People in Tokyo, the world is clear

This sentence made the girl blush, and she didn't know whether she was shy or angry.

Subconsciously put my hands on my hips.

"First of all, I'm not a child anymore. Secondly, no matter how hard I try, it's an indisputable fact that Senpai is an idiot."

"So you don't deny that you're cute?"

The girl was stunned by this sentence. When she came to her senses, she just turned her head away, feeling indignant.

"It seems that the senior's words and actions are not what you call a mature person. He is just an older child bullying a younger junior."

"Wow. So, in order to argue that he's not cute, Ito doesn't deny that he's a child anymore?"

"."

"This is an impossible triangle between Ito not being cute, Ito not being a child, and me being an idiot... I was wrong, don't."

The verbal prank was ultimately defeated by the girl's slender fingers, which became more and more skilled as we spent more time together.

It naturally transitioned into a stroll after lunch.

The two homeless people found a street corner to stand at, and in the afternoon drowsiness, they watched the people rushing by.

Thus, in this busy world, in the picture where the warm afternoon light and shadow sway restlessly, the young man and the girl stand motionless like still sculptures.

He put his hands in his pockets and she put her hands behind her back, as if she wanted to transcend the complicated world in a hazy state.

I should have continued to enjoy this unconscious self-indulgence for a while, but the wet feeling that hit my face ruthlessly interrupted everything.

"what?"

When I came to my senses, there were only a few people running around, bending down and covering their heads to block the rain.

A sudden downpour.

The street in front of me quickly turned into a muddy path, just like life, it was just an improvisation.

Then he was pulled by a girl who was faster and hid under the eaves of a deserted shop with a locked iron door.

The boring rainy season.

And worse is yet to come.

"Did you bring an umbrella, Senior?"

“…It’s over.”

I said my hasty goodbyes to the flamingos this morning, and when I went home to say goodbye to Miss Ito, I had no time to think about the possibility of continuous rain.

I didn't care about the umbrella at all, I just rearranged my clothes.

Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet became a deserted island in the cold city.

Fortunately, there are companions who are trying to survive on the deserted island.

Walking along the connected stone eaves, we slowly wandered to the nearby residential area.

A rare multi-story residential complex, it was a project implemented by Tokyo as part of its talent introduction program in the 1980s.

Find one of the sheds at the entrance and crawl into it, so you don't have to stand against the wall and have some space to move around.

The girl next to him reached out to help wipe away the water droplets on his shoulders and back, and then tidied up his slightly wet hair.

“It seems to be getting bigger and bigger.”

Ya: "Hmm. I don't know how long it will rain."

We squatted down together and stared blankly at the electrical box under the wall of the opposite building.

The only sound was the pitter-patter of rain. From time to time, scattered, refracted water droplets would hit me, and I reached out to help Ms. Ito block some of them.

Humans are peculiar creatures whose moods are easily affected by the weather. Therefore, the content of the conversation became as quiet and melancholic as the rain.

The girl sighed softly:

“Actually, I didn’t hate the rain when I was little.”

"why?"

"Everyone who's been busy seems to have fallen silent, staying quietly at home, and time seems to slow down. This way, someone like me, who's always a step behind, feels like I can keep up. Yes, it's very reassuring."

No wonder she is always a little slow on rainy days, that's why.

Suddenly, I fell silent as well, no longer taking the lead in the conversation, and listened to the people around me slowly and bit by bit organizing their words.

"When I was little, I lived in the countryside and loved the sound of raindrops hitting leaves and the swaying wind chimes."

"When it rains heavily, I feel very scared. I hide under the quilt and tuck my head in. Then, I suddenly feel relaxed and secretly happy."

Speak slowly and listen slowly.

Until there was no longer any clear and murmuring sound in my ears, only the increasingly loud sound of rain, drowning out everything.

Turn your head.

The girl had stopped telling the story at some point and just turned her head blankly and looked straight at me.

then.

阡驩ノ╲㈠⒋㈨○⑶⑺⑨⑻

The scattered light in the pupil gradually became clear again.

Then lower your head and avoid being stared at.

"senior."

"what happened?"

"Regarding your previous proposal..."

"Ah."

"I think we can give it a try."

Amid the sound of rain, the girl smiled faintly.

"Actually, I'm also very curious. Senior..."

How to behave like your lover in front of others.

That's what I was planning to say.

However, when he was slowly organizing his words, the young man next to him suddenly changed his expression.

Surprised and stunned.

This was too fast for Ms. Ito to react in the rain, so it took her several seconds to realize what had happened.

The girl turned her head blankly and looked at the shadow that appeared in front of the two of them at some point.

Standing with umbrella lying tilted back on shoulder.

"Xiao Lin?"

That is, a woman.

Chapter 54: Love Begins Like Rain

"Sister, here you go!"

"Ah, thanks."

Ito Xiguo reached out and took the towel that was handed to him.

This behavior obviously pleased the strange woman in front of him. She laughed and ran away like a child.

The girl was stunned with shock, and it took her a long time to come back to her senses.

He watched as the woman, who looked older than him, ran up to the older man and grabbed his sleeve like a little girl asking for candy.

"Sister, I gave the towel to Sister Ito."

"Well, that's great!"

So the older woman really stroked the head of the woman who looked to be in her twenties like she was stroking a child, coaxed her into the room, closed the door,

Turning around again, he smiled lightly and gently.

"So, Kobayashi and Ito wandered over here to avoid the rain because they didn't bring an umbrella?"

"Yes."

The young man next to him also looked stiff, holding the water cup to his mouth and pretending to drink tea.

His expression was a little complicated, with embarrassment and a hint of surprise.

But he was probably still a bit more courageous. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the tightly closed door inside the house and asked the same question that Ito Xiguo was concerned about.

"Is that... Reiko-san's sister?"

"Yes."

The older woman nodded.

That smile that could calm people down just by looking at it made Ito Xiguo couldn't help but repeat the other person's identity in his mind.

Tachibana Reiko.

A certain elderly lady whom I had met once before. And more importantly, her identity was——

The person he once had a crush on now claims that she has let go of everything.

Due to the inexplicable emotions brewing deep in his heart, Ito Nishika actually wanted to take in the expressions of the people around him and understand them.

But right now, there is something that makes people unable to look away.

"You two must be shocked. Why does my sister look like a child even though she's in her twenties?"

"Not really. I'm just a little curious for sure."

Faced with the doubts, Tachibana Reiko did not hide anything.

The smile on his face turned a little bitter.

"Her name is Taozi. When she was little, she fell on her head due to some accident. She doesn't blame anyone, but Xingzi has always felt that everything was caused by her and feels extremely guilty. Ah, Ito doesn't know who Xingzi is, right? She is my second sister."

"I, I understand. Thank you."

"Hmm..." Taking another deep breath, Tachibana Reiko's expression gradually calmed down. "Our family's situation isn't very good. My parents both passed away due to illness the year Xingzi was admitted to university. After that, Momoko has been with me all the time. I've worked a lot of different jobs, and in the first few years, I even worked for Kobayashi's family. Xingzi was also very sensible. She worked part-time while she was in school, trying to reduce the burden on me."

When she got here, the older woman lowered her head, a gentle smile appearing in her eyes.

"Sometimes I really do have to thank fate. Six months ago, I met my current husband. He's a very good man. He knew Taozi's situation and was willing to accept her. I guess I'm really lucky."

Lucky...

This word made Ito Xiguo a little dazed. She turned her head cautiously and looked at someone beside her.

Tachibana Reiko was right. Meeting a lover who shared her feelings was indeed a great blessing for her.

But sometimes, someone else’s luck may be another person’s sorrow.

The girl is also more worried about the mood of the so-called other person.

However, unexpectedly—

In the sight, the young man's expression was calm, indifferent and unmoved.

Even the next second.

Jiuwu Ling Yi Ba Ling Jiu Another

Noticing the gaze, he turned his head and looked back.

Quite rarely, a slight curve appears at the corners of the mouth.

Only her face was reflected in those clear and peaceful eyes.

!

Ito Xiguo looked up subconsciously, and his heart was instantly moved.

But he quickly calmed down and took a deep breath.

It seemed, indeed, as he said.