I wanted to be a bad actor in the anime, but I failed.

A life without experiencing the separation of life and death is incomplete.

But a life that experiences the separation of life and death has a gap.

My heart felt like a piece of flesh had been peeled off, and the feeling of something being missing made me feel choked.

The girl with hearing impairment has been unable to learn to speak since childhood, but now she feels that she can't speak even if she can.

The coldness and pain in her throat made her cover her neck, and she knelt in front of a coffin with a wreath on it, crying heart-wrenchingly.

After the spring snow, there comes the spring rain.

As all things revive, something is always withering, including humans.

“She was a hard-working and kind person.”

"In the long 81 years, she has experienced the ravages of war, endured famine, tsunamis, and even a major earthquake."

"She was lucky and unlucky."

"I have lived in Chiba all my life, and have witnessed its rise from poverty to prosperity in the past 81 years."

"..."

In the gloomy white memorial service, a priest dressed in black was recounting the deceased's past in a heavy voice.

Behind him was the coffin, and in front of him were the people participating in the memorial service.

Lonely but lively.

Quiet but dignified.

They looked sad and bowed their heads in silence.

The relatives of the deceased, who had just cried bitterly, could not help but cover their faces and sob again.

My tears won't dry no matter how hard I cry.

The photo on the coffin was of an old woman with a kind smile. It was like a whirlpool, and people who were related to her by blood couldn't help but feel dizzy when they saw it.

I don't know when the memorial service ended.

Everyone except the deceased's family has left.

A moist breeze blew in from the wet outside world, and the petals of the white chrysanthemums fluttered in dance.

Death is a quiet thing.

The family that was smiling a few days ago no longer has the innocence they once had.

The more you have experienced, the more painful it is.

Those who have not experienced it have grown up.

"Ugh..."

Nishimiya Naoko could no longer hold back her tears and threw herself into the arms of the young man beside her, bursting into tears.

It's amazing that she, who is so fragile, has been able to hold on until now.

Clearly, just a few days ago, she was still getting along with her grandma like normal.

Why did it suddenly become like this?

Dark memories flooded my mind.

No matter how I listen to it now, I feel that what my grandmother said at that time was like a blessing to the younger generation before her death.

Glass, you must take good care of yourself, and rely on Mu Lin a lot...

Sadly, she was too naive to realize it.

Just last night, when she was studying hard in her bedroom, trying to become a qualified student to attend Sobu High School, her grandmother suddenly knocked on the door at the time when she was supposed to go to bed.

Grandma smiled and brought a glass of perilla juice without saying a word.

When Glass asked her what was wrong, she said nothing and just watched quietly.

In confusion, she suddenly patted Nitro's head, then left the bedroom slowly with a final smile.

This departure becomes forever.

......

Sobu High School starts a few days earlier than Toyonosaki.

Mu Lin accompanied Gaozi to the school.

Normally, she would be extremely nervous, but now she was extremely depressed.

Even when Mu Lin touched her head to comfort her, she just looked up and forced a smile, like a fragile breeze that barely squeezed into a crowd of energetic students.

Passing through a group of Sobu High School students who were looking at them curiously, Mu Lin brought Gao Zi all the way to the teacher's office.

"Mr. Hiratsuka, I would like to apply to establish a club."

Among a group of teachers, the beautiful ice-snow girl in school uniform is so dazzling.

"Hmm? What club?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka looked at Yukinoshita Yukino in confusion. She was very surprised why this usually aloof and well-behaved student would suddenly have such a whim.

"Service Ministry."

"Huh? That wasn't last semester..."

"Yes, can you be my club's instructor?"

"...Well! It's rare that you're so thoughtful."

"Thank you! Please sign this registration form."

"Okok, but since you want to continue the Service Club, you have to work hard. You can't just eat and wait for death like those two people." While saying this, Hiratsuka Shizuka showed a nostalgic look.

"Of course! I've already realized this."

After the sound of pen scratching on paper, Yukinoshita Yukino picked up the registration form, bowed, then turned and left.

But he paused as soon as he took a step.

She stared at Mu Lin who was standing at the door with wide eyes.

"Hey! You're here? What are you standing at the door for? Come in!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka, who also discovered Mu Lin, spoke carelessly.

Mu Lin took Nishimiya Naoko inside.

The calm wind blew by, and the two passed each other like strangers, but the girl was looking at the boy who was not looking at her.

The two girls who knew each other forgot to say hello because they were preoccupied with their own things.

Yukinoshita Yukino gave up the idea of ​​leaving and stood there, eavesdropping quietly.

After listening silently to what was happening there, he looked at Nishimiya Shoko in surprise who was smiling reluctantly.

......

After the handover was completed, Shizuka Hiratsuka took Nishimiya Shoko to the corresponding class.

Mu Lin walked away, but the sound of footsteps behind him that were different from those of other ordinary students made him stop.

"Good morning, Mulin-kun."

The spring-like greetings make people feel like they are back in last autumn.

At that time, everything was full of hope.

Now, it is extremely dead silent.

"Well, good morning, Yukinoshita."

From first name to last name.

The intentional distance made Yukinoshita Yukino force a smile.

"Don't you have school today in Fengzhiqi?"

"School doesn't start until two days later."

"Eh? School starts on Wednesday, so doesn't that mean I can study for two more days before the holiday? I'm so envious."

"What's there to be envious of? Those three days are the start of school and exams."

"It's like we're not going to have the exams at school."

Yukinoshita Yukino tucked her hair behind her ears.

She really enjoyed the time of walking and chatting aimlessly side by side with Mu Lin.

She was so immersed in this interaction that she didn't notice the classmates in the corridor who were showing expressions of surprise and pain.

That is the pain of having the goddess of our school taken away by an outsider!

"It's normal for your Sobu High School to have an entrance exam, but it's really rare for our lousy Toyonosaki to have an entrance exam."

"Pfft! Maybe someone won first place in the Class A math competition for no apparent reason, so the corresponding school finally stopped playing badly?"

"Blame me."

"As for the opening exam, Glass should be able to do well, right?" said Yukinoshita Yukino.

"Hopefully."

Mu Lin showed a helpless expression, which made Yukinoshita Yukino realize that he had no confidence in Nozomi.

"Please have some confidence in her, she is your girlfriend after all."

These sudden words surprised Mu Lin a little. When he looked at her, he found that she had no expression.

"Ah."

Before she knew it, Yukinoshita Yukino followed Mu Lin to the school gate.

Only when the moment of farewell came did she come out of that feeling of immersion.

A feeling of loss and reluctance emerged in her heart, like the receding tide. She did not show this feeling on her face, but asked casually: "By the way, do you remember what we agreed to do last time? Can we meet in a few days?"

"Of course." Based on Yukino's calm appearance, Mu Lin also put his mind at ease that she was a friend. "By the way, can you help me take care of Naoko?"

"Is this your request?" Yukinoshita Yukino asked deliberately.

He looks like he's going to use this to gain some benefit.

But before Mu Lin could answer, she said, "Just kidding! As her friend, of course I will take care of her. I have a suggestion."

"What advice?"

"Can we have her join the service?"

"Just ask her about this kind of thing."

"It's so free to be your girlfriend."

Yukinoshita Yukino sighed, and couldn't help but think of their past interactions. The accumulation of little bits and pieces, as well as the scenes when the four of them formed a team in the game, gave her some new views on Mu Lin.

Most of the time, Mu Lin just accompanied them silently, letting Hui and Gaozi play as they pleased, and secretly helping them solve problems without saying a word. He would only stand up for them when they encountered problems that they could not solve at all.

This kind of silent dedication is rarely seen in Japan.

Only a careful woman can discover this side of him, but most women nowadays are not so careful, so such a good man has no popularity with women at all.

Of course, Mu Lin is an outlier, he seems to be too popular with women.

"Isn't this a very normal thing?" Mu Lin said casually as he walked out of the school gate.

For a moment, the school gate seemed like the dividing line between two worlds, leaving the boy and girl unable to do anything but stare at each other from afar.

"By the way, what about the joke just now?" Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly asked.

"Very well."

The expected answer made the dividing line flicker. Yukinoshita Yukino smiled and said goodbye, her bright eyes gazing at the departing figure from afar.

I thought I might lose the means to interact with him again.

But it suddenly dawned on her that media were easy to create.

For example, the game "Age of the Old Gods", and Nishimiya Shoko who was suddenly admitted to Sobu High School.

If she was invited to join the service club, then if the service club encountered a very difficult commission, perhaps after some twists and turns, he would come to help.

......

a few days later.

The afterglow of sunset.

A lone wild goose soars in the colorful mist.

There is hope in despair.

The wind of revival subsides, and the feeling of clamor disappears.

Still in that dessert shop.

In the past, it was called a newly opened dessert shop, but now it can no longer be called that.

In the booth in the corner, a black-haired man and woman sat opposite each other.

The two drank milk tea in silence for a long time before the girl took out a camera from her bag.

"This is the camera Tuanzi gave me."

"It seems you didn't watch the final performance of the farewell festival last time."

In the past, she deliberately approached others but caused the other party to deliberately distance themselves from her. The smart Yukinoshita Yukino has realized that she cannot get what she wants in this way, so she changed her strategy.

Keeping the distance between the two people clear allows them to communicate as simple friends, thus reducing each other's vigilance.

As things stand now, the strategy is successful.

However, she did not realize that perhaps the other party had already seen through it all, but today was different from the past, and his reaction was also slightly different.

"That happened three months ago, right?" Mu Lin said casually, implying that there was no need to worry about something that happened so long ago.

"I thought you promised to come and see it?"

"I said I would only watch it if there were no accidents."

"You actually still remember saying the three words 'no surprise'."

Yukinoshita Yukino said this sarcastically, then adjusted the camera and sat next to Mu Lin without any hesitation to show him.

The camera captured the entire performance.

For the first time, the lead singer, Yukinoshita Yukino, changed her usual coldness and played the electric guitar passionately and sang with sweat.

The beautiful lyrics and singing voice complement each other, making people feel fortunate that this wonderful scene could be recorded by this small device.

After 4 minutes, the video ends.

"How about it?"

Yukinoshita habitually tucked the non-existent hair behind her ears.

The crystal black eyes on the delicate face so close at hand are like beautiful black gems, and the emotions expressed by the halo above them are fascinating.

Mu Lin rarely smiled and praised: "Yeah, it sounds good."

The simple compliment made the over-expecting Yukinoshita Yukino dissatisfied, but to her surprise, Mu Lin suddenly took out a gift box and handed it to her.

"This is?"

"Your birthday present."

"Eh?"

"You had your birthday more than a month ago. I'm sorry I didn't attend your birthday party. This is your birthday gift to make up for it."

"Eh!?!" Yukinoshita Yukino widened her eyes.

She accepted the birthday present in a trance, staring at the gift box, which, even though its packaging was plain, was more meaningful than those gifted to her by prominent families.

Strong disbelief and surprise made her look up suddenly to look at the eyes that had the same color as hers.

"Thank you, thank you!"

In a panic of thanks, Yukinoshita Yukino held the gift box tightly in both hands, as if she was afraid that it would run away.

In the afterglow of the surprise, she suddenly felt confused again.

"Why... so suddenly?"

"After all, it's a friend's birthday, isn't it?" Mu Lin said with a smile.

This gentle smile didn't seem fake.

Yukinoshita Yukino admitted that her heart was beating fast.

"but......"

but what?

What do I want to ask?

We were so distant in the past, but now we are so close.

The change in attitude made Yukinoshita Yukino not know how to ask the reason for a moment.

I dare not ask easily and cause the risk of the other party changing back.

She finally remained silent, uneasy and happy eating dessert with him.

Time passed in my wild thoughts.

Soon it was time to part again.

But Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly mustered up great courage, holding up her phone and asking, "By the way, can you take a photo with me?"

She was so carried away that she apparently forgot that the other party already had a girlfriend. Her behavior was very immoral, but she was so confused that she just made this request based on impulse.

Surprisingly, the other party agreed.

For the first time, Yukinoshita Yukino showed the shy look of a little woman, holding the camera high and leaning her head forward.

The slow movements seemed to be testing the other party's bottom line. After getting very close, she noticed that the other party had a sign of shrinking back, so she stopped at the right time, smiled at the camera with a "yeah" gesture, and pressed the camera button.

"Thank you."

"Well, you're welcome. I should go now."

"Okay, bye!"

The girl holding the cell phone containing extremely important photos looked at the receding figure again.

Under the orange light, the dark black eyes once again showed the light of the past called "confidence".