When the New Year's bell completely fell, and he said happy new year to his parents, Morimi changed into warm clothes and braved the midnight cold to go out.

Stepping on the snow, she walked all the way to the corner of the county road, and when she saw her boyfriend waiting under the street lamp, she immediately smiled.

Trotting over, she opened her mouth to complain: "Whose idea, isn't it too cold on a big night?" ”

"It's fun to come out at midnight once in a while, isn't it?"

Naruse smiled, and when she finished gnawing on her face, she also kissed her on the face, "Happy New Year." ”

"Happy New Year." She grabbed his hand, rubbed it between them, and pressed it to her chest.

"The first breast touch of the new year."

"I've touched Naoko before."

Her face turned cold and knocked his hand off, "Dirty horny worm." ”

“……”

Naruse rubbed the back of his hand, somewhat aggrieved, "Come on, they're all waiting at Starfish's house." ”

"You came here to pick me up?"

"I'm afraid you'll get lost."

“バカ。”

The two held hands and walked towards the hotel of Starfish's house, Morimi looked at the road and said, "Fortunately, it hasn't snowed until now in the afternoon, otherwise I wouldn't have gone out." ”

"In that case, I wouldn't have called you anymore."

Naruse looked at the sky, "I read the weather forecast and says that it won't snow until tomorrow afternoon." ”

"That's for the best." She looked at him, "Are you ready?" ”

"What preparation?"

"Prepare to come back with me on your back."

"Starfish has a small trolley carrying wine at home, so take it with you when you set off."

“……”

She pinched him, but through the thick down jacket, she didn't feel anything at all.

When I came to Starfish's house, Hikaru Takikawa and Naoko were waiting here.

"Happy New Year, Kazuha."

"Happy New Year...... Morimi bowed his head slightly, raised his gaze and added, "Friends who can't sleep." ”

"Don't say that."

Hikaru Takikawa smiled, "Go to Hatsuya in the early morning of the New Year, Kazuha hasn't had such an experience yet." ”

"You don't have to experience everything."

"That said, Kazuha has come so far?"

"I'm going back."

"Alright, alright......"

Gathered at Starfish's house, stopped for a while, got ready, and a few people set off.

"Be careful on the road."

"Okay."

Saying goodbye to Seiichiro Maki, several people embarked on the long road of walking to Hatsui.

"Isn't Sister Yue coming?" Morimi asked.

"She's already gone to bed." Hikaru Takikawa said, "I said that I made an appointment with my classmates, and I will go with them tomorrow morning." ”

"Yes."

Morimi didn't ask much, she was more worried about herself right now.

"Why don't you go back and bring the cart with you?"

"Haha, it's not that far, it's almost an hour to walk over." Hikaru Takikawa said casually.

Naruse exhaled a chill, "Either tell ghost stories and walk over at the same time, so that your attention will not be on the road under your feet......"

"Don't!" Except for Hikaru Takikawa, the other three girls immediately refused.

"Okay."

"I think we should start a special shuttle bus today." As he walked past the bus stop, Morimi said, "The twenty-four-hour kind." ”

"That's how the train works."

"The problem is that the train in Tsuzen doesn't go to the countryside."

"So it's better to live in the city."

The snow on the prefectural road was cleared, and it didn't snow until the afternoon, so it wasn't that difficult to walk.

Naruse looked up ahead, there was a street lamp on the side of the bus stop, and the next street lamp was still far ahead.

"Ha......" He exhaled a cold air, and although it was not snowing, the cold of the night did not shrink much.

"When Harumi is in Tokyo, will he go to Hatsui at such a time?" Starfish asked, "Sensoji Temple or something like that, so it should be convenient if you want to go there." ”

"No, it won't." Naoko replied, "It's so cold that I don't have any friends to go with, so I won't go out at such a time." ”

“……”

Starfish blinked, staring at her stunned.

Naruse smiled, "That's it. ”

"We'll go to Tokyo later......"

"Even if I go to Tokyo, I'll be back for New Year's Day."

"Ah, that's right."

Walking through the Aoyagi Bridge, the road ahead is long, and it is only a matter of just starting here.

"Do you remember the last time you walked to the city?" Morimi said suddenly.

Starfish shook his head, and Hikaru Takikawa said he didn't remember.

"It was a long time ago." Naoko thought for a moment and said, "It's only possible to do such a laborious thing when I'm with everyone." ”

"That's when I was in elementary school." Naruse said, "I'm not impressed. ”

"Not impressed?"

Morimi reacted very much, "That time, I walked to the city together to buy a handheld with you, because I missed the bus, and you didn't want to wait another hour." ”

“…… Is that so. Naruse was slightly stunned, and with this landing point, he also remembered some things a little.

Morimi ended the memories of the last long journey of his childhood in advance, "The point is, I haven't bought it in the end. ”

"Huh?"

"That store was closed that day."

"Wow...... That's going to be infuriating. Hikaru Takikawa said beside him.

"Yes, I originally said that I would invite the people who went with him to drink soda, but in the end, I only bought it for myself and Naoko."

"Wow, that's annoying."

In the dimness, several lines of sight poked at his face one after another, and Naruse turned his head to look at the snow-covered field, "Don't say it, don't say it......"

When the topic was talked about elsewhere, he looked at Morimi, "I really hold a grudge." ”

"I'll remember it in another ten years."

"When you get to the city, I'll give you a case of soda."

"Who wants it?"

As he walked, Naruse felt that his body was not so cold, and even a little hot.

"It's still good to walk more."

"This level of benefit can be achieved with a little exercise in bed."

"Your words must have fallen before you did it."

"Do you want to try it?"

Naruse immediately shut up, and at this moment, a light suddenly shone behind several people.

"There's a car coming." Hikaru Takikawa walked at the back and let his companions avoid the side of the road.

With the sound of car tires crushing the ground, the light gradually approached, and when it passed by several people, it slowed down and stopped.

"What's the matter, it's so late and there's a group of people outside."

The window of the car was lowered, and in the car sat a fellow villager who lived nearby, forty or fifty years old, although Naruse couldn't name it, but his face was still recognizable.

"We're going for the first time." Hikaru Takikawa stepped forward to say hello.

"Eh, the first one? Walk over? ”

"yes, wouldn't that be more sincere."

The other party shook his head and didn't say much, "Then you have to be careful on the road." ”

"Okay."

Watching the car restart and disappear ahead, Morimi said, "They should also go to Hatsui." ”

"yes, otherwise who would go out at such a time."

The five of them continued to walk forward, and after a while, another car drove up from behind, only this time without stopping.

"By the way, did Starfish's dad drink at night?" Morimi asked.

"Eh, let's have a bottle."

"Where's Daddy Light?"

"I drank it too."

Naruse glanced at her, "You don't expect someone to drive to pick her up." ”

She sighed, "Are we halfway there?" ”

"We'll have to walk for a while."

After walking for more than half an hour, several people finally arrived in the city.

The street lights were connected, and the road in front of him finally brightened, and Naruse obviously felt that the girls were mentally relaxed, but there was still a long way to go.

At a certain intersection, Morimi stopped and looked to the other side, "This road over here, let's get to Choshoji Temple." ”

"Yes." Hikaru Takikawa nodded, and then said, "But it's just a little closer, let's go to Mokatsuin." ”

"Not just a little."

"Well, it's hundreds of meters. However, from this side, you have to pass through a large cemetery anyway, after all, there are temples on both sides of Chanlin Street. ”

“……”

"Do you want to go over?"

"I'm not going."

Morimi followed again.

After walking along the street at your feet for more than ten minutes, several people walked past the gate of Tsugao.

"I've never been to school so late."

"If you live in an urban area, or a little closer, you're going to have that experience." Naruse said.

Hikaru Takikawa looked at him: "Why?" ”

"Here's what the midnight campus talk is."

"Aha......"

Sakatsu-in Temple is right next to Tsugaraka, and on the upper floors of the school, you can even see a large cemetery behind the temple. However, the two are actually separated by a river, and the entrance to the temple is not on this side, so you need to go around to another street.

As soon as they arrived at the slope of the entrance, they found that the procession of worshippers inside had already lined up outside the temple.

"Wow, there are so many beginners......"

"People who live in the neighborhood will probably come here for the first time."

"Let's go over." Even though Mokatsuin is right next to the school, Naruse doesn't remember the last time he was here. Walking up the slope, he looked down and saw that the snow on the road was clean, and there was no ice at this time.

And if you walk a little inside, you can see the five-storied pagoda of Mokatsuin Temple under the golden lights on the side.

"The five-storied pagoda at night is spectacular."

"yes."

There is a large open space under the five-storied pagoda, with several tents set up, and a bonfire in the middle, where people come and go.

"There's mulled wine being handed out over there." Hikaru Takikawa looked at the busy volunteers in the tent, "Do you want it, I'll go get it, I can warm my body." ”

"I'll go with you."

Naruse also followed, picked up a glass in each hand, and under the watchful eyes of the volunteers who helped inside, he half-took and half-squeezed the third cup.

"It's too reluctant." Morimi also came over and took the cup, "You can just run one more time." ”

"It's rare for that to come out of your mouth."

"I'm not going to push myself too hard." She took a sip of mulled wine and smiled on her face, "It's so warm." ”

Bringing another glass to Naoko, several people drank sweet wine, came to the gate of the temple, and lined up at the end.

"Probably a dozen or twenty minutes in line?" Hikaru Takikawa stood on tiptoe and looked ahead.

Naruse took a sip of sweet wine, "If everyone's wishes are simpler." ”

"If the wish is too complicated, the gods will have a headache too."

"So when it's our turn later, move faster and keep your wishes shorter, and the gods will give priority to fulfilling the wishes of us sensible children."

"Haha, okay."

The team moved forward slowly, and the little sweet wine in the paper cup was quickly drunk. A few people didn't plan to refill the cups, so Hikaru Takikawa took the paper cups over and threw them into the trash can that specializes in recycling paper cups.

The temple is very lively, there is a queue in the middle, and people on both sides come out from time to time after worshipping, three or three, two by two, with a smile on their faces.

"It's a little bit more."

"It's a little bit more."

"It's been this time, and people are still coming."

Naruse looked back, they had been queuing here for five or six minutes, and there were more than a dozen or twenty people in line behind them.

"In the first morning of the new year, everyone was very excited."

On both sides of the approach, the warm yellow light cast by snow-covered stone lamps does not reach too far, and most of the temple is still shrouded in not completely dim shadows.

Naruse made a distinction in his mind and looked at the place where Tsugaraka was, where the tall pine trees completely blocked the view and saw nothing.

"What is Chunhai looking for?"

"Tsugaraka."

"Oh, I can't see it."

"I can't see it."

The slowly moving team advanced a little further.

Naruse looked at the shop next to him, there were not a few people who asked for a sign by the way after visiting the shrine, and some people silently tied it to the shelf next to him after reading the sign.

"I hope to get a good sign this year."

Naoko looked at him and smiled.

The procession moved, and the closer it got to the worship temple, the slower it became.

After waiting another five or six minutes, it finally arrived at them. The starfish at the front of the queue are the first to face the invisible gods.

Bang Dang!

Casting a five-dollar coin, Starfish grabbed the bell, shook it twice, saluted twice, clapped her hands twice, closed her eyes and prayed, and made a wish.

Hope everything goes well in the future......

With a final bow, she stepped aside and waited for her companions behind her.

Naoko stepped forward with Naruse, who threw two coins, each rang the bell, saluted, prayed, and smiled at each other when they were finished.

The two also came to wait beside the starfish, and Morimi and Hikaru Takikawa then stepped forward to pay their respects, and the former prayed with great piety.

"Okay, everyone is done, let's go ask for a lot."

"Okay."

Following Starfish and Hikaru Takikawa to the place where they asked for a signature, Naruse looked at Morimi, "What wish did you just make, so pious." ”

She looked over, "I made a wish for you." ”

"Yes."

"My wish is that you won't get tired from doing it ten times in bed."

“……”

"Yiye ......" Naoko also looked over a little helplessly, "It won't work if you say it." ”

Naruse looked at Naoko again.

"Come here." Hikaru Takikawa greeted the three of them.

"Here we are."

When he came to the place where he asked for a lot, he paid a 500 yen coin directly for himself and his companions.

"Who's coming first?" She was holding the holder.

"Let's go first." Naruse said. There are several stickers here, but the others are in use.

"Then I'll go first." Hikaru Takikawa shook the stick holder violently, using his strength to reflect his piety.

Pinching the spiky bamboo sticks, she gave the number to the shrine maiden inside.

When Starfish took the holder for the second time, the other holder next to him was also empty, and Naruse picked it up and shook it casually twice.

"Sixty-fourth."

Then handing the holder to Naoko, she closed her eyes and prayed for a moment before she began to shake.

"Ninety-fifth."

The shrine maiden found the signature for the two of them, and Naoko took it, and then looked at Naruse, "Harumi will open it first." ”

"I've got it all in my hands, but I can't change it."

"Let's open it first."

"Okay." Naruse opened the signing, and Morimi on the side noticed the change in his expression, and also came over, "Ji, it's not bad." ”

"It's not a murderer."

"Hehehe......"

Naoko also opened her signature, and her joy was palpable.

"Daji!"

Starfish and Hikaru Takigawa also came over, "It's good luck, Starfish and I are both Nakayoshi." ”

Naoko pinched the slip and smiled slightly.

"What about you?" Naruse looked at Morimi.

"Sueyoshi."

"Hmm...... Better than ferocious. ”

"Whatever." She didn't seem to care, but Naruse knew that if Naoko's fortune was in her hands, she might be so proud now.

"What's next, do you just go back, or do you want to go shopping again?" Probably guessing his thoughts, Morimi glared at him and directly exposed the topic of the lottery.

"There's a takemori sale here, too, so I'd like to check it out." Starfish said.

"Then pick a few."

The omamori sold at the shrine is often the same, but when they all come, several people still pick a few of them in order to be healthy, successful in their studies, and good luck in the coming year.

After buying the omamori, they returned to the five-storied pagoda, where sheltered seats were provided in the tent where they could sit and rest.

"I can finally sit down...... Morimi sat down, let out a long sigh of relief, and stared at the omamori he had just bought.

"The shrine is really profitable, and such a small omamori will cost seven or eight hundred yen."

"If it works, the price will go up to 1,000 yen." Naruse, who was sitting next to him, said.

"Where's the Victory?"

Naruse smiled, "You've been in Tsugaraka longer than me, have you ever heard that the academic omamori of the most Katsuin is very effective?" ”

Morimi shook his head, smiled as well, and immediately put away the omamori.

"Here, let's have another drink."

Hikaru Takikawa and Naoko went to ask for a few more glasses of sweet wine and distributed them to their friends.

Naruse took a sip, looked at the five-storied pagoda outside the tent, and slowly spit out a mouthful of white mist, his eyes a little straight.

"Do you have anything you want to sigh about?" Morimi asked, and the other three girls also looked at each other.

"Hmm." He took another sip, "It's more than an hour of night walking home." ”

“……”

Mori saw his eyes closed and sighed heavily.

Hikaru Takikawa laughed, "It's not that far, I've already traveled once, isn't it more conceptual how far to go back." ”

"yes, I want to die."

Naoko smiled as well and sat down next to her.

"Before you go back, get some rest."

(End of chapter)