Zi –

The water-extinguished charcoal hissed for the last of its time, and then fell into a silent sleep.

The smoke cleared, and Morimi and Starfish, who were gathered around, looked at each other.

"The grill is still hot, just put it in the yard and clean it up tomorrow."

"Uh-huh, okay."

After packing up everything else that could be packed, the two sat down on the edge and looked at the night sky.

"It's still a little cold at night."

"Hmm."

"I didn't expect to eat all three boxes of meat...... The stomach is a little stretched. ”

The starfish also touched his stomach, "because the leaves are so delicious......"

Morimi smiled.

The two of them sat and rested for a moment, and then she suddenly leaned closer to her and sniffled.

"It's all about barbecue."

"Ahh Starfish also raised his arm and sniffed, "It's good that I have to change my clothes tomorrow......"

"Let's go take a shower first. Any idea where my bathroom is? ”

"I know."

Starfish got up and went to take a shower first.

Sitting alone on the deserted side, Morimi looked at the night sky for a while, picked up his phone again, and clicked on Naruse's chat box to look at it for a while.

Since the beginning of this semester, or since they became the front and back desks, they have become less and less connected on their mobile phones, and there is almost no communication.

And the sudden shortening of the distance did not make them have more conversations when they got along.

The first day he and she became classmates was also the first day that he and Naoko began their relationship.

“……”

Staring at her phone for a moment, she lay down on her side.

She also didn't know whether inviting the starfish to come over for barbecue and stay overnight today was to comfort her, or to comfort herself through the process of comforting her.

Obviously, this day was destined to come.

Obviously, at the beginning, she just wanted to return to everyone's field of vision, including him.

Obviously, she saw it better than anyone else.

Reason told her that it was time to let go when he made his choice, but there was still an emotion in his heart that was unreasonable.

— but they could only rush back and forth in that narrow space, and they couldn't even speak.

“……”

With a click, the phone slid from his hand and landed on the floor.

Tick.

She lay on her side, her head against the floor, curled up in a ball.

I don't know how long it took for the starfish to come out of the bath.

"Yiye, I've washed it."

"Hmm."

Morimi had already gotten up.

"If the starfish stays here alone and is afraid, go upstairs first and go to my room to stay."

"Eh, it's okay......"

"Alright, I'm going to take a shower."

"Uh-huh."

The starfish rubbed her hair, sat on the edge for a while, and then went back inside.

Her hair was wet and it was a little cold on the outside.

I picked up my phone and took a look, but during the time she was in the shower, she didn't receive any messages.

Fiddling with nothing for a while, she put it down again and wiped her hair a few times with a little force.

After sitting for a while, she got up and spun around the big house of the Morimi family.

"The house of the Yiye family is really big......"

It's very old, though.

There weren't any neighbors around, and she would be scared if she was left alone.

In order to get a quiet learning environment, I've lived here alone since middle school, and in some ways, Ichiha is quite scary......

Thinking wildly, he turned to the bathroom door, only to find that the door was open, and it was pitch black inside, and the light was off.

"One leaf...... Are you in there? ”

Whoop -

There was a sound of water in the darkness.

"Hmm."

"Why didn't you turn on the lights......"

And the door is also open.

"I like to soak in the dark." Morimi said.

"...... like this"

Starfish hesitated, but did not leave.

Morimi listened to the movement outside, "Starfish? ”

"Hmm."

"Leave me alone, you go up first."

"It's okay...... I don't have anything to do when I'm alone. ”

"I'm going to soak for a long time."

"It doesn't matter."

Morimi didn't say much, but he couldn't really pretend that she didn't exist, and he couldn't completely empty his thoughts like he did just now.

"When Kazuha comes home at night, do you still want to study?" Starfish asked suddenly.

"Hmm." She leaned back in the tub and looked out into the darkness, "But forget it for today." ”

Starfish is clear about the reason why she is willing to put down her studies today, "Thank you......"

"I want to take a break once in a while, too."

The starfish replied again.

After a while, Morimi finally reacted.

"Is the starfish trying to tell me something?"

"No...... No. ”

"When I come out of the shower, everything I hear will be washed away with the bathwater."

“……”

She responded with a long silence.

Morimi lay down again, stretching his legs and letting his body relax completely.

Since it's not alone, it's almost soaked.

It's time to come out......

Whoop -

As soon as she sat up straight, Starfish finally spoke: "I like Spring Sea." ”

“……”

Morimi pursed her lower lip, and before she could figure out what to say, she continued.

"I've always liked him since I was a kid."

It seems that she doesn't need her response either.

Morimi leaned back and listened to the starfish continue.

"At that time, he also liked me...... That's what I feel, I can feel it.

Later, he came to my house.

Because I had some misunderstandings with his mother and said a lot of hurtful things, our relationship suddenly deteriorated.

But one day, while we were fighting, he suddenly kissed.

That was the first time I kissed him......

His hand was still on my neck...... Although I scratched a long blood streak on his face. ”

“……”

Although he had already known about the past entanglement between the two from Naruse's mouth, it was the first time Morimi had heard of such details, and he didn't know what to say if he wanted to open his mouth for a while.

These two people are really ......

Not very old, not too young.

At that time, everyone was still elementary school students, and she lived in the bookstore diagonally across the street, but she didn't know anything.

Starfish continued:

Then he told me that he had always liked me, and told me to stop saying things that hurt his mother, or he would be sad.

But...... I couldn't control myself not to do that.

That year, just a few months after my mother died, my father married Harumi's mother...... I thought what the neighbor said was true.

I'm still going to say nasty things to her, and I'm still going to fight with Harumi......

But while fighting, he would hide and kiss in a place where adults couldn't see, and listen to him pinch me while telling me not to say that kind of thing anymore......

He likes me, but he wants me to die immediately...... That's what he said.

Later, Dad and Harumi's mother divorced again.

Before moving out, he told me that the so-called liking was actually a lie to me, just trying to get revenge on me. ”

Starfish choked.

"I don't believe it's all fake. But...... And I think he hates me more than he likes me, and it is a matter of course. ”

"Then he went to Tokyo and I thought he would never come back and all our relations would end...... But he came back. ”

Her voice was lowered, hoarse in the midst of her depression.

"I found that I still liked him...... In any case, you can't completely give up. ”

Darkness returned to silence.

After a long silence, Morimi took a deep breath.

"Even if he's dating Naoko now?"

“…… Now I've given up. ”

She was stunned.

"But tomorrow I will see him again...... Will continue to like it. Even if there is no result. ”

Whoop -

Starfish looked inside, and she walked out of the dark bathroom naked.

"You're really hopeless."

The sound of squirming was that she was wiping her body.

"However, I almost understand why he has not been able to let go of the starfish."

"Eh......"

"But he has already started a relationship with Naoko. All starfish can do now is let go of everything in the past and focus on their own things. ”

Starfish was silent for a moment.

"I understand...... But I can't. ”

Morimi pursed his lips and sighed in his heart.

Everyone understands the truth, but the problem is that it can't be done.

(End of chapter)