He is an idol and a childhood sweetheart.

"Livehouse...?"

Hearing this word, Higuchi Enka showed a thoughtful expression:

"I heard it from my classmates... It seems like a small performance venue with professional sound equipment?"

“We also provide bar services.”

"I'm not very interested in that. But you are working in that kind of place now..."

Higuchi Enka's eyes wandered for a moment, and not long after, she nodded wordlessly, then looked up at Kento Watanabe again, and said to him:

"Is there an age limit for the Livehouse?"

"If we don't buy alcohol and just go to listen to music, there are no restrictions."

Kento Watanabe replied:

"During this period, occasionally high school students will choose to go there to have a party or something."

"...If that's the case, then take me there to have a look."

Under the stunned gaze of Kento Watanabe, Enka Higuchi said with a straight face:

"I want to take a look for my aunt and my parents...what does the place where you work now look like?"

"……………………Eh?"

This night, it seems that more situations will happen that will catch Kento Watanabe off guard.

Chapter 2: The deep breath I took after a year and a half smelled of tobacco.

It takes about 10 minutes to walk from [Watanabe Office] to [CC Livehouse].In order to prepare in advance and to find a good location for Higuchi Enka, Kento Watanabe decided to set off a little earlier.

"Although it is scheduled to start at eight o'clock, Livehouse is different from that kind of formal concert, and the opening time is more flexible. If you are unlucky, you may have to wait there for half an hour before it starts... Have you contacted my aunt? ?”

"There is no need to notify her specifically for something of this magnitude."

"Well... that's right. You are already a sophomore in high school, so you are a big kid."

Having said this, Kento Watanabe lowered his head and glanced at his watch:

"Well... let me think about it, it should take half an hour from the livehouse to the tram station, plus the time it takes you to get home..."

"You don't have to worry about when I get home. I have my plan. You just have to lead the way."

"Ok."

Higuchi Enka's slightly cold answer did not surprise Watanabe Kento. After all, as an adult, he also experienced a period when he could not listen to what adults said.In addition, Higuchi Enka's attitude towards him has always been like this, so Kento Watanabe naturally got used to it.

"Speaking of which, although you are not allowed to drink alcohol, the mixed drinks there are pretty good."

Even though Higuchi Enka had shown such an obvious refusal, Kento Watanabe, who had long been accustomed to unilateral care, continued to speak:

"I remember that you have always liked lemon-flavored drinks, right? There are many drinks made with fresh lemon juice. You will definitely like them."

"Hey...you remember it quite clearly?"

Hearing this sentence, Higuchi Enka's brows raised slightly:

"I thought you would have forgotten such an insignificant thing...after all, you are a guy who hasn't been home for a full year and a half."

"Uh……"

It seems that she really cares about the fact that she hasn't been home for a year and a half...

But think about it, according to Higuchi, it seems that she has been helping him with regular cleaning and inspections for the past year and a half.

For high school students who need personal space and time the most, this kind of thing comes naturally

Of course it is intolerable.

"I really know I was wrong, Higuchi."

Kento Watanabe sighed.

"I will definitely come home regularly from now on."

"I told you, you don't need to promise me anything."

Facing Kento Watanabe's sincere attitude of admitting his mistake, Enka Higuchi still looked expressionless.

"Actually, all I did was mop the floor a little. If no one is around all the time, even your room won't be that dirty."

"That would be best... hmm? Wait?"

Hearing this, Kento Watanabe suddenly blinked:

"My room? Did you even clean my room?!"

"Isn't that natural? Dust is not limited to living rooms and entrance halls."

"No, no, no, what I care about is not the dust, but -"

"Don't worry, I really just cleaned the room. I didn't pry into your privacy, and I have no interest in it."

In response to Kento Watanabe's panicked look, Enka Higuchi just snorted:

"And I've known about you being an idol otaku since I was a child. It's nothing surprising until now."

"Even if you say that, those who should be ashamed will still be ashamed!"

Kento Watanabe couldn't help but hide his face and wailed:

"There are so many idol peripherals in my room that even I feel a little bad..."

"Indeed, when I was cleaning out the bookshelf, I was really surprised by the several magazines with the same cover."

"Uh... that's it, the one that everyone often talks about, one for reading, one for collecting, one for preaching and so on..."

"The number of posters in the room is also quite astonishing. Except for the ceiling, the walls are basically invisible."

"Well... I did think about taking it off a little bit, but after a long time, I still feel a little reluctant..."

"After all, you have been a nostalgic person from the past."

Kento Watanabe's useless reaction did not surprise Enka Higuchi.

Although they don't get along day and night, and although there is always an embarrassing sense of distance between the two, they have indeed witnessed each other's growth process.

The so-called childhood sweethearts are such a helpless relationship.

"So...do you really want to come to where I work now just to report to my mother and uncles and aunts?"

"if not?"

Enka Higuchi, who was suddenly asked, turned his head and stared straight at Kento Watanabe with his purple eyes:

"In your opinion, do I have any other reasons besides this?"

"Yeah...after all, you are already a sophomore in high school, and you have reached the age where you are curious about all kinds of things. So I wonder if you followed here out of your own interests."

Kento Watanabe, who was stared at a little bit, replied:

"And after school starts, maybe I can brag a little bit with my classmates and friends..."

After all, for high school students, going to a livehouse should be quite strange. A place full of "adult atmosphere" like this should be very attractive to these children who are craving for new things.

At least that's how it seems to Kento Watanabe.

"Aha……"

On the other side, after hearing Kento Watanabe's answer, Enka Higuchi couldn't help but sigh.

"Even though you have entered society, your way of thinking is still so youthful, Mr. Adolescence."

"Oh! This title sounds pretty good. It sounds quite young. Please be sure to use this title in the future."

"I'm not complimenting you..."

In response to Kento Watanabe's positive response, Enka Higuchi shook her head speechlessly:

"No matter how stagnant your mental age is, it still can't change the fact that you are 22 years old this year, Mr. escape from reality."

"I'm not escaping from reality, I'm just a little nostalgic for my high school days."

Kento Watanabe, who had become immune to Higuchi Enka's sarcasm, showed an expression full of emotion:

"I remember when I first entered high school, Higuchi was just a primary school student. At that time, little Higuchi was really quite... uh, sorry, I won't go on."

After realizing that the expressions of the people around him had become increasingly cold, Kento Watanabe quickly closed his mouth.

Although for Kento Watanabe, Enka Higuchi was just a cute girl next door when he was a child, but for himself in adolescence, that immature past may not have been successfully transformed into something that people can understand. A wonderful memory of a smile.

"...Although I think I didn't do any black history behavior that I would regret during my elementary school years, it doesn't mean that I would like others to talk about my past."

Sure enough, after mentioning his elementary school days, Higuchi Enka immediately frowned deeply, and his tone became more and more unkind:

"And if I have to say it, compared to me, Asakura was more...ah during that time."

Higuchi Enka, who was about to fight back, suddenly realized something after saying that name, so she quickly swallowed the unfinished words back in her heart, and immediately read

To Kento Watanabe's expression.

Sure enough, after hearing that name, Kento Watanabe's expression instantly became extremely complicated. After a while, he shook his head with a wry smile and replied in a dry tone:

"Ah ha ha ha... Now it's even."

"…………"

Realizing that he had said the wrong thing, Higuchi Enka immediately put away the unhappy expression just now, and his eyes became slightly remorseful.

After saying inappropriate words at the same time, the conversation between the two people naturally came to an awkward end.

After taking their attention away from the conversation, the two of them were finally able to accept the noise from the outside world, from the streets of Shibuya.

The bright sky illuminated by billboards and neon lights, and the background music composed of the sound of cars and crowd noise.

Everything is mixed together to form this unsettling prosperity.

"Hey, Higuchi."

"Ok?"

"I want to have a cigarette, is that okay?"

"…………Um."

Higuchi Enka uncharacteristically did not stop Watanabe Kento.

Kento Watanabe took out a lighter and cigarettes as skillfully as usual.

The next second, the smell of tobacco blended seamlessly with the surrounding perfume, alcohol and exhaust.

Only then did Higuchi Enka suddenly realize that the brother next door to whom she was once so familiar would blend so naturally into this night that she had never been involved in and was completely unfamiliar with.

During this long year and a half, something more pungent and stronger than the smell of smoke must have invaded his body and deeply affected him.

"It's probably just to clarify this that I want to go to the livehouse with you."

"Did you just say something, Higuchi?"

"……No."

The deep breath I took after a year and a half seemed to smell like tobacco.

Chapter 3: The unchanged thing left in the strangeness

I have a childhood sweetheart who is five years older than me.

Not being home for a full year and a half is already unforgivable. When I need to call him now, I can't even get through his phone call, and the message doesn't show as read.If I hadn't just seen the scene where the guy was talking to his mother on the phone last week, I would really have thought that this guy had had an accident.

"... Speaking of which, I have no idea what he was doing during this time."

Since "that incident" passed, Higuchi Enka never contacted him.

I don't know what to say, and I don't dare to say anything.

Although the two parties involved were both people who had a close relationship with her, in her opinion... there was no room for her to intervene in what happened between those two people.All she could do was to silently watch all this... and try hard not to have any unwanted thoughts.

"At the next intersection...turn right, then go straight for 500 meters."

Comparing the location marked in the map software, Higuchi Enka cautiously moved towards his work place on this completely unfamiliar street.

Although she has been to Shibuya a few times, she usually goes shopping with her friends and doesn't stay here for too long.