The two days of the weekend passed quickly.

Naruse barely went out, stayed at home with Naoko, and didn't see anyone.

Of course, the main reason is that no one came to them.

Even Hikaru Takikawa has been unusually quiet for the past two days. After the heavy rain, it was almost sunny all day, and she didn't mention anything like going out for a ride.

On Monday morning, they went to school as usual.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Kazuha."

Ordinary encounters, ordinary greetings to each other, everything is as usual.

And in the eyes of Naruse and Naoko, it should be like this.

After all, nothing special happened.

"It's not raining today, can you take the bus to school too?" Morimi asked.

"The weather forecast says it will start raining in the afternoon, so forget it." Naruse looked at the sky, "I don't feel at ease when I park my car in the school and go home by myself." ”

"Worried about being stolen?"

"It's a school carport, and it's not very likely to be stolen, so I'm afraid that something else will happen."

"Splashed with paint?"

“……”

Naruse glanced at her, "I don't seem to have done anything angry, and the people in the school shouldn't have hated me to this extent." ”

"I can't stand being jealous."

"Who is jealous, second in the grade?"

"Who knows." She smiled, ignoring the near-frozen gaze beside him, and looked ahead again.

After another moment, the starfish came.

"Good morning......

Taking a deep look at him, she stood next to Morimi.

"You can keep an eye on him a little longer." Morimi whispered.

"Eh, is that okay?"

"Let's see if Naoko will do something to you."

“……”

Starfish finally realized that she was talking the opposite.

"It's okay, Naoko is used to it." Morimi was comforted, she didn't expect her to hide her thoughts.

"So what should I do?"

In the sticker machine on the second floor of the arcade, the moment she said that plan, Starfish completely regarded her as her external brain.

"Take it one step at a time." Morimi said, adding, "Listen to me." ”

"Good ......"

The two bit their ears on the side, and Naoko glanced at it twice and frowned slightly.

"What are you talking about?" She leaned over.

Starfish subconsciously wanted to avoid the side, but Morimi grabbed her arm and made her unable to move, "Starfish is a little worried about the results of this exam. ”

Naoko smiled, "It's really troublesome to prepare for the Tsutaka Festival while preparing for the make-up exam." But ......"

A hand suddenly came up and hugged her shoulder: "We are in the top ten of the three grades, and we don't eat dry food." ”

“……”

Starfish looked at his hand, and suddenly felt a pain in his arm.

She didn't look back at Morimi, but nodded first, "I hope so." ”

A moment later, Hikaru Takigawa arrived.

"Good morning."

She strode over and stared at Morimi with both eyes: "Today's results are out." ”

Mori was stunned and looked at her again, "Hmm." ”

"Nervous?"

"Sort of."

Hikaru Takikawa continued to ask, "Can you do what you say?" ”

"Why not?" Morimi asked rhetorically.

She's gone back to the usual Morimi Kazuha, Hikaru Takigawa thought.

"What are you talking about?" The other three all looked at them.

"Aha...... Kazuha said that if I got the first place in the exam this time, he invited me to eat steak. ”

"Doesn't that mean you don't want to be treated?" Naruse was surprised.

"You were splashed with paint, and you were not wronged at all." Morimi sneered.

"Huh, what's the paint spill?"

"He's done a lot of bad things, and someone is going to throw paint on his motorcycle."

"Don't talk nonsense......"

The bus came quickly.

Coming to the school by car and separating on the fourth floor, Naruse and Morimi walked to Class A and sat down in front and back.

"Friday night, did something happen?"

Morimi hung up his schoolbag and looked back at him, "Did you just remember to ask now?" ”

"Well, I remembered it all of a sudden." Naruse said.

She thought it was more likely that the starfish had revealed a flaw that had alerted him.

"Something happened."

"You're not going to encourage her to do anything, are you?"

"Can you see this?"

Seeing that she didn't deny it, Naruse frowned.

Morimi just smiled, "Don't worry, I don't plan to do anything yet." ”

"It's going to be a busy time, so don't look for anything."

"Everybody's going to be busy." Morimi turned, "I'm not going to trouble myself. ”

Staring at her back twice, Naruse's frowning brow was still difficult to unravel.

The starfish was ready to stir, and now it was confirmed that she had instigated it.

Want to use starfish to create a breakthrough?

If Starfish succeeds, she will indeed be much easier to deal with than Naoko...... No, there is no comparison between the two at all.

The problem is that starfish can't succeed.

There was no way he could leave Naoko.

And this is also the most incomprehensible point for him, his attitude of not giving up on Naoko has been revealed more clearly, what are they still insisting on.

Starfish can still understand, he has always been blind, only he has him in his eyes, and he is not concerned about the consequences, and the real problem is still on Morimi's side.

Trying his best for an impossible goal, but not hiding much in front of him, he thought about it, and only thought of one possibility:

She couldn't give up on her own, so she chose to approach him fiercely, forcing him to make a more fierce and even irreversible refusal.

Is that really the case......

Naruse has a headache.

He began to complain about his greed.

The hearts of each other have been revealed, and he still expects each other to continue to be ordinary friends as if nothing happened, and even hopes that she can restrain herself and willingly only be his friend.

Perhaps it was this selfish greed that gave her the illusion that she could continue.

“……”

Naruse put his hands on his face and took a deep breath.

Regardless of his intentions, even if he really guessed her intentions, he couldn't do anything before she acted.

Hearing a suppressed sigh behind him, Morimi glanced back, only to see his hands propped up on his face.

At least when it comes to giving him headaches, she's always been successful...... Morimi suddenly thought.

When Naruse put down his hand again, he was already a teacher who came over for a morning class meeting.

"Naruse."

"Here."

After the roll call, Yanagisawoka said something, and then the regular meeting on Monday morning followed.

When I went to the gymnasium, Mr. Principal took the stage for the first time in a long time and talked about the history of Tsugar.

Then the topic changed to this year's 150th anniversary of the Tsutaka Festival.

Excluding the weekend, the 10-day preparation for the Tsuraka Festival began in earnest this afternoon.

The students in the audience cheered, most of them because they were happy that they only had half a day of classes during the preparation for the festival.

"It's finally getting started."

"Hmm."

Morimi looked at him, "Do you have something on your mind?" ”

Naruse looked back at her.

"You were thinking about me."

He looked away again.

Morimi just smiled, "Do you have any ideas about the theme of the lantern?" ”

"No, it's okay for everyone to decide."

"Are you just responsible for keeping your head down and doing the hard work?"

"Pretty much." Naruse didn't say much.

After the assembly was over, and back to the classroom, Yanagisawa Oka continued, and the content also revolved around the Tsugaraka Festival.

"In the afternoon, everyone has to decide on the theme of the lanterns made by Class A this year and assign the work ......"

The morning class was over, and the teacher of the first class was already waiting at the door.

It's just that most of the students didn't have much of the heart to go to class all morning.

At the end of the last class in the morning, the whole school seemed to be filled with cheers.

"What about people's hearts...... It's like there's no going to be a class tomorrow morning. ”

"It was the same last year."

"That's right."

The other three companions soon came over and ate the bento together.

"The results of the final exams have been posted." Hikaru Takikawa said.

"Let's take a look when you're done."

"Starfish have already gone to the staff room to ask first." Naoko said suddenly.

“……”

The three eyes converged on his face at the same time, and Haixing nodded, "I'm here to see if I have any subjects that need to be retaken." ”

"How's it going, are you all passing?" Morimi asked.

"Is the second place a leaf?" Hikaru Takikawa asked.

"How many are Naoko?" Naruse asked.

“……”

Starfish blinked, dealt with the three of them in his head, and nodded.

"All passed."

She raised her hand again and pointed at Naruse, Morimi, and Naoko.

"First, second, third."

The eyes of the first grade widened a little, and the third grade still smiled calmly.

Hikaru Takikawa looked at the second in the grade.

The ranking remains the same, and she doesn't have to give up.

But on her face, she didn't see much joy, but more solemnity.

Do you feel threatened......

Hikaru Takikawa draws the eyes of others to himself:

"Why did Naoko get third in her grade all of a sudden? Harumi must have secretly tutored Naoko! ”

Naruse and his girlfriend next to him look at each other and smile.

"What kind of secret tutoring, it's just learning together."

It's the last day of August, and it's time to take a leave of absence

(End of chapter)