Outside, the cold wind was howling.

picked up the teacup and took a sip, but Naruse didn't put it down, just holding it in his hand.

The living room of Morimi's house is really cold.

Even if you sit in the kotatsu, there are places where you can't get warm.

After a moment of silence, Morimi looked up at him again.

"And then?"

"Then I left Aomori and went to Tokyo with my mom."

"I mean you and the starfish."

"Of course it's over. After I went to Tokyo, I was completely disconnected. ”

Morimi took another deep breath and stared at his teacup.

Naruse looked at her for a moment, then at the clock on the wall.

He's been sitting here for almost half an hour.

Normally, he should have arrived home by this time......

"There's one more question." After a few more moments, Morimi finally spoke again.

"Hmm."

She looked at him, "Is there anyone else besides you and the starfish who knows about what happened between you?" ”

He looked at her, "You." ”

“…… Naoko doesn't know either? ”

"How could such a thing be told to her."

“……”

Morimi wanted to laugh inexplicably, but he couldn't.

The ambiguous past with the starfish can't be told to Naoko, but it can be told to her......

She sighed.

"Do you want me to say anything?"

"What?"

"I understand you...... Something like that. ”

Naruse looked at her and then looked to the side.

"I don't have that expectation, I just hope it ends here. Starfish are also ......"

"—does the starfish really think so?"

"Yes. She just couldn't make it. Naruse said.

Morimi looked at him, "What if you can't do it all the time?" ”

He was silent for a moment, then lowered his gaze.

"If that's a relationship, we've broken up. And now she has made the choice to let each other go, and if she still can't let go, I will feel sorry for her, that's all. ”

“……”

She pursed her lower lip, then suddenly lay down again, looking at the ceiling.

She could now truly understand his relationship with Starfish, but when she peeled back the cocoon, the problem became more difficult.

"I shouldn't have interfered with ......"

Naruse glanced at her.

"This kind of thing can only be solved by yourself."

"I wish you had thought that sooner."

She sat up again, glaring at him.

"It's not because you and the starfish are hiding such an important thing and not saying it."

"Then why do you think she and I don't want to talk."

“……”

Of course, it's because it's hard to talk to outsiders.

But realizing this, she suddenly became a little annoyed.

"I don't know!"

Naruse glanced at her and lowered his head to drink tea.

"It's time for me to go back."

Morimi didn't speak.

He didn't just leave, he took one sip after another, drank all the hot tea in his cup, and then got up.

"Hopefully this cup of hot tea will last me until I get home."

She looked up at him, "I have a thermos cup, you can take it with you on the road." ”

"Forget it." Naruse shook his head, "I'll go back." ”

Morimi got up and sent him to the door.

"Naruse."

He sat in the hallway with his shoes on, "Hmm. ”

"Tomorrow is the common exam."

"Hmm."

"Two years later, we're going to take the exam."

He looked back at her.

"Do you want to say that you have to concentrate on the remaining two years?"

Morimi laughed.

"Do you have mind reading too?"

"Occasionally, it makes a difference."

"Then guess what I want to do."

"You want to solve the starfish thing and then focus on studying."

"You guessed it." She laughed and sighed, "But ......"

The problem of starfish cannot be solved.

"The only person who can solve this problem is herself."

Naruse stood up and looked at her, "If you really want to be admitted to Kyoto University, forget about it." ”

“……”

Morimi took a deep breath of cold air.

"I don't need you to remind you of this kind of thing."

Naruse nodded.

"Good night."

He disappeared into the darkness and snow, and she stood in the doorway for a few more moments before turning to enter.

Turning off the heater in the living room and leaving the cups on the table, she took them to the kitchen, where she stood in front of the sink for a while.

You can only choose between Kyoto University and Starfish, is that what he means?

If you want to be admitted to Beijing University, you have to let go of the starfish thing and concentrate on studying in the little time you have left;

But letting go of the starfish is not a guarantee that she will be admitted to Beijing University.

What's more, she can't put it down.

How could she possibly let her go?

But now in this situation where she can't intervene, what else can she do?

“……”

She held the cup in the pool, which seemed to have his residual warmth on it.

Whoop -

Turning on the faucet, rinsing the two cups and putting them away, Morimi left the kitchen, went back to his room to get his pajamas, and then went downstairs to the bathroom.

She took off her glasses and stripped off her clothes, the pervasive cold made her shiver and goosebumps on her arms.

Whoop -

Turn on the shower head and a steady stream of hot water sprays down to dispel the cold.

The tense body gradually became relaxed.

She closed her eyes, raised her hand to block her ears, and the sound of water washing her scalp echoed directly in her head.

Rustle, rustle –

Hollow and dense.

The water is constantly flowing and washing.

It was as if there was only one voice left in the whole world, and there was nothing to think about.

I don't want to think about it......

["If you really want to be admitted to Beijing University, then forget about it. ”】

“……”

She opened her eyes.

Whoop -

The water was still washing over her body.

"What the hell is going to do ......?"

She didn't know.

Hot water flowed over his head and face, to his body, and after standing for a while, Morimi began to wash himself.

First, shoulder-length hair.

Applying shampoo, scrubbing for a while, and rinsing it off, she squinted at her hands, and a few strands of hair were still tangled between her fingers.

Hair loss again......

She didn't bother to care, turned her palm, washed her hair away, and then washed her body.

The soap was applied all over the body, from the arms, to the neck, to the chest, unconsciously playing with it.

"Hmm......"

The unconscious becomes conscious.

Coming back to his senses, the soap then slid down, smearing every part of his lower body.

She restrained.

Irritability and lust are half in the bottom of her heart, and she just wants to calm down.

Rinsing her body again, she turned off the lights and sat down in the tub.

Dark, quiet.

But I couldn't hear the sound of the wind and snow outside the window.

Other voices roared in her head.

【“…… Then forget about it. ”】

"Don't think about it......"

Crash!

She stood up at once and climbed out of the tub.

Buzz –

The phone in his pocket vibrated for a moment.

Facing the wind and snow, Naruse shrank his head, not wanting to pay attention to it, but then he thought that it might be Naoko's news, and he still took out his mobile phone.

Kazuha: Don't talk to me in the future.

“……”

He was stunned for a moment, and then subconsciously looked left and right.

In the silent and dark wilderness, there was no one but himself.

No one could explain the meaning of this sentence for him.

"Inexplicable......"

Naruse: Okay.

Putting away his phone, he shrank his head and continued to walk home, and after a while, the phone vibrated again, and it continued to stop.

It's a phone.

Thinking that when he was at Takigawa's house before, Matsu Chiaki said that he would contact him later, and Naruse immediately took out his mobile phone.

“……”

Or Morimi.

He answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Are you home?"

"Didn't even get to the intersection."

"It's slow...... Hmmm......"

"It's only been long since I've been away from your house."

"I don't know ......"

Naruse looked ahead, and the lights at the intersection pierced through the wind and snow to guide him.

"What's the matter?"

“……”

There was only the sound of her sometimes restrained, sometimes rapid chaotic breathing.

"Morimi?"

“…… I'm here. ”

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing...... Not...... I just wanted to say that I wanted to ......"

Her words were so vague that she couldn't tell them apart, and Naruse frowned.

"Morimi ......"

Toot –

“……”

The phone hung up.

After a while, she sent a message.

Kazuha: I'll talk about it tomorrow.

Buzz –

Harumi: Whatever you want.

Throwing her phone on her pajamas, she went back to the bathroom, turned the shower back on, rinsed her hands and lower body.

Whoop -

Sitting back in the tub, she lay down weakly.

The desire is cleared, but the irritability takes the first step, occupying the other half of the vacated heart.

She still couldn't calm down.

(End of chapter)