"Kuromori?"
Nino spotted Haruto passing by and was about to greet him when she noticed him hurrying past.
Unconsciously, Nino brushed him off. By the time she reached the door, Haruto was no longer in sight.
"Kuromori."
She bit her lip hard. Why was he walking so fast? Was there something urgent?
Nino subconsciously placed her hand over her heart, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy. She remembered what Haruto had said yesterday—if you can't wait for me someday, then don't wait any longer.
Nino suddenly grew more anxious. What was Haruto planning? Was he coming back? Surely he would, right?
Meanwhile, Haruto quickly exited the city and headed to Itomori Town. Soon, he stopped. Before him was an enormous tree. It was the sacred tree of the Miyamizu Shrine, with numerous wooden plaques floating above it, colliding gently in the night breeze and creating a sharp sound.
They were prayer cards, also called Ema, offerings left at the shrine to pray for blessings.
But Haruto wasn't here for this. He looked at a young man kneeling before the dilapidated shrine, paused for a moment, and then approached.
"If there's an afterlife, I'd like to know, I'd like to know your name."
The young man had been kneeling for who knows how long, clutching a broken red string in his hand, for that was his only clue. The most important person had been forgotten. He remembered them but had forgotten who they were and their name.
It felt like a part of his heart was missing. He had to think about it, he had to remember! But he couldn't. And the more he tried, the more painful it became—the sense that he was one step away from the most important person yet unable to reach them. This feeling was hard for others to understand.
The young man raised his head, looking haggard and with disheveled hair. He stared blankly at the sacred tree for a moment before staggering to his feet.
When he turned, he was slightly startled. Was that…? He remembered the person he had seen suddenly in the daylight, a sight that had made an impression because he was surrounded by many beautiful girls at the time.
At that moment, Haruto said, "I can help you."
The young man, who was about to leave, froze, then suddenly turned and staggered toward him. He grabbed Haruto's clothes and looked at him with wide, red eyes. "Can you do something? Sorry, I'm too excited."
After saying this, the young man quickly stepped back and kept bowing in apology.
Haruto paid it no mind, not even bothering to straighten his disheveled collar because he could see this young man was about to faint.
Deep love doesn't last long, and wisdom is corrupted. It's inevitable. Therefore, one should not take things too seriously or be too sentimental. But that's just talk. In this life, people often can't control themselves.
Haruto sighed, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, then took out a red string and handed it to the young man, repeating what he'd once said, "If you are destined, you will remember."
With that, he turned and left. He knew that some change was coming to Itomori Town, but none of it concerned him.
"Rikka, Miyazono Kaori, and now Itomori, Nanako might appear at any time."
And each time he resolved these matters, the cracks in the sky would shrink a bit. If an oddity like Miyazono Kaori were returned, would the cracks in the sky fully heal? Could it temporarily slow down the oddity's pace?
But Haruto didn't care. Even if it sped up the oddity's invasion, he wouldn't care. Not at all.
Haruto raised his hand, and a sinister black-red aura appeared, not from Ichika, but supposedly left by Nakano Rena in Itomori Town.
"Coincidentally, I have some power I haven't tested. Aunt Rena, if that really is you."
Maybe she could reveal some important truths? Dispelling the unpleasant aura, Haruto paused, shook his head slightly, then walked toward a hot spring inn. His figure quickly faded.
Seeing this, the young man couldn't help but kneel and bow in the direction Haruto had left. He clutched the red string tightly and then turned and resolutely headed back toward the mountain.
❀❀❀
The hot spring inn.
When he arrived nearby, Haruto's steps suddenly halted a bit, and he saw Nino sitting alone on the stairs, hands resting on her knees. Seeing her, his lips moved, feeling his heart touched by this fool once more.
Haruto felt a warmth in his heart, then walked quickly.
Hearing footsteps, Nino looked up. Upon seeing it was Haruto, her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
"Idiot, I'm back."
"Woo~"
Nino couldn't hold back anymore and flew into his arms, clutching his clothes with all her might.
"I'm not an idiot!"
"Yes, yes~"
Hearing Nino's teary reply, Haruto raised his hand and patted her back. His voice unconsciously softened, "Didn't I tell you, if you couldn't wait for me, not to wait?"
Nino lifted her head and sniffled, "And I told you, even if I couldn't wait, I would keep waiting!"
"Idiot!"
Haruto said helplessly, "Then let me add one more thing. If you can't wait for me, don't wait anymore, because I'll never lose my way or get stranded—I'll always come back."
"You jerk! How dare you mock me when I was so worried about you!"
"I wasn't mocking you."
"Yes, you were!"
Nino clung to him, wiping all her tears and sniffles onto his clothes. Then she lifted her face and said proudly, "That's what you get for mocking me. Do you know you were wrong?"
Haruto's lips quirked slightly, "Actually, no."
"Hmph!"
Nino lay against him, feeling warmth fill her entire body, and couldn't help but snuggle closer.
Nino couldn't help but explain, "What Miku mentioned happened when I was young, and I only got lost once."
Haruto raised his hand to straighten her windblown hair and smiled faintly, "Don't worry, even if you got lost, I'd still find you."
Pinching—
Nino lifted her face and snapped fiercely, "Pervert, are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"
"I'm not."
Haruto looked beyond the door, his expression softening. Because behind the door, Yotsuba was covering her mouth, wide-eyed in amazement as she stared at them.
At that moment, Haruto was still holding Nino by the waist. He had unexpectedly run into Yotsuba again.
'Why you again, Yotsuba! You're supposed to be a little angel, not a master tracker. Don't unlock any strange powers!'
The surprise on Yotsuba's face quickly turned to a pout. She bit her lip silently, then turned and left.