After getting off the taxi and returning home, Monk Naruse lay on the sofa for a while without moving.
After the couple came back briefly and then left, their lives returned to what they were before.
"Fortunately, I don't have to wash the dishes."
"Well..."
"I don't want to move."
"Yeah." Shangzi responded, but he sat up with support, then got up and left the sofa.
Naruse turned to look at her as she left the living room and headed toward the bathroom.
After a while, she came back and sat down again.
"The hot water is on, Chunhai will wash it off later."
"Okay."
After lying down for a while, it was estimated that the hot water was almost gone, so Naruse got up and went to take a shower.
The night was getting colder, so while enjoying the hot water, Naruse didn't want to leave until Naoko knocked on the door.
"Chunhai, are you asleep?"
"No."
When Naoko also came out of the shower and returned to the living room, he was holding the torn book that Mitsuki of the News Agency had commissioned to be restored, and was observing it carefully.
"It should be able to stick with glue...but it seems to affect page turning. This kind of reference book should be turned over quite frequently."
Naoko sat down next to him, "It's better to ask Mr. Morimi. His shop used to help people restore old books."
"Well, that's what I planned too. Let's talk about it tomorrow." Naruse put the book away.
"Hmm."
She wiped her hair, suddenly lowered her head, and moved closer.
"Does your hair still smell like barbecue?"
Naruse lowered his head and smelled it. Only a faint fragrance was left on his dark and moist hair.
"No more."
"That's good."
Shangzi raised his head and smiled, then knelt on one knee on the sofa, leaned close to his head, and sniffed gently.
"Well, Harumi's hair doesn't smell like barbecue anymore."
"..."
The pajamas were held up high and close to his eyes. The full weight gave off an amazing sense of oppression. Naruse didn't hear what Naoko was saying at all.
She quickly sat down, grabbed the towel on her shoulders, and continued to wipe her hair.
Naruse looked at the TV.
It doesn’t seem so cold at night.
......
The next day, weekend morning.
There was no need to get up early, so Naruse slept for a while before getting up.
When I went downstairs, Shangzi had just come back from home, looking sleepy.
"My eyes are almost closed."
"Well..."
"I'll prepare breakfast."
"Then I'll help."
Naruse knew that his cooking skills were not as good as Naoko's, but he was just preparing breakfast, so the difference was nothing.
"There are some fish pieces in the refrigerator."
"Yeah."
"Then let's make pan-fried fish cubes for breakfast, and then..."
After breakfast, Naruse returned to the room, saw the schoolbag on the table, and remembered that there was one more thing to deal with.
"I'm going to the bookstore." He took the torn book and was about to go out.
"Don't force it if you can't repair it well." Shangzi said.
"It won't be a big problem."
Arriving at Morimi Bookstore, today’s business has just begun, and Morimi Shu is a little busy.
Naruse first went to browse among the bookshelves, and when he was free, he went to find him with the old book and the novel he just picked.
"Chunhai came so early today, why don't you get some more sleep on the weekend?"
"Get up as soon as you wake up." Naruse smiled.
In fact, as the weather gradually became colder, if it weren't for each other, he and Shangzi would be willing to give up breakfast and stay in bed for an extra half day.
I settled the novel first, then the shabby book.
"Huh? In our store..."
"No, I brought this book here." Naruse pointed to the damaged area, "A friend from school asked me to do it. Mr. Morimi, can you help me repair it?"
"Let me take a look." Morimiki picked up the book, flipped through it, and quickly put it down.
"The problem is not big, but I can't help Chunhai repair it now because the tools are not here. Or you can leave the book here and come back to pick it up in a few days?"
Naruse was stunned for a moment, "Isn't the store no longer in the business of repairing old books?"
"Yes. In fact, there weren't many people who came to repair books in the past. In recent years, they have almost disappeared. When I sorted it out last time, I asked Kazuye to take all the repair tools to the old house."
Morimiki thought for a while, "If Harumi is free, he can go there now. Kazuyo can help you solve this small problem."
Naruse thought about it and agreed.
"Kazuye should have gotten up by now."
"Haha, that kid won't sleep in."
After coming out of the bookstore, Naruse looked around, then turned and walked towards Morimi's house.
Passing by the Maki Hotel, the store below was already open, but I didn't see Seiichiro Maki, and the windows facing the street on the second floor were still closed.
Most of the starfish are still sleeping in.
"What time is it."
Naruse muttered and didn't stop.
Turning at the next intersection, there was still no one on the road.
The sun is rising high, and the frost condensed in the fields on both sides has gradually melted.
The wild grasses are either withered and yellow, or turning into deep green, and the autumn mood is getting stronger.
As she kept walking, the old black house gradually became clearer and magnified in her eyes. When Naruse thought of sending a message to Morimi, the person had already arrived at her door.
"You should have gotten up already."
He took a few steps back and looked at the window on the second floor.
"Morimi——"
Naruse shouted, but there was no response, so he shouted again.
"Morimi——"
After waiting for more than half a minute, there was still no result.
Today is the only exception, are you still sleeping?
Naruse took out his cell phone and prepared to send her a message. If there was no response, he would not bother her and would come back later.
"...Naruse?"
He was lowering his head while editing the message, when Morimi's voice suddenly came from above.
"Morimi..."
Morimi finally appeared at the window, without glasses, looking at him with squinted eyes.
She had messy hair and was wearing pajamas, and she looked listless to the naked eye.
"Are you still sleeping?"
She sneered without meaning, turned around and disappeared through the window.
"..."
Naruse suddenly had a headache.
What's going on? Why has she become so neurotic again?
After a short while, with a soft snap, Morimi opened the sliding door.
As he got closer, the haggard look on her face became more clearly visible to him, and the dark circles under her eyes told of her worrying sleep quality.
She didn't change her clothes, but put on her glasses, and her eyes fell on him motionlessly through the cold lenses.
"Do you have a problem with me?"
"Well, I want you to help repair this book."
Morimi looked at the torn book in his hand and said nothing.
"I can come back later." Naruse said.
She glanced at him, turned around and entered the house, "No need. Come in."
Naruse had no choice but to follow in.
"Dad asked you to come here?"
"Well, Mr. Morimi said the tools are all here."
He hasn't been to Morimi's house for many years. The last time he walked into this house seemed to be before Haixing became his sister.
Although the Japanese house looks old in every aspect, it is larger than any other house nearby. It is like a castle located in a rural village.
The princess, who lives alone in the castle, seems to be in a bad mood because her sleep was disturbed.
"I haven't seen those things for a long time." Morimi walked in front and led him to the living room, "I have to look for them."
"Yeah." Naruse doesn't mind waiting for a while.
"Let me see it first." She reached out for the torn book in his hand again.
Naruse handed it over without moving his eyes, unreasonably wary of her sudden impulse to tear the book apart.
"What?" She quickly realized.
"I feel like you're not in a good condition."
Morimi sneered again.
"Nearly dead."
"..."
Naruse shut up immediately.
What hit her again?
After flipping through it a few times, Morimi put down the torn book in his hand and looked at the cover again, "Whose book is this?"
"Mian Guanguangli, a girl from the news agency, entrusted our restoration department to repair her yesterday. I have no experience, so I came to a professional."
"It's nothing..." She couldn't help but yawned mid-sentence, and gave the same evaluation as her father, "There's nothing wrong with it, it's easy to fix."
Naruse looked at her, "You didn't sleep last night, okay?"
"I didn't fall asleep for a minute."
Morimi pushed the book over and said, "It means I have insomnia."
"Why?"
"Think of what you want."
"..." Naruse immediately looked away and rolled his eyes.
She is not in a normal state today, so it would be better for him to remain silent.
"Hehehe..."
Seeing him roll his eyes, Morimi laughed a few times and then stood up.
"Wait, I'm going to find the repair tools. It may take some time. You have to drink water and pour it yourself."
"Yeah." Naruse was glad that he just bought a novel and brought it over.
Seeing him taking out the book, she stopped again before walking out of the living room.
"It seems you are really free."
Naruse stood up immediately, "I'm here to help."
"No, that's not what I meant."
She took one last look at him and turned around to go out.