Lonely Rock for the Blind.

"Nekoyashiki Haru replied."

Iwashita Shima sat down next to Nekoyashiki Haru.

"Are you tired, Shima? It hasn't been that long."

"No…"

Iwashita Shima shook his head.

"Ah, so you're worried about me?"

Nekoyashiki Haru tilted her head and smiled.

"... "

Iwashita Shima stared at Nekoyashiki Haru's gentle smile for a moment, then her lips curled up slightly as well.

"You can think of it that way."

"Don't worry about me so much. I don't want to affect your mood because of me."

"Don't worry, I'm not really interested in catching bugs anyway."

"... "

Nekoyashiki Haru remained silent for a moment.

“In that case, you could have refused back then. Sorry, but it sounds like I'm making it seem like it's your problem.”

"No... Actually, even without you holding me back, I probably wouldn't have left, since I'm already here."

Shima Iwashita braced herself with her hands behind her back, looked up at the sky, and then gently exhaled.

"The sky is so blue today."

"Really? The weather is lovely, even though it's hot."

"If it's not hot, it's not summer."

Iwashita Shima paused for a moment.

"Thank you."

"Ok?"

Nekoyashiki Haru was stunned.

"what?"

"I said thank you, even though you're blind, you still often run around with us."

"Oh, shouldn't you find me troublesome?"

Nekoyashiki Haru tilted her head.

"How could that be? If it weren't for your usual help, I probably would have been driven crazy by those two long ago..."

Iwashita Shima looked at Nekoyashiki Haru.

"So why do you think that?"

"Was that the same just now? Because I was there, no one dared to go too far."

Nekoyashiki Haru rested her chin on her hand.

Are you sad?

Iwashita Shima asked.

"Haha, no."

Nekoyashiki Haru shook her head.

"There's nothing to thank me for. Besides you all, I don't have anywhere else to go right now."

Nekoyashiki Haru lowered her head.

"I'm really grateful that you're willing to get close to me."

"…Yeah…"

Iwashita Shima raised her head.

"...So it seems Eliza really knows you..."

"Ok?"

"...By the way, you haven't been coming to Yuyuko's and our performances much lately?"

"... "

Nekoyashiki Haru's smile froze.

No... just...

Haru Nekoyashiki was about to explain something, but was interrupted by Shima Iwashita.

"Can't you see it?"

Nekoyashiki Haru's mouth slowly closed.

"Um."

"...By the way, you said it's only around us...According to Eliza, you know people in Tokyo, right?"

"Yes, I have."

Why not go find them?

"...I'm not sure if they would want to see me like this."

Nekoyashiki Haru's purple eyes were calm and lifeless.

"Perhaps they have already forgotten me... There's no need to expose such an ugly side of myself to them."

"...Then why did you go back to Tokyo?"

"... "

Nekoyashiki Haru remained silent.

"...So, you want them to come to you?"

Iwashita Shima asked.

"...How could that be? I didn't say anything..."

Nekoyashiki Haru shook her head.

"It's precisely because nothing was said that there is 'hope'..."

Iwashita Shima looked at Nekoyashiki Haru and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"You are also... [a child]."

"...Is this about to trigger my maternal instincts?"

"No, I'm just sighing. It's mainly because you usually act too mature, making people forget that you're still a child."

"...I was just pretending to be mature..."

"There's nothing wrong with that. Adults are the least likely to hurt others, and the least likely to be hurt themselves."

"Shima, you're quite the smooth talker..."

Nekoyashiki Haru's voice carried a hint of resentment.

"Why don't we go find them, Qing?"

Shima Iwashita said.

"...Give me a little more time..."

Nekoyashiki Haru shook her head.

"... "

Iwashita Shima was silent.

"Ughhhh!"

In the distance, Kikuto Hiroi ran back.

"General Qing! General Qing!"

"Ok?"

Iwashita Shima paused for a moment, and Nekoyashiki Haru also stood up.

"Haa...haa...haa..."

Hiroi Kikuri ran up to the two of them, panting heavily.

Eliza walked up behind Kikuto Hiroi.

"It was just a snake...and it's already escaped."

"...There's a snake... Waaah... I'm so scared... What if I got bitten..."

Hiroi Kikuri said with lingering fear.

"General Qing is non-toxic. Alright, Kiku, let's continue."

No! No! Absolutely not!

Kikuto Hiroi shook her head vigorously in refusal.

"I'll buy you some wine."

Eliza said.

“…Then…that’s fine.”

Hiroi Kikuri swallowed hard and nodded.

As the two entered the forest once again, Iwashita Shima stood up and then turned to look at Nekoyashiki Haru.

"...I think I should think about it some more."