Suddenly, Midori raised her voice as if she remembered something, surprising everyone present. A few seconds later, Lilan's protest was heard from the speaker of the smartphone that was placed in front of Kazuto.

"Don't raise your voice all of a sudden! What's wrong, Midori?

"No, I forgot to confirm an important thing"

Midori raised his face tremblingly and turned to Shino again. The expression on his face was like doing something clumsy, which made Shino stunned. I wonder if there's something I forgot to put on the plate or if I forgot to do something.

\"That, little Shino. I forgot to ask you something important\"

"Yes?"

"Little Shina, do you have any food allergies? I forgot to confirm."

Shino looked at the food on the green table.

Midori and Naoba work together to create dishes such as beef stew, lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, cherry tomato salad, tofu, wakame, and green onion miso soup. And these are the six types of roast beef I might buy.

The three food cultures of the West, Japan, and China come together on one table.

Shino looked at the food and thought softly. I've eaten a wide variety of foods throughout my life, but I've never had a food allergy.

My research has found that food allergies can occur suddenly when you eat certain foods, so I'm not sure what will happen in the future. But now Shino has absolutely no food allergies.

"I'm fine, I'm not allergic to anything."

"Oh, that's great. I did it without a check-up, so I wanted to know what I should do if Shino had some kind of allergy. Allergies are really horrible\"

A person with a food allergy accidentally ate the corresponding food, and as a result, he developed severe allergic symptoms of anaphylactic shock and was transferred to the hospital by ambulance for emergency treatment. I've seen this before

Midori must be worried, because allergies can sometimes even lead to the death of allergic sufferers. Shiina's heart warmed up when she was so worried about her Midori, but Midori was the first time they had met.

"But why are you having such an allergic reaction?" Just when I was wondering, someone whispered to stop me.

"Mom, in fact, I'm allergic to shellfish.

"Eh, is that so?"

"Oh, that's why I'm so sensitive to allergies, you know?"

There are many types of food allergies, but shellfish allergies are the most common. When 10 adults were collected, 2 to 3 were said to have allergies to crustaceans, or could possibly have allergies. Shellfish allergies are not uncommon, so Midori must have suffered from shellfish allergies as well.

Shino remembered the story and bowed to Midori.

"Uh, thank you for worrying about me"

"It's okay, okay?? Now, now that your concerns are lifted, so be it, let's do something big today. ”

Hearing Midori's reassuring voice, the three of them reached out their chopsticks and clamped them on the plates and bowls of various shapes in front of them, put them on their own plates, and began to eat.

Among them, Shino was the first to extend her chopsticks to the lightly browned roast beef with a thick sauce. Ever since I came to Tokyo to go to school and start my own life, I have never thought about buying and eating anything like this.

And, I had eaten something similar before going through that incident, so I completely forgot what the texture and taste of roast beef was.

It's just that the surroundings have turned brownish-gray, and the middle is flesh-colored, and he took a piece of beef, which was not very thick, put it on a plate, and brought it to his mouth. Maybe it's not very expensive, so it's quite chewy, but the umami of the meat and the flavor of the Japanese sauce seem to be based on soy sauce and other seasonings, and it's quite delicious.

"When have you ever eaten something like this?" I guess it was when Alice was still in SAo, when she ate the S-grade ingredients that Alice got. No, I haven't been to SAo for a long time because I've just simulated the experience of eating.

"Well, if you look closely, it's roast beef and double beef beef stew."

"Because, I didn't expect you to buy roast beef. Also, I think if you want to entertain Shino-san, beef stew will be better. \"

"Uh, is it my fault? But it doesn't matter, both are delicious. ”

What you hear is a family-like conversation with people, Naoba and Midori. A story you don't usually hear while eating. When was it the first time in the real world that so many people sat around a dining table, eating dinner and chatting about trivial things?

（... ）

That's it. Before that happened.

At that time, Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, and Shino could still sit around the dining table and chat while eating dinner. However, since being involved in that incident, Shino has become reticent and can no longer enjoy food.

In other words, from that moment on, Shino decided that because he had done something like that, he was no longer qualified to do so. Because Shino's heart is bound by the chains of those prejudices, she no longer likes to eat with her mother, let alone her grandmother and grandfather.

However, the Kazuto next to him broke this prejudice. He broke all the curses. No, specifically, to release the poetry is inside?? It's not just Kazuto, but also a lot of people in ALo now, such as Lilan, Yui, her best friends Asuna and Rika, and her teacher Alice. Yes and people. Who stretched out his hand.

Thanks and people for making me happy again, I can enjoy dinner a lot. I could feel the warmth. Even such small things have helped and people. The Kazuto family also welcomed me very warmly.

I couldn't help but almost cry with joy, but now I'm standing in front of Midori and Naoba. If I cry here, it will cause unnecessary worry for both of them.

Shino barely held back the tears that were about to well-rise, and gently grabbed the sleeve of the Kazuto who was eating dinner next to him, and pulled it.

\"What's wrong, Shino? \"

"And people thank you. \"

"Ah, what?"

"Today, you invite me"

Then there is a smile and a person's face. Shino spoke to him suddenly, and he must have thought something had happened.

"If it's a word of thanks, please say it to my mother. As for the original text, my mother-"

"It's not like that. That's it, isn't it? ”

“？”

"You know what, I thought I would never be able to eat with such a large group of people again. Ever since that happened, since that happened, it's not fun. ”

He blinked a few times and stared at Shino. Shino looked back at Kazuto's familiar dark eyes and smiled.

"But after meeting people and spending time with them, I was able to enjoy things like this again. Thank you and people for bringing me back to my happiness. ”

At this time, Kazuto's gaze temporarily moved away from Shino, and then instantly retracted it. When Kazuto takes his eyes off his eyes, he is thinking about something, and he is also opening Shino's memory drawer. And the people laughed again, probably the latter.

"Yes, Shino has always felt lonely. But that's okay now. From now on, I'll be with you forever, so it's okay now. You already have everything you can enjoy

"Yes"

And said with a smile. It was at this moment that I suddenly heard a voice, and when the two of us turned around, I saw Midori, with a strange smile on her face and a yellow look on her face.

"Oops? You're so arrogant in front of us, aren't you? ”

"Wait, did you see that?"

"Because it's right in front of me. I can see it. But I don't know what to say. ”

"Huh?"

Kazuto and Shino were taken aback by Midori's interruptions. In a few seconds, a soft smile appeared on Midori's face, and the words were relayed again.

"The two of you are a very quiet couple, and it feels like your relationship is not public, or rather, you are really quiet. Haven't you uploaded something like that? ”

The two nodded unconsciously. If you go to SNS and look at the photos uploaded by high school student users such as Kazuto and Shino, you will find that they are all photos of you traveling with your boyfriend, or eating with your girlfriend, or photos of yourself, and it is like bragging about the time you spent with your boyfriend or girlfriend.

However, Kazuto Shino never took such a photo and posted it on social media, nor did he flirt in public like other high school and college couples. Whether it's walking down the street together or going on a date, I'll keep quiet.

\"Having said that, I don't think I've ever seen my brother flirt with Shino-san. Anyway, my brother and Shino-san are quiet lovers. \"

"I just don't want to show off. Things like this are a little different. ”

"I see, you have grasped the essence."

Shino turned to face Midori. Midori opened his mouth again and sighed.

"People who really like each other, couples who are happy with each other don't show off by taking pictures or flirt in public. Taking a picture and uploading it to the internet is unconscious and unsettling.

"Because of my anxiety, I want someone to look at me and say something, so I show off and brag."

As soon as Midori's story came to mind, Shiina's mind somehow remembered the last time she watched SNS. At that time, I searched for some beautiful photos on social media, and Midori was talking about high school and college students posting pictures of their boyfriends and girlfriends and spending time with them. There.

Despite the fact that there are almost countless photos uploaded on social media, there are only a handful of photos of people who are truly happy with their loved ones, and I don't have them.

"So Heren and Xiaoshi are truly happy lovers.

”“””

At this time, Shino squinted and glanced at the side and the person.

"Indeed, I feel incredibly happy when I'm with people. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about people, but I never wanted anyone to tell me it was okay. I don't like that. Said to be a quiet lover, Shino was very happy about it.

So I'm a little curious. How did the little poem make Kazuto so fascinated? \"

"Green, you're not mature yet. If you interfere in someone else's affair, you will be kicked by a horse and thrown into hell.

\"Sister, please don't try to send Aunt Green to hell\"

For Midori's mischievous remarks, Yui's spit makes you want to say that you have gone too far. Just as I was about to laugh out loud at the stream, I heard a very loud voice on the TV.

\"Temporary message. At 4:00 p.m. today, a suspect living in ~~ was arrested for possession of a large number of handguns. Arrested for violating the firearms and swordsmanship law~~ The suspect illegally possessed a large number of handguns at home, and the number of handguns confiscated by the police exceeded 15 - >

What I heard from the TV speakers was the same as usual, it was like listening to the news that was happening all over the country.

Hearing the words inside, Kazuto and Shino were stunned. At the same time, Lilan and Yui, who had been listening to the news on their smartphones, stopped talking, just like Kazuto and Shiina.

Naoba and Midori didn't notice the four and turned their attention to the TV.

"Wow, you've got so many guns, it's so dangerous."

"I think I'm a gunslinger. Some say that there are not enough model guns, and they will not be satisfied without real guns...... Well, if you do it in Japan, like this. Violation—"

Midori was about to speak, and the image that appeared on TV changed from a row of pistols suspected to have been confiscated by the police to a map of the national weather forecast and an announcer's announcement. Midori and Naoba are surprised by the sudden change in the channel and turn to face Kazuto Shino.

Suddenly, Kazuto took the TV remote control on the table and pressed the button to control the channel.

\"Uh, and people? \"

\"Oh, brother? \"

Even when they called him, and the people just stared at the TV screen and didn't say anything. And his face became solemn, making it hard to believe that he had been eating calmly just now.

When both Naoba and Midori were surprised by the change in Kazuto, Kazuto gently lowered the remote control and opened his mouth.

"Sorry for the sudden change of channel. I would like to see the weather forecast.

"Uh, ah, yes"

Hearing Naoha's confused voice, Kazuto began to eat the food on the plate again. However, Shiina, who was sitting next to her, had been eating, but now she stopped using chopsticks altogether.

When he sees something he shouldn't see, everything stops.

“”

Midori sighed softly when he saw the two of them like this. Immediately after, Kazuto swallowed the food in his mouth and whispered to Shino next to him.

\"Shiina, can you eat? \"

"Yes"

After listening to Kazuto's words, Shino finally regained her composure and ate slowly. Midori looked at this situation and forgot to eat.

(So?) ）

Kazuto, Shino, Naoba, Midori, Yui, Lilan. Although there was some commotion during the meal, the meal remained pleasant one hour and ten minutes after the meal began.

With the exception of Yui and Lilan in ALo, everyone else poured empty dishes and utensils into the kitchen sink.

After all the plates and cutlery were moved, Midori instructed Naoba to take a shower while putting the plates and cutlery in the dishwasher near the sink. Naoha, who was willing to do this in the first place, immediately accepted Midori's instructions and hurried to the bathroom.

As a result, there were only three people left in the restaurant, Kazuto, Shino, and Midori.

However, immediately afterwards, Kazuren said that he wanted to clean up the room, so he went up the stairs and was left where he was.

Shino, who didn't expect to be alone with his mother Midori, felt a sense of tension from the bottom of her heart and curled up in her chair. Ah. Even when I tried to talk to him, I didn't expect to talk to the mother of the person, so I couldn't even find the first sentence.

No, first of all, I want to know what kind of topics my mother likes to talk about and what kind of people I want to talk to. I don't know if my story will make it to Midori. - A long-lost sense of unease and tension suddenly rose in my chest, and a voice suddenly sounded in my ears.

"Hey, Shino-chan. \"

"Hah!!"

Shino's body shook as he heard a green voice in his ears, and then turned his head to face the source of the sound. As I helped and the person recover, I saw a woman who looked young, poorly dressed, and had her hair haphazardly tied back of her head. I've always wanted to meet Kazuto's mother at least once since SAo.

Shino still clearly remembers the first time she saw this woman, she was surprised that she was so young, and thought that such a young person was Kazuto Naoha's mother. After seeing Kazuto's mother, who looked very young, Shino straightened her back. Immediately after, Midori smiled wryly.

"You don't have to be so afraid. I'm not trying to talk about difficult things. ”

Midori said as he walked from the kitchen to the dining room, and finally sat down on the chair opposite Shino. When Midori's gaze suddenly approached, Shino had the illusion of a faster heartbeat. I don't know what kind of story Midori was going to tell her—Shino swallowed silently with a sense of defensiveness, Midori opened her mouth.

"Shiina, I'm really sorry today. \"

"Huh?"

"Suddenly I was asked to stay overnight. To be honest, I completely ignored Shina's feelings and situation, and I'm sure Shino must have been surprised when she asked me to stay overnight. ”

Shino made a slight sound from her throat.

"It's true that I didn't want to say something so suddenly, and I was surprised when I got the call." However, if I can, I would like to go and talk to people one day, and talk to people and Naoba's parents.

"That's why I'm surprised, but I'm happy to be able to come to Kazuto's house. "I'm not ready to talk to Midori yet.

"No, it's not. On the contrary, I am happy. You call me that."

After listening to Shino's embarrassing answer, Midori put her hands on the table and crossed them gently.

\"To be honest, I can't help but worry about Shino.

"I Am"

\"yes. Well, little Shino. Sorry to ask Xiao Shino so suddenly, how much do you know about people? \"

Shino stared at Midori's eyes in thought, and there was a slight serious expression in Midori's eyes. At SAo, I basically understood and people. What are you?? What kind of personality do you like, what kind of things do you like, what kind of games do you like?

"I know a lot about people. Maybe there's something I don't know yet, but\"

\"Then what do you mean when you say that Kazuto and Naoba are not really brothers and sisters? \"

"Huh!?"

Shino's eyes widened. I knew from SAo that the two were brother and sister, and more importantly, in today's conversation, I thought many times that they were definitely brother and sister. These two aren't actually brother and sister, what does that mean?

Before Shiina's time to inquire about the situation, Midori repeated her words.

"Looks like you don't know"

"What do you mean"

At this point, Midori's words were interrupted. Seems hesitant to tell Shino what he wants to say. I'm sure you're thinking about talking about something important.

"What does this mean?"

\"If you want to keep it a secret here, I'd like to talk to you about Shino, are you okay?" \"

"Yes. Please let me know. ”

After answering immediately, Midori took a deep breath and exhaled, looking at his hands on the table.

\"Kazuto is Naoha's real older brother, right?

“？”

"Kazuto was originally the child of my sister and her husband. He was also present at the time, but miraculously, he was saved."

After listening to so much, Shino felt that she had understood the whole content of Midori's story. Kazuto's biological parents are Midori's older sister and her husband, but since the death of her sister and her husband, Midori has taken in Kazuto and raised him like her own son.

In other words, Naoba is Yuichi Midori's biological child, and Kazuto is actually Naoba's cousin rather than an older brother.

\"So and people\"

"Yes.

Indeed, we have been together to this day, and I, like me, have believed from the beginning that there is something in the human being. However, it is completely unimaginable that she lost her biological parents and was raised by someone who was supposed to be her aunt, and Naoba turned out to be her cousin.

"Is that so?"

"And he had just turned ten when he heard about it. When I joined Kinet, I found out that my parents had passed away and that my father and I were not my biological parents. \"Parents. ”

Shino was surprised to find that she had enough knowledge at the age of six to assemble a computer from scrap parts. I guess everyone else will laugh when they hear it, but Shino can't laugh at all.

"Have you talked about this?"

Midori nodded slowly. Midori opened her reddish lips as she listened to the sound of the dishwasher and the splash of water in the dishwasher.

"I was surprised that I couldn't cut it white. I'll tell you the truth, your parents are my sister and her husband. Naoba is actually your cousin."

“”

"I think it was also around that time that Kazuto became addicted to online games such as mmoRpG and mmohAG large-scale participation hunting action games.

"I'm sure Heren was confused after learning the truth, and there were a lot of things in his heart that were confused." I don't know anything about what happened to my parents, who Naoba really is, and whose child I really are. ”

He once said, "I don't quite understand the distance between him and others. Since he barely said why, I couldn't help but wonder why Kazuto was like this, but Shino was surprised to hear this answer. But at the same time, there is a sense of certainty that things must be the way it is.

"Because of this, Kazuto has become very unsociable, and he can't count his friends, and to be honest, it's a miracle that Kaimu Kaimu-kun and I can become good friends. I don't think it's hopeful for Kazuto, who can't even make friends, to fall in love with someone. ”

At this time, her green eyes turned to Shino. Although Midori is not Kazuto's biological mother, the color of her eyes and the glint in her eyes are almost the same as Kazuto's.

"However, after being trapped in SAo for two years, when he came back from SAo, he told people that he had found someone he liked and wanted to meet that person as soon as possible\"

“！”

For Midori, who has always seen that he can't socialize with people and has no choice, the fact that he has a girlfriend with people is like a natural disaster, like the sky and the clouds are reversed. Maybe it's because she's with people who are rich in imagery.,Shino, who is much taller than before being captured by SAo.,Immediately saw the scene of green when confessing to people.。 I can imagine

So I can't help but wonder. What kind of people will you fall in love with? What kind of girl would fall in love with a woman who is not good at socializing? I'm curious what that is. I\"I've always wanted to talk to you. ”

Looking at the glint in Midori's eyes, Shino recalled Midori's story in her mind, and finally felt that everything was connected.

\"Why do you think Kazuto is so cute, and why Kazuto likes Shino? The reason is that Kazuto has also experienced the pain of not being able to trust people, the pain of not knowing the distance from others, the pain of loneliness, and he understands what that pain is like.

Because Shino is a person who suffers the same as herself, she feels the consciousness of similar people, thinks of them, and loves them. No, since it's a matter of people, there must be many other big reasons, but this is the most fundamental part.

When she met and got along with each other in the world of SAo, Shino understood that there were many similarities with people, but she didn't expect that there would be such a fundamental part. I didn't expect that.

\"Well, little Shino. After having dinner with you this time and talking to you somehow, I realized one thing. Same with humans. I didn't ask too much, but just like with people, something big happened. That's why Hecai will fall in love with you who have the same qualities as you, which is why he is so single-minded. ”

Since Midori had just said Shino's thoughts, Shino felt that she had completely guessed her thoughts, and she was surprised again. But at the same time, there was a strange sense of relief and warmth in my heart.

It is very similar to people and poetry. Because of the similarity, no matter how much they say, they don't feel uncomfortable, they are able to accept each other, they are able to share warmth and warmth, they are able to love each other from the bottom of their hearts.

There is a word in the world called homophobia, which means that people in the same situation don't like each other because it doesn't look like you're holding it.

"If anything, you could say it's the opposite of homophobia."

"Yes, yes. So and people are \"

"Ah, but that's just my personal opinion. It's possible that something like that could happen to Shinai, that's just my guess. Or rather, is it like this.? \"

Then Shino shook her head. When I finished swinging the ball, I looked up and saw Midori with a look of surprise. I never thought my predictions were correct.

"No, you're right. I can't say it out loud, but I'm the same as people. From a certain moment, I couldn't trust people and couldn't understand the distance between people. \"Everyone. Friends. After all, there is no one. I made a hard shell myself and locked myself in it. This has been going on for a long, long time... I thought it would pass, but I met Kazuto inside. ”

Just when Midori was surprised, Shino complained one after another. What she said wasn't something she could easily tell others, but Shino couldn't stop talking.

"In the beginning, I even refused to talk and people. Sometimes I'm harsh with people, and sometimes I'm cruel to him. He was there for me and stayed by my side until he came. "Get into my shell and accept me as I am.

"Since then, everything has changed." I was able to break free from the shell I had been closed up and get out. Since then, what I've seen so far has become clearer, better and better and I've become able to trust people. I made a lot of friends. Every day gets more enjoyable. Most importantly, I learned that you can fall in love with others. ”

As I swirled the words, memories of Japanese people came flooding out of my mind like bubbles. The bubbles never burst, their number keeps increasing and gives a certain warmth to your chest. I couldn't help but feel the warmth in my chest. No, it's already hot.

"It was given to me by a man. It all started with people. Bring happiness to people, believe in people, spend happy days, and love people. "I was trapped in SAo due to an accident, but I think I got to participate in SAo in order to meet Kazuto at the time. If I hadn't met him, I would have been like this because I felt like I was trapped in my shell."

"Sometimes I wonder why I get so close to people and get in." But now I know why.

And the sense of distance between people and others is quite crazy. However, thanks to that insane sense of distance, Kazuki was able to enter a place that he would not normally enter—Shino's enclosed shell. If I were like ordinary people, I wouldn't be where I am today.

"That's why I'm really happy to meet and people. I'm really glad I fell in love with Kazuto. That's why I want to continue living with him forever. Already. I don't think I'm going to be like that. "To be able to forget about my love and people. in the coming decades"

"I've got it all figured." Why is he like this, why does he love me so much, how can he love people so much? I know all the reasons. Thanks to this, the warmth of the person was restored, and my chest became warmer, and I couldn't help but feel comfortable.

The person who taught me this was undoubtedly the green in front of me. If I hadn't come to the Waren people like this today, I wouldn't have been able to get to know the Waren people more deeply. In Shino's heart, which continued to spin the words, among the countless bubbles that gave her warmth, there was a sense of gratitude for Midori. Poetry is a way to put these feelings into words.

"Thank you very much, I will continue to live with people. I have no intention of parting. \"

At this point, Shino finally ended her long story. While they were talking, Shino kept looking at Midori, but she was too focused to pay attention to Midori's appearance at all, just curious about Midori's feelings, as if he didn't know.

Now, when I look back soberly, Midori is smiling. It is also a smile that mixes positive emotions such as relief, peace of mind, and joy. Somehow, I could see the light in my eyes.

I see. Little Shino cares a lot about people, doesn't she? I didn't expect that he would become a lover with such a good girl and become a partner, but that's why he will be like this."

Judging from what I just heard, Midori must think that it is impossible for a person who has lost his sense of distance from people to have a lover. But now that idea has been shattered. And, from Midori's point of view, Kazuto has found a lover with whom he can live, a spouse, and this has become a reality.

Shino subconsciously understood that Midori was so happy that she almost cried. Soon after, Midori spoke to Shino again.

"I understand Shino very well. If it's a little Shino, you can get along well with people. So from now on, please take care of and people. So far, I don't have many good memories with Kazuto, so please. ", from now on, and people. "Let's create a lot of good memories together."

This sentence came from Midori's mouth, and she said that although she was not related by blood, she was the mother of the people, and it was no different. Like a drop of water, it fell into Shino's heart and slowly spread. Shino gently put her hand on her chest, and her already warm heart became warmer and more comfortable.

"No matter what happens to people, he won't run away." If there is any difficulty, I will overcome it with others. From now on, I will always be with people. I will continue to live with other people, share the same pain as others, and understand it and accept everything I have. No matter what happens.

After making up her mind again, Shino lifted her hand from her chest, raised her head, and smiled as she looked at her green eyes full of tears of joy and relief.

"Yes"

And answered.

"Whew"

Dressed in the same black pajamas as casual clothes, he walked up the stairs leading to his room on the second floor. She wiped her hair with a bath towel.

After eating, it was decided to go take a bath, but unlike usual, Naoba, Shino, Kazuto, and Midori went in order. Normally, Waren would be the first to take a bath, but this time it wasn't because Shino was there.

But Kazuto didn't care about that, so he readily agreed. After hearing Shino come out of the bathroom and enter Naoha's room, I left the room in my pajamas and bath towel and entered the dressing room.

As usual, I took off my clothes in the locker room and walked into the bathroom, where pure white steam was rising. However, and people noticed that something unusual happened. Normally, when you open the bathroom door, you emit a steam with the smell of inorganic water, but tonight, the steam that fills the bathroom reveals the smell of a good woman that they are born with, as well as the smell of soap and shampoo. It's a mixed bag.

At the moment of inhaling the steam, the smell emitted from Shino's body that only Shino has made Kazuto startled and gasped.

What's more, from that moment on, in my mind, which had always been trained to be imaginative, I could easily and clearly imagine Shino bathing and washing her body, even though I wasn't even soaked in hot water. , my body temperature began to rise, and my heart began to beat, violently.

Thinking of how bad it is for a woman's mental health to take a bath after taking a bath, he shook his head, somehow diluted the image in his mind, and decided to take a bath.

After an unusual bath time, Kazuto changed into pajamas in the locker room and walked up the stairs while wiping his wet hair with a bath towel.

He stopped when he walked to the door of the room.

"That"

Naoba and Shino were originally in the room where Naoba was surprisingly quiet.

After Shino decided to stay at Kiritani's house, she cleaned the room with someone so that she could stay in his room.

However, immediately afterward, Naoba almost forcibly expressed his desire for Shino to stay in his room, and Midori agreed.

As a result, Shino spent the night in Naoba's room, and all the preparations of the people were in vain. At that time, there was a sudden argument with someone, but Midori said: "Shino and Kazuto are still high school students, so it's better not to live in the same room." \"

I wanted to say "it's like this every day when I was in SAo", but Midori said so, and I couldn't help but agree. As a result, and the person slept alone in his room as usual.

Obviously, that's the case, but there is no sound of Shino in Naoha's room, not even Naoha's voice. Although it was only 8:30 p.m., were the two already asleep? - While thinking about this, Kazuto was about to enter his room when he noticed something.

I could feel something from the room. While I was taking a shower, someone walked into Kazuto's room. And now, he was still there, as if waiting for his arrival.

（who）

When I opened the door with a muttered heart, the room was already lit. The brown floor, the beige walls, the shelves are stocked with all sorts of things and books, and at the end of the room is an original homemade computer that I assembled.

In the center of the usual room, there is a table with short legs, and the identity of the person who exists is nearby.

\"Oh, Shino. \"

\"Ah, here you are, and people. \"

Shino was the only one in the room. He looked different from usual, with a large white sweatshirt over his black vest and black shorts underneath, which can be described as pajamas.

I've never seen Shino in pajamas because I've never seen Shino sleep, but Shino seems to prefer to sleep in clothes other than pajamas.

Seeing Shino like this, he closed the door and walked away, sitting next to Shino.

"Didn't you sleep in Aunt Su's room?"

"My plans changed halfway through. And the person's mother said that I could sleep with him in the room of the man. \"

"Is that so? I was really surprised because I thought I would sleep in Sugu's room.

"Sorry for being late to tell you."

"No," said the man. Shiina, the person she loves, is in her room, which is usually only used by herself. Shi Nai is not a friend, nor a best friend, but a lover.

\"I always wanted to invite Shino to my room one day, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. And people simply didn't expect it to be like this, but now it's happening. I'm very happy about that.

However, when I think of today's events, Kazuto feels sorry for Shino.

Shiina's room doesn't have a TV yet, so she doesn't watch TV news, but Kazuto's living room has a TV. So I ended up showing Shino the news of the pistol that I usually avoid.

“... I'm sorry."

"Huh? Why do you want to apologize? ”

\"You see, when we were having dinner, I showed you something like that if you were at Shino's house, you wouldn't have seen it.

"Ahh

At this time, Shino looked a little surprised, but immediately shook her head and turned her face to Kazuto.

"I'm not worried about that. And, it was fine at the time. And people immediately change the channel, or rather, and people? Are you okay? \"

"Yes. I try not to look at the screen so I don't have to look at the real thing. ”

"Yes"

Shino lowered her head slightly. Shino believes that the reason why Kazuto felt uncomfortable after hearing the story about the pistol and seeing the photos of the real gun was because he put Shino's memories into his mind.

Indeed, when I implanted my mind in Shiina's mind and shared my memories with her, it became like this. However, I said that I don't regret what happened and don't worry. Even so, Shino couldn't help but get worried.

You don't have to worry - just as I was about to say it again, Shino opened her mouth before the man.

\"You know, and people. \"

"Yes?"

\"I know. After going to his room with someone, we chatted. and the mother of the man. \"

“！”

"I was told everything. And the true relationship between the person and the mother of the person and the straight leaf, and what happened after the person found out, everything\"

\"Did she tell Shino the truth so early? Although she really wanted to tell Shino the truth about her heart. But even so, Kazuto didn't think that his mother had done anything unnecessary.

\"And people: You were separated from your biological parents when you were very young. Soon after, you were adopted by Naoba's mother and have been raised like a real child until now\"

When Shino told the truth that she hoped she would be able to tell one day, Kazuto couldn't help but make a faint voice. But I didn't feel bad.

\"yes, I've decided not to hide anything from Shiina. "Well, let's talk.

"Yes.

"You don't trust anyone anymore until you find out about it"

"Yes, since then, I have completely lost my sense of distance from others. Naturally, I couldn't trust anyone. Even the mother and Sugu in front of them couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it\""

That's why you fall in love with online games. It's a false world where anyone can be who they aren't. A place where you can immerse yourself without having to see your true self.

In the beginning, Kazuto thought that the world of SAo was a world where you could heal yourself without seeing your true self.

"Ah, but that's not the case anymore. Well, although the number of people is limited, I can trust people. I believe in Mom, Sugu, Lilan, and Yui. It's the same with Shino. Or rather, it's what I believe in the most—\"

"Me"

Shino raises the voice to interrupt and people's words. Maybe it's because I always put Shino first.,Reflexively stop talking with people.,Adopt the attitude of listening to Shino.。

Shino said as she looked directly into Kazuto's eyes.

"Sometimes I wonder, why do I fall in love with Kazuto? Why do I still like him? Don't know if you can think of it?

"Then I remembered." When I first met you, when we started living together, when you were getting closer and closer to me, I was a complete stranger.

"I can't believe you at all." So I've thought many times about getting rid of you. I was thinking that if we just lived together, we wouldn't have a relationship anymore and I wouldn't have him get involved anymore. ”

Think about it, when I first met Shino in the world of SAo, Shino said harsh things to me many times. After that, all sorts of things happened and we lived together, but during that time, I was stabbed many times with harsh words. Kazuto reminisced about the scene at the time while continuing to listen to Shino's words.

"But no matter how many times you try to kick me away, you still choose to stay with me. He tried to protect me many times and did protect me.

I didn't think about it at all when I was in that world, but now I think about it. I don't know why the people kept coming after I drove him away. I wonder why you don't think you're going to leave me alone. ”

\"At that time, why did he try to get into Shino's heart? \"Why didn't he think of leaving Shino alone? And people have never thought carefully about the reasons for this.

Ever since he met Shino, he couldn't do without her anymore. The first thing that came to her mind was Shino.

At that time, I was already in love with Shino, and I felt that I didn't need a reason to love her, so I didn't think about it anymore.

\"So when I heard it from the mother of the people I thought I understood. Why do I fall in love with Kazuto? I realized I got it. I think I subconsciously realized that I was the same person as me, had experienced something similar to me, and had lost trust in people.

"That's why I'm attracted to you, and you've experienced the same pain." I'm in love with you and I want to be by your side. No, I think I like you because you're just like me. I feel like I want to be there for you. ”

Kazuto was taken aback when he saw himself reflected in Shino's eyes. Maybe me too. He lost his sense of distance from others, lost his trust in others, and just by looking at Shina's attitude and appearance, he unconsciously said that Shino was a person who suffered as much as himself, maybe he understood.

Because Shiina, like me, I subconsciously want to heal her pain, heal her, protect her, and fall in love with her.

"I was surprised when I heard about Kazuto's mother. I'm very similar to Kazu. There are many similarities.

"That's why I'm so happy." I have the same pain, and you don't hate me for looking like your own. And people have been similar to me from the beginning in everything.

"Shino"

Speaking of this, Shino smiled brightly.

"Even before we met, we were similar people. Because you are similar people, I think I love you from the bottom of my heart and I can love you. ”

When Shino's smile came into his eyes, Kazu's self-confidence came spontaneously.

"Why do you want to protect Shino, why do you fall in love with Shino?"

Before I met Shino, I had already lost a person who was very important to me, and I didn't want this to happen again, and I unconsciously understood that I was a human being.

Because Shiina, like me, I want to heal her pain, protect her, be there for her, and love her. Kazuto noticed this, smiled like Shiina, and gently reached out to hug her.

\"That's right. We are similar people. Because we are similar people, I love you. I think I love you. So, let's stay together forever, Shino. \"

"Yes. We will be together forever. From now on, forever I love you, and people. \"

\"Yes, I love you, Shino. \"

After saying that, they hugged for a few minutes, and the two similar people parted and faced each other.

Immediately after, Shino made an expression of what she had thought of.

\"Ah, yes, and people. That's why I decided to stay at Kazuto's house today."

"Huh?"

\"You know, I've been thinking about this ever since. You see, Kazuto is now suffering from my memories, isn't he? \"

\"Eh, I see\"

"So, I don't know if I can make it"

Shino said as she reached for the backpack she was carrying when she came to Kiritani's house, unzipped it, and took out something. I wondered what was going to happen, and it turned out to be a normal, brand new notebook.

"Notes?"

"It must be painful to be with someone, because he can't tell the difference between his own memories and mine.

"If I teach you my memory, if you recognize my memory in your heart, you won't feel pain." So I want you to write everything you remember in this notebook. I wanted to do that, so I thought I'd stay overnight. ”

“！！”

And then the people were taken aback again. Come to think of it, when I told Alice about my current symptoms—Shina's memories trying to blend into my own—the proposed countermeasure was to make sure Shiina's memories were Shiina's. It's to recognize

However, even if you try to do it yourself, you often can't tell whether Shina's memory is Shina's memory or your own memory, so in the end it's meaningless and has no effect.

However, if Shino herself had told me Shino's memory, she might have recognized it as Shino's memory. The line between my own memory and Shino's memory may become clearer. And Shino himself said it based on his own memory, so there shouldn't be any mistakes.

"I see, but will you cooperate with me? \"

It's not obvious. Your problem is not just your problem, it's mine. No, the initial cause was me, so it was our problem from the beginning. So, with people, cooperate with me. \"

Shiina's black eyes that always see. I knew we were similar before we met, and there was a warm and intense glint in the eyes of the person I loved in front of me.

Poetry is serious. To be honest, I'm thinking about solving the problem with people together. Aware of this, Kazuto welled up with joy from the bottom of his heart, and almost burst into tears. But hold back and don't cry, take a deep breath.

\"I understand Shino, please cooperate. Thank you so much. \"

"If it's thank you, can you say that it has an effect? Because I don't know if it's really working. ”

\"It does work. It was Shino who proposed it, so there is no doubt about it. \"

"So, how do I get there?" ”

Hearing Kazuto's question, Shino opens the cover of the notebook and takes out a black mechanical pencil and a highlighter filled with pink ink from her pocket. Just like the writing instruments used by high school students when they study. In addition, mechanical pencils can write characters of a certain thickness by rotating the refill each time they write.

"As for how to do it, and people, write down everything you remember. I want you to write down everything that comes to your head. Although it was written with a person, there were also things about me and things that I thought were my memory. If yes, I'd color it with a highlighter. ”

"What? Are you really going to write something? ”

"If you don't write it down, you won't understand. And, and people. \"

Shino then rolled up the sleeve of her right hand. Shiina's delicate skin was exposed on her right arm, and Kazuto unconsciously noticed something shining silver-white on her wrist.

He tilted his head and thought, "Is this what Shino is like?" Then, Shino slowly grabbed Kazuto's right hand, raised it, and inserted it into his wrist. When Shino let go of her hand, Kazuto slowly raised her right hand to her face and stared at what was embedded in her wrist.

And on the right wrist of the man is firmly worn a silver bracelet with a pattern reminiscent of a flower. Its color is closer to white than silver, so it wouldn't be wrong to say it's silver.

"Is this a silver bracelet?"

"yes. That's Daddy's talisman. ”

\"Huh!? \"

Kazuto was surprised by the word Shino's father and raised his face, Shino lowered his head slightly and opened his lips quietly.

"To commemorate my birth, my father gave me this on my first birthday, hoping that I would grow up to be a strong child, and this one would protect me as if it had been given to me."

While listening to Shino's words, Kazuto turned his gaze to the bracelet.

"It's true, it looks quite old, and you can see some scratches on the surface of the pattern." However, it doesn't have any visible scratches, and the reflected light it emits is not dim even when exposed to light. Looks like it's been taken care of pretty well.

"It's gorgeous and conspicuous, so I don't wear it very often...... But if I keep it by my side or hold it, I feel like I'll be fine no matter how difficult things are. t...... Even when I had a seizure, seeing it made me feel a little better all the time, I would put it in my bag or something.

"If my memory becomes painful, or I feel like I can't do anything about it, I don't know if it works, but remember this amulet"

As soon as Kazuto heard this, he immediately turned to face Shino.

"Hey, wait a minute. This is an important gift from Shino's father to Shino, and it is a souvenir from Shino's father. So I'm relieved\"

"It doesn't matter. Because, uh"

At this point, Shino paused, lowered her head, but immediately raised her head. Her cheeks were the color of cherry blossoms and she had a warm smile on her face.

"I don't want to leave you anymore. I don't know when, but I want to be a real family one day. That's why I'm giving it to you. ”

I'm right by your side, and I've been living with you ever since—hearing Shino's roundabout confession, and the eyes widened with the person, but my heart immediately warmed.

That's it. I've decided that I want to spend the rest of my life with the loved ones in front of me. I will live with Shina, see and experience many things together, share happiness, have a lot of fun things, and overcome all difficulties and sorrows with Shina.

If Shiina's danger or threat were to come, I would risk my life to protect her.

Shino Asada in front of me is everything to me now. Unconsciously, Kazuto hugged the girl's body tightly again, so to speak, his whole body, and he embraced the girl's warmth with his own warmth.

"Thank you, Shino. I feel the same way. You are my everything. \"

Shino buried her face in Kazuto's body and didn't say anything, but when she finished talking to Kazuto, she nodded in response. And people noticed this, and hugged Shino tighter.

After communicating like this for a few minutes, Kazuto gently let go of Shino's body and looked at each other, but Shino immediately opened her lips and said softly:

"Let's get started, and people. \"

"Oh, please tell me."

Kazuto and Shino turned to the table, and Kazuto began to write down everything he remembered in his notebook. Of course, at the time, I kept thinking about those memories that I thought were Shino, but thanks to the brilliance of the silver bracelet that I could see every time I moved my right hand, I didn't feel any pain or confusion. in my head.

Draw the line of memory that the poem is talking about.

With Shino's help, I was able to write down what I remembered in my notebook. Some are clear, my memory, some are clear, are Shina's memory, whether it is Shina's memory, or my memory, there is not a trace of vague memory. I scribbled on it. My notebook. When I was done with everything, Shino used a highlighter to draw lines on the memories I had written.

Of course, that line was drawn by something that was clearly Shino's memory, but it was also drawn by what I thought was my memory, which was like encroaching on Shino's memory. However, I was surprised to see that it was progressing. Although I was serious, I listened to Shino's story while hiding, and firmly demarcated Shino's memory and my memory, turning it into something.

As I continued to do so, the boundaries within me that separated my memories and Shino's memories became clear and black, and when the work was over, I was able to achieve what I could accomplish on my own. Memories and poems become clear memories that never existed.

Until I did so, when I recalled Shino's memory, I found it difficult to tell whether it was Shino's memory or mine. When I finish this work, there is no more ambiguity in my head, no more confusion.

And that's not all. When I think of Shino's memories, sometimes when my mind is confused, I feel uncontrollable pain, but when I finish drawing this line, no matter how many Shino's memories I recall, I don't feel any pain. I was moved to tears as it was gone.

At the same time, I couldn't stop feeling grateful to Shiina, and while I thanked her many times, I realized once again that Shino was an irreplaceable person for me.

"Shino is really irreplaceable to me. "Someone who loves you more than anyone else and wants to protect you more than anyone else.

"Are you going to let go?"

"Will you hurt anyone?"

Shino and I will stay together until the end.

\"I will live with Shino until the end. \"

Shino is everything to me - I closed the notebook full of memories, carried Shino to the bed, and slept together.

So, the day after Shino checked into my house.

After eating breakfast at the table, Shino bowed deeply to me, Asan, and Naoba, and left. At that time, my mother said to me, "Welcome back." Shino happily agreed, and then left my house.