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Takamatsu Tomori neatly arranged her shoes, one hand covering her skirt, and extended her right foot, cautiously probing into the river.
It must be said that Tomori-chan's skin was incredibly fair and delicate; every faint blue vein on the back of the girl's foot was clearly visible.
"Give me your hand." Kitahara Makoto extended his hand, "The water is very shallow, so there's no need to worry."
"Oh, so cool…"
Takamatsu Tomori grasped Kitahara Makoto's right hand and carefully entered the water.
"How does it feel?"
Kitahara Makoto asked with a smile.
"The river water is very cool…" Takamatsu Tomori looked down at the clear river water reaching her calves, her voice filled with surprise, "But it's very comfortable."
"That's why I said a childhood without going into a river is an incomplete childhood." Kitahara Makoto released her hand, "There are many beautiful pebbles in the river. Tomori-chan, find them yourself, and if I see any pretty ones, I'll give them to you too… Oh, I see another one."
Kitahara Makoto bent down and picked up a round, greenish pebble from his feet, handing it to Takamatsu Tomori.
"Thank you, Kitahara-kun…"
Takamatsu Tomori thanked him softly.
"Saying thank you all the time is too much trouble." Kitahara Makoto waved his hand, "Friends shouldn't always say thank you."
"...Okay."
Takamatsu Tomori's eyes darted to the shopping bag in Kitahara Makoto's hand, which contained several small fish roe and small crabs.
"That…" Takamatsu Tomori pursed her pink lips, hesitating, "Kitahara-kun, are you planning to make them into specimens?"
Takamatsu Tomori disliked raw eggs, red caviar, and pollock roe, because she felt like she was directly eating living things. Of course, this also had to do with appearance; for example, she wouldn't feel guilty eating or making specimens of strange-looking insects.
But if it was making a small fish into a specimen… she still cared a little.
Kitahara Makoto smiled:
"I'm just catching them for fun, reliving a bit of childhood innocence. I'll release them all when I go home later."
Takamatsu Tomori breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, her eyes full of anticipation:
"Can I help?"
Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn't refuse: "Then I'll leave it to Tomori-chan."
In fact, the task of catching fish and shrimp had just been completed, but since they were already here, they might as well have some fun.
Not long after, Kitahara Makoto suddenly felt his clothes being gently tugged.
He turned his head to see Takamatsu Tomori's eyes sparkling, her small head leaning closer, her pink lips parting as she whispered:
"Crab, under that rock."
Kitahara Makoto looked carefully: "I see it… Tomori-chan, would you like to try catching it yourself?"
"Eh?" Takamatsu Tomori looked hesitant, "But crabs pinch."
"It's fine if you grab it from behind," Kitahara Makoto said softly. "That little crab isn't big. At most, it will hurt if it pinches, but it won't get injured. And catching a crab yourself doubles the joy."
"Really?"
"Absolutely," Kitahara Makoto said gently. "Every age group has its own joys. When you're young, you like marbles; when you grow up, you don't. A game you like at twenty, you might not even be interested in opening at thirty."
"Tomori-chan might come to this river again in her future life, but she will never encounter today's sunset or the crab at her feet again. It would be a pity to miss it."
"Hmm…" Takamatsu Tomori pursed her rosy lips, feeling a little flutter in her heart. "Then I'll try?"
"Give it a try. I'll guide you from the side."
"…"
Catching crabs isn't actually that difficult; it's mainly about being quick-eyed and quick-handed.
Takamatsu Tomori's reaction ability seemed quite good. Under Kitahara Makoto's guidance, she first held her breath, carefully approached, then ambushed from behind, successfully catching the crab without injury.
Splash.
Water splashed.
"I caught it."
Takamatsu Tomori held the small crab up in the air, a genuinely bright smile appearing on her pretty face, like an epiphyllum quietly blooming, even comparable to the sunset in the sky.
Kitahara Makoto was slightly dazed, then suddenly reacted and quickly pulled out his phone from his pocket.
Click.
Snapshot successful.
Hearing the camera click, the smile on Takamatsu Tomori's face quickly disappeared:
"Is there something on my face?"
"Tomori-chan's face holds the joy of an entire summer."
Kitahara Makoto replied while handing over his phone.
It must be said, this snapshot was quite good. In the photo, Takamatsu Tomori had a blue sky and white clouds behind her, holding a crab high in her hand, with a genuinely bright smile on her face. In short, she was very cute.
Looking at herself in the photo, Takamatsu Tomori couldn't help but widen her eyes.
Could she really smile so happily?
Kitahara Makoto praised her:
"Don't look at those joke books anymore. If you're unhappy, just come and catch crabs. Tomori-chan not only smiles, but her smile is super cute."
"Cu-cute…"
Hearing such direct praise, Takamatsu Tomori didn't respond, uncontrollably turning her small face away, her earlobes quickly turning red.
Time flowed by.
In a flash, it was evening.
"That's enough for today. It's about time to go back." Kitahara Makoto was satisfied, handing a handful of pebbles to Takamatsu Tomori. "I just picked up another handful of pebbles. Tomori-chan, see if there are any stones you like."
Takamatsu Tomori said softly, "Thank you, Kitahara-kun."
"Friends shouldn't always say thank you, it's too formal," Kitahara Makoto sighed helplessly. "Does Tomori-chan not consider me a friend?"
"Of-of course not." Takamatsu Tomori quickly shook her head, nervously observing Kitahara Makoto's expression, then suddenly mustered her courage and said, "Makoto-kun, would you be friends with me for life?"
The girl was like a lost little beast, cautiously extending her paw towards the human in front of her, eager to form a bond, her eyes tense with anticipation yet fear.
Kitahara Makoto was certain that at this moment, he didn't even need to show malice; if he hesitated for even a few more seconds, a gravitational field would surely sweep over.
"Of course, I would," Kitahara Makoto said without hesitation, his voice gentle. "Tomori-chan, please continue to guide me in the future."
"…"
Takamatsu Tomori's rosy lips curved slightly upwards. She suddenly felt her entire heart immersed in some warm liquid, and quickly bent down to pick up pebbles to hide the blush on her face.
"Ah…!"
However, the next second, Takamatsu Tomori seemed to be startled, suddenly looking up and backing away.
Plop.
Unsteady on her feet, Takamatsu Tomori directly fell into the small river, splashing water everywhere.
"Tomori-chan?"
Kitahara Makoto looked on in surprise, quickly reaching out to pull the girl up.
Takamatsu Tomori's small face was a bit pale, and she nervously clutched Kitahara Makoto's arm, her voice trembling slightly:
"Th-there's a snake…"
Girls are indeed afraid of snakes, and even an eccentric, special-type girl like her is no exception.
"It might not be a snake," Kitahara Makoto looked down and around, finding nothing. "It could be a loach, or maybe an eel…"
Mid-sentence, Kitahara Makoto's gaze fell on Tomori-chan's chest, and his eyes suddenly froze.
It was early summer, and Takamatsu Tomori was wearing a light and breathable white shirt. After falling into the water, the shirt immediately became 'transparent.' Under the setting sun, he could clearly see the pink bra underneath, as well as a quite deep cleavage and… curves.
I didn't realize you were a hidden boss, you can totally compete with Bocchi-chan!
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