Comet Dragon, breaking into the gravity field

The tip of the pen lightly touched the paper, and the flowing ink gradually spread from a black dot to a black ball of ink.

——If you want to record something, maybe taking photos would be a good way to do it.

For no apparent reason, this idea suddenly popped up in Naruse Ritsu's mind. But when he thought deeply about whether this was feasible, he couldn't come up with anything else.

Yesterday I was trying to persuade others as if I had been through it all, but today I encountered a bottleneck.

Is this a boomerang?

With his face supported by his left hand, Ritsu Narose stared blankly at the green plants placed beside him.

Suddenly, the sound of an automatic door opening was faintly heard in the distance.

Another customer walked in, their soles making light, rhythmic footsteps against the wooden floor. The footsteps approached from a distance, finally landing near where Ritsu Naruse was seated.

"Excuse me...can I sit here?"

"Slippery? Five slips and four slips are fine."

As his mind was emptying, the girl's clear and melodious voice drifted from the seat in front of him. After casually responding to her request, Naruse Ritsu, whose mind seemed to be stuck in a quagmire, gradually realized that something was wrong.

The seat he is sitting in today should not be a single seat, right?

If I remember correctly, he was the only customer in the cafe when he arrived, so he casually occupied the more spacious square table, which was usually a four-person seat.

Then why——

Turning his head, the moment Ritsu Narose's eyes met that man's, he felt like he was falling from the sky into the ocean, being enveloped by sea water coming from all directions, and every part of his body felt the pressure.

His pupils suddenly dilated and he opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything decent.

Opposite him, a familiar yet unfamiliar girl sat there, just as she had done when they met in the past.

However, this time, the person who was surprised was him instead of the girl.

Ever since he learned that Ichinose still existed, Ritsu Naruse had been thinking about what it would be like to meet her. He also thought about what words he would use to start the conversation and what expression he would put on when they met again.

But when he actually met the other person, he realized that he could do nothing.

He suddenly thought of Byron's poem, but he couldn't even squeeze out tears, and all he could leave for the other person was dry silence.

For some reason, Nagasaki Suyo, who was sitting opposite them, did not take the initiative to break the silence between the two.

She seemed to be deliberately waiting for the boy to recover from his trance, or as if she was carefully observing an old friend whom she had not seen for many years, wanting to engrave his appearance deep in her memory.

The two people caught in the vortex were unaware that the atmosphere between them made bystanders feel uncomfortable.

It was not until Shiina Riki brought two glasses of ice water to the table that the sound of the glasses colliding with the table broke an invisible cage.

"what your name……"

Seeing the ice cubes floating in the glass of water, Ritsu Narose seemed to have returned to that distant winter day and said the same words as she did then.

But this time, he did not interrupt the other person impatiently, but waited quietly for the girl to say the answer that they both knew.

"Nagasaki Suyo," the girl replied in the same slightly trembling voice, "You can just call me Suyo."

This time, she finally said the self-introduction that she didn't have time to finish.

……

After wiping the glass in his hand again and again, Shiina Riki kept frowning and staring at the two people sitting there.

Ritsu Narusha and Suyo Nagasaki.

Shiina Riki never expected that these two people would get together, and they even acted like they knew each other.

"Tsk."

Smacking his lips, Shiina Riki felt a little unhappy.

"Hmm, someone got there first... This is very serious, Riki-chan."

"I told you it's not that kind of thing!"

Shiina Ritsuki pushed Rinrinko-senpai, who had suddenly appeared from behind, aside and didn't bother to deal with the two people there. She thought it would be better to first think through what Naruse Ritsu had said about the light.

What on earth was Naruse Ritsu hinting at? What did he mean when he said Deng needed friends? What was Deng feeling lost about?

She didn't dare to ask Deng for clarification. Besides Naruse Ritsu, she couldn't find anyone more suitable to discuss the topic. She could only rack her brains alone to think of the answer to the question as usual.

So, in this small coffee shop, there were suddenly three more people who fell into silence.

……

Ritsu Narose still didn't know what to say, or perhaps just seeing Nagasaki Suyo sitting there was enough for him.

As time goes by, the once naive child has grown into the much more mature person he is now.

Time changes many things, but some things will not be worn away by the long river of time, but will show their true appearance through the constant polishing of the river.

Ritsu Narusha recalled the time they were in the park.

At that time, Su Shi was sitting on a bench quietly doing his homework, and he was sitting next to her, silently reading obscure and profound books.

Even though no one was talking, the sense of security it brought filled the gap in each other's hearts.

"Want to go out for a walk?"

It seemed that this situation gave his body some strength. After hesitating for a while, Ritsu Narose finally spoke.

After hearing these words, Ritsu Narose found that Nagasaki Suyo's eyes seemed to brighten a lot, just like a traveler looking for water in the desert, who saw the only remaining oasis in the vast yellow sand.

"Okay," the girl smiled and nodded, whispering in her sweet voice, like the song of an oriole, "It doesn't matter where we go."

"Want to go to the sweets shop?"

"Okay."

As she fiddled with her fingertips, the smile on Nagasaki Suyo's face became more gentle.

Seeing that his friend who once walked alone in the snow has now become someone who can bring warmth to others, an emotion called "touched" quietly spread in Ritsu Narose's heart.

Even the vague sense of uneasiness that I had felt before gradually dissipated like mist in the sunlight.

——Nagasaki Suyo is a friend you can always trust.

Ritsu Narushe was sure of this.

31. Believe in Nagasaki Suyo!

How can we get back to the old state when we meet friends after a long time?

The answer is actually very simple, just show the things that exist in their shared memories.

In Narose Ritsu's opinion, strolling together on familiar streets and witnessing the changes of buildings over the years is the best way to rekindle friendship.

Follow the fork in the sidewalk to another path, and then from the path, head to a river in the city to enjoy the rare natural scenery in the city.

Compared to the ever-changing buildings, nature seems particularly friendly at this time.

Finally, they came out of the sweets shop located on the site of the former park, and their journey of reminiscence came to an end.

Looking at the plastic bag in his hand and comparing it with the bag in Nagasaki Suyo's hand which was several times larger, Narose Ritsu's eyes couldn't help but look a little subtle.

"Because my mother likes this very much, I accidentally bought a few more..."

Although she said this as a daughter, Naruse Ritsu felt the radiance of motherhood from Nagasaki Suyo.

No matter how many times he saw it with his own eyes, he was always amazed at the changes in Nagasaki Suyo.

Is this the legendary "girls change a lot when they grow up"? It's incredible.

Looking at Nagasaki Suyo who was forcing a smile and struggling with a large bag of snacks, Naruse Ritsu took the bag from her hand.

The thing that seemed particularly heavy in the girl's hand was now held casually in his hand by him as if it were nothing.

"If you don't mind, how about I take it back for you?"

"Is it really possible? Will it waste your time..."

"We are friends, and friends shouldn't refuse to help each other."

Hearing that Naruse Ritsu's reply was just as she expected, Nagasaki Suyo's smile became even gentler.

She tapped her chin with her index finger and said to Naruse Ritsu in a playful tone, "Come to think of it, I haven't told you where my home is, have I?"

"Isn't it nearby?" After looking up and thinking for a while, Ritsu Narose said.

Based on Nagasaki Suyo's past movements and travel times, her address shouldn't be too far from here. After all, elementary school students' movements are generally centered around their homes, right?

but--

If that was true, why hadn't he seen any trace of Nagasaki Suyo once in that last month?

So, there is only one answer.

"Now, could it be that Su Shi has moved?"

"Well, my mother moved out with me when I was in fifth grade."

So that's why Nagasaki Suyo disappeared without a trace back then...

"I'm sorry. I was the one who came here today, but now you're saying something that spoils the fun."

When he came to his senses, Ritsu Narose heard the girl blaming herself.

"That's not the case." Looking at the other party with a serious look, Ritsu Narose said slowly.

"In fact, just the fact that Su Shi took the initiative to help me out of the predicament when I was hesitant and didn't know how to face you is already remarkable."

Ritsu Narose's words were like a stone thrown into the water. It was not enough to just splash to the bottom of the water, it had to leave ripples on the water surface.

Such embarrassing words were actually said like this...

Nagasaki Suyo turned her face away, trying hard not to let the people around her see the blush on her cheeks.

"Then, now I'll ask Su Shi to lead the way?"

"Well, leave it to me~"

For some reason, Nagasaki Suyo's interest became inexplicably high.

Although Ritsu Narose doesn't really understand girls' psychology, since the other person's mood has improved, it can't be a bad thing no matter how you think about it.

Watching the scenery around him gradually become prosperous, Ritsu Narose came to the port area under the guidance of Suyo Nagasaki.

To be precise, it is the Roppongi area, one of Tokyo's central business districts.

Looking up at the Roppongi super-tall building in front of him, Ritsu Narose blinked and looked at the girl beside him who seemed to be smiling.

"That's right here."

As if seeing through his thoughts, Nagasaki Suyo chuckled softly.

"The eldest lady of Tsuki no Mori" - thinking back to the information revealed by Chihaya Aine before, Naruse Ritsu finally had a certain understanding of the word "eldest lady".

It's not like he hasn't seen more luxurious things.

Whether it was the Golden Country that was passed down by word of mouth among the hunter community, or the palace located in the prosperous kingdom, he had visited them all in person.

But what can I say? After all, the two worlds have developed their own technology trees in different directions, and the experience they give people is completely different.

Passing through the magnificent first-floor lobby, Ritsu Narusha and Suyo Nagasaki walked into the elevator side by side.

A breeze of suitable temperature came from above, accompanied by elegant and soothing piano music. Ritsu Narose silently watched the pointer above the elevator gradually turn to "45".

The top floor duplex on the 45th floor...

He couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly. Ritsu Narose felt that this place was more like the high-end hotels he had stayed in when traveling in the past than a high-end apartment.

The floor here was polished by the cleaners until it was shiny. Naruse Ritsu placed a large bag of snacks at the door and said, "I won't go in and disturb you."

"Eh? Ritsu, don't you want to come in and sit down?"

"It's so late, it's better not to disturb your family."

As he turned to leave, Mingse Ritsu heard faintly sad words coming from behind him.

"It's okay, there's no one at home right now."

"Usually it's just me and my mom living here, and she's often away from home for work... so most of the time I'm the only one at home."

As the gloomy words rang in her ears, shame surged like a tide and overwhelmed Ritsu Narose's body.

Did he just... leave Nagasaki Suyo alone again?