It was past ten in the evening, and the city's hustle and bustle gradually faded, leaving a tranquil atmosphere on the streets.
Hayashi Shuichi tidily cleaned up everything in the shop, setting tables and chairs back in place, washing the dishes, and then gently locking the door.
"Alright, all done! Time to go home and sleep," Kogoro Mouri, who had long sensed the unusual atmosphere, quickly scurried upstairs.
"Goodnight," Hayashi Shuichi said, closing the shop door and greeting Eri Kisaki, preparing to head upstairs himself.
But the girl directly blocked his path. "Late at night, you're just going to let me walk home alone? You used to always walk me back."
"It's only a little past ten, and lately you've been going home alone…" Hayashi Shuichi's voice grew softer and softer under Eri Kisaki's insistent gaze. "Alright, I'll walk you back."
They walked side by side down the street, a cool breeze gently caressing their faces.
Hayashi Shuichi narrowed his eyes slightly, suddenly feeling a little nostalgic for the times he used to walk Eri Kisaki home every night.
Ever since Yukiko Fujimine started coming to the izakaya, after closing up each night, he couldn't walk both girls home, so he would close early and let Eri Kisaki and Yukiko go back on their own.
Counting it up, it had indeed been a while since he had walked Eri home at night.
Eri Kisaki had obviously thought of this too. She lowered her head slightly, looking at the familiar street, a hint of melancholy in her eyes.
"Since kindergarten, whenever we stayed out late, no matter how tired you were, you'd always voluntarily walk me home… until that curly-haired fox appeared…"
There was a hint of complaint in the girl's tone, like a child whose beloved toy had been snatched away.
"We're all classmates, I can't really play favorites," Hayashi Shuichi let out a couple of awkward laughs, trying to lighten the slightly heavy atmosphere.
Eri Kisaki tilted her head and shot him a sideways glance, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes. She stopped dwelling on that topic and changed the subject. "This afternoon, when you were buried under the mudslide, what were you thinking?"
"At that moment, I didn't have time to think about anything else," Hayashi Shuichi said with a bitter smile, a look of lingering fear on his face. "The sports car's power system was crushed by the landslide, and it was pitch black inside the car. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, couldn't even tell the time."
He frowned slightly, as if he was back in that terrifying darkness.
"We were only buried for a little over two hours, but inside the car, it felt like we endured two long days."
"So you found true love in adversity and had relations with that Ms. Wineyard?" Eri Kisaki's voice suddenly turned cold, her eyes full of suspicion and interrogation.
"What do you mean, had relations?" Hayashi Shuichi quickly waved his hands. "In that kind of situation, how could I possibly do such a thing!"
"Yukiko called and told me she saw that American woman pulling up your pants," Eri Kisaki said, her face dark, arms crossed over her chest, questioning him. "If it's really as you say, why on earth would you take off your pants? It couldn't have been too hot in the car, could it?"
"About that…" Hayashi Shuichi awkwardly scratched his head. Realizing he couldn't hide it, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and tell the truth. "At the time, Ms. Wineyard might have thought she was going to die, so she wanted to indulge herself before death. Without waiting for my agreement, she pulled down my pants…"
"And then?" Eri Kisaki pressed on, gritting her teeth, her eyes practically spitting fire. "Did you… did you two do it?"
"Cough, cough, cough." Hayashi Shuichi almost choked. "Eri…"
"I want the truth!" Eri Kisaki was unyielding, her gaze fixed on her childhood friend.
"Of course not," Hayashi Shuichi quickly and earnestly explained. "Ms. Wineyard was just about to make a move when Yukiko and the others dug the car out. That's why my pants were like that when I crawled out."
"…That curly-haired fox finally did something good," Eri Kisaki snorted, her previously tense face instantly relaxing.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she looked down, anxiously twisting the hem of her clothes, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "So, you're still… that… a virgin?"
"…Uh-huh," Hayashi Shuichi awkwardly nodded. "Can we please not discuss this topic?"
For the rest of the walk, neither of them spoke, the atmosphere subtly awkward.
Finally, they arrived at the bottom of Eri Kisaki's apartment building. Hayashi Shuichi was about to say goodbye when the girl suddenly spoke, inviting him upstairs for a moment.
"How about no?" Hayashi Shuichi felt that Eri Kisaki was somewhat unusual tonight. "It's already very late."
"My mom and dad are both home, what do you have to be afraid of?" Eri Kisaki pouted. "It's not that I want you to come up; they want to see you."
Hayashi Shuichi looked surprised. "Why on earth would they want to see me?"
"How would I know?" Eri Kisaki walked ahead towards the apartment building entrance, her steps a little hurried. "If you really don't want to come, then don't."
Hayashi Shuichi hesitated for a moment, then followed her.
He had met Eri Kisaki's parents many times before and was quite familiar with them. Although he was puzzled as to why they would want to see him, since the elders had spoken, it would be rude for him not to go up.
Following the girl into the apartment building, they entered the elevator one after the other.
The elevator lights were a bit dim, and a faint scent of disinfectant lingered in the air.
Eri Kisaki lived on the seventh floor, but for some reason, her hand suddenly trembled, and she pressed the button for the eighth floor directly.
Hayashi Shuichi raised an eyebrow. "You pressed the wrong floor."
"Huh?" Eri Kisaki snapped back to reality, her face instantly flushing crimson. She quickly re-pressed the button for the seventh floor.
"What's wrong with you?" Hayashi Shuichi reached out curiously and gently patted the girl's shoulder. "You seem a bit distracted."
"Do I? Heh heh…"
Eri Kisaki forced a smile, her eyes darting around, not daring to meet her childhood friend's gaze directly.
"Tonight, you're really not quite yourself," Hayashi Shuichi reached out and touched the girl's forehead. "You don't have a fever, either."
"I'm not sick!" Eri Kisaki was a little flustered and angry, a hint of irritation in her tone.
She turned around, her back to Hayashi Shuichi, not wanting him to see her current expression.
The elevator stopped on the seventh floor. They exited the elevator and arrived at apartment 706.
Hayashi Shuichi was about to ring the doorbell when Eri Kisaki stopped him. "Wait, let me find my keys."
"Aren't Uncle and Auntie home?" Hayashi Shuichi's heart skipped a beat. "What you said downstairs, you weren't lying to me, were you?"
"So what if I was!" Eri Kisaki's face flushed deep red as she opened the door with her key. "I just wanted you to come up and sit for a bit, rest a little. Who told you to be so hesitant?"
"My dear miss, it's already so late," Hayashi Shuichi said helplessly. "Even if Uncle and Auntie aren't home now, when they return later and see me inside, they'll definitely misunderstand."
(End of Chapter)
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