After returning from Kyoto, Haixing thought that he had given up on certain ideas, and everything he saw and heard after that reinforced this obsession that was half forced and half helpless.
But in the early morning of her birthday, when she was alone with him and given the right to make a wish, she still couldn't help but want to be willful.
"Just once, it'll be fine in a little while...is that okay?"
She held his wrist and loosened it a little, not wanting the force she had unintentionally exerted to be misunderstood by him as force.
With a slight lift, his wrist broke free from her hand.
"..."
The heart of the starfish also became empty and fell straight down.
And he didn't leave.
"That's it?" Naruse turned around and looked at the girl who suddenly raised her head.
Haixing was startled for a moment, then nodded immediately.
"No problem." He looked at her, "It's just a hug and it's over."
"..."
She pursed her lower lip, understanding the meaning of his deliberate emphasis.
"It's just a hug and it'll be over..." Haixing repeated.
Naruse didn't say much, but took a step forward, opened his arms, and hugged her.
"..."
She trembled, her body was tense, soft and stiff.
Naruse sighed silently.
"Happy birthday."
She lowered her head and slowly and tentatively put her head against his chest.
"Well...thank you."
"Is it okay?"
He just relaxed slightly, and she immediately hugged him tightly, "Wait a minute!... It's not time yet..."
"Isn't it just a little while?"
"..."
She hugged him and pressed her hands on his thick back. She wanted to use force, but she was a little uneasy, fearing that he would suddenly break away.
"A little while...means one minute."
"That's one minute." Naruse didn't bother with her in this short time, "I'm already sleepy."
Haixing didn't expect that he would agree so easily, and immediately regretted not spending more time talking.
But she didn't dare to push her too far. A little greed might make her lose the minute she had fought for...
"Take it easy."
Seeing that she was tense all the time, Naruse couldn't help but say.
"Oh..."
Haixing responded and tried to relax his stiff body.
He hugged her tightly again.
She closed her eyes, her body tensed up again unconsciously, and then slowly relaxed.
Feeling her change, Naruse breathed silently.
A burst of fragrance penetrated her nostrils, a smell unique to her. She has been using the hair care products given by Matsu Qianqiu.
Through the not-so-thick pajamas, the warmth of her face came from her chest, as well as the hot and moist breaths coming one after another.
She became softer, and he hugged her slightly tighter, and she responded immediately.
Coincidentally, both of them remained silent.
The past suddenly appeared in each other's minds without permission.
["Why do you always follow me?"]
【"I like Chunhai!"]
……
【"I like starfish."】
【"..."】
……
["Like is fake, I have lied to you before."]
【"...I've known it for a long time."]
……
Breaking free from memories and pushing away the past, Naruse closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he came back to his senses, a minute had already passed when he let her go.
"It's time, it's time to sleep."
Starfish also slowly let go and nodded.
"Thank you."
"My mother should be back tomorrow... this afternoon. You can go home later. She should have brought you a gift."
She responded and nodded again, "Okay."
"..."
She was so calm that he was a little uneasy.
After looking at her again, Naruse took half a step back, and then their bodies, which were so close to each other, separated completely.
He turned on his mobile phone and pointed it at the ground, "Go back to the room."
"Yeah."
She walked in front and he followed behind until he sent her back to the room.
He stopped at the door and said, "Good night."
"Good night."
Snap, Haixing closed the door and listened to his footsteps getting further and further away. Until he could no longer hear them, he turned back to the bed and sat down.
"Woo..."
She bit her lip tightly and kept wiping the tears that overflowed from her left and right eyes.
"Chunhai..."
Listening to the suppressed sobs behind him, Morimi pursed his lips and slowly closed his tired and heavy eyes.
When Naruse woke up, it was already noon.
After checking the time, he put down his phone and stared at the ceiling for a while.
"..."
All night long, my dreams were filled with starfish.
Laughter and tears coexist, and they are always close and separated. The final scene is her holding his wrist tightly behind her, telling him not to go to Tokyo.
The dream was so real that when he woke up from his sleep, he couldn't even tell if this was what actually happened when he left four years ago.
Gu——
Hungry in his belly interrupted his daydreams.
After getting out of bed, Naruse came downstairs. The living room remained the same as it was at the end of the party. None of the girls seemed to have gotten up.
He paused at the door of the guest room, then quickly walked over and knocked gently on the bedroom door.
Shangzi's response came from inside, "Chunhai?"
"Well, can you open the door?"
"Okay."
He opened the door, Naoko was leaning on the head of the bed, and Takigawa Hikaru was huddled in the bed, with his hand still on her chest.
She smiled slightly and said, "Good morning."
"It's already twelve o'clock."
"I just woke up..."
"Me too." Naruse glanced at the bulging quilt next to her, "Is Hikaru still asleep?"
"I woke up just now and fell asleep again." Shangzi said.
He nodded and closed the door again, "I'm going to wash up and prepare something to eat."
Shangzi's voice floated out, "I'll get up too."
Halfway through washing, she came over in her pajamas.
The two looked at each other in the mirror, smiling one after another.
"Just have the leftovers from the party for lunch, otherwise you'll have to save them for next year."
"I ate those things as soon as I got up. It's a little greasy..."
"Then let's make another vegetable salad."
"Okay."
After washing his face, Naruse waited for Naoko for a while, "I'm going to prepare food. Check to see if Mori and the others are awake."
"Okay."
Arriving at the door of the guest room, Shangzi knocked gently.
"Come in." Morimi's voice came from inside.
She opened the door and saw Mori sitting on the bedside, looking over with a tired face.
"Ichiye... didn't you sleep well?"
"Absolutely. I'm a light sleeper and I wake up when there is any movement."
She glanced at the starfish on the pillow next to her and said, "I'm almost having a nervous breakdown."
"Would you like to sleep a little longer?"
"You are all up. I can't sleep even if I want to. Let's talk about it when we go home."
"Okay. Harumi is preparing food."
"What to eat?"
"Party food..."
Morimi frowned, "Isn't it too greasy?"
Shangzi smiled and said, "And salad."
She nodded and said nothing more.
Shangzi did not disturb him any further, closed the door and left.
Glancing at the starfish next to him again, Mori saw her body slipping down and reached out to touch her cheek.
"I cried so hard last night, but now I sleep so peacefully..."