Starfish decided to stay overnight, and when the three of them left Morimi's house, it was already dark, and there was only the light of two motorcycles on the long prefectural road.

There were no other cars on the road, and the two cars were riding side by side, not fast, and Naruse was slightly behind.

Sitting behind his sister, Takikawa Yue turned his head to look at him, and suddenly said, "Chunhai is really a little unaccustomed to the appearance of being alone. ”

Naruse just smiled.

"Naoko ......"

As soon as she spoke, she stopped, thought for a while, and then disappeared.

And she didn't have to ride by herself, she could keep turning her head to look to the side, so Naruse had to ask herself: "What's wrong with Naoko?" ”

Takikawa Moon groaned for a few seconds, but still spoke.

"I think Naoko's family concerns are a little too heavy...... Chunhai, don't tell her I said it. ”

Naruse pursed her lower lip, "Hmm." ”

"And I always felt that Naoko might do something."

"What?"

Takikawa Yue frowned, "I don't know, it's just that I feel this way...... Harumi has been staying by Naoko's side, and can't he notice it? ”

“……”

Naruse didn't know how to tell her, and Naoko's parents didn't even know about the relationship between the two.

"Vaguely."

Hikaru Takikawa glanced back at him, then quickly turned back and looked ahead at the high beams.

"All in all, Harumi should care a little more...... If there is anyone who can unravel Naoko's heart, that person must be Harumi. Takikawa said.

Naruse nodded, and then answered.

Riding a motorcycle, the three of them soon came to their separate intersections.

"Good night!"

"Good night, Harumi."

"Good night...... That's right. ”

Naruse pressed the brake, "Sister Yue, my mother will come back tomorrow, do you want to come over?" ”

Takigawa Yue thought for a moment and said, "If it's early in the morning or afternoon, I'll come over, and it's almost evening." There is no rush for this day. ”

Naruse nodded.

After all, tomorrow is the day of the penalty, and by the end of the evening, everyone will have to welcome the soul.

He said goodbye to the two of them again, turned the throttle, and rode back.

After parking the car, he came to this flower's house, said hello to Shangzi, said that he had returned, and chatted with this flower couple for a while before going back.

After taking a shower and wiping his hair back to his room, before it was time to go to bed, Naruse sat down at his desk and looked at the few books he had brought back in the afternoon.

Picking up a copy casually, he just wanted to flip through it casually, but he quickly read it.

When I put it down again, I was nearly halfway through the book, and my hair, which had only been wiped a few times, had already dried, and it was close to midnight.

"It's so late......"

Stretching, he got up and moved a little, and found that the window opposite was lit.

He walked over to the window and knocked twice on it.

Naoko quickly appeared behind the window on the other side and waved at him.

The two exchanged words on the phone.

"When did Naoko come up?"

"It's been a while."

"I was reading a book." Naruse said.

She smiled, "Guessed." ”

Remembering what Takikawa Yue said on the way back, Naruse was silent for a while, and said, "It's a shame that Naoko didn't come because I ate shabu-shabu at night." ”

"Then next time we'll eat shabu-shabu at home."

"I mean, Naoko can actually come with me today."

“……”

Separated by two windows, Naruse saw a look of surprise on her face, followed by a half-minute silence.

"Is Harumi angry?"

“…… What do you think. ”

The accident shifted to his face, and then turned into helplessness, "It's just a pity that Naoko isn't there." ”

"Because I have to accompany my parents ......"

Naruse took a breath and slowly spit it out again, "Hmm." ”

Now is not the time to dig deeper.

"Today's food is beef, next time we eat it ourselves, let's blanch some fish fillet and taste it."

Naoko looked at him from afar, then smiled, and the voice rang in his ears.

"Okay."

After chatting by the window for a while, the two went back to bed, and the conversation continued.

The next morning, when Naruse woke up, the phone had already hung up.

Naoko left him a message and told him to come over for breakfast when he woke up.

Got up, washed, came to the flower house, and said hello to the flower couple who had already had breakfast, and Naruse sat down at the table.

"Harumi's mother is back today, right?" Kazuko Hanasa asked in the living room.

He raised his voice and replied, "Yes." ”

"When?"

"Morning or afternoon."

"I'm not sure yet."

"Yes."

"What is the pot, is the spring sea ready?" The person who questioned became this flower Toru also.

Naruse suddenly felt a lot of pressure, "I'll go prepare ...... after breakfast"

Fortunately, neither of the two adults said anything.

Naoko asked in a low voice, "Does Harumi know what to buy?" ”

"I still know that."

"Hmm."

After breakfast, Naruse went to the supermarket.

At this time of year, a separate area is set up in the supermarket to store Obon supplies, and customers don't have to look for them.

Naruse picked and chosen, and quickly bought all the things.

When he checked out, when he saw what he was going to buy, the clerk at the counter reminded: "Chunhai should build the elf shed early." ”

"Okay."

Carrying things home, passing by the Maki Hotel, Seiichiro Maki stood at the door, greeted him, and saw the things he was carrying.

He didn't say much, just nodded and looked at him.

Back at home, Naruse put down his things and cleaned the shrine first. After cleaning, I set up the things I just bought.

"This length should be about the same......"

Thin wooden sticks are inserted under cucumbers and eggplants, and fairy horses and fairy cows are made, and they are placed in front of the shrine along with offerings such as melons, fruits, and snacks.

After kneeling in front of the Buddha shrine for a while, Naruse lit an incense, rang the copper chime again, and bowed with his hands together.

“……”

Without warning, memories of the past come flooding back without discussion, both in the happy part and in the painful part.

He suddenly regretted that he had set it up too quickly.

At least when he is alone, doing a little bit of trivial work on his hands can distract him.

Perhaps this is the more practical meaning of this ritual beyond those illusory comforts, he thought.

The waiting time always passes slowly, especially when it comes to one person.

At around two o'clock in the afternoon, Matsu returned home.

"Didn't Miss Sato come back with you?"

"Yoko also has her own hometown and ancestors, so I asked her to go back."

Looking at the taxi that had exited backwards, Naruse didn't say much, and stepped forward to take the fluttering luggage in her hand.

When he got closer, Song Qianqiu suddenly noticed that the corners of his son's eyes were a little red.

“……”

A long-term sadness passed through her heart, and she controlled her expression and touched his hair.

"I'm back."

"Hmm."

Naruse didn't notice her gaze, and gestured to the house opposite, "Naoko's parents are back, do you want to go and say hello." ”

"Don't worry, I'll come back later."

Matsu Qianqiu walked into the house and sat down in front of the Buddhist altar.

"It's very well furnished, everything you need is there...... It's all arranged by Chunhai himself. ”

"Hmm."

"Fortunately, there is a spring sea."

Scanning the fresh melon and fruit snacks on the elf shed, she picked up an incense stick and lit it with the candle next to her.

"I'm back, Shou."

Song Qianqiu shook the incense in his hand, extinguished the flame, and slowly inserted it into the incense burner.

"Tokyo...... It's really far away. ”

Naruse turned his face away.

The daylight slowly decreased, and the colors became dull.

The air began to smell familiar and unfamiliar.

At five or six o'clock in the evening, Matsu Qianqiu came to the courtyard outside with a pottery plate, and Naruse broke the hemp branches, put them on the pottery plate at will, and then lit them.

Fire jump.

The twig burned quickly, and a wisp of white smoke rose and floated into the dim sky, then dissipated.

In the courtyard opposite, a soul-welcoming fire was also lit.

Naruse looked at the flower couple, and then at Naoko, she lowered her head and looked at the gray embers after the hemp branches burned, and she was deeply saddened.

(End of chapter)