Shangzi’s parents have returned from the research institute.
After saying hello to the Ninohana couple whom they hadn't seen for a long time, Naruse returned home. After a while, Naoko also came here, rummaging through the refrigerator for the ingredients he needed.
"There is nothing at home."
"Why don't you prepare dinner at my house, and then ask your uncle and aunt to come over? The kitchen over there hasn't been used for a long time."
"It's okay." Shangzi said.
Naruse loosened his tie, "Then let me help."
"No need."
She finally looked away from the refrigerator, "I'm busy. When dinner is ready, I will come over and call Harumi."
Naruse looked at her for a while, then looked at the newly opened window, where the sunset was spreading across the horizon.
"Whatever you want."
From the moment she found out her parents were back, something was wrong with Shangzi.
There was a sense of being at a loss as a lot of things happened all at once and she couldn't cope with it.
Although she is still covering up.
"Shangzi."
"Yeah."
"Aren't uncle and aunt very busy? Why did they come back a day early?"
Shangzi's three-way interview is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. According to the original plan, the couple will not come back until tomorrow.
"He said he had taken the time to finish some of the work at the research institute, and then rushed back immediately... Mom and dad only got home half an hour earlier than Chunhai and I."
"What a rush."
"Well..."
In front of the refrigerator, Shangzi paused for a while, "In order to concentrate on the three-way interview the day after tomorrow."
"Really?"
The feeling given to Naruse by the Nakahana couple is still the same as it was many years ago. Although they are away from home most of the time, they are always very serious about Naoko's affairs.
"I'll go over first." Closing the refrigerator, Shangzi picked up the ingredients, "Chunhai..."
"Take your time, I'm not hungry yet."
She nodded and went home first.
Naruse returned to the room upstairs and found that his phone was flashing.
Light: Haixing and Yiye still didn’t agree.
"Did you really convince them?"
And as expected, those two people didn't agree either.
Naruse:Don’t force it.
After a while, Hikari Takigawa sent a reply.
Guang: I'll try again after Haixing passes the make-up exam.
"..."
Is that guy going to make up the exam again?
Naruse shook his head, and then thought of Morimi, who also failed the exam in a sense.
Naruse:Has Morimi gone to a private school?
When he and Shangzi came back, they didn't meet them at the bus stop.
Guang: It seems like this.
Naruse: Wait until she takes the first grade again and then invite her.
The other side.
Buzz——
In the classroom of Sasaki Study School, Morimi turned a deaf ear to the vibrations coming from his schoolbag until he solved the problem he was writing.
After untying it, she recalculated it again and made sure that the process and answers were correct before she put down the pen in her hand.
I looked up and saw that there were still four or five minutes before the end of the problem-solving time given by the teacher at the study school.
In the classroom, other students wearing different uniforms were still lowering their heads to answer questions. Morimi glanced around quietly, and his confidence suddenly wavered.
After checking again and putting down the pen, she remembered that she had received a message on her phone.
Hikari: Harumi said he would agree if Kazuha took the exam again and became the first in grade. Is that true?
"..."
That guy...
Morimi gritted his teeth.
"——Over there, have you finished the question?" The teacher on the podium noticed her little movement.
"Yes."
Morimi immediately put away his cell phone, and the teacher also walked down, apparently coming to check.
She lowered her head again and reviewed her answer for the third time.
......
At about six o'clock in the evening, Naoko came over and called Naruse, who was writing about his hiking experience, to go have dinner.
"I've written a lot. Are you almost done?"
"That's almost it, just missing the ending...'What a happy day!'"
It wasn't until he reached the stairs that Shang Zi smiled belatedly.
"A primary school student's diary."
Walking behind, Naruse stared at the small patch of skin exposed on the back of her neck, then glanced elsewhere.
"What's for dinner?"
"Well, there is Harumi's favorite..."
Arriving at Jihua's house, Jihua and his wife were sitting in the living room with a bunch of things on the table in front of them.
"Dad, Mom, let's eat first." Shangzi shouted.
"Ah, okay."
Hana Tetsuya tidied up a little, stood up and came over, but Hanasawako still had a document in his hand.
Naruse walked over and realized that it was Naoko's transcript.
The other things on the table are various reference books including college application guides.
The laptop was open, and on the screen was a half-finished form, with a mesh diagram underneath. Naruse took a quick glance and only saw that one of the branches was music, and next to it was painting.
What is this analysis?
"Harumi is here." Hanasawako also noticed him, put down the report card, "Let's eat first."
"Okay."
The two came to the restaurant and Hana Tetsu had already sat down.
"Mom." Shangzi pulled out the chair and waited aside.
"The dinner is really sumptuous, it looks delicious."
"Thank you."
Hanasawako went over to sit down, and just as Naoko was about to pull out a chair for Naruseya, he did it himself and sat next to Hanasa Tetsuya.
The meal for four people has been served, and Shangzi finally sat down.
"I'm starting."
Perhaps because her parents rarely come home, Shangzi prepared a much richer dinner than usual. The couple also praised their daughter's cooking. Shangzi responded with a smile, and the family looked happy.
It has been many years since Naruse has had a meal with this family, but after all, they are neighbors who have known each other for many years, so there will be no awkwardness at this time.
What's more, he has no intention of being embarrassed now.
"..."
Sensing the gaze directed at him, Naoko raised his eyes and looked at Naruse, who calmly picked up a piece of tamagoyaki and put it into his mouth, as if he had just glanced at it accidentally.
The rice bowl was bottomed out, and Hana Tetsu was about to serve the rice, but Shangzi suddenly put down the bowl and chopsticks and stood up.
"Dad, let me do it."
"Huh? No need, I'll do it myself..."
Shangzi has already taken the job from him.
After looking at his daughter who was going to serve the meal, Katotsu also sat down again.
"Naoko's cooking skills are getting better and better, and I want to have another bowl." Nakazawako said with a smile.
"Why are you so polite?"
"I will continue to study the three-way negotiation later. If you eat too much, it will affect your thinking."
"It doesn't matter." The husband smiled, "Eat one more bowl, Shangzi will be happy too."
"Okay."
Hanasawako stood up to serve the rice, and Naoko also came back here. Seeing this, he immediately quickened his pace. While handing the rice to his father, he held down his mother and took the rice bowl from her hand.
"I'll serve it."
Hanasawako didn't insist, "Okay, thank you for your hard work."
"No." Shangzi went to the kitchen again.
The couple looked at each other for no reason, smiling with hesitation.
Naruse saw it, said nothing, lowered his head and drank the miso soup.
"Mom." Shangzi came back quickly, put the rice in front of his mother, sat down and continued eating.
After a while, Naruse put down the bowl and chopsticks.
"I'm full."
Shangzi looked at him.
"Don't worry about me, just keep eating."
"Yeah."
Naruse came to the living room alone, picked up the information on the table and glanced at it casually, and it was difficult to look away.
What is displayed here are almost all the records Shangzi left in school from childhood to adulthood.
Study status, test scores, club activities, interpersonal interactions...
Looking at the table on the laptop screen again, he suddenly understood:
The couple seems to be planning to analyze all of Shangzi's past situations and analyze the most suitable life path for their daughter.
There is also a piece of paper next to it, with some handwritten questions on it. There are quite a few. It seems that they are preparing to ask about the content of being a teacher during the three-way interview.
Really attentive...
Naruse was inevitably a little envious, and took a deep breath to get rid of this emotion before it fermented further.
He put down the information in his hand.
The couple was very attentive to their daughter, and Shangzi lived up to this affection and took very good care of her parents when they came back.
Even a little too thoughtful.
It's so considerate that it doesn't seem like it comes from family affection, but it's a kind of politeness.
"What is this guy thinking about again..."
Naruse has a headache.
Whether before he came back or after living together, Shangzi rarely mentioned his parents, and he didn't realize this until today.
He knew that she occasionally thought too much about some things and liked to hide her thoughts. If she didn't talk about it, it would be difficult for him to guess her real thoughts.
What made him even more annoyed was that he himself had the same problem, even more serious.
But Shangzi can always figure it out.
Her silence and companionship are the silent choices she made after understanding everything about him.
Naruse was stunned for a while, but when he came back to his senses, both Nakahana and his wife had returned to the living room.
"Ah." He stood up and prepared to give up his position.
"It doesn't matter, Harumi, just sit here." Ka Tetsu also sat next to him, "You must be shocked."
Naruse glanced at the information on the table, smiled, and accepted it.
"Because when it comes to future choices, Naoko only said that she wants to go to Jinda University with Chunhai, and nothing else, so we can only use this method... It would be great if we can help her a little. After all, going to university is just the beginning.
What?"
"It will help her." Naruse looked at the form, "It looks very rigorous and comprehensive."
"I hope so." The couple looked at each other and smiled, then remembered one more thing.
"By the way, Shangzi said that Chunhai wanted to ask us for something, what was it?"
Looking at the pile of information on the table, Naruse was silent for a while and smiled.
"It's nothing. I'm just curious about my uncle's and aunt's work at the research institute, and I'd like to hear you guys talk about it."