Ome Quartet of Snow Country

Chapter 629 The long journey home

The hotel's breakfast was served until ten o'clock in the morning, so although the few people got up not too early, they still had the same exquisite breakfast as yesterday's dinner.

"what……"

Naruse let out a long yawn.

"Is Harumi okay if you didn't sleep last night?" Haixing moved to the side and asked her boyfriend's shoulder.

He pursed his lower lip, "It's because I didn't sleep well this morning."

The other three people next to him looked away at the same time.

"Fortunately, I will spend a lot of time on the road today, so I can catch up on my sleep slowly." Naruse added.

Haixing sighed, "Obviously Hokkaido is much closer than Tokyo. It will take four or five hours to go back."

"So hurry up and have breakfast. After eating, go to Hell Valley to have a look, and then go back."

"Uh-huh."

Haixing lowered his head and continued eating, while Naruse and the other three looked at each other.

"Pitiful."

"Huh?" Haixing looked up at Morimi, "What?"

"Huh?" Morimi also looked at her.

"Ah... wasn't Kazuyo talking just now?"

"Did I speak?" she asked.

"Eh……"

"Stop bullying Haixing." Hikaru Takigawa said.

"What the hell are you talking about."

"It's nothing." Shangzi took a piece of uneaten egg roll from the small bowl in front of him and gave it to her, "Eat more."

Haixing blinked, a little confused, "Thank you..."

"Eat more." Morimi also gave her an egg roll.

"Well, eat more." Hikaru Takigawa followed closely.

Haixing looked at the three of them and then at Naruse.

He held the bowl and stared at his breakfast, "Eat quickly."

After breakfast, a few people took advantage of the fact that there was still half an hour before check-out time, so they took the time to soak in the hot spring pool for another ten minutes.

"It's so comfortable...I want to soak in it for a while longer."

"It's too late to soak again."

After taking a dip, they dragged their luggage to check out.

The hotel provides free delivery service directly to the station, and Naruse readily agreed to his request to temporarily store his luggage and wait until he finished visiting Hell Valley before going to the station.

"Let's go."

We packed lightly, left the hotel, and walked along the hot spring street for a while. As expected, just as Hikaru Takigawa said yesterday, we arrived at the entrance of Noboribetsu Hell Valley in about seven or eight minutes.

Although there is a visitor center at the entrance, the inside of Hell Valley is open 24 hours a day and free to visit.

Noboribetsu Hell Valley is actually a strange-shaped lava valley formed after a volcanic eruption. There is no grass growing, and volcanic smoke accompanied by a strong sulfur smell is constantly spewing out. Entering the valley, it feels like being in hell, so it is called "Hell Valley". name.

The abundant hot springs in the Noboribetsu area actually come from geothermal heat generated by volcanic activity.

The white land of the snow country also shows slightly richer colors here: gray-white lava, sulfur-colored and copper-green sediments, and black bare trees all over the mountains and plains...

"ah!"

The sole of his foot slipped and his body fell backwards. Haixing screamed and was caught by Naruse and Takigawa Hikari when he was about to fall.

The main way to visit Hell Valley is by walking on the plank road. In the current weather, although the snow on the plank road has been basically cleared, it can become very slippery when encountering uphill or downhill slopes.

"Be careful." Naruse let go of Haixing, "Hold on to the armrest."

"But the armrest is so cold..."

"If you fall, it means 'butt hurts.' It's your choice."

Starfish chose to hug his arm.

After walking forward for a while, the plank road undulated and there was another small downhill slope.

"Wow!"

Looking back at Haixing and her boyfriend who fell to the ground, Shangzi felt helpless and said, "Be careful."

Haixing was pulled up by Morimi and Hikaru Takigawa, "Butt hurts..."

It was only after she fell once and experienced pain that she became truly careful.

Seeing the nervous look on her face, Mori smiled and looked at the valley again.

"'Otome Hell'... this place even has a name."

"Yes, there is Santu River ahead."

We continued strolling forward, passing by the Santuchuan River, until we reached the Iron Spring Pond at the end of the plank road. We took some photos around the geyser, which was said to have a temperature of 80 degrees, and then we returned the same way.

Returning to the intersection, looking at the other road leading to Oyunuma, Naruse asked Takigawa Hikaru, "Is it worth going there to see it?"

"I think it's pretty average."

"Then I won't go."

They didn't take the long way around and went back along the way they came.

We arrived near the entrance, looked out for a while from the observation deck, and took a few photos. The trip to Hell Valley ended here. "It doesn't look very scary," Haixing said.

Mori looked over and said, "I was on tenterhooks all the way. Didn't I feel like I was in hell?"

"That's because I'm afraid of falling!"

"It feels the same."

There was nothing worth lingering on. The few of them left Hell Valley, returned to Qingshui House, picked up their luggage, then got in the hotel car and rushed to the station.

Ten minutes later, they returned to Noboribetsu Station where they came yesterday. After waiting for another half an hour, I finally got on the tram back.

Starting from Noboribetsu, we drove around the coastline to Shin-Hakodate Hokuto Station, almost bypassing the entire Uchiura Bay, and the time on the train was almost two and a half hours.

It was already two o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived at the current terminus of the Hokkaido Shinkansen.

The station was quite deserted. After buying a bento, Naruse and his party went to wait on the Shinkansen train.

"We'll be home in more than two hours."

"There are still more than two hours..."

"After eating, go back to sleep." Morimi said to Haixing.

"I can't sleep anymore..."

Naruse picked up a piece of beef and put it into his mouth. There were almost no people on the platform outside the window, and there were only a few of them in this carriage.

"With so many tourists coming to Hokkaido, why don't you stop by Aomori to visit..."

After a while, the train set off and sped towards Honshu Island.

The Shinkansen is much faster than the train. It only takes an hour to go over mountains and cross the strait from the undersea tunnel to Shin-Aomori Station.

"I'm home!"

After grabbing the cheering Hikaru Takigawa, the group went to catch the train again, and it took more than half an hour to get back to Tsumae.

"The moon has arrived."

When Hikaru Takigawa got on the train, he had already sent a message to his sister. I dragged my luggage out of the station and found Takigawa Yue in the parking lot. She came alone. She didn't bring anything in the car and there was plenty of space.

"Wow, how many things did you buy?"

"There is a gift for Sister Yue inside."

"Is that so?" It was extremely cold outside, and Takikawa Yue didn't bother to get out of the car. She just sat in the driver's seat and watched them working. When Naruse and Naoko also got into the car, she was silent for a while.

"Sister Yue, long time no see." The latter took the initiative to greet her.

"haven't seen you for a long time……"

She looked at them, her eyes rolling on their faces, "Harunami is really incredible."

He knew what she was talking about, so he just smiled and didn't say much.

"Harumi and the others still need to buy something, so hurry up and leave." Hikaru Takigawa said as he sat next to his sister.

"buy what?"

"Those things you need for the New Year."

Takigawa Yue's eyes widened a little, "Today is already the 29th, aren't you ready yet?"

"They are all traveling outside, and there is no one at home."

"You can't place mirror cakes today, it's unlucky."

"I know……"

As Takigawa Yue explained, he drove them to look for shops that were not closed yet - it was freezing cold, and most shops closed around two o'clock in the afternoon.

After finally finding a store, Naruse and Naoko were reminded again when they went in to buy something.

"Okay, I know……"

After carrying the things back to the car and back to Qingliu, it was already dark.

Because there were a lot of things, Takigawa Yue drove the car directly to the door of their home.

Takigawa Hikaru also got out of the car to help carry things. When he was running for the last time, he deliberately said in front of everyone: "Harumi and Naoko will have to clean up tomorrow, so we are here to help."

Haixing nodded and looked at Morimi again.

"..."

Seeing several people looking at her, she sighed.

"Yes...I'm coming too."

"Then it's settled." Takigawa Hikaru smiled, sent the things to Naruse's house, and said goodbye to the two of them.

"I'm going back, see you tomorrow."

"Well, see you tomorrow."

Looking through the car window at his sister and Naruse who were kissing each other at the door, Takikawa Yue quickly looked away and slowly exhaled.

"You kids are too messy..."

"This is the only way to keep everyone together," said the man in the back seat.

Glancing at Morimi through the rearview mirror, Takigawa Yue shook his head.

Hikaru Takigawa quickly returned to the car and sat next to her sister.

"Let's go, let's send Kazuyo and Haixing home."

Outside the car window, two figures at the door of Naruse's house waved their hands. Takikawa Yue also blew the whistle, then changed direction and drove out.

(End of this chapter)