[Zhenyao] Love is just the years

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——The kind who wants to fall in love with you.

Because of this sentence, Makoto's whole person became unwell.

At this moment, tens of thousands of images flashed through his mind, and the memory images that were kneaded together surged up in an instant, which was dizzying, but he realized in time that there was only one thing to do now:

"Wait... Haruka!"

Makoto hurriedly chased after her, the movement was too sudden, the water glass on the table was also knocked over by his force, but he reached out with all his strength but only grabbed the corner of Nanase's clothes.But even that was enough for Nanase to stop.

Makoto, who usually likes to do things vigorously, only becomes very gentle when touching Nanase, which is in sync with the raised eyebrows and smile on his face.

Nanase just noticed that Makoto was holding on to the corner of his clothes like she did when she was a child, but her feet also faltered, and between hesitation, she noticed a familiar shadow swaying beside her, and when she raised her head, Makoto was already standing in front of her— ——The big hand that pulled the hem of his clothes before had been let go long ago, but it was hanging by his side a little at a loss, his movements were stiff, and he seemed nervous.

Even so, Nanase is not much better than Makoto.He stood opposite Makoto, clutching the dark blue sports bag so hard that his fingertips turned white. From the outside, he looked taciturn as usual, but he really clenched his teeth.

The fluorescent lamps above their heads are in warm colors.Makoto said awkwardly in the soft orange light: "Well, did I hear correctly just now?"

"Which one?"

At least it sounds like Nanase is much calmer than Makoto.Besides, he didn't dodge his eyes, but looked directly at Makoto and asked quietly as always.

"It's just... falling in love... liking... Xiaoyao, you... uh... that or something."

Later, the voice became softer and more embarrassing, Makoto no longer knew what she was talking about, she didn't understand what she was talking about, and she was so confused that she couldn't even straighten her tongue.

"What kind of talk is that. I never said it." Nanase didn't know what was going on with her. Seeing Makoto tense there, she seemed to be a little more relaxed, "And how many times have I said, don't Add the word 'small'."

"Ah, I'm sorry... I said it unconsciously when I was nervous."

Makoto apologized frankly, her cheeks flushed slightly for a long time, her eyes that had been gliding around before finally stopped after a while, and she focused on Nanase's eyes, the emerald green eyes were serious and persistent, like To see the deepest part of the deep sea blue:

"Please! Say it again, Haruka."

"No." Nanase refused him without even thinking about it.

"Eh, why?!"

"Makoto's hearing is fine."

"What does this have to do with good hearing?" Makoto thought so from the bottom of his heart, he took a step forward anxiously, getting closer to Nanase, and said in his characteristic sticky and gentle voice, "I I think that is very important, so I want to confirm it with Haruka again!"

Makoto's voice was loud and she spoke so seriously, but Nanase laughed.This almost fleeting smile made him look less cold than usual under the warm light.

"You grabbed the corner of my clothes just to confirm?" Nanase relaxed, and even asked in a slightly teasing tone.

"Eh? Eh! Confirmation is just one of the reasons..." Makoto quickly waved her hands in denial, lowered her eyes, and explained in a low voice, "How should I say, I was too nervous until just now, ah no, even now I'm still nervous... As long as I think about facing you now, I will be so nervous that I can't even speak coherently."

"Really." Nanase didn't ask rhetorically or confirm, but just responded lightly and casually.

"Yes." Makoto nodded vigorously, looking really stupid.

"Then what does Makoto think?"

"..."

——In places you don't know, there are many ideas and more things to say.

Makoto thought hard for a while where to start.It's not that he doesn't know how to deal with such a situation. If today's object is someone else, then he can definitely refuse directly with a very polite smile and words.But Nanase's sudden words caught him off guard.He wanted Nanase to understand something, something he hadn't told him about the two of them for years.

"remote."

"Ok?"

"Speaking of which, do you still remember that incident in the sixth grade? It was the time when Haruka fell into the river to help Aki retrieve her scarf."

"... I remember." That time can be regarded as a bad memory in Nanase's life, and the motive for picking up the scarf is stupid no matter what it is then or now.

"At that time, Haruka was in a coma, so I don't know?...When I rescued Haruka who was about to be carried away by the current with Rin, I kept calling you, but Haruka was lying on the ground wet, showing no signs of breathing. , and didn't give me any response... At that time, I had no other emotions in my body except fear.

"My brain is controlled by fear, and I can't stop imagining what if Haruka really leaves me?

"Then because he refused to lose and was too scared, his body was trembling. Ah... This was discovered by Rin, and he was worried for a long time in the hospital afterward. Now that I think about it, it still makes him worry. I feel sorry for him.

"Yao, it seems that I have always thought that the seaside funeral in my childhood was the most terrifying experience in my life, but it has never been like this. There is no need to recall and compare carefully. I also know what I am most afraid of.

"At that time in the ambulance, I kept grabbing your clothes and calling your name... Even when I got out of the ambulance at the hospital, the doctor told me that you were fine, and the nurse gave you a drip and was about to push you into the ward Yes, I still haven’t recovered from this feeling of fear. After you woke up and made sure you were fine, a person in the bus compartment on the way home cried inexplicably and helplessly. How should I put it? With a lifeless appearance, I can't help but feel scared."

Nanase just stood quietly in front of Makoto, letting the warm light hit his head and shoulders, motionless and silent.He lowered his head slightly, and did not make any eye contact with each other, just listening to the most familiar person in front of him tell the things he didn't know at that time in the warmest and most peaceful tone.

"So, to talk about the thing I'm most afraid of in this world... Haruka, it was already clear at that time, wasn't it?

"—It's the matter of 'if one day Haruka is no longer by my side'."

After Makoto finished speaking all the words in one breath, she finally regained her peace of mind, without any tension or uneasiness, the corners of her mouth gradually raised until that familiar smile appeared again.

At this time, Nanase took a deep breath, then moved her lips, and said in a low voice but clearly:

"...It's not just you, Makoto."

"Eh?"

"I rescued you from the sea that time, but no matter what you did, you lay motionless and didn't breathe. At that time I..." Nanase paused, clenched her hands, then raised her face, deeply After taking a deep breath, emotions surged out in one breath, "I can't accept you whose body was getting colder at that time, no matter what."

After speaking, the room fell into silence.

Following Nanase's gaze on her, Makoto saw only her own figure reflected in the pair of deep sea blue.

There is still a thin warmth from the fluorescent lamp above the head, and the overturned water on the table spills over the edge of the table and falls onto the tatami mats in drops. The night wind blows outside the window, slightly flapping the plain curtains.

Take another half step.

Just half a step.

Just half a step.

He and Nanase walked so many roads together from childhood to adulthood, Makoto thought, there are probably tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions, half steps.But tonight, maybe in the next second, this half-step between them will be the only one among so many.From then on, they will reach an unspoken secret because of this half-step, including a wordless hug, and even a slightly longing kiss.They will become each other's only harbor, and when night falls, they will be like the harbor in Yanyuan Town, and their hearts will warm each other like street lights.

When Makoto and Nanase's eyes met for the second time, they both smiled at each other and took this half step lightly.

——Fin.

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