The night wind is cold.
The streets are deserted.
After discussing winter break with Nanako, and playing "Street Fighter" fighting together for a while, Naoki stood up and said goodbye.
When he walked to the side of the apartment, a familiar sweet scent wafted into his nose along with the night breeze, which was extremely alluring.
"Stone-baked sweet potatoes."
Naoki saw a cart of roasted sweet potatoes not far away.
In the taste of winter, stone-baked sweet potato is indispensable. Not to mention the scent that drifted for miles, one could always smell it on one or two streets. In the past, there was an open oden on the street, which was hot and warm.
Stepping into the car with stone-roasted sweet potatoes, the sweet smell is getting stronger. Naoki immediately bought two roasted sweet potatoes, then returned to the apartment, and pressed the doorbell to Mafuyu's apartment.
Faint footsteps came to the door, and after seeing Naoki through cat eyes, Mafuyu quickly opened the door: "Come in."
"I'm back."
Naoki walked into the entrance, and changed into slippers easily.
"You… bought stone roasted yams?"
Mafuyu sniffed his nose lightly, his eyes moved down, and fell into the paper bag in Naoki's hand.
"I remembered that I haven't eaten rock-roasted yams in a long time, so I bought two." Naoki took a thick paper bag in his hand, looked into the room, and his eyes fell on the table, "Sensei also bought stone-roasted sweet potatoes?"
"Um."
Mafuyu caressed her forehead helplessly. "I also bought two stone baked yams, I had just changed my clothes and was about to text you when the doorbell rang."
Naoki laughs: "Sensei bought it for me?"
"Not."
Mafuyu remained expressionless.
Naoki said casually: "Miharu-san is gone, what did Sensei do with the two stone baked yams?"
Mafuyu closed the door and tightened the anti-theft chain: "I can eat myself."
"Sweet potatoes are not a staple food. If you eat too much at once, you will feel bloated and uncomfortable." Naoki walked to the table and sat down, and said in the tone of the patriarch, "It's cold out, go and pour me a cup of tea."
The four main staple foods are wheat, rice, corn and potatoes. Yes, the fourth staple food is potatoes, which look ugly. People think it's a vegetable, but it's actually a staple food!
Mafuyu turned annoyed, turned and went to the kitchen to pour a cup of hot tea.
"Ah Cho-"
Mafuyu suddenly raised his hand to cover his mouth, and sneezed.
"Did Sensei get infected by Miharu-san?" Naoki held the teacup and looked at Mafuyu.
"Probably not." Mafuyu said with some hesitation, "It's just that after getting up in the morning, my nose feels a little uncomfortable."
"Miharu-san's success is more than failure." Naoki sighed "She promised to give you a surprise, but in the end the surprise didn't come, instead she brought you a cold."
"Sensei, do you want me to help you heal?"
Naoki recommended himself.
"No need." Mafuyu shook his head and refused, "I'll take some cold medicine later, I don't need your help."
Naoki raised his hand: "Sensei, I want a knee pillow."
"No lap pillows."
"Back rub?"
"There will be no more!"
"I put my life on the line today to save Amano-senpai." Naoki looked at Mafuyu with a surprised tone, "Sensei is actually indifferent, and there are no rewards at all?"
"The person whose life is in danger is clearly the culprit." Mafuyu approached angrily "The reward is the school's business, there is no reason for Sensei to award alone."
"Sorry to bother you."
Naoki was depressed, and looked down at his toes.
Mafuyu: "😐"
Even though she knew that Naoki was purposely appearing disappointed, Mafuyu was still entangled in his heart.
Acting bravely and standing up for the truth are indeed laudable qualities, and one must not remain indifferent...
After hesitating for a moment, Mafuyu looked away from the window and said softly: "...come here."
"Thank you, Sensei."
Naoki walked towards Mafuyu, and lay comfortably on Mafuyu's lap.
He had known for a long time that Mafuyu was the typical character who preferred gentleness over hard work, and the trick of going backwards towards progress was extremely easy to use.
Smelling the warmth and fragrance left on the tip of his nose, Naoki said: "Sensei, clean my ears."
"Um."
Mafuyu nodded slightly.
Knee pads agree, so it's okay to pick at the ears, it's better to say that knee pads without picking at the ears feel like something is missing.
...
After enjoying the comfortable knee pillow, Naoki turned around and sat down.
"Too fast today?" Mafuyu was shocked.
Normally, Naoki would always linger and refuse to get up, but today he didn't want to force her to get up on her own.
"Sensei looks really tough today." Naoki patted his thigh "Should I help you clean your ears for a bit?"
Mafuyu hesitated for a moment, his face blushed slightly, and she agreed.
The knee pads don't want it, but it wants to dig into the ears.
The two exchanged positions, Mafuyu quickly turned his body to the side, and pressed against Naoki's thigh.
When the ear picking device was inserted into the ear, Mafuyu couldn't help but sigh softly.
"Hyaa..."
Naoki said speechlessly: "I just came in, and I didn't even move."
"It's just that I'm suddenly a little nervous..." Mafuyu's face was hot, "Slow down."
"Yes, I continue?"
"...Um."
It is estimated that his ears are very sensitive. After a while, Mafuyu couldn't hold it in, and made a strange humming sound again.
"Wait...that's too, too deep..."
"Don't touch his ears, behind the ears... it feels a little... ah!"
The sound is very strange, will be misunderstood by the neighbors next door!
After providing the ear cleaning service, Naoki cleaned the room, then returned to his apartment.
...
The next day.
After school in the afternoon.
Naoki and the three girls gathered at the school gate and walked towards the tram stop together.
"It's very cold outside." Sekijou sighed, "Which shrine should we go to?"
Furuhashi: "Shall we go to Yushima Tenjin?"
Yushima Tenjin is located in the Bunkyo District, Tokyo, adjacent to the University of Tokyo, in ancient times it was called Yushima Shrine, now its official name is Yushima Tenmangu Shrine, and its nickname is Yushima Tenjin.
"Tenjin" and "Temma" have similar meanings. Both are dedicated to Sugawara Michizane Shrine. This old man is the god of learning in Japan, and his original identity is one of the four ancient vengeful spirits in Japan.
This old man was born in a scholarly family with many books, and he was nicknamed "Japan's Confucius". With his own ability, he ascended step by step, and finally sat in the proper ministerial position. It was a wonderful story of backlash at work, but it was a pity that when the spring breeze blew, she was framed by someone's conspiracy and scolded a secluded place, and soon died of depression.
From ancient times to the present, there are not 10,000, but 8,000 people who fail and die in power struggles. Barring an accident, Sugawara Michizane's fate is only a few lines in the history books.
Unfortunately, accidents happen.
After this old man died of depression, various "strange" phenomena immediately appeared in Kyoto, and an epidemic spread. Back then, emperors died from illness one after another. Later, the imperial palace was directly struck by lightning, killing and injuring many people. Become a super ghost, and come back for revenge—this old man was stingy before he was alive, and he must take revenge. It's no surprise to be a ghost.
So the emperor hastily completed his task and set up a temple for sacrifices.
Today, a thousand years later, this old man has become a famous **** of learning, and the experience of bestowing a **** can completely write a book.
"There are lots of people." Walking to the train station, Furuhashi said softly, "It was obvious that such a dangerous thing happened yesterday morning, but everyone seems to have forgotten about it today."
"What about strengthening agreed defense measures to reduce potential security hazards?" Sekijou said speechlessly, "It makes no difference at all in peacetime."
Hikers and tourists come and go, everything seems like yesterday, nothing has changed.
"There are changes." Naoki raised his eyebrows and said, "You have to observe carefully."
"Eh?"
Sekijou was surprised, and opened his eyes to carefully observe the train station in front of her, "Where's the change? Why didn't I notice?"
Furuhashi whispered: "I don't know either."
"There has indeed been a change." Ogata pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose, and his voice was calm, "The distance between each person in line is definitely 20 centimeters longer."
"Ahem." Furuhashi slightly moved the corner of his lower lip, "…I think that's true."
Life must go on as usual.
If you can't afford a taxi, you can only continue to use the trains and subways.
The four of them lined up to board the train, and the journey was safe and sound. Nothing happened, except for several passengers carrying black travel bags that were clearly emptied by other people.
....
After getting off the train, the four of them had arrived at the Bunkyo District.
"Yushima Tenjin is in the alley, hard to find. The first time I came here was when I was in junior high school. I was playing with my friends and almost got lost." Furuhashi walked quickly and her skirt fluttered gently, "It should be here?"
"Hmm..." Sekijou nodded with a complicated expression on his face, "When I was in elementary school, I visited Yushima Tenjin with my parents, but I haven't been here since then."
Naoki said, "I came here before summer break."
Before the final exams last term, Itsuki and the others were worried that they might not pass the exams, so they came to the shrine to ask for academic guardianship.
"I've never been to Yushima Tenshin." Obata shook his head.
"Hah?" Furuhashi was surprised "Ricchan has never been here?"
"I didn't have any friends before, and I won first place in every math test, so I didn't have to go to school." Ogata was carrying a large school bag, and his short orange hair fluttered gently in the sun, "Dad was also worried about my studies. When I was in the third grade of elementary school, after playing Sudoku together, my parents never cared about my studies anymore."
Their self-esteem must have taken a huge hit when they found out that their IQs weren't as good as girls in the third grade of elementary school!
"It must be hard not to have friends when you're young." Sekijou said in a low voice, "Let's get back together when the final exams come?"
"I don't know if it's hard work or not." Ogata shook his head and put his right hand on his chest, "Now… so happy."
"Fumino and Sawako are lifelong friends, as long as we're together, I'm happy no matter what I do."
"No, that can't be done." Sekijou blushed, and hastily covered his nose, feeling another nosebleed coming out, "Rizu-san said, I have no regrets in this life."
Naoki looks at Ogata: "What about me?"
"Asakawa-san..." Ogata's eyelashes fluttered slightly, a rare blush appeared on her small face, she turned her head and whispered, "That's the boy I like the most."
The smile on Sekijou's face gradually disappeared, and she suddenly felt displeased.
When they first met, the idea was very simple, because Ogata had a boy she liked, she had to work hard to help her and give his blessing to Ogata's love affair.
Only later did she find out that Naoki likes too many girls, and has close relationships with many of them.
Sekijou has a change of heart and calls Naoki a bastard, tries to end the relationship, and saves Ogata from the fire pit.
Now... Not only did Ogata fail to be saved, but she seemed about to fall into the fiery pit.
"Cough cough." Furuhashi changed the subject, "Climbing these steps, we will reach Yushima Tenjin..."
Naoki looked at Furuhashi: "That's because you don't exercise much."
The stairwell is quite high, and he doesn't like to exercise. If his physical fitness is poor, she will squat at home, and she will be very tired and out of breath on the hike… Naoki talks about Miku.
Naoki looked up, and he could see a ramp going straight up, separated by a guardrail in the middle, with "Nomezaka" on the left and "Nomezaka" on the right. There are several stair platforms in the middle, the incline is gentle, and it's easier to walk. It was started to make it easier for female worshipers to walk... Fortunately, they were not in the west, otherwise they would have been pulled out and punched.
There is an incline in the area, but in fact there is a special "female slope", which clearly discriminates against girls whose physical fitness is not as good as men's, and tears are about to fall!
The three girls naturally chose the girls' slope, which made it easier to walk, as for Naoki... Of course he was with the others.
Although the two roads are divided into men and women, no one cares too much about it when it is usually on foot.
Climbing the stairs all the way, when the three girls were sweating a bit, they finally reached the top of the incline.
An antique shrine standing in the sun, that is Yushima Tenjin.
"Finally arrived." Furuhashi exhaled gently, and wiped his forehead with his hand.
"I am very tired." Sekijou rested by the roadside. "Every time I come here, I find climbing the stairs really difficult. I was a little worried just now, the steps are really long and steep, what if I accidentally roll over?"
Naoki looked at Sekijou "Then you can practice the stunt called Invincible Hot Wheels."
Sekijou couldn't help but say, "This is a unique skill that can only be used once in a lifetime!"
"That's not necessarily true." Naoki said, "If you're lucky, you might be able to use it one more time."
"Asakawa-san." Ogata gently tugged at a corner of Naoki's clothes, lifted his face and said, "My shoulders are uncomfortable."
Naoki understood: "Go back and massage your body."
"Mother also wants."