Chapter 88: Goodbye

“Little girl, what are you doing here?”

“It’s been a long time. How have you been? Hey, why are you silent?”

The young man was a little puzzled as he watched the girl turn and walk away without a word.

“Your name is Murashima, right? What’s going on with that girl?”

Murashima glanced at him but didn’t speak. She simply followed the girl silently.

“Hey, Kazumi, Rumi, you two go ahead. I’ll check on this little girl,” the young man said and quickly jogged a few steps forward.

“Rumi, don’t worry,” Kazumi gently patted her hand and said.

“Mm.” Rumi nodded, but her expression seemed a bit forlorn.

Kazumi knew that no words would help at this moment, so she just held her hand and continued walking forward.

“Hey, little girl, what’s going on?” the young man caught up to the girl.

When he saw her face, he was momentarily stunned.

“Gennai, you bastard!” The girl, with tears streaming down her face, shot the young man a fierce glare before suddenly throwing herself into his arms and crying uncontrollably.

Murashima stood aside, holding her backpack, smiling as she watched them.

“Ah, you little brat dared to bite me?” The young man suddenly shouted in mock horror, shoving the girl away.

Seeing him awkwardly rub his shoulder, the girl couldn’t help but laugh.

“You still dare to laugh?” The young man shot her a glare.

“You disappeared for over half a month without telling me anything. This is your punishment,” the girl said, pouting.

Hearing her words, the young man felt a little guilty. He had planned to go to Nepal for a short trip and return, but somehow, everything escalated. Although he’d explained to Kazumi later, he had forgotten to tell this girl.

“Let’s call it even. Here, I brought you a gift.” He took four beautifully wrapped gifts from his bag. One was for Aiko, and the additional three were for Murashima and the others.

“What is this?” Aiko, surprised that the usually carefree guy had actually bought her a gift, looked at it curiously.

“Open it and see.”

Aiko tore off the wrapping paper to find a small red box inside. Upon opening it, she saw a delicate women’s watch, so finely crafted that it looked more like a unique bracelet than a watch.

“Is this really for me?” Aiko, still tear-streaked, gazed in astonishment at the cute and exquisite watch.

“Do you like it?” The young man smiled.

“Mm.” The girl eagerly put the watch on her right wrist, inspecting it with delight, looking from left to right.

“Gennai, I can’t accept this gift,” Murashima suddenly said from the side.

“Why don’t you want it, Mami?” Aiko looked at her in confusion.

“Because it’s too expensive,” Murashima replied.

Although she didn’t know the exact price, she could tell that this watch was far from something that could be bought for a modest price.

“Gennai, are these watches really expensive?” Aiko asked.

The young man glanced at Murashima with admiration. “Don’t worry, I bought them with my own money. These little things might be a bit pricey in Tokyo, but in Switzerland, they’re pretty ordinary.”

“What? You went to Switzerland during the past half month you were missing?” Aiko stared at him in surprise.

The young man smiled. “What missing? Don’t say it so dramatically. But yes, I did go to Switzerland. I just got back yesterday.”

“What did you go to Switzerland for? Don’t tell me you went there for a vacation.” Aiko had no doubt about his trip to Switzerland, but she was still curious about what he had been doing there.

“You’re really clever, huh? I went there to travel,” the young man said with a laugh.

“You’re lying! Tell me the truth, what exactly did you go to Switzerland for?” Frustrated with his answer, the girl shook his arm in a playful tantrum.

“You nosy little brat, go on, I’ll take you back first. After I drop you off, I need to go home and eat,” the young man replied, casually pinching her cheek, just as he liked to do when they were in Switzerland.

“Such an annoying guy!” Aiko blushed, but she still clung tightly to his arm.

Watching the two of them laughing and playing, Murashima quietly followed behind, glancing at the exquisite watch in her hand.

Murashima lived nearby, so the young man and Aiko first dropped her off at her home.

“We’re here, little girl. I’m heading back now,” the young man said as they arrived at Aiko’s apartment.

“Hey, do you want to come in for a bit?” Aiko looked at him with reluctance.

“No, I need to go home and eat. Also, don’t come to school to look for me anymore. If you need something, just call me.”

“Then… can you come pick me up after school when you have time?” Aiko hesitated before asking.

“Is someone giving you trouble?” The young man raised an eyebrow.

“No, forget it, I’ll go in first,” Aiko said and walked inside, slightly angry.

What’s wrong with this little girl? She seems a bit off today. Well, I’ll check tomorrow, maybe someone’s really giving her trouble. The young man thought as he walked away.

Not far from the apartment, suddenly, a light blue car sped towards him.

As the car approached, it suddenly screeched to a halt right beside him.

Just when the young man thought something was wrong, he was taken aback.

A woman in a white dress stepped out of the car, a woman whose beauty would turn heads anywhere.

“Are you Gennai?” The woman stared at him with a look of surprise in her eyes.

“Naoko-sensei?” The young man couldn’t believe his eyes—almost a year had passed, and now he was seeing this beautiful woman again.