"Nanamin, Mai Mai."

Shiraishi called their names, picked up the small bag in his hand, and got out of the car in a slight panic.

Hashimoto and Fukawa turned back in surprise and looked at each other.

"Mai, you... why are you here too?" Fukawa did not expect this situation.

"I..." Bai Shi seemed to be a little embarrassed to speak. His eyes stayed on the two of them for a long time before he said, "I think you may need me to... mediate from it."

She considered her words, but couldn't think of a good way to express herself. Finally, she sighed with determination, "I'll just say it."

"Nanamin, there won't be any conflicts between you and Mai Mai, right?"

The subject is Nanamin... Fukawa thought.

She looked at Hashimoto and handed over the initiative with her eyes. She wanted to see what choice Hashimoto would make.

Should he tell Shiraishi all this, or should he choose to hide it.

Hashimoto opened her eyes slightly in shock, and then quickly understood. Sensing Fukawa's gaze, she was silent for a while, and then pointed in the distance.

"Let's walk first."

The three of them walked in the same direction along the road.

Hashimoto really wanted to have a serious talk with Fukagawa. At the station in Tanimura Town, she had already made up her mind, not about how to choose, but the determination to face this problem that had been put on hold for a long time. She believed Fukawa was the same.

However, Bai Shi's appearance was an accident. She didn't know how to talk about it, or whether to talk about it.

So the three of them walked on the street with their own thoughts, and no one spoke.

Shiraishi felt that he was a little foolhardy.

Seeing that the two of them were in a low mood, she felt that the cause of the gap between the two must be something bigger than a small problem, and her mood became a little heavy. But now, she couldn't get out of the situation abruptly because something happened at the last moment, and now she had to take action.

status.

The temperature was slightly colder that night. Shiraishi wrapped his coat a little tighter and was the first to break the silence and speak in the cold wind.

"It's rare for the three of us to go together like this, right? The time just doesn't match up lately." She pretended to talk about this topic casually, but it seemed to touch on a core contradiction for two or three seconds.

, the embarrassment of silence was like the cold wind pouring into his collar, making Shiraishi shiver involuntarily.

"Yeah," fortunately Fukawa picked up, "I haven't been like this for a long time. Today's collection is actually quite happy. It's my first time to go to that place, Tanimura Town. Although it is a small place, I live there.

The people there are very welcoming, and some people smiled and said hello when they left.”

"Maimai, did you see it too? The elderly and children are all smiling. The atmosphere of that place is great. It reminds me of my relatives and neighbors living in Gunma. Everyone is smiling like that. It feels like a trip today, very

happy."

While talking, Shiraishi did not forget to observe the reactions of Hashimoto and Fukawa, "We also had a lot of fun traveling together to Kamakura. It would be great if we all go there again when we have time. Let's call Misa, Sayuri, and the five of us."

She felt that this was a relatively open topic that could be extended further, but Fukawa and Hashimoto did not follow it. Shiraishi seemed to have accidentally explored their minefield in the middle of the conversation. The conversation was interrupted here.

Shiraishi felt a little aggrieved for no reason.

A gust of cold wind blew by. Shiraishi crossed his arms and trembled. He found Hashimoto looking at her and smiled, "What a mistake. You should wear more clothes."

Hashimoto turned around. It was difficult for her to sort out the thoughts in her heart. Today was originally a good opportunity to have an honest conversation with Fukawa, but it was ruined by Shiraishi's unintentional intrusion.

"Ma Yi, you shouldn't have followed me here." She whispered.

Fukawa remained silent and did not speak.

Shiraishi sniffed, "Why?"

Hashimoto shook his head.

Shiraishi silently crossed his arms.

She felt a huge gap between the three of them, as if there was a wide river separating them. She was on this side, and Fukawa and Hashimoto were on the other side.

She bit her lip reluctantly. "Why did Nanamin say that? I just..."

"Are you hungry?" Fukawa interrupted her with a smile.

"Eh?" Shiraishi looked at Fukawa.

"Ma Yiyan is hungry, too. We are all tired after shooting the MV all day. How is this place?"

Fukawa pointed to the signboard of a monja-yaki shop on the roadside.

Shiraishi stopped and his eyes fell on the shop sign.

Hashimoto looked at Fukawa quietly.

"Let's go in and have something to eat." Fukawa said with a smile.

——

Under the guidance of the waiter, the three of them walked through the short corridor and arrived at a small private room.

This place is not big, but it has an inexplicable sense of depth.

Fukawa and Shiraishi sat down on both sides of the table. Hashimoto was obviously stunned after Hashimoto came in. They looked at the two seemingly opposing sides and hesitated for a moment which side to take.

"Nanamin?"

Shiraishi put away his bag and looked at Hashimoto, who was still standing at the door, "Come and sit," she waved, "Why are you standing there dazed?"

Perhaps in order to eliminate the slight discomfort she felt in the previous conversation with Hashimoto, her attitude was much more enthusiastic than before.

Fukawa also looked at Hashimoto without saying a word, but just made room next to him.

In a daze, Hashimoto felt that the two of them had posed a huge problem for her. She didn't know how to choose.

"Nanamin." Fukawa called Hashimoto's name softly.

"...Sorry, Mai Mai."

Hashimoto apologized and sat on Shiraishi's side. Fukawa's eyes dimmed.

Shiraishi felt strange and didn't understand why Hashimoto wanted to apologize.

"What do you three want to order?"

The waiter handed over the menu with a smile. Hashimoto and Fukawa sitting outside did not respond. Shiraishi had to stand up and take it, "I'm sorry, do you have any recommendations?"

“We have a lot of people ordering the Mentaiko Mochi Monjayaki and Seafood Cheese Monjayaki. By the way, there’s also the Mixed Pork Monjayaki.”

"Hmm..." Shiraishi was hesitant about which one to choose. She hadn't eaten monjasha too many times. "Where's the wheat, which one do you want to eat?" She raised her head and asked.

"Just let Nana Min choose, I can do it." Fukawa said.

"Then...Nanamin?"

Hashimoto's fingers on the table shrank slightly.

After two or three seconds, she pretended to smile lightly, "Why should I choose?"

"Because Mai Mai..."

"Maimai, why do you just throw the problem to me and let me choose?" Hashimoto lowered his head and said, "I don't know what to do."

Although her voice was not loud, more like a whisper, everyone in the box noticed a certain tense emotion in it.

The waiter's formulaic smile froze on his face.

"But Nanamin, you still made a choice," Fukawa pinched her fingers and spoke calmly, "You chose Mai Yan, so that's why you sat next to her, right?"

"Because, only Mai is the same here as before."

"Is it as important as before, Nanamin?"

"..."

"Um..." The waiter smiled slightly awkwardly, of course this smile was directed at Shiraishi, "Should I avoid it?"

Shiraishi looked at the two people who were silent and apologized to the waiter, "I'm sorry, we ordered seafood and pork, two portions of seafood, please excuse me."

The waiter exited as if he was relieved, and the private room was filled with an unusually disturbing air.

"I chose something I haven't eaten before. I don't know how it tastes." Shiraishi smiled in order to dilute the delicate atmosphere. But no one responded.

Soon, the dishes were served, and the only sound in the private room was the sizzling sound of Monja burning.

The meal Shiraishi ate tasted like nothing. For the first time, she experienced what it felt like to eat just to fill her stomach.

The whole meal was awkward and uncomfortable. Amidst the crushing silence and solemnity, the three of them chose to deal with the things in front of them silently.

The occasional exchanges are like pebbles thrown into a deep, calm pond, evoking a heavy sense of deliberateness.

Time passed quickly and slowly. When the three of them had almost eaten, Shiraishi realized that the meal had only been eaten for less than half an hour. You must know that they usually have dinner together for at least one or two hours.

Just as the three were about to leave, Fukawa received a message from Ikuta. She picked up the phone, but her brows kept frowning.

"What's wrong?" Bai Shi asked.

"Ikuta sent a message, the content is very strange." Fukawa said and handed the phone to Shiraishi.

"kkd,dODOICFJ,dOIEDHJO." (Let's make up the hiragana and katakana...)

"Uh... encrypted communication?" Shiraishi took it and opened it. The content was indeed confusing.
To be continued...