Christmas 2012.

In the center of the shopping street, a huge Christmas tree is filled with neon lights and colorful lights. The colored lights that light up and go out one after another are like flowing light points, spiraling up around the Christmas tree, and finally lighting up the crystal star at the top.

Shiraishi and Hashimoto, who had just attended the Christmas party of the previous group, stayed under the tree, with the stars above their heads only two or three meters away from them at the moment.

Couples on the side shyly exchange Christmas gifts.

"...I seem to have left the gift for Nanamin at Mai Mai's house. Apparently both Mai Mai and Misa took the opportunity to give it away..."

"...Nanamin, you won't be angry anymore, will you?"

"..."

"How about I buy another one now to make up for it?"

"Pfft hahahahahahaha! Holy, I forgot my Christmas gift at Mai Mai's house hahahahaha..."

"...Wait a minute, isn't this the place to laugh?"

——

Fukawa stood in front of the window of the shopping street bookstore, looking at Hashimoto who was leaning on Shiraishi with a helpless face more than ten meters away. She took a breath and her nose, which was red from the cold after running through the cold wind all the way, quietly clenched her hands.

gift bag.

On the pink packaging, there are a few wrinkles on the sky blue paper with the words "To nanami" written on it.

After sending Eto to the station, when he returned home and saw the gift bag dropped on the sofa, Fukawa guessed that it might be a gift that Shiraishi didn't send, and rushed to chase it out, but he didn't expect to encounter the scene in front of him.

But, why should I hide secretly...

"Aren't you going to send it out?"

"ah?"

Fukawa turned around in panic.

At some point, the manager of the bookstore came to her and pointed to the gift bag that she subconsciously hid behind her, "Why don't you give it away? This is a Christmas gift, right?"

"Ah... this, it seems it doesn't matter anymore..." She glanced at the two people cuddling together outside the window, and she might have disturbed them if she went there.

What's more, she didn't have the confidence to smile as usual in front of the two of them.

The store manager smiled at her and looked out the window.

"It's beautiful, Christmas tree."

"...Well, it is indeed beautiful." Fukawa nodded subconsciously. In fact, she only noticed it now.

"Everyone under the Christmas tree... seems to be very happy."

"Yes," the store manager sighed, "it would be great if everyone could find their own happiness."

Is it your own happiness...

Fukawa cast his gaze towards the starry night sky.

It would be nice to find it...

——

It was a long time ago, but what's rare is that she still remembers it so clearly.

The cold wind at night was incompatible with the warm atmosphere of Christmas that day, and even though I was wrapped tightly in my coat, I still felt my body temperature constantly being lost.

I returned home feeling disappointed, and sat quietly on the empty sofa for a long time, before realizing it, I let go of the gift bag in my hand.

The gift bag falling in mid-air gradually overlapped with the subway speeding into the station.

"Nogizaka Station is here, Nogizaka Station is here."

The announcer's mechanical voice echoed in the vast but crowded subway platform.

The sound was like a hypnotic signal. Fukawa felt as if he was being sucked into a whirlpool, and he could not help but sink to the bottom with the downward force of rotation.

When she came back to her senses, the subway in front of her caused a short roar, trailing its tail, and disappeared into the dark and deep man-made cave in a few blinks of an eye.

"...This joke is not funny at all, Mai Mai."

"As you said, we are not children anymore."

"Maimai, do you know what you are doing?"

"..."

The howling wind followed the departure of the train, arriving late.

Time goes back to now. October 2015.

Fukawa held his arms and rubbed them slowly twice.

"...It's so cold," she said.

A child...?

Fukawa looked at the seat not far away from him, leaning against the back of the stairs.

On this platform where the cold wind intersects with restless noises, it seems like some kind of mark left behind.

The two girls, who were in constant panic, separated here like a quarrel. After that, no one mentioned this matter again.

Yes, the memory of that day was left here by the two of them.

At that time, her trembling but increasingly determined lips slowly approached the other party, like a flame that burned passionately without any care after being ignited. Now what is left is just ashes that have not been properly cleaned on the ground.

"Maimai!"

She was patted hard on the shoulder, which was not surprising. She had already felt someone approaching before that.

Turn back.

"Sayuri, Mai is here too." It was Matsumura, with Shiraishi standing next to him with a smile on his face.

"Don't scare me." Fukawa said with a smile, his gaze passing over Shiraishi's shoulder, "Where is Nanamin?"

Matsumura and Shiraishi looked at each other.

"Nanamin is still practicing in the practice room," Shiraishi said. "Didn't Nanamin make several wrong moves on the previous tour? Since then, I feel that she has been practicing privately much more often."

"She won't listen to my advice. I hope she can take good care of her body." Shiraishi said worriedly.

"Maimai, you and Nanamin haven't gone back with us recently. Forget it when you are working. At least let's stop by for a meal occasionally on practice days." Matsumura said.

"I'm sorry, I have some things to deal with recently." It wasn't a lie. She was really flustered. The more she pretended to have nothing to do with Hashimoto, the more the hole in her heart expanded.

Fukawa looked at Shiraishi, "By the way, Maiyang, I forgot to congratulate you before for being elected TER."

At the selection announcement on a certain day in August, Mai Shiraishi and Nanase Nishino were both selected as W TERs for the 13 singles. This double TER model is the second time since Gogeng and Ikoma.

"Congratulations are too late, how long has it been?"

"Feel sorry."

"It's okay, I lied to you," Shiraishi put his arm on Fukawa's arm and said with a smile, "Maimai has been very busy recently. It's the first time I stand in a row of gods of good fortune, so I feel very uneasy."

Fukawa just smiled. Maybe a little, but he was more concerned about another person.

"Ah, the subway is here." Matsumura said.

The three of them followed the flow of people and got on the subway. At this time, the car was already filled with drowsy office workers, and the three of them had to stand holding on to the handrails.

The subway entered the tunnel, and Fukawa's face in a trance was reflected on the glass opposite.

"Mai Mai?" Bai Shi waved his hand in front of her.

"Ah...sorry, I got distracted again."

"Maimai, are you okay? This is very dangerous." Shiraishi was quite worried, "Sayauri's home is coming soon, why don't you go and take a rest first."

Fukawa shook his head and said with a smile, "No need, I was actually thinking about something just now."

"real?"

"Yeah, don't worry."

But the worry in Shiraishi's eyes still failed to subside.

Fukawa felt more and more sorry. Was Hashimoto avoiding her? If she hadn't done that impulsive behavior, maybe they would still be the same as before...

The more she thought about it, the more guilty she felt.

Maybe, I should have a good talk with Nanamin.

"Sorry, Sayuri, Maiyang, I have something to do at the moment, so I'll get off the bus here first."

"Eh? So urgent?" Matsumura asked.

"Let's go out and get together next time, four of us together." Fukawa stepped out the moment the carriage door opened, waving goodbye to the two of them outside.

Seeing the worry on Shiraishi's face fading away, Fukawa silently made up his mind to solve all this and not let Sayuri and Mai worry as much.
Chapter completed!