Ome Quartet of Snow Country

Chapter 50
Asamushi Aquarium, [-]st floor.

The seaweed is slender and hangs straight in the water, rippling back and forth with the waves.

The sunlight simulated by the electric light shines through the sea water and falls on the fine sand at the bottom of the tank. Fish swim and swim, and a few unknown shellfish are half hidden in the light and shadow.

In the corner, a huge purple starfish clings to the reef, barely moving.

"..."

Outside the transparent glass tank, Naruse also stared at it for a while without moving.

"Narase-san."

When he turned his head, two girls from Class C walked towards him, "Are you alone?"

Naruse glanced left and right, but did not see Naoko.

"I'm looking for Shangzi."

The two girls looked at each other and shrugged.

"We haven't seen this flower either. By the way, Naruse-san will take a photo for us." One of the girls said, handing over her mobile phone.

Naruse didn't refuse, and took the phone, and the background they chose was the aquarium he had just stopped to stare at.

"Yeah~"

The two squatted down, tilted their heads from one side to the other, and gestured in front of the reef and starfish.

Click!

"All right."

"Thank you~ Naruse-san is really a good person, it would be even better if you can be more enthusiastic about girls other than Hana-wow, not a bad shot."

The two looked down at the phone, and were very satisfied with the effect of the photo.

"I didn't expect Naruse-san to be good at taking pictures too... Eh, where are you?"

When he looked up again, Naruse had disappeared.

It seems that in order to imitate the environment of the seabed, the overall lighting in the aquarium is rather dark, especially in front of several connected deep-sea aquariums.

The tall glass replaced the wall, enclosing a corner of the deep sea on the land, and the light that was not considered bright fell to the bottom, reflecting a faint blue.

Compared with other areas, this side is also quieter.

Naruse slowed down his pace, and his consciousness was also emptied, staring at a hole in a certain rock, and stood there for a while in a daze.

A short electric current brought him back to his senses.

Lifting his eyes, the broadcast in the corner was faintly visible.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the dolphin show in the dolphin pool on the second floor is about to begin, please come and watch."

After repeating it twice, the radio quieted down again.

The dolphin show is only three times a day, and if you miss it, you can only wait another hour and a half, and it is already time for free action.

"It's finally beginning—"

"Let's go and have a look."

"After watching the dolphin show, it's almost time to leave."

Visitors on the first floor of the aquarium gathered towards the stairs on both sides, and Naruse was no exception.

If you want to hide yourself in the moving crowd, then move with the crowd—in other words, people who are motionless will be particularly conspicuous at this time.

After staring at the girl standing alone in front of the aquarium, Naruse temporarily left the crowd as he approached.

"one person?"

"..."

Sen Jian turned to look at him, pushed his glasses, but didn't speak.

And once he stopped, Naruse soon felt the chaotic gazes from his classmates.

"Is that Senjian?"

"Who else can it be? The former and current first graders are all there."

"Eh? The boy next to him is... so handsome."

"Wow, don't you think she's a little pitiful?"

"Poor? Have you forgotten how proud she was before?"

"Are you proud? I think it's okay."

"Hmph, what do boys know... only look at faces."

The chaotic footsteps could not completely cover up the constant whispers, and this situation only lasted for a short while - most of the students went to the second floor to watch the upcoming dolphin show.

The lobby on the first floor, where there were few people left, seemed much empty.

Naruse glanced at Mori again, and was about to turn around and leave when she suddenly sighed.

"Have you heard Naruse?"

Although he felt that he had done nothing wrong, Naruse was still a little embarrassed.

"I heard."

Through the lens, Morimi stared at him wordlessly for a few seconds, then turned his gaze away and took a step forward, almost touching the glass of the aquarium.

"Being approached by you at a time like this is no different than being stripped naked and thrown into an aquarium for others to visit."

"..."

Naruse pursed his lower lip.

As a loser who was kicked out of the first place in the next grade, and even about to fall out of the top ten, her current situation is really not good.

And she cared more about this failure than he thought.

In the aquarium, a small translucent fish whose name could not be named hovered in front of Mori, shaking leisurely, looking very cute.

Lying on the glass, her sight also had a focus.

"I want to die."

"..."

"I want to die."

Naruse glanced at the sign next to him.

"What to say to a rare freshwater fish that is dying."

Staring at the cherished little fish in front of him, Sen Jian was silent for a few seconds, then moved his lips again, after all, he didn't say anything excessive.

In the silence, the string music of shamisen suddenly came from upstairs, accompanied by the sound of flute and drum.

Naruse had read the aquarium's manual and knew that it was the featured theme music for the Asamushi Aquarium's dolphin show.

"The show has begun."

Mori Jian also listened attentively for a while, and when he spoke again, he talked about a topic that had nothing to do with it.

"Is Naruse very good at studying? Obviously, he usually reads some idle books."

"That's too much to say."

"Isn't it?"

"I also put in a lot of sweat for my studies."

"When?"

"At school and at home."

Sam turned to stare at him.

Naruse couldn't bear it, half turned around, "Aren't you going to see the dolphin show?"

"Is it the difference in talent?" She suddenly asked again.

"what?"

Naruse froze for a moment, flashed through his mind the clips about dolphin talent and intelligence he had read on "Idle Books", and then realized: she was still talking about studying.

"maybe."

Compared with her who was studying in a private school in the first grade, he did not put in much effort in his studies.

Mori sighed softly.

"It's not fair."

Naruse was silent.

Isn't it fair?

If a person's talents and experiences in life come from God's gift, then what the two of them get now can be said to be very fair-at least she has a happy family.

Naruse just thought about it, but didn't say it.And Mori Jian just complained a little, and didn't say anything else, but his mood seemed to be better.

"I need to work harder..." She stared at the small fish in the aquarium and whispered softly, her hands pressing on the glass turned white from the effort.

"Come on."

Hearing the faint cheers from upstairs, Naruse estimated that the dolphin show had officially started.

"Here it comes again, this condescending tone."

"Right now, I'm really 'over the top'."

"..."

Sen Jian glared over immediately.

Naruse smiled, "Just kidding..."

"——Chunhai."

He turned his head, and Shangzi was walking this way.

She stared at the smile that hadn't completely faded at the corner of his mouth, and when she came to him, she looked at him.

"I've been looking for you for a long time...the dolphin show has begun."

"Feel sorry."

"Let's go up." Shangzi said, pulling him for two steps before turning his head.

"Isn't Yiye coming up?"

"I have no interest in dolphin shows."

Morimi shook his head, "I just want to be alone now."

Shangzi didn't say anything, just smiled and pulled Naruse away.

Looking at the swimming fish in the aquarium in front of him, Mori Jian glanced over there until the figures of the two disappeared from the corner of his eye.

"Watching so closely..."

With a mutter, she turned and walked towards the uninhabited deep sea area, continuing her order.

(End of this chapter)