At around 12 o'clock in the afternoon, Takigawa Yue came to Naruse's house, sent birthday wishes to Haixing, and inquired about the things she cared about most.
"Um, hasn't Miss Song come back yet?"
"Not yet. She just sent a message saying that she just got on the Shinkansen." Naruse said.
"Okay."
Because there were other things at home, the Takigawa sisters stayed for a while and then left first.
Morimi doesn’t plan to stay long.
"Sorry..."
Starfish looked at her slightly haggard face, feeling guilty and guilty, "It's all because of me that Yiye didn't sleep, okay?"
Morijian looked at her for a while and suddenly smiled.
"Starfish is so capable of turning over. Fortunately, after I fell asleep, I couldn't feel any movement from you."
Haixing felt relieved and apologized again.
"Okay, today is your birthday, be happy."
"Hmm...hmm!"
Looking at Naruse standing aside again, Morimi turned around and went home.
"Say hello to Miss Song for me."
"Yeah."
After seeing Morimi off, Naruse returned to the living room and cleaned up the party mess on the table with Naoko.
Haixing looked aside for a while, then pointed to the balloons on the wall and the colorful ribbons above his head, "Do these things also need to be removed?"
"No rush." Naruse shook his head, "My mother said to keep it for now, and she'll come back and take a look."
Starfish nodded.
As for what happened last night, the two of them remained silent in a tacit agreement.
After cleaning up the table, Naruse looked at the remaining half of the birthday cake and cut a small piece for himself, Naoko and Haixing.
"Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"Where can I find coffee at home..."
"I can go to a convenience store to buy it."
"No need."
After eating a few bites of cake, Shangzi looked at the time and went back to the house next door to tidy up - even though it had been tidied up before.
"No need to help... I'll just clean up a little bit." She said before leaving.
Naruse did not continue to stay in the living room and came to the yard.
The snowman I made last night has become a little fat and out of shape after being beaten in the wind and snow all night.
"Take it."
He took off his gloves and let the starfish that followed him take them, and then started slapping the snowman.
Shangzi took a look and then returned to the room.
"Will the store be busy today?" Naruse suddenly asked.
Haixing was startled and quickly replied: "I will be busy in the morning, but I will stop taking orders in the afternoon because I have to be busy with things at home...ah."
She suddenly remembered that she "ran away from home" in the middle of the night and had not even said hello to her father.
"Don't worry." Naruse glanced at her and put a ball of snow on the snowman's chest. "I left a message for Mr. Seiichiro last night, and he responded to me this morning."
"Oh..." Haixing felt relieved.
After turning around in a circle, he patted the snow around the snowman solidly again and shook off the snow that fell on the ribbon. Naruse's hands were already red from the cold.
After rubbing his hands, he took two steps back, took out his mobile phone and took a photo.
Click!
When there is enough light during the day, the results will be better.
Haixing glanced aside and then stood over.
After staring at the screen for a while, Naruse zoomed in and out on her face.
"..."
He pursed his lower lip.
The eyes are indeed a little red...
Seeing that he had been holding up his mobile phone and not taking pictures for a long time, Haixing stood on the other side and touched his hair again, feeling a little at a loss.
"Don't be so grim."
"Ah, oh."
She tried to make her expression more relaxed.
Click!
After taking a few photos and sending them to Haixing's mobile phone, Naruse turned his eyes and looked at the white car slowly approaching the intersection.
The car stopped outside the yard and the window rolled down, revealing a middle-aged woman in the passenger seat.
"Spring Sea."
"Aunt Sawako, you are back."
Hanasawako got out of the car, smiled at him, and then looked at the girl standing next to the snowman.
"Hmm... starfish? Long time no see."
"Long time no see, Auntie Hua..."
The Nakahana couple have only been at home for a few days a year, and Haixing is completely unfamiliar with them. He timidly greeted them, and then subconsciously stood next to Naruse.
"It's indeed a starfish." Seeing her reaction, Hanasawako said something incomprehensible.
Haixing lowered his head slightly and responded with a smile that only appeared when he didn't know what to say.
Hana Tetsu also drove the car into his garage, and Naoko also came out of the house to greet her parents who came home.
"Dad, Mom."
She smiled and said, "Welcome back."
After her parents came home, Shangzi stayed at home.
Naruse and Haixing went over to say hello, and after a while, they returned home.
At around three o'clock in the afternoon, Song Qianqiu, carrying large and small bags, finally came back.
"I'm so exhausted..."
After taking off the luggage from the trunk and watching the taxi turn around and leave, Naruse asked: "Didn't Ms. Sato come back with you?"
"She also wants to go back to her hometown to celebrate the New Year."
"When we were in Tokyo, didn't Miss Sato stay every year?"
"I'm back this year, and there are no other arrangements at the office, so Yoko will go back."
Song Qianqiu took off her sunglasses and mask, revealing her true face.
"I'm so suffocated... The driver of the taxi just now was a fan of mine and said my voice sounded like Matsu Chiaki."
"If you sign his name, the fare from Aomori will be waived," Naruse said.
"Well, maybe...but I don't want to bother you."
Untying the shackles of the disguise, she stretched out a long way, then hugged her precious stepdaughter who was standing beside her, "Happy birthday, Starfish!"
"Thank you..."
Deeply trapped in the warm embrace, feeling the throbbing brought by another kind of hug, Haixing couldn't help but hug her tightly.
"Harumi has prepared a party for Haixing...Are you happy?"
"Yeah!"
"That's good." Song Qianqiu smiled slightly and looked inside the house again, "Where is Shangzi?"
"At home." Naruse motioned her to look at the neighbor's house on the other side, "Shangzi's parents also just came back in the afternoon."
"Really?" Song Qianqiu looked at the neighbor's house, "Then I'll go over and say hello later. Let's go in first."
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Letting go of Haixing, she pulled her into the house. Naruse stared at the sky from behind, and could only drag the large and small bags in by himself.
"Why did you bring so many things back..."
Song Qianqiu motioned him to bring one of the paper bags over, "I picked out a set of clothes for Haixing, let's try it out to see if it fits."
"Ah, good..."
The two went to the room to change clothes. Naruse sat on the sofa and looked through the remaining things. Except for her own clothes, the rest seemed to be gifts.
After a while, Song Qianqiu opened the door to the room, walked out, and then turned back to wave inside.
"Come out and let Chunhai see it too."
Only then did Haixing come out with her skirt in hand.
"..."
Naruse subconsciously held his breath.
What she wears is a long black dress, sleeveless on both shoulders, hung by shoulder straps, with long-sleeved gloves on her hands and a white veil.
The waist is tied up, and the skirt underneath reaches to the ankles. Half of it is black and the other part is transparent gauze.
She took two steps forward, her long golden hair draped over one shoulder, making it difficult to look away.
The only thing that makes people feel incongruous is probably the cautious expression on her face at this time.
Well, I can’t hold my chest up at all...
Naruse stared unconsciously for a while before remembering to look away and asked, "Evening dress?"
"Hmm. How about it? It's very suitable for starfish, right?" Song Qianqiu said.
"Well, it's quite suitable." He couldn't deny it.
The corners of Haixing's mouth raised, and he slowly let go of the skirt in his hands.
"As soon as I saw this evening dress, I was looking forward to how Starfish would look in it, so I bought it."
Song Qianqiu held her arm and said, "If there is a dance or party at school, you can wear this dress."
"Yeah." Haixing nodded.
"There are also some matching decorations...Chunhai, bring that blue bag."
Inside were several red and black ribbons and a small top hat, all of which were put on Haixing, and her temperament also underwent a subtle change.
"Ah, there's this."
Matsu Qianqiu returned to the sofa to look for it, took out a necklace from the bag and handed it to Naruse.