Ome Quartet of Snow Country

Eve of Chapter 193 Day
After returning home, shortly after Naruse and Naoko had dinner, Hikari Takikawa came to visit.

"Let's go, today is the last study session."

"Ah."

Call Haixing again, and the four of them head to Morimi's house together.

When he could already see the Morimi family's house, Takikawa Hikaru suddenly let out a cry.

"What's wrong?" Naruse asked back.

"Didn't you say that you ran out of food in the refrigerator last night, so before today is over, you should go to the supermarket to buy some ingredients?"

"..."

Naruse was stunned for a moment, feeling a little helpless, "Is it a study session, or did I go to eat supper?"

"What are you talking about, Chunhai also eats a lot."

"It's going to be a long way to go back." Shangzi looked back, "Why don't you just go home early today."

Takikawa Hikaru and Haixing, who were the most active in eating supper, showed disappointed expressions at the same time.

The two looked at each other, and Hikaru Takikawa said, "Why don't Hai Xing and I go back and buy it, you guys start first."

"... Guess who the study meeting is for?"

Naruse looked at her and Hai Xing, "It took more than half an hour to go back and forth."

"……All right."

Takikawa Hikari looked back at the way she had come. She had just had dinner before going out, and her appetite was not that strong. She hesitated again and again, and finally gave up the idea of ​​going back.

"If only I could come here on a motorcycle..."

When she arrived at Sen Jian's house, she came out to open the door, and when she saw the two disappointed faces, she raised her eyebrows: "What's wrong?"

"fine."

Naruse walked in, took out the slippers skillfully, sat down and changed them.

"The study intensity is not enough, I'm free. Just do more questions at night."

"No!" the two screamed.

When Sen Jian understood the reason for the disappointment of the two, he just smiled.

The last study session before the annual exam started as usual.

After hard work in the past few days, Hai Xing and Hikari Takikawa, whose condition has improved, have basically left the stage of failing.

Morimi focused on the starfish who was a bit out of his mind, while Naruse was single-minded, tutoring the two while taking care of Naoko.

"Chunhai, this question..."

Shangzi pushed the notebook over, and just about to speak, he yawned first.

She seemed sleepy.

After nine o'clock at night, her yawns became more and more frequent.

"Is Shangzi already sleepy?" Mori Jian asked.

She shook her head, "It's okay..."

"Then let's stop here today." Takikawa Hikaru said, spreading his hands, "Anyway, there is no supper."

Several people laughed, and then they were about to leave.

"There is an exam tomorrow, remember to go to bed early at night." When sending a few people out, Mori Jian reminded Hai Xing again.

"I know..."

She looked at her again and said no more.

"Good night."

"Okok good night."

Saying goodbye to Sen, the few of them went home together.

Arriving at the Real Wood Hotel, Naruse held up the shutter door for Hai Xing, she got in, looked back at him, hesitated to speak.

Naruse held the door open, his eyes paused briefly on her face, and then looked inside again.

"Rest early. Stay in good shape and don't let the hard work during this period be in vain."

"it is good……"

"Good night."

Pulling down the shutter door, he walked a little further, separated from Hikaru Takikawa at the intersection, and Naruse and Naoko returned home.

"I'm going to take a shower first," Shangzi said.

"Ah."

When she came out steaming after washing, Naruse followed her in, washed her body, and took a bath.

Relaxing physically and mentally, he closed his eyes and leaned against the bathtub, his consciousness gradually sinking.

Tomorrow is the exam...

In the silence, he vaguely heard Shangzi walking up and down.

After soaking for another ten minutes, Naruse climbed out of the bathtub.

Shangzi was not in the living room, nor in the room. He wiped his hair and came to the kitchen.

She is busy.

"What are you doing, supper?"

"Chunhai..."

Shangzi turned his head and smiled at him.

He also saw what was in front of her.

"...Is it necessary to be so troublesome?"

"Yep."

Naruse walked over and looked at another small pot in the cooking pot, where the chocolate chips were slowly melting.

Shangzi plans to make Valentine's Day chocolates.

"Is it heated over water?"

"Well. If the temperature is too high, the cocoa butter inside will separate, which will make the chocolate agglomerate and the taste will deteriorate."

Naruse glanced at the other props on the side, "So you still need a thermometer?"

"Yes."

"so troublesome."

Shangzi smiled, looked at the melting chocolate in the small pot, and said in a low voice:
"Because it's natal chocolate."

Naruse looked at the same place as her.

"Ah."

The corners of her mouth curled up.

The blue flame licked the bottom of the pot, the hot water continued to heat up, and the chocolate gradually melted.

Using a thermometer to test the temperature, seeing that it was almost the same, Shangzi turned down the heat, and then started to stir.

Chocolate continues to melt.

Naruse watched, then suddenly reached out his hand to dip a little, put it in his mouth and tasted it.

"..."

Shangzi looked at him.

"It tastes okay."

"That's good."

"Let me help you."

"No need this time..."

"Ok."

Naruse continued to brush his hair, watching from the side.

Shangzi kept stirring in one direction, and the chocolate chips in the small pot quickly melted.

While stirring, she tested the temperature of the chocolate with a thermometer, and when it reached more than 50 degrees, she quickly took out the small pot and put it on the table to continue stirring.

Naruse dried her hair, went to put a towel and came back, she was still stirring.

Looking at the piping bags and heart-shaped molds on the side, he asked, "When did you buy it?"

"some days ago."

"Chocolate too."

"uh-huh."

Leaving the environment of the water bath, the temperature of the chocolate in the small pot dropped quickly.

When the temperature reached more than 20 degrees, the chocolate was about to solidify again, so Shangzi put the small pot back into the cooking pot, and when the temperature of the chocolate rose slightly, he poured it into the piping bag.

Cutting a small opening at the bottom, Naoko poured the melted chocolate into the heart-shaped mold, tapping it lightly to expel any air bubbles.

There are nine holes in the mold, all filled, and the chocolate in the bag is almost squeezed out.

Seeing that Shangzi finally breathed a sigh of relief, Naruse said, "Do you want to put it in the refrigerator?"

She smiled, "At the current temperature, it would be faster to cool it outside."

Carefully putting the mold aside, she packed it up, then pulled him out of the kitchen, returned to the living room and sat down.

"It takes about half an hour to an hour to completely solidify."

"That's still early."

Shangzi looked at him.

"Just now at Morimi's house, Shangzi was sleepy, wasn't he?" Naruse said.

"I won't be sleepy after taking a shower..."

"Really?"

"...Anyway, I'm not sleepy now."

"Then sleep late today."

"it is good."

The two sat on the sofa, watching TV while waiting for the arrival of Valentine's Day.

At one point, she leaned on his shoulder.

"If you can't get up tomorrow morning, Chun Hai remembers to call me."

"Well. I'll set a few more alarm clocks."

"I heard that eating chocolate before an exam can relieve tension and promote blood supply to the brain," Shangzi said.

Naruse imagined for a moment what might happen tomorrow morning.

"There should be a lot of chocolate to eat tomorrow."

"...It's not good to eat too much."

"Then eat less, one piece is enough."

She nodded and smiled again.

"Ah."

The night is still very long, but the invisible dividing line is gradually approaching.

When it was almost midnight, Shangzi walked away from his shoulder, got up and walked to the kitchen.

Naruse yawned, took out his phone and checked the time.

23:58
23:59
00:00
The time is reset to zero, and the date jumps.

On February [-]th, Valentine's Day arrived.

That is, the anniversary of the death of Saint Valentine has arrived...

Shaking off the useless knowledge that suddenly appeared in his mind, he raised his eyes, Shangzi came out of the kitchen with his hands behind his back, and stopped in front of him.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Haruhi."

She took out the gift box from behind, "This is the chocolate I made for Chunhai, please accept it."

"Thank you."

The freshly made chocolates have been packaged in exquisite gift boxes.

"Is this box also made by Shangzi himself?"

"uh-huh."

"I took it."

After receiving the gift box, Naruse carefully opened it, and under Shangzi's watchful eye, he picked up a heart-shaped chocolate and put it into his mouth.

The sweet and thick taste melts on the tip of the tongue and permeates between the lips and teeth, with a little bit of bitterness.

"...so sweet."

(End of this chapter)