"Are you here to celebrate the New Year? From your accent, it sounds like you are not a local."

"Yes, I came with my family," Raku Sakakihara looked at the old woman's slightly hunched figure, "Are you too, old woman? It sounds like the accent from Kyoto."

"It's nice to spend time with my family. I just come here every year to see the snow."

"Along with grandpa?"

"No," the old lady shook her head, "He left early. In the past... he would come with me to watch the snow every year, but in these years I am the only one who comes to see the snow."

"...terribly sorry."

"It's okay...how long has it been?" the old lady said, waving her hands slowly and shaking her head.

"What about your children?"

"They all have their own things to do. How can I, an old woman, take care of them?"

This is quite...

Many people in this world say that raising children is a way to prepare for old age.

But when I become an old man, I still feel extremely empty inside.

After all, children also have their own families...

"But...even if the old man left early...I still formed a habit," the old woman suddenly looked at the frost and white snow falling in the night, and said in a calm voice, "It's more or less because I still miss her in my heart.

Because of him, I choose to continue to come here every year to see the snow... Some unforgettable scenes are still vivid in my mind... This year... it seems to be the 29th year, right? Alas... I

I can’t even remember it anymore…”

"Grandma, let's take you back to your room."

"Haha...Thank you, no, I can still walk."

...The conversation with the old woman was just a few words.

But looking at the back of the old lady as she walked away, my heart suddenly felt empty, as if I wanted to sigh for something.

My partner left early, but because he often accompanied me here, he insisted on coming to this place to watch the snow for nearly thirty years.

Thirty years...

Sakakibara couldn't describe what kind of emotion this was, but he felt that... the grandfather who left early should be the most worthwhile person to meet in life for the old woman.

With this inexplicable sad emotion, Sakakibara pushed open the door to the two sisters' guest room.

There is heating in the room, so the temperature is much higher.

The first thing he saw was Tianhai Jiuliuli lying on the bed and resting peacefully.

At another glance, what I saw was Tenkai Nanamigetsu sitting on her knees next to the small heater, facing the TV, wearing a white lily patterned yukata.

She wore gold-rimmed glasses and had long flaxen hair...probably because she drank too much tea today. The cup she held in her little hand was filled with steaming boiled water.

"Sister is asleep." Nanami Nanamiyue looked at Raku Sakakibara at the door.

"It's normal when you fall asleep."

Sakakibara entered the room, closed the door, stepped on the Japanese tatami, and sat down next to Nanami Nanami.

On the TV, NHK's red and white song show was preheating and was about to start. Tianhai Qimingyue was holding a cup of hot water and noticed someone's eyes that looked strange as soon as he sat down.

"Huh? Why, you suddenly keep looking at me like this."

"July......"

"Want to act like a spoiled brat?"

"...I didn't say that."

Tianhai Qimingyue still couldn't understand his thoughts. She put down the water glass, corrected her kneeling posture, reached out and patted her thighs that were close together. Regardless of the reason, she said, "Okay, come here first."

Qi Qi's voice was not as cold as usual, nor was it as arrogant as usual.

Instead, he gestured plainly and gently to Sakakihara to lie down on her lap.

"..."

"What? You still want to be arrogant with me? Are you following my sister-chan's bad example?"

"I'm not..."

"Then come here quickly and just lie down."

Sakakihara lay delicately on Qiuyue's lap, feeling the warm fragrance on her body.

"Turn your face closer." Tianhai Qimingyue said softly.

"...Why are you so gentle all of a sudden?"

Tianhai Qimingyue said angrily, "Come closer, it's time to pick your ears, don't think too much."

"oh..."

Sakakihara Raku then leaned over.

His face was caressed by the girl's delicate hands, and at the same time he felt the softness of her thighs and the warmth through the silk of her yukata...

This feels great.

Sakakibara Raku remembers that just after Suzu's birthday last year, July also had his ears dug like this, right?

I was lying on her lap like this at that time, but it was in her room, and this was in a hot spring hotel on New Year's Eve.

The movement of the ear pick was very itchy, and Qi Qi's movements were also very careful and gentle.

"What happened again?"

"What happened..." Sakakihara Raku felt the softness of her legs from the side of his face.

"I don't know you yet?"

"..."

"Speak out, I'm listening."

Other words may not sound like much, but Qi Qi's words of "I'm listening" made Sakakihara Raku have the desire to let go of all his defenses and pour out his feelings to her in the next moment.

"Just when I came here, I met a grandma in the corridor..."

At this time, he felt that Qiyue was really good to him... he was aware of his own heart, and was patient and willing to listen to himself saying things that others seemed particularly boring to.

...

"Hmm... um..." Tianhai Qi Mingyue listened patiently and continued to pick his ears gently, "So, brother, what kind of thoughts did you have on the grandma's matter?"

"...I don't have any novel thoughts. I just suddenly thought of you in July... Were you waiting for me with that kind of empty feeling in the past?...Knowing that I would never see you again.

There is someone I want to see, but I still have a place for that person in my heart.”

"I have to correct my brother. In my heart, I still think that there is a very small chance of meeting you. It's just very slim."

"Then assuming we don't meet again, will you still look for me secretly in July?"

"meeting."

"Why."

"Brother, didn't you already know that? To me, you mean something extraordinary."

"What if it's never found?"

"I don't know. There is a high probability that my sister will still listen to my mother's words. In the future, my sister and I will be separated due to different paths. My sister went to England to become a classical piano artist, while I stayed in Tokyo and inherited a small part of the family business.

.There is a high probability that you only want to make money.”

July is all about making money, probably because she doesn’t have her own ideals and path, right?

She has been insisting on studying and developed the habit of reading books.

But she is lonely and lonely deep down...

No matter how many books I read, I can't hide the fact that she has no friends and is unpopular.

"I do know that my personality is very awkward. I don't really like being alone, but I don't want to take the initiative to change myself to cater to everyone's atmosphere and make friends together. In the end, I will always be hiding in a corner reading alone."

"How can...Qiyue have a very good nature?"

"But this doesn't erase the fact that my personality is awkward, right?"

Amami Nanamigetsu turned Sakakibara Raku's body so that he was facing her belly, and continued to help him dig out his other ear.

"So I am very grateful to meet a guy like you who has a very awkward personality... How can there be people who are so lacking in love that they always want to love others? In reality, people like you are very stupid and very stupid.

Silly, and very easy to be taken advantage of... But for me, he is the only person who can bypass my awkward personality and love me."

Being treated and praised by Qi Qi so tenderly... my heart felt warm.

"Are these words sincere?"

"Surprised? That's right. I have never said these words to my sister."

"Then what do you say to me?"
To be continued...