"Nothing," Dubian Che replied casually.
"Nothing? Your hair is all messed up. Did you get into a fight?"
Dubian Che touched his hair. "Just got scolded."
"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Really, I’m fine. Let’s drop it. I’m going to take a shower; I have to get up early tomorrow to make mochi." Dubian Che left the living room.
On the second floor, Kiyono Lin dried her hair and walked back to her room.
The window was open, and the chilly night air streamed in, making her shiver.
"Why is the window open?" she asked, somewhat accusatorily.
Jiutiao Meijie ignored her, grabbing some clothes to change into and leaving the room.
As they passed by each other, she murmured as if talking to herself, "Really pitiful."
Kiyono Lin noticed her gaze and followed it to her own blue pajamas... at the chest area.
"Childish." She slammed the window shut.
The curtains turned translucent white in the sunlight, and a hint of cold air lingered. Kiyono Lin woke up.
Beside her, Jiutiao Meijie was sleeping soundly.
Accustomed to the pillow behind her and the routine of sleeping in on non-school days, she should have slept a bit more, but for some reason these last few days, she felt unusually energetic, almost restless.
Quietly changing clothes and finishing her morning wash, she walked downstairs.
Dubian Che was at the entryway changing his shoes.
"Up late today?" she thought Dubian Che was preparing to deliver newspapers.
"No," Dubian Che answered, "It’s the village mochi-making day. Each household gets a share, but we also have to pitch in."
"Yeah, it’s rare in Tokyo now, right? Only in these rural areas you find such events." Having changed his shoes, Dubian Che stood up. "I’ll bring some back for you later, freshly made, and very tasty."
"Hold on," Kiyono Lin said, stroking her chin, lost in thought for a moment. "Can I come with you?"
"It’s pretty chaotic there, all crowded. Are you sure you want to go?"
"I believe you’re the odd one out in Misezawa Village," Kiyono Lin approached to change her shoes.
"What do you mean? Because I’m too smart? Made it big in Tokyo?"
"Mr. Dubian, I thought you were somewhat aware of your own strangeness; it seems you’re even more shameless than I imagined."
"So I’m strange, shameless... Am I that bad?"
Kiyono Lin changed her shoes, stood up, her endearing face showing a touch of surprise:
"Ah, don’t tell me you think those are your only faults?"
"Like lying, being lecherous, peeking at my legs..."
Dubian Che opened the door, and Lady Kiyono, while speaking, unceremoniously stepped out of Dubian’s house first.
Passing through the spacious courtyard, down the ramp to the street, Lady Kiyono finally finished her tirade about Dubian Che’s failings with, "Mr. Dubian, there’s no saving you, except from me."
"You sure can talk," Dubian Che said admiringly.
"I surprised myself," Kiyono Lin sighed lightly. "Didn’t expect I could go on that long."
"Been walking around a lot lately?"
"Probably," Kiyono Lin broke into a happy smile. "Mr. Dubian, in the future, I could scold you even longer. Happy?"
"...Enough, don’t just assume I’m a masochist!"
"Masochism is a personal preference, not a moral issue, I’m not prejudice against it, so I won’t dislike you."
"Why start with ’I don’t want to make you dislike me’?"
"Do you want me to dislike you?"
"Lies. Mr. Dubian," Kiyono Lin elegantly covered her small mouth, "keep it up, don’t turn into an uncivilized ape."
"Is this really something that ’keeping up’ can solve?"
"Of course not, falling for me is a natural instinct, like how a baby cries naturally."
It felt like she’d said something similar during that bright, distant summer.
"Why are you silent? Is it a tacit agreement?" Kiyono Lin asked curiously.
"No, your narcissism just reminded me of countless summer incidents," Dubian Che replied.
"It’s not narcissism, it’s fact," Kiyono Lin emphasized her point, then casually asked, "What did it remind you of?"
"Summer days when you didn’t wear knee-high socks, those legs, ah, I want to see them again..."
As they chatted, the two reached the front yard of a house.
The small area was already packed with people.
Men were dressed in happi coats, their heads wrapped with scarves, ready to get to work.
Women were boiling sweet tea, attending steaming baskets, happily chatting;
The few minors in the village were gathered around Little Lian, seemingly listening to her story about going to the beach the day before.
"Che, you’re here!" Mr. Honma called out.
"Good morning!" Dubian Che replied loudly.
"Che, I heard you ranked first nationally? You’ll definitely make it into Tokyo University, right?" someone next to Mr. Honma asked.
A Tokyo University student is almost a godlike existence in the eyes of many from the Island Country.
"Of course!" Dubian Che responded, "I’m not only going to Tokyo University, but I’ll also become the Prime Minister!"
"Good lad, very ambitious. When you become the Prime Minister, remember to take care of the village, maybe provide free agricultural machinery!" another person said.
"And road repairs, those must be paved with concrete!" a fourth person demanded.
"And more subsidies for agriculture!"
"No problem!" Dubian Che vowed boldly.
Then, he whispered to Kiyono Lin, "Can a Prime Minister even do these things?"
Kiyono Lin glared at the handsome young man close to her. "You should first ask yourself if you can even become the Prime Minister."
"That’s something that just a little more effort can easily handle, right?"
"What exactly makes you so confident?" Kiyono Lin, hands at her temples, sighed helplessly.
"Here, sweet tea," Reiko came over with the tea, looking like she could fall asleep at any moment.