What is lost is already in the past tense.

In Yuanshan's words, Wu Geng felt a certain ruthless equality.

She did not agree with her father's words.

It was the first time Wu Geng had experienced such peeling pain. There was no doubt that Nishino was not something she would only feel uncomfortable for a short while.

"Dad, Mom has been gone for more than ten years, why haven't you looked for her again?"

It might be a bit straightforward for a woman like her to ask this question, but Yuan Shan didn't care about it.

"It is true that what is lost will never come back, but this does not apply to all situations." For some reason, Wu Geng was a little angry after listening to Yuan Shan's words. She knew very well that this emotion was not for

She was angry because of herself, but because of the man in front of her, her father, who was far away from the mountain.

"Xiaohe and I both know that dad, you have always remembered mom and never forgotten her. Although there are no photos of mom at home, in your heart, mom may still be in that home."

"..."

"Dad, you haven't searched again. Xiaohe and I both thought it was because we didn't meet the right one, or you were still thinking about your mother and couldn't come out. But the reality is not like this. The pain is really uncomfortable, but

It's also relieving sometimes. It's not that you're trapped, Dad, it's that you've allowed yourself to be trapped."

Even Wu Geng didn't understand why he said this. Maybe he felt it was against his will. Yuanshan rarely talked about his wife. This really didn't seem like the attitude of someone who had already let go.

After attending Nogizaka in Beijing at the fifth watch, Xiaohe also came to Tokyo to study. Toyama was the only one left in his home in Hokkaido, so he simply agreed to the company's request for an expatriate assignment and went to work in China across the sea.

Perhaps Yuanshan is not as tall and strong as Wu Geng and Xiao He thought. He is just like Wu Geng, very good at showing off his strength.

At the fifth watch, I looked at my father's face that had not changed, but I noticed something vivid like the melting of a glacier.

"Dad, actually you have always felt that you are partly responsible for your mother's death from illness, right?"

——

People must take responsibility for their own choices.

Hashimoto already understood this truth when he first chose to go to Beijing alone.

She rarely talks to her peers about her difficulties when she was studying alone in Tokyo, and even avoids mentioning them on the show. She feels that speaking out is like consuming her own suffering. She doesn't want to package herself as if she is miserable.

Likewise, everything in the past was the result of her own choices, and denying those choices was like denying herself.

She hates this.

However, there are always exceptions for some people.

"Nanamin."

After Konno Nango and all the staff left the lounge, Fukawa came to Hashimoto's side. Intentionally or unintentionally, he looked towards Kawago who was sitting in the corner.

"Nanamin, you and Harina-chan were left behind when you went on stage, right? Did she say anything to you?"

——Has Nanamin known for a long time... that Mai Mai is about to graduate?

"……nothing."

"I see," Fukawa paused for a moment, then laughed, "It must be because Kohaku was too nervous to appear. Harina-chan has a more straightforward temperament and occasionally pushes herself too much."

Hashimoto stared at Fukawa's side face, pursed his lips and did not answer.

Do you too, Mai Mai, push yourself too hard and then make hasty decisions that don't follow your heart?

Hashimoto wanted to question her like this, but what position did he stand in when he said these words? She avoided Fukawa's expression of love, is she still qualified to dictate her life plan now?

For the first time, Hashimoto felt that as a friend, she could do a lot for Fukawa; but similarly, she could not do a lot.

When around Fukawa, Hashimoto would always let down his guard. If he was around this person, it wouldn't matter if he took a nap occasionally. She often thought so.

However, Fukagawa also made choices beyond Hashimoto's expectations. Whether it was a confession or graduation, Hashimoto felt the turbulence of a world subverted.

"Mai Mai." Hashimoto suddenly said.

"What's wrong?"

"I...I still use the alarm clock you gave me." That's all she said.

Fukawa was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's great, I'll use it in the future."

Hashimoto suddenly felt regretful, thinking that Fukawa would leave her in the near future.

"...I'll go ask STAFF when he's leaving."

She turned around quickly and strode out, biting her lips until they turned white.

Do you want to admit the unwillingness you feel in your heart at this moment?

If she were just a friend, she would not be able to shoulder the weight of Fukagawa's future.

——

When he returned to the club hall at five o'clock, Beichuan was standing in front of the huge window in the reception area and looking out.

"Beichuan-san." After all, he was a big shot in operations. He hesitated for a moment before going up to say hello.

"Is that your father?" Beichuan asked, still looking outside.

Following the other party's line of sight, Toyama was walking towards the passage leading outside the museum. When he came in, Nanxiang was helping him talk, and he had a temporary pass with him, so he didn't worry about being stopped.

Wu Geng just thought that after he asked that sentence, his father was silent for more than ten seconds. Then there was an answer that jumped out of the topic frame:

"I have a flight in the morning and have already booked a room at a hotel near the airport."

Suddenly, she felt a little heartache in the middle of the night. She stabbed her father's pain with pleasure. The place was wrong and the timing was wrong. It has always been like this recently, facing Nishino as well as facing her father. The person who hurts the most is often the person closest to him.

It's like a curse.

"dad."

The fifth watch calls to the distant mountains.

"Dad, I don't want to admit defeat yet. I still want to try harder. If Na-chan and I reconcile, we will take the time to go to China to see you."

Wu Geng wants to prove to Yuanshan that difficulties are not insurmountable. Many times, we just trap ourselves.

Yuan Shan's return this time did not achieve the results he expected. However, it would be nice if Wu Geng could cheer up.

He nodded. The five-minute watch in front of him was slightly different from the one in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. In the past few years in Beijing, his daughter had grown beyond Yuanshan's expectations.

Wugeng is not him, nor is he his wife. She has her own thoughts and will, and Yuanshan can only make the distinction at this moment.

He nodded, feeling a little lonely. Under the cover of the night, he thought he wouldn't be able to tell at the fifth watch.

"Remember to call me later."

The more contact he has with his father, the more Wu Geng feels something he has never felt before. After joining Nogizaka, his father was also transferred to work in China. The father and daughter only met more than ten times. But these ten times made Wu Geng

It feels even deeper and fuller than the more than ten years of being together day and night in Asahikawa.

Some things are subconsciously ignored at a very close distance, and can only be seen clearly at a distance.
Chapter completed!