After sending a few messages, Naruse came out of the bathroom and sat down next to Naoko.

She ate slowly, and now she was eating pretty much.

"Business seems to be doing well."

"Good location, near the junction." After taking the last bite, Naoko wiped her mouth, "The food tastes good, too." ”

Naruse nodded and asked again, "Do you want to sit down a little longer?" ”

She looked at him, looking at him casually.

"I see."

Naruse got up and went to settle the bill first.

"How's it taste?" Ms. Kodeko asked.

"It tastes good, and I can see why Naoko is staying here." Naruse said.

Lady Kodea smiled, took his money, and quickly gave change.

"Thank you for your patronage."

Coming out of the restaurant, the cold wind was gusting outside, and Naruse craned his neck to look left and right, and asked Naoko to take him to the nearest supermarket.

"This way."

Because of the faint pain under her body, it was a little inconvenient for her to walk, and Naruse also slowed down and walked slowly with her.

"Does it still hurt?"

“…… OK. ”

"Is the supermarket far away?"

"I'm going to cross the bridge." Naoko paused, "It's going to take five or six minutes." ”

As the two continued to walk forward, Naruse asked, "How long has Naoko been living here?" ”

"Two weeks."

He took her hand, turned his head and asked, "When Naoko left, did you think about coming here?" ”

She was silent for a moment, "No. I just didn't know where to go alone, so I spent two days in Aomori City, and finally came here. ”

It turned out that for the first few days, she was in Aomori......

Naruse took a deep breath, "What is Naoko doing now, is she still in school?" ”

"Nope." She shook her head, "The transfer process requires a guardian to be present, I ...... I didn't go to school. ”

"Can't you ask Ms. Eda for help?"

"I don't want to trouble her."

Naruse looked at her again.

"Yes."

After walking for a while, they came to the intersection, and the two turned a corner, and in front of them was the bridge across the river.

Passing over the bridge, he could also see the larger supermarket not far ahead.

Walking into the supermarket, Naruse picked up a shopping basket.

"Toothbrushes, towels, buy some toiletries first...... How big is Naoko's quilt and can it sleep two people? ”

“……”

Naoko looked at him for a moment, "Do you want to stay?" ”

Naruse also looked at her, "Then Naoko would like to go to the hotel with me?" ”

She was silent again.

"Let's go find toiletries first." Naruse pulled her and spun inside.

Finding the toothbrush, finding the towel, he took another pillow, and when he was about to look for the quilt again, Naoko finally spoke, saying that he didn't need it.

After finding a few more slippers and other daily necessities that he could think of, Naruse looked down at the shopping basket that was almost full, "Then that's it for now." ”

Naoko also lowered her eyes and pursed her lower lip.

"Do you need to buy some ingredients or something?"

"Yes."

She took a breath, took another basket and went to the food section, quickly picking out a few things.

Naruse carried two shopping baskets and went to the front desk to check out, she grabbed the basket she bought, "Pay separately." ”

The clerk inside looked at her, and then at Naruse.

He nodded too, glanced at the counter, and grabbed two more boxes of condoms.

After settling the accounts, Naruse didn't let Naoko carry it herself, but still took the bag.

"It should be enough to eat for two days."

"Hmm."

"Let's go back."

Leaving the supermarket, the two walked back along the road they had come.

Arriving at the bridge, Naruse stopped and looked at the dark river below.

"There's not much water in the winter."

"Hmm."

"Although when we came here in the summer, Miyagawa was not too turbulent."

Naoko looked into the distance and answered again.

He looked at her side face and smiled as she looked, "Let's go." ”

Back at the riverside residence, he followed Naoko in again, and Naruse followed him to see the kitchen of the old house.

The area is also not big, but there are all that should be there, such as refrigerators, microwave ovens, and other electrical appliances......

He slapped his head, "I forgot." ”

Naoko looked over, a look of bewilderment on her face.

"I'll go to the supermarket again and I'll be right back." Naruse said, going out again.

Naoko was stunned for a moment, and continued to pack up the things she had just bought.

Putting the ingredients in the fridge and sending things like toothbrushes and towels to the washing place, she rummaged through the bag and pulled out a box of condoms.

“……”

She didn't have any ready-made ones here, and he certainly didn't wear them after doing so many times in the afternoon.

Although these days are safe periods.

Putting down the condom, Naoko finished packing up her other things, took another towel to wet it, and went back to her upstairs room to wipe the stains on the tatami mats.

When he was almost wiped off, Naruse also returned, carrying a cardboard box.

"Although it hasn't been cold enough to the Northeast, it's been freezing, and people can't settle down......

He opened the box and took out the contents, which was an electric heater.

"I saw it in the supermarket just now, because it was relatively large, I took it again when I was about to leave, and I accidentally forgot it."

Naruse looked for an outlet and energized the heater. When the switch is turned on, the heating element inside quickly turns red and emits heat.

He reached out to feel the temperature, then adjusted the heater to her side.

A reassuring warmth radiated, and Naoko watched in a daze, he took the wet towel in her hand and continued to wipe it on the tatami mat.

"It's warmer a little closer." Naruse said.

She moved to the heater and turned to look at him.

He wiped it for a while, "It seems to be almost done." ”

"Hmm."

After wiping it twice, Naruse sent the wet towel down to wash it and hang it, and when he returned to his room, Naoko was still sitting on the tatami mat and watching him.

He also sat down and looked at the glowing electric heater, "This thing costs more electricity than an air conditioner......

"Hmm."

"Let's wait until the room is warm." Naruse glanced at the table in front of the window, "Do you still want to make puppets at night?" ”

She nodded, then moved to the table, picked up her tools, and began her sewing work for the evening.

Naruse brought the electric heater over and put it down not far away, facing this side, so that it wouldn't get too hot.

He sat down next to him, watched her work, and didn't speak.

“…… Hiss. ”

Naoko quickly lost her mind and was pricked in her fingertips by a needle.

Fortunately, there wasn't much bleeding, and it didn't get on the puppet.

Naruse pulled out a tissue and wrapped it in her for the time being, "Why don't you wait for the room to warm up before continuing." ”

Naoko nodded, putting down her work for the time being.

He moved over and hugged her, and she leaned back, looking down at the hand around her waist.

In the corner of the box are stacked with various fabrics, and next to them are several puppets that are almost finished, all of different shapes.

Naruse looked at it a few times and asked, "How much can such a puppet sell for on Amazon?" ”

Naoko also looked over, "Five thousand to ten thousand yen." The larger ones can be sold for 350,000 yen. ”

“…… So expensive? ”

"Someone will buy it." She said.

He lowered his head, "This is Naoko's main source of income right now?" ”

"Hmm."

"That's amazing."

She pursed her lower lip.

"How much money do you have to pay back?"

“……”

"Forgotten?"

"Millions of yen." Naoko said.

He looked at her, "At the rate at which Naoko is making money now, it won't take long to pay it all back." ”

She looked up and looked at him.

"Hmm."

"After it's over."

Naoko stopped talking again.

Naruse didn't ask any further, slowly let go of her, climbed to the side again, picked up a puppet and looked at it.

"Is the price of a puppet just based on size?"

"It also depends on the level of detail." She looked at his side face, "It takes more time and the price is a little higher." ”

"The puppets on the side of the craft club are worth hundreds of thousands of yen...... There must be so many, and your members don't welcome me now, I haven't noticed it in a long time. ”

“…… Why. ”

He put down the puppet and looked back at her, "Because I lost their minister." ”

Naoko pursed her lips.

(End of chapter)