Aoba also came out to the balcony.
He looked at the lounge chair placed on the balcony, and at the layout that was no different from before, and couldn't help but smile.
Then he walked over and sat down on the lounge chair beside Seramu.
The two of them sat in silence for a moment.
It was as if the footsteps of time had paused here. More than twenty years had passed, yet nothing here had changed.
The people hadn't changed either.
As long as they came here, it was as if they had gone back to the past.
Even if twenty years had passed, the two people here seemed like they had never been apart.
Seramu habitually rested her head on Aoba's shoulder.
The corner of her mouth finally couldn't help but curve upward.
"Twenty years…"
Seramu spoke softly, "I often come here to take a look, just like before."
"Only this way can I confirm my own existence, and also…"
She lifted her eyes, and in her eyes there was only Aoba.
"…your existence."
"…"
Hearing this, Aoba didn't know how to respond. He had underestimated the power of twenty years.
He couldn't understand the hardship and bitterness in it, because after just three years, he had been impatient to leave.
"Seramu, I'm sorry…"
"You don't need to apologize."
Seramu laughed, "On the contrary, I should thank you. If you hadn't appeared twenty years ago, I would have died long ago from overusing the Dragon Veins."
"Roran too, perhaps in some war, might have already become dust in history."
"So, through these twenty years, I always thought. So long as, before I die, you can appear before me, then I would already be satisfied. I wouldn't dare to ask for more."
"Seramu…"
Aoba became even more unsure of how to reply. He hadn't expected her to say something like this.
Wasn't this just giving him… an opportunity?
Seramu turned her head again to glance at the position of the balcony door. In that shadowed corner behind it, there was a small figure hiding.
"Aoba, can you tell me, how do you see Sara?"
"This…"
Aoba hadn't expected Seramu to so quickly shift the topic onto Sara.
But if even Seramu could notice Sara hiding behind the door eavesdropping, there was no way he wouldn't sense it.
This was clearly forcing him to make a statement.
Looking at Seramu's serious gaze, he knew that dodging or pretending to be clueless was useless.
"Sara is a very well-behaved and excellent girl. I like her very much."
"Mm?", Seramu frowned. She subconsciously thought he was pretending to be clueless again.
After all, this guy had pretended for three whole years, only waiting until the very end before leaving to tell them he had a girlfriend.
And she really must have been out of her mind. Knowing full well he already had a girlfriend, yet still saying those words just now. She took a deep breath.
"Aoba, you should understand what I'm really asking."
"Of course I understand."
Aoba also nodded, and looked at Seramu seriously as he said, "I already promised Sara that I will take responsibility for the life I disrupted."
"Is that so?"
Seramu's eyes trembled slightly. Clearly this was the answer she had wanted to hear.
After a silent pause, Seramu once again spoke softly, "Since that's the case, then I can be at ease."
"Aoba, I'll entrust Sara to you from now on."
"I won't let her suffer any grievance."
Aoba made his solemn promise.
Clatter!
In the quiet air, it seemed like some sneaky little mouse had accidentally knocked over a candlestick.
Then came a flurry of rustling, panicked footsteps.
Before long, behind the balcony door, there was no one left.
"Looks like she was too embarrassed and ran away."
Seramu looked at the balcony door and couldn't help covering her mouth as she laughed.
Aoba shook his head helplessly and shifted the topic, "Seramu, tomorrow I need to make a trip to Konoha myself. I'll leave Hinata and the others in your care for a while."
The smile on Seramu's face faded, "So urgent?"
"I just want to go see my family. I'll be back in a few days."
Aoba reassured her.
"I see…", Seramu fell silent for a moment, then after a while, gently took his hand.
"In that case, can you stay with me a little longer tonight?"
Aoba: "?"
After waiting more than twenty years, Seramu felt she should at least get some interest.
Otherwise, the loss would be a bit too great.
———
The next day, at dawn.
Seramu, suppressing her fatigue, had gotten up early. She was the queen of Roran and still had many affairs to handle.
Only, when she stepped out of the study, she found someone had risen earlier than her.
"Sara, why are you up so early?"
Sara lifted her head, revealing a pair of panda eyes.
"Sara?"
Seramu was startled, "You didn't sleep at all last night?"
Sara puffed her cheeks, "Mom, where did you sleep last night?"
They had agreed to sleep together last night, but Sermau hadn't come back the whole night.
Facing her beloved daughter's questioning, Seramu showed complete calm.
She yawned lightly while saying, "Yesterday I was talking with Aoba about some matters. It got too late, and I didn't want to disturb you, so I slept in the study."
"Really just talking?"
Sara craned her neck, as if trying to peek past Seramu to see whether there was someone else's shadow in the study.
Seeing this, the corner of Seramu's mouth twitched, "If you're looking for your Sensei, you'll have to go to his own room."
As she spoke, she winked at Sara and said with meaning, "If you go look now, it'll definitely be lively."
"What?", Sara froze, clearly not understanding what her mother meant.
"You'll know if you go see for yourself."
Seramu rolled her eyes. Sometimes she felt she'd sheltered Sara too well, leaving her too ignorant of many things.
With a puzzled expression, Sara walked to the door of Aoba's room.
Because she had the experience of often sneaking into his room before, she didn't knock, just pushed the door open and went in.
Seeing the three people on the bed engaged in some kind of morning ritual, her brain instantly shut down.
And then indeed, it became lively.
———
Breakfast.
Sara sat pouting at one side. No matter how Aoba tried to talk to her, she responded with indifference.
Seramu, meanwhile, was sipping fish porridge while thoroughly enjoying this topsy-turvy scene.
This was simply the best side dish.
As for the fish porridge… hmm, not bad.
"Aoba, coaxing like that won't work," Yakumo, unable to watch anymore, put down her bowl and chopsticks, looking like a seasoned senior.
Everyone looked at her curiously, waiting for her insight.
Yakumo simply kept a mouthful of fish porridge in her mouth, then directly kissed Aoba.
Everyone present was seeing this kind of eating method for the first time, and all were utterly shocked.
Sara's eyes widened even more, her face full of disbelief.
When both had swallowed the porridge, Yakumo wiped the corner of her mouth and then teasingly looked toward Sara.
"Little Sara, do you want to try it?"
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