When Naruse returned to the classroom, Morimi, who had been waiting, asked two questions about the reason why the teacher called him over, and he was ready to go to the school with Ogasawara.

The three of them had nothing to do while staying at school, so they also left with them, intending to go to the café to sit down.

"I'm going to enroll in the school next week." On the way out, Naruse suddenly spoke.

“……”

Morimi turned his head to look at him, "Are you serious?" ”

"Hmm."

"Why?"

"I probably won't have time to study at the end of the week."

She was silent for a moment.

"Then why not start today?"

"Because I'm still lucky." He smiled, "Maybe I'll find her this time." ”

Morimi looked at him and smiled, "Then I wish you good luck this week." ”

"Hmm."

When they arrived at the Hakaino Cafe, the group separated, and Morimi and Ogasawara stepped on the snow and continued to walk towards the central station.

Naruse came with him at the beginning of today, and when he saw that the store was not very busy, he grabbed the starfish and didn't let her be fooled into helping.

After ordering coffee and dessert, the three of them sat by the window on the second floor, looking at the snow outside, doing nothing.

"Chunhai just said that you want to go to the school next week to sign up?" Hikaru Takikawa asked.

"Hmm."

"In order to be admitted to the University of Tokyo?"

He nodded, "The last time I went to experience it, I feel that the improvement brought by the study school is quite big." ”

"That's what Yue said at the beginning."

Hikaru Takikawa smiled and leaned down on the table again, "Harumi has also gone to study school, so I won't have much time to play after that." ”

"I have three classes a week, and I still have some time left."

Naruse looked at her and the starfish, and suddenly said, "Otherwise, you can also sign up, although there is a high probability that you will not be in one class." ”

"Eh......"

The two of them looked at each other, both of them looking embarrassed, "It's better not to waste this money." ”

"I'll pay for the tuition."

"Don't...... It's better to use the money for a big meal. ”

Seeing that they resisted so much, Naruse was not reluctant.

After a while, a girl from the same grade came up with coffee for the three of them.

"Please take your time."

"Thank you~"

"Starfish are here to help."

"I'm not busy right now......"

"I'm bored by myself."

"If we pull the starfish away, we'll be bored, too." Hikaru Takikawa smiled at her.

"Okay."

When the girl turned to go down, the two found that Naruse's gaze had also followed to the staircase.

"Don't look at it, it's all down."

He retracted his gaze, took a sip of his coffee, and saw that the starfish was still staring at him, so he still explained, "It's just that I suddenly thought of Naoko." ”

"Eh......"

"She now lives alone, has no financial resources, and should also work somewhere...... Maybe I'm working a few jobs, and I don't know if I'm still in school. Naruse said.

"If Naoko transfers to the school in Takayama City, Harumi will call and ask if there are any students who have recently transferred."

As soon as Hikaru Takikawa finished speaking, he felt that he might have said a nonsense.

"Well, that's what I thought too." Naruse nodded, "I called several high schools over there before I left last week, but none of them have recently transferred students. ”

"...... like this"

He sighed, "Even if I knew she was working, I didn't have a clue...... After all, there are many shops that allow high school students to work part-time, such as cafes, ramen shops, family restaurants, and even izakayas, so it can be said that most places that require manpower will not refuse high school students. ”

"Naoko can only work part-time (part-time) now." Hikaru Takikawa said.

Naruse nodded, "She hasn't graduated from high school yet, and even if she wants to work in a company or factory, she is not old enough." High school graduation is now almost the bare minimum. ”

"But ......"

Seeing that both of them were looking at him, Starfish paused, but still said: "Naoko can't only go to work, her skills in making puppets are so good, she can open a store specializing in selling puppets, right?" Someone will definitely buy it. ”

Naruse was stunned, lowered his eyes and pondered for a while, and then slowly shook his head.

"Opening a store requires a lot of costs, and even if there is technology, it is difficult to guarantee the benefits, and this kind of investment is too risky for Shangzi."

And she had already repaid a large sum of money to her parents a few days ago, which doesn't look like she opened a store.

"But it's a good idea." Naruse said to the starfish, "Naoko may work in a place where she can make the most of her strengths, and in that case, she will be able to earn more money." ”

Starfish still thought about his original idea, "But if you sell puppets on Amazon, the cost is not so high, right?" ”

Naruse shook his head, "Naoko has basically never been exposed to online shopping, and she probably wouldn't have thought of selling puppets online." ”

She is already thrifty, and when she buys things, she will see more and compare more, and she has never been interested in this form of consumption that can only see pictures or videos and cannot touch the real thing with her own hands.

"Is that so?"

Starfish frowned and thought for a moment, "During the cultural festival, I went to visit the craft club and told Naoko that the puppets she made could be hung on Amazon, and maybe they could be sold for a good price, and she seemed to be very interested at the time." ”

“……”

Naruse looked at her and his heart pounded.

This was something he had completely unknown before.

"Really?"

"Really." Starfish nodded solemnly.

He fell silent, feeling as if he had grasped something, and after a while he picked up his phone again and flipped through it.

Hikaru Takikawa sat next to him and looked over to him, and found that the screen was full of various puppets.

"Spring Sea...... Do you know how many sellers and products are available on Amazon? ”

“……”

He also knew that there was no point in blindly rummaging through him like this, but his thoughts just now flashed, and he wanted to do something to regain the feeling of that moment.

After thinking for a while, Naruse looked at the starfish again: "Did Naoko ask for more details at that time?" ”

She thought for a moment and shook her head, "I don't remember...... Well, I don't think so, because I only have a little experience in buying things myself, and I haven't thought about selling things on Amazon. ”

He picked up his coffee, blew it twice, took a big sip, and stood up, "I'll go back to school." ”

"Huh?"

"I'll go to the craft club and ask."

"I'll go with Harumi." Hikaru Takikawa also stood up.

"I'll go too." Starfish hurriedly followed.

"Starfish stay here, we'll be back later." Naruse said, "The cake hasn't been delivered yet, and if we don't come back, the other two will be yours." ”

"I can't eat that much!"

That being said, hearing that they would be back, Starfish stayed at the café.

Back at school, Hikaru Takikawa offered to let him ask, and Naruse nodded and waited outside.

A moment later, she came out with a second-year girl.

"I knew it." As soon as she saw Naruse, she sighed first.

"I'm really sorry for what happened before." Naruse lowered his head, "As long as Sasakawa-san, I can tell me the news of Naoko, I'm willing to do anything." ”

"Even if you say that, I know very little about it, and I've told you everything."

Hikaru Takikawa nodded, "Let's talk to Harumi again." ”

"Because I've sold on Amazon a few times before, and everyone in the community knows about it......"

So she told him about the fact that a month ago, Naoko came to her to ask how to open a store on Amazon.

“…… Said she had successfully registered. I don't know what happened after that. ”

"Didn't you tell you the name of the store where Naoko registered?"

"No...... It's useless for you to look at me like that, she really didn't tell me! ”

Naruse withdrew his slightly rude gaze, "I'm sorry. ”

"Naoko didn't say what she was selling?" Hikaru Takikawa asked for him.

She said she would try to sell the puppets she had made...... Ah, I remember, three or four days before Naoko left, she said that she had already made a deal. ”

And that's all Sasakawa-san has to know.

Although the clue seems to be interrupted here, it undoubtedly provides him with a new path to pursue, and Naruse solemnly expresses his gratitude to her.

"Don't ...... that"

Back at the café, Starfish was staring at the remaining two pieces of cake in a daze.

"I'm back."

"Hmm."

"How?"

"There's some clues." Naruse pushed his cake towards her, "Starfish eat it." ”

"Eh, is that okay?"

"You're welcome."

He took another sip of his cold coffee and thought to himself.

Starfish had just finished eating his piece of cake and waited about ten minutes before he was ready to do anything about it.

As soon as she picked up the spoon, Naruse suddenly slapped the table.

She threw the spoon, "I knew you couldn't bear it!" ”

Naruse couldn't hide his excitement: "I remembered! ”

(End of chapter)