Hikaru Takikawa was lying on the table, his eyes blank, the opposite of the anticipation he had when he first arrived.

“……”

After reading the book for a while, seeing that she was still in this state, Naruse had no choice but to speak.

"You don't even have a general direction yourself, and I certainly don't know what I can do for you...... Besides, I'm not as as starfish, being a makeup artist is her own idea, and I just planned a little bit for her to become a makeup artist. ”

Hikaru Takikawa lay on his stomach and didn't move, his eyes rolled and he looked over.

"Give me back the juice."

“……”

Naruse pushed the half-drunk apple juice to her.

She closed her eyes and sighed again.

"If I can find the direction, I won't have to ask Harumi for help......"

Naruse didn't speak, but opened the juice and took another sip.

She opened her eyes and looked at him again.

"I'll buy another bottle and give it back to you later."

“…… No, I don't. ”

Takikawa rolled his eyes, turned his head, and continued to lie on his stomach to the other side.

Looking at the back of her head, Naruse ignored her and continued to read the book.

After a few more moments, her phone vibrated a little.

"Ah, the starfish is still waiting outside."

"If you want to go to her, let her ...... as soon as possible No, forget it. There's nothing to do with me in the back, whatever she wants. ”

Hikaru Takikawa looked at him, lowered his head and launched a message on his mobile phone, and suddenly said after a while:

"I got the starfish over."

"She agreed?"

"Hmm."

Naruse raised an eyebrow and didn't say anything.

After more than ten minutes, Starfish carried Hikaru Takikawa's schoolbag and returned to the department of the repair department.

"Ah, I forgot to put my bag over there. Thanks, starfish. ”

"Nothing ......"

Starfish was talking to her, and her eyes couldn't stop glancing at Naruse on the side.

Hikaru Takikawa didn't say anything in the message, and she didn't know if he was still angry, and he hadn't said a word since she came in, and it was even harder for her to guess.

"Sit down." Hikaru Takikawa patted the vacant seat next to him.

"Hmmm......"

Starfish sat down beside her, further away from Naruse.

And the little spirit that Hikaru Takikawa had raised a little quickly dissipated, and he fell listlessly on the table.

"What's wrong with the light?"

"You lied to me." Naruse suddenly spoke, "Sora rejoices." ”

"Huh?"

Starfish looked at him, then at Hikaru Takikawa, "What did I say?" ”

"Starfish just said that Chunhai has planned the future for you, right?"

"Well, almost......"

Hikaru Takikawa leaned on the table and looked at her, "But Starfish didn't say that being a makeup artist was your original intention." ”

"Hey, didn't I say that?"

“……”

The other two in the department took a deep breath at the same time.

"So you better not count on me." Naruse said to Hikaru Takikawa.

She didn't speak, and lay down on the table with her face buried again.

After looking at her for a moment, the starfish looked at Naruse again.

He took the initiative to answer her words just now, isn't he angry anymore?

"How are you thinking about it?" Naruse suddenly looked over.

"Huh?" Starfish was stunned.

He pointed to the school materials she had deliberately confiscated in her hands.

"Didn't you just go out and think about it?"

“……”

Starfish was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Is there a result?"

"The result...... I want to think about it a little more. ”

"There's no rush. Strictly speaking, you even have two years left. ”

Naruse retracted his gaze and stared at the book, but he couldn't get back into it anytime soon.

"I'm sorry, I was a little louder."

He apologized suddenly, and the starfish opened its mouth.

"No, I'm ......"

"Still, I want the starfish to understand what I mean:

Only you can be responsible for your own life.

I can't afford to take on the responsibility of deciding your future for you, and I don't want to take on ......."

"-Eh, I actually want Harumi to decide the future for me, too." Hikaru Takikawa suddenly turned his head and said.

“…… Don't make a mess. Naruse suddenly had a headache.

Hikaru Takikawa lay down again after speaking, and she still hasn't found her way yet.

Starfish was silent for a moment and said:

"Can you give me some advice, then?"

"As long as you ...... it yourself"

"I make my own decisions." She said.

Naruse nodded.

Starfish handed over the information, and he shook his head.

"No, I've memorized it all. That's for you. ”

"Oh."

Across Hikaru Takikawa, who was lying in the middle, the two asked and answered, sifting through all the conditions that the starfish could think of—although her questions could be answered on their own.

Hikaru Takikawa listened for a while, sat up, switched places with the starfish, and continued to watch them from the sidelines.

After about twenty minutes, the information in the starfish's hand was already full of circles.

Looking back and forth at the four charts, she finally put the information of the mountain field on top.

"Then the mountains, right?"

Naruse just looked at her.

Starfish pursed her lips.

“…… That's the mountains. ”

He nodded.

"Congratulations." Hikaru Takikawa clapped his hands beside him.

"After graduating from high school, you can take the general entrance exam for Yamano, so now, you can make sure that you can graduate successfully."

“…… This shouldn't be a problem. ”

Naruse continued: "Putting aside the practical ability, to improve the basic aesthetic literacy, as well as the aesthetic level, I heard from a makeup artist who has been working for more than five years that I usually read more fashion magazines, pay more attention to some trendy people on Instagram, be familiar with their makeup, and understand their style.

It may not have much effect in a short period of time, but subtly, it can still improve some aesthetic ...... After all, there are so few things that can be accessed in the countryside. ”

The starfish listened attentively, and then nodded at the end, indicating that he had listened.

"You remember to discuss it with Mr. Seiichiro after you go back, so that he can prepare as soon as possible - whether it is in terms of tuition fees or other issues."

"Uh-huh."

"So be it." Naruse has nothing more to say.

Starfish nodded, and suddenly asked again:

"Do you say that you would say whatever school I chose?"

Naruse glanced at her, "What I said later has anything to do with which school you choose?" ”

"No ......"

"That's it."

"But...... But ......"

Starfish has been around for a long time, and I haven't found the right words to express my meaning.

Naruse didn't ask.

Hikaru Takikawa looked at the two of them thoughtfully.

The time after school passed slowly, and the two uninvited guests did not leave, and stayed at the restoration department until Naoko came up.

"Ah, is the light here today?"

"Actually, I was going to find Naoko, but I was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a starfish."

"Really?" Naoko smiled and looked at Naruse who was starting to pack her schoolbag, "Let's talk as we go." ”

He locked the door and the four of them left the school together.

Hikaru Takikawa slowly followed on a motorcycle, and when he got to the bus stop, he still brought a starfish with him as he did yesterday.

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye-bye. Be careful on the road. ”

Seeing the two of them ride away, Naoko looked at Naruse again and stretched out her hand.

He took her hand.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"Today, a few first-year freshmen came to visit the handicraft club and have already decided to join."

"That's positive."

"Because we were just preparing for the next week's exhibition, we were all working together, so we must have been attracted by the atmosphere."

"It's still the minister who leads well."

Naoko turned her head and smiled, and leaned back on his shoulder.

The two held hands and waited for a while before the bus came.

Got in the car and shook all the way back to Aoyagi, today I have to go to the supermarket to buy ingredients, and the two of them have to go home first and put down their school bags.

When they returned home, the two put down their schoolbags and sat down to rest for a while.

"The ingredients in the refrigerator can still last for one night."

"I'm going to have to prepare tomorrow's breakfast and lunch."

"Okay."

Naruse sat for a while, and just as he stood up, Naoko grabbed him.

“……”

He turned around, and she just looked at him, tilting her head slightly.

She's his girlfriend now......

Her long, supple black hair ran between her fingers, and Naruse leaned down.

Feeling the tension and anticipation in the heat, he also covered her lips as she closed her eyes.

(End of chapter)