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"Hello, your fries are hot."
After gently placing the plate of extra-large French fries in front of the turquoise-haired girl and receiving a cute "thank you~", Nakagawa Nobuyuki, who was wearing a cafe uniform, turned and walked towards the booth next to him.
"Hmm! The fries here are so crispy~ Okay?~ Next time, let me invite my sister over~"
…So what kind of adjective is [噜]?
After silently complaining about the girl who was swinging her legs with a happy look on her face and starry eyes, obviously enjoying her French fries, Nakagawa Nobuyuki walked towards the booth not far away.
"..."
Pursing her lips calmly, Miss Hailing was now lightly touching her chin, looking at the street outside the floor-to-ceiling window, looking like a "thinker".
What's going on... a little too seriously.
Nakagawa Nobuyuki shook his head and gently moved his gaze to look at Wakaba Mutsu on the side.
No, the way these two guys shut their mouths and don't talk is exactly the same.
Except that Ruoye Mu looked at him calmly, he was exactly the same as Miss Hailing on the other side.
Looking at the quiet atmosphere in front of him that was as quiet as the winter in Hokkaido, Nakagawa Nobuyuki couldn't help but sigh softly, turned around and took out a box of playing cards from the drawer in the backstage.
"..."
Biting her thin lips lightly, Ruo Yemu's green eyes deliberately moved away from Zhonghe Xin who suddenly turned and left in front of her. She shrank her neck timidly, her lips moving slightly.
...I should say goodbye to classmate Xin now.
Because ballet class is about to start.
However, I really want to continue going to the snack street with Xin.
...The snacks found by Xin are more delicious than those I found myself.
…but I can’t say it.
I don't want to say goodbye or anything like that.
Ballet and stuff like that...are really boring.
Just as Wakaba Mutsumi was silently fingering the corner of his clothes, Nakagawa Shin took a stack of square playing cards and sat back in the booth steadily.
"...Hailing, since we just met Mu, why don't we play some games?"
While shuffling the new playing cards in his hand, Nakagawa Nobuyuki, who was leaning on the table, looked with interest at Hachiman Kailing who was in a daze opposite him.
"…If I lose the bet, will my soul be taken away?"
Miss Hailing looked at the poker cards clattering in Nakagawa Nobuyuki's hand, blinked gently, raised a slight arc at the corners of her mouth, and asked softly.
"I don't have such a stand ability..."
Looking at Miss Hailing with a narrow smile on her face, Nakagawa Shin suddenly had a row of black lines on his head and complained casually, then spread the deck of cards in his hand smoothly on the table.
This technique was something that Nakagawa Nobuyuki learned to pass the time when he was working in a convenience store.
"What should we play... Mu-san, Napoleon or something, right?"
Looking at the perfect arc formed by the deck of cards, Nakagawa Nobuyuki nodded with satisfaction and looked at Wakaba Mutsu who was a little dazed opposite him.
"…Xin-san, teach me."
[Napoleon] is one of the national ways of playing Japanese poker. However, when it comes to this, people here seem to particularly like the name Napoleon.
For example, apart from this poker game, there are also Napoleon pasta, Napoleon fish and so on. There is even a Napoleon in Aquaman.
...So, don't name this team-building game after an exiled lone guy. Mr. Napoleon would never find four people to play this game on the island of St. Helena.
"But, Napoleon, we don't seem to have enough people... We need at least four people, right?"
He clicked his tongue lightly and then slowly swept his gaze over the people in front of him.
One, two, three... plus myself... isn't that enough? There are exactly four...
...?
No, count again.
Classmate Mu, classmate Hailing, and myself... three people...
The next moment, Nakagawa Nobuyuki's strange gaze instantly turned to the blue-haired girl who suddenly appeared in the seat with an excited look on her face.
"…Excuse me, sir, do you have any…"
Before Zhonghe Xin could finish his somewhat hesitant words, the customer lady, who still had French fries in her mouth, opened her mouth happily with starry eyes, holding her little face:
"What game do you want to play!"
"At least swallow the fries before you talk..."
"【Game】! Want to play?"
Hina～Hina～
There seemed to be some strange sound suddenly in the air... maybe it was an illusion.
No... Generally speaking, would an average person really suddenly join a group of strangers for no apparent reason and ask them to play board games together?
At this time, the girl with ice-blue hair finally swallowed the fries in her mouth, opened her starry eyes wide, and looked at everyone with great energy.
"...Ms. Hailing, what do you think?"
Instead of nodding or shaking his head directly, Nakagawa Nobuyuki just moved his head and looked at Hachiman Kailing, who was holding her chin and watching the two of them with interest, and quietly asked for her opinion.
"...Actually, I'm going to a band event later."
Hachiman Kailing seemed a little regretful and shook her head gently, obviously looking like she was going to refuse.
As a result, he immediately changed the subject the next moment and spoke in a very natural manner.
“…But a bassist wouldn’t be a bassist if he wasn’t late.”
As the guest lady's eyes lit up, Hachiman Kailing curled up the corners of her mouth slightly and nodded at Nakagawa Nobuyuki.
...First, let's take a look at what kind of people are in my band.
At this moment, the three of them looked at Ruoye Mu, who had been lowering his head, gently stroking his slender fingers, and saying nothing.
As if she was not used to being asked for her opinion, Xiao Mu just lowered her head like a timid mushroom, and knitted her beautiful eyebrows slightly. Although she looked a little hesitant, she still responded in the end:
"……Um."
...Ballet is so boring.
Or... I want to stay with Xin.
"...Well, clerk-san, please deal the cards~"
At this moment, just like an elementary school student who cheered after learning that lunch was fried chicken nuggets, the receptionist also moved to the side of the table with a smile.
However, the next moment, as if she suddenly remembered something, the guest lady blinked gently and turned to look at Nakagawa Nobuyuki who was playing cards on the side.
"By the way, waiter-san, can I have another large portion of fries~"
The blue guest lady seemed to be a little too fond of such junk food.
196
Chapter 196: Xiaoxiang...living with that person?
Cold and shaking.
…Actually, it was just on the train.
Miss Chuhua, at this moment, was leaning lightly on the seat of the tram, looking a little dazed, frowning, thinking with a heavy heart.
...I need to find a good opportunity to tell Xiaoxiang about this...But how should I tell Xiaoxiang?
As long as I tell Xiaoxiang what I have said, even if Xiaoxiang doesn't believe it, he will definitely be wary of... that person from now on.
Just in her heart... when she mentioned that name... Miss Chuhua felt some physical uneasiness, as if the next moment, her neck would -
No...I can't think about it anymore.
Thinking of this, Sanjiao Chuhua clenched the hem of her skirt tightly, took a deep breath, and forced herself to resist her emotions that were beginning to waver again.
At this moment, Sanjiao Chuhua's hesitant and uncertain look was clearly seen by Toyokawa Shoko.
No matter what important thing Chuhua wanted to say, since he had to go home to tell her, there must be a reason for it.
Therefore, Toyokawa Shoko just folded her hands, pretending to be calm, and gently looked out the window at the scenery that was once unfamiliar but now became somewhat familiar.
It was not until the feeling of the train braking gradually spread from the seat that Toyokawa Shoko coughed lightly to remind Miss Sankaku Chuhua who was still in a daze beside her.
"Chuhua, we're here."
Patting her friend's delicate shoulders, Toyokawa Shoko put on a forced and difficult smile, then breathed a sigh of relief and spoke softly:
"...Maybe, it will be a little beyond Chuhua's expectations."
Although she said it very casually, the girl's tightly wrinkled canvas bag strap in her hand was obviously not as relieved and relaxed as she looked.
Following Toyokawa Shoko's footsteps, she stepped out of the tram's screen door. As the roar of the tram went away, Sankaku Hatsuhua pursed her lips lightly and looked with some concern at the station name and scenery that were completely unfamiliar to her, and one could even say that she had never heard of it before.
"Xiao Xiang... do you live here?"
If I remember correctly, Xiaoxiang's family is quite well off... But this place seems a bit desolate.
"...Well, it's not far from here."
Taking a deep breath and trying her best to act normal and natural, Toyokawa Shoko just bit her pale lips tightly, as if she didn't want Sanjiao Chuhua to see her stiff expression, and quickened her pace.
Seeing Toyokawa Shoko suddenly speed up, Sankaku Chuhua was stunned for a moment, and immediately followed quickly.
With different feelings in mind, we walked through the not-so-clean streets and alleys and finally arrived here.
"...Chuhua, this is it."
Biting her lips a little tighter, Toyokawa Shoko forced herself to stop her trembling hands, but still did not dare to look back at Sanjiao Chuhua behind her.
Precisely because he was her friend...she was afraid, afraid that her friend would show a look of pity in his eyes.
Click.
The rusty iron gate was slowly opened by Toyokawa Shoko, who was feeling very heavy-hearted.
"...Xiao Xiang, shall we go inside and talk?"
Sanjiao Chuhua blinked and gently urged Toyokawa Shoko who suddenly stopped in front of him.
Although I am quite concerned about the shabby street scenes and the houseplate with the landlord's phone number, now is not the time to talk about those things.
Xiaoxiang, are you renting a house now?
"...Chuhua, when you come up, be careful not to rub your skirt against the rust on the edge."
Taking a deep breath, Shoko Toyokawa suppressed the urge to look back and stepped lightly onto the rolled steel steps with peeling paint. Her small leather shoes and the steel made a crisp sound.
These were the words that Zeng Xin told me when he took me upstairs.
Sanjiao Chuhua didn't have time to care about whether it would rust or not at this moment... He just clenched his fists slightly and quickly followed Toyokawa Shoko's footsteps.
The first room you come up the stairs from is the very familiar rental house of Nobuyuki Nakagawa.
It was not until she walked into the room and smelled the familiar scent in the air that Toyokawa Shoko seemed to finally find some sense of security, and her nervous mood finally eased a little.
...Really, I actually thought about so many unnecessary things. Didn’t I already agree to face this fact?
"...Chuhua, I didn't take special care of it, it's really embarrassing... Is barley tea okay?"
Thinking of this, she took a deep breath, finally smiled at herself somewhat self-deprecatingly, and walked into the room.
“…I can do anything.”
Although I don’t know why Xiaoxiang lives here, but... I think it’s best not to ask.
Looking at the room in front of him that made him feel inexplicably uneasy, Sanjiao Chuhua instinctively resisted a little, but then he thought, since it was Xiaoxiang's home, how could there be any danger?
Thinking of this, Sanjiao Chuhua, who had just stepped lightly into the entrance, breathed a sigh of relief, blinked, and glanced around the not-so-spacious room.
Although it's a bit old, it's really tidy after Xiaoxiang took care of it.
...Well, you can also smell the fresh scent of lemon and sunshine.
It was not until this moment that Sanjiao Chuhua finally breathed a sigh of relief. The heavy stone in his heart was finally slowly put down. He closed the door behind him and finally spoke with some fatigue.