For most first-year and second-year students, the third semester is short and fast, and apart from the headache of the annual exams during the school year, there is not much worth remembering.
Especially after the common exam ended, fewer third-year students came to school. Time seemed to flow faster in the empty campus, and it was already more than February in the blink of an eye.
It’s another weekend.
"Next week is the annual exam..."
Morimi looked up at Naruse outside the counter, "Are you really not prepared at all?"
"Who said that? I'm already preparing."
She glanced sideways at the few books on the counter, "Is this what you're preparing for?"
Naruse smiled and said, "This is for relaxing after studying."
"At this time, there is no such thing as leisure time to relax."
"That's it, you haven't come here today yet." He already knew that the bookstore was not a place for her to study.
"Didn't you notice?"
Naruse was startled, "What?"
"My parents are not at home," Morimi said, "I have been the only one in the store these two days."
"Mr. Morimi and the others have gone on a long trip?"
"Well, a distant relative passed away." She packed the books and gave them to him. "Because I wasn't too familiar with him, I didn't go there and stayed at home to look after the store."
"My condolences."
"I told you I'm not familiar with it."
Naruse glanced at the counter and found that she was not studying, but reading an idle book.
It was spread out and turned upside down. Even with a casual glance, he couldn't see clearly the contents.
"What book?"
""Discover your hobby"."
"...What?"
She directly picked up the book and showed him the cover. The title of the book was exactly what she said.
"I saw it when I was organizing the bookshelf this morning, so I took it down and looked at it."
Morimi put down the book and closed it, "Only now do I realize that everything written in it is nonsense."
Naruse smiled and said, "Isn't your hobby already very clear?"
She looked over, "What is it?"
"Study and read."
"What else?"
"Well...eating, sleeping, etc."
"..."
She rolled her eyes, then stood up, walked around the counter, and put the book back on the shelf.
"I have no cover for myself, and it's hard for me to see myself clearly, let alone others."
Naruse followed her eyes, not understanding her sudden emotion.
Mori looked over and said, "I'm talking about your ex-girlfriend."
"..."
"I want to find a hobby for Haixing that I can stick to, so that she can divert her attention from you, and it will also allow me to settle down and focus on my studies - I can't control the things between you, but I
I will try my best to do what I can."
Naruse looked aside and sighed, "What ex-girlfriend?"
"You said it yourself."
"I never said that."
"You said you had a relationship before, so you don't count your ex-girlfriend."
"What I said is...forget it."
Naruse understood that she called her this on purpose, "You can discover it slowly, I'm going back."
"I will stay here at the bookstore these two days." Morimi added.
He stopped and asked, "What do you mean?"
"The starfish will also come to accompany me at night."
She pointed to the inside of the bookstore, "By the way, let me help her study and prepare for the next annual exam."
"Isn't this great?"
"I mean are you coming?"
"How about a study session? I still have Shangzi to tutor."
"In the last exam, Shangzi was already ranked 21st in grade. Do you want to train her to be in the top 10 in grade?" Morimi couldn't help but ask.
"You remember so clearly..."
Naruse looked at her and said, "Maybe, Naoko actually has great potential in learning."
She opened her mouth, wanted to say something, and then swallowed it.
"Ah, really."
"But it's not impossible to hold a study meeting." Naruse continued, "Hikaru has been out of shape recently. If we want to hold a study meeting, it's best to bring her over."
"Because Sister Yue is leaving soon...that sister is controlling."
"Hello."
"I know. I will contact Guang."
Morimi suddenly lost interest in continuing the conversation, "Why don't you go back?"
Naruse looked at her, said nothing, took the book and went home.
And not long after he left, Haixing came over after delivering the wine.
"One leaf."
"Starfish." She had already adjusted her mood, "Do you want to start now?"
"Well, is it convenient..."
Mori smiled and said, "There are no guests now, so it's not inconvenient. I just didn't expect Haixing to be so active."
"Because it's an annual exam."
Haixing sighed, "I failed too many times in the first two semesters. If I don't do well this time, I might have to repeat the grade."
"Wouldn't it be great if we had this kind of awareness a long time ago?"
"Didn't Kazuha say it's not too late to wake up now..."
"Okay, I'm sorry. You're right."
She didn't bother to expose the fact that she hadn't woken up at all, and pointed to the inside of the counter.
"Just study here during the day, I have to take care of the store."
"Yeah, okay."
Just like last time, Morimi tutored Haixing according to the order of exam subjects.
"By the way, I'm going to ask Naruse and the others to come over for a study session tonight."
"Eh... Is it the same as last time? Okay."
"After all, Hikaru has been a bit dangerous lately."
"Well...it's because of Sister Yue."
Morimi glanced at the questions he was going to ask her to do, thought about it, and decided to finish the gossip before starting.
"In the past two weeks, I haven't gone out to play with starfish much."
"Yeah."
"So, has Haixing thought about what I said last time?"
She looked blankly, "What..."
Morimi sighed, "It's just about discovering a new hobby."
Starfish was startled for a moment and lowered his gaze.
"I haven't thought about it yet."
"So whenever you have free time these days, you work in the store?"
"Well... after all, money is the most real thing."
"..."
Helping in the store when she has nothing to do at least shows that she can endure boredom, so Morimi thinks of the good.
"Okay, let's talk about this later. Take a look at these questions first."
"So... so difficult!"
After dinner in the evening, Naruse and Naoko went out together and came to Morimi Furu Honten.
Hikaru Takigawa has arrived.
"You are here too."
"I thought Hikari would come to my house first, so I waited for a while," Naruse said.
She was startled.
"...I forgot."
He shook his head, "It's okay, I'm not going to go so far away from Morimi's house anyway."
"——My home is not that far away yet."
Morimi poked his head out and looked at them, then walked out, "You guys start first, I'll watch from the store."
"Let me be responsible for the three of them alone."
She looked at him and glanced at Shangzi next to her. She wanted to say that Shangzi was no longer the one who needed counseling, but she still didn't speak.
"Then let the starfish or light stay outside. We can close the door at around eight o'clock, and then go in again."
"I'll stay." Hikari Takigawa said.
So she stayed outside, while Naruse and Shoko went to the living room inside, but Haixing had already come over early.
"You are here."
She looked at the two of them and quickly looked away.
"Good evening."
There were books and notes on the table. Naruse sat across from her, and Naoko followed suit.
"Just do it like the last study meeting." Naruse tapped his hand on the table, "Do the questions first, and ask me if you have any questions."