Chapter 13-
Summer Camp Arc, Part 1: The Ice Queen, Ms. Nice Girl and the Hedonist


Rumi's POV:

This… is the worst day of my life. Why must I go through this. What have I done to deserve this? Is this how Zeppeli san felt when he learnt of his fate? Is this what it means to accept one's destiny? Is this-

"Rumi chan, stop monologuing. We're going to be late."

The voice you just heard belongs to my father, who is currently waiting next to the car, in which lies a packed travel bag that contains a week's worth of clothing, personal items and some essentials. In other words, everything I need for this most dreaded of all fates.

Summer Camp.

Urgh.

Those words make me shudder.

Who in their right mind would want to go out in this heat, and live for a week in the middle of nowhere? Seriously, dad. This is why we have houses, and electricity, and air conditioning. Is there a reason I must revert to the lifestyle of our ancestors back in the Stone Age? Next thing I know, you'll tell me to discover fire, or invent the wheel.

"Rumi!"

"Coming, Dad."

Sigh. Well, here we go, I guess.

I pocket my phone and grab Portable san. Seriously, I can't even imagine getting through this trip alive without these precious, battery-driven friends. Well, when I'm not trying to outrun dinosaurs or hit distant herbivores with spears, I'll probably find a place to hide from the teachers, and more importantly, the other kids, and just relax a little. Yeah, that's right. It's just a week. I'll survive easily, and once I do, there'll be an entire month's worth of holidays to enjoy at home.

With this vision of joy to give me some hope, I walked over to the car and got in. Mom was already inside.

"Have you packed everything you need, Rumi chan?"

"Yes, Mom," I said drily.

"You could sound a little more energetic, you know. Summer Camp is a lot of fun."

"Riiiiiight. Sure. I believe you."

Mom looked at Dad.

"Honey, our daughter's learned sarcasm. I told you not to buy her all those video games. How are we supposed to fix this?"

"I'm right here, you know," I said from the back seat, a vein ticking in my head.

"Hahahaha, settle down, you two," called my father, ever a proponent of peace. "Rumi chan, you're mother's right, you know. I understand that kids these days might not be as interested in the outdoors experience as we might have been, but I'm not telling you to spend your entire holiday there."

That… really wasn't actually the problem.

No, I can deal with the heat, and the bugs, and all the rest of it.

In fact, depending on the place we're going, I might even like the outdoors.

I wouldn't mind going with Mom and Dad, or even with my cousins, though I don't meet them often.

No, it's just that… this is a school camping trip.

And my class and I don't really get along.

School isn't really fun. I go, I listen, I try to learn, I take notes, and I count down the minutes till I can go home. The bell that rings, signalling the end of classes, always makes me feel a sense of relief. When I'm at home, I'm happy. Far away from them.

And now, I have to spend an entire week with them.

With no bell to give me a reprieve.

I sometimes wonder if I should tell my parents about it.

But you see, my Mom and Dad talk a lot about their school days. They were both pretty popular. Neither of them had these difficulties. They're pretty proud of me too. I guess a part of it has to do with my looks. Don't misunderstand: they aren't shallow. But wouldn't ever parent be happy that their daughter's pretty? Beautiful people get a lot of advantages in life. And who wouldn't want their child to get advantages, get opportunities? I'm decent at studies, too, and I have plenty of hobbies. No matter how I look at it, every time I see Mom and Dad, they seem so proud of me, so happy. They probably think someone like me has plenty of friends.

And I can't really bring myself to destroy that happy image they have in their minds, even if it's a lie.

And then, like I said. Neither of them faced these difficulties. How would they even deal with them? What would they do? Go to the teachers or the principal?

That wouldn't change anything.

It's not like I'm openly bullied. No one steals my things or does anything to me physically.

I'm just… excluded.

You can't force people to like you. You can't make someone be your friend.

It doesn't work that way.

And honestly, the thought of our homeroom teacher calling me to the front of the class and telling people to be kinder to me… it's the most embarrassing thing I can think of.

No, it's better to just endure.

This is the final year of elementary school anyway.

I'll be going to middle school, and that's a chance to start over, meet new people. There will be new groups. A chance to not be alone.

Yes, until then, I just have to hang on. It shouldn't be that hard. They ignore me all the time. That's good. It's better to be left alone to do your own thing. I know they talk about me behind my back but it doesn't bother me.

Really, it doesn't.

Anyway, now you know why I don't want to go to camp.

Oh, yeah. Did I mention? It won't just be us elementary schoolers. Some high schools are joining in too. It's going to be this big event this year.

I'm not really sure how to feel about that.

I guess I'll wait and see.

For the moment, I decide to pull out Portable san. That's a Playstation Portable, if it isn't obvious. It's an older handheld console, but I love it. Most of my favourite games are a little bit on the older side. Right now, I'm booting up Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection. To be honest, the AI is set to easy. I'm not a very good player or anything. I guess you could say I'm a weirdo? I'm one of the, like, three people on this planet who play Tekken for the lore, story and characters, and not the gameplay. Most of the time, I just look up the movelist, find a move with an impressive sounding name, and try to pull it off in a match. And once I do, I spam that move like there's no tomorrow. And then I learn a new move, and repeat the process all over again.

Don't laugh, all right? It's no different than all you people who bought Nier Automata for "reasons".

Anyway, I start up the story mode, pick Jin because he's good looki- I mean, because he's a good character, and get engrossed in the game to pass the journey.

Elsewhere, Yukino's POV:

Going on a trip with clubmates. That's a new experience for me. I've been on trips with classmates before, but Class J isn't part of this particular camp. Most of the participants from Soubu happen to be students of 2F, which of course, has nothing to do with a homeroom teacher who blatantly plays favourites. Of course not.

Needless to say, I very much doubt Hiratsuka Sensei's ability to handle things here by herself, so being the upstanding citizen and model student that I am, I volunteered to come along. For some reason, she interpreted this as me suggesting that the Service Club should be conscripted into this. I tried to protest, but unfortunately, that woman has the ability to tune out anything she doesn't want to hear.

And so, here I am, in a bus.

"Yukinon, look, I got snacks!"

I sighed.

How is it humanly possible to have this much energy? It's been an hour since we set out, and Yuigahama san doesn't look like her enthusiasm has dampened even the slightest bit. I tend to not do so well with transportation, so I have the window seat. Yuigahama san has the aisle seat, and she seems perfectly happy with that, since she's been moving up and down the aisle to change seats and spend time with her friends since we set out.

I doubt I need to mention this, but all the Soubu students who will be attending this Summer Camp are on this bus. And somewhere in the front, probably trying to sleep off a poorly hidden hangover, is our Club Advisor, Hiratsuka Shizuka Sensei.

Sigh.

Truly it is lonely being the only responsible person in a group.

I looked out the window, at the sea.

Turning back around, I examined Yuigahama san.

She looked very happy.

Well, she had every reason to be, I suppose.

After all, he was coming along on this trip too.

I had never really spoken to her about it, but it was obvious that Yuigahama san liked Hikigaya kun. She was a maiden in love, and it was clear to see. There was a rather infamous incident in 2F. Hikigaya kun had apparently suggested (not so subtly) that the friendships and bonds all his classmates kept flaunting were in fact, quite shallow. It wasn't really my preferred way of handling the chain mail problem, but I couldn't deny it was effective. And I'm not just saying that because I too resent the way the masses spread rumours. And I don't admire the fact that Hikigaya kun kicked a certain boy with a poor track record when it came to loyalty.

I definitely didn't smile when I heard about it.

Definitely not.

And that was what worried me.

You see, more and more often, I found myself smiling at the things Hikigaya kun did.

It may or may not have something to do with the fact that he was the only person in existence that I knew of, who wasn't charmed by Nee san in some way or the other. Or the fact that he had uncompromisingly given her a verbal trouncing on their first meeting.

It was strange.

I had initially disliked him because he was uncouth and rude, and because his way of life espoused a philosophy diametrically opposed to my own.

But as time went by, I found that he wasn't quite what he appeared.

His manner of speech was blunt, even crude, but his words were kind. He seemed like a trickster, but he spoke the truth. He acted like a bully, but he stood up for those who couldn't defend themselves.

And he had said that when the time would come, he'd save me.

It was dangerous to believe in that, believe in him.

After all, he didn't even know the challenges I was facing.

He didn't know my family.

From every logical point of view, there was no reason to put any stock in his words.

Yet, when he said something, no matter how far-fetched it seemed, it didn't feel like a stretch to believe him.

Somehow, if it was him, it felt possible.

Hikigaya Hachiman was that sort of person.

One with the power to make the impossible possible.

I shook my head.

It was pointless to think about, pointless to give myself false hope.

But even if Hikigaya ultimately couldn't save me, the fact didn't change.

I liked him.

And that's why I felt uneasy, looking at Yuigahama san.

This wasn't fair to her. Not one bit.

We had both spoken before about Hikigaya's obvious infatuation with Sensei.

Recently, it seems to have come to an end.

This was only to be expected, of course. It was why I was never worried about it in the first place. Sensei is, despite appearances, a rational and decent person. And as for Hikigaya, he isn't the type to let a passing attraction consume him. It is not unexpected to fall for a beautiful, older woman. But Hikigaya, though, he never stated it explicitly, seeks genuine connections. I saw it in the way he took care of Zaimokuza and Totsuka's requests. He would realize sooner or later that the relationship between them was one of teacher and student.

Once that happened, he would take some time to come to terms with it.

For him, it would be a quick process.

He seeks to live to the fullest, above all else, and will quickly move on once he realizes it's the right thing to do.

That is what he seemed to have done.

Unlike me, Yuigahama san was worried about the situation with Sensei. Somewhere inside, she was afraid of losing him to her.

And so, when Hikigaya finally acknowledged her, she was overjoyed. When he got over his attraction towards Sensei, that happiness only grew.

Finally, she had a chance with the one she liked.

I should mention, Yuigahama san is a good person.

So is Hikigaya kun.

It is clear that he likes her as well, and once he is ready, he would not mind becoming closer to her.

Is it really right for me to get in the way of that?

I shook my head again.

This was pointless to think about.

In the first place, Hikigaya kun didn't have any feelings towards me.

And there was no need to give him a hint that I had any towards him.

Yes, that would be best.

Eventually, he will get together with Yuigahama san. It will help him forget his impulsive promise to help me, and that is only for the best. I do not want him to get involved in my mess.

But all that being said, one question remained.

Where is Hikigaya kun anyway?

Because he's not in the bus with the rest of us.

This fact does not seem to bother Yuigahama san though. Is it because she knows something I don't?

"Yukinon, are you sure you don't want any?"

She's holding out a packet of biscuits, and I decide to take one from it.

"Thank you."

There's not point thinking about it too much.

If Hikigaya is supposed to be there, he'll be there.

Reassuring myself thus, I decide to relax a little. It'll take us a little while longer to arrive at our destination, so I decide to pass the time by listening to some music.

Little did I know, those few minutes peacefully listening to the sounds of Steve Vai's guitar would be the prelude to a Summer Camp best described by one word.

Insanity.

Half an hour later, outskirts of Chiba.

Yui's POV:

We're finally here!

Our bus has stopped.

"All right everyone. Time to get off. Do it in an orderly line, please, try not to fall on your face right off the bat."

So saying, Hiratsuka Sensei opened the door and deboarded the bus. Sheesh, she's not in a good mood, huh? Why does he have to drink if it's only going to get her mad later?

"Yui, you coming?"

That's Yumiko chan calling out to me. Well, no point sitting here! Time to get this camp started!

"On my way!"

I turn to the girl next to me, who's putting away her cell phone.

"I'll catch up in a minute," she says, understanding.

That's one of the great things about Yukinon. It's not easy to spend time with two different groups of friends, who don't get along with each other. Well, actually, I have no idea if Yukinon would get along with Yumiko chan, Ebina chan and the others. But she's never shown any interest in getting to know them, and somehow, I think it'd be incredibly awkward to suggest it to her.

Well, on the other hand, she knows Hayato. I think.

I'm still not sure about that.

It's just, once or twice, I've seen them talk to each other in passing, and from they were saying, it sounded like they're family's know each other. Maybe they're just acquaintances then? That would be easy to believe, normally.

Except, something about the way they act tells me otherwise.

So, yeah, it's a good thing Yukinon is understanding. I know it'll be harder for her, since I'm probably the only friend she has on this trip. I'll be spending most of my time with her. But I can't totally ignore the others either.

I catch up to them.

Pretty much everyone's here.

Yumiko, Ebina, Hayato, Tobe, Ooka, Yamato.

Oh yeah, a few other people from our class are here too.

Totsuka chan is here. Arre, did he always hang out with that many girls?

Oh, and that scary girl with the silver hair is here too. I think her name is Kawasaki. Wait, is that a packet of cigarettes sticking out of her pocket?

I shake my head. None of my business, right? Hiratsuka Sensei would totally stop her.

Urgh. Even in my head, that sounds hard to believe. She'd probably join her for a smoke.

"Yui, you're spacing out again."

"E-eh?"

Yumiko chan is staring at me, frowning slightly.

"You've been acting really strange recently."

"Really? Aren't I the same as always, though?"

"No, you're not! You barely spend any time with us anymore!"

"But I'm spending time with you right now."

"!... hnn… don't get smart with me, Yui, you know what I'm talking about!"

Yeah, there's her trademark temper again. Yumiko chan always was quick to anger. It used to be a little scary back in the day. But now it's not?

"You've changed," she said, finally. "Ever since you started hanging out with him."

Even as she says that, I feel my face grow slightly red. Thinking about it, she's not wrong though.

"Maybe," I admit. I'm not going to do the cliche thing and pretend like I don't know who she's talking about.

"You didn't use to be this way", Yumiko chan said. "Now, it's like you have a problem with everything we say."

Did it appear that way?

Yumiko is used to having people agree with her, or at least, not contradict her. I guess she thinks that anything aside from that means that someone has a problem with her.

But it's not like my likes and dislikes have suddenly changed. It isn't as if I suddenly have a problem with a lot of things she does.

I just speak my mind more often now.

Did I learn that from Hikki?

I can't help but smile a little.

I shake my head.

"Uh uh. I don't have a problem with you, Yumiko chan", I say aloud. "But I'm not going to stop hanging out with Hikki."

"Urrkkk!"

By this point, I realize that Ebina chan's listening in on this conversation too. I guess that's fine. She's a lot more accepting than Yumiko.

Yumiko, on the other hand, doesn't seem happy with what I've just said at all.

"Yui!"

Sorry, but this is one thing I can't back down on.

"Hmph, fine. I can't force you."

There we go. A lot of people mistakenly think that Yumiko's a tyrant. That's not true at all. I think she's just very protective of her friends. To be fair, Hikki does have "bad boy" written all over him. But that's a misconception too. The thing about him is, he likes acting like an anime villain. Over-the-top theatrics, crazy plans, all of those things. He's not a bad boy. He's the biggest dork I've ever met.

And I wouldn't change that for anything.

"What do you even see in him anyway?"

I giggle slightly. Yumiko's getting desperate now. I guess I can humour her a little?

"He's a very good artist," I say. "Honestly, I can't even tell the difference between what he does and pro work."

"He's not that good," Yumiko argues. "I've read that one shot everyone keeps talking about. It was okay at best. Right, Ebina?"

Ebina chan looks slightly surprised at being pulled into the conversation. She typically avoids arguments, but also, she's never been intimidated by Yumiko chan, and she lie either.

Right now, she smiled uncomfortably, probably because she didn't want to outright say aloud that she disagreed with her.

Yumiko chan could probably tell what she thought just from the look on her face though.

"Ugh. You too, Ebina?"

Poor Ebina chan chuckled. "Sorry. Whatever else he might or might not be, Hikigaya is a pretty good artist."

"Hnnnngggg… well, it doesn't matter! He's rude, and there's something wrong with him! Don't you remember that stuff he was saying that day? And he attacked Hayato!"

There's really no way I can reply here without antagonizing her. Yes, it's true that Hikki provoked him. But I'm pretty sure Hayato was moving forward when Hikki struck him. I don't think he would have done that unless Hayato was going to attack him. Even if he did attack first, even if he did say some harsh things. He was doing it to protect this group. But that's not the point. My feelings for Hikki aren't that shallow. Even if he makes a mistake or two, I won't leave him. I'll stay with him, and fix things. That's what he would do for me.

Besides, if I back down here, I'd just be letting Yumiko chan get away with using the Hayato card again.

Sorry, but if it's about defending your man, I won't back down either.

"I remember," I said aloud. "And I'm not going to leave him because of it. Hikki's intentions weren't to hurt anyone. He was putting a stop to the rumours. And it worked, didn't it?"

"You-!"

By this time, we had already got off the bus and retrieved our luggage from its rear compartment. We'd been walking towards the entrance of the resort where we'd be staying. Up ahead, I could see the gate. And standing next to it, waiting, was the one I was just talking about.

Yumiko probably would have taken this further.

But I'd already said what I had to. I still want to be friends with Yumiko and the others. But not at the cost of what I have with Hikki. He'd be fine with my decision. Right now, Yumiko, you're the one who's trying to make me leave someone. And it's not going to happen.

I'd made my choice on that day itself, when Hikki had asked me in front of everyone. I didn't regret that decision.

I was about to go and greet him, when I realized: I wasn't the only one he was waiting for.

Looking back, I saw Yukinon making her own way towards the gate, carrying her bag, alone.

"Anyway, Yumiko chan, Ebina chan, I'll see you guys in a bit, okay?"

With that, I ran.

I ran towards Yukinon, who, judging by the look on her face, wasn't expecting it at all.

Reaching out, I grabbed her hand.

"Y-Yuigahama san?"

"Come on! The Service Club has to stick together, right?"

Her eyes widened.

Just for a moment, there was a look of hesitation, even guilt on her face.

But then, it was replaced by that rare, pure smile of hers.

"Yes, I suppose so. There has to at least one sensible person in the group."

I grinned and ran forward, still holding her hand, and she kept pace effortlessly.

Within seconds, we had reached him.

He looked different from how I remembered him.

He wasn't in uniform, for one thing. Like all of us, he was in casuals. In his case, that meant a pair of cargoes and a sleeveless vest that did a good job of showing off his chest and arms. No complaints here. Absolutely none.

But besides that, he seemed to have changed.

Somehow, it was as if he'd matured a lot, though it wasn't as if he'd suddenly gotten much older. No, it was more like he'd been through something important. But when he smiled, it wasn't the strained smile of forced confidence that I remembered. It was a genuine smile, as if he'd shed a lot of weight he'd been carrying all this time.

For the first time, Hikigaya Hachiman looked truly free.

"Hikki…"

"Hikigaya kun…"

"Yo."