Then, on that very day, Keiko Hatoyama finally squatted down to the situation where the boy was "late".

It was when the boy was out of school, and according to the past, the boy should have been at the end of their street.

But that day, he didn't show up.

Noticing this, Keiko Hatoyama suddenly became happy, and as if she had finally completed some special research project that had taken a long time, she excitedly began to record the time.

I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it~

"Punctual boy" You really made me catch you when you weren't on time!

There's a problem, it's definitely a problem!

Let me guess what's holding you back?

Did you miss your homework yesterday? Or was he left to be punished by the teachers at school? Or maybe you've finally made a good friend and are playing on the road?

Even...... Did you fail in this exam? I didn't dare to take the test paper home to show my mother, so I was grinding and grinding on the road?

While constantly making guesses in her mind, Keiko Hatoyama kept track of the time accurately.

One minute, three minutes, five minutes...... It wasn't until almost ten minutes had passed that the boy figure she was familiar with finally reappeared at the end of the street.

He still walked alone, and no one was following him.

And after he approached, and when Keiko Hatoyama could see the look on his face clearly, all her previous speculations about it came to naught.

Because there was a bruise on the boy's cheek, it was obvious, a bruise left after a fight.

Apart from that, there is no difference between him and him yesterday, and there is no difference between him and him before.

She guessed all wrong, the boy was not punished by the teacher, did not fail the exam, and did not make friends.

He was bullied at school.

Deeply aware of this, Keiko Hatoyama immediately threw away her pocket watch and ran down the watchtower without looking back.

She chose to escape.

Because once again, she was deeply aware that the boy was living in a terrible environment, and she was ...... There is nothing that can be done.

Therefore, escaping is the best way she can choose for herself.

Having said that, Keiko Hatoyama couldn't convince her heart.

That night, she tossed and turned in bed until late in the night, when she slowly fell asleep.

It wasn't until she got up the next day that Keiko Hatoyama finally made a decision.

She's going to see the boy.

She had to ask if the boy was really as bad as she had guessed.

She had to figure out if the boy was actually a school bully, and she was the only one here who thought his life at school was difficult.

If that's the case, then she'll never see this person again.

A free heart gave Keiko Hatoyama a strong sense of mobility, and in the afternoon she squatted early on the watchtower.

When the boy's figure appeared at the end of the street on time, as always, she immediately called out to the old butler, and without even changing his clothes, rushed out through the gate.

At this time, the boy also happened to walk in front of the door of the Hatoyama family's mansion, and the two met head-on, and Keiko Hatoyama rushed directly to the boy and reached out to stop him.

Then, before she could say something as she gasped for breath, the boy she stopped spoke first.

The boy took something out of his bag and held it to her.

"You dropped this yesterday, right?"

His tone was calm and a little cold, and Keiko Hatoyama looked suspiciously, and in the boy's outstretched hand was a pocket watch.

A pocket watch that she was familiar with.

Huh?

As if thinking of something, Keiko Hatoyama was suddenly stunned.

Isn't this the watch she lost yesterday at the watchtower? Why is it in his hands?

"Yesterday when I walked past your door, it fell from the sky and hit my bag."

As if aware of Keiko Hatoyama's doubts, the boy explained that he still maintained the movement of reaching out, but his tone and expression gave people the feeling of rejecting people from thousands of miles away.

“…… Huh? ”

Hearing this, Keiko Hatoyama looked back at the watchtower in the courtyard behind her, and then looked back at the pocket watch in the boy's hand.

She ...... yesterday Almost hurt someone?

"Y-How do you know it's mine?"

Her cheeks, which had been a little rosy from panting, were now even redder, Keiko Hatoyama asked in a whisper.

She was curious, the boy never looked up when he walked past her door, and even if he guessed that the pocket watch had been thrown from the watchtower, he could not have known that it was her.

Why are you so sure?

"Because the smell on your pocket watch is the same as the smell on your body."

Boy, he said something startling.

Looking at the boy in front of him who was still expressionless and maintained the action of reaching out, Keiko Hatoyama was completely stunned.

This time, she even had her neck and ears red.

Don't say such things like an idiot without changing your face!!

However, no matter how crazy Keiko Hatoyama complains in her heart, the boy doesn't seem to have any thoughts of wanting to take care of her girlish mentality.

Seeing that Keiko Hatoyama was stunned for a long time, the boy stepped forward directly and reached out to put the pocket watch back on her neck.

The old housekeeper on the side saw this scene, and his eyes widened.

"Wear it well, don't throw it away in the future, it will hit people."

After saying that, the boy didn't care about Keiko Hatoyama's reaction, and directly bypassed her, walking towards his way home as usual.

And behind him, Keiko Hatoyama, who was already too red, lowered her head and looked at her toes, her eyes wide open.

She slowly raised her hand and pressed it lightly on her left chest.

Strange, her heart just ......

Jump so fast.

"Wait, wait!"

Instinctively reluctant to think much in this direction, Keiko Hatoyama shook her head vigorously, quickly turned around, and called out to the boy again.

The boy did not answer her, but he stopped and turned to look at her as well.

"You, you ......"

She wanted to speak, but for some reason, the moment she was watched by the boy, she forgot what she had meant to say.

"I, you......"

In this way, under the boy's puzzled gaze, Keiko Hatoyama stumbled, and at this time, she subconsciously raised her hand and held the pocket watch that the boy had just hung back on her neck for her.

It did seem to bring back some sanity to her, and she finally remembered her true purpose in stopping the boy.

So, with this remnant of reason, with the "assistance" of her still chaotic brain at this moment, Keiko Hatoyama finally said the shocking words that she wanted to strangle herself at that time countless times in the future.

"Y-Why don't you seem to be happy every day?!"

(˙ー˙)

(End of chapter)