I push the kid!

He felt as if his eyes were attracted by the powerful gravity of a black hole and he couldn't move them away.

The melting snow made a clear sound, ding-dong, ding-dong.

The passing time seemed to be blown into the woods by the breeze, never to come back.

After a long while, Makimura Taku broke the silence: "What about you?"

"what?"

"Like mountain climbing?"

"it's OK."

"What do you like specifically?"

After pondering for a moment, Hoshino Ai twisted her waist, revealing her beautiful profile and a brilliant smile.

She put her hand to her attractive lips.

"It's a secret!"

"Again?"

“Hehe.” She deliberately slowed down her pace and waited for Makimura Taku to be side by side with her. “A hidden secret, that’s what girls are like!”

"mystery."

"And perfect!"

"It's not what I thought."

"What do you think?" she asked curiously.

Makimura Taku looked ahead and found the road was surprisingly bright.

“Sugar and spice, and everything nice.”

"I don't understand what you are saying." She probably puffed up her lips and muttered.

"Girls are made of sugar, spice and everything nice."

She placed her index finger on her cheek: "Hmm... it feels sweet."

"Yes."

"But something is missing."

"What's missing?"

"Maybe, mysterious?" She stared at the drooping treetops, then turned to Makimura Taku, "I can't think of an appropriate way to describe it."

Makimura Taku thought for a moment and said, "A lie?"

"Yes!" she said, "That's the feeling. A mysterious and dangerous girl. Great!"

"amazing."

"Amazing Hoshino Ai!"

"The brilliant Hoshino Ai."

"Perfect Hoshino Ai!"

"If you continue to talk about it, you will be conceited."

She smiled and stuck out her tongue.

Makimura Taku was a little stunned: the girl next to him was so heart-warming even when she was pretending to be confused.

In the silent pine forest, the two continued to move forward.

Makimura Taku was so focused on climbing the mountain that he didn't even take his hands out of his pockets.

Hoshino Ai would run forward from time to time, touching the occasional red dragonflies and unknown birds, and would come back from time to time to tease the wild flowers and weeds on the roadside.

The footprints buried in the snow crisscrossed, sometimes shallow, sometimes deep, indistinguishable from each other, but the direction of progress was clear.

As we went further, the road gradually became wider and the birdsong became clearer.

Whether it's sneakers or long boots, no matter which one, when you step on the snow, it will make a rustling sound that soothes your heart.

Until the snow layer thickened and the sun became warmer, the breeze disappeared from the mountainside.

The exhaled white air rises into the sun and hides in the misty clouds.

The only sounds in my ears are my heartbeat and footsteps, other than that there is nothing else and the view is a refreshing white.

It was almost dusk when we reached the top of the mountain.

Along the way, the two people stopped and rested, and talked during the breaks.

From cedar leaves to banana leaves, from boundless mountains to the blue sea.

We talked about snow, wind, cherry blossoms in Kagoshima, and the funny outfits of TV show hosts.

We even talked about how well-done an egg is when it tastes best. We talked about a lot, too much to count and too much to write down in words.

"Is that so?" Standing on the top of the mountain, Hoshino Ai said with a smile that looked like a close-up shot in a movie, "That show is really good!"

"It's hard to disagree," said Taku Makimura.

"I absolutely agree!" Hoshino Ai ran to the front, "Ayaka Hironaka, Minami Tanaka and others... You know that move, right? It's super famous."

She was facing Makimura Taku, with a wooden fence covered with snow behind her and the orange-yellow sunset behind it.

She seemed to be leaning against the setting sun, tilting her head and touching her chin with her fingers:

"'So what if I'm a little scheming?' You've definitely heard that!"

"I've heard of it." Makimura Taku nodded.

After that, they climbed up a small hill covered with a thin layer of snow and stood on a high place to look down the mountain.

The hot spring hotel became the size of a black dot, and the same was true for other houses. Pedestrians could no longer be seen clearly.

Inky black pine trees dotted the snowy ground at dusk.

When the setting sun emits its last rays of light, the shadows are infinitely stretched.

Tired of the scenery, they came down from the mound and Hoshino Ai sat down in the snow.

"Be careful of catching a cold." Taku Makimura reminded her.

"Just this once!" she said coquettishly, smiling gently at Makimura Takuya, and patted the snow beside her, motioning him to sit down too.

Makimura Taku hesitated for a moment, and she fanned her hands as if to urge him.

Makimura Taku sighed and sat down next to her.

The snow doesn’t melt quickly, but you’ll definitely feel wet when you get up.

"It's so relaxing." said Hoshino Ai.

"It's really easy," Makimura Taku told her.

The sun sets in the west, and the sunset glow climbs up their faces and enters their eyes.

After a while, Makimura Taku suddenly asked, "Do you want to be an idol?"

"Ok?"

"Want to be an idol?"

“Hmm—” She raised her face and finally plunged into the snow.

"What are you doing?"

"Comfortable!"

"Don't want to answer the question?"

"Still thinking about it!"

"Good."

She raised her right hand high, closed one eye, and observed the beautiful sunset through the gap between her fingers.

"How beautiful!" she said. "How about you lie down too?"

"It's cold."

"Just this once!"

Makimura Taku let out a sigh of relief as if he had no choice.

The two men's bodies sank into the snow, and the lime-colored clouds seemed like they could be grasped in the palm of their hands.

They were silent, feeling the occasional gust of southern wind that was filled with the fragrance of snow and earth.

"You actually want to be an idol, right?"

"I don't want to." Hoshino Ai didn't hesitate this time.

Makimura Taku gave a long hum: "What's the reason?"

"I am not interested."

"I'm not interested..."

"Makino-kun," Hoshino Ai looked up at the sky, as if talking to herself, "I told you I'm an orphan."

"Yeah." Makimura Taku was silent for a moment, "I'm sorry."

"Hmm..." She pursed her lips and said, "Makino-kun, what do you think an idol is?"

"Dancing, singing, acting, nice body, face."

"It's too straightforward!" She seemed amused.

“Literary Point: Spiritual Support?”

"Well...spiritual support." She repeated carefully.

Taku Makimura turned his head away, while Ai Hoshino was still looking upwards.

"Growing up in an orphanage, I have never loved anyone, and I have never been loved by anyone, as far as I can remember."

The evening breeze from the setting sun swept across the snow, ruffling her bangs, and then went into the pine forest.