Knowing that Naruse had come to school, Hikaru Takikawa and Starfish came to Class A for the second time at noon today, and came over to see how he was doing.

"Have you eaten lunch?"

"Hmm."

Hikaru Takikawa stood next to his seat, looking at his stubble-covered chin, "Instant noodles again?" ”

"There's nothing else, I'll just do it." The same question was brought up again, and Naruse explained.

"I'll cook for Harumi in the evening."

Morimi looked at her, and she quickly noticed it, "Does Kazuha have other plans?" ”

"No, let's talk about it tomorrow."

Hikaru Takikawa nodded, and looked at Naruse again, "Okay." ”

He took a breath, "I'll do it myself." ”

She smiled, "Then I'll come to Chunhai's house for dinner." ”

Naruse didn't say anything more, and acquiesced to her plan.

On the other side, Starfish looked at the two of them, wringing their hands in front of them, biting their lips, and stopped talking.

A hand reached over and took her hand, and the two looked at each other.

"Let's go with the starfish." Morimi said.

Takigawa looked over, "Okay." ”

The starfish had long been moved, but it could be seen that Naruse didn't say anything, she still shook her head, "I'll forget it......"

She didn't have a chance to say more, and the bell rang for class.

"Let's go back to the classroom first."

"Hmmm......"

The two left Class A classrooms and returned to their respective classes, while Morimi and Naruse stayed in their seats and waited for the first class of the afternoon to begin.

"You're not blaming the starfish." She asked suddenly.

Naruse quickly shook his head.

She nodded, then smiled, "I haven't been in class for a week, can I still keep up?" ”

"I don't know."

"If you don't understand, you can ask me."

He finally smiled a little, "Hmm. ”

Morimi turned around, and the teacher in charge of the first class in the afternoon also walked into the classroom at this time and began to teach.

"Stand up—"

Two classes in the afternoon, which passed quickly.

At the subsequent evening shift meeting, Yanagisawa didn't say anything after he came over, explained a few words, and then looked at Naruse in the corner, and announced that school was over.

"Did you promise him that you would come to school tomorrow?"

"Hmm."

Morimi turned around, "Then will you really come tomorrow?" ”

Naruse packed up his things and glanced at her as well, connecting with her gaze, "Really." ”

Given his assurance, she had a smile on her face.

"I'll hand you over to the light today. After school tomorrow, come with me to the study school. ”

He paused slightly, but nodded, "Okay." ”

After packing up his things, Morimi and Ogasa went to study in school.

Naruse waited a little longer, and Hikaru Takikawa finally came down.

"I've been waiting for a long time......," she gasped slightly, "I just ran an errand for the teacher and delivered something." ”

"If you just have something to do, let's get busy first."

"No, it's done." Hikaru Takikawa took his hand, "Does Harumi want to go home directly?" ”

"Let's go home." Naruse said that now he has nothing to do with staying in school.

"Hmm......" Hikaru Takikawa hesitated, "Before going home, do you want Harumi to go around and relax?" ”

He looked at her, "Where does Hikari want to go?" ”

"Anywhere, as long as Chunhai is willing."

"I'll do it all." Naruse said, "Let's decide." ”

"OK, let's go out first."

The two went downstairs, changed their shoes, and walked outside the school.

The sky was overcast, and it was only three o'clock at the moment, but it was already so dim that it seemed like it was five or six o'clock in the evening.

"If you look at the weather forecast, it won't snow today, but it doesn't look like it won't fall......

Hikaru Takikawa looked up at the sky, a little worried about the weather after that.

Naruse also looked up, and the lead cloud was heavy and gray.

If it had been sunny this morning, maybe he would have gone out with her by then, but the reality is that it has been cloudy for more than a week.

The first snow fell a few days ago, and he couldn't ride out of the house, so he simply didn't go out, which became the beginning of his slack off this week.

"Ha ......"

Hikaru Takikawa spat out a cloud of white mist, and watched it dissipate in front of him, "It's cold, it's getting colder." ”

Naruse glanced at her coat and said, "Pull it on." ”

Buttoning up her coat, she smiled at him again, "Let's go somewhere warmer." ”

"Hmm."

"Chunhai doesn't ask where he went."

"Anywhere."

She frowned and smiled, but didn't say anything.

When they came to the carport, the two were just about to go in, and a girl waiting outside turned her head and saw Naruse, and immediately took two steps back.

“……”

He opened his mouth, and Hikaru Takikawa had already taken a step between the two of them, "Kazumi, are you going back?" ”

"Hmmm......"

Kazumi Suzuki looked at her, then quickly at Naruse behind her, avoiding his gaze.

"Kazumi, let's go...... Huh, light? ”

Another girl came out of the carport with her bicycle and looked at the three people parked outside.

"Is Koharu going home?" Hikaru Takikawa said hello to her.

"Well, it's too cold to want to stay in the department."

She smiled, "yes, I'm going back too." ”

After a casual chat, the girl left with Suzuki and Mei.

Hikaru Takikawa looked at Naruse again, "Let's go too." ”

"Hmm."

Before entering the carport, he looked at the two backs that had already walked towards the school gate.

Kazumi Suzuki, his classmate in the first grade, one of Naoko's closest friends, and the one he felt most likely to hide her in the days when she just disappeared.

In order to find out Naoko's whereabouts, he stopped her alone, asked some questions, and forcefully demanded that she take him home and look for her house.

As a result, Naoko was not with her, and she was scared by him.

“……”

I should have apologized to her just now.

Naruse took a deep breath, turned around and walked into the carport, and got on his motorcycle.

"Where are you going?" He asked Hikaru Takikawa.

She put on her helmet and rode out of the carport first, "Chunhai will follow me." ”

The two rode out of school, while Kazumi Suzuki and her friend who was pushing a bicycle were still walking on the side of the road.

Naruse thought for a moment, leaned over to the side of the road, and stopped in front of the two.

“……”

Kazumi Suzuki was startled and hurriedly hid behind her friends.

"I'm sorry, Suzuki-san, I was too reckless and scared you some time ago, and I want to apologize to you."

Hikaru Takikawa also stopped in front and looked back at this side.

"Eh, what's the situation?"

The only girl who didn't know looked at him, and then at Kazumi Suzuki.

She looked at him for a moment and shook her head, "No, I understand...... Isn't there any news from Naoko now? ”

"Nope." Naruse said.

She pursed her lips.

"If Suzuki-san, if you have any news about Naoko, please let me know. Even if it's just speculation. ”

In a similar vein, he spoke calmly now, but he was utterly hysterical when he blocked her outside the school a week or two ago.

Kazumi Suzuki sighed softly, "I don't know where Naoko has gone......"

"I mean after." Naruse said.

"Well, I will."

He nodded, apologized to her again for his reckless impulsiveness, and then rode to keep up with Hikaru Takikawa and continue on.

"Kazumi, what's going on?"

She sighed deeply, "It's a complicated thing. ”

"Eh~ tell me about it."

"I don't want to mention it."

"Eh......"

Suzuki and Mei looked ahead, and the two motorcycles disappeared in front of them in a blink of an eye.

Following Hikaru Takikawa for a while, looking at the streets on the left and right, Naruse could almost guess where she wanted to go, and the place where she stopped at the end was indeed not unexpected.

"Let's play here for a while and then go back." She stopped the car and said to him.

"Hmm."

Raising her eyes to look at the arcade in front of her, Naruse followed her inside.

"It turns out that there will be air conditioning here."

"It's so cold, and the machines are so cold, if you don't turn on the air conditioner, no one wants to come."

Hikaru Takikawa bought a bunch of game coins, "What does Harumi want to play?" ”

He looked at the rows of machines, "Whatever." ”

"Let's play a game that two people can play forever."

"Hmm."

She pulled him around, walked around the arcade that wasn't very crowded, and sat down in front of a machine.

"Just play this, right?"

"Okay."

Naruse also sat down, cast a game coin, chose a character, and waited to enter the game.

"Do you want to use fewer coins than anyone else to clear the customs?" Hikaru Takikawa asked suddenly.

He turned his head, and she looked at him, "How's it going?" ”

"Just have fun."

"Okay." She smiled, not reluctantly, and looked at the screen in front of her again, "I just hope that Harumi can be more motivated." ”

Naruse was silent for a moment.

"Whoever loses is treated to a drink."

"Huh...... All right. ”

(End of chapter)