After taking a shower, feeling warm all over, I bounced around the house. Souya Nagi and the Uesugi sisters were watching a soap opera in the living room. Uesugi Tano was sitting beside them, reading a car magazine and occasionally chiming in. The Koga mother and daughter had already left, and Banshu, the attendant of the Wanyanshan family, was tidying up in the room... That's when I noticed that Souren Manranyama was not at home.

Out of courtesy as the host, I ran to ask Banshu, who was arranging various peculiar props in the room, where Souren Manranyama had gone. Banshu wiped a black, smooth stick-like object of unknown use and told me that the young lady had just gone upstairs.

Upstairs? Isn't that my room and the storeroom?

Out of curiosity, I climbed up the stairs, but I didn't see any trace of Souren Manranyama.

There was only one staircase connecting the first and second floors, so there were two possibilities: Banshu lied to me or Souren Manranyama was indeed upstairs but I couldn't see her.

I thought it must be that I couldn't see her.

Even though Banshu had eaten enough, she didn't look full and she had things to do, so she probably wasn't in a "full and idle" state.

So I went around the second floor again, but still couldn't find any trace of Souren Manranyama.

Just as I was about to go out and see an ophthalmologist, I noticed that the window in my room was open.

Could it be...?

I have always been a proactive person, so while considering this possibility, I had already climbed out of the window onto the roof.

I have to say, for a two-story Japanese-style house, the roof is indeed a wonderful place.

But the beauty of the roof also depends on the location. For example, in my country, the air quality is poor and light pollution is severe. Climbing onto the roof is only to feel guilty about my respiratory tract and lungs.

Alright, let's not talk about depressing things. Although it is very cold on a winter night, it does not affect the view from the roof.

Under the bright moonlight, the sky was cloudless, and the few stars were twinkling. In such a starry sky, Souren Manranyama sat on the roof ridge with the posture of a young lady, looking up at the stars and moon. It was as beautiful as a painting, and I couldn't bear to disturb her.

If this were a game at the moment, there might be two options:

1. Pretend not to have seen anything and go back to the room.

2. Approach and start a conversation.

Then the player would silently save the game progress and choose to approach and start a conversation.

As for me, this is real life, without the option to save. I have to bear the consequences of all my choices myself.

But on the other hand, I don't have the strong sense of purpose that a game player has. I don't have a clear idea of who to pursue or not. I just let life continue as it goes.

I walked towards Souren Manranyama, without worrying about increasing or decreasing favorability.

If you like a girl, just go after her, without worrying about fruitless efforts. It is said that with sincerity, the hardest stone can be broken.

But don't get me wrong, after saying so much, I didn't mean to pursue Souren Manranyama. It was just a general discussion, a general discussion.

"Oh, are you secretly crying on the roof?"

I greeted Souren Manranyama, otherwise she wouldn't have noticed me, so focused on counting the stars.

Souren Manranyama paused when she heard my voice, and then found my figure in the dark night. She answered softly.

"The sad things happened many years ago, and all that is left in my heart is hatred."

A typical answer from a teenage girl.

"Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

"Please."

I sat down next to Souren Manranyama. On this cold winter night, there was a warm current flowing beside her.

In order to understand the meaning behind Souren Manranyama's words just now, I decided to ask a few more questions.

"Do you think the statements in movies and novels that say hatred leads to no results, and only understanding and empathy can bring relief, make sense?"

But direct questions would meet resistance from a teenage girl, so I tried to ask from a different angle.

"......That makes sense."

Souren Manranyama pondered for a moment, then replied. After a brief pause, he continued to add,

"But how many things in this world actually make sense? Humans are inherently irrational."

Humans are inherently irrational.

I almost agreed with Souren Manranyama's viewpoint without much thought.