Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen

Hiroko and Mao stayed at Xiongshan's home that night.The sun rose early in the morning, and the two stood on the porch looking at Big Bear Mountain. There was only white snow between the house and the mountain. "Did you know? Ah Shu is right in front of us." Mao said, "Why don't you talk to him?" "What did you say?" Hiroko asked. Shigeru took a few steps and put his hands around his mouth, screaming all over the winter morning: "Fujii, are you ‥cold‥? Are you still‥singing‥Matsuda Seiko's song? I want to‥marry Hiroko‥! Okay! ‥well!" He looked back at Bozi. "See? Ah Shu blesses us!"

Hiroko smiled.She was thinking about what to say to Ah Shu.Facing the snow-capped mountains, she shouted: "Ashu, how are you? I'm‥fine‥" For some unknown reason, Ah Shu seemed to hear Hiroko on the sickbed, and called softly, "I'm fine." "Ashu! Are you ‥ok‥? I'm ‥very‥good!" Hiroko knelt on the snow, unable to control himself.For the first time, she felt comfortable, she could let A Shu leave. Xiong Shan appeared by the window, rubbed his eyes, and asked, "Why is it so noisy?" "Oh‥‥" Mao replied, "It's just Hiroko talking to Ashu."