Ome Quartet of Snow Country

Chapter 90
Wiping his hair, Hikari Takikawa sat down next to Naruse.

"Suddenly I found that a B&B is better than a hotel: it feels like being at home, especially when taking a bath."

"Although it's someone else's home." Naruse moved a little to the side, and the starfish had already crawled back into his bed.

"I wanted to soak for a while, but I got a little bored sitting alone, so I came out."

The night was cold, Hikaru Takigawa stepped on the right foot with his left foot, and alternated his feet under the ground, "It would be great if there is a hot spring here, we can take a bath together... Is there any?"

"No." Naruse shook his head.

"Where is it?" she asked again.

"For hot springs..." Naruse thought for a while, "Arashiyama, Kurama, or Okoto Hot Spring over there in Otsu."

"Otsu?"

"On the other side of Mount Hiei, on the edge of Lake Biwa, you can go there by tram."

"Then we..."

"—we're going back tomorrow."

Hikaru Takikawa leaned to the side and bumped into him, "Don't disappoint."

Naruse was knocked sideways by her, but soon came back again.

"Haha." Hikaru Takikawa leaned against him without exerting any more force, and turned to look at Haixing who had been silent for a long time, "What were Harumi and Haixing talking about just now?"

"Hey... we talked a little bit about earrings."

Hai Xing looked at the two people huddled together, and regretted crawling back just now.

"Earrings..."

Takikawa Hikari looked at Naruse who was leaning against him again, and suddenly raised his hand to touch his ear.

Starfish opened her mouth, but she didn't know what to say.

"Why is it black?" Hikaru Takikawa pinched the soft flesh of his earlobe while touching the earrings.

Naruse followed her, "I don't understand what you mean."

"I think the silver one looks better."

"Maybe." Naruse didn't deny her taste, "It's just that at the age when I wear earrings, I think black is more in line with my personality."

Hikaru Takikawa laughed, "It's as if it has been many years."

"There is such a feeling."

She looked at him again and said nothing.

While chatting and watching TV, Hikari Takikawa leaned against Naruse, and didn't stand up until he dried his hair.

"I'll go see if Yue is asleep."

"Ah."

Watching her walk out of the living room, Naruse shook his head, always feeling that what she said just now had the feeling of taking care of his sister or daughter.

"What's the matter?" Hai Xing, who hadn't spoken much, asked.

"fine."

After a while, Hikaru Takikawa came down lightly.

"Fell asleep."

"I'm tired today."

She smiled, and when she was about to walk over, she stopped again, stood in front of the sliding glass door, and stared at the rainy yard outside for a while.

"……shit."

She murmured, "I've only stayed for a long time, and I don't want to go back anymore, what should I do?"

"..."

Naruse pretended not to hear.

"Is it because of skipping school, or because of traveling, or because of being with everyone."

Her voice raised a little, and he didn't want to analyze it for her, so he got into the quilt that had already been laid.

Starfish let out an "ah" at the side.

"Chunhai..."

"Everything. But I have to go back tomorrow."

"I know."

Takikawa Hikaru turned around and sighed, then suddenly opened the glass door leading to the yard.

"Hey……"

The cold wind, accompanied by a little raindrops, poured in all at once.

She opened her arms and blew the cold air for a while before closing the glass door again.

"a little cold."

"..."

"Will it rain tomorrow?"

"The weather forecast says it won't... and it doesn't have to be."

Hikaru Takikawa returned to the living room, closed the other glass door connecting the edge side, then stepped over Naruse and Haixing, and got into the innermost futon.

"Are you going to sleep?" Haixing looked at her.

"Huh?" Hikaru Takikawa drilled out again, propping his head with one hand, "Not yet, I just feel warmer under the quilt."

Hai Xing nodded and looked at Naruse who was lying on the other side. He held the remote control and changed another program.

"Chunhai, have you booked your train ticket for tomorrow? What time is it?"

"Don't worry, I'll call you when I get up."

Hikaru Takikawa leaned forward, looking past Starfish's pillow, "I'm very concerned about one more thing."

Naruse looked over here.

"I'll be back in Aomori tomorrow afternoon, do we still have to go to school?"

"I have to go home first."

"Go home first...do you mean to go to school later?"

"Well, I'm going to pick up Shangzi."

Hikaru Takikawa thought for a while, "Then I'll go with Haruhi."

Naruse was silent for a while, and said, "Just stay at home with Sister Yue, your motorcycle can't carry three people."

"Well……"

Hikaru Takikawa thought about it for a while, then turned over again, and lay down in a more comfortable position, but his thoughts were interrupted by this simple movement, and he couldn't go back.

Then she soon noticed another thing.

"Why is starfish still sitting?"

"what……"

Naruse and Takikawa Hikari had already got into bed and lay down, only the starfish in the middle was still sitting, tilting his head, watching TV absent-mindedly.

"...I'm not sleepy yet," she said.

Naruse also looked at her, and suddenly thought of the conversation between the two before, feeling a little helpless.

Isn't she waiting to go out for supper?

Looking at the time, it was only after nine o'clock.

"Are you hungry?"

"..."

Hai Xing turned to look at him, and quickly lowered his gaze, "No."

"Let's lie down first. The next thing... I'll talk about it later."

She lay down reluctantly and looked at the ceiling.

Under the quilt, a touch of warmth suddenly rubbed against her calf.

Hai Xing looked at Takikawa Hikaru, she stretched her legs, and smiled at her: "What's the matter, Hai Xing seems a bit reluctant."

"fine……"

She leaned toward her, but there was nothing else to say either.

Hikaru Takikawa didn't ask much, retracted his feet, and looked at the ceiling above his head again.

"Chun Hai, do you want to turn off the lights?"

"Hmm..." Naruse turned his head to look for the switch, "Do you want to turn off the light?"

"No need. I can sleep with the light on, so I can turn it off when Chunhai wants to."

And she did, as she said, fell asleep not long after turning on the light.

While looking at her starfish while distracted, she didn't notice the decisive moment when she fell asleep completely.

awesome……

After staring at her for a while, Hai Xing lay down and looked at Naruse on the other side.

He was lying on the bed watching TV, and the mobile phone was always in his hand, but the buzzing vibration sound hadn't been heard since he fell asleep.

Hai Xing turned her head to look at him, and after a while she unconsciously turned over again, facing him sideways.

He was texting Shangzi, she guessed.

No news movement, just because it was turned off.

And she took off her contact lenses when she took a shower, and she didn't bring out the pair of black-rimmed glasses that she usually used at home, so she couldn't see the expression on his face clearly.

"..."

But he suddenly turned his head to look at her, and he could still see it.

Seeing Haixing shrank back under the blanket, Naruse smiled, "Do you want to turn off the lights?"

The sound of the rain outside has never been quiet, and there is probably no chance to go out tonight...

Hai Xing nodded in resignation, and sighed in his heart, "Shut it up."

With a snap, Naruse got up and turned off the light, and the living room suddenly went dark, leaving only the light of the TV.

"Where's the TV?"

"……casual."

Naruse didn't turn off the TV either, and got back under the covers.

After the room was dark, she could also guess his situation more intuitively - when his face was illuminated by the phone screen, it was a new message.

So much news about Shangzi...

She couldn't help thinking.

She wanted to see the expression on his face more clearly.

Starfish moved towards him in the quilt, and then moved again, until he couldn't get any closer—a little further, it was his quilt.

She stopped and could see clearly too, staring silently.

【"Because... I like starfish."】

"..."

Even at that time, there was never such a gentle expression on his face.

I already knew you were a liar...

But even so, I couldn't help but immerse myself in it, pretending not to notice it until the adults decided to separate.

If they hadn't been separated, would the pretense of him and her last until now?
Will it go from pretend to reality...

She closed her eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, Naruse put down his phone, lay down and stretched his body.

"It's almost time to sleep..."

He picked up the remote control and was about to turn off the TV. He casually glanced at the starfish sleeping next to him.

"..."

Tears filled her eyes.

The hand that was already on the key was released.

After being silent for a while, with the help of the light reflected on the TV screen, Naruse moved a little over there, and wiped the corners of her eyes with his hand.

Did he dream of his deceased mother...or the former him?

"...still like a child." With wet fingertips, he stroked her face and whispered softly.

(End of this chapter)