Season 3 Episode 53: Vacation is Bravo!
With school partially destroyed, a temporary closure followed. With school closed, many Mizuno High students found themselves in what was very much like a mini vacation.
"Mind your manners Miharu. You're a guest at another person's house" Seiichirou instructs. "And don't stay up too late."
"Yes big brother" Miharu agrees, both standing before Kirie's house. Right beside them stood Kirie, Koyomi, Tomoka, and Ebi all ready for a sleepover.
"And make sure to brush and floss your teeth before bed" Seiichirou instructs Miharu. "And careful not to swallow the mouth wash. Also, don't eat or drink too much right before bed. Especially too much sugar: otherwise you won't be able to sleep. And sugar is bad for your teeth."
"Jeez Seiichirou, relax will ya?" Kirie complains. "Miharu gets it, she'll be fine!"
"As her older brother, it's my job to worry" Seiichirou retorts. "Have a fun time Miharu" Seiichirou then says hugging Miharu and kissing her forehead goodbye.
"I will big brother!" Miharu says hugging back. With that, Seiichirou heads home only to stop in the middle of the sidewalk.
"Miharu, if an earthquake strikes, get underneath a table! Don't sleep under heavy objects and stay away from the windows!" Seiichirou shouts. "And Kirie, make sure your fire alarms are working! And check up on your fire extinguisher and provisions too! And lock the doors at night and have emergency services on speed dial!"
"We get it! We get it!" Kirie responds annoyed.
"I understand big brother!" Miharu answers waving at Seiichirou.
"Have fun girls!" Seiichirou finishes and Miharu scurries into the Kojima residence along with the other girls.
"Finally!" Kirie declares shutting her front door. "Your brother sure knows how to worry doesn't he?" Kirie joked. Miharu nods and giggles at this.
"That's only because he loves his little sister that much" Koyomi admired.
"Yes yes!" Miharu agrees fondly with another giggle.
"Alright, enough chit chat. Tomo's ready to get this show on the road!" Tomoka squeaks impatiently.
"Right. Everyone up to my room!" Kirie commands and all five, Miharu, Koyomi, Tomoka, Ebi, and Kirie herself rush up to the second floor and into her room. Once inside, with the sleeping bags spread out on the floor, Kirie begins. "So guys, you are all guests to my home so I'd like to give you the chance to suggest what we do first for fun." The girls thought for a moment.
"How's about we start the night with a game of sutda?" Koyomi asks pulling out a set of Hanafuda cards.
"You know of that game?" Kirie asked.
"Of course Koyo knows! I do too and you know Tomo's in!" Tomoka accepts the challenge.
"But do you think Ebi will be able to play?" Koyomi voiced concerned.
"No worries. She'll be paired up with Tomo!" Tomoka claimed placing her arm around Ebi's shoulders. "We'll take you guys down!"
"Very well then" Kirie said accepting the cards from Koyomi before passing two cards to each player: two for Miharu, two for Koyomi, two for Tomoka and Ebi to share, and two for herself.
"So? Anyone up for draws?" Kirie asked.
"I will" Koyomi said. She discards a card and received a new one.
"I will stay" Miharu said.
"I'll stick with mine too" Kirie said. "Tomoka?"
"Tomo and Ebi will swap one as well" Tomoka said. She discards a card before accepting another.
"So. What do you guys have?" Kirie asked.
"Two April dregs" Koyomi says presenting her hand, the cards depicting thin stems lined with leaves.
"Not bad" Kirie comments. "What about you Miharu?"
"May dregs" Miharu says revealing hers, a blue flower beneath blades of grass printed on her cards.
"Oh darn! That hand beats mine" Koyomi said.
"What about you Kirie?" Tomoka asks concealing her two cards.
"Two maples!" Kirie revealed triumphantly. On her cards, leaves the color of autumn strewn about.
"No way!" Koyomi gasped. "That's almost unbeatable!"
"Congratulations!" Miharu exclaimed.
"Beat that Tomoka" Kirie challenged, a smug grin on her face.
"Teehehehehe" Tomoka began to giggle. "Read 'em and weep!" she said putting her pair down.
"Curtain and Moon!" Koyomi and Miharu exclaim simultaneously, the winning combo of a moon above a hill on one card, a curtain below a flower pattern on the other face up for all the players to see.
"Ugh! Oh man!" Kirie distressed. "And here I thought I was gonna win for sure..."
"Tomo and Ebi win! Tomo and Ebi!" Tomoka celebrated raising Ebi's fist high in the air.
"Nya?" Ebi meowed puzzled by what exactly had happened.
"Celebrate now while you can, I'm winning next!" Kirie growled, her competitive side surfacing.
"Bring it!" Tomoka squeaked.
After several more games of sutda and then some more games of sakura, the girls decide to move on to tea and finger pastries. Koyomi, having brought with her a tea set, decided to brew tea on a hot plate for everyone.
"This is great!" Kirie said, a fancy tea cup in her hand. "What is it?"
"British black tea. It is among my favorites" Koyomi said before taking a sip out of her own cup.
"Yummy!" Miharu exclaims after gulping down her share. "Tastes really good!"
"Glad you liked it" Koyomi said beaming.
"Nya nyah!" Ebi lets out with a smile after taking a drink out of a sippy cup.
"I think Ebi liked it too!" Kirie said with a laugh.
"I can't wait to try the rest! There's so much variety!" Miharu said gazing wantingly at Koyomi's tea caddy.
"I brought several imported from different parts of the world" Koyomi revealed. "Russian, British, Chinese, Indian. Seirenian even! And of course, Japanese!"
"Koyo's quite the tea connoisseur" Tomoka acclaimed.
"I don't know about being a connoisseur but I do love my tea" Koyomi said humbly.
"I want to try them all!" Miharu said, her eyes bright with appetite.
"More pastries girls?" Kirie's mother Misuzu offered after walking into the room, a platter in her hand.
"Me! Me! Pretty please!" Miharu was quick to say, her hand high up in the air. As they enjoyed their tea and pastries, Koyomi does not fail to notice a photo sitting atop Kirie's dresser.
"That's you isn't it Kirie?" Koyomi asked indicating the photo.
"Yes it is actually" Kirie said grabbing the photo for Koyomi and the others to see. On the photo was a much younger Kirie and her father, a strong-looking man with dark brown hair and even darker eyes, both wearing Mizuno Mavericks jerseys. Both were grinning widely at the camera, atop Kirie's head was an oversized Mavericks baseball cap, presumably her father's. "This is my dad" Kirie explained. "Years ago, he took me to a game and it was a blast. Been a big fan of baseball ever since" Kirie said.
"Oh, how lovely" Koyomi said admiring the photo.
"Whenever we'd have the chance, dad and I would watch Mavericks games together. Been a while though since dad's been away on business" Kirie explained shortly before placing the photo back. "That's the first thing we'll be doing once he gets back" Kirie said. "Hope you guys can join us. Baseball games are always more fun with company."
"I would be honored" Koyomi answered. "...Though I'm not terribly familiar with baseball."
"I'll introduce you guys, no problem" Kirie offered.
"If Koyo's there, Tomo'll be there too" Tomoka said.
"Is baseball tasty?" Miharu asked, a finger in her mouth.
"Hahahaha! Baseball's not for eating!" Kirie laughed joined by Koyomi and Tomoka's giggling. "But there'll be plenty of snacks, don't you worry."
With tea and pastries done, Kirie decided to play some music on her computer as a board game was laid out and initiated while nearby, Ebi distracted herself with a coloring book.
"Girls, dinner's ready" Kirie's mother finally announces walking into the room. "Hope desert earlier didn't spoil your appetites!"
"Alright, Tomo's starving!" Tomoka said as she hopped up off the floor.
"Okay Ebi, let's go" Kirie directed Ebi's way as the other girls made their way downstairs.
"I'll bring her downstairs with me" Misuzu told her daughter. "You get the table ready."
"Okay mom" Kirie understood and she too made her way to the first floor.
"Hello there little cutie! You hungry?" Kirie's mother whispered toward Ebi who was finishing up her coloring. "Awwww, this is adorable!" she expressed sweetly as she picked Ebi up into her arms and examined Ebi's coloring, a picture of an intricate flower which was colored in considerably well. "I've gotta show the girls" she said as she exited Kirie's room and joined the girls at the dinner table. "Look girls! Look what Ebi did! Isn't it the cutest?" Misuzu Kojima asked holding Ebi's artwork up.
"Wow Ebi, that looks great" Koyomi compliments.
"Tomo thinks it's great too!" Tomoka joined in the praise.
"That does look good. I had no idea she had such artistic ability!" Kirie complimented.
"Round of applause everyone!" Kirie's mother declares to which everyone begins to clap, much to Ebi's embarrassment.
"Nyah nyaah~" Ebi lets out scratching the back of her head flattered.
"Ebi, will you let me hang your picture up on my fridge?" Mrs. Kojima then asked.
"Nyah" Ebi meows nodding her head.
"Thank you so much! Kirie, set dinner up for our cute little artist" Misuzu commanded as she debated the right spot on the fridge to place Ebi's artwork on.
"Right away mom" Kirie obeyed.
-TRANSITION-
As the sleepover was taking place next door, the door bell to the Sasaki residence rang forcing Yukinari up from his bed. "Wonder who that could be" Yukinari pondered as he headed for the front door. Opening up, he finds Kirie standing there, a bento box in her hand. "Oh, hey Kirie" Yukinari greeted. "How's the sleepover going?"
"It's going great Yukinari. I'm sorry you didn't want to join us though" Kirie apologized.
"Don't worry. This was a girl's sleepover anyways so it would have been awkward for me to be there" Yukinari reasoned.
"You sure? You can at least come over and eat dinner with us" Kirie offers.
"No, I'm fine Kirie. Really" Yukinari continued.
"Oh... Okay" Kirie voiced with disappointment. "Here. I brought you dinner. Careful, it's hot but it's fresh!" Kirie said handing over the bento. "Hope you're hungry."
"Actually, yeah. I could use something to eat. Thanks" Yukinari thanked accepting the food which was not difficult to do since he loved Misuzu's cooking. "You girls have fun."
"That's the plan. Good night Yukinari" Kirie said reaching out to Yukinari. Yukinari pulls her close and both share a kiss.
"Good night Kirie" Yukinari returns and with that, Kirie retreats back to her house, Yukinari doing similarly to his own.
-TRANSITION-
After dinner, the girls continued with their little get-together. Tomoka, armed with the same hammer she used to turn Ebi into her human form, sat before a small table filled with walnuts.
"Watch this!" Tomoka said wielding her hammer and tapping the walnuts. Seconds later, the walnuts break open cleanly by their seams. "What do you think? No need for messy nutcrackers!"
"Wow! That was amazing!" Kirie remarked.
"And yummy!" Miharu adds having eaten one of the walnut kernels. This was followed by Kirie teaching and leading the girls in some low-intensity yoga sessions which worked wonders on muscles, joints, and bones.
"This is called the cobra" Kirie said using her arms to lift herself up while initially face down on a yoga mat.
"Oh! I feel it on my back" Koyomi says mimicking Kirie.
"Legs too" Miharu contributes.
"This is called the bridge" Kirie then says lying face up and thrusting her pelvis upward with arms flat on the mat.
"Oh! This one's tough!" Tomoka squeaked. Ebi meanwhile collapses in her attempt to do it.
"Easy Ebi. Don't push yourself too hard" Kirie said quick to tend to the little girl.
After the light yoga, they then chatted and joked over a few board games before it was finally time for bed.
"You know, this sleep over was lots of fun" Kirie said as she fluffed her pillow, all the girls save for Ebi lying down inside sleeping bags atop the soft carpeting. "We should do this again next week."
"Definitely!" Miharu agrees eagerly.
"Tomo had a good time! Did you have a good time Ebi?"
"Nyah nyo" Ebi let out snuggling atop Kirie's bed.
"Tomorrow, let's go bike riding! At the park!" Kirie suggests.
"Sounds like a wonderful idea!" Koyomi said.
"Count Tomo in!"
"Nyah nya!" Ebi agreed.
"Oh, how exciting!" Miharu said.
"Excellent!" Kirie says. With Ebi, Miharu, Koyomi, and Tomoka all asleep, Kirie was the last awake in the room. Approaching the window to her room, she looks across next door to the Sasaki Residence. "Psst, Yukinari" Kirie calls out across to the window to Yukinari's own room. "You there?"
"Kirie?" Yukinari responds pulling open his window curtains.
"Figured you'd be getting ready for bed right about now" Kirie said seeing her boyfriend donning night clothes.
"Sure" Yukinari confirms.
"Did you enjoy your dinner?" Kirie asked. "Hope it was filling." Yukinari confirmed with a nod.
"Yes, thank you Kirie. It was delicious" Yukinari complimented.
"I'm glad" Kirie said.
"Your mom's cooking is excellent! Remind me to thank her in the morning" Yukinari requested.
"Sure" Kirie agreed. "Anyways, just wanted to check up on you and wish you a good night" she said kissing her palm and blowing Yukinari a kiss. Yukinari smiled warmly.
"Thanks Kirie. Good night to you too" Yukinari returned.
"Good night" Kirie repeated and both almost withdrew. "Hold on" Kirie then said.
"What?" Yukinari asked.
"Tonight was great" Kirie said, "but I want it to be perfect."
"How do you mean?" Yukinari asked but could immediately tell judging by Kirie's bedroom eyes.
"You have to ask?"
"...I'll get the door."
"Score" Kirie cheered quietly to herself. Careful not to wake the others, the libidinous brunette was quick to show up to Yukinari's front door.
"Hope you didn't wake anyone up on your way here" Yukinari said leading the way to his room and the two swiftly found themselves sharing his bed.
"I was careful. Now for a real challenge: not waking up the whole neighborhood" Kirie said before the two locked lips.
-TRANSITION-
"Her hair and PJs seems a little dissheveled if you ask me" Tomoka comments watching over a sleeping Kirie. "Did she fight her pillow and blanket last night?"
"Maybe she was just really tired last night?" Miharu opinionates.
"I don't think that follows" Tomoka responds. Koyomi meanwhile paid Kirie's disposition no mind as she combed her own hair and looked forward to the outing. When Kirie finally came to, she opens her eyes to find Ebi looking down at her curiously.
"Nya nyoh" Ebi let out as if saying 'good morning'. Kirie reaches up and caresses Ebi's hair.
"Good morning Ebi" Kirie says sleepily before sitting up and yawning.
Not long after, Yukinari, Kirie, Miharu, Tomoka, Koyomi, and Ebi were making their way to a park known for having a biking path.
"Oh man, that sleepover was fun!" Kirie said. "Some of the best sleep of my life too!" she adds stretching her arms up skyward.
"Yeah! Tomo feels refreshed!" Tomoka said skipping alongside Ebi and the others.
"Nothing like a good rest" Koyomi adds.
"You girls had fun?" Yukinari asked.
"Definitely, lots of fun" Kirie confirms giving Yukinari a look. Yukinari gives one back.
"And I had a nice dream last night!" Miharu said bouncily.
"You did? What was it about?" Koyomi asks.
"I dreamed about being a chef" Miharu reveals. "Cooking food for myself and for big brother and big sister and all of my friends. I was the star of a cooking show that the whole world watched! Oh, now I'm all hungry!" she said wantingly.
"We just had breakfast" Kirie reminded. Miharu could only giggle.
"What about you Koyomi? Did you dream anything?" Miharu inquired. Koyomi thought deeply for a second.
"Hmm, now that you mention it, I did dream about something" Koyomi said prompting the party to lean in. "I was standing out in the middle of the night and then suddenly, the galaxy collided with Andromeda! You could see the arms of the galaxies in the night sky crash into each other, stars ricocheting off of each other's gravitational pull."
"Whoa!" Tomoka voiced impressed. "Stars moving!?"
"Must have looked amazing" Yukinari adds.
"It did. World media outlets reported the story for days, non-stop! The collision caused Earth to swing out of its orbit and so the sun and the moon just flew off and disappeared into the eternal expanse of the new starry arrangement in the sky as the two galaxies fused and became one! It was actually an amazing feeling: knowing that all the world was watching what you were watching! Everyone was watching world history in the making!.. At that instant, all the world was at peace, too distracted by the sky to fight. It was so heartwarming."
"And then what? And then what!?" Kirie asked with astonished excitement.
"I woke up" Koyomi said simply.
"Oh."
"..Wouldn't we freeze to death if that were the case?" Yukinari questioned.
"Well it was a dream" Kirie said. "Collision's not supposed to happen for billions of years anyways" she said as the group crossed a street.
"Billions.." Miharu repeats curiously.
"That means a lot" Tomoka clarifies.
As the group made their way through the outskirts of Mizuno Town, into view came a tall building above the entrance of which read "Mizuno Town Bike Path Entrance 19". Entering, they are met with rows and rows of rental bicycles of various kinds and sizes. Some seemed built for speed while others for a slower, more pleasant ride. Some seemed built for a couple, others equipped with training wheels for younger riders and some were multi-rider bikes.
"Hello! Welcome to Mizuno Town Bike Path!" a woman with orange hair and seemingly little older than Kirie greeted. "My name is Sachiko Abe! Looking for rental bikes today?"
"Definitely!" Kirie answers.
"I see a party of six" Sachiko observes.
"R-right, sorry. Where are my manners?" Kirie asked. "My name is Kirie Kojima!" she says with a bow and the others follow suit save for Ebi who is introduced by Tomoka.
"Very nice to meet you all!" Sachiko said. "How's this?" she said bringing the party to a surrey cycle for six, two seats per row. "Should be enough."
"Tomo wants a ride of her own" Tomoka said.
"In that case, there'll be an empty seat. Hope that's okay." Sachiko said.
"That's okay, it should work" Kirie said. With rental fee and ID provided, Kirie and the rest were given helmets along with their rides: a six-seat surrey cycle for Yukinari, Kirie, Koyomi, Miharu, and Ebi and a single bike for Tomoka. Passing through the building, Sachiko leads the group to a wide road that bordered parts of the town and snaked through more rural parts.
"Please enjoy your ride!" Sachiko said.
"Thank you, will do!" Yukinari returned and the party waved Sachiko good bye as Sachiko withdrew into the building.
"This is seriously cool!" Kirie said lending her strength toward pedaling the surrey cycle. "There's something neat about us all powering this thing with our pedaling."
Yukinari sat on the driver's seat and steered with Kirie sitting next to him. Behind them sat Miharu and Ebi and Koyomi rode on one of the rear seats.
"Let's race!" Tomoka challenged riding atop her rental bicycle.
"That's not very fair, we're heavier" Yukinari said.
"Yeah, don't get too full of yourself Tomoka" Kirie added.
"But there's more of you than there is of Tomo" Tomoka reasoned.
"Let's not and just say you won, Tomoka" Yukinari replies.
"Okay, fine" Tomoka responds. "But Tomo's still gonna ride circles around ya!" she boasted as she rode ahead only to come back and then fall back before returning. "This is too fun!" Yukinari sensed Kirie was itching to compete with Tomoka but placing his hand on Kirie's shoulder seemed to soothe this urge.
Next to them, other riders passed by going either way from bicyclists, skateboarders, in-line skaters, and some were even on foot out for a stroll and some were walking their dog.
"Whoa! Look at that dog! It's huge!" Miharu said looking at a couple walking a large dog.
"We get that a lot" the couple said with a smile. Miharu made sure to wave the couple goodbye.
"Goodness, I wonder how much it eats" Koyomi wondered.
"Tomo wonders how much it must crap!"
"Tomoka!" Kirie objected.
"What? It's a good question!" Tomoka said.
"...Yeah, but still" Kirie went on. "Let's keep this a pleasant outing." As the ride progressed, the group found themselves approaching a gathering of cherry blossom trees that seemed to overwhelm the path ahead.
"Flowers!" Tomoka let out.
"We must stop here for a moment" an eager Koyomi requested.
"Sure" Yukinari said as the ride was brought to a stop out of the way of other riders.
"Oh how lovely!" Koyomi praised dismounting the ride and standing underneath the thick canopy of cherry blossoms.
"This is too cute!" Miharu sung.
"Sakura trees are one of the wonders of Japan" Kirie said. "Glad you guys like them!"
"A wonder indeed!" Koyomi agreed looking around her to find flowers all around.
"Up we go, Ebi!" Yukinari said lifting Ebi up to have a seat on a sturdy branch.
"So cute! I've gotta take pictures!" Kirie said with phone out. Koyomi and Miharu did similarly.
"Hey! Tomo wants up too!" Tomoka said.
"Do you Tomoka?" Yukinari asked amused by Tomoka's childish tone: Tomoka halts herself realizing this.
"..Y-yeah" Tomoka said uneasily. "B-but I can get myself up, thank you very much!" she challenged and began to climb the tree atop which Ebi sat.
"Easy now" Yukinari said ready to catch Tomoka if she were to fall.
"See? Not a problem!" Tomoka boasted now seated next to Ebi.
"Well done Tomoka" Yukinari praised.
"Tomoka, could you hug Ebi for me?" Koyomi requested.
"Huh? Like this?" Tomoka asked pulling Ebi into a warm hug, their cheeks pressing.
"Awwwww!" Koyomi, Miharu, and Kirie all let out and furiously take more pictures.
"Tomoka's like a big sister!" Miharu said.
"T-Tomo's a big sister?" Tomoka repeated.
"Yep! That's what it looks like on these pictures!" Koyomi confirms.
"You're like Ebi's big sister" Kirie said. Tomoka's eyes widen.
"Tomo's a big sister!" Tomoka sung with stars in her eyes hugging Ebi firmly.
"Nyah?" Ebi let out confused by Tomoka's elation. Though the ride went on, cherry blossom trees remained a common sight. Miharu took this opportunity to affix a cherry blossom to Koyomi's hair.
"Oh!.. How do I look?" Koyomi asked.
"Pink goes so well with your hair color" Miharu complimented. "Now I have to do everyone else!" she declared and soon, a cherry blossom decorated Ebi's, Yukinari's, and Kirie's hair. "All that remains is Tomoka!" Turning Tomoka's way, Miharu could hear Tomoka was still reveling in being referred to as a 'big sister'.
"Big Sister Tomoka" Tomoka said to herself riding on her lone bicycle.
"Tomoka! Flower for your hair!" Miharu announced but Tomoka seemed too distracted by her new title.
"Koi pond! Coming up!" Yukinari announces as a large pond came into view. With the trip coming to another stop, Miharu pounces.
"Now everyone matches!" Miharu says affixing a cherry blossom to Tomoka's hair.
"Big Sister Tomo thanks you!" Tomoka thanked as the party approached the large body of water which was bordered by large rocks and surrounded by a fence as well as other people taking pictures of the fish.
"These fish look so at peace" Koyomi said looking into the pond. Schools of koi fish swam peacefully in and out of cover behind large rocks and under lily pads, water lilies, and cherry blossom petals.
"Wonder if we can feed 'em" Kirie said before catching sight of a sign warning against it. "Tch! No fun!"
"What do they eat?" Yukinari asked.
"Checking" Kirie said with smart phone out. "...Insects. Algae too. What's it matter, we can't feed 'em anyways."
"Can we eat them?" Miharu suddenly asked. The party looks at Miharu blankly.
"Well, not these in particular" Kirie answers. "But they're fish so I'm sure it's possible."
"You're making me nostalgic, Miharu" Koyomi comments with a chuckle.
"You in the mood for fish?" Tomoka asked.
"You read my mind!" Miharu responds happily.
"There's a nice fish and beef place not far from here. We can go once we're done biking" Kirie said returning to the bikes. The rest did the same. Proceeding, the group pass by a monument to a famous samurai, a large Shinto shrine in front of which a shrine maiden waved at them, and an interesting rock formation that resembled a turtle.
At some point, the group found themselves atop a tall hill high enough to offer an impressive sight of Mizuno town.
"Will you just look at this view!?" Yukinari remarked amazed the buildings of Mizuno could look like miniatures sitting under an immense blue sky. Picking Ebi up, Yukinari sits her on his shoulders. "Look at that Ebi! Impressive, isn't it?"
"Nyaah~" Ebi emitted impressed.
"I can see Mizuno's baseball stadium from here!" Kirie said taking in the sight. "..Can see the Fukuyama place too.." she said sounding more disgusted.
"How far away are we from Yukinari's home?" Koyomi asked preferring not to talk about the Fukuyama estate.
"Maybe we can spot it through those!" Tomoka suggested pointing at a pair of coin-operated binoculars.
"Let's give them a try" Koyomi suggests and both agents approach the binoculars.
"Let's give it a go too" Kirie said pulling Yukinari towards a different set of binoculars. Miharu stood back as Yukinari and Kirie, an Ebi standing by their side, huddled around the binoculars. She was struck by how affectionately close Yukinari and Kirie seemed: she noticed the way Yukinari placed his hand on Kirie's waist as Kirie looked through the device.
"What're you looking at?" Yukinari asked.
"These binoculars are amazing!" Kirie praised. "Great magnification!"
"Money well spent then" Yukinari said.
"I can see people in front of Mizuno Stadium" Kirie said. "You give it a go" she said offering Yukinari a chance to look.
"...Wow, this IS good magnification!" Yukinari praised.
"It better be if it's charging" Kirie remarks.
"And there's Mizuno Stadium!"
"Yep! The one you took me to on our first date" Kirie recalled.
"Ebi! You look too" Yukinari said helping Ebi up to look through.
"Nyaah~" Ebi let out amazed by the sight.
"Yukinari, Kirie, you two seem very close" Miharu suddenly said behind the couple.
"Eh!" Kirie said looking back before placing a hand over her mouth realizing she had let something slip.
"..Y-yeah! We're really close friends!" Yukinari tried to excuse.
"It's okay!" Miharu said. "I could always tell there could be something special between you two. You two grew up together after all, right?"
"...Yeah, we did" Yukinari said with hesitation.
"Of course! I often read that the best couples are those built up over a long time" Miharu says. "Childhood friends make some of the warmest and most loving couples."
"Miharu, I'm really sorry" Kirie speaks up suddenly. "I-it just sorta happened!"
"Don't be sorry!" Miharu insists grabbing hold of Kirie's hand and joining it with one of Yukinari's. "I can tell you two have something very special together. You should cherish that and enjoy it to the fullest!" Miharu instructs.
"Miharu" Yukinari breathes then pulls Miharu into a hug. "Miharu... Thanks Miharu. For understanding."
"Really, it's no big deal" Miharu says before Kirie joined in on the hug.
"Miharu, you're an excellent friend" Kirie compliments.
"You guys are excellent friends too" Miharu returns. Ebi simply mimicks and hugs Miharu as well.
"Your turn to look through the binoculars" Kirie said.
"Oh goody!" Miharu cheered approaching the binoculars. "Wow! This is neat! Everything looks bigger!"
"Miharu, today's lunch is on me" Yukinari then directed at the Seiren girl.
"On us" Kirie corrects.
"On us" Yukinari acknowledges. "Where do you wanna go eat today? You're good at spotting great restaurants!"
"Hmm, I think I know where I want to go. Let me see if I can find it" Miharu said looking through the binoculars again. "...There it is! 'The Hungry Dragon'!"
"..Oh, looks fancy!" Kirie praises after looking through.
"'The Hungry Dragon'" Yukinari read looking through. "I've heard good things about that place. Excellent! Sounds like a plan!"
Returning to their rides, Yukinari, Kirie, Miharu, Ebi, Koyomi, and Tomoka rode back to the bike rental building where Sachiko accepted the return of the bikes. Now on foot, they made their way to 'The Hungry Dragon', a restaurant known especially for its quality sushi and dumplings. Once seated, their orders were prepared then served.
"Oooh!" Miharu let out, a bountiful helping of various dishes like rich ramen bowls, grilled fish, and fried shrimp set before her. "Thank you so much Yukinari! Kirie!"
"The pleasure is all ours!" Kirie replies, her own order of chicken breast and steamed veggies before her.
"The bike ride really gave me an appetite!" Yukinari reveals having ordered what Kirie ordered plus an additional helping of dumplings. "Hunger is the best spice!"
"Big Sister Tomo's definitely hungry too!" Tomoka said ready to start on her egg soup.
"Is this your favorite part, Miharu?" Koyomi asked before digging into her own order of rice, broccoli, and shrimp.
"You bet!" Miharu answered before biting into a large shrimp.
"Nyah nyo!" Ebi let out as if saying 'itadakimasu' before getting started on a set of dumplings.
Ebi and Tomoka sated their hunger as Koyomi relaxed, glad the blonde pervert did not show up at any point during their outing. Yukinari and Kirie dug into their own meals with sighs of relief, relief that Miharu had accepted their decision to date. Miharu meanwhile was simply happy to be eating such a rich and bountiful meal.