Lonely Rock for the Blind

Goto Ichiri suddenly sat up from the tatami.

Blue eyes see a world shrouded in cold colors.

The sunlight outside the window is no longer golden, but a bit monotonous white.

It’s winter…

Goto Ichiri suddenly understood why he was so cold in his dream just now.

Kicked the quilt off...

Just as the girl was about to reach out for the kicked-off quilt, the door was suddenly pushed open.

"Ichiri, wake up... ah, you're already awake."

Goto Michiyo said in surprise as she looked at Goto Ichiri who was sitting on the tatami.

"I've never gotten up so early before. Did you have a nightmare?"

"No...no."

Goto Ichiri shook his head.

"Really? Then hurry up and get changed. Then, after dinner, we'll go to school."

"Ah... um."

Goto Ichiri nodded.

Goto Michida closed the door and left.

"... "

Goto Ichiri lowered his head.

"What did Liang mean by… 'It's quite difficult'?"

Goto Ichiri suddenly realized that he seemed to care about this sentence very much.

Although Hongxia and Xiao Xiduo both told themselves not to care.

but…

Goto Ichiri vaguely felt that this sentence was very important.

Very important...

...

……

.........

“Hiss…Huff, huff, huff~”

Da Heiyin was holding his hands and exhaling white steam.

"Is it that cold, Pa-san?"

asked Nekoyashiki Haru, who was walking next to her.

The two of them happened to meet on the way, and then they headed towards the stars together.

"It's really cold! Sigh... If I stay in this weather for any longer, I'll lose my ability to move..."

"Are you a cold-blooded animal from somewhere?"

Nekoyashiki Haru shook his head.

"You're so afraid of the cold, why do you still come here in the morning?"

“It’s so lonely staying at home alone…”

Daikokuyin shook his head.

"At least I can still entertain the store manager and you in Fanxing."

"I don't think either of us wants to be teased by you."

Nekoyashiki Haru blinked his purple eyes.

"So, Pa-san, you're actually the type of person who's really afraid of loneliness and doesn't have any friends."

"Don't say such hurtful things! I have friends!"

"…where?"

"Online..."

"... "

Nekayashiki Haru was silent for a while.

"Don't be so silent with such a profound meaning. Doesn't this make me look particularly pathetic?!"

Daikokuyin shouted.

"A 25-year-old who can only stay in a rented apartment and order takeout or go downstairs to buy lunch boxes every day and only socializes online is a social loser!!!"

“…I’m not a social outcast, am I?”

Nekoyashiki Haru shook his head.

"And don't you still have us?"

"... "

Daikoku Otomi looked towards Nekoyashiki Haru.

"It's just you and the store manager. And I feel like the store manager has been getting more and more weird lately."

"Isn't there still a closing band?"

“…While I don’t dislike them, I’m not that familiar with them.”

Daikokuyin shook his head.

"I told Xiao Hongxia my name a long time ago."

"Then?"

"And then she forgot..."

Daikokuon had a sad expression on his face.

"I know I'm on my phone most of the time so I don't have much presence... but you said my name..."

"I see... I feel neglected."

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded and asked.

"So, what's your name, Pa-san?"

"?!"

Da Hei Yin's eyes widened.

"Wait, wait! You knew that, right?! Even though the manager told you without my permission, you should have known it!"

"Just kidding, right, Daikoku Otomi? I haven't forgotten."

Nekoyashiki Haru gave a wicked smile.

"Don't make such jokes, Nekoyashiki-kun!"

Da Hei Yin said a little angrily.

Nekoyashiki Haru was slightly stunned.

"What did you call me?"

"Nekoyashiki-kun!"

"... "

Nekoyashiki Haru thought for a moment.

"Although, Pa-san, you..."

"Wait wait wait! Don't call me pa-san, I'm really worried you'll forget my name!"

Da Hei Yin interrupted quickly.

"…Okay, what about Miss Daikoku?"

Nekoyashiki Haru asked tentatively.

"This isn't...good either?"

Da Hei Yin said softly.

"...Ms. Otomi?"

Nekoyashiki Haru said.

"I don't want this either! So chuunibun!"

Da Hei Yin reacted violently.

"What a trouble you are, pa-san!"

Nekoyashiki Haru sighed.

"I won't forget your name, so I'll continue to call you Pa-san... Forget it, I'll just call you Pa from now on."

Nekoyashiki Haru's purple eyes turned towards Okoro Otomi.

"Then continue what you just interrupted."

"Ah good."

Being stared at by those purple eyes, Da Heyin inexplicably felt a little afraid to move.

"Even though you complained about being lonely and that no one seemed to know you well... you just called me Nekoyashiki-kun, didn't you?"

"what…"

Daikokuyin has realized something.

"This kind of address is quite alienating."

Nekoyashiki Haru shook his head.

"You call everyone else by their first name, but you only use this honorific when you call me. We've known each other for quite some time, right?"

"Then should I just call you by your name?"

Da Hei Yin has already tried to explore.

"nice."

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded.

"clear?"

"Yes, that's my name."

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded and continued.

"Maybe it's because you always have this vague sense of alienation around you that people don't get so close to you."

“Me? Alienation?”

A sense of alienation?

"I dare to smell Xiao Xiduo's hair directly!"

Da Hei Yin said excitedly.

“…I really don’t know about that, but I don’t mean superficially.”

Nekayashiki Haru continued.

"Think about it, even a blind person like me can sense the alienation around you, which means it's not just a superficial issue."

Da Hei Yin was slightly stunned.

"What do I usually say?"