NABC Page 17
Page 17
“We’re all friends. Since you like to eat it, I thought I’d buy more.”
"Come on, I know what you're up to." Shinomiya Haruka laughed and scolded him at the same time, "So, what do you want me to do for you?"
"Then I'll be frank, my dear sister—"
Seeing that the other party had gotten straight to the point, Kitahara Hakuba didn't waste any time, rubbing his thighs with both hands and saying...
"We've confirmed we'll be attending the marching performance at that music festival, but there are just too many people in the department. I'm already struggling to keep up with the seated practice by myself..."
"Ah~~ I get it, you want me to work for you!" Shinomiya Haruka squatted down next to Kitahara Hakuba with a lively smile and teased him.
Kitahara Hakuma's gaze barely swept over her before he could clearly see her soft, fair face, which was only inches away from his.
Those long, slender eyelashes trembled up and down with the dazzling light, and her cherry-colored lips shimmered with a moist and alluring luster under the cool white light, all of which were clearly visible.
"What? Are you staring at my face?" Shinomiya Haruka blinked.
"No."
"Oh, don't be shy, I'm naturally popular with boys."
Shinomiya Haruka raised her hand and patted his shoulder, revealing a sweet smile as she said,
"Of course, I don't like touching other people, and I'll get angry if someone else touches me, but I can tolerate it with you."
"...Hurry up and put the beef in the refrigerator." Kitahara Hakuba raised an eyebrow.
—This is incredible, this woman truly loves me.
But a moment later, another thought surfaced in his mind:
If I were bold enough to confess my feelings to her now, would she accept me? That way, in Hokkaido, I could have someone to cuddle with in bed every day after get off work; that would be so wonderful.
But this idea, in Kitahara Hakuba's mind, was like a bubble rising from the seabed, rising for a while before disappearing without a trace, leaving no mark.
"Don't put it in the refrigerator, just eat it here. You stay and help me."
"Should I stay too?"
"Otherwise what? Why would I ask you to come up here?"
Halfway through her sentence, a meaningful smile appeared on Shinomiya Haruka's lips.
"Oh, I get it, you want to do something lewd with me, right?"
"No."
"It's best to be honest."
"......"
"Haha, are you silent now?" Shinomiya Haruka revealed a mischievous smile, but a blush also appeared on her fair face.
“I didn’t mean that, because when you say that, I always end up speechless,” Kitahara Hakuba explained.
He really didn't want to fight with Shinomiya Haruka in bed; he just wanted to deliver something and then go home.
Shinomiya Haruka raised her hand to her mouth and smiled, saying:
"Okay, enough joking around, come help me."
Kitahara Hakuba followed her into the kitchen, which was just big enough for two people to stand in.
He had been wanting to blanch that colorful cabbage for a while.
"By the way, do you spend every day at the music store these days?" Kitahara Hakuba asked while roughly undressing the cabbage.
Shinomiya Haruka took a piece of pork rib from the refrigerator and put it on a plate with a clatter.
"Yeah, there's not much to do in Hakodate."
"Wait, middle row?"
"Huh? You're not eating?"
"No, don't you like the sliced beef I bought?" he quickly asked.
"Eat, eat everything, but this is for making pork rib soup."
Haruka Shinomiya took out an ear of corn and sliced it into pieces with a kitchen knife.
"You like corn and pork rib soup, right? You always order this soup in the university cafeteria, and if one isn't enough, you order another."
"......"
—Mom, this person really wants me!
Seeing Kitahara Hakuma's expression suddenly become very reserved, Shinomiya Haruka's lips curled up slightly, and she gave him a playful look.
"Are you excited?"
"It's alright, but you reminded me of my mother in Tokyo, and a sudden wave of sadness washed over me."
"Are you an idiot?" Shinomiya Haruka said with a laugh.
-
It was already 8:30 pm when we finished dinner.
The request wasn't as difficult as he had imagined. Shinomiya Haruka readily agreed, not only willing to teach the brass section marching but also to guide the bass section, making his work less strenuous.
"I'm afraid I'll never forget you for the rest of my life," Kitahara Hakuba said sincerely.
“If that’s the case, then who can resist such temptation?” Shinomiya Haruka said with a smile.
"If I win an award, I will definitely share some of the money with you."
"Ah."
Kitahara Hakuba took the initiative to clear away the dishes.
He can be a little tired now, but he absolutely cannot let Yaobao suffer.
"Ah~~ It's so early." Shinomiya Haruka said, standing next to him and looking out the kitchen window. "It's only a little past eight."
Night fell from the sky, and with it, the stars collapsed, engulfing Hakodate City in an instant.
"It's already late in Hakodate, let's hurry back, wash up, and go to bed," Kitahara Hakuba said.
Shinomiya Haruka glared at him with obvious disdain, put her hands in her pockets, took a deep breath, and said:
"How about we go to Mount Hakodate?"
Kitahara Hakuba's eyes widened upon hearing this, his face clearly saying, "Are you serious?"
"The night view here is beautiful!"
"Even if you go now, there won't be a cable car going up the mountain anymore, right?"
"Then let's hike."
"Do you know how long it takes to walk up there? More than an hour!"
"Isn't that just right?"
Shinomiya Haruka grinned at him, then turned and walked into the room.
Chapter 20. I'm twenty-three, can't I enjoy myself?
Streetlights illuminated the dimly lit street, arranged in two neat rows.
This was Kitahara Hakuba's first time traveling alone with Shinomiya Haruka. Although they were in the same major at university and knew each other, they weren't very familiar with each other and only chatted during class.
"Do you do this often?" Kitahara Hakuba looked at the girl beside him, the streetlights shining on her cherry-white fingers.
She had her nails done; the color was like a peach. I wonder if they would taste as sweet as a peach if you put them in your mouth.
"How could that be? Do I look like someone who loves exercising?" Shinomiya Haruka walked forward calmly.
"I think you are someone who loves to look at scenery."
Kitahara Hakuba's gaze fell upon the park he passed, where someone was walking a dog, stopping every few steps to mark the spot.
Shinomiya Haruka tilted her head and looked at him, smiling noncommittally, "Then you can just consider it as traveling with me."
"But this trip was far too hasty..."
"Do you think I don't want to embark on a aimless journey? I still have to live my life."
"Indeed, I have to go to class tomorrow too."
Whether it was bad luck or good luck, the Hakodate City Tram soon arrived, its dim yellow headlights illuminating Shinomiya Haruka's hair in distinct layers.
The two sat in the empty back, each looking in a different direction, swaying constantly inside the electric tram that traveled along the tracks.
After getting off the bus at the crossroads, a gust of wind carrying the scent of the sea blew in, and Kitahara Hakuba instinctively pulled his trench coat tighter.
Older locals like to call Mount Hakodate "Sleeping Ox Mountain" because its appearance resembles a lying ox.
However, it was all night now, and there were very few lights on the mountain. Kitahara Hakuba could only make out the black outline, but he couldn't associate it with a cow at all.
At the top of the mountain, one could vaguely see someone shining a flashlight.
With its night view ranking among the top three in the world, it's no surprise that there will be people on Mount Hakodate at night, no matter what time it is.
"The cable car is indeed out of service." At the station where she boarded the cable car, Shinomiya Haruka said with a regretful expression.
"I think I told you about this when I came, right?"
"Hey, the buses have stopped too. Why did they stop at 8 PM?"
"They need to rest too, why don't we go back and rest as well..."
"There's really no other way, we have to walk."
"You weren't listening to me at all?"
Ignoring Kitahara Hakuba's gloomy face, Shinomiya Haruka suddenly grabbed his wrist and naturally led him inside.
The girl's palms were warm, like the sunlight she had hidden during the day, seeping into his body through his skin.
“I can walk by myself,” Kitahara Hakuba said.
"I'm just afraid you'll get lost."
"If I get lost, I'll find my way home myself."
Upon hearing this, Shinomiya Haruka turned her head and glared at him unhappily.