Sending the package, Naruse and Naoko wandered outside until late afternoon, then went to the fabric store to buy some wool before returning to their residence.

Before dinner in the evening, he received a brand new pair of knitted gloves.

"It's warm."

"Hmm."

"I've been knitting this pair of gloves all afternoon, what about the order."

"There are no orders at the moment." Naoko cleaned up the table and stood up, "Let's go eat." ”

Smelling the smell of a little hand cream on the knitting needle gloves, Naruse took off the gloves and went downstairs to eat.

And after dinner, as soon as Naoko returned to the room, she knitted a scarf again.

"How long does it take to weave a scarf from scratch." Naruse asked.

She slowed down a little and thought for a moment, "About two days." ”

The two days in her mouth are not the two days when she came home from school and knitted one night as one day, but two complete days from getting up to sleeping.

"What about the order?" Naruse asked again.

"There are no pre-orders right now." Naoko continued to weave the scarf, "There are still a few puppets left from the previous ones. ”

Naruse frowned, "Aren't there still too many orders booked two days ago to be accepted?" ”

She looked up at him and didn't speak.

He quickly reacted, "Did Naoko close the pre-ordered order herself?" ”

"Hmm."

"Why?"

She lowered her gaze and knitted, "Too busy." ”

Naruse looked at the scarf she had just knitted in her hand again, and suddenly realized something.

“…… Two days. ”

"Hmm."

Two days was the deadline she had given for him to stay here.

"After those two days, will Naoko go back with me?"

"Can I refuse?"

"Absolutely. I'll stay until Naoko ......"

Syllable!

She jerked the sweater needle and yarn in her hand.

Naruse immediately shut up, and she turned her head to look to the side, trembling all over.

"I'll never be willing to go back with you."

He immediately moved over and hugged her shoulder, "I'm sorry, I just didn't want to force Naoko." ”

Naoko turned her head to stare at him: "From the moment you found me, you were already forcing me. ”

It was as if the heart was grabbed in his hand and twisted hard, and Naruse pursed his lips.

“…… Be. ”

"Since you don't want to let go of me, you just force me to the end, force me to go back there, force me to accept everything...... What is this now, is it merciful to give? ”

He was silent for a few moments.

"No, it's satisfying my guilt for Naoko."

After a pause, Naruse took a deep breath, "I see. ”

From the very beginning, he was a strong man. His weakness only made her more difficult.

He was uncontrollably lost.

But he no longer deserves to be lost.

Crawling to the side and picking up the fallen needle and thread, he didn't return it to Naoko, but found a bag to put it.

"In that case, let's find time to knit the scarf later, and we'll go back tomorrow." There is also a day in Tokyo, so it's best to leave as early as possible. ”

Standing up, Naruse said again: "If there is anything to take away, let's clean it up now." I went to say hello to Ms. Edako. ”

“……”

The two looked at each other for a long time, and Naoko lowered her eyes and began to pack her things.

After casually putting on a piece of clothing, Naruse also went downstairs and came to the restaurant next to him.

Before it was completely dark, the snow had already begun to fall, and there were no customers in the store at night, and when she saw him enter, Lady Edako had a slightly surprised smile on her face.

"Naruse-kun ......"

"Lady Koji." Naruse hesitated, but still spoke, "Naoko and I will go back tomorrow." ”

"Ahh

Lady Edako's eyes widened suddenly, "This...... It was sudden. ”

"We've been away from home for a long time, and it's time to go back...... Especially Naoko. ”

She nodded slowly, was silent for a moment, and then sighed and smiled at him.

"Shangzi has lived here for more than half a month, and she suddenly wants to leave, so I'm really reluctant."

Naruse lowered her gaze, "Naoko is also very reluctant to Miss Edako and Mr. Sakahara, but ......"

"It's okay, I understand."

Ms. Eda told them to be free and take their own things with them, and she would clean up the house.

Naruse didn't say anything, he knew that Naoko wouldn't leave a messy room for her.

"Before we leave tomorrow morning, we'll come over to say hello to Ms. Edako and Mr. Sakahara......"

After a few more conversations, Naruse left the restaurant.

Walking out of the warmth into the dark cold, he stood downstairs on the side of the road for a while before returning to Naoko's room.

The snow is falling with the wind.

If this continues, Mr. Sakahara will probably have to remove snow from the roof again tomorrow morning, he thought.

When he went downstairs, he put on a piece of clothing, which could not completely withstand the cold of the night, and he felt a little cold afterwards.

"Ha ......"

Spitting out a cloud of almost invisible white fog and looking at the dim sky, Naruse crossed his arms and his eyes straightened.

I don't know how long it was, but there was a little noise behind me.

He turned around, and Naoko was looking at him inside, and he didn't know how long he had been standing.

"Take a bath." She spoke.

"Okay."

Naruse turned and went in.

Closing the door and going to the bathroom, Naoko helped him take off his coat and hang it outside, and the two of them stood under the shower head and rinsed it.

Whoop –

The hot water kept pouring, Naruse closed his eyes, and his body, which was cold by the wind, was slowly recovering its temperature.

The soft body squeezed in front of him, and when he opened his eyes, Naoko hugged his waist.

He hugged her too, and the two of them swayed slightly in the falling heat, as if they were stepping on some kind of gentle dance step.

It's just that there is no music in the cramped bathroom, only his hoarse sigh.

"I'm sorry."

Naoko raised her head, and the hot water poured on her head flowed down each other's cheeks like unstoppable tears.

"Hmm."

Looking at each other, he lowered his head, and she also tilted her head slightly and kissed him.

Sometimes shallow and sometimes deep, just kissing.

After rinsing for a while, the two sat down in the bathtub, and the bath did not last long.

Back in the upstairs room, Naoko had already packed everything she wanted to take and could take away.

Naruse glanced at the things on the table, "Are these puppets going to stay?" ”

"Hmm." Naoko spread the futon, "I don't have anything left behind, that's all...... If they need it. ”

"Lady Kodea will like it."

She nodded, laid out the quilt, and lay down in it, looking at him with both eyes.

Naruse was about to turn off the lights, and she said, "Don't turn off the lights yet." ”

He looked at her, and then he didn't close it, and lay down under the covers.

Naoko stood on her side and lay on the pillow, she kept the lamp on, just trying to keep looking at his face.

Look at each other.

"Does Harumi really like me?"

“……”

Naruse also looked at her and nodded.

"I like it."

"Then why is it the way it is?"

He opened his mouth, "It's all my fault. ”

Naoko moved closer, still staring into his eyes, "When the time comes, is there any need to hide it for them?" ”

"In any case, the responsibility is on me." Naruse said.

"Of course." She looked at him, "But before I go back, I want to know what the hell they did...... From that time to now, Harumi hasn't really explained it to me, has he? ”

He was silent for a moment.

"Where to start?"

"Start with the worst." Naoko said.

(End of chapter)