He is an idol and a childhood sweetheart.

"what happened?"

"Have you...had a quarrel with Xianren recently?"

"...Why do you think so?"

"Haven't you been avoiding him recently? So I was wondering if you two had a fight..."

"..."

Have I... been avoiding him recently?

Hearing Asakura Toru's question, Higuchi Enka fell into a brief thought.

Looking back carefully, it seems that during this period she did not walk side by side with him as she did in the past, nor did she go to his house with Asakura to play on her days off.

From Asakura's point of view, it may indeed look like a conflict.

but……

"I can't say that I'm avoiding him... I'm just not.

Just ask him for anything. "

After pondering for a long time, Higuchi Enka gave this answer.

"I prefer to be alone these days."

"Eh... so..."

Toru Asakura drawled lazily.

"Then it seems that I will be the only one to play with him from now on."

"Although it's not my place to remind you...but you are already a junior high school student, Tooru."

Higuchi Enka frowned slightly and said:

"It's time to realize the concept of 'men and women are different'."

"I don't understand. What does the difference between men and women mean?"

Toru Asakura tilted his head.

"Are you talking about physical differences? For example, breasts or something like that."

"Goo."

Asakura Toru's outspokenness made Higuchi Enka, the reminder, a little at a loss.

"Da, that's basically what it is. As girls, we need to know how to protect ourselves...at least that's what the teacher said."

"Hey..."

Asakura Toru's eyes shook slightly, then she sat up, looked through the window in the direction of Watanabe's house, and then asked:

"So, Enxiang thinks that the wise man will do something to you?"

"Varied!?"

Hearing Toru Asakura's off-the-line and bold question, Higuchi Enka almost choked on his own saliva.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean, do something to me?"

"Didn't you say you want to protect yourself? Since you think so, you must think that the wise man will do something to you, right?"

Toru Asakura said in her voice that could not detect any emotion at all:

"Otherwise, how can we start talking about 'protection'?"

"! I'm not worried about what the wise man will do to me. After all, I'm not targeting the wise man at all!"

Higuchi Enka subconsciously amplified her voice.

"I'm just reminding you to be careful of other boys!"

"I'm not interested in other boys either, so it's fine."

Toru Asakura said while lying on the window sill.

"I just want to be with Sage."

"...Then, what if the wise man wants to do something to you?"

"I'd be happy to."

"…………"

Ah, so it is.

It's not that she doesn't understand what "the difference between men and women" means. Rather, she may understand the meaning of this word far better than herself.

It's just that...she still has feelings for the sage that far exceed this.

And the name of this feeling...

"Toru...you really like sages, right?"

"……maybe."

This time, Asakura Toru did not answer Higuchi Enka with a very confident tone.

"Although I have heard the word 'like' from various places, I always feel that... I don't quite understand it."

Some people say that the feeling of wanting to be together forever is love.

Some people say that the feeling of being grabbed by the other person's heart just by looking at him or her is love.

Some people say that they don’t want to see other girls around him because they like him.

"If that's the case, wouldn't there be too many types of favorites?"

Toru Asakura turned his head and looked at Enka Higuchi.

"Hey, Enxiang, tell me...what does it mean to like?"

"...I'm the one who wants to ask this question more, right?"

Higuchi Enka asked, crossing her arms.

At this time, she could clearly feel that Asakura Toru's thinking was already ahead of hers.

While she was still struggling with the concept of "difference between men and women," the other party had already come up with his own answer and made his choice.Not only that, she had even begun to seriously think about her feelings for the sage.

Compared with her, he may have been far behind...

as always.

"Anyway, I didn't quarrel with Xian Ren. But... I probably won't cling to him with you like before."

"...In other words, I can monopolize the sage?"

"What kind of statement is that?"

After hearing this word, Higuchi Enka felt a sense of unhappiness in his heart.

"A sage is not something that belongs to a certain person, right?"

"That's what he said."

Toru Asakura did not continue the conversation on this topic, but once again turned his attention to the house across the street.

"I feel like I want to go to Xianren's house again. Do you want to come with Enxiang?"

Higuchi Enka was stunned for a while when he heard this, and then replied in an unconvincing tone:

"I can't...do it today."

"........."

Toru Asakura blinked immediately when he saw this.

"not in a good mood?"

"……not at all."

"That's good."

After saying that, Toru Asakura stood up, picked up the coat hanging on the hanger, and prepared to leave the room.

Higuchi Enka just looked at Asakura Toru's back with hesitation, and didn't stand up until she was about to go out——

"Forget it, I'll come too."

"Well, let's go together then."

Asakura Toru stopped and leaned against the door as if he had expected it.

"With three of us, we can play cards."

"Have you already thought about what to play with..."

Higuchi Enka shook her head gently.

"By the way, if I don't go, what are you going to do with the wise man?"

"Hmm... I never thought about it. After all, the three of us basically played together before this."

Toru Asakura nodded his chin and said:

"But next, I may really have to think about this issue carefully."

"..."

...............................

Thinking about it now, from that time on, she had gradually begun to be unable to keep up with Asakura Toru's footsteps.

Compared with Toru Asakura, who always knows what she wants, she always only realizes her true thoughts and feelings belatedly.

So after that, she naturally started to look at the backs of Toru Asakura and Kento Watanabe.

As time went by, she finally confirmed Asakura Toru's feelings for Kento Watanabe.

However, when she realized this, she suddenly found that she was used to her current position.

Asakura seems to enjoy spending time with Watanabe, and Watanabe is always happy to respond to Asakura.

As for Higuchi Enka, she just kept following behind the two of them, taking in everything silently.

Is that all right?

If she takes the initiative to approach Watanabe like Asakura did, then she may become an obstacle to Asakura's love affair.

If she tried too hard to alienate Watanabe, not to mention that she would feel uncomfortable, Asakura would also be worried about them.

So... just continue to maintain the current relationship, right?

All she values ​​is the feelings of the two of them.

Since both of them looked very happy, then...she was fine no matter what.

Just keep going like this.

As long as you place this treasure called "childhood sweetheart" and watch it quietly, nothing will change...

She had always thought so before the Asakura incident.

However... the reality was not as beautiful as she imagined.

Ken Watanabe and Toru Asakura suddenly parted ways without her knowing it. One of them is trying their best to cover up the scars left by that failure, while the other is enduring loneliness and continuing to move towards something she doesn't want. The direction of understanding is moving forward.

After witnessing the various changes that had taken place in Kento Watanabe, she finally confirmed once again that she could no longer remain indifferent.

[Obviously I had been indifferent until now.What is the reason that makes you ask this question out of the ordinary?Are you feeling sorry for what happened to the wise man, are you dissatisfied with me, or are you just out of curiosity? 】

"If you really want to know the answer, I think... you won't be happy, Tooru."

[In other words, I can monopolize the sage? 】

"Not now, Asakura."

【Hey, Enxiang, tell me...what does it mean to like? 】

"No matter what kind of feelings it is, it shouldn't make you two as miserable as you are now."