By half past five in the afternoon, the restoration department had received and reviewed some applicants one after another, including all three grades, young and old, and even a teacher who said he wanted to help a friend sell something.

Although the rain stopped, the sky was still overcast, and the sky darkened at five o'clock, and Naruse estimated that no one would come at this time.

"That's it for today."

After putting all the lists into notes to be handed over to the student council, he has been idle until now.

"Are you going back?" Starfish asked.

"Hmm." Naruse began to pack his things, "I'll wait for Naoko's side to finish busy." ”

She sat down again.

Anyway, they all have to take the same bus if they leave early and late.

"Tomorrow shouldn't be as busy as it is today." Naruse said again, looking at the two of them, "I can handle it alone, you guys go about your own business." ”

Hikaru Takikawa nodded and didn't say anything.

Starfish's eyes rolled, "Oh. ”

When Naoko was done, he came over from the handicraft club, and several people took the car back together.

The bus swayed, and the four of them were divided into two rows, sitting in front and back.

"Ichiha is going to study school today?" Naoko asked.

"Hmm."

"Is it starting evening class today?"

"Then I don't know." Naruse looked out the window, "But she didn't ride out today, and if she really has to go to evening class, she won't have a car to come back." ”

Naoko suddenly grabbed his arm, "You won't let Harumi ride to pick her up, will you?" ”

“……”

Naruse pursed her lower lip and held her hand as well, "I don't have the time." ”

She smiled and leaned into his shoulder.

Hikaru Takikawa withdrew his gaze from the car window and glanced at the two people in front of him, his gaze resting on Naruse's side face again.

He looked at it, and then looked away.

Her lips, which had just opened a little, closed again, and she swallowed the words.

"If Morimi really can't come back, let Hikari pick it up." He spoke suddenly.

She glanced at the back of his head, "Hmm. ”

Back in Aoyagi, the group gets out of the car and separates, and Hikaru Takikawa returns home and sends a message to Morimi, asking if she wants to go to class at night.

Yiye: It's okay if you can't get on it today.

Yiye: You're coming to pick me up?

Light: It doesn't matter if it's connected or not.

Kazuha: Okay, so I'm going to try out the evening class of the study school today.

Kazuha: I'll send you a message when class is about to end.

Hikari: Okay.

This is the end of the communication between the two for the time being.

Putting down the phone, Hikaru Takikawa lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling and was stunned until her mother called her to go down to eat.

She came back to her senses and looked out the window, only to see that it was completely dark.

My sister is still traveling outside, and my father is working overtime tonight, and there are only two people at the dinner table, she and her mother.

"I didn't sleep at school today."

"Nope."

After dinner, my mother cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks and asked her to take a shower first.

"I'm going to go out in the evening, and I'll wash it when I come back."

"Get out? Where to go? ”

"Go pick up a leaf. She was in the evening class at the study school, and it was 90 o'clock after class, and I didn't have a car to come back, so I went to pick it up. ”

Mom didn't say much, and she didn't urge her to take a bath anymore.

Hikaru Takikawa went back to his room and lay down, continuing to be in a daze.

The time of the evening passed very slowly, she lay down for a while, and then looked at her phone, it was only past eight o'clock.

She understands that this is only because she is always entangled in the same problems, and although she thinks too much, her thoughts do not go far at all.

“……”

Turning over, she was a little irritated and got up again and went downstairs.

"I'm going to take a shower."

"Huh? Aren't you going to pick up a leaf later? ”

"Ride over and come back soon, you won't sweat."

"Okay, then the light washes first."

After taking a shower and soaking for nearly half an hour, Hikaru Takikawa came out of the bathroom.

I went back to my room and lay down for a while, and when it was almost half past nine, Morimi sent another message, saying that he was going to get out of class.

She changed into her clothes and went downstairs to the door.

"I'm going to pick up a leaf."

"Be careful on the road."

As soon as she pushed the car out of the garage, she noticed that it was raining sporadically outside.

It's still small enough to be ignored at the moment, but it's hard to say later.

But she didn't hesitate, she stepped onto the bike, and with a twist of the accelerator, she rushed into the darkness.

Shortly after I left the house, the phone in my pocket vibrated a little.

Hikaru Takikawa guessed that Morimi had sent another message, so he didn't stop to look at it, and rode straight forward.

The raindrops that fell on the helmet mask gradually became heavier, and she simply pushed the mask up, feeling the wind and rain blowing in her face.

The phone vibrated again.

Ten minutes later, she rode to the front of the building near the central station.

“……”

Morimi stood on the steps, looked at her, and looked up at the heavy rain that kept falling in the sky.

"It would be too romantic if he came to pick me up at this time."

Hikaru Takikawa just looked at her.

"Do you want bread, I'm in for a treat." Through the rain curtain, Morimi pointed to the bakery next to it, which was still open, "Wait a minute, maybe the rain will get lighter." ”

Hikaru Takikawa thought about it and stopped down.

It was pouring rain, and she was almost soaking wet, except for her head, which was wrapped in her helmet.

I took out my phone and took a look, and the previous message was really from Morimi.

Kazuha: It's raining, don't come here, I'll ask my dad to pick me up.

Kazuha: What about people?

"Is Kazuha's dad here?"

"Of course not."

Morimi had already walked to the window of the bakery, asked for two portions of bread, and asked for another bag of toast to pack, "Whoever told you not to reply to the message, how dare I go first." ”

Hikaru Takikawa didn't say anything, he stood on the steps with his helmet in his hand, looking at the rain outside, and then at the other students who seemed to be waiting for someone to pick him up inside and outside the passage next to him.

You can see all kinds of uniforms, and most of the people wearing Tsugaraka's uniforms are third-grade students, and their faces are familiar, but she can't be named.

Most of the students who would attend evening classes at the study school until now are not very sociable, that is, those in the school who are not interested in her friend-making games and she will not take the initiative to disturb them.

"Someone you know?" Morimi came over with bread and gave her a piece.

"Nope." Hikaru Takikawa retracted his gaze and took the bread as well, finding that it was still hot.

"Hot bread tastes a little better."

"Hmm."

The two of them chewed on the fluffy bread and looked at the rain outside.

"It's good that I didn't let him come, otherwise with such a heavy rain, Naoko might have cursed me like something."

"No, it won't."

Morimi just smiled and took another bite of bread without rebuttal.

"How's it taste?"

"It's fragrant." The hot bread has a fragrant aroma and a fluffy texture, making it pleasant to eat.

"I also bought a bag of toast for tomorrow's breakfast, do you want to have some?"

"No need."

After the two of them finished eating the bread in their hands, the rain was still falling outside.

"Let's go back." Morimi sighed, "Anyway, I have to take a shower when I go back, and if I get wet, I get wet." ”

Hikaru Takikawa looked left and right, turned around and went to the bakery.

When she came back, she was holding a large plastic bag in her hand.

"Put on a school bag."

"Ah, thank you." Morimi smiled, wrapped the book in a plastic bag, and followed her into the rain.

Riding on the motorcycle, Hikaru Takikawa turned his head and rode back with her.

The headlights shine ahead, and the rain continues to fall, shuttling in the pillar of light.

Poor visibility when it rains, and she doesn't ride too fast.

"Did you take a bath—" The man behind him asked aloud.

She honked her horn.

"Have you washed it, you can only go home and wash it again-"

She honked her horn again.

Riding all the way back to Aoyagi, the rain continued unabated, and Hikaru Takikawa rode until he stopped at the door of Morimi's bookstore, asking her to say hello to her parents, who had not yet closed.

She went in alone, and when she came out, she was three people.

Mr. and Mrs. Morimi came out to thank her.

However, seeing that she and her daughter were drenched, the couple didn't say much and asked them to go back as soon as possible.

Take Morimi again, and when Hikaru Takikawa was about to leave, he suddenly saw a head poking out in the window on the second floor of the hotel not far away, looking this way.

She started the motorcycle, looked up and honked her horn as she passed by, and the starfish waved at the two of them.

After sending Morimi home and getting out of the car, she just thanked her and didn't say anything.

"Be careful on the road."

"Hmm."

Hikaru Takikawa turned the head of the car, took one last look at the drenched honor student, and rode back.

When she got home, her mother told her to take a shower first.

After a brief rinse and a little more soaking, when she came out, her father had already returned home.

"Dad brought the bread he bought at the station, it's still hot, so let's eat a little bit of it, but don't eat too much."

"I've eaten it."

"Huh?"

"Kazuha bought it for me."

(End of chapter)