The midterm exam week ended as scheduled.

Jiang Yuanshen's class was the first to complete the cleaning, and he refused the request of Ken Shimizu to go to the izakaya to play.

Came to the corridor and sent a message to the sky.

"I have some things to do, and I'm going to go home first."

After a few seconds, he felt that something was missing, so he added a "Brown Bear Eats French Fries" in the back.

After a while, her message came.

"Well, I happen to want to play basketball too! Suffocate me!" , and a Connie Rabbit OK gesture.

"Come on" Brown Bear presents flowers.

「(^_-)」

Put away your phone and walk outside the school.

The students on the road were talking about the content of the exam, and when they came to the level crossing, the warning tone was very loud.

The sky glows orange and the oncoming trams are framed with gold.

When he got home, Jiang Yuanshen took a shower and took the tape recorder he had borrowed earlier to the "Nakano Second-hand Electrical Appliances".

Thinking of Grandpa Nakano's rebuke in front of everyone some time ago, Jiang Yuanshen even had the illusion that he was about to face a "thought".

Because on that day, I was indeed swallowed up by this old man.

But if you don't shake the apricot in the sky, I'm afraid you won't be firm in your thoughts-

"Support the development of the Great Ruins for the benefit of the surviving islanders of Chitorishima."

Adjusting his mood, Jiang Yuanshen walked to the door and knocked lightly.

"Is Grandpa Nakano here?"

“.”

continued to knock, but the sound was like the wind in the cold pole, echoing coldly in the ears.

After knocking nearly four times, the door was finally slowly opened.

Unlike the last time, this time he heard the sound of the bell.

Grandpa Nakano came into view, and his face was no longer the anger of that day, replaced by a haggard as pale as a candle.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm the junior who came to borrow your tape recorder last time." Jiang Yuanshen held the tape recorder box with both hands and said, "Don't worry, there is no problem, and the protection is very good." ”

"It's too slow." Grandpa Nakano glanced at him with great dissatisfaction, and was about to stretch out his hands to take it.

"Shall I help you put it in?"

"I'll do this little thing myself."

"I'm sorry."

Looking at his bare arms like tree bark, Jiang Yuanshen remembered the iron sheets and thick iron left in the abandoned iron factory out of time.

I actually smelled rust.

"Grandpa Nakano, Uncle Nakano, is he still staying here to drive a taxi?" It wasn't until he came back to his senses that he realized he had spoken.

The old man in front of him suddenly narrowed his eyes, and his eyelashes formed a shadow in the slightly collapsed eye socket.

"I didn't let him stay here, he did it himself."

He didn't look at Jiang Yuanshen when he spoke, but he couldn't take his eyes off that old face.

"Isn't that weird? I think Uncle Nakano has the same idea as you, if you leave, you will definitely be said that he abandoned you and that he is an unfilial person."

Before Jiang Yuanshen finished speaking, he saw the door being closed rudely by him, and the bell inside was ringing one by one.

Just hearing the voice, Jiang Yuanshen felt that he was being scolded by this old man.

Holding back a sigh that almost popped out, he turned to leave.

Although I was in a bad mood, the sky I looked up from here was still breathtakingly beautiful.

The black shade of the trees is clearly visible under the trees, and occasionally cars drive on the road, and the sound of small gravel on the asphalt road being crushed.

At this moment, the sound of a motorcycle was heard.

It was a Honda Cub CC110 commuter motorcycle, and it was leaning over this side with a right flashing light.

Jiang Yuanshen stood in place, he remembered that this car was pure black and white, but the appearance was not very clean compared to the last time.

The rider was not wearing a hard hat, and in the midst of the noisy engine sound, he stopped.

"Xiao Shen, isn't it an exam today? What to do here? ”

It was Asakura Masamune, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, and he turned the key with his finger, and the sound of the engine stopped.

Jiang Yuanshen's nose sniffed slightly, and he could smell the strong smell of sea tides, as well as the unique smell of sea fish.

"It's over." His gaze weighed back and forth on the middle-aged man in front of him and said, "Uncle Chaokong, you just came back from going to sea?" ”

"yes, I caught a lot of tuna, I'll cut it and bring it to you." A rare smile appeared on Asakura Masamune's face, and he wiped the sweat from his cheeks with the towel around his neck and said, "And eel, sardine, and Taharu, which one do you like to eat?" ”

"I can do it all."

"If you don't dislike it, do you want to sit on it and I'll send you back?" Asakura Masamune patted the back seat with a smile.

Jiang Yuan Shen couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw his attitude become cheerful.

"Okay."

◇

Riding the young beast commuter motorcycle all the way back, outside the Liangjin Port in the distance, the broken waves were swaying and flickering, and I heard the undercurrent at the bottom of the sea in a trance, like an empty belly faintly rattling.

"Uncle Chaokong, do you have to go to sea all the time in the future?"

"Yes, after all, I don't have the reason or ability to leave Zhitori Island, and I can only fish!"

As if to suppress the sound of the wind, the volume of Asakura Masamune unconsciously increased.

Jiang Yuan couldn't help but look in the rearview mirror cautiously, and he looked at the road ahead with a resolute gaze.

"Did you tell you anything?" Realizing that it might be a moment, he asked.

The expression on Asakura Masamune's face changed slightly at that moment, and he was silent for a while and said:

"Yes."

"I know I'm not qualified, but can you tell me?"

However, Asakura Masamune only laughed self-deprecatingly, and the voice that came out of his mouth was shouting: "Maybe in her heart, you are more qualified than me!" ”

"Just kidding."

"I'm not kidding."

The wind whistled past his ears, and his voice gradually took shape in Jiang Yuanshen's ears, and he also smelled a strong fishy smell,

"Shao Xing told me that day that he would never forgive me for the rest of his life, even if I died!"

"What?" Jiang Yuanshen was stunned, thinking that he had misheard.

"Shao Xing said that she was going to leave Zhitori Island after the college entrance examination, and decided to cut off relations with me!"

His words seemed to be shattered, and the roar of the engine consumed them mercilessly.

If Jiang Yuanshen hadn't seen the smile of Asakura Masamune in the rearview mirror, he would definitely think that the middle-aged man's heart and soul had collapsed sadly, and only an almost crazy roar remained.

"Although I was a little incredulous at first, maybe what Shao Xing said was right! If I were her, I would definitely hate me as a person, and I would be a lot more relaxed to hear her say that she was very serious! ”

"I don't ask you to take her away this time, she can already leave on her own."

Jiang Yuanshen couldn't say a word anymore, and his heart was full of thoughts.

◇

Came to Jiang Yuanshen's house.

"I'll bring the fish over later, and you've smelled my fish all the way."

With a smile, Asakura Masamune waited for the young man in front of him to respond hastily, and he was about to leave.

"I'm going to thank you." Jiang Yuan took a short breath cautiously, and said directly, "Uncle Chaokong, is that small room in the abandoned iron factory yours?" ”

Asakura Masamune was stunned for a moment, not maintaining his expression at that moment.

As if there was no need to hide it, he nodded and said, "Yes, because Shaoxing doesn't like to smell wine and smoke, I often go there to stay." ”

"I found the key and walked in, and I heard your tape about the mother of the deep moon in the quiet sea." Jiang Yuanshen said in a low voice.

Asakura Masamune's face finally began to become embarrassed, and the lower lip of his mouth protruded forward.

Silence came, and he didn't blink his eyes when he looked at Jiang Yuanshen, like a fish pretending to be asleep.

It seemed that it was a matter of time, and Asakura Masamune turned off the young beast motorcycle.

"How did you find the key?"

"Just rummaging."

Asakura Masamune rolled up his old sleeves and said, "You can just treat this as a small story, I also want to keep this as a small story." ”

"It's weird to stand in the door and talk, do you want to come in?" Jiang Yuanshen asked sideways.

Asakura Masamune's face showed bitterness, and his gaze fell vaguely at his feet: "I heard that you have been very close to Jinghai Shenyue recently. ”

"So, can you come in?"

“.”

◇

"Uncle Chaokong, why are you so fascinated by Aunt Yami?" Jiang Yuanshen, who was sitting on the sofa, leaned out slightly and said.

As if hearing words that would never appear in Yami, Asakura Masamune was a little puzzled, but he immediately laughed to himself.

"Indeed, judging from your current age, Xun Yu is now an aunt."

Jiang Yuanshen smiled awkwardly, because he had never seen him, he had to use the title of age to describe it.

"Because she is very cute, very gentle, very strong, a little reckless, but full of mysteries" Asakura Masamune said a bunch of compliments with an intoxicated face.

Jiang Yuanshen was speechless for a moment, his ten fingers unconsciously stirred, and after a long time, he said, "I mean why?" These behaviors are not uncommon. ”

Asakura Masamune's expression did not change, and he said in a somewhat evocative tone:

"There's no why, if you've actually seen her in person, you'll understand."

"But there is still a queen on this island." Jiang Yuan reminded cautiously.

"But Jinghai Shenyue is not the same as her mother, this queen will not give her strength selflessly for others, just by listening to her attitude of talking to people, you can know that she is a. A queen with her own ideas. ”

A slightly cool smile appeared on Asakura Masamune's face, and his fingers slowly rubbed his vocal cords,

"But she is a very beautiful and selfless person, and she will not refuse the requests of the islanders, so that the weather will improve, the grain harvest will be abundant, and even the children on the street will remember it when they want to see the wild flowers bloom, but it is this gentleness that makes her miserable."

Whoever responds to the request of the islanders is using power.

Since the Empress Yami used her power, she would pay the price for it.

Jiang Yuanshen looked at him in surprise, and although he opened his mouth, he couldn't say anything.

Behind the countless "costs" accumulated by Jinghai Shenyue's mother, she can't leave the island at all, and she imprisons herself.

As a result, this selflessness finally became a heavy straw that overwhelmed the islanders.

"Speaking of Azusa Kawa Xiaokong, he was originally a street gangster, I can't feel the charm of that person, but Xun Yu just has a soft spot for him, I don't understand, I think I'm better than him."

"And speaking of Jinghai Yaren, I don't like him at all, that guy is always handsome in front of Xun Yu, and the expensive watch is still bought with a loan, just to put on a posture of being rich in the family in front of her, even the clothes are famous brands, and I hate it to death."

"Azusa Kawa Takaku said that this person has been pestering Yejian and often pretending to be garlic, so he teamed up with me and beat him up on the way out of school, and Jinghai Masaya ran back crying."

"The next day, he continued to come to school, but he was beaten by me and Zichuan again, and he didn't come on the third day."

Immediately afterwards, Asakura Masamune laughed to himself again, raised his hands and kept rubbing his hair and said,

"But it's all in the past, ah, it's so comfortable to be able to say it."

"It's weird." Jiang Yuanshen finally came back to his senses and didn't pay attention to their affairs, "Why did she suddenly leave the island when she saw the queen at night?" ”

Asakura's breathing slowed by half a beat, and he was like an onion that had been peeled off little by little.

I think she gave too much, and when she was sick, the islanders were worried that they were losing the power of prayer, not she, the queen herself."

Jiang Yuanshen froze, as if the meaning of this sentence was that the islanders threw away the person "Night Seeing Hunting", she was just a tool to accommodate her ability.

"When people are about to die, they will see through the souls of all people, find the good and the bad in them, even those who are too gentle, and finally become people who have no worries, even if they let the world be rebuilt."

Asakura Masamune's voice suddenly became extremely hoarse,

"It is precisely because Jinghai Shenyue understands this truth that I think she will be a young puppet girl who is more powerful than Xun Yu."

Jiang Yuanshen was silent, and his mind returned to that night again.

The rippling waters of the lake have chopped up the moon, and in the hazy vision, the life of the deep moon in the still sea is gradually passing away from Lake Kamo.

Asakura Masamune's hand took out his mobile phone in his pocket, slid something, and came to Jiang Yuanshen.

"I've kept this photo until now."

Jiang Yuanshen's gaze fell on the screen that emitted a faint light, and what caught his eye was a beautiful woman wearing a "young puppet" court dress, holding a little girl in her arms.

At night, Xun Yu made a gesture like holding the young puppet with both hands and holding the deep moon in the quiet sea in her arms, and her jewel-like pupils were like a shining moon.

Her tender and gentle smile made almost everyone who watched it stand in place as if they were paralyzed.

And Jinghai Shenyue in her arms is still young, and she looks like she is only ten years old.

When the two young girls of Zhitori Island appear in the same scene, no matter who they are, they will be uncontrollable, and Jiang Yuanshen is no exception.

It wasn't until Asakura Masamune withdrew his phone that Jiang Yuanshen returned to the real world from his stunnedness, but he felt a short sword piercing deep into his lower abdomen.

"You've always kept it?" He still tried desperately to suppress the strangeness.

"I've made up my mind to live well, but I haven't made up my mind to forget." Asakura Masamune glanced at the photo again with nostalgia, and finally put it back in his pocket.

(End of chapter)