[Net King] Pilgrim

The day of piano practice lasted until the end. Due to the intense study in the third grade, Machida Kazu didn't want to bother Mr. Sato too much. After mastering the basic chord playing and singing skills, he practiced in the music classroom by himself according to the score.

My fingers are already callused, and I no longer feel the pain of being cut by a knife when I press the strings, and I can do my homework as usual.

At the end of the final exam, Tokyo ushered in the first snow after winter, which was much earlier than in previous years, and the whole city was covered with a thick silvery white.

Echizen Ryoma's return to the United States has been confirmed. The head teacher told everyone after the exam that his family had come to the school to complete the transfer procedures.

A row of seats across, Machida cast his eyes on Echizen Ryoma.

Facing the surprise and regret of his classmates, besides a little inadvertent sparseness between his brows and eyelashes, there was also something else mixed in, which she couldn't tell the difference.

The windows on the side are slightly open, and the sky in the gap reveals a light warm color.The wind is cold, sneaking in quietly from the window, with a bit of damp water vapor.

For the cleaning before the holiday, Machida and three classmates were assigned to clean the snow near the parking shed outside the classroom.

After the first snowfall, the campus is a beautiful snow scene.

Horio stood in the distance and cried while rubbing his frozen red hands, his face was gloomy, "I should wear gloves today!"

Holding the broom, Xiangyuan said with a smile: "Didn't you just say that you were not afraid of the cold with a good air?"

Feeling refreshed in the cold air, Machida jumped up and down in front of the carport with a broom in his hands.

"Are you here to clean or play?" Echizen Ryoma squinted at her, shaking the snow residue stuck to the bottom of the broom.

"The snow here has been swept away." Machida pointed to his back, stepping on the few layers of snow left on the road, making a slight "creaking" sound under his feet, and looked at him with a smile, "You Listen, how nice it sounds!"

She was wrapped in a down jacket, her cheeks were slightly flushed by the wind, and she looked like a whirling snow.

Echizen Ryoma raised his eyes and saw the reflection of the shining white snow in Machida Kazuaki's shining eyes.

For a moment, a faint smile flashed across his mouth unconsciously.

But still couldn't help stabbing a sentence - "If you fall down, no one will help you."

The person who continued to jump was looking down at his feet, without thinking, "Aren't you right next to me, why is there no one to help you?" The voice was laughing, as if asking and answering himself.

Echizen Ryoma paused imperceptibly, and his eyes stopped on her face for a moment.

Letting the wind blow, her hair was a little disheveled. The wind passed through the hair and swirled around, blowing away the inexplicable anxiety in his heart.

Echizen Ryoma later realized that, in fact, at that time, the sudden powerlessness in his heart, if it were translated into words, it might be - snow falls every year, but I don't know if I can be by your side every time it snows.

-

The holidays come after the cleaning.

After dinner on the weekend night, Machida opened the refrigerator door to get a bottle of soda, but found that there was no bottle left in the refrigerator.

"I'm going to the convenience store." She greeted her mother, put on her coat and prepared to go out.

When I was changing shoes at the entrance, I saw Machida Hisashi follow out with his coat, "I'm with you."

It was already dark, and the sound of cars passing by the road was heard in the distance, and the lights on the top of the buildings in the distance reflected the sky as bright as day.

As soon as Machida pushed open the door of the convenience store, the bright white light poured down, "Actually, I'm fine if I come alone. You are now, and the most important thing is to review with peace of mind."

Machida glanced at her for a long time, and said with a smile: "It sounds like my sister is teaching my brother." He took a basket from the door and went straight to the freezer, "I'm combining work and rest."

Machida snorted softly, put his hands in his pockets, and shuffled after him.

At the checkout, in addition to the heavy bag of soda, she also bought a few packs of fruit candies.

Walking out of the convenience store, the surrounding area became much quieter.

Machida was carrying the handbag, and the bottles made a crisp clinking sound, "I heard from Shusuke that he will return to the United States after the Echizen New Year, do you know about this?" This time it was no longer the usual teasing tone.

As soon as Machida walked beside him, the hand that peeled off the candy paper paused.

He gave a low "um" sound, then peeled off a piece of candy and put it in his mouth.

The orange-flavored candy made her teeth chatter.

Machida tilted his head, his eyes fell on her slightly drooping eyelashes.After a while, he said softly, "It's a good thing for Echizen to receive an invitation from the American Professional Tennis Club."

Machida froze slightly.

She guessed right, Echizen Ryoma left because of tennis.

There was a long silence, "He has his own dream and has the opportunity to realize it. I am very happy for him."

Her expression was a bit bright in the cold air, Machida paused for a moment.

After a while, he raised his free hand and gently rubbed her loose hair, "Don't forget the tennis club party on New Year's Eve."

A few days before the New Year's party, Machida met Echizen Ryoma unexpectedly on Christmas Eve.

It was a working day, and she went to a video store near Ginza to return the DVD at noon. After coming out of the video store, she walked aimlessly on the bustling Central Avenue alone.

Christmas and New Year are approaching one after another, and the billboards in the surrounding shopping malls dance with festive blessings, and the busy streets are full of strong festive atmosphere.

Machida met Echizen Ryoma on Harumi Street. At that time, she just passed the intersection and happened to see him push the door out of the fast food restaurant on this side.

She was taken aback for a moment, "Yueqian?"

It was only when Echizen Ryoma turned her head to look over that she was sure that she had not mistaken the person.

He was wearing a windbreaker, deep and light red, and a white peaked cap. He was obviously surprised to see her.

As soon as Machida ran up to him, he said like the wind, "What a coincidence, why are you here?" He looked up at the fast food restaurant, "Come to eat?"

"I'm changing the racket net nearby." Echizen Ryoma put his hands in his pockets, "I have to wait a while, come and eat something."

"What about you?" he asked.

"I just went to Erchome to return the DVD."

With a furry knitted hat on her head, half of her face covered in a scarf, and a thick white coat wrapped around her body, she looked like a snow dumpling.

The two of them haven't seen each other since the end-of-semester cleaning. It's been half a month, but Echizen Ryoma feels like it's only been half a day.

His eyes fell on her smiling eyebrows, and he was silent for a moment, "I'm going to get the racket, do you want to go with me?"

Machida was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a smile, "Okay."

The two of them didn't go far along the central avenue, and then turned into a pedestrian street. At a glance, the whole street was mostly sporting goods stores, row after row.

"Have you decided on a day to leave?" She tilted her head and asked.

"December 1."

It happened to be the day when school started after the holidays.

Machida's expression darkened for a moment, and he lowered his head, "Then I can't go to the airport to see you off, because school just started that day..."

Echizen Ryoma paused and turned to look at her.

The scarf covered her nose, and when she breathed, white mist slowly rushed out, making her eyebrows and eyes a little unreal.

Can be lonely but obvious.

He suddenly felt his heart swell, and the severe winter wind patted his face.

After a few seconds of silence, "Didn't you say that you prepared a gift for me?" He didn't realize that his voice was unbelievably gentle.

As soon as Machida came back to his senses, he nodded vigorously at him, with a smile on his face again, "I gave it to you on the New Year's party."

The depression in his heart slowly dissipated, and the corners of Echizen Ryoma's mouth curved slightly.

The place where the nets are changed is not far away, across an inconspicuous alley next to the pedestrian street, the shop right at the entrance of the alley is there.The shop is surrounded by old concrete walls, the walls are mottled and look a bit dilapidated.

Before Machida had time to look carefully, he saw the store door was opened from the inside, and an old man stood at the door.

When he saw someone coming, he paused just as he was about to step out the door, and then smiled and said: "I figured that you, Longma, would be coming back soon, so I wanted to take out the racket for you, it seems that my prediction was accurate. "

Passing the ball bag to Echizen Ryoma, he noticed the girl beside him, he was a little curious, but he introduced himself first: "Hi, my name is Chen Goro."

His voice is thick, like an ancient chime.

Machida nodded politely: "Hi, I'm Machida."

"Is it Ryoma's friend?" Chen Goro asked with a smile.

She frowned, "Yes."

Echizen Ryoma's hand holding the ball bag froze, and he turned his head to look at her.

He suddenly found that he never seemed to define the relationship between him and Machida Kazu.

"By the way, Ryoma, this is a gift for you." Chen Goro conjured up a paper bag out of nowhere, and winked at him, "Happy birthday."

Machida widened his eyes when he heard the words, and moved his gaze from the paper bag with the sporting goods logo to Echizen Ryoma. He was obviously stunned for a moment, and then he reached out to take it, "Thank you."

After saying goodbye to Chen Goro, on the way back, she asked in surprise: "Today is your birthday?"

"En." Echizen Ryoma looked down at the contents of the paper bag.

Machida suddenly looked a little sad.

She didn't know that today was his birthday, and now she was thinking about what to give him, but then she remembered that she didn't pretend to have much money when she went out, and she couldn't buy a decent gift.

"I didn't know it was your birthday, and I didn't prepare a gift..." She caught a glimpse of the vending machine on the roadside out of the corner of her eye, and struggled for a long time, "How about..."

"You want to give me a birthday present?" He interrupted her abruptly.

Machida was taken aback for a moment, turned to look at him, and nodded sincerely.

Echizen Ryoma pondered for a while, then suddenly stopped.

"What's the matter?" She also stopped and looked at him with a little doubt.

A few dead trees on the side of the road were torn down by the cold wind. Under the thin sunlight, a few strands of his dark green hair were pressed by the brim of the hat, and the hair was stained with shiny fibers.

He raised his eyes and looked at her with an indistinguishable expression, "I'll take you to a place."

"Where?"

"tennis court."