All the people who like me are other people’s girlfriends! ?

The reason why he didn't go to talk to Yukinoshita was because he was also hesitant and hesitant.

Both Yukinoshita Haruno and her mother hope that Yukino can move forward independently without relying on others.

Yukino is indeed dependent on him.

Is this an opportunity for her to try being alone? I have this thought myself and keep thinking about it.

However, the weak Yukinoshita Yukino that he saw at that time still remains in his mind.

——This can’t go on.

He made up his mind.

Qingye took a deep breath, loosened his scarf, and stopped.

In front of us, colorful lights flowed like a river of stars, wrapped around every Christmas tree. Church bells rang in the distance, and the white mist exhaled disappeared in an instant.

He raised his head and looked at the glittering lights, and all the little moments of his past interactions with Yukinoshita Yukino came to his mind one after another.

The longing I felt when I first encountered her.

There is a unique tenderness mixed with venom on the Internet.

And then saved him again.

The delicious taste of porridge when you are hungry.

The two parted before going abroad.

My temper after returning to China and Mr. Pan.

A gift given on a birthday.

She admires her sister.

She is worried about her sister.

She decided to go to the same university with her.

She strives to be better.

Worried about dragging her down.

Beautiful, just, gentle, aloof, cold, stern, cute, cowardly, flawless, arrogant, fragile, inferior... just like the snow that will not change its posture no matter what happens.

Her shadow is everywhere in his life.

Amidst the brilliant lights, a dazzling black flashed before my eyes.

"—?"

As if it was destined, he saw the familiar figure in the crowd at a glance.

His steps moved on his own.

He ran over, pushing through the crowd. In his eyes, the faces of the passers-by around him were unclear, only that figure was so clear.

But there were too many people out for fun during Christmas, and the surroundings were too crowded, so he always kept a distance from Yukinoshita Yukino.

Is she...wanting to leave by tram?

Following her to the station, Qingye was a little anxious. She always seemed to be like this. Once she was put on the same scale as others, she would give up on herself.

He saw Yukinoshita Yukino's figure disappear in the crowded tram, as if she had disappeared from this world.

Suddenly, he felt a needle-like pain deep in his heart, and at that moment, he suddenly understood.

Ah, these are totally insignificant things.

Dependence, independence, and sacrifice—none of these matters. In this world, who can guarantee that they can survive on their own? Aren't we all interdependent and need each other?

Why force yourself to do something you can't do? Does a bird flying in the sky have to fly into the sea?

What he wanted to see was Yukinoshita's gentle smile.

What he admired was Yukinoshita, the righteous woman who wanted to change the world.

He longed for—

——Is to live with her.

That's right.

This is his life choice.

The world opened up in an instant.

At the last second before the tram door was about to close, Qingye rushed into the tram and the door slowly closed behind him.

He chose Yukinoshita.

But—he realized that he hadn't given up on Yukinoshita Haruno and Yanami, which made him feel a little guilty. Could it be that his name really had to be changed to Minotaur Chieftain from now on!?

Anyway, that's not what's important now.

The carriage was full of people. Qingye squeezed several steps to the middle and looked around. People were coming and going around him, but he couldn't find Yukinoshita.

Qingye frowned and lowered his head. At this moment, a pair of white and slender hands came into his sight, with the fingertips trimmed neatly and rounded... These were her hands, there was no mistake.

He stared at the familiar hand, hesitated for a moment, and then decisively shook it, risking being slandered.

Cool and smooth, like a piece of cool jade.

Her hand was suddenly held, and she resisted violently, seeming very angry. Then, feeling the familiar warmth, her movements froze, she let go of her anger and vigilance, and gradually relaxed. However, she still symbolically struggled twice.

The two hands were clasped together, struggling to separate, their fingers touched each other in the air, and then they were tightly clasped together again.

In the slowly shaking carriage, they couldn't see each other's faces, only their hands conveyed their feelings to each other.

Until the tram arrived at the station, the two of them did not separate their hands again.

Kiyono and Yukinoshita Yukino walked out of the station. This was a relatively remote area, lacking the bustle of Christmas.

There were rows of electric poles, soft street lights, and houses on both sides of the street were lit with warm lights. Yukinoshita Yukino followed his pace, like a quiet and cute kitten.

At this moment, the snow exudes a kind of quiet atmosphere, delicate and soft.

Like dependence, like habit, like reluctance to let go, it makes people savor it for a long time. Like a gentle handful of new snow, it is so beautiful that it is breathtaking. It is hard to describe and explain. The only thing that is certain is that it really exists.

He felt an itch in his heart and couldn't help but look at her.

At this moment, Yukinoshita Yukino also happened to look over.

The moment their eyes met, she quickly looked away like a frightened cat, pretending to know nothing and walking forward, even loosening her hand in panic.

Huh? How come this woman is still so cute even though she's almost 30?

Yukinoshita found a bench in a nearby park and sat down. She took a breath, tilted her eyes, still not looking at Qingye, and just said lightly:

"Mr. Kiyono, have you changed your job to become a train geek?"

"Even if everyone in the world reaches out to me, I can still recognize you at a glance." Qingye stood in front of her.

After saying this casually, in front of Yukinoshita Yukino's astonished gaze, Kiyono took off his scarf and gently tied it around her neck, but because of his posture, the scarf was a little crooked.

Yukinoshita silently tied her scarf and whispered, "I'm not cold..."

She raised her head quietly, only to find Qingye looking straight at her without dodging.

Having made up his mind, Qingye showed no fear and said with a smile, "I've been thinking a lot recently, about things like what my life goals are and how I should spend my time meaningfully. I've also taken a look at some of the outside world's opinions."

“What they said is actually not wrong.”

Yukinoshita instantly understood the situation. A dull pain pierced her chest. She pinched her scarf with her fingers and lowered her head to stare at her feet. She had indeed delayed Qingye...

"If I had devoted all my free time to studying literature, I would have been able to produce even better works, and even surpass the great writers of history."

He spoke to himself.

"If I really want to go into politics, Tokyo is indeed the best place to start. Whether it's the University of Tokyo or the literary world, they all have connections with many political families, and they are all willing to form a faction with me."

Yukinoshita's lips trembled slightly. The scarf seemed to bring no warmth at all, and her heart felt as if it was entangled and uncomfortable.

Reason told her that she should give him an answer and tell him that she could be alone, but she had already been deeply immersed in the daily life with him——

Then, she heard it.

Qingye's emotional words reached her ears.

"These futures should be brighter, but to me, none of them can compare to the hand you extended to me back then."

She raised her head in surprise.

Seeing Qingye, he smiled like the sun.

Yukinoshita clutched her chest, took a deep breath, and whispered, "Is this because you owe me a favor? If so, I can swear, you've already..."

"It has nothing to do with any of this."

Qingye interrupted her and looked straight into her tearful eyes.

In fact, he didn't know what the correct answer was.

However, the days we spent together and the future we hoped for were absolutely real.

So, he put all his emotions into words.

"How should I put it? I hope that all the scenery I see in the future will have snow under it, the four seasons, time and words. These are my own thoughts and have nothing to do with so-called gratitude, dependence, or family—"

All the problems that had been piling up in my mind collapsed in an instant.

Collapse, shatter, and disappear in the wind.

All that was left was the bright moon and the man's clear smile.

That's it...

The feeling that shakes the wrist, the feeling that shakes the neck, the feeling that the pulse seems to have its own breath.

My heart is beating violently——

"As a proposal, these words are really terrible. There must be better ways to say it..."

Yukinoshita gently wiped the corners of her eyes and said in a sullen tone. The moonlight illuminated her flushed cheeks, like a touch of rouge on white porcelain.

At this moment, she saw the man in front of her lean over and get close to her, as if he was going to do something intimate.

Looking at the boy's face so close to her, Yukinoshita Yukino realized something and her breathing became rapid. Like a cute little animal, she closed her eyes tightly, and her lips glowed an alluring cherry color under the moonlight.

Qingye slowly moved his head closer.

——But the imagined touch did not come.

Yukinoshita quietly opened her eyes, and then saw Kiyono gently helping her tie her messy scarf.

Qingye blinked: "Huh? What are you thinking about, Ms. Yukinoshita?"

"...Qing! Ye! Jun!"

Yukinoshita Yukino stood up with gritted teeth. Just when Qingye was about to speak, Yukinoshita suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled it down.

——Chirp.

It was a kiss as pure and ethereal as winter snow.

Yukinoshita Yukino snorted and took his hand.

The bright moon hangs leisurely in the night sky.

They took a step together—

The heaviest emotion lurking in the deepest part of my heart flows through my lips and teeth——

She will continue to walk on the road of life with this person.

Yukinoshita Yukino lowered her head with a gentle smile, and following the bright moonlight, she seemed to see a red line connecting the two little fingers together.

hope.

This red thread will never be untied.

*

The next night, when Kiyono and Yukinoshita Yukino returned to the apartment, Yukinoshita Haruno seemed to have realized something and sat down on the sofa in advance. He sat opposite his sister and explained to her what had happened recently in order. Haruno listened to his description and responded one by one.

"I see, Kiyono-kun made this choice."

Finally, Yukinoshita Haruno looked at the night sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window and smiled a complex and indescribable smile with a hint of melancholy.