Coming out of the bathroom, Morimi shook off the drops of water on his hands and waited in the corridor outside.

Looking out the rainy window, she exhaled softly.

After a while, Ogasawara came out of the bathroom, shouted several times, and gently bumped her shoulder.

"Let's go."

"Hmm." She followed.

"What's wrong with Yiye, I've been absent-minded all morning."

"Broken in love."

“…… Huh? ”

Ogasawara stopped.

Morimi took a few steps and looked back at her, "Just kidding." ”

"Kazuha's joke is so serious, it scares me."

She smiled.

"So?"

"I'm thinking about studying juku."

"Don't you want to go?"

"No...... I think it's a good time to sign up. ”

Back in the classroom, the few people who had finished eating the bento were still sitting or standing around her and Naruse's seats, continuing to chat.

And whether it's Naruse or Naoko, they all look the same as usual, and it's no wonder that the other two don't know anything.

She certainly wouldn't have brought it up - it wouldn't have been nice if it had made the starfish cry.

"It's okay, starfish sit down."

Returning to his seat and holding down the starfish as he was about to get up, Morimi stood by the window and looked at the rain outside.

"When it rains, it feels a lot colder."

She looked up at the lingering dark clouds in the sky.

"Yes."

The three of them stayed here until the bell rang at the end of their lunch break.

"I'm going back." Hikaru Takikawa walked the fastest, after all, her classroom was upstairs, and it was still in the corner, the farthest away.

Naoko and Starfish also got up separately, holding the lunch box, and prepared to return to Class C.

Morimi looked back at the hidden couple, and they just smiled at each other, as usual.

Back in her seat, she looked out the window again.

The rain did not stop.

The evening shift in the afternoon was over, and Morimi left directly with Ogasawara.

Naoko came over to say hello to Naruse, and then went to the craft club.

He went to the staff room first, greeted his more familiar predecessor as a teacher, and asked her to help print something with the printer in the staff room.

Nakahara Xue readily agreed, and inevitably saw the printed content.

"The beauty school in Tokyo? Is Naruse-san interested in this...... I can't really see it. ”

"No, it's for someone else."

Taking advantage of the break from class during the day, he had already filled in the form.

After saying thank you to Nakahara Yuki, Naruse went directly to the department of the restoration department, but the starfish was waiting at the door again.

He remembered that yesterday after school, Naoko asked her to help out at the craft club.

"I went, and Naoko said I could come over......"

"Yes." Hearing that it was Naoko's meaning, Naruse didn't say much, opened the door of the department's room, and let the starfish in.

When he was seated, she sat down directly next to him.

"Is that it?"

She had already seen the pieces of paper he had in his hand.

"Hmm. Starfish take a look, basically everything you can think of is listed above. ”

"Uh-huh, okay."

She took the chart and immediately flipped through it.

"Wow, that's complicated......"

"Didn't you already see it yesterday, though it wasn't complete at that time."

The tough paper rattled under her sway, "What I see on my phone is completely different from what I print out and hold in my hand." ”

"Then you can compare slowly. Don't rush to make a decision, it's about your fate for many years to come. ”

With that, Naruse opened his schoolbag and took out a book to read.

Starfish looked at him, and for some reason, she always felt that his attitude towards her today was much more alienated than yesterday.

I hope it's just that I'm too careful......

She looked back at the information in her hand.

At the top is the information of Yamano Beauty College, which is also the closest of the four schools to Matsuchiaki's apartment, which is in Shibuya Ward.

"Wow, is the employment rate of Yamano graduates 100 percent...... Well? What does the phrase 'actual situation to be considered' in parentheses mean? ”

"It's literal."

Naruse didn't raise his head, "Although they all entered the beauty industry smoothly when they graduated, and achieved a 100% employment rate, there are not many people who can really continue to do it." ”

"Oh......"

Starfish continued to watch.

"During the admissions interview, we ask about your motivation for applying, why you chose Yamano, and your vision for the future...... Ah, cosmetology schools also have regular exams...... It turned out that it was possible to live in a student dormitory...... Wow, the rent isn't cheap. ”

Starfish muttered as she flipped through it, and Naruse didn't say a word except for the initial response, and seemed to be completely immersed in the book.

After about fifteen minutes, she put down the chart in her hand and tried to rub her eyes, but she stopped abruptly, closed her eyes and rested.

"It's all a spent...... Which school should I choose? ”

Naruse didn't speak.

She reached out and waved it in front of his eyes, and he reacted a little.

"The information has been sorted out and handed over to you, and you can decide by yourself."

"That's what I said......"

Four charts flipped back and forth in her hand, "because they are too detailed, I don't know how to choose." ”

"Either choose what you like or weed out what you hate, and you decide the criteria yourself."

"If you want to eliminate nasty content, these four schools have to be excluded, because they all have regular exams, haha......"

Naruse didn't smile.

“……”

Starfish had been watching his reaction, and couldn't help but purse his lips and be silent for a moment.

"I feel like these four schools are actually pretty much the same......"

"It's all beauty schools, of course, it's not too different, and the difference is their own characteristics, and you're going to compare these places - I've already marked them all." Naruse said.

"Have you written down the information for these four schools?" Starfish asked.

"Almost."

After all, each of the above sentences was summarized and sorted out by himself based on the information on the official website or the actual experience of alumni.

Starfish moved a little closer, "Which school do you think is the best?" ”

He looked at the book in front of him, "I don't know. ”

"You've written it all down......"

"But I'm not the one who wants to be a makeup artist. These four are all top cosmetology schools, and I don't have any inclinations, so I can't compare. ”

Starfish puffed out, "But I can't decide, you can help me choose." ”

Naruse was silent for a moment.

"Then does it still make sense for me to compile this information?"

"At least you know all four schools very well, I listen to your ......"

He looked sideways, and her words stopped suddenly.

He withdrew his gaze before the smile on her face was completely gone.

It was a long time before the starfish could speak.

“…… What are you angry about? ”

Hearing that there was something wrong with her voice, Naruse looked over, and her eyes were already red.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know!"

"I thought Starfish was serious about being a makeup artist, but it turned out that it wasn't. I feel like my hard work has been in vain. ”

Her eyes widened, "I'm serious......"

"You're just seriously coquettish!"

Naruse's voice suddenly raised, and he took a deep breath to suppress his inexplicable irritability.

"It's not okay to let me decide everything. As I have already said, this is a decision that will affect the direction of your life for many years to come, and it is up to you to make your own choice. ”

"It's okay, I'm sure you ......"

"Don't believe me!"

“……”

Starfish's eyes widened and she looked at him in a daze.

She didn't understand why, the more trust she showed, the angrier he became.

Because she was just relying on him, Naruse looked at her and thought to herself.

But this dependence cannot be sustained.

Because its roots have long since been put aside by him and her, along with the past...... At least nominally.

And her flirtatious attitude towards the future really made him angry.

Apparently she had found such a clear direction.

"Only the decisions you make will make you choose to continue to ...... when you suffer and be frustrated in the future"

Before he could finish his sentence, Starfish had already grabbed the information on the table and ran out of the department.

“……”

With his hands on his face, Naruse exhaled deeply.

(End of chapter)