single row ahead

Because he gave Sakule's doll to Yuki without authorization, Odasaku bought a new doll for Sakule during his work break the next day, and at the same time wrote a message to Yuki, explaining what his adoptive father said, so that Don't think too much about it.

And Yuki didn't seem to take this matter to heart, and when she saw the note from Oda Sakunosuke, she just listened to his words and obediently put the doll on the bedside, and devoted herself to studying.

It seems that it was Sakunosuke Oda’s suggestion to let him go to school that inspired him. Xue overcame his fear of the outside world. For the first time, he stepped out of the house alone and went to a nearby old bookstore to read books. From the most basic elementary school textbooks to professional books with obscure content, there is no taboo for meat and vegetables, and you can read what you have, and seize all the time to avoid the owner's sight to absorb knowledge.

Fortunately, the owner of the old bookstore is a smiling and kind old woman named Ameko Okino. Her wife has passed away, and her children have left the remote countryside and went to the big cities to make a living.

Okino Ameko opened this bookstore not to make money, but because even in the rural area of ​​a nationally famous metropolis like Yokohama, the fate of the population gradually moving out, the number of young people in the village is decreasing, Most of those left are the elderly and children.

Children will go to the city when they grow up, and old people will go to the earth when they grow old.

Under such repeated vicious circles, Okino Atsuko can only watch those familiar old faces leave one after another, but the fresh blood has not been able to flow to this place of sunset for a long time.

It was really a horrible and helpless mental torture. Seeing old friends leaving one after another, she couldn't help but wonder, could she be the next one?

In order to get rid of this inexplicable fear and to add some popularity to her home, Ameko Okino converted the first floor into an old bookstore, attracting children who are still in school nearby to "treasure hunt".

Although due to the population, the old bookstore has never been lively, but the nearby people have cleared out all the old books and gave them to her because they moved or their homes were empty, so the old books are piling up more and more.

So when the conspicuous child came to her twice, she noticed him.

Even though he has been trying to shrink himself into the darkest and least noticeable corner, secretly flipping through books.

It seems that he knows that this kind of thing is not right. He always reads a book, removes the gap in the next book, and observes her position with his head. The nervous expression on his face makes people see through him at a glance. Thinking, Okino Akiko guessed that the child must be wondering if she noticed his behavior.

Perhaps because she didn't want to lose this lovely visitor, Ameko Okino was always considerate when he was paying attention to her position, either staying in the corner farthest from him, or turning her eyes away to talk to other guests. The kid kept a just-right distance.

She is 65 years old.

At such an age, what kind of people and what kind of faces have you not seen?

Time has endowed her with wisdom in dealing with others and a delicate and tolerant heart.

Noticing that the child's eyes were sore from reading under the dim light for a long time, and he couldn't help rubbing his eyes, she silently changed the light bulb in the store to the brightest one, and even the corner where he often stayed could The light is bright.

Noticing that the child often sat on the cold floor for a whole day because there was no stool, she went to a nearby grocery store to buy a few small wooden benches and placed them scattered in the second-hand bookstore, although there was no one other than the child. Not used by others.

As if gradually aware of her kindness, the child was no longer so worried when he came to the old bookstore to read. He stayed quietly in the corner where he had left his mark, tirelessly flipping through one book after another. books.

They are in this small old bookstore, listening to each other's heartbeats that are neither fast nor slow, and spend years together in silence.

Until one day there is no longer a pure white figure like snow in that corner, and there is no rustling sound of flipping books in the empty study room.

It was also on that day that a dewy bellflower was quietly placed in front of the old bookstore. The leaves were slender and straight, and the color was bright and elegant. The clear gratitude and gratitude in the child's heart.

Elderly elderly woman holding flowers and smiling.

At least for this moment, she forgot her fear of death, and only a kind of warm satisfaction and hope filled her heart.

They never said a word, nor told each other's names.

Even Xue himself didn't expect that he could get an admission to a key high school in Yokohama just by reading books in a month.

Oda Sakunosuke, who took him to the entrance test, was overjoyed.

It was the first time Yuki saw such an exaggerated smile on Oda Sakunosuke's face.

That burgundy-haired man has always been calm and restrained. Even if he is happy, he will only wear that kind of shallow and warm smile on his face. He has never been like this before, chattering endlessly, his face flushed red, almost like drinking Excited like drunk.

What's more important is his eyes.

At that time, he glanced at him from time to time, as if entrusted with something, with shining eyes.

"Snow might become a great scientist in the future!"

"If Odasaku wants me to be a scientist, I will work hard."

As if infected by Oda Sakunosuke's heartfelt joy, Yuki summoned up the courage to speak out her thoughts.

"Hey, Xue wants to know what my dream is?"

The topic later shifted to this for some reason.

"There is a beautiful blue sea, and there is a hut where you can see the sea through the window. In the hut, there is a table on the side of the window, and then I can sit at that table and quietly conceive my novel."

Even though Yuki has gradually grown up in the sea of ​​books, Oda Sakunosuke still hasn't been able to change his speaking habits when facing Yuki.

He still expressed his wish in the simplest and most plain language as before.

"...so beautiful." Xue murmured.

He asked, "Odasaku, will you include me in your novel?"

Odasaku was startled, then laughed and said, "There will be."

He looked into the distance and gradually covered the glorious sunset, "There will be snow, there will be Kosuke, there will be Shinji, there will be Yu, there will be Katsumi, there will be Sakura, there will be blue sky, there will be beautiful sunset, there will be... The vast sea, soft sand, a hut, and a dog."

Yuki squeezed Oda Sakunosuke's callused palm and said, "Oda Sakunosuke's wish will come true."

Because the longing in Oda Sakunosuke's eyes was so dazzling, even he couldn't help but look forward to it.

"So let's work hard together," Oda Sakunosuke smiled, "Snow must study hard, and I will also work hard to realize my dream."

The blood-like setting sun spread all over the ground, burning out its brilliance for the last time before the night fell.

Such a dreamlike life has actually allowed a person like him to enjoy it for two full years.

Even if one day after many years passed, when Fangxing recalled the days when he worked tirelessly to become a scientist, he still couldn't help but sneer and smile disdainfully.

For his own delusion, for Oda Sakunosuke's innocence.

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