This is an anti-theft stamp.

If the purchase ratio is more than 80%, you can check the new text.

Seiichi Yukimura carefully opened the envelope.

On the card that fell out was Sanchū Ming's handwriting.

"Come here."

Is this some kind of puzzle-solving treasure hunt game?

Seiichi Yukimura thought for a while, then packed his things and went to look for Sanada Senichiro.

The six copper coins were the emblem of the ancient samurai family, Sanada.

He got a hand-made bamboo sword pendant and a new letter from Shinichiro. The card inside the letter was printed with Monet's painting, "Monet Painting in a Flower Painting."

It was his favorite pioneer painter of the impressionistic school.

So, the puzzle this time was related to painting?

The similarity between him and Ming in painting...

Seiichi Yukimura looked around the place where Sanchū Ming knew he painted.

In the studio where he liked to sit by the window, he found a painting folder that didn't belong to him.

There was a painting in the folder.

He didn't know when Sanchū Ming had painted Seiichi Yukimura with his head lowered and painting. Sanchū Ming, who liked intense colors, painted Seiichi Yukimura bathed in soft light. The colors were transparent and gentle, and the painting was clean and fresh.

Seiichi Yukimura could almost see him stretching out a pair of beautiful wings in the painting.

The him in Ming's heart..,

Looked like this?

Seiichi Yukimura looked at the painting, and an inexplicable emotion quietly rose in his heart.

There was a third letter hidden in the folder with the painting. There was nothing in the letter.

But there was a faint floral fragrance in the envelope.

It was the smell of his favorite cornflower.

Yukimura kind of understood Sanchū Ming's train of thought.

He returned home and helplessly took the third letter and a pot of blooming bright blue cornflowers from his mother, who was trying to hold back her laughter.

Blue was his favorite color and cornflower was his favorite flower.

Yukimura's mother looked at her son, who was carefully touching the petals, and handed him two bottles of water. "Bright Paste said that you've been running for a long time.

Remember to drink some water. "

Yukimura was completely engrossed in this treasure hunt. He opened the bottle of water and gulped down a few mouthfuls before opening the fourth letter.

Next, he received the fifth letter and a book of Renoir's paintings from the mountain where he had seen the meteor shower. He received the sixth letter, a warm lunch box and a hand-drawn bookmark of "Waves of Kanagawa" from his grandfather, who was fishing by the sea in Kanagawa. He also received the sixth letter, a warm lunchbox, and a hand-drawn copy of "Waves of Kanagawa" from his grandfather. At the rooftop cat café where he had celebrated Sanchū Ming's birthday, he listened to Brahms's Symphony No. 4 and drank a cup of warm matcha milk.

He took the seventh letter and a cat with purple-blue eyes.

These were the places that he and Sanchū Ming had been to.

Yukimura was getting more and more impatient.

He wanted to meet the planner of this treasure hunt as soon as possible.

Hurry up.

Just a little faster.

In the seventh letter was a picture of the crescent moon.

When Yukimura arrived at Sanchū Ming's house,

It was already dark.

He was carrying a full schoolbag and a picture folder, and a cat bag in his hand. He was full of joy and just wanted to find Sanchū Ming, who had planned an original birthday party for him.

He didn't take any detours and went straight to the tree that Sanchū Ming had climbed and cried. Just as he was about to touch the tree, he heard a "bang" from the sky. Seiichi Yukimura instinctively raised his head.

Then he saw his name.

His name, accompanied by orange fireworks, shone in the sky.

"Happy Birthday!

Yukimura! "Sanchū Ming came out from behind the tree.

In order to get permission to set off fireworks in March, when fireworks were not allowed, she asked a lot of elders to pull strings. Finally, after knowing Xing Cun Jingshi, she got special permission to send a grand fireworks show to only one person on his third birthday.

"Yukimura is really smart. He can find it everywhere."

Sanchū Ming was bubbling with joy. Not only did Yukimura have a good time solving the puzzle, but she was also moved when she received Yukimura's game progress.

Originally, she was worried that the puzzle design was too difficult, and Yukimura wouldn't be able to remember.

It symbolized the first meeting at Sanada's house, the studio where she watched Yukimura draw, the cornflowers she planted in Yukimura's yard, the Orion meteor shower they watched together, the high tide on the beach of Kanagawa, and the cat cafe where they sat under the cat tree to draw cats.

It turned out that Yukimura remembered all these things, just like her.

"This firework is the last big gift for Yukimura," Sanchū Ming said with a smile.

Yukimura looked at the firework that belonged to him alone in a daze. He looked down at Sanchū Ming, who was smiling at him with two small dimples.

Her once accelerated heartbeat, warm body temperature, and inexplicable emotions … The reason that blocked all these was drunk in her dimples. The plant called "like" began to grow wildly without restraint as she smiled. After a heavy explosive sound, the flowers that filled her heart gushed out.

When did he fall in love with Sanchū Ming?

He fell in love with Sanchū Ming.

The fireworks were about to end, and the surroundings gradually darkened.

Sanchū Ming lit the incense in her hand and gave a handful to Seiichi Yukimura.

"What's wrong?

Are you so moved that you can't speak? "Sanchū Ming asked with a smile.

Sanchū Ming was no longer the little girl with thorns all over her body.

In a short period of time, she became confident and cheerful. In Yukimura's mind, she stood in the kendo hall and raised her sleeves to wipe her sweat.

Not only in her own field, Sanchū Ming began to shine brightly in other people's lives.

Yukimura held the burning incense in his hand. In the midst of the fireworks, he felt that if he didn't say something to cover up his emotions, he couldn't help but confess to Sanchū Ming.

Well, he admitted defeat. He admitted that the knight was completely conquered by Miss Dragon.

He didn't want the last gift of the treasure hunt game to be fireworks. He wanted Miss Dragon.

But now was not the right time. It would scare her.

So Seiichi Yukimura picked up the strawberry milk that he bought for Sanchū Ming on the way to the treasure hunt game.

He asked: "Do you want to drink it?"

"Drink it?" Sanchū Ming was surprised.

"… .Huh?"

"Wait," Sanchū Ming was confused, "Do you want to ask me if I want to drink strawberry milk?"

"Ah?

Yes, what did I say? "

"You said strawberry milk is' dating '. You asked me if I want to drink it."

… .Too, too embarrassing!

It was the first time in his life that he was so embarrassed!

Seiichi Yukimura felt that it was better for him to disappear immediately.

But at this moment, he was no different from any other boy who was facing the girl he liked. He didn't want to embarrass himself and didn't want to hide anything.

Yukimura nervously rubbed his thumb back and forth with his index finger. He clenched his teeth and said bluntly: "Actually, I want to ask, do you want to try dating me?"

Sanchū Ming, who was holding a bouquet of incense, stiffened at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"What did you say?"

Seiichi Yukimura said: "I like you. I want to date you."

Sanchū Ming turned around and ran!

"Wait, Ming, why are you running?"

Seiichi Yukimura hurriedly chased after her.

Sanchū Ming ran into the house and locked the door. Seiichi Yukimura was a step too late.

"Be good, open the door. I have something to tell you." Yukimura was panting slightly as he gently coaxed her to open the door.

"You're crazy."

Sanchū Ming covered her face and squatted behind the door. Her whole body was emitting heat, and her face was almost cooked. "What nonsense are you saying?"

Seiichi Yukimura big pig head!

"You can't lock me outside. It's so cold at night."

"Then hurry up and go home!

The tram to Kanagawa doesn't stop! "

"It's already very late."

"It's just getting dark early!"

Seiichi Yukimura couldn't find a reason. He thought about it and couldn't help but say:

"But I like you. Can you open the door?"

What kind of karma was there?!

Sanchū Ming wailed and was so embarrassed that she wanted to bury herself in the ground.

"You're not going to open the door?"

"I'd be an idiot if I did!"

"Okay."

Seiichi Yukimura turned around and walked to the front door. After a while, Sanchū Ming carefully opened the door and poked her head out. She just happened to meet Seiichi Yukimura's purplish-blue eyes.

"Bang!" She locked the door again.

Seiichi Yukimura walked to the front door and took out the key in the flower pot above the mailbox. He turned back and inserted the key into the keyhole.

With a click, the lock was unlocked.

Sanchū Ming:??!

She scrambled to escape from the back door and took a taxi to Akaji's house.

Seiichi Yukimura, who chased after Akaji's mansion but was rejected at the door, was speechless.

Seiichi Yukimura stood outside Akaji's house. Without the protection of tall buildings, the cold wind pierced his heart.

He picked up the cat bag, and two pairs of identical blue-purple eyes met, staring at each other.

"Mom abandoned you and Dad to spend the night with another man." Seiichi Yukimura lamented.

The white cat turned around and left him with its butt.

After returning home, he looked at the bright blue cornflower and his portrait on the table. He couldn't help but go out and buy a dozen letters and envelopes.

What should I write …

He was afraid of being unscrupulous when he recalled the past. He was afraid of being cliché when he confessed his feelings. He was afraid of being pretentious when he wrote about his feelings for her.

He was full of hesitation and caution that he usually wouldn't have.

He thought about it again and again. After hesitating for a while, he began to write:

— I desire to leave your side …

Go away.

Sanchū Ming, who received the letter, found an empty classroom to read it.

"I want to say the deepest words I want to say to you. I don't dare. I'm afraid you'll laugh.

"So I laugh at myself and break my secret in a joke.

"I make my pain sound light because I'm afraid you'll do the same.

"I want to say the truest words I want to say to you. I don't dare. I'm afraid you won't believe me.

"So I make a lie real and say the opposite of my true feelings.

"I make my pain sound funny because I'm afraid you'll do the same.

"I desire to sit silently by your side. I don't dare. I'm afraid my heart will jump to my lips.

"So I make small talk and hide my heart behind words.

"I treat my pain crudely because I'm afraid you'll do the same.

"I desire to leave your side. I don't dare. I'm afraid you'll see my cowardice.

"So I casually walk in front of you with my head held high.

"The constant stimulation from your eyes keeps my pain fresh forever."

Sanchū Ming blushed and clenched her teeth. She crumpled the letter full of rogue words into a ball of paper and was about to throw it into the trash can.

Only then did she see that there seemed to be words on the back.

She carefully smoothed out the crumpled paper and found that Seiichi Yukimura had written a line on the back.

"Yuki misses you very much."

… This is a foul.

Sanchū Ming buried her face in the letter in frustration.

Using the purple-blue-eyed cat as a pun …

Referee, where's the referee?

Referee, player Seiichi Yukimura fouled his straight ball.