Chao Yueming drove the pickup truck back and forth twice, and finally stopped temporarily and stayed to watch the stall.

As a result, Naruse was able to take a break from other places to learn from it.

The starfish, of course, followed him.

And after walking a few steps, the two of them were attracted by the things on the roadside stalls, and suddenly understood Chao Yueming's mood of dragging two carts of things back, still unfinished.

"What is this, what a strange mask......"

Starfish squatted down, but his hat was caught in the backpack of a passer-by next to him, and his blonde hair spread out, "Ahh ”

Naruse grabbed her hat and said sorry to the passers-by who turned back in surprise, then pressed it to her head.

"I said your hat was too big."

“……”

Starfish pursed her lips, lifted the brim of her hat, and picked up the strange mask from the stall.

"Look at this, is it an Indian mask?"

"Where do you see it's Indian?"

"Uh...... Resemble. ”

Naruse suspects that she only knows the name.

At this time, the stall owner also spoke: "This is the mask of the Ainu. ”

Naruse wasn't interested at all, but when he heard that it was something from the Ainu, he looked at it a few more times.

"Did you buy it from Hokkaido?"

"Yes."

The stall owner nodded, "This is a handicraft made by the Ainu people, and it is highly collectible. ”

Naruse smiled and didn't respond.

He crouched down, picked up the mask, which was more than two turns larger than his head, and compared it to his face.

"It's too big." Starfish said.

"Buy it, it goes well with your hat."

"Don't, like a fool......"

Neither of them asked for it, just looked at it a few times, and then put it back again.

The stall owner didn't care, and continued to greet the next person who seemed interested in his stuff.

Continuing to walk forward, I passed a tent with several rows of hangers and clothes of various styles, as if it had been set up as a temporary clothing store.

However, the prices of the clothes are very cheap, and they are all autumn and winter coats, and there are no seasonal clothes.

Seeing Starfish staring, Naruse stopped, "Do you want to take a look?" ”

"Eh, no need......"

She immediately shook her head, "Forget about anything else, I don't want to wear clothes that others don't want." ”

Naruse looked at her, "Aren't you happy that my mom gave you a few ill-fitting coats last year." ”

"That's not the same ......"

He just said casually, without asking what was different, "Let's go see the bookstall over there." ”

Starfish quickly followed, and when he crouched down in front of the stall, he also stood behind him.

On the bookstall was a piece of corrugated paper, presumably torn from a cardboard box, with the price indicated.

【All 100 yen】

"It's a hundred yen for such a thick book?" Naruse picks up a thick copy of War and Peace.

The stall owner nodded, "Yes, it's all one hundred yen." ”

"It's cheap."

He turned his head and said to the starfish, "You have a black-hearted ancient book shop there, and such a thick copy can sell for eight hundred yen." ”

“……”

Starfish laughed dryly, "I'm going to tell Kazuha." ”

He raised an eyebrow and turned to continue flipping through other books.

Starfish took out his phone and found that there was an unread message, which had been sent more than an hour ago.

stayed by his side all the time, and she didn't even bother to touch her phone.

“……”

And the message was sent by a leaf.

After flipping through a few books that he had read, Naruse looked around the stall and found that it was difficult to find a book that he hadn't read.

The ones that are sold are basically classics that have been turned over by people who have read a little bit of the book.

In addition to lamenting that classics are classics, Naruse doesn't know what to say.

Glancing at the price on the side again, he took out his phone, paused, and put it away again.

He subconsciously wanted to take a photo and send it to the bookstoreman's daughter as a topic.

"Let's go."

Taking a deep breath, Naruse stood up and found that Starfish was pinching his phone, his expression a little complicated.

"What's wrong?"

“…… It's nothing. ”

She put away her phone, "Don't you buy any of them?" ”

"You can find the same book in my house with any book here, and even if you can't find it upstairs, you can definitely find it in the study downstairs."

"That's amazing." Starfish squeezed a perfunctory smile.

Naruse vaguely guessed something, but didn't ask, and continued to walk forward.

Kazuha: Did the starfish go out?

“……”

After glancing at the message that he didn't know how to reply, Starfish put away his phone and continued to follow him.

Walking around and watching, the time came to noon, although it was still lively, but I could still feel that there were fewer people in the park.

It's time for dinner.

"Are you hungry?" Naruse looked back and asked.

"Ah, I'm ...... okay"

"yes, then you can go shopping for a while, I'm going to eat."

“……”

Starfish froze, and soon caught up with him again, slapping him on the back.

After a while, Naruse didn't reply, "To be honest, it's okay to be hungry, you will suffer sooner or later." ”

She muttered, but he didn't hear it.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

Back at Chao Yueming's stall, he pointed out to the two of them where to eat nearby, and said that he was not so hungry and could wait for them to come back.

"Then we'll be back as soon as possible."

"Hmm."

The two left the park and settled lunch at the set food restaurant that Chao Yueming had mentioned, and soon returned to the flea market, which became less crowded.

Chao Yueming then went to eat, and after taking a few steps, he suddenly turned around: "In the evening, please eat." ”

Starfish was stunned for a moment, and Naruse smiled, "Can I bring my girlfriend?" ”

He looked at the starfish.

“…… Not her. ”

"Yes."

Waiting for Chao Yueming to leave, the starfish thought about it again and again, and still said, "I won't go...... When you're done, you can send me home first. ”

"Then Naoko asked, what to do."

Naoko didn't know...... You told her? ”

"What do you think?"

"Why?"

Naruse looked over, and still said, "What do you think?" ”

“……”

Starfish pursed her lips.

"I don't want to go."

"That'll do fine."

She insisted on going back, and he wouldn't object.

It's just that seeing that he agreed so easily, Starfish was a little annoyed, squinting at the stall next to him, sulking alone.

At noon, it's probably the most deserted time since the start of today's flea market.

People came and went in several stalls next to it, and at one moment, only the two of them were left in this area.

The wind blows, the white clouds drift, and the sun comes and goes.

Sometimes they're in the shadows, sometimes they're in a shadow that's too big to see.

"Summer is coming."

"Huh? …… Is it. ”

Naruse looked at the starfish and then looked outside.

"I don't feel at all that summer is coming...... Although it's almost July. ”

"It's heating up."

"Is that hot?"

"Count in Aomori."

Naruse looked at her again, "I'm also from Aomori." ”

The small bench was a little short, the starfish hugged her knees, and the white skirt pressed underneath.

"Kazuha sent me a message in the morning."

“…… yes, she said something. ”

"Ask me if I'm out of the house."

"She doesn't know."

Starfish lowered her head, "I didn't tell Kazuha. ”

"That's it."

"Did she confess to you?" She asked without warning.

“……”

Naruse was silent for a moment, "Hmm. ”

"Sure enough......"

Starfish looked at the ground and muttered in a low voice, "After returning from the Thirteen Lakes, Kazuha has become weird. ”

Naruse pursed her lower lip, and didn't correct that they went to Lake Miyama that day.

"Refused?"

"What do you think?"

She turned around suddenly, "Can't you just say it, it's always 'you think', 'you think', I'm stupid, I can't guess!" ”

“……”

Naruse was yelled at a little inexplicably, "If I refuse, it's like rejecting you." ”

"You're so annoying!"

"That's what I am."

By the time Chao Yueming came back from lunch, the starfish had already sat alone in the corner.

"Leave her alone."

Chao Yueming nodded and continued to sweep the goods.

People from other stalls have also returned to this side, and the flea market is bustling again.

And when he came back from sweeping around, the two people who stayed to watch the stall sat down together again, chatting as before.

Chaoyue Ming glanced at the sky.

The summer breeze is blowing, and the clouds are drifting away.

"High school students."

(End of chapter)