When the train stopped at the station, they walked out of the carriage with their luggage, then walked to the bus stop and boarded the next bus, which came in six minutes.

The car drove towards the forest hotel they had booked.

The car swayed over the Usui Mountains, passed golf courses and tennis courts, and wound into Karuizawa surrounded by Mount Asama, Mount Liufu, Mount Ritsu and Mount Bibaki.

This is northwest of Tokyo and southeast of Nagano Prefecture.

All year round, mist fills the mountain forests, and the larch and birch trees display their lush dark green branches and leaves.

Not far away, the maple tree flaps its wings like a burning bird.

The ground is covered with sycamore trees, even the ground is colorful, and the landscape is like a fairyland.

They got off the bus at the terminal, but still had to walk several hundred meters to the hotel.

Fortunately, the road was smooth and there was not much in the suitcase.

They dragged their luggage and strolled through a special sea of ​​flowers and fallen leaves.

Along the way, the sun shone down from time to time between the leaves, jumping onto Ai Hoshino's denim jacket and shining on her charming shoulders.

No matter what the temperature of the wind is, just looking at her figure who is interested in everything makes the forest look warm and full of life.

"Autumn!" On the forest road, Hoshino Ai stopped and sighed, looking at the leaves in the sky and stretching out his arms.

"It's autumn." Taku Makimura said behind her.

"Hey, tell me, it's like we've traveled through winter!"

"Indeed." Taku Makimura looked at the maple leaves at his feet, "It's hard to imagine that we came here from the snow all at once."

A small fire-like bird chirped and blended into the branches.

"It turns out that after winter comes autumn!"

"It's spring."

"It's autumn!"

"Yes, it is autumn."

The leaves floating on the road and the dried cicada shells of dead cicadas in late summer made an unusually crisp sound under the feet.

As they dragged their luggage forward, they kicked away pine nuts or fallen leaves that were about to break from their feet.

They checked in until the hotel clearly appeared in front of them.

Just like in Echigo-Yuzawa, they settled their luggage and their lives for the next few days here.

Before lunch, they came out of the hotel and walked to the bicycle rental shop.

Makimura Taku rented a black off-road vehicle, while Hoshino Ai chose a slightly more casual white bicycle.

They set off from the entrance of the store, rode on their bikes, listened to the sound of wind passing through their ears, and felt the shimmering golden light coming from above their heads.

Sometimes it accelerates to overtake, sometimes it slows down and parallels.

The sound of bicycle bells lingered on the driveway like a euphonium, drifting into the quiet valley.

The tires ran over the ground, and the scattered leaves chased behind the car like forest elves.

What you can see is the breath of autumn.

Sure enough, after winter comes autumn, Taku Makimura suddenly remembered what she said.

Tired of riding, they parked the car on the side of the road.

Makimura Taku sat casually on the ground on a staircase, while Hoshino Ai squatted nearby and observed the ant's cave.

"What season do you like?" Hoshino Ai suddenly asked him casually.

"Summer." Taku Makimura picked up the red fallen leaves, but they broke into pieces.

"Why?"

"Secret." Taku Makimura said.

Hoshino Ai looked back at him.

"I can't have secrets?"

"Of course," Hoshino Ai smiled, "I like winter."

"The reason is a secret."

Hoshino Ai shook his head, straightened up, and sat down next to Makimura Taku regardless of whether the ground was dirty or not.

She picked up a leaf that was half red and half green. The leaves were full of holes: "I liked those days, those days in Echigo-Yuzawa."

"Because of the snow?"

She shook her head.

"Because of the elk?"

She still denied it.

"I can't guess." Taku Makimura surrendered.

Hoshino loves to stretch the leaves to the sky, and the weak sunlight shines through the gaps and holes.

She looked over with confused eyes: "I felt very happy and happy those days!"

"How happy?"

"It's like I've fallen asleep in honey. It's like I've floated up into the blue sky and gotten into my favorite white cloud."

"You really like sweets?"

"Idiot?"

"Kidding."

"I know."

Under the tree, they sat there quietly, carefully observing the shadow cast by the tree.

The shadow of the tree deviated from its original position.

"It's a feeling I've never had before." After a long time, Hoshino Ai said, "I can't describe it clearly. Why I feel so happy and happy. When I think of winter, I think of torii gates, shrines, and fried tempura.

, I think of skiing and snowball fights, strawberry villages, hot springs, moonlight, coffee houses... You also remember that daffodil, right? In short, it's like there is an electric current passing through the body, I like it very much, I am very happy, why?

?”

A sudden strong wind blew over their bodies, causing leaves on the ground to fly in the sky.

Hoshino loved to block the wind and sand with his hands until the wind stopped. The wind soon stopped.

"I like it very much." Taku Makimura told her, "This reason is enough."

"But I don't even know the reason why I like it."

"That doesn't matter."

She turned her head and saw the bright dawn shining through the clouds, through the lush leaves, through the vague mist, through many obstacles, and shining on the young man's face.

Although she had already noticed it, she still didn't expect that the young man in front of her could be so dazzling.

"It doesn't matter?" she asked.

"You will also like autumn, you will also like summer, and you will also like spring."

"I like it too much?"

"Aren't you Hoshino Ai?"

Hoshino looked at him lovingly.

"You are the most greedy girl in the world. What's wrong with liking her more?"

"I……"

"Amazing, greedy Hoshino Ai, isn't she?"

"Yes." Hoshino Ai's face burst into an unprecedented smile.

The shadows of the trees are mottled, passers-by and other pedestrians drive by, and the sound of bicycle bells is still sweet and clear.

"I think I fell in love with winter in Echigo-Yuzawa!"

"It's actually autumn."

"winter!"

"winter."

Hoshino Ai also stood up and brushed her long hair away from her ears with her hands. The remaining weak wind only stirred the ends of her hair.

To Makimura Taku, that look was just like the flower fairies coming from fairyland.

"Makimura-kun." She smiled beautifully, her smile was brighter than cherry blossoms and more charming than sycamore trees.

"Next, I want to fall in love with autumn in this place, in Karuizawa."
To be continued...