One-year Class C, self-study class.

Supporting his head with one hand, Naruse looked down at his notes and turned his pen with the other, but it was difficult to concentrate as much as usual.

There was a faint sound of radio on the other side of the gymnasium.

Not only him, but no one in the classroom at this time could pay attention to what was in front of him.

The spinning pen landed firmly in his palm, and he casually wrote half a English proverb in his notebook.

“March comes in like a lion.”

This year's March came sooner than expected.

The first day of March is also the day when the third-year students of Tsu High School graduate.

At this time, in the Tsugao Gymnasium, the graduation ceremony of the third grade is underway.

On the radio, Mr. Chancellor's speech was also coming to an end.

“…… Your days at Tsuzen High School are over, but your life is just beginning. Let's take a bold step forward—"

The applause that followed was so long that it could be heard in the classroom without the spread of the broadcast.

In the self-study class, there is no teacher sitting on the stage, and the communication below is only relatively restrained.

"The headmaster's speech is over." Someone said, "Next is the graduate representative." ”

"Who is this year's graduate representative, the last student president?"

"Where is his turn, of course it's Takigawa's sister, the third-grade Xiucai...... She seems to have been admitted to Northeast University. ”

It's already been admitted, Naruse said in his heart.

A few days ago night, Takikawa Yue's Tohoku University admission notice was also passed in his hand.

He glanced back at Hikaru Takikawa, who also looked at him, and said:

"Chunhai, it's almost Yue's turn to speak, let's go take a look."

“…… Right now? ”

"Hmm." Hikaru Takikawa stood up and walked out the back door of the classroom in a dignified manner.

Naruse looked at Naoko, she nodded, and she didn't mean to follow.

He also got up and left the classroom.

"Ah, Takigawa and Naruse are out......"

"I'm going to the gym."

"Quiet, it's still class." The chairman of Class C looked at the two people in the corridor and was very helpless, but he couldn't control them.

The absence of others to imitate it was enough for him to rejoice.

The two of them were about to go down the stairs in the middle and walk outside the E-class classroom, when Naruse glanced inside and met Morimi's slightly surprised gaze.

“……”

She looked at Hikaru Takikawa, who was walking in front of her, and quickly understood.

- After all, even the starfish can see the plans of the two, and they are ready to move.

And before the two people in the hallway walked to the front door of the classroom, she couldn't help it.

"I'll go to the bathroom." Starfish dropped this sentence to the chairman and got up and left the classroom.

Seeing the three figures disappear, Morimi yawned, lowered his head and continued to read.

“…… Next: Ask the third-year graduates, on behalf of Takikawa Tsuki, to speak on stage......"

There was a sound on the radio, and Hikaru Takikawa quickened his pace.

Going down to the first floor, the third-grade classroom was empty.

As she walked, the starfish turned her head to look at it, and ran straight into Naruse, who suddenly stopped.

“……”

He glanced back, didn't say anything, and turned back again.

Holding his hand on his back, Starfish noticed a teacher in front of him.

"First grade hasn't finished yet." Looking at the three of them, he said to Hikaru Takikawa.

She clasped her hands together, "Please—"

He waved his hand, looked at Naruse and Starfish behind him, and turned back to the staff room.

The three of them hurried past this side.

"I remember Shu Chuan is usually quite stern......" Haixing still remembers the teacher's reprimand for him just now.

"Only today is an exception." Naruse said.

"It's okay, he knows me." Hikaru Takikawa looked back at them, "Quick, let's start right away." ”

Walking through the hallway, the three of them came to the door of the gymnasium.

Takigawa Hikaru poked his head in, and several teachers standing behind him immediately looked over, thinking it was a third-grader who was late, but he was surprised for a moment, and then he saw her face clearly, so he didn't care.

She walked straight inside, and then turned back to greet Naruse and Starfish.

“……”

Feeling the gaze projected from the left and right, Starfish lowered his head and followed Naruse closely, only to bump into him again when he stopped.

"Sorry......"

"Shh He didn't look back, his hand beckoned behind him, and his eyes looked at the other side of the gymnasium.

Representatives of the third-year graduates had already taken the stage and walked up to the microphone at this time.

"Resignation."

Facing the microphone, Takikawa Yue looked at the teachers, students and parents sitting below, and then looked at the entrance of the gymnasium, where there were three more standing figures.

Each figure was familiar, and she laughed.

"When I came to March, in the cold of spring, I could gradually feel a little different from yesterday's warmth.

In this season when the snow has not yet melted and spring quietly sends greetings, our third-grade students also ushered in the moment of graduation. ”

Naruse looked from afar, and then at Hikaru Takikawa beside her, who listened more attentively than the third-year graduates in front of her.

And the starfish was still looking left and right, a little uneasy.

"It's okay, those teachers don't have time to talk to us right now." He whispered.

"Hmmm......"

Starfish nodded slowly, and moved closer to him, looking ahead.

The third-grade students sit neatly together in their classes, and in front of them are the teachers of the third-grade classes. And on the seats on either side of the students are the parents of the graduates who have been invited to participate in the graduation ceremony.

For example, Sister Light and Moon's parents.

She came to school with the Takigawa family this morning - Sister Yue asked her to help put on light makeup, and then drove her to school by the way.

The Tsugarka Wind Club appeared on stage early and waited quietly on the sidelines.

This stage now belongs to only one person.

“…… Growth will not stop, and on the soil of the prefectural Tsu High School, we get not only the nutrients of knowledge, but also the warm care of the teachers like the sun, and the nourishment of the seniors and juniors of all grades. Yes, growth will not stop, three years in Tsugaraka ......"

“…… The sweat and tears that have been shed will always soak the land of Tsudaka and will never freeze, because this is the starting point of spring, and it is also our starting point.

I wish you all good health and good luck in the future.

Let's move towards the future together.

Graduate representative, Takikawa Tsuki. ”

In the continuous applause from the audience, the graduate representatives bowed deeply and ended their speeches.

The three people standing at the back also kept clapping their hands.

"Next, the school song chorus—"

The wind band on stage played again, and the familiar melody resounded through the gymnasium.

After the chorus ended, the graduation ceremony ended, and the three of them left first.

Not long after returning to the classroom, Naruse heard the third-graders coming back.

After a while, the bell rang for the end of class.

"Let's go check it out."

People kept leaving the classroom and going downstairs to say goodbye to the familiar seniors in the third grade, or just to see the excitement.

Naruse and Naoko also came to the hallway, leaning on the guardrail, looking at the atrium below.

The weather was nice today and there were people taking pictures everywhere.

And except for Takikawa Yue, the two had no other acquaintances in the third grade, so they didn't go down to join in the fun.

"Ahh Naoko looked somewhere.

Naruse also looked over, only to see a somewhat familiar second-grade girl, pulling a third-grade boy into the invisible place.

"Inagawa-senpai?"

"Hmm."

That's a certain senior sister in the restoration department.

The two saw a lot of familiar faces at the bottom one after another, either smiling and congratulating their seniors on graduation, or reluctantly.

Just like they are closer to the second-grade students, the current second-graders are also under the care of the third-grade seniors.

"...... over there"

Naoko noticed the third-year seniors in a corner surrounded by a group of second-year students.

"It's Ito-senpai."

Naruse also looked over and noticed that there were surprisingly many familiar faces over there, all of whom were members of the restoration department.

In addition, there is also an "acquaintance" of the handicraft society, Ritsuko Sugiyama.

"That person is ......"

"The previous head of the handicraft club, Ito-senpai."

Naruse looked at Rina Ogawa, who was wiping tears from her eyes, "I see. ”

"Do you want to go down and say hello?"

"Forget it."

She shook her head, "Although I am an old minister, when I entered the handicraft club, I had already dropped out of the third grade, so she shouldn't know me." ”

Naruse nodded, not saying more.

The two watched from afar for a while, and the preparatory bell rang, and the short recess was over.

Back in the classroom, when the bell rang for class, Naruse looked back again.

Hikaru Takikawa's seat was still empty.

(End of chapter)