Cherish the time

How did it become... like this?

Shindo Hikaru also had such doubts, but he didn't show it.

He acted very calm.

He was so calm that he didn't look like a person who had just been confessed by the same sex in public.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ogata." With a slight movement, Shinto broke away from Ogata's hand holding his shoulder, "I don't love you."

"I know." Ogata smiled, "...that's why I think...you must know."

This may sound strange, but it couldn't be easier to understand.

"Sorry, I don't want to try either." He apologized and refused again, but there was no regret on his face.

"I guessed that too." Ogata still smiled, stretched out his hand to help him pull the messy bangs behind his ears, then stood up and said softly, "I'll take you home."

"..." Shindo Hikaru hesitated for a while, but finally showed a little regretful emotion, "...I'm sorry." He said it again, revealing a bit of sincerity inside and outside the words.

"It's okay." Ogata just smiled and shook his head, "I don't want to hear you say sorry."

Shinto looked into his eyes, a smile gradually appearing on his face.

Seeing Shinto laughing, the smile on Ogata's face gradually receded.

"...But I can only say sorry to you." He smiled cleanly, although there was a little apology in his eyes, but more determination.

Ogata finally showed a look of panic on his face.

"...You..." He moved his throat slightly, and just as the syllable came out, Shinto raised his hand to block it back.

"Feel sorry."

"I won't soften my heart, you have no chance."

His movements are indifferent, his voice is indifferent, and even his expression is indifferent.

But Ogata knew exactly what he meant.

——There is no room for reversion to this matter.

The two looked at each other in silence for a long time.

Then Ogata said, "I'll take you back."

This was the second time he said this sentence, but it sounded a little uncomfortable for no reason.

Shinto originally wanted to say something, but seeing his expression at the moment, he just nodded in agreement.

Ogata silently opened the passenger seat door for him.

Shindo paused for a moment, and sat back in the back seat where he had just left.

Seeing Shinto's actions, Oo's expression did not change, he just closed the car door naturally and sat back in the driver's seat.

It's just that there is a wordless bitterness lingering in my heart, spreading to my throat, making my throat tight.

As for Xiaoliang.

After seeing the scene he just saw, he subconsciously turned around and walked back.

At this point he was very confused.

...Mr. Ogata and Hikari...Is that the relationship?

...Then how should he... how should he face such two people?

Such questions came back and forth in my heart, and there was no place to vent.

This made his expression at this moment extra hesitant and fragile... It was rare, like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old adolescent.

This, he thought, was wrong.

But even if this is wrong... then what does it have to do with me.

That's... a matter between Xiaoguang and Mr. Ogata.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt bored and flustered.

This weird bluntness made him want to run, shout, and vent wantonly.

——This is a matter between Xiaoguang and Mr. Ogata...

——But, how can this be... it's just a matter between Xiaoguang and Ogata-san!

When he thought of this, he felt a little anger popping up in his heart.

Then the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong, but he didn't know where it was wrong.

This made him feel even worse.

As if something echoed his mood at the moment, large swathes of dark clouds gradually gathered in the still clear sky.

Passers-by walking on the street quickened their pace.

Taya Ryo continued to move forward without realizing it.

The gloomy sky was like a cover over his line of sight, like the dull pain that was pressing on his heart and grasped tightly.

Shinto looked at the sky outside the car window, subconsciously worried about Taya who was on the way.

He wanted to send an email to remind the other party, but when he reached out, he found nothing.

"Ah..." He was slightly surprised.

"What's wrong?" Ogata asked in a low voice.

"...It's nothing." Shinto lowered his eyes and shook his head.

Then all the way silent.

When Ogata delivered Shinto to the house, the latter politely got out of the car to thank him, and then turned and left without looking back under the former's plain gaze.

Ogata watched his back disappear behind the door, then opened the car door and sat back in the driver's seat.

He sat quietly for a while with no expression on his face.

Then he took out a cigarette and lit it, took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly.

The curling smoke blocked his vision, making him unable to see clearly the city night and the pair of bloodshot eyes reflected in the rearview mirror.

Shinto Hikari didn't bother about Ogata much - he thought Ogata was similar to him in Hetani, he was a good friend, there was no possibility between the two of them, as long as the words were opened and the attitude was almost the same.

So as soon as he entered the room, he stood by the phone and called Taya.

Not long after, Taya Ryo's voice came from the other end of the phone, "Hi, this is Taya Ryo."

"Xiao Liang, it's me." Jin Teng didn't greet him, and asked directly, "Are you home? Are you not wet?"

"Ah..." Taya was obviously stunned for a moment, and then replied softly after half a second, "...I'm here, I'm fine."

"That's good." Shindo said casually, "I forgot your phone, remember to bring it here tomorrow."

"…it is good."

"If there is a call from the Chess Academy for me to answer, don't worry about the rest."

"Ah."

"Remember to charge at night."

"…it is good."

that night.

Ta Yaliang was lying on the bed with his mobile phone, feeling very confused.

At the same time, Ogata was looking at the dial-out interface signed "Light" on the phone screen, wondering whether he should press it or not.

Only Shinto Hikaru changed into pajamas early and sat on the edge of the chessboard, holding a chess book and carefully pondering Heizi's life - his behavior obviously didn't take what happened before him to heart.

It was just that the other two parties were suffering, and their thoughts were rushing all night until the next morning, when they both had dark circles around their eyes.

And after that.

Taya didn't mention the scene he saw that day, and Ogata didn't mention "like" and "love" again.

Although the pair of senior brothers didn't pass their anger, they chose the same way to deal with it-pretending that it never happened.

But Shinto didn't think so.

Since that day, Shinto's attitude towards Ogata has undergone a 180-degree change.

Although there would still be the usual greetings and farewells, it would never be possible to talk to Ogata when it was just the two of you, let alone go out to dinner with him.

With his style, it is clear that he wants to draw a clear line with Ogata.

Unknown why, Ashihara went to find Ogata specifically to find out if he had done something wrong, but was dragged away by Ogata to drink all night, and was responsible for sending the drunk guy back to the apartment.

After more than a month like this, Ogata didn't raise any objection to his behavior, and he didn't act so close according to his wishes on weekdays.

Shinto Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief, but he still didn't want to have more contact with him outside of public places.