At the intersection, Naruse stopped and waved at Hikaru Takikawa and Morimi, who had followed her home.

"Good night."

"Good night~"

"See you tomorrow." Starfish also said goodbye to the two.

"Let's go." The two turned around, and Naruse also walked towards Starfish's house.

She immediately followed.

In the dead of night, all you could hear in the streets was the ticking of the rain, and the sound of water as each other's footsteps lifted and lowered.

He walked in front, she followed behind, watching his figure reflected in the light of the streetlamp, both near and far, clear and blurred.

"Slow down." He walked a little fast, and the starfish struggled to follow.

Naruse immediately slowed down.

She followed him, "Are you in a hurry to go back?" ”

"What time is it, sister."

“…… Who's your sister. ”

He stopped, his eyes suddenly glancing back, "It's not you, is it the one who has been following you all this time?" ”

“……”

The back of his head tingled, and the starfish turned back in horror.

In the dimly lit streets, there was nothing but two elongated shadows.

It's normal to have none.

If she had seen anything, she would have fainted right now.

And at this moment, the shadow next to it stretched out without warning.

"Ahh

She turned her head and saw Naruse holding the umbrella in her hand alof.

“……”

Even if you see him playing ghost with your own eyes and know that there is nothing behind you, Starfish is still scared by him every time.

"Don't scare me!"

She thumped him and grabbed his wrist again.

She was even more afraid that he would scare her like he had done when he was a child, and then run away and hide in the shadows in front of her to scare her again.

Naruse struggled twice, and she grabbed tighter.

In the struggle, the light of the street lamp in front of him penetrated under the umbrella and shone between her panicked eyebrows, and his hand suddenly lost strength.

He was a little embarrassed.

“…… Why are you so daring? ”

"It's not all your ......"

Starfish continued to grasp his wrist, refusing to let go.

Absolute trust, so that she was convinced of everything he said.

Any of his words can bypass her thinking in an instant, prompting her brain to react.

"Just kidding......"

Trust and complain, anger and attachment, and a little bit of desire to hide deeper...... Naruse couldn't look into her eyes much and looked ahead again.

“…… I'm sorry. ”

Starfish puffed out her mouth, and her hands relaxed a little.

He didn't break away, and with his other hand straightened the umbrella and dragged her on.

"Let's go."

Dragged a few steps, Starfish himself took steps to avoid breaking free from his wrists.

Isn't it possible to go a little further......

People are always greedy, especially in front of him, she always wants to get an inch.

"It's only a few steps to your house, so it's okay for you to go home by yourself." He spoke suddenly, dispelling her thoughts at once.

"No! …… Anyway, it's only a few steps, can't you get to the end? ”

"It's a few steps, but it's actually hundreds of meters." Naruse said.

"No, I can't. No, no, no, no—"

"Okay." He reluctantly agreed.

Starfish breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, looked at him, and suddenly felt that he had become much easier to speak.

She quickly reacted: he was going to send her home, but after such a distraction, she forced him instead.

Even the thing he scared her just now seems to have been fooled!

“…… It's cunning. ”

"What do you say suddenly?"

The starfish didn't speak, but suddenly took a deep breath and got under his umbrella.

"Hey ......"

"It's all your fault, I'm a little scared now." She put away her umbrella and didn't look at him, her eyes staring straight ahead, hiding her apprehension at this moment.

Naruse didn't say much, just broke away from the wrist she had been holding and switched to this hand to hold the umbrella.

Starfish was inevitably a little disappointed, but he couldn't say anything, so he had to comfort himself that he was now closer to him.

But he didn't take a few steps before he urged again, "Hurry up." ”

She said again, "Are you in a hurry to go back?" ”

"It's past ten o'clock." His reply hasn't changed much either.

"It's not too late."

"Only you're not in a hurry."

“……”

Starfish's face was hot, and he felt that there was something in his words.

"If you were to go home alone, you would think it would be too late." He said again.

"No way!"

"I'm nervous about everything, I'm sent here, I can't go back suddenly...... Let's hurry up, it's ten o'clock, and Shangzi and I haven't taken a shower yet. ”

Starfish was silent for a moment.

“…… Will you wash together? ”

He was also silent for a few seconds.

"Occasionally."

“……”

It was as if he had been stabbed in the chest with a knife, and he was blocked with cement, and it hurt and he couldn't breathe.

Starfish turned to look to the side, "Indecent." ”

"Isn't that normal between couples?"

Starfish bit her lip.

In the afterglow, she caught a glimpse of him turning his head, as if to observe her face.

She turned her head, and he looked ahead again.

"It's up to you to ask."

“……”

She raised her fist, and in the end it was just a painless thrashing of his arm.

In the second half of the way, neither of them had much to say.

It wasn't until he walked past the closed Morimi Furumoto store that Naruse spoke, "The door of your store is also closed." ”

The starfish looked up and was silent.

When she arrived at the door of the real wood hotel, Naruse gave her the umbrella, bent down and tried to hold up the roller shutter door, but sure enough, it was not locked.

Whoop -

Lifting the roller shutter door, but not too high, Naruse grabbed the bottom of the roller shutter door, turned his head and said, "Go in, remember to lock it after pulling it down." ”

"Hmmm......"

The starfish slowly went in, slowly gave him the umbrella, and then said goodbye slowly, "Good night." ”

"Good night." Naruse didn't let her help, and pulled the door down.

It was the dead of night, and he pulled slowly to the end, barely making a sound.

Straightening up, he patted the dust off his hands, "Go back." ”

Through the gray iron door, there was a sound from inside.

"Hmm...... Be careful on the road. ”

He stomped his foot, turned and strode away, his footsteps echoing through the quiet streets.

“……”

There was no movement outside, and the starfish turned around, ready to wash, and then went to rest.

Buzz –

Harumi: Lock the door.

“……”

She snapped to the roller shutter again, "You're still outside?" ”

She pricked up her ears and listened, but most of the minutes passed, and there was still no movement outside.

She thinks too much.

Starfish: Oh.

Retrieved the key and locked the roller shutter door, Starfish turned back inside, but felt weak and had no strength to take a shower.

"Starfish." Seiichiro Maki came out of the room, "I'm back." ”

"I'm back......"

"Take a shower early and rest early, or you won't be able to get up again tomorrow morning."

"I see."

The tired body gave birth to some strength, put the schoolbag at the staircase, and the starfish went to take a shower.

It took more than twenty minutes for her to come out.

Wrapped in her hair, she lifted her bag and went upstairs, and walked to the corner of the stairs, where she took a few more steps.

"Good night, Dad."

A response quickly came from the room: "Oh, good night." ”

Back in the upstairs room, Starfish fell into bed and looked at the ceiling.

After a moment's pause, she sat up again, pressed the towel on her head, and wiped her hair.

Buzz –

She quickly turned her head and picked up her phone.

Light: [Picture]

The photo shows Morimi, who had just taken a shower, squinting at the camera.

Light: Did the starfish sleep?

Starfish: No, just took a shower.

Hikari: It's about the same time.

Light: It's my turn to wash, we'll talk later.

Starfish: Okay......

"Hiss......"

Putting the phone down, she pressed her neck.

I turned my head too fast just now, and my neck seems to be a little strained......

Twisting her head to the other side, she moved slightly.

Drying his hair, Starfish walked out of the room and opened the door to another room—the one that had recently been cleared.

The roof was repaired, the corners were cleared of as much mildew as possible, and the room was now her second bedroom.

Although there is almost nothing but a futon.

The futon was taken out and spread on the tatami mat, and the starfish lay down.

No, there are some memories that belong only to the night.

(End of chapter)