[Comprehensive] Natsume Reiko's trip

Asakawa Shin has been a mild-mannered child since he was a child.

His parents passed away very early and he was always brought up by his grandparents.

Asakawa, who lacks maternal love, was introverted and thin when she was a child, and was often bullied in class.If this situation continues, maybe he will grow up to be a gloomy person who works hard and looks cynically at everything around him.

But fortunately, Asakawa met a very good teacher, that gentle teacher filled the role of mother and taught him to know the world again.

Probably from that time on, Asakawa became more grateful to the world and made up his mind to become a teacher.

When he was conducting an educational internship intention survey at the university, he voluntarily gave up the opportunity to stay in the big city and went to the remote Yayuan - because there are more people in need of help there.

When a person is rejected by the collective, a clear dividing line seems to be drawn around that person: outside the line is the noisy world, and inside the line is boring black and white.

Perhaps due to the same experience of being excluded, when Asakawa saw Reiko for the first time, he discovered that she was out of place with this class.

Asakawa once observed Reiko secretly. He found that Reiko always looked out of the window throughout the day, and she never looked directly at any classmate in the class.

Why is this so?

Is it because of disdain, or fear that once you see it, your eyes will involuntarily show envy?

"Do you know the female classmate sitting by the window?" Asakawa once asked the girls in the class.

"Ms. Asakawa is interested in Natsume Reiko? She is a creepy lunatic. It is better for the teacher not to touch her." The girl commented on Reiko harshly.

The girl who pulls and doesn't fit in, the weird guy who talks to himself in the air, the liar who threatens his classmates from time to time, the violent man who always fights with boys...

The more I inquired, the more exaggerated the information about Reiko became.But in Asakawa's view, it was just a lonely girl who didn't know how to take care of herself.

If Reiko is allowed to continue living like this, what will happen to her future?

Asakawa couldn't sit back and watch Reiko destroy herself, he wanted to pull Reiko out of the darkness and give her a new future—just like the gentle female teacher did for him.

"If you don't eat, you will be hungry."

Asakawa secretly paid attention to Reiko for a long time, so he knew that although Reiko sometimes brought lunch boxes, more often she didn't have lunch.

It took Reiko a while before she realized that Asakawa was talking to herself: "What does this have to do with you?"

"Here!" Asakawa said to himself, putting the steaming steamed buns he bought in front of Reiko, "This is Nanatsujiya's steamed buns. It tastes very good. You should like it."

Reiko looked at Asakawa with a suspicious expression on her face, as if to say: Are you really human?

Asakawa smiled and left consciously.He knew that if he had been here, Reiko would not accept his kindness.

Sure enough, it wasn't until Asakawa walked for a long time that Reiko took a bite of the white and fat steamed bun, and said to herself, "Weird person."

Since then, Asakawa began to contact Reiko frequently, and he seemed to become more and more nagging, and he almost broke his heart for Reiko.

Reiko always likes to do some very dangerous things, especially climbing to a tall tree to watch the sunset. God knows how nervous Asakawa was when he saw Reiko sitting on the tree and shaking her legs leisurely.

"Hey! Reiko! Come down quickly! How can a girl do such a dangerous thing?"

Reiko glanced at Asakawa, and then jumped down!

Asakawa, who was completely stunned, didn't even make any reaction, just stared blankly at Reiko landing cleanly on the ground, then clapped her hands and walked away from her.

Maybe Reiko is squeezed out, but the strong and independent Reiko seems to need no rescue from others at all.

For the first time, Asakawa Shin felt that his self-righteous concern seemed a little self-indulgent.

However, Reiko seemed to be shining all over her body, firmly attracting him.

But suddenly one day, Reiko changed.

It was the same tall tree, and the same cry of concern from Asakawa. This time, Reiko lost her balance and fell down!

Asakawa, who already had a similar experience, finally did what a man should do this time - stretched out his arms, ready to help Reiko.

But history is always surprisingly similar. Reiko, who was doing the landing action, stepped on his face, and then the two fell to the ground together. Asakawa once again had no effect.

Asakawa felt that his face was burning. In order to cover up his embarrassment, he could only pretend to be a teacher and educate Reiko.

But to his surprise, this time, Reiko didn't make any rebuttal.

Reiko's abnormality aroused Asakawa's concern. He checked Reiko's body carefully, and finally found Reiko's broken knee.

Reiko's embarrassed expression softened Asakawa's heart.He involuntarily carried Reiko on his back, and walked towards the infirmary step by step. Along the way, the students returning home after club activities cast surprised glances at them.

This is just concern for the students, Asakawa told himself.

However, is this really the case?

Reiko's breath surrounded Asakawa, and all the sights and sounds around her disappeared.

All that remained was the sound of Asakawa's accelerating heartbeat.

dong... dong... dong...

Reiko had changed, and Asakawa confirmed it again.

Although she was still withdrawn and silent in the classroom, Reiko no longer waved the branches in the air, and no longer talked to herself in the open space.

She would still occasionally stare at nothing for a few seconds, but would quickly look away.

Reiko, the time her eyes stayed on Asakawa became longer and longer.

This realization made Asakawa's heart surge, and he couldn't help crossing the line between teachers and students, showing extraordinary concern for Reiko.

One day, when Asakawa was helping Reiko fend off the boys who were bullying her, Reiko asked him a question.

"Why are you being so nice to me."

"Because I am your teacher!" Asakawa blurted out.

But, is it really just that?

Just teachers and students, is it really necessary for Asakawa to do this?

No, he cared about Reiko because...

"I might like you, Reiko." When he said this, Asakawa felt that he was a bit despicable, and used his identity as a teacher to seduce students. How is this different from some scum in society?

However, emotions are often uncontrollable.

Just when Asakawa thought he would be rejected and beat him up, he heard Reiko's confused voice: "If I wasn't Reiko, would you still like me?"

ha!No matter the girl in front of me is called Reiko or some other name, isn't she still her?

Asakawa gave Reiko this answer.

At that time Reiko smiled at him with a bitter expression, neither agreeing nor rejecting herself.

In the days that followed, Asakawa and Reiko came together in a low-key way. Teacher-student love is not a good name after all.

On the day of graduation, Asakawa formally proposed a relationship request to Reiko, and Reiko, who was alone, also agreed, and followed Asakawa to the city where he was studying at university.

After graduation, Asakawa quickly found a job with his excellent grades.

He works very hard because he wants to give Reiko the best life in the shortest possible time.

Asakawa leaves early and returns late, and Reiko takes care of Asakawa's daily life like a virtuous wife.

Those days were plain and happy.Reiko belongs to him completely, and he belongs to Reiko completely.

But one day, Reiko suddenly made a request: "She wants to go out and see the world before getting married."

Asakawa was momentarily stunned, but quickly expressed his understanding.

Reiko was such a flamboyant and domineering person before, but now for him, she restrains her minions and strives to be a virtuous wife.

He graduated from university this year, which is the time when he should work hard; and Reiko just now, is the best time for a woman.

He shouldn't have bound Reiko to him, it's too selfish.

"I support you, Reiko! Be careful when you are out alone. When you come back, I will save enough money to marry you and marry you." Asakawa put his arms around Reiko's waist and said with a smile.

At that moment, Reiko's eyes were a little moist.

She buried her head in Asakawa's arms, with a nasal voice: "Okay!"

Reiko is gone, but every once in a while, letters will be sent, describing her recent situation.

When Asakawa, who was busy with work, realized that Reiko hadn't heard from her for a long time, it had been a year and a half since Reiko left.

Reiko used to be as short as two weeks and as long as three months, and she would always send a letter explaining the situation.The letter that came only three months ago was accidentally lost during delivery.

It has been almost seven months since Reiko sent a letter last time.

Maybe both letters got lost in the mail?

The restless Asakawa decided to wait a little longer.

While waiting, Asakawa couldn't help thinking wildly.

Could it be that Reiko was tired of herself, or had a new sweetheart outside, so she left without saying goodbye?

No, no, Reiko is not such a person.Did Reiko encounter any danger?

Three months passed without knowing it, and Asakawa finally couldn't wait any longer. He quit his job, packed his luggage, and prepared to look for Reiko.

If Reiko has a new life, then he will bless her; if Reiko encounters any danger, then, if she is born, she must see people, and if she dies, she must see a corpse.

At this time, a year and ten months had passed since Reiko left.

Asakawa first went to Yahara, where Reiko lived in high school.

The Tahara family that once adopted Reiko is now empty.

After the Tahara couple brought back Reiko's child, they lived an extremely low-key life. No one even noticed that the Tahara family had an extra child.

After Minako graduated from junior high school, they moved out of Yahara immediately without telling anyone where they moved.

Asakawa didn't find out anything.