Chapter 56 The rain keeps falling
After arriving at the Keyaki Shopping Center, Sakurai Haruka took Shimizu Mi directly into the elevator and went to an arcade on the fourth floor.

The arcade was bustling with people, and the sounds of various game consoles intertwined to form a unique symphony.

"It's so noisy in here... So, what are we going to play?"

Sakurai Haruka was not familiar with this environment and looked around curiously.

The video game arcade is a very familiar place for high school boys like Shimizu Mi.

But it is really rare for girls to come to such a place, especially as a date location.

However, Sakurai Haruka said that she wanted to visit some places that Shimizu used to go to, so she came here.

Amid the deafening noise, the flirting, teasing and laughter between friends were all drowned out.

Being in the crowd can make Shimizu feel lonely and calm his mind. Thanks to the noise here, everyone is equally integrated into the space, and people like him can also gain peace of mind and body.

"Why not look around first?"

Standing there was not a solution, so Qingshuijian suggested going in and taking a walk around first.

Sakurai Haruka was more excited than expected and took Shimizu Mi's hand, and they looked for a game they could play together, and found table hockey.

"Want to try this?"

"Oh, good."

The two of them stood on either side of the table and started the game, but... uh, Shimizu won.

Sakurai Haruka was so weak that he couldn't help but consider letting her win halfway through.

No, rather than saying that she is weak, it seems that she is not very good at this kind of game.

"I lost……"

Sakurai Haruka's competitive spirit made her look frustrated, but she didn't look upset at all. She seemed to be really happy to be with Shimizu Mi, and she immediately smiled.

Shimizu's face gradually relaxed naturally. Since he was here, he might as well enjoy it.

"Ah, see, how about that?"

"Want to play?"

The game that Sakurai Haruka was referring to was one in which one played the taiko drums in rhythm with the rhythm to see who could get the higher score.

Was she unexpectedly good at that game?
Seeing Sakurai Haruka holding the drumsticks in both hands with confidence, Shimizu Mi also put in a lot of effort, and the two of them started the game... and then Shimizu Mi won again by an overwhelming margin.

"I lost again..."

"..."

Unfortunately, Shimizu found that Haruka Sakurai seemed to be quite weak at this type of game.

Despite feeling frustrated again, she quickly smiled again and started looking for her next game.

"See, let's go play that next!"

"Ah."

Afterwards, Shimizu Mi and Sakurai Haruka continued to play various games, and the time gradually approached six o'clock.

Sakurai Haruka looked satisfied and said she was going to the bathroom and left.

Just as Qingshui was feeling bored, he saw a gashapon machine in the corner of his vision.

“Sure enough, there is such a thing.”

There are various prizes in the gashapon machine, and Shimizu notices an ugly frog badge that looks indescribable.

"..."

Looking at its expression that seemed to be saying "save me" and "let me get out of here", Shimizu couldn't help but take out some change from his wallet.

"Wait, I'll get you out of there right away."

There is no special skill required for this 200 yen capsule toy machine; it simply depends on your luck.

Shimizumi inserted the coin into the coin slot, but unexpectedly, he successfully drew it on the first try.

But what should I do after I draw this thing? I won't hang it on my bag or anything like that...

While Shimizu was worried about this, he saw that Sakurai Haruka had not returned yet, so he decided to leave the video game arcade temporarily.

He came to a jewelry store.

Originally, Shimizu Ken planned to buy some comfort items, but Sakurai Haruka's foot injury was not as serious as imagined and was almost healed, so he changed his mind and decided to buy her some small gifts.

There will be a sports meet next week, and if nothing goes wrong, she should win the championship again like in the first week, and then I can give it to her.

Even if the gift is just a few thousand yen, Sakurai Haruka will treat it as a treasure because it is from him.

But Qingshuijian still planned to buy something more expensive and better.

In Act 1, Sakurai Haruka had a piece of jewelry that she really liked, but she hesitated because of the high price and ultimately did not buy it.

Although she has a small treasury left by her parents, Sakurai Haruka is actually very frugal in her daily life.

At least as far as Qing Shuijian knew, she had not touched a penny of the money her parents left her.

She earned her tuition and living expenses by working part-time on her days off or in her free time.

Of course, if you want to buy a gift, it would be best if Amamiya Iori is also included.

When Shimizu finished buying gifts and returned with the black shopping bag, Sakurai Haruka had been standing outside the video game arcade waiting for a long time.

Judging from her expression, she must be very anxious. She has called me several times since then.

After explaining to her that he was going to buy some daily necessities, Qingshui looked at the time and found that it was almost six o'clock, so he decided to go home for the day.

……

Directly opposite the Beech Shopping Center, there is a cafe with a pink interior and romantic music.

Everyone who comes in and out of this store is a couple in love, holding hands and showing affection to each other.

That’s right, this is the legendary couple’s cafe exclusively for real people.

And in such a store, Amamiya Iori placed a mug of latte on the table, pulled out a chair and sat down.

Sitting opposite the two of them was her childhood friend from the same class, Nanami Aoyama.

"Nana, thank you for coming out with me today."

"It doesn't matter. My mom will just urge me to study and do homework if I stay at home anyway."

Nanami Aoyama nimbly extended her fork to the French fries, picked up one, and dipped it in ketchup before putting it into her mouth.

The whole thing started with a message Amamiya Iori sent to Aoyama Nanami on LINE last night, which read, "Can you accompany me to the Keyaki shopping center tomorrow? I wonder if it's inconvenient for you?"

For an evening coffee shop, it was quite crowded, and the customers were of all ages. For example, at the next table, a suit-dressed office worker opened his laptop on the table, apparently handling business.

In another seat further away, there were two women who looked like college students. They were sharing a cell phone and making travel plans together.

As for the seats by the window, a group of ladies were happily discussing gossip about celebrities.

"Iori, are you sure you want to give this to Kondo Yuichi-san?"

Nanami Aoyama pointed to the palm-sized gift box that Amamiya Iori placed on the table, which was wrapped extremely exquisitely.

That was the result of the two of them spending the day shopping.

"Yuichi? Who said it was given to him?"

Amamiya Iori asked back, confused, or rather somewhat displeased.

"Oh, I was just kidding you. Of course I know this is a birthday present for that Shimizu classmate, right?"

Nanami Aoyama chuckled complacently, as if nothing could escape her eyes.

Hearing this, Amamiya Iori lowered her head slightly, picked up the cup and took a sip. She was not shy because of what Aoyama Nanami had said about her, but the figure of Shimizu Mi just appeared in her mind.

"Iori, may I ask, when is the birthday of your best friend, Nanami Aoyama?"

Nanami Aoyama interviews Amamiya Iori with an air microphone in her hand.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden... Is it August 15? No, it's the 19th... Oh, that's not right, is it the 22nd?"

"Look, we've known each other for such a long time, but you don't even remember my birthday, but you remember Qingshui's. I'm really jealous!"

Nanami Aoyama vented her dissatisfaction with the French fries on the table and began to devour them frantically.

"It can't be helped. He only remembers other people's birthdays and never remembers his own..."

Amemiya Iori's eyes became soft, and she maintained the posture of holding the cup with both hands, feeling the warmth brought by the coffee through the mug.

"Iori!"

Nanami Aoyama suddenly slammed the table and stood up, causing some coffee in the cup to spill out.

“Do…what?!”

Amamiya Iori was startled by this sudden action and quickly wiped the coffee on the table.

"You will definitely become a gentle and virtuous wife in the future!"

"really?"

Amemiya Iori stopped what he was doing.

"Well, I believe your feelings will be conveyed to Qingshui-san. He might be so moved that he will propose to you on the spot!"

“Yes, is that so!?”

"Wow! Iori, you're roasted!"

Nanami Aoyama's words were not an exaggeration. In fact, Iori Amamiya's face was so red right now.

"Iori, by the way, if someone also falls in love with Shimizu-san and tries to destroy your relationship--"

"Kill."

"It's a joke..."

"Disgusting, of course I was joking."

“Is that so? It’s just a joke, hahaha… (I can’t say it out loud – her eyes are serious)”

After chatting for a while, Amamiya Iori and Aoyama Nanami parted ways and left the coffee shop.

Although it was just past five in the afternoon, the sun had already set towards the horizon, and the western sky was dyed crimson as if the world was about to end.

Amamiya Iori did not take the train home, but took the bus to Enoshima Station alone.

That train was heading towards Shimizumi's house.

Amamiya Iori got on the bus, sat in the empty single seat, and looked out the window absentmindedly. The sun had set and the street scene had changed into a night scene.

The bus was stopped by a red light and stopped where it was. In the reflection of the light, Amamiya Iori saw his own face clearly reflected in the window.

"My dear... you are an incredible person. At that time, you injected fresh blood into my dead heart, making it beat wildly and non-stop. I like you, so much that I can't help myself. I like you to the extent that I don't want to leave you no matter what happens. It doesn't matter if you think you have mental problems, I just like you that much."

Then, an unprecedented bright smile bloomed on Amamiya Iori's face, and that smile was so beautiful that it was heart-warming.

At this moment, she just wanted to see that person as soon as possible.

While I was thinking about these things, the bus had already arrived at a bus stop.

"Ah, I want to get off!"

Amamiya Iori held the small gift box in her hand, stood up from her seat, and followed the passengers in front of her, carefully walking off the bus.

After getting off the car, Amamiya Iori felt a wet touch on her face.

"Oh, no, it's raining?"

Amamiya Iori looked up and found that it was really drizzling.

Raindrops fell lightly from the sky, one after another...

However, Amamiya Iori's attention was attracted by the raindrops for only a brief moment, and she immediately walked towards the tram station.

"My dear, I can't live without you now..."

After taking two steps, Amamiya Iori's words stopped abruptly, the gift box fell from his hands, and a heartbreaking sound rang out at his feet.

She finally met the person she wanted to see most, but in the form she least wanted to see.

At this moment, Amamiya Iori discovered that there were other people standing on the other side of the intersection. She heard the voices of women talking happily and the voices of men speaking shyly.

Amemiya Iori's gaze naturally shifted to the other side of the driveway.

Because that voice sounded so familiar to her...

Moreover, this was not her illusion.

The figures that came into Amamiya Iori's sight were Shimizu Mi and a girl with short hair.

The girl threw herself on Qingshuijian's back.

Qingshuijian was hugged by the girl from behind.

"how come……"

Amamiya Iori muttered to herself unintentionally. The unpleasant wet feeling had spread all over her face. It must be because the rain had gotten heavier...

(End of this chapter)