They all have hidden attributes!

Hina Nekoya's gaze lingered among the group before finally settling on Junka Shiraishi's alluring face.

She tilted her head and rested it on Makoto Takahashi's shoulder, showing no interest in the scenery.

Nekoya Hina is very interested in Shiraishi Junko and is thinking about how to make friends with this beautiful upperclassman.

Kashima Reiko is taciturn, Hanakawa Kaori is precocious despite her young age, and Uesugi Maya is even more terrifying; last time, she actually managed to steal information from her.

Hina Nekoya believes that the most suitable person to gather information is Junka Shiraishi.

After two days apart, she and Makoto Takahashi had visibly become much closer, and perhaps she could learn something from their experience.

At the very least, they couldn't be completely unaware of Acheng's situation, could they?

Hina Nekoya's gaze towards Junko Shiraishi gradually warmed. Being stared at made Junko Shiraishi seem a little uncomfortable. She raised her eyelids, looking bewildered.

"...What's wrong?" Shiraishi Junko asked timidly.

"I've discovered that you, Chun Ke, are unbelievably beautiful."

When Nekoya Hina praised her to her face, he naturally got up to move closer, sat down next to Shiraishi Junka, and stared intently at her face:

"This is the first time I've seen her up close. No wonder she's so popular. She has a beautiful face, fair and pretty skin, long eyelashes, and smooth, shiny hair. And even though she looks delicate, she has a curvaceous figure."

"Huh, thank you?" Shiraishi Junko was a little unsure how to respond.

When Takahashi Seiya first met Nekoya Hina, he thought she was too enthusiastic and noisy, but she actually had a very good personality; she just occasionally got overly emotional.

"You're so pretty and cute, may I touch your hair?"

Nekoya Hina tried to close the distance, but Shiraishi Junka's voice suddenly became a little shrill: "No, only Makoto can."

Upon hearing this, Hanakawa Kaori, who was kneeling on the chair, turned around and shot a suspicious look at him, while Uesugi Maya gave him a blatant look of disgust, glancing at Takahashi Makoto as if he were trash. Only Kashima Reiko remained unmoved.

"Chunke is a little shy, so please don't touch her."

Makoto Takahashi casually came up with an absurd reason. In reality, Hina Nekoya and Junka Shiraishi had known each other for a long time and were not completely unfamiliar with each other.

He coughed awkwardly and said to Shiraishi Junka as if to make amends, "Yina isn't a bad person, she's just a bit too energetic."

Nekoya Hina, oblivious to the danger, didn't notice anything amiss. Seeing that Takahashi Makoto was biased towards her, she wasn't discouraged at all and continued to use topics typical of girls to get closer to him.

"Senior Chun Ke, do you have any secrets to keeping your hair smooth? What brand of shampoo do you usually use?"

“Chitose will take care of it for me,” Shiraishi Junko answered honestly.

"Your skin is so soft and elastic, how do you take care of it?"

"Born that way?"

"..."

Hina Nekoya, aware of the class difference, remained silent for a moment. Seeing that Junka Shiraishi did not show any wariness, she extended her hand with her palm facing upwards:

"Senior Chun Ke, are you the type who needs to formally declare that we're friends before we can hang out together, just like A-Cheng?"

"Is A-Cheng also?" Shiraishi Junko's beautiful wine-red eyes lit up with interest.

Seeing her extend her hand, Nekoya Hina smiled happily:

"Yes, when I first met Acheng, his personality was really awkward. I later found out that he initially thought I was strange and didn't consider me a friend at all."

The two clasped hands, and the timid Shiraishi Junko was still a little apprehensive.

"Please give me your guidance?"

"Please give me more advice."

When talking about the past, Nekoya Hina became very talkative, and Shiraishi Junka found it very interesting, so the two walked together after the cable car arrived at the station.

Hina Nekoya's enthusiasm and initiative were a bit overwhelming for Junko Shiraishi, but she didn't show any dislike and answered questions seriously.

Perhaps after some time, the two will gradually grow closer.

Makoto Takahashi watched them chat amicably, secretly relieved. His gaze then shifted to Hanakawa Kaori, who was running freely across the mountains with outstretched arms, and he said to Maya Uesugi beside him:

"Aya, when will you and Sachi become close?"

"When the Andromeda Galaxy collides with the Milky Way," Maya Uesugi replied without hesitation.

"How long will it take?"

"40 billion years."

"..." Takahashi Makoto curled his lips speechlessly.

After a moment of silence, he continued, "The sun will go out in 10 billion years. In a sense, your relationship is actually quite good, even longer than the solar system."

"Don't use such disgusting language." Uesugi Maya's expression was one of blatant disgust, and her voice suddenly turned cold.

"Can't you become friends with Hina and Reiko?" Takahashi Makoto asked.

"We can only be considered friends, albeit in a less than ideal way."

Uesugi Maya turned her gaze to Kashima Reiko, hesitated for a moment, then looked away, gazing at the sea from the summit of Tengu Mountain:

"Although Hina is noisy, she is quite interesting. This type of person is not very common, and she is not that annoying."

The autumn sun of Otaru City spread out beneath her feet, a cool breeze brushed against her delicate face, her long black hair swayed, and a warm fragrance wafted from her.

Makoto Takahashi stood beside Maya Uesugi and watched the sea with her for a while, temporarily putting aside the idea.

Although Tachibana Yuki has always regarded Uesugi Maya as her "little sister," even though she is a "foolish little sister," it is clear that she cares a lot about the friendship between the two.

What exactly happened in the past is truly intriguing.

After resting for a while on Mount Tengu, we continued our pilgrimage to the sacred sites. As winter approached and Hokkaido is at a high latitude, it got dark very early, and the surroundings gradually darkened without us even noticing.

The group entered the barbecue restaurant, and when they heard Takahashi Makoto say he was treating, Nekoya Hina immediately perked up and started ordering like crazy.

"I wanted to eat at this barbecue restaurant when I was in junior high school, but it was too expensive and the lines were slow."

"Aren't you going home for dinner?" A hint of worry appeared in Takahashi Makoto's eyes.

He knew that Nekoya Haruna had a good appetite, but eating barbecue before having dinner just didn't seem right, did it?

"From childhood to adulthood, I've never been full after eating crabs." Nekoya Hina said with a matter-of-fact expression.

Makoto Takahashi believed that she wasn't stupid enough to overeat, so he simply let Haruna Nekoya order food, while he didn't order anything himself and focused on grilling meat for them.

When it comes to eating barbecue, someone always has to sacrifice themselves for the atmosphere to be joyful; otherwise, it's just like eating raw meat and drinking blood.

When I left the barbecue restaurant, it was completely dark, and it was not yet 6 o'clock. It was just in time to visit the cat's house.

After seeing Uesugi Maya and the others off on the JR rapid train back to Sapporo, Takahashi Makoto and Nekoya Hina leisurely walked out of the station side by side.

Under the dim yellow light, the retro street scene creates a comfortable atmosphere in the cold wind.

"Acheng, what is this?"

Nekoya Hina's gaze fell on the paper bag in Takahashi Makoto's hand. Kashima Reiko had helped bring all the shopping hauls back to the hotel today, leaving only this paper bag.

"The souvenirs are probably Tokyo specialties. Which way should we go?" Makoto Takahashi asked.

"You can take the bus; it'll be quick."

Hina Nekoya pointed in the direction, her chestnut hair shimmering softly in the dim light: "What are some local specialties of Tokyo?"

"Money? I'm not from Tokyo."

"Speaking of which, Junko-senpai is really pretty, and so is Tachimi-senpai. People from Tokyo are definitely different."

There was a hint of envy in her words. Makoto Takahashi smiled and said seriously, "Girls from Hokkaido are great too. They have fair skin and speak frankly."

"Hehe, so that's how Acheng sees me?"

Seeing Nekoya Hina awkwardly raise her hand to scratch the back of her head, he continued, "She's a bit too lively, and a bit clumsy in her careless ways."

"Are you trying to say I'm noisy?"

Hina Nekoya immediately took a step closer, hooked her arm around his shoulder, and glared at him with a feigned angry expression: "We get along really well."

"It's undeniable that this is a real shame. A pity."

Makoto Takahashi switched to a joking tone, and Hina Nekoya patted his shoulder forcefully: "What's up? Speaking of which, why did Makoto suddenly start dating Junko-senpai?"

A silent visit.

The two crossed a small overpass and came to a wooden station. The warm air in the waiting room smelled of a kerosene heater.

“Junko already told you.” Makoto Takahashi let out a soft sigh.

I've learned my lesson. I can't ask Shiraishi Junka to keep secrets anymore. As a result, there was no need to keep secrets at all in the end, and Nekoya Hina had already obtained the information.

There's no way to blame Shiraishi Junka; her personality has always been friendly and sincere.

"Tokyo's specialty must be scumbags."

After sitting down, Hina Nekoya poked him with her shoulder indignantly: "But we're friends, right? Even though you did something wrong, good friends should be there for you through it."

Morally, Hina Nekoya condemns him, but emotionally, she can't blame Makoto Takahashi.

Even if you try to excuse him in your heart, everyone makes mistakes.

As for his unrequited love, it had always been suppressed by his so-called "girlfriend" and could not make any waves. Now, friendship naturally took the lead.

"So, what's Cheng thinking?" Nekoya Hina asked frankly.

"That night, she was more beautiful than any girl I had ever seen. My heart felt like it had been gently poked by a fingertip. I had never experienced such an indescribable feeling before."

Makoto Takahashi shifted his gaze from her face to the headlights of a bus approaching in the distance, and said with a smile in a gentle tone:

"Does that make him sound even more like a scumbag?"

"No, I don't think so. Anyway, I'll support you." Hina Nekoya said with a bright smile.

After the bus stopped, the two walked out of the station and took a ride to the countryside.

About ten minutes after leaving Otaru city, the bus arrived at a vast, deserted field. The clouds were thin, and the moonlight illuminated a small warehouse on the edge of the field.

In the distance are mountains, their blurred outlines conveying a sense of desolation.

The bus stopped at a station with only one road sign. After getting off, Makoto Takahashi took a breath of fresh air and walked into the village with Haruna Nekoya.

The cat house is an extremely ordinary two-story wooden house, with black bricks and tiles that are very common in neon-lit areas.

"I'm back--"

Upon entering the house, Nekoya Hina shouted, took slippers from the shoe cabinet, and led Takahashi Makoto into the spacious living room.