru Takikawa was waiting for him outside and smiled at him again.

"Let's get a bottle of milk and go up again."

"Okay."

This time, she was in for a treat.

At this time, there was no one in the hall anymore.

The two sat on the couch drinking milk, and looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

"So it's only been about fifteen minutes......"

"Counting the time to put on and take off clothes, it actually didn't take long."

"Then go soak in it for a while?"

Naruse shook his head, "As soon as we came out, the people from the hotel went in to clean it, so don't embarrass people." ”

Hikaru Takikawa smiled, leaned back, raised his feet slightly, and continued for a while before putting it down.

After drinking the milk, the two did not stay in the hall for long.

Ten o'clock in the evening is the time for teachers to inspect, although they have already greeted Zhongyuan Xue in advance, but it is also a troublesome thing to be interrogated.

"Good night."

"Uh-huh, good night~"

Back in the room, Naruse opened the door, and the lights inside were turned off.

The five boys in the same group lay quietly in the futon and couldn't be more honest.

“……”

He didn't say a word, and they didn't dare to move.

"It's me."

"What's the matter, it turned out to be Naruse...... It's scared to death. ”

Not long after he returned to the futon and lay down, there was a bang, and the door was suddenly opened, and a figure stood in the doorway, and the shadow was stretched by the light in the corridor.

The real patrol teacher is here.

He also stood in the doorway longer.

Silent and anxious.

“…… Gone? ”

"Nope." The voice of the answer came from the doorway.

“……”

Hikaru Takikawa closed his eyes and swallowed the next sentence, followed by a slight snoring sound.

Naoko smiled silently.

(End of chapter)