After breakfast, Naoko was about to clean up when Naruse wiped his mouth and stood up.
"Let me do it."
Shangzi nodded and returned to his home.
After a while, she came over with her bag to say goodbye and said she would be back in the evening.
"Be careful on the road."
After seeing off Naoko, Naruse returned to the restaurant and took a look. Matsu Qianqiu was still eating breakfast.
"Don't go."
She stopped her son who turned to leave, "Shangzi is wearing uniform, he must be going to school."
"Um."
"What are you going to school for?"
"Help." Naruse returned to the restaurant and sat down opposite Matsu Chiaki.
"Not long after school starts, there will be a cultural festival. Many clubs have started preparing for it since the summer vacation. The club Shangzi joins seems to be very busy every year."
"What club?" Matsu Qianqiu asked.
"Handmade Club."
She drank the miso soup, put down the bowl and asked another question: "Why doesn't Harumi go to school with her?"
"I don't know anyone except Naoko, so what are I going to do?" Naruse said, "And I haven't officially enrolled yet. If I want to enter the school openly, I have to apply for admission to the school, which is too troublesome."
Song Qianqiu nodded while chewing, probably recognizing his reason.
"In this case, Chunhai can stay at home and read the script with her mother during the day."
Naruse immediately frowned.
"What expression!"
"I'm waiting to wash the dishes."
...
Prefectural Tsugao, annex building, department office of the Handicraft Society.
"You're so early, Shangzi."
Shangzi raised his head and smiled at the visitor.
"Good morning, Ogawa-senpai."
Ogawa Rina returned the smile, put down her satchel, and said, "I'm so sorry, the summer vacation isn't over yet, so I asked you to come over and help."
Shangzi shook his head, "After all, it's a routine, and I don't have anything to do."
"Yeah, that's good. How are you doing lately?"
Shangzi wanted to answer more calmly, but the smile flowed uncontrollably from the corners of his mouth.
"Very happy."
"It's rare to see Naoko reveal her emotions so openly." Ogawa Rina looked at her slightly surprised, "Did something good happen?"
"An important friend has returned from a far away place."
"So that's it...then I'm happy for you too."
"Thanks."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
During the chat, other members of the handicraft club came over one after another, including first and second graders, mostly girls.
"Good morning~"
"Everyone came very early."
"Good morning, Buchou, Takahashi-senpai!"
During the annual cultural festival, the main activity of the handicraft club is to display various carefully crafted handicrafts.
The works may be large or small, with different styles and types, and will never be repeated;
Some highlight the designer's ingenuity, some are unique in the choice of materials, and there are also works that mainly attract attention with an amazing amount of work, and this is usually a representative of the joint efforts of the handicraft society at that time - this has become a cultural
The practice of offering sacrifices.
Most of the team members are gathered here today to help complete this huge project.
This year's work is a paper apple tree. The main trunk, branches, leaves and even fruits are all made of waste paper recycled during the summer vacation.
The final assembled paper apple tree will be more than three meters high. During the three days of the school festival, this huge paper apple tree will be placed in the school atrium for everyone to visit.
Design and assembly are not things Naoko needs to think about. Like other first-year members, she only needs to fold the waste paper into the specified shape.
There is nothing difficult about origami. After dozens of times, all that is left is boring repetition. The only consolation is that there are many people to accompany you to get bored.
"My hands are sore..."
A first-year girl rubbed her wrists, leaned toward Shangzi, then glanced at her, roughly counting the folded parts in front of her, "Shangzi's speed seems a bit slow."
"No……"
Just as Shang Zi was about to explain, a second-year senior sister opposite looked over and said, "First-year students, don't be lazy."
"yes--"
The two of them answered together and looked at each other again.
"sorry……"
"It's okay." Shangzi shook his head and picked up another folded part to show her, "Since it's going to be assembled into a big apple tree, the structure must be stable. Two more folds here will not change the connection. shape, but can bear a higher weight.”
"Ah...it seems like this."
"——First-year students, please don't chat." It was the senior sister again.
Even a few first-year girls also cast unexplained glances in this direction.
"Too harsh, Takahashi."
It was Rina Ogawa who stood up to speak for them, "It's still summer vacation."
Before the second-year girl could respond, Ogawa added: "But time is a bit tight, so you two should be more careful."
"yes--"
After the two answered, they looked at each other quietly. The girl who took the initiative to talk just now stuck out her tongue quickly and covertly, and Naoko just smiled.
She folded another copy, held it in her hand and looked at it for a while, hesitating whether to make suggestions for improvement to the seniors of the club, when she suddenly noticed a figure peeking out at the door of the club.
It's a girl.
Naoko looked at the red tie on her chest. She was a first-year girl. She had some impression of her face, but she didn't say anything.
"What's up?"
Rina Ogawa was closest to the door and noticed the man, so she naturally got up and walked over.
"that……"
After saying a few words to the visitor at the door, she suddenly turned her head and looked at Shangzi, thoughtfully.
"She's a little busy now, why don't you go in private at noon..."
"——Rina, what's wrong?"
Seeing that she couldn't solve the problem for a long time, another second-year girl in the club spoke up.
"minister……"
Ogawa Rina sighed inwardly and looked at Naoko, "I'm looking for Naoko."
Shangzi was a little surprised. He quickly glanced at the people in the club room who had different reactions, got up and came to the door.
When she saw the doll in the hand of the first-grade girl, she understood everything.
"Well, Ichika-san, I heard from my classmates that Ichika-kun is very good at repairing puppets, so I would like to ask you to help me repair them..."
"Let me see."
Naoko took the doll and turned it over. There were several holes the size of fingernails on its belly and back.
"Can it be repaired?"
"It's not a big problem."
Shangzi nodded, and after the other party showed a relieved smile, he said, "But I don't have time now. Can you let me take it back to repair it and bring it over tomorrow?"
"Yeah, of course."
Rina Ogawa never went in, folding her arms and watching from the side. It wasn't until the first-year girl thanked the two of them before leaving that she nodded.
"Now everyone in Jingao knows that there is a girl in the handicraft club who is very good at repairing these little things."
Shangzi smiled.
"It's usually fine, but now..."
Ogawa Rina did not continue, but she knew that Naoko could understand what she meant.
"I understand. I won't waste everyone's time."
"Since I'm here to help, why are you delaying me?"
Ogawa Rina patted her on the back, "Go in, I'll explain to the minister."
"Thanks."
Shangzi nodded, and then remembered what he had just discovered.
"Wait a minute, Senior Sister Ogawa..."
After hearing what Naoko said, Ogawa Rina followed her back to her seat, picked up a folded part and looked at it carefully for a while.
"That's true."
She thought for a while, then walked up to the director Ritsuko Sugiyama with the origami parts, bent down and explained to her.
"Folding two more lines like this will not change the shape, but it can increase the strength a lot... When assembling... no, no, the apple tree is three meters high when assembled, and Ritsuko doesn't want it to fall down...
Although it’s a bit troublesome, before it’s too late…”
The two discussed for a while, Ogawa Rina returned to her seat and sat down, and Sugiyama Ritsuko stood up.
"Everyone, please stop—"
Everyone looked over.
After explaining this, Ritsuko Sugiyama finally said:
"Please take apart all the previously folded parts and re-fold them according to the method just explained."
"Eh--"
"This matter is related to whether the final assembly can be successful, so everyone can't be lazy."
"yes……"
After giving a feeble response, the members of the handicraft club could only temporarily stop their work and re-disassemble the previously completed parts.
Although the director Ritsuko Sugiyama did not say it clearly, everyone saw the process of Ogawa Rina discussing with her, and Ogawa Rina took an origami part from Naoko. Naturally, Naoko became the "culprit" in the eyes of some people.
.
"Ah~"
A first-year girl sitting diagonally across from Shangzi suddenly made a strange noise.
"I thought I could finish it all in these two days, but now it seems I can't. There's really not enough time."
"That is to say..." someone next to him echoed.
As they spoke, the two of them cast many glances at Shangzi intentionally or unintentionally, but she just lowered her eyes and continued folding.
As for the senior who reminded the first-year students not to chat, she just glanced at Naoko and ignored her.
"Shangzi..."
The girl next to Shangzi looked at her worriedly.
"fine."
She shook her head and said she didn't care.
"Actually, I'm a little envious of them."
"Hey, what?"
Shangzi smiled slightly and shook his head again.
If only she could vent her emotions without any scruples like them.