Kyoto Shenyin Love Story

Chapter 331 Always Looking Forward
After a good night's sleep, Akane Kirino woke up very early.

Taking advantage of the mild morning sun, she was going out after breakfast.

"Mom, let me go out for a while."

"Where to go?"

"The old house."

"Soya hasn't come back yet."

"I took Alpine for a walk, and I promised him yesterday."

Kirino Keiko was washing the dishes, and responded with a casual sound.

"Huh? Promise to whom?"

When she poked her head out of the kitchen again, her daughter had already run away.

When they came to the old house, Akane Kirino opened the door, and Alps was lying on his stomach in the entrance.

"Good morning."

After pouring some dog food for the tail-wagging Shiba Inu, she took another bowl of water and put it beside her.

"Go for a walk after eating."

Opening the door and windows, walking around the house, knowing that Soya was still far in the northeast and hadn't returned yet, she ran upstairs and stayed in his room for a while.

Thinking that he would not come back today, Akane Kirino felt uncontrollably lost for a while.

"Forget it... I can go by myself."

She made up her mind and prepared to go to Kyoto alone to participate in the Tanabata Festival.

But before that, there was still a long day to spend, and she already had a preliminary plan.

Guessing that Alpine had almost eaten, Akane Kirino got up and went downstairs to take him out for a walk.

"Soya is not here today, so we won't go too far. If you are happy, I can't hold you back."

The girl thought about it, and decided to take it home to have a look, and then walked around the nearby alley, and then came back.

"Today is another sunny day, the temperature is rising quickly, and the Alps don't want to bask in the sun..."

Passing by Yoshikawa's house, Alps was about to enter by pulling the rope, but Akane Kirino took a lot of effort to hold it.

"It's not time to go home yet!"

Sticking to the wall and turning around in the alley, she pulled the Shiba Inu and returned to her old house before the sun became venomous.

"It's so hot, I'm still sweating..."

Moving Alps' temporary kennel to the shadow of the courtyard corner, Kirino Akane sat in the living room for a while, and went upstairs after her body calmed down.

She does her homework in the morning, goes home at three or four in the afternoon and puts on a yukata, and leaves the house around five o'clock to attend the Tanabata Festival in Kyoto. This is her plan.

"Would it be better to go out earlier... After all, there must be a lot of people going to Kyoto today."

Although she sat down at the desk and spread out her homework, Kirino Akane couldn't calm down at all, and kept spinning the pen in her hand.

After a while, she dropped the pen, leaned back on the back of the chair, and looked at the ceiling.

"What is Soya doing at this hour..."

buzz-

Kirino: What is Soya doing?
After glancing at the content of the message, Sogu put away his phone and prepared to reply later.Only a few seconds later, he still took out his mobile phone and replied briefly.

Soya: I went back to the Children's Welfare Institute, and I was chatting with my former teacher.

Putting away the phone again, his attention returned to the current conversation.

"girlfriend?"

"Um... no, it's not."

Saeko Dansheng looked at him, "Then, Fang Ming's answer."

Zongya didn't hide that he was distracted just now, "What?"

"I said that the gifts Fang Ming and Ling bought must have cost a lot of money."

After confirming that the shopping receipt was still stuffed in his pocket, Soya shook his head, "It's not too much."

Saeko Dansheng looked at him for a while, then reported a number: "20?"

"..."

She guessed very well, Sogu gave a wry smile and had to admit it.

"almost."

"Where did Fangming get so much money?"

"Hmm... part-time job."

"Use the money earned from part-time jobs to buy toys and comics for the children in the orphanage..." Saeko Dansheng didn't know what to say.

Pausing for a moment, although she understood that he had good intentions, she couldn't help but sigh.

"Fangming gave too much, which will make the children look forward to the next visit even more. But the question is, will Fangming come here often, and will he bring so many gifts every time he comes?"

Sogu pursed his lower lip.

Obviously it can't.

Always looking forward to, always disappointed, these are almost the daily emotions of the children in the orphanage.And when he became the creator of the disappointment brought about by hope, Soya felt very complicated.

The phone in his pocket vibrated again, but he didn't look at it.

Seeing his silence, Saeko Dansheng patted the back of his hand and comforted him again.

"After Fangming and Ling go back, I will explain to the children... Let's just say that Fangming has gone abroad, and it will take several years to come back."

"It would be embarrassing if I ran into a child from an orphanage in Kinki."

She glared, "At that time, you explain to him yourself."

Soya smiled, and thought about it again.

"I can't come back often, maybe only once or twice a year."

Saeko Dansheng lowered her eyes, "This is enough."

He continued: "When I don't have time to come back, I will send gifts. I hope the teacher can distribute them to everyone for me."

"No. So many children, it's very troublesome."

"Okay. Then I will only send gifts to the teacher. Anyway, I basically don't know these children in the orphanage now."

"..."

Saeko Dansheng didn't want to add to his burden, but she also didn't want to reject his love for the children in the orphanage, so she could only say "whatever you want" in the end.

buzz-

The phone vibrated again.

She glanced at his pockets, "There is nothing else, Fang Ming will go find them."

"Ok."

After leaving the office, Soya took out his mobile phone, and the two messages were sent by Akane Kirino.

Kirino Akane: I also want to see the orphanage where Soya lived.

Kirino Akane: I'm going to start doing my homework.

Chao Wuling was with the girls at this time, Soya thought about it, but did not go to look for her for the time being.

Walking around in the orphanage, he took pictures while walking, and suddenly felt that this was too troublesome, so he simply retreated outside the main entrance of the orphanage, and started shooting the video from the beginning.

"..."

The security guards in the guard room watched quietly, Soya was a little embarrassed, and after hesitating for a while, he opened his mouth.

"This is where I lived from the age of seven to 15, the Sendai Aoba Children's Welfare Institute..."

【"This is where I lived from the age of seven to 15, the Sendai Aoba Children's Welfare Institute. In front of me is the main building, which is where we usually do our activities."】

With her chin in her hands, Akane Kirino put her phone horizontally, watching the video being played without blinking her eyes.

"Is this where Soya and Suzu used to live? It looks quite big...but it's a bit old."

The camera shakes as he walks.

【"This is the lobby of the main building. Over there are the offices of the staff of the orphanage. Walking straight ahead from here is the cafeteria. Whether teachers or children, they usually have three meals a day here... Ah, Kamorita Teacher...don't worry about me..."]

The camera shook even more, and after a while of spinning around, it pointed at the ground.

【"Really, why are you shy. Are you going to show it to your friends in Kinki?"】

【"Yes……"】

【"That's great, let me say hello too."】

【"……Um."】

The camera was raised, and a middle-aged man appeared on the screen, greeting the unknown audience outside the screen.

【"Hello~ I'm Yoshiaki's teacher, just call me Kamorita... Well, how about it."】

He walked over suddenly, and then the camera flipped, and the photographer of the video also appeared on the screen for the first time.

Kamorida put his arm around Soya's shoulders, and the two of them got together and looked at the camera together.

【"Come on, let Fangming say hello too."】

The latter had a look of helplessness on his face.

【"Hello, I'm Soya..."】

"Hee hee hee……"

With her legs shaking, Kirino Akane involuntarily covered her face and smiled.

"So stupid."

After passing the level of Kamorida, the screen continues to move forward with Soya.

【"This is the cafeteria...it doesn't look very big. I will come over later. Like other children in the orphanage, Ling and I will have lunch here today."】

【"Going forward is another building, which is the place where everyone in the orphanage lives. The bottom is where the young children live, usually seven or eight people live in a room. The older you are, the higher the floor you live in. There are fewer people in the room, and it has basically been a single room since high school."]

The left and right rotation of the lens reveals the photographer's hesitation at this time.

【"Well... the upper floors of this building are basically classrooms or activity rooms. There is nothing special about it. Let's go directly to the dormitory building inside."】

Akane Kirino puffed her mouth, "Hey, I want to see it..."

Too bad he couldn't hear it.

Soya continued to walk forward, and the screen shook with his steps.

【"This is the first floor, and the rooms on both sides of the aisle are filled with children under the age of ten."】

Instead of going into the passage, he turned and went upstairs.

【"This is the second floor."】

【"The third floor."】

On the second floor, there was only one shot passing by in a hurry, and he didn't stop until he reached the third floor.

【"The upper floor is the floor where the teachers live. The room where Ling and I lived before is on the third floor."】

As he walks down the aisle, the camera pans up and down, stops suddenly, and turns behind him.

Although it was only for a short moment, Kirino Akane still saw a few children flash past in the picture, and quickly hid.

【"You guys... Forget it, those children from the orphanage just now. They are too young and a little shy. But they are very enthusiastic when asking for gifts..."】

"Gift?"

He continued to walk forward, his pace gradually slowing down.

【"The front is the room of me and Ling. She is in the room now, besides that, there are several former companions..."】

This is his last introduction to her offscreen.

Pushing open the door and entering, several girls looked over together, including Chao Wuling.

【"Hey, what are you doing? Is Fangming shooting a video?"】

【"Well. I have a friend who wants to see the orphanage here."】

【"Haven't you seen it? What's so interesting about the orphanage? Is it the young master of a rich family... Wait a minute, are Fang Ming's friends male or female?"】

【"female."】

【"Hey~"】

The girl who kept talking got up and walked over, and then the camera turned again, she put Soya on the shoulder.

【"Hello~ I'm Yoko Ibarayama, the ex-girlfriend who was abandoned by Yoshiaki before."】

【"Hello……"】

Kirino Akane pursed her lower lip and watched the video expressionlessly.

The camera turned again, and the phone was also taken by the talking girl.

【"The girl with glasses over there is ex-girlfriend No. [-]."】

"Ex-Girlfriend Number Two" glared out of the camera, but quickly waved his hand up again.

【"Hello~ I'm Yoshiaki's ex-girlfriend, Hitomi Maki."】

【"I said you..."】

The camera moves.

【"I am ex-girlfriend No. [-]..."】

【"I am number four~"】

The group of "ex-girlfriends" finished their introductions, and the camera finally showed Zhao Wuling sitting on the edge of the bed.

【"Then, this is the only wife who will always stay by Fangming's side—Miss Ling!"】

Looking at the camera, he gave a rare smile to Wuling, and then turned his gaze to the side.

【"Who?"】

Soya's voice sounded again.

【"Kirino..."】

Chao Wuling looked at the camera again.

【"yes."】

【"'Tirino'? Is this the name of a girl Soya met in Kinki? What is your relationship?"】

【"Stop messing around...give me back the phone."】

After a whirlwind, the video stopped abruptly.

Watching the finished video, Akane Kirino frowned for a while.

"Soya has a really good relationship with them..."

With one hand on her chin, she clicked on the screen, and the video restarted.

【"This is where I lived from the age of seven to 15..."】

Putting her homework aside, she looked back at the time that had been frozen, while the real time continued to flow unaffected, and it was noon soon.

"Don't shoot?"

"What?" Soya sat down beside Zhao Wuling with a plate in his hand.

"There is still lunch in the cafeteria of the orphanage." Yoko said, "Show Yoshiaki's friend in Kinki."

Soya smiled, then shook his head again.

"It's really time for you to come back." Hitomi sat next to Yoko, "These days are the Tanabata Festival, and the food in the cafeteria is a little more abundant than usual."

"I see."

After taking two bites, Soya tasted it for a while, trying to compare it with the taste in his memory, but regretfully found that he no longer remembered it.

"How long will Fang Ming and Ling stay here when they come back this time?"

"Did you say the orphanage, or Sendai?"

"Just tell me your plan."

Soya thought for a while, then lowered his chopsticks, "I plan to stay in the orphanage until around three o'clock in the afternoon, and then I'll go back to the hotel, get ready, and go shopping with Suzu for the evening festival."

"Tomorrow, I'm going to visit my parents in the cemetery, and then I'll go say hello to a few relatives who live close by. If nothing happens, I'll go back the morning after tomorrow."

Both Hitomi and Yoko sighed, "I'm leaving this afternoon."

Soya didn't want them to become sentimental, and said, "I will come back to visit you often."

"often?"

"Well... maybe once or twice a year."

"Wow-"

Yoko wanted to say something, but in the end she couldn't say it, and instead sighed.

"Kinki is too far away... Forget it, let's eat first."

After burying her head in the meal for a while, Hitomi suddenly thought of something: "Next year is the third grade. Where is Fangming going to go to university? Kyoto?"

"That's the plan." Soya swallowed the food in his mouth, and continued: "Also, I'm in the first grade now, and Suzu is too."

"Eh?"

"Some things happened... In short, Ling and I are both first-year students, and we will be able to enter school a year later than you."

Hitomi and Yoko looked at each other, "I was thinking that I could go to the same school as you in university."

"Yoko and Hitomi can go there first, and Suzu and I will come a year later." Soya said.

"Fangming said just now that he wanted to go to Kyoto...does he mean that he wants to go to Kyoto University?"

Soya nodded, "Of course."

"No, no, no—the grade is too high, I can't pass the exam."

Sitting in the cafeteria, several people chatted while eating, and people kept coming to say hello during the period.

After half an hour, they finished eating and left, and then walked around the orphanage.

"Fangming and I came here in the same year."

"Ah."

"We were all victims of that great earthquake."

Passing through the corridor, the sun was fierce outside, and the few people did not go out, and stopped at the junction of sunlight and shadow.

Yoko looked outside: "When I was first sent here, I felt that I couldn't stay for a minute. I thought I would collapse if I persisted for a week at most. I didn't expect that ten years would pass in a blink of an eye."

Zonggu raised his head and looked at the flowing clouds in the sky, it seemed to be like this ten years ago.

"At that time, Yoko was really noisy."

"Hate...I'm not very mature now."

"Haha."

"Fang Ming and Ling are different." Hitomi looked at them, "One is always silent, the other... speaks very little, and is always in a daze."

It took a while for Soya to speak: "At that time, I couldn't accept all this."

After a pause, he shook his head again, "My life has only passed 17 years, and I have encountered more accidents than others in their lifetimes."

"It's too exaggerated."

"I have been to Huangquan."

"I've been to hell."

Soya smiled and didn't explain much.

After standing at the entrance of the passage for a while, Yoko walked up to Soya without warning, hugging him and crying loudly.

"Hey, Yoko..."

Hitomi looked more surprised than Soya who was being hugged, but after watching for a while, her eyes also turned red quickly.

"Ugh..."

One was leaning on his chest, the other was on his shoulder, and the tears quickly soaked the T-shirt and seeped into his skin.

Chao Wuling watched silently, Soya didn't know what to say, after a while, he raised his hand and patted their backs.

"See you later."

"But... woo..."

After crying for a while, the two of them controlled their emotions.

"Hitomi, do you see that my eyes are still red?"

"You're all swollen from crying, okay?"

"It's all Fang Ming's fault."

"Yes Yes……"

Chatting with the teacher and companions, playing with the children, and staying until about three o'clock in the afternoon, Soya and Asagiri decided to leave.

He quietly bid farewell to every familiar old person, not wanting to attract too much attention, but in the end, many people came out to see him off.

"Let's go here..."

Soya stopped at the gate of the orphanage, and said goodbye to Saeko Tansu, Hitomi and Yoko again.

"Goodbye."

With a slight bow, he pulled Chao Wuling away, and gradually drifted away.

She turned her head, her lips moving.

"Sayonara."

(sa yo u na ra)

(End of this chapter)