Waking up by the alarm clock, Naruse opened his eyes instantly, and several thoughts flashed through his mind.
From breakfast to bus, to school and attendance, the last thought that flashed through him told him: winter vacation has begun, and he forgot to turn off the alarm clock last night.
"..."
Didi didi——
The alarm clock is still ringing.
He touched the alarm clock and checked the time before closing it, then fell back to sleep.
When I woke up again, it was already two hours later.
After staring at the ceiling in a daze for a while, Naruse turned over and looked out the window.
Covered by dark clouds and reflected in the white snow, it is dark and bright outside, making it difficult to tell the time.
The winter vacation has begun, and he can continue to lie down.
Because of this, Haixing, Hikaru Takigawa and Morimi not only stayed at his house for dinner last night, but also stayed until very late before going back. During this period, they had been discussing plans for a hot spring trip starting tomorrow.<
/p>
After it was over, several people together sent Morimi, who lived farthest away, back home.
After he got home, he tidied up a little and took a shower. It was almost two o'clock in the morning when he went to bed.
Before going to bed, he specifically told Naoko not to get up too early to prepare breakfast so that both of them could have a good sleep. However, he himself forgot to turn off the alarm clock...
After lying down for a while, his consciousness was fully awake, and Naruse got up.
He went downstairs to wash up. Hearing his movements, Shangzi, who had just woken up, also got up.
"Merry Christmas, Chunhai."
"Merry Christmas...I almost forgot that today is Christmas."
Naruse looked at her face and asked, "Have you slept enough? I can't even open my eyes."
"It's almost done at this point."
The two of them went back to their rooms, got the Christmas gifts prepared for each other, and exchanged them with each other.
"This year's Christmas gift was finally given to me by Chunhai himself."
"It will be like this in the future."
After exchanging gifts, Naruse went to prepare breakfast.
After breakfast, the two of them packed their luggage for the hot spring trip.
"You don't need to bring too much, just a change of clothes should be enough."
"Hmm. That's it for clothes."
"Do you want to bring anything else?"
"Toiletries and the like."
Naruse didn't have much toiletries to bring, so he quickly packed them up, while Naoko was still picking out the bottles and jars she bought herself or those given by Matsu Chiaki.
"You take your time and choose, I'll take out the trash."
"Ah, if Harumi wants to go out, help me go to the convenience store to buy something..."
Naruse responded and went out with the garbage bag. As soon as he reached the intersection, he saw Starfish pushing a bicycle.
"Ah."
Seeing him, she also quickened her pace slightly and pushed the cart in front of him.
"Good morning."
Naruse looked at the snowy sky, then at the almost full wine box in the back seat, "Are you going to deliver wine?"
"Yeah."
Haixing nodded, raised his hand and pushed up his black-rimmed glasses.
When she is working part-time or helping in her own store, she usually doesn't dress up much and doesn't wear contact lenses. She always goes out with her current pair of black-rimmed glasses and a green coarse cloth apron.
"Where are you sending it to?" Naruse asked.
"That side of Toriino." Haixing said.
"...such a far away place."
From Aoliu to Toriino, it is almost two or three kilometers away.
He lowered his head and glanced at the front wheel of the bicycle. White snow filled the grooves of the wheel, "Push all the way through?"
"There is snow on the road, so we can't ride."
Haixing puffed up his mouth and gestured to the wine in the box on the back seat.
"It would be terrible if it falls...and it's so heavy that it's impossible to carry it by myself. I have to push the cart."
"Then you should be able to earn a lot of money for this trip."
Otherwise, she wouldn’t agree.
Haixing nodded and smiled again, "It's not that much."
"Then go ahead." Naruse didn't want to delay her making money, after all, she was now "heavy in debt."
Haixing nodded, hesitated a little, and looked at him.
"That...Merry Christmas."
Naruse smiled.
"Well, Merry Christmas."
A blessing, nothing more. Neither of them prepared Christmas gifts for each other alone.
After saying goodbye to Haixing, Naruse threw away the trash and walked to the convenience store.
"Ah..."
However, after taking a few steps, he heard her scream quietly from behind.
Looking back, she was trying to hold on to the car that was tilted to the side. However, the wine box in the back seat was too heavy, and she was almost knocked over.
Naruse hurried back, helped up the bicycle, and also supported her.
"There is a snowdrift..."
The starfish kicked the ground and snowflakes flew everywhere.
Naruse held the bicycle and looked at the long road ahead.
Anyway, his luggage has been packed and he has nothing to do this morning...
"Give me the address and I'll send it there for you. You can go to the convenience store to buy something for me and deliver it to my house and give it to Shangzi."
Starfish was stunned, "Eh..."
"The errand fees are still yours."
She looked at him and said, "Is that okay?"
"You can't do it any longer."
She agreed immediately.
"Just think of it as a Christmas gift." Naruse said again.
Starfish smiled and nodded.
"Well...thank you."
Taking the money, Haixing ran to the convenience store, and Naruse pushed the bicycle towards the delivery address she gave her.
Along the way, he paid attention to the road conditions to avoid accidents.
He also tried riding, but the snow on the ground was really deep, and he was scared to move forward. After almost falling, he got down and pushed the bike.
"It's been a long time since I've been here."
Leaving the county road, the number of buildings on both sides of the road is visibly reduced.
Looking around, he was surrounded by vast tracts of snow-covered farmland, and he was the only one among them.
Further ahead, there is another river, the Kitaki River, that flows down from Iwaki Mountain and passes through the Aoyanagi area.
Toriino is on the other side of the Kitamaki River, a little far away. He used to go there often to do evil, but in the six months since he came back from Tokyo, he has almost never been to this area.
It was snowy and there was no one on the road. After about ten minutes of this, Naruse suddenly heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming from behind.
When I looked back, I saw that it was a starfish running towards me.
"Starfish..."
He stopped, and she finally caught up with him. She lay on the wine box panting, unable to speak for a long time, and then squatted down again.
"Well...it feels so uncomfortable..."
Naruse was a little helpless, holding the car with one hand and patting her back gently.
"What are you doing here?"
She held her stomach and spoke after a while: "I'll go with you..."
Naruse shook his head, said nothing, and stood aside waiting.
Starfish squatted for a while and finally recovered from the discomfort of running all the time.
"How's it going?"
"It's okay..."
She held his hand and stood up, then quickly let go, "Let's go."
It was Naruse who pushed the car, and Haixing followed behind, symbolically holding on to the wine box in the back seat.
"Have you bought anything?"
"Well, I have already sent it to Shangzi."
He looked back at the white snow on her knees, "Did you fall on the road?"
"I fell a little bit...but I don't feel anything, it doesn't matter."
No one could be seen on the road. On the endless snowfield, two lines of footprints and a rut gradually lengthened.
"Have you packed your luggage for tomorrow?"
"I cleaned it up in the morning."
Naruse tilted his head slightly, "What did Mr. Seiichiro say?"
Haixing looked at him, "'Go'...that's what dad said."
Naruse smiled.
After pushing for a while, a crack appeared in the middle of the vast snowfield that could not be completely covered by the snow.
Arrive at Beimuchuan.
Continuing along the path, there is a bridge crossing the river. The bridge deck is covered with snow, and the guardrail has been smeared until only a little bit of its shape is left.
When they reached the bridge, Naruse tried to park the car, but found that he couldn't stand at all. He could only push the car to the guardrail and look along the river.
Watching him stand silently for a while, Haixing also lowered his head and looked at the river bed.
The sides are covered with snow, and black stones are exposed in the middle.
"Is there anything in the river?"
"Nothing...it's just a river."
Naruse shook his head, but still did not take his eyes away from the river.
Haixing thought of the past: "You really like the river."
Naruse smiled and said, "I used to think that when I stayed by the river, my mood would become calmer. Now I'm more used to it... Let's go."
He pushed the cart and continued forward. Haixing looked at him and quickly followed.
"When I was in Tokyo, I lived by the river for a while, on the edge of the Sumida River." Naruse said.
"Really?"
"It's the kind of riverside where you can see the boats on the river when you open the window, and you can jump into the river. The perfect riverside."
Haixing looked at him and imagined his life when he lived by the river, "Then you must be very happy."
Naruse was silent for a few seconds and smiled.
"Probably."
After crossing the bridge, you will find the Torino area.
The wine was going to be delivered to a restaurant in Toriino. Naruse's sharp eyes quickly noticed the sign of that restaurant.
"That's where the "Torii Wild Taste" mentioned by Starfish is, right?"
"Ah... um."
Arriving in front of the store, Haixing stepped forward to hold the car while Naruse unloaded the entire box of wine and then moved it into the store.
When Haixing parked the car and entered, he was already collecting money.
"Are these?"
She took the money and counted it, "Yes."
The owner was a regular customer of Zhenmu Hotel, and he also knew Haixing, so he took her and chatted with her for a few words.
Naruse took the empty wine box from another clerk and went outside first.
"Haixing's boyfriend?"
"...No."
"Hmm~ You have to work harder."
Haixing looked at Naruse who was fixing the wine box on the back seat of the bicycle.
"Come on, what are you doing..."
When Haixing came out and went back, Naruse noticed that she seemed a little depressed.
He pushed the cart ahead and looked back at her, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Haixing quickened his pace slightly, "I'll push it myself."
The wine box had been emptied and the car was not that heavy anymore, so Naruse did not refuse.
Still seeing no one else on the road, the two of them walked back along the way they came. On the other side of the road were the footprints and ruts they left behind.
The wilderness is quiet, and the only sounds that can be heard are the sound of chains as the bicycles move forward, and the crunch of each other's footsteps on the snow.
The two of them suddenly had nothing to talk about.
Haixing pushed the car for a while and looked back.
Naruse looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, his mind completely absent from what was in front of him and below his feet.
She turned back again.
After spending some time and returning to the familiar county road, Naruse followed Haixing until he came to Morimi Furu Honten.
"Are you going to continue delivering wine when you get home?"
"Well... there is another one that's a little closer, right over at Soya Hospital."
Sotani Hospital is an internal medicine and orthopedic hospital next to the prefectural road. It is nearby, and the kindergarten they used to attend is also there.
"Be careful on the road." Naruse looked at her and said, obviously not planning to follow her anymore.
"...Oh."
Watching Haixing push the bicycle back to Maki Hotel, Naruse turned around and walked into the bookstore.
Morimi was sitting at the counter and had seen him a long time ago.
"Naruse and Haixing went to deliver drinks together?"
"Can you see all this?"
She pushed up her glasses and said, "Intuition."
"It's terrible." Naruse muttered, turned around and walked into the bookshelf.
"I'm going on a trip tomorrow, do you still have time to read?" Morimi also stood up and walked out of the counter, stopping beside him.
"Of course I have time."
Naruse glanced at the spines filled with bookshelves, "I can read for a while in the afternoon... I have a lot of time in the evening. I will go to Yamagata tomorrow and have a lot of time on the road."
"Are you still planning to take your book with you when you go out?"
"No way."
Morimi snorted softly, "You really have a leisurely mind."
"It's winter vacation."
"Whatever you want."
She didn't say anything more, didn't go back to the counter, and just stood in front of the bookshelf.
Naruse took the book down, opened it and looked at it, "Have your luggage been packed?"
"Except for a few changes of clothes, there's nothing to pack," Morimi said.
"This new book seems to be okay."
"I haven't read it yet. If you want to take it out, you can lend it to me after you finish reading it."
Naruse turned to look at her, "Can you give me money?"
"What do you think."
"This is a new book."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
"So thank you very much for your business."
Naruse shook his head and finally picked two new books. When he went to the counter to check out, Morimi glanced at his new wallet.
"After all, today is Christmas."
"Well, Merry Christmas."
"Don't you have a gift?"
"Give it to you."
Naruse changed hands and handed one of the new books back to her, and solemnly confessed:
"Be sure to bring it with you tomorrow."
"..."
She looked at him for a while and then accepted it.
"Thank you, I'll accept it."
"Didn't you return the favor?"
"On the bookshelf on the right behind you, in the fourth row from top to bottom, there is a very exciting adventure-themed novel, enough for you to pass the time for a day or two."
Naruse looked back and found the unattractive novel. He opened it and looked at the opening content. It was indeed much more attractive than the cover and title.
Drop——
Morimi took the book, scanned it, and handed it to him.
"How much?" Naruse took out his wallet again and prepared to count the change.
"Four hundred yen." She said, then took out her wallet and took out a five hundred yen coin. "I told you it was a gift."
"I thought Morimi's gift only included recommendations."
"I'm not that stingy."
Naruse smiled, put away her gift, chatted for a few more words and then went back.
After watching him leave, Morimi picked up the unopened new book and stared at the cover for a while, lost in thought.
"One leaf."
Morimiki came out from behind, "Leave this to me. I'm going on a trip tomorrow. Remember to pack your things early when you get back."
"Everything is packed away." Even so, Kazuyo still gave way to the counter and did not forget to pick up the book.
Mori Jianshu glanced casually.
"This book has already been paid for." Kazuye said.
Morimiki was a little surprised, "If you want to see it, just write it down in the account book."
She smiled.
"It's the money paid by Chunhai."
It has been cloudy during the day, with occasional snowfall.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon, Hikaru Takigawa came out of his home and was going to the convenience store across the street.
Before she got there, she saw two familiar figures standing at the bus stop in the distance.
"Naoko and Harumi...are you going out?"
She was about to go over and say hello, but when she turned around, she saw a bus speeding towards her from the other end of the county road.
"Ah, the car is here..."
She quickly crossed the street and stood outside the convenience store, watching the bus stop and the two of them get on.
Do you want to go to the city to buy something?
The bus started, and Hikaru Takigawa walked into the convenience store.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing Naruse's gaze, Naoko also looked back.
"I seem to have seen light."
"Where..."
"Went to the convenience store." Naruse quickly turned back.
Shangzi glanced again and turned around.
At this time in the afternoon, apart from the driver, they were the only two people in the car.
"It's so deserted."
"Yeah."
"That restaurant won't close."
"No, it's Christmas after all...and I also called in advance to make a reservation for Christmas dinner."