Rikka's issue wasn't difficult to resolve, but it was troublesome.
After all, Rikka's accident happened some time ago, and it was even reported on TV news.
"The Inoue family lives here."
Haruto stopped in front of a residential house.
At that moment, the door opened, and a beautiful woman with a dangerous hairstyle (side ponytail) stepped out.
She wasn't that old, probably in her twenties, and wore light makeup, but even so, it couldn't hide the heavy dark circles under her eyes.
"Mom!"
Rikka joyfully ran forward, but she passed right through the woman.
"..."
Rikka was stunned, her eyes widened, and she reached out to touch her mother, but her hand passed through, unable to make contact.
Tears immediately started flowing.
She remembered, she remembered everything.
Rikka fell to the ground, crying loudly.
"I'll leave this to you, Yotsuba."
Haruto turned away, leaving everything to Yotsuba.
He didn't want to deal with it!
He didn't know how much time had passed, but the setting sun dyed the clouds on the horizon red, making them look magnificent and grand.
The cherry blossoms withered, carried away by the wind.
The crying gradually subsided.
Rikka wiped her tears and looked up. "Onii-chan, Rikka doesn't want to go. Rikka wants to stay with mom. If mom is alone, she'll be so lonely."
Haruto's expression remained calm as he said, "But if you stay, you won't be able to touch her or communicate with her."
"It's okay."
Rikka raised her small hand and said seriously, "Mom only has Rikka. If I don't stay with her, she'll be so lonely."
'But the one who's really lonely isn't your mom, it's you.'
Haruto remained silent for a while, but in the end, he didn't force Rikka to leave.
Mrs. Inoue looked at the two people leaving with confusion, shook her head slightly, and walked toward the supermarket.
She didn't know that Rikka was reaching out, trying to hold her hand.
But their hands could never touch. Haruto glanced back, and Rikka seemed to realize this, turning around with a happy smile.
Haruto's heart was moved, and suddenly he felt an impulse.
"Yotsuba, wait for me a moment."
Saying that, he caught up with Mrs. Inoue. "Do you believe in reincarnation?"
Seeing Mrs. Inoue looking at him in surprise, Haruto pulled out a red string and handed it to her. "If you're destined, your fate will eventually be renewed."
The red string was just a medium, and what it connected was an unbreakable bond.
This was the only thing he could do.
Mrs. Inoue was silent for a moment, a gentle smile appearing on her face. She took the red string and said softly, "Although I don't understand what's going on, thank you."
Haruto nodded slightly, glanced at Rikka, then turned and left.
In the end, on impulse, he helped Rikka.
As he said, if their mother-daughter bond still existed, then fate would eventually continue.
There were many things in this world that even space and time couldn't completely separate.
They could be broken, but they could also be reconnected.
The sun completely disappeared below the horizon, and the vast dusk slowly enveloped the earth.
Haruto felt physically drained, but he had no regrets in his heart.
Although it was a momentary impulse that drained a lot of energy, that moment of connection was undeniably the most beautiful thing in the world.
So, he had no regrets.
After sending Yotsuba to the train station, Haruto said goodbye and left.
Yotsuba clutched her chest, watching Haruto's retreating back, and murmured, "Kuromori-san is truly the kindest person."
❀❀❀
The next day.
Haruto's energy quickly recovered as he opened the curtains.
The sun shone brightly outside the window, and a gentle breeze was blowing.
Cherry blossoms scattered in the courtyard as the wind carried them, filling the air with the beauty of a spring breeze.
His phone rang.
Haruto glanced at the caller ID, a smile forming on his face as he answered the call.
The next moment, Mafuyu's cold voice sounded. "Haruto-kun, it's time to wake up."
"Alright, I'm up. I'll come down for breakfast soon."
"...Good."
Haruto put down his phone and had just finished washing up when there was a knock on the door.
He opened the door.
Outside stood Mafuyu, dressed in her usual business attire that hadn't changed for years, along with black stockings and a pair of low-heeled shoes.
Her pinkish-red hair reached her waist, gently swaying in the morning breeze.
"Kirisu-sensei, good morning."
"Good morning."
Mafuyu pressed her lips together and replied, trying to maintain a dignified expression. However, the attempt to appear dignified ended up looking quite cute.
Haruto couldn't help but smile and gave her a thumbs-up. "Mafuyu-chan is as cute as ever today."
Mafuyu bit her lip, her face slowly turning red. She gritted her teeth and glared at him, saying, "That's enough."
'He actually called me Mafuyu-chan again... Insult!'
Mafuyu glared at Haruto, then bent down to slip on her shoes.
Her pink hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the sweet scent of shampoo filled the air.
Haruto looked down and took a breath.
Mafuyu actually had a great figure, neither too thin nor too thick.
Since she used to skate, her body was also quite flexible. Even at twenty-six years old, she still maintained a stunning figure.
Her waist was so slender it could be described as a sheet of A4 paper. Perfect. From her waist down, her curves expanded suddenly, full and shapely.
The original design inspiration for the heart symbol wasn't the irregular shape we see today, but rather the perfect curve of the hips!
That's why many people use the word "love" to describe women with perfect hips.
And without a doubt, Mafuyu's figure was that perfect heart shape that could make anyone's heart race.
Mafuyu's face slowly turned red. She gritted her teeth and stared at him. "Turn around!"
❀❀❀
After breakfast, Mafuyu quickly cleaned up her dishes and left with a stoic expression. Compared to her, Haruto headed towards Sobu High School in a cheerful mood.
Under the blue sky, the black cracks in the sky were still shocking. Fortunately, ordinary people couldn't see them; otherwise, the world would be in chaos.
However, after all this time, Haruto had grown accustomed to the cracks in the sky and chose to ignore them.
As he walked to Sobu High, he glanced around and spotted a black-haired girl standing under a cherry blossom tree.
The golden sunlight bathed the girl, making her fair skin appear even more translucent. A gentle breeze blew, causing her long black hair to sway softly. The girl standing under the cherry blossom tree looked as if she had just stepped out of a manga.
As Haruto admired her, he thought—Yukinoshita Yukino was truly adorable.
She was quite popular throughout Sobu High.
She had a cold and distant temperament, which seemed to push people away, making it difficult for anyone to get close.
Haruto stepped forward and greeted her, "Yukinoshita, good morning."
"Good morning."
Yukino replied, glancing at him. "Kuromori-kun, come to the Service Club this afternoon."