Kujo Mutsumi followed behind him and said, "See, I told you, she's not here…"

In the distance, someone was waving, seemingly shouting towards them, but unfortunately, it was too far to hear clearly. Fushimi Roku squinted his eyes, walking and observing carefully, that person seemed to be Uncle Sugiyama.

It looked like he was just coming by for fun, happened to meet an acquaintance, so he waved to greet.

Fushimi Roku felt a bit disappointed, he stopped walking, not willing to waste more words with strangers, just wanting to seize the time to find Minamoto Tamako, and clarify things with her.

Uncle Sugiyama, seeing that he didn't come over, jogged up proactively, shouting as he ran:

"I've been waiting for you for a long time… why are you only here now…"

The shout came from afar and gradually became clear to Fushimi Roku. He felt a bit puzzled and shouted back while running, "Are you waiting for me?"

"Tamako is waiting for you!" Uncle Sugiyama shouted.

Fushimi Roku froze for a moment, his heart beating wildly, feeling warm all over, his palms heating up. He followed by jogging, treading on the sand, asking loudly, "Where is she?"

Uncle Sugiyama, out of breath from running, pointed to the lighthouse behind him, "Up there, Tamako said she can see further from up there, maybe she wants to see you sooner."

Fushimi Roku sped up from jogging to running fast. Uncle Sugiyama and Kujo Mutsumi couldn't keep up and simply slowed down, watching his back run far away.

"Ah, youth," Uncle Sugiyama sighed.

Kujo Mutsumi didn't want to talk to the common folks, he reverted to his stern look, leaning on his cane to rest in place.

But Uncle Sugiyama was very sociable, unwilling to let him go, sometimes asking what his relationship with Fushimi-kun was, and sometimes saying that you can also see the lighthouse railing from below.

He was saying, Uncle Sugiyama pointed to a small point at the top of the lighthouse, asked: "Can you see it? Tamako is right there."

Kujo Mutsumi looked up, the beam of the lighthouse cutting through the night above the sea, like a white backdrop, allowing him to see Minamoto Tamako's hair fluttering in the wind.

"Was she waiting up there all the time?" Kujo Mutsumi suddenly asked.

"Of course," Uncle Sugiyama said, "Everyone was comforting her at the end of the event, thinking Fushimi-kun would definitely break the appointment, persuading her to go back and rest early. She refused to leave, insisting on waiting up there, saying that as long as she sees Fushimi-kun coming, she would be satisfied."

Kujo Mutsumi uttered an "Oh."

Uncle Sugiyama then asked what his relationship with Fushimi-kun and Minamoto Tamako was, Kujo Mutsumi, being asked incessantly, could only tell the truth.

"Ah, I guessed it was a grandfather or an uncle, turns out I was right." Uncle Sugiyama laughed, took a bill from his pocket, and said, "This is what everyone helped Tamako pay in advance for, originally everyone wasn't planning to let Tamako repay, but since Mr. Kujo is here…"

Kujo Mutsumi froze: "You know me?"

Uncle Sugiyama pursed his lips, pointed to the fishing boat leaning on the pier, and said, "Your name is printed on it, your face is also printed in the manual, and I've heard Minamoto Naoaki mention you before, how could I not know you? Thanks to you, everyone can only idle at home now!"

Kujo Mutsumi was left speechless, he could only take the bill, glance at the amount: "What's so expensive?"

Uncle Sugiyama laughed, "Of course, it's fireworks."

...

While Uncle Sugiyama was asking Kujo Mutsumi for the bill, Fushimi Roku had already run into the lighthouse.

Quite a few people were waiting inside — to be precise, they were having a tea party — Granny Hamada, Granny Yamaguchi, the Yoshida couple, and others were there, everyone gathered in a circle, spread blankets, laid out sandwiches, pickles, barley tea, sunflower seeds, and other snacks, eating, drinking, and chatting.

"Surely he won't come! If he really wanted to, why make us wait so long?"

"Can't say, you see Tamako seems so determined…"

"It's all just wishful thinking, the bonfire party is over, what's he coming for?"

"If you ask me, that handsome boy is unreliable, only good at sponging off others, coveting Tamako's family property, there's not a bit of genuine feeling…"

As soon as Fushimi Roku entered, he heard the chattering of everyone, just like the old men and women at the village entrance.

Granny Hamada saw him come in, overjoyed, urging him to hurry up. Fushimi Roku felt a bit awkward, as he passed by, everyone was staring at him, those eyes seemed to examine something rare and exotic.

He just stepped onto the stairs when Granny Hamada suddenly said, "Right, it's not past twelve yet."

Granny Yamaguchi, understanding her good friend's intention, nodded quickly and followed up, "Yes, yes, the party isn't over, you must gather the courage to speak up."

Fushimi Roku was taken aback, he was only thinking of meeting Minamoto Tamako, hadn't thought about confessing at all… Before this, he had no preparation at all, truly didn't know how to start.

Granny Hamada saw his expression, knew he hadn't brought anything, thus took a bracelet out of her pocket and said, "A handicraft, made of glass, not worth much, take it with you, you can't go empty-handed, right?"

"This…"

Fushimi Roku hesitated a little.

Granny Yamaguchi also lent a hand, taking fruits out of the basket to bring upstairs to make Tamako happy; others also presented a variety of small gifts, such as hairpins, bracelets, shells… Some others even grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, handed them to Fushimi Roku, to have him go up and snack on seeds with Minamoto Tamako.

"Thank you all for your kindness, I'll remember it, but there's no need for these things."

Fushimi Roku had decided what to give, he realized that he wasn't entirely unprepared, and also realized that what Minamoto Tamako wanted wasn't these things, and immediately made up his mind.

Without waiting for others to respond, Fushimi Roku turned and went upstairs, his steps getting bigger and faster, from one step at a time to two or three steps at a time…

He ran up the spiral staircase in one breath, reaching the top floor.

As he pushed open the door, a breeze came by. Fushimi Roku saw the light shining towards the distant sea. Minamoto Tamako leaned against the railing, turned her head, and their eyes met.

It's only been a week.

Fushimi Roku wanted to speak, but his throat suddenly caught, and memories from the past flooded in.

He remembered the unresolved past with his mother, remembered the setbacks and disappointments when practicing law, also remembered his own self-abandonment, living by driving a taxi with a whatever attitude through new life…

It was undeniable, it was Minamoto Tamako who brought him back.

He remembered the buns Minamoto Tamako gave him under the streetlamp, remembered the first time Minamoto Tamako begged him to investigate a case, and remembered Minamoto Tamako's embarrassed look when she couldn't afford the partner's fee…

Even if Minamoto Tamako knew his secret, knew his past, and knew about his bad habits, she could still firmly and loudly say 'I want to understand Fushimi-kun', 'I like him, not Fushimi Roku, this name'!

Somehow, Minamoto Tamako had already become his lighthouse.

No matter how much Fushimi Roku denied it, no matter how much the demon and angel in him never affirmed this relationship, that tremor from the soul always existed.

His heart says, I like this girl.

...

Minamoto Tamako also looked at Fushimi Roku, not knowing what to say.

She never imagined that she would fall for someone, for her, love would only make people lose reason.

She looked down on those girls who only knew romance and also looked down on her mom who always argued with her dad over trivial things.

She was determined to pursue her own dreams, to prove her own abilities, only seeing Fushimi-kun as a good partner like Kawai. Yet every time she faced a case, she could only repeatedly ask for Fushimi-kun's help, rather than saying she was chasing her dreams, it was Fushimi-kun leading her to grow.

She also saw that Fushimi-kun was unwilling, saw that Fushimi-kun found it troublesome; but she also saw Fushimi-kun's gentleness, saw that Fushimi-kun still held justice in his heart… If Fushimi-kun really didn't want to do those things, how could she persuade him by herself?

Unknowingly, she became the kind of girl she despised.

Minamoto Tamako, knowing clearly, now wholeheartedly focuses only on romance, always bickering with Fushimi-kun over trivial matters.

No matter how much Minamoto Tamako clashed with Fushimi-kun, no matter how much her mother and grandfather did not support this relationship, that steadfast love from the heart was still unstoppable.

Her heart says, I like this boy.

...

In the distance, a midnight horn sounded like a charge. Before the fireworks bloomed, the love that was constrained by shyness and stubbornness suddenly broke free, they stepped forward, eagerly, simultaneously saying,

"I like you."

Then the fireworks bloomed, the sea shimmering.

Kujo Mutsumi looked up, standing shoulder to shoulder with Uncle Sugiyama. Granny Hamada and the others gathered under the lighthouse, recalling their youth.

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