Back upstairs, looking at the open windows in the room and the curtains that swayed slightly in the wind, Naruse began to doubt his own judgment.

Before leaving, he had closed and locked the upstairs windows with his own hands—and even if they weren't, they wouldn't have been as open as they are now.

Has anyone really come in?

Naruse walked to the window, the edge of the courtyard below, and Naoko's house opposite, and he turned around again to look at his room.

Everything was the way he had been before he left, and nothing had changed.

Or is it that because he confirms the doors and windows before going out every time, the memory that he also closed all the doors and windows before this trip is not real, but subconsciously fabricated?

For example, the key under the flower pot at the door, he completely forgot.

This is a trivial thing that is difficult to pay too much attention to, and after leaning against the window for a while, Naruse still can't remember anything, so he turns around and closes the window.

After only a few steps, he turned back and reopened the window.

He has returned to the house and the room needs to be ventilated.

Take out everything in the suitcase, hang clean clothes directly in the closet, leave the clothes that need to be washed aside, and there are many trivial things such as souvenirs.

Naruse tidied up, and after a while, Naoko also went upstairs to his room.

Glancing at the open window, she didn't think much of it, just thought it was him who opened it, and walked around the room.

"Passbooks, stamps, bank cards and other things, they're all still there." Naruse asked.

"Still ......"

Naoko walked to the edge of the bed and sat down, looking at the open suitcase and some things that had been temporarily placed on the bed, and couldn't help but look at the rest of the room.

Maybe it's because her boyfriend came up first and "ruined" the scene, although there is still a vague feeling that someone else has broken in, but it is not as strong as the moment she opened the door downstairs just now.

"The location of the spare key, Chunhai shouldn't have told anyone else."

"Of course not."

"No light?"

Naruse shook his head, "I don't think I need to tell anyone the location of the spare key for a while. ”

"I think so......"

His eyes lingered on the bed, especially on his pajamas, for a while, and Naoko resisted the urge to lie down and smell the smell now, and said:

"Next time you go out, bring the spare key."

Naruse didn't care, but nodded quickly.

"Don't overthink it."

"Hmmm......"

"Let's clean up first."

"Okay."

The washing should be washed, the change should be changed, and the things to be given away were temporarily received aside to be sorted out, and the two were busy for a while, and the time was more than four o'clock in the afternoon.

"Let's go to the supermarket and buy some ingredients for the evening." Naoko said, "By the way, bring the things to Starfish and Kazuha, and then bring back the part of the things that I sent back before." ”

"Hmm."

The two went out and went to the bookstore of the Morimi family first.

Even though Naoko was next to her, Morimi couldn't hold back the smile on her face when she saw Naruse.

She couldn't take it anymore, and the only thing she could do was turn this smile to Naoko.

"Welcome back."

“……”

Naoko was slightly stunned by the smile on her face that couldn't be more sincere, and the resistance that had arisen out of thin air since she stepped into the bookstore suddenly disappeared for the most part.

"Long time no see, Yiye."

She also smiled, and then took the gift from her boyfriend, "A gift for a leaf." ”

"Didn't you already send a lot of gifts back, how can you still have them?"

"We've been to a lot of places these days, and when we see something we like, we can't help but buy it." Naoko smiled, "Please take it." ”

Morimi took it, opened it, looked at it, and thanked the two of them again.

"Just came back?"

"It's been almost an hour since I got home, and I cleaned up before I went out." Naoko said, taking advantage of the situation and asked, "Is the starfish at home?" ”

"It should be there, she was still with me more than half an hour ago, and she just went back not long ago." Morimi said.

Naoko looked at her boyfriend, "Then let's go over first, shall we?"

"Hmm."

"Let's go to Starfish's house first."

Morimi also nodded, and when Naoko turned around, he shifted his gaze to Naruse.

They haven't spoken yet.

“……”

After looking at each other briefly, still speechless, he quickly turned to follow his girlfriend.

Seeing the two walk out of the bookstore, Morimi picked up the souvenir that had been put aside again, opened it and flipped through it.

"It's a nice gift......

A specialty of Takayama City?

Did he pick it, or did Naoko pick it?

They went home and cleaned up for an hour before going out, did they notice anything?

The chaotic thoughts kept flashing, and Morimi walked out of the counter again and walked to the door to look.

In front of the hotel not far away, Naruse and Naoko also happened to walk in.

"Harumi is back."

Looking at the two children who walked in, especially the former, Seiichiro Maki had a smile on his face, "I spent a lot of time playing out this time." ”

"Yes."

Naruse handed over the things he was carrying, "This is a little gift for Mr. Seiichiro and the starfish." ”

Seiichiro's emotion was no different from Morimi's, saying that they were sending gifts back in batches outside, but they didn't expect to have something like that after they came back.

"I called the starfish down."

The starfish upstairs had already heard their voices.

“…… You're back. ”

After staring at Naruse for a few moments, Starfish remembered that Naoko was still beside her, and her gaze shifted to her, and she was also staring at her.

"Long time no see, starfish."

"Naoko...... Welcome back. ”

For her loss of consciousness just now, Naoko couldn't do it to the extent that she didn't care at all, but the object was a starfish, but to this extent, she couldn't get angry.

"Harumi and I brought some gifts for the starfish."

"Eh, anything else?"

"Hmm."

Naruse also spoke: "Those gifts sent before, the part of Morimi, you gave her, right?" ”

"Given."

"Keep the starfish's share, and I'll take the rest back."

"Okay."

She turned around and went in to get the present, and Naoko followed, "I'll divide it." ”

Watching the two go in, Naruse stayed outside and chatted with Starfish's father.

"Where did Chunhai go?"

"It's almost just some of the places along the Shoryu Road, starting from Nagoya...... Nakasendo ...... Matsumoto...... Alpine ......"

Following the starfish into the inner room, and seeing the courier boxes piled together, Naoko was also in a trance.

Did they buy so many gifts?

Yes, because he didn't have to take it back himself, he didn't restrain himself when choosing souvenirs.

Especially the two days when his mom was there......

"It's all here." Starfish spoke, "Yiye took a part and went back repeatedly, saying that the rest will be divided after you come back...... I bought a lot. ”

Naoko smiled at her, then crouched down and divided the gift.

"What are starfish doing all this time?"

"Me? Just like usual, I basically didn't do anything. ”

"What about the original driver's license, have you got it?"

"Haven't you been to class yet...... It's too inconvenient to take the bus, and Kazuha said that he will wait until Harumi and Hikari come back and can ride us over. ”

“……”

Naoko turned her head to look at her, and Starfish's face was full of innocence.

After all, this is indeed Morimi's original words and true intentions, and he has no intention of hiding it from her.

"That's right...... It's so inconvenient. It's good to get the driver's license you paid for. ”

Naoko didn't say much after all, and continued to divide their gifts.

Although it wasn't the money she paid, she roughly knew who to give it to, and soon it was almost shared.

Reintegrating the gifts that should have been taken into a large cardboard box, Naoko picked up the box and suddenly sank down.

Starfish hurriedly took a hand, and was a little surprised in his heart.

It's not very heavy, is it......

When she raised her eyes, Naoko stared straight at her.

"The spare key to the door is missing."

“……”

Starfish's heart thumped and she forced herself to keep looking at her.

"What key?"

"Didn't Harukai tell the starfish?"

"Nope." Starfish denied it with the most authentic reaction.

After looking at her twice, Naoko smiled slightly.

"It's okay, I'll go back and look for it myself."

(End of chapter)