After surviving the first night at the cabin, I got a good idea of what kind of work we'll be doing for the rest of the trip, but everyone was surprised to hear that we had to wake up extra early to help with breakfast. Furuya gave us a hand while we had to bring all the food and set it up in a large party room for all the guests at the inn. And since it was so early in the morning, Tobe and Miura were complaining a lot, and quite frankly it hurt my ears listening to them complain. Saejima-san and Hasebe were working on things we couldn't do, so we didn't see them until breakfast.
Luckily the management team granted us a free day, and they gave their workers a partial free day. They had to start working around 2-3 pm tomorrow, but I can't remember exactly.
At this present moment, I am currently getting ready to go to the springs with Hayama and Tobe. And by getting ready, I mean reading my book on the floor while I wait for the other two to get ready. Tobe was determined to get me to join them no matter what, so I gave in seeing how it was futile to keep arguing with him. We were supposed to meet Miura and the others, which for some reason, gave me a small degree of anxiety.
"You ready Hikitani-kun?" It looks like the two of them were finally ready to hit the springs because for some reason Tobe was dragging to get ready.
"Yeah, let's go." I closed my book and left it aside, then I got up and made my way to the hallway with Tobe and Hayama.
As usual, I tailed behind them as they conversed with each other. At this point, I didn't care if they acknowledged me or not, because I've accepted that I'm going to be invisible to them whenever they talk like this. Not like in middle school where I had a group only acknowledge me by saying, "Right, Hikigaya?" then ignoring me immediately afterward. At least Kaori-chan treated me better than those bastards I used to talk to.
When we arrived at the springs, we went to the locker gyms and put away our belongings. As I was carefully stripping my clothes, I grabbed a white towel and wrapped it around my waist. After that, I didn't bother waiting for Hayama and Tobe, so I left without them.
With four springs, I decided to take the one in the left corner, hoping that they wouldn't take the same one as me. They were quite spacious, and the orange lantern that rested above me illuminated my spring with a warm, faint orange light. I made myself comfortable by resting my arms on the edge while closing my eyes and letting the steam of the spring rejuvenate my body.
"Hikitani! What are you doing all the way over there, man!" As soon as those two entered the spring, Tobe obnoxiously yelled out to me trying to get my attention.
Please don't come over here.
Please don't come over here.
Please don't come over here.
"I don't think Hikitani wants to be bothered, let's just take the one on the right side, Tobe."
"Whatever you say, Hayato." With that, they took the spring directly to my left.
For some reason, Hayama came to my rescue. To Tobe, it seems like Hayama's word is absolute, which was convenient to me sometimes.
Even though they were talking quite loudly, I was relaxed enough that it didn't bother me, though I'm sure they might be disturbing the women on the female side since the wall dividing the room is quite thin.
"Ah, the water is nice." I let out an exaggerated grunt as I surrendered myself to the warmth of the spring.
"Ara, is that Hikigaya-kun on the other side of the wall?"
After recognizing her voice, my heart rate increased, and my inner peace was replaced with burning anxiety.
"What are the chances of this happening…" Even though I said it in a low tone, Yukinoshita was able to hear me since it feels like she's right next to me.
"It was a 75% chance. I didn't want to join the others, so I picked the furthest one away from them. Unfortunately, I've made contact with the ultimate loner."
My heart rate kept increasing, it's because Yukinoshita is on the other side of the wall, and she's… damn these teenage hormones, I can't even hold a conversation with her without these lustful thoughts getting in the way.
"I'm starting to see a trend here with that name."
"I've taken quite the liking to it."
Yeah, I can tell.
"Anyway, are you and Miura good now?"
"... Well, I tried apologizing to her last night, but I think she's holding a grudge against me. Not only that, but I also feel like Yuigahama-san may dislike me as well."
Knowing Yukinoshita, she destroyed Miura in ways I can't fathom. And it doesn't help that Miura probably likes Hayama, so depending on what happened, they may not get along with each other from now on. Yuigahama is a factor too, I wonder how she reacted to their clash, or perhaps Yukinoshita's slaughter.
"Yuigahama, huh?"
"When I went back to my room last night, the atmosphere was very tense, almost like they were talking ill behind my back."
"But you're used to that, right?"
"I am, but I didn't mean to make her cry." She sighed heavily. "And they're talking about me right now."
"Really?"
"I can see them, it's painfully obvious that they are."
One small mistake resulted in Miura and Yuigahama hating her, but maybe a degree or two below that, and I'm also not sure how the waitresses feel about her, too.
"Well, what are you going to do? You probably just gotta live with it, you know?"
"Yes, you're right." She knew that already, but she answered me neutrally anyway and left it at that, with the noise of the other people filling our cloud of silence.
The silence went on for a minute. I guess she didn't seem keen on continuing the conversation, or even starting a new one. Maybe that's for the better because what would we even talk about anyway. My nervousness is preventing me from taking a shot in the dark by bringing up her sister, because it's interesting how she has an older sister, I wonder what she's like. Maybe she's just Yukinoshita with boobs… the thought of that doesn't sound too bad, actually.
As the silence continued to brew between us, I felt a small degree of unfulfillment linger inside me, it was almost like disappointment, but not quite.
After about 15 minutes or so, I decided that I was done with the spring, so I got up and walked toward the showers.
"Done already, Hikitani-kun?" Tobe called out to me.
What do you mean already? Do you expect people to spend an hour here or something?
"Yup,"
"Really, bro? Ah, well, if you're going back to the room, then can you get us some snacks or something?"
You're lucky that I was already planning to go to the convenience store, Tobe.
"I don't mind, what do you want?"
"Ah nah man, you decide, but don't get nun too sour, alright?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Thanks a ton, Hikitani-kun!" As he said that, I casually waved him off and entered the shower room.
After rinsing and drying myself off, I was walking down the hall on my way to my room to grab my wallet. As soon as I grabbed my wallet, I made my way to the lobby which wasn't far from my room. I was about to leave the building before somebody called out to me from the fireplace on my right.
"Oh, Hikigaya, is that you?" It was Hiratsuka-sensei, who looked like she was enjoying herself before she spotted me.
"Ah, hello."
"Where are you going at this hour?"
Damn it, I was so close, but now I'm getting interrogated by my teacher.
"The convenience store."
"Ah, is that so? Let me join you."
"Oh, no, there's no need."
"Don't be so modest, I want to talk to you anyway." She got up from her seat and approached me.
Even if I didn't feel like talking to her, I guess I don't have a choice in the matter, so resistance is futile.
"Alright," As I said that we left the building and the immediate shift in temperature left me longing for the AC in my room. The summer night in this part of the prefectural was dense, but the frequent breeze out here made the walk tolerable.
"Don't feel like talking, huh?"
"What's there to talk about, the weather?"
Oh, yes. It's sunny with a chance of getting punched in the gut by my Japanese teacher.
She smiled. "I'm curious about Yukinoshita, how is she?"
She wants to talk about her from all people, and how is she? Saying that she's suffering from guilt would be an easy answer, but I chose not to bring it up so it could steer the conversation in a different direction.
"I don't know how to answer that."
She smiled. "Let me rephrase it, then. What do you think about Yukinoshita?"
Oh, that was a direct question I wasn't expecting. Wait, rephrase? She asked me a completely different question.
"She's a bitch."
That was easy to answer. I had more to say about that demon woman, positive and negative, but I left it at that as it sums her up well.
"I see. You know, even though she looks like a gifted student, she has her own fair of problems to deal with, just like you. And I'm sure she's a kindhearted person just like you, Hikigaya, you two are just rotten to the core."
"I highly doubt that woman is kind, I mean she—" I cut myself off before I was going to mention what she did to Miura yesterday.
"Well, seeing how you decided to stay in the club, I'm guessing things are going good for you two, right?"
I didn't know what she meant by 'going good for us', friendship wise, it's very slim. Relationship wise? I think she'll quit the club on her own if I mention the thought of us being in a relationship together.
"We get along with each other, but that's it."
I guess when we're trying to take each other's throats it's considered getting along. But it's refreshing because it feels right talking to her, especially when we don't have to keep up appearances for the sake of the status quo.
"That's good because just like you, she doesn't talk to anyone in her class. So, it makes me happy knowing that my two most twisted students get along with each other."
"Huh, I see."
After walking for a little over five minutes, we encountered the nearest convenience store from the inn. When I walked inside, I went to the chips and candy while Hiratsuka-sensei went to the liquor aisle.
Personally, I think the Warhead sour cubes are one of the best candies out there, so I went with two bags of those. I also decided on getting cheese flavored umaibo, and a family bag of hot chips. I was only going to eat the umaibo, so I went with insta-ramen for the night.
"That's not all for you, right?" On my right, Hiratsuka-sensei called out to me with some alcoholic beverage in her left hand.
"No, I'm sharing with Hayama and Tobe as well."
She smiled. "Well, at least you guys are getting along, unlike the girls."
"Did Yukinoshita talk to you about Miura or something?"
"I assumed something was up with them because the last time I saw Yukinoshita she looked a bit conflicted, but Miura, huh…"
"She told me about it yesterday."
"Is that right? You two are getting closer by the day, you know that?"
"No, I don't know about that. I just asked her what was bothering her, and she told me, just like how someone would talk about their suffering if someone asked them about it."
She smiled. "That answer is so you."
"Well, it's because it's true."
"But you know, one day it's going to be all up in your face and you'll be forced to deal with it, so you won't be able to brush it aside like you are now."
Her comment threw me off guard because I was stuck trying to process the cool line she just delivered.
"Is that all you got? C'mon, I'll pay for you."
"Well, if you insist."
"You decide to be cooperative when I'm paying for your things, huh?"
"Because I want you to pay for my things, but I never wanted you to come to the store with me," I said as neutrally as possible.
"You're honest to a fault, you know that? It almost makes me want to punch you in the gut."
"I would prefer to keep my stomach away from harm…"
She smiled. "Don't worry, I won't want to hurt you that bad."
You still want to hurt me, though! Since when is it normal for teachers to hit their students? This is a messed-up society!
"Let's just pay already." She agreed with me, and we went to the cashier to pay for our things. After we finished paying, we walked outside, and I felt that familiar breeze hit my skin again.
"I'm going to stay back for a few, you go on without me."
"Uh, you sure?"
She waved her packet of cigarettes like a child and then proceeded to light one up.
"I don't want you getting second-hand smoke, so go back already." She seemed eager to get me away from me for some reason.
"Whatever you say." I left her alone then I began my walk back to the inn.
After seeing Hiratsuka-sensei smoke so casually like that, I wonder, will that be me in the future? I hope my future self will know to not get involved with smoking cigarettes because before you know it becomes an addiction. But I'm sure people who smoke know the consequences of smoking, yet they still do it anyway. I wonder how life is for them.
As soon as I made my way back to the inn, I was greeted by a large group of people present in the lobby, almost as if they were about to leave somewhere. Upon my entry, I noticed the only person missing from this crowd was Yukinoshita.
"Hikitani-bro!" Tobe ran over to me, acknowledging my presence in the lobby. "Oh, you got the snacks, nice man."
"Uh, yeah. Where are you guys going anyway?"
"We were gonna get some food at this restaurant right now. You hungry? I can pick something up for you if you want."
"No, you don't have to do that."
"Nah man, I insist. You bought the snacks for us, right? Least I can do is bring you something to eat." I was slightly taken aback by Tobe's consideration.
At first, I didn't have a strong impression of Tobe, because I've always looked at him and his group in a negative light. But I feel like my initial impression of him is starting to shift the more we talk to each other. He's considerate, and he doesn't treat me like the creepy loner that everyone sees me as. Normally, I would be skeptical of someone being this nice to me, but Tobe seems like a genuinely nice dude.
"…I'm fine with anything light." He smiled after I gave in to him.
"Just don't go asleep on me, you hear?"
"Right…"
As we were talking with each other, someone from the group called out to Tobe with a sharp tone.
"You two done talking yet? I want to go eat already." Tobe turned his body roughly in response to Hasebe. Right now, I guess she really does remind me of Miura in a way, but Hasebe was more approachable and easier to talk to.
As I was watching the group, I noticed from my peripheral vision that both Yuigahama and Miura were eyeing me down, like they had all their attention focused on me. I instinctively focused my gaze on them, which shook them both ever so slightly, then they proceeded to pretend as if nothing happened.
I wonder what they want. Yuigahama hasn't spoken to me since her club request, so there's no reason for her to give me the time of day. And Miura doesn't seem like the type of person to involve herself with me. A slight inconvenience at most, I guess.
"M'bad!" He said to Hasebe. "Hey man, I really gotta go now. Anything light, right? Got it." He said going back with the rest of the group while I walked around them, as I had no intention to talk to them, or even exchange formalities with them.
When I went back to my room, I laid down the snacks and got myself comfortable. But before I made myself too comfortable, I decided to call a certain individual.
"H-Hikigaya, why are you calling?"
"I wanted to ask you something."
"Ah, well, go ahead."
"I have a strong feeling that you somehow knew that Tobe and the others were going to go out tonight. It felt strange to me that you wanted to take a smoke right outside of the convenience store instead of going back to the inn with me."
"You're sharp, huh? Yes, Hayama and the others wanted to go out around this time, but they had to ask me for permission since I need to know your whereabouts at all times, just for your safety."
I see. Since Hasebe and the other two are legal adults, I'm sure Tobe and the others will be able to stay out past the curfew in this part of the prefecture.
"So, why did you stay back?"
I heard a chuckle from the other part of the line. "I'll let you figure that out on your own."
"Did they tell you anything else?"
"They're going out again around 11 am tomorrow. I'm surprised you didn't know, did they not invite you?"
Obviously not.
"No, they didn't."
"I see, they didn't invite Yukinoshita either."
I'm not surprised, seeing how Miura wants to kill her, she probably wants nothing to do with Yukinoshita for the remainder of the trip.
"That's not much of a surprise,"
"True that." She paused. "You should ask her to hang out tomorrow, it'll be better than being cramped in your room all day."
The idea of that sounds good, but the only problem is the success rate is close to 0%.
"Even if I wanted to, I doubt she'll want to go out with me."
"Well, even if that is true, it's worth a shot. Do you really want to spend your last day here in your room?"
"Why are you under the assumption that I'm just going to wither away in my room for my last day here?"
"Are you going to go anywhere tomorrow, then?" An awkward silence emerged as she stopped me right in my tracks.
"No…"
"Good, so you should consider asking her, her room number is A144. Anyways, I should start heading back to the inn, tell me if anything happens, alright?" She hung up the phone after she said that.
If I think about it hard enough, I might be able to come up with an excuse to go out with her tomorrow, but I didn't have much time, so I had to go over to her room now. This should be believable, and I should expect satisfactory results if it goes through.
After a few minutes of walking, I was in front of A144. Naturally, my heart rate increased, and it kept increasing because I didn't have much time to polish my plan, but I took a deep breath and knocked on her door anyway.
The door slowly opened and Yukinoshita looked at me with a very neutral expression, then broke it with a chuckle. "Shall I call you Hiki-stalker-kun, now?"
Yukinoshita was rocking a simple white tee-shirt, and grey sweatpants that looked more comfortable than the gym shorts I got on.
"No, that won't be necessary."
"At least tell me how you found my room, Hiratsuka-sensei must've told you, correct?"
"Yeah, she did."
"I see, as I expected. Did you need something from me?"
"Well, yeah…" She didn't invite me into her room, so she excused herself for a moment and grabbed her keycard then shut the door. She leaned against the door with her arms crossed awaiting my answer.
"Umm, well. Are you free tomorrow?"
She was surprised to hear those words come out of my mouth, but then she placed her hand in front of her mouth and answered me. "Ara, is Hikigaya-kun inviting me out on a date?"
Damn it, she's not making this any easier with her acting like this.
"I-It's not like that! You know how Miura and Yuigahama don't like you, right?" She nodded. "I think they might be focusing their attention on me now."
"Oh, really? Why do you think that?"
"They were staring me down really hard earlier today, it kind of gave me goosebumps."
"Huh, I see. So, why do I need to go out with you, then?"
"Because I want to see how they'll react when they see us together in the lobby, so after I get their reactions, you can do whatever you want. They leave at 11."
I don't think Miura and Yuigahama will be anticipating that I'll be there with Yukinoshita strictly to see how they'll react to us there. It's already confirmed that they don't like Yukinoshita, but tomorrow will confirm if I've landed on their radar or not. If I am on their radar, then I'll be ready for any rumors, weird looks, or fights that may occur. And it's always good to get an upper hand on these types of things, physical encounters especially.
"If that's all, then I don't mind going through with this. But if you're not in the lobby by 10:45 am, then I'm going to leave without you."
"R-Right…"
"Also, bring some decent clothes tomorrow, I don't want to be seen with you while you're wearing middle school attire."
"Alright, I get it— wait, I told you that you can do whatever you want after we're done."
She took a second to answer me. "Well, you're after their reactions, yes? You'll produce better results if we go out together tomorrow. And while we're out there, we might as well enjoy the day since it'll be our last full day at the inn."
"I-It's a date, then?" I blurted it out without giving it any thought.
It sounded like a date to me.
"If it helps you sleep better tonight, then yes, you can call it a date. But don't act how you usually do in the clubroom while we're out in public, or else I'll be forced to call the authorities."
"Why would you need to do that? I've never done anything bes—" I tried to cut myself off before it was too late, but Yukinoshita quickly caught onto the end bit.
"Oh, were you about to confess the crimes you committed to me? As a member of society, it's my responsibility to turn criminals into the authorities."
"You need proof for that, where's the proof!"
"That's enough proof right there, Hikigaya-kun. Are you actually a criminal, Hikigaya-kun? Of course not, someone like you would've been captured a long time ago if that was the case. Do you think I should warn the locals about you before we leave tomorrow, just for their safety, of course."
"No, there's no need…" I didn't have much to battle against her with, so this was all I had, a last-ditch response hoping she doesn't burn me again. But to my surprise, she gave me a faint smile before she responded to me.
"Just show up tomorrow at 10:45 am, or I'm going to hunt you down."
"What happened to just leaving without me!?"
"I've changed my mind on that. Anyways, I should go back inside… goodnight."
"Yeah, night." She closed the door, and I was left staring at it for a second before I decided to walk back to my room.
A date with Yukinoshita, huh… how can I mentally prepare myself for such a thing?
It was 10:30 and I immediately began to walk to the lobby where I was supposed to meet Yukinoshita. My heart rate didn't seem to slow down as I was walking to the lobby, it felt like no matter what I was going to be nervous throughout this whole encounter. I mean, who wouldn't be nervous about going on a date with the most beautiful girl in school, but technically it wasn't a date to her but still.
She wanted me to wear decent clothing for today, but I don't know what qualifies as decent clothing. I didn't pack anything out of the ordinary, so I opted for simple cargo shorts and a green tee shirt.
As I entered the lobby, I saw Yukinoshita sitting down reading some brochure. She's wearing a light blue top and a simple white undershirt that complimented her angelic-like skin. Her hair was different than before, it was up high in a ponytail, with long strains of curled hair that reached down to her neck. I was mesmerized by her beautiful delicate figure. Her usual sharp eyes were moist and free from malice, and they sparkled whenever they met with the reflection of the morning sun.
"Yo," I snapped out of the trance I was induced in and called out to her.
"Good morning," She paused to look at my clothes. "I'm surprised you can pick clothes that match."
"Well, you learn something new every day. What is that, anyway?" I said, noticing the brochure she was reading.
"Seeing how we were going to spend a considerate amount of time with each other today, I thought I would save time by planning the afternoon out."
"Is that so? So, what are we doing?"
"The downtown area has a cafe that is popular amongst the locals, so I want to go there and try their highly rated tea. Also, there are popular mochi stands that I would like to try, but I haven't decided on what to eat for lunch, though."
"Ramen, we can get ramen."
"Ramen, huh? I've never had it before."
Suddenly, the anxiety faded away as I was given the chance to talk about one of the 7 wonders of the world.
"You've never had ramen before? Rich girls like you only eat the most exquisite food available, huh? I'll introduce you to this middle-class delight and rock your socks!"
"Rock my socks?"
"Rock your world, rock your socks, same thing."
"I suppose so…"
As she said that, a small group of people made their way to the lobby. And as expected, it was Tobe and the band people. Immediately after noticing our presence, Miura looked disgusted while Yuigahama didn't seem to share the same degree of disgust as Miura, she still looked surprised. Just like yesterday, Tobe was the one to call out to me.
"Wow, Hikitani-kun, what are you and Yukinoshita-san doing together?"
Damn it, that really hit the nail on the coffin, and sent the streak of anxiety back to my body.
"Well, we're…" I fumbled with my wording because I couldn't find it in myself to say that we were going on a date, but Yukinoshita came to my aid by quickly finishing my sentence.
"Hikigaya-kun and I are going out for the day, we're just waiting for our cab to arrive."
"What?! You scored big, Hikitani-bro. Don't you think, Hayato?"
As soon as Tobe mentioned Hayama, this immediately drew Miura's attention as she was awaiting Hayama's answer.
"Yeah… I'm just as surprised as you are." His slight indifference caused Miura to twitch a bit.
"You gotta tell me what happens, Hikitani-kun, alright?" He got close to me and whispered loudly enough for Yukinoshita to hear.
"Tobe-kun," she said, glaring at him with her sharp blue eyes.
"A-Ah, my bad. I'll see you guys later, then." He went back to his group and began chatting away.
As Tobe walked back over to their group, I noticed Miura and Yuigahama were glaring at me like they were yesterday. I decided to look at them and Yuigahama nervously looked away while I kept full eye contact with Miura. Wow, scary. Staring at her fiery green eyes is intimidating, almost as if she wants to swallow me whole. It didn't seem like we were going to stop, so I pulled down my eyelid and stuck my tongue at her. She was completely disgusted at the sight and looked away.
Hmm, interesting. This time she stood her ground by not breaking eye contact with me, but I wonder what I could've done that would attract her attention. Seeing how she reacted to Hayama, it could be tied to him, but other than him it must be Yukinoshita.
Finishing that thought, Furuya and Saejima briefly acknowledged us with smiles before leaving the inn.
"Did you get anything?"
"Yeah… but I still don't understand why they would involve themselves with me."
"In middle school, it was common for girls to hate other girls for trivial reasons, such as their hair or what they bring for lunch. But it was also common that they'll hate the people surrounding the person of interest just because they're friends with that person. That applies here, strangely enough."
Girl talk huh, but now that I think about it, she's right. That type of thing happened frequently throughout middle school. It was scary because even though you didn't do anything, you're now receiving the same amount of hate that the other person is getting. I'm sure that broke a lot of people because not everyone is adept at handling that kind of high social pressure, such as people who have social anxiety.
"I see, so you dragged me into this inconvenience."
"Unfortunately, that's the case. But I'm sure the ultimate loner can handle such a situation, correct?"
She's starting to make that name grow on me now. For a nickname, it's not bad, and at least it's not as bad as Hikki or Hikitani.
"Of course, but an inconvenience is still an inconvenience, it can get bothersome."
"Yes, you're right." She continued to read the brochure before her phone vibrated. "Let's go." I followed her to the cab outside.
When I entered the cab, the AC was on full blast, and it refreshed my body even though I was only outside for less than 10 seconds.
We arrived at our destination at 11:05. And as soon as we got out of the cab, we were faced with a lively amount of people that were going in and out of the small shops. From my right side, I can see Yukinoshita taking deep breaths for some reason.
"Do you not like crowds?"
"N-Not particularly, no."
"You'll be fine, we're going to that tea place, right? Lead the way." She took out her brochure and looked at a specific page one more time before putting it away.
"It should be close to us, let's go." I began to tail her after she said that. Within a couple of minutes of walking, she noticed that something was wrong.
"Just what are you doing?"
"Huh, what do you mean?"
She sighed. "Why are you walking that far behind me? It'll look like you're following me which will quickly raise suspicions, stalker-kun."
"Don't call me that, and should I walk side by side with you, then?"
"Dear lord, Hikigaya-kun, when was the last time you hung out with someone? Just walk on my side and don't look like a sleazy criminal, can you do that?" Ugh, that last part sounded condescending as hell, but I couldn't think of anything on the spot, so I brushed it aside.
"Yes, yes, let's go already."
After a few minutes of walking, we entered the tea shop, and we were led to a booth by one of the waitresses. She handed us menus and told us to press the button on the wall whenever we wanted to order.
The first thing that I noticed was that this shop looked modern with some old aspects to it, kind of like the inn. It was large and had many windows, which illuminated the area with a crisp and natural light from the sun. And the large array of plants gave this place somewhat of a tropical feel to it. So, it happens that this woman chooses the most popular and probably the most expensive tea place in the area. I hope she's paying for everything because I'm sure as hell not.
As I was looking through the menu, I saw that they had coffee options here, which naturally piqued my interest. "Woah, they have coffee here." I caught Yukinoshita's attention after I said that.
"I want you to order a tea from here, Hikigaya-kun."
"What, why?"
"If I'm having ramen, then you're having tea. It seems fair, no?" She tilted her head slightly.
Damn it that was cute.
I clicked my tongue at her. "Fine,"
"Let's order, then."
We called for a waitress and when she came, we quickly gave our orders to her. Yukinoshita ordered hibiscus tea, as well as a small snack platter, while I opted for green tea. Within less than five minutes, the waitress dropped off our food, we thanked her and Yukinoshita inspected her tea before taking a sip.
"Oh, wow." She was surprised at the taste of her tea.
"Good, huh?"
"It has a sweet flavor to it, but it doesn't overshadow the taste of the bitter tea leaf, I'm surprised they blended this so well." She took another sip.
Ah, I guess I should try mine now. Seeing how it looks hot, I blew at it before I cautiously took a sip.
"How is it?"
"I'm not sure how this falls within the standards of you tea drinkers, but I think it's pretty damn good." I took another sip.
"I see," She looked happy for a moment, but she quickly masked it with a question. "Are you going to eat?"
"O-Oh, I didn't know I was allowed to take any."
"I see, I guess I didn't give you permission after all. Well, help yourself, just don't eat everything."
"I know that much…" Even I know it was rude to eat the whole platter that Yukinoshita paid for, I'm not that hopeless, you hear, my parents raised me right!
As I said that, I took one of the three salmon rice balls that were next to three salmon roe sushi, and three soft cookies.
"Woah…"
"You got one of the rice balls, right?" She picked the second salmon rice ball and took a bite. "These are delicious as well," she said elegantly.
Usually, I'm fine with not talking to her just to get some conversation going, but for some reason, in this situation, I feel a bit awkward. What can I even say to her right now? "Hey, I like your hair," Wait, that doesn't sound too bad.
"D-Do you usually have your hair like that?" Why the hell did I stutter? It sounded so good in my head!
"I only put my hair like this whenever I want to look my best."
"Ah, I see." After I said that, I took a cookie, but I noticed that Yukinoshita didn't seem pleased with my answer somehow, so I gave her a look. "What is it?"
"No, it's nothing."
Whatever, I'm not going to bring it up if she doesn't want to talk about it.
After we finished eating Yukinoshita called the waitresses for the check, and she delivered it almost instantly.
"So, how do you plan on paying, Hikigaya-kun?"
"Relying on the unemployed high schooler to pay a premium bill, huh? I must say, even for you that's low."
She chuckled slightly before she finished paying the bill. Our waitress quickly processed Yukinoshita's card then came back and thanked us for dining here.
When we made our way outside, we continued to walk side by side as we window-shopped along with everyone else. Seeing how we just ate a minute ago, it would be unlikely for us to get the ramen now, so we'll have to burn time in some of these stores.
After five minutes, our silent walk was interrupted by Yukinoshita. "I see, so they're here as well." She noticed Tobe and the others on the opposite side of the street.
"It's not much of a surprise seeing how this is a popular spot amongst the locals."
"Yes, you're right. What do you think of the possibility that Miura-san talked ill of us to the waitresses because it seems that way to me."
The possibility is high. But I don't think Furuya and Saejima are treating us any differently than before. They seemed fine when they greeted us in the lobby, but Hasebe seems indifferent toward us now, but that doesn't matter since we weren't going to see her anymore after tomorrow.
"High, but it's fine, it doesn't matter that much anyway."
"Yes, you're right. But I still wonder if I can make up with Miura-san in any way, I don't know why I feel so guilty over this but I am."
"I guess it's hard for her to think straight without her emotions getting in the way. Maybe when she's more level-headed you can approach her again, but I doubt you'll still care when that time comes."
"Hmm, you're probably right. I'm surprised that you can say some sensible things every now and then, Hikigaya-kun."
"Please woman, I'm not third in Japanese for nothing. And with the amount the books I've read over my life and the past trauma I endured, I'm filled with boundless amounts of wisdom!"
"I don't know how you can sneak something depressing in like that without even batting an eye."
"After a while, it became second nature for me, so you'll get used to it."
"I suppose so…"
The two of us spent a little over an hour going in and out of some of the locally owned shops here before we agreed to get the ramen. We didn't have a particular shop in mind, so we chose the nearest one to us. Despite her reluctance, Yukinoshita sucked it up and entered the store.
When we entered, we were welcomed with a loud, friendly voice. "Hello, welcome!"
At first glance, this seemed like any old ramen joint, so there should be a ticket machine nearby. After I found the ticket machine, we both bought our tickets and occupied an empty booth near the back of the store.
"I usually go with miso or shoyu as they have never let me down in the past."
"A-Ah, I see. I guess I'll pick shoyu, then." She said, marking the shoyu option on her ticket.
"Good choice. Also, choose how much fat you want, I recommend doing a low amount for your first time."
"R-Right,"
After we completed our orders, I gave the chefs our tickets along with our table number then I returned back to my seat.
"Compared to me, you look like a natural."
"Well, I always eat at these types of shops, so I know what I'm doing."
"Is that so…"
"Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'll even pay for your dish if you don't like it."
A risky move I took knowing I never stepped foot in this ramen shop before, but I'm confident she'll like the ramen.
"Ara, I'll keep you on your word, then."
The moment she said that the chef called our table number. We grabbed our bowls of ramen as we carefully moved around the other people to get to our table. As soon as we sat down, Yukinoshita looked shocked at the size of the bowl of ramen after she inspected it.
"This looks quite heavy…"
"Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you that. Anyways, itadakimasu." I gave my thanks then I dove right into my bowl. For my first time here, I can say that this ramen was delicious, definitely on par with Chiba's ramen spots.
While I was enjoying my food, Yukinoshita was watching me eat before she finally decided to take her first bite. She carefully took her chopsticks and grabbed a mouthful of ramen, and to her surprise, she froze at the sheer flavor of the delicacy that is ramen.
"This is surprisingly better than I expected it to be." She said as we ate our ramen in comfortable silence.
After about 10 minutes, the two of us finished both of our bowls. For her first time, I'm surprised she ate the whole thing, even though she looks quite full.
"I guess even someone like myself can enjoy commoners' food like this sometimes."
"Hey, that type of talk will get you banned from ramen shops nationwide!"
"But this is commoners' food, is it not? Anyways, do I need to pay for your food, Hikigaya-kun?"
"You know, as much as I want to say yes to that offer, I'll have to decline."
"I see. But seeing how you have no source of income, I was surprised that you declined my offer, even though I wasn't going to pay for you, anyway."
What's the point of offering to pay for my food if you were never going to pay for it in the first place? Jeez, I can never understand this woman.
"How harsh…"
After the bill was paid, we decided to walk around the area for a while to burn off the ramen.
After over an hour of shopping with Yukinoshita, we were on our way to the mochi shop that she chose for the day.
Honestly, that was the longest shopping experience I've had. She's the type of person to examine every thread in the clothing before deciding to get it, and if there's even the slightest thing wrong about it, then she's onto the next thing. It was tiresome because just as I thought we were going to leave, she gets turned off and immediately looks to the next item. It wasn't for nothing, though, because she bought two tops from this one store 20 minutes later.
When we arrived at the first mochi stand she chose, we had to only wait a few minutes before it was our turn to order.
"Welcome! Please, take your time." We were greeted with a soft, friendly voice from the middle-aged woman behind the counter.
"Hmm, I wonder what's good here," Yukinoshita said bluntly as she looked at the menu.
"Our sakura ones are delicious. You may not be able to try homemade sakura mochi again until next spring, so I recommend choosing those while we still have them."
"I see. What do you want?" she said roughly.
I'll like the strawberry flavor no matter what, so I'll pass on that. The melon and mango flavors look like they can be good, but the red bean is supposedly the most popular flavor at this stand. I don't want to take my chances with red bean-flavored mochi, so I told Yukinoshita that I was fine with mango. She ordered three of each and received a ticket with our order number on it.
Within a few minutes, our order number was called, and Yukinoshita gracefully received the six mochi. We decided to take an empty bench in the shade and away from the other people. The shade and the lower noise level seemed to relieve Yukinoshita a bit, and I was able to relax a bit as well.
"Here," She extended her arm toward me with a sakura mochi in her hand.
"Thanks," I was about to take a bite from it before Yukinoshita quickly stopped me from proceeding.
"Hold up, I want us to try it together." Her voice was soft, and the way she said those words left my body feeling anxious for a moment.
"R-Right,"
She gave me a countdown of three, and on three we both took a bite from the mochi. It was sweet, but it was also kind of salty, but the two balanced each other in a perfect way. I think I can taste red bean as well, but it was lingering in the background, so I didn't complain.
"These are good," I said, taking another bite.
"Perhaps I should've ordered more." She said taking another bite.
When we finished our first serving of mochi, Yukinoshita gave me the same countdown and on three we took a bite from the mango mochi. This one wasn't sticky or salty, it was soft and sweet, and it tasted just like a mango.
While we were enjoying the last two sakura mochi, I decided to break the silence between us by asking her a question.
"Hey… can I ask you something?"
"If you're asking to be my friend again, then the answer is no." Even though she rejected me again, her voice was neutral and free from her usual cold tone.
I sighed subtly in response to her. "Is that going to be your answer for every time I say that?"
"Perhaps, but how can you blame me? The thought of being friends with you makes me sick to my stomach." Harsh, but I'm to her antics at this point, so cheeky jabs like that don't have much of an effect on me.
"…I just wanted to know more about your sister."
"My sister, really?" She was surprised to hear that I wanted to bring up what she told me on the balcony.
I wanted to bring her up when we were at the springs, but for some reason, I felt reluctant to ask her about it then, but I've mustered enough confidence to ask her now.
"I've been thinking about what the older Yukinoshita would be like, so I'm here seeking answers from the source herself."
"Is that so, well…" She paused. "My sister… everyone gravitates toward her because she's friendly, attractive, and charming; it's like she brightens every atmosphere that she's in. For this reason, my mother chose her to be the representative of the family during social events such as dances, festivals, and other events that we host throughout the year. Everyone thinks she's perfect, and in comparison, to me, I was always told to be more like her, and ever since then…" Her last few words trailed off, but she gave me enough information that I decided not to pick at it further.
For some reason, she reminds me of Hayama. He brightens every atmosphere he's in, and he's considered perfect by many, but that's just a thin façade he wears to appeal to the masses. Is her sister the same way?
"I see, you must've had it rough." This was my pathetic attempt at sympathizing with her, which didn't have much of an effect on her.
She didn't answer me, instead, she looked at her feet as if she was lost in thought, but then she turned to me and asked me a question to keep the conversation going.
"What about you, do you have any siblings?"
"I have a younger sister, yeah."
She chuckled. "Ara, I see Hikigaya-junior is on the loose in Chiba."
"Hey, Komachi is the best little sister anyone can ever ask for. If anyone in our family would be on the loose, it would either be me or my cat." Her body stiffened as soon as she heard me mention Kamakura.
"Y-You have a cat?" She said nervously as she slowly looked at me.
There's no way you're this cute, Yukinoshita. Rom-com gods… what the hell are you guys doing to me?
"Oh, right, you like cats."
"Y-Yes, I do…" It looked like she lost the ability to speak as if she struggled to find the right words to say.
"If you want to meet him, then you can."
"R-Really?"
Wait, that means I'm practically inviting Yukinoshita over to my house. Wait, wait, wait, no I didn't think this far!
"A-Ah, but only if you want to."
"I… would like to meet your cat, Hikigaya-kun."
"Y-Yeah, that's fine. Uh, just let me know whenever, I'm always free." She nodded cutely in response to my words, then checked her watch for the time, it was a little over 1:20 pm.
"Perhaps we should head back to the inn." I agreed with her, then she called for a cab which was 10 minutes away from us.
When we made our way back to the entrance we came from, we patiently waited for the cab to arrive with the sun shining brightly over us.
I think I had a good time with her today. When she said that she wanted to go out tomorrow, I had no way to prepare myself for that moment. How does a loner prepare for his first ever date, let alone his first date with the most beautiful girl in school? Well, even if it wasn't considered a date to her, I treated it as such to make the experience better, I guess.
"I had fun," My eyes instantly glued to her as she broke the silence between us.
"Yeah, same."
"To my surprise, your adaptability seems to be above average, excluding what you did in the beginning, that is."
"Okay, but that wasn't my fault, how was I supposed to know you wanted me to walk side by side with you?"
"Seeing how you haven't gone out with someone like this before, I really can't blame you for your ignorance, Hikigaya-kun."
"Tch, so you went on dates before?"
"Yes, I have. Remember I'm a loner by choice unlike yourself."
Even if it was by choice, there aren't many people who will be willing to befriend her as she tends to verbally abuse her victims. Technically it was by choice, but at the same time not really, because she's a cold-hearted bitch.
When the cab arrived, we went inside, and just like the other one, the driver had the AC on full blast.
After a 15-minute drive, the driver dropped us off at the inn and we began to make our way inside. Moments after being in the lobby, Yukinoshita addressed me.
"Thank you for your time today, Hikigaya-kun."
"Nah, I should be saying that to you. I got to hang out with the most beautiful girl in the school, after all." I said as dryly as possible, so it didn't seem like I was flirting with her.
She didn't expect me to say that at all, but she masked her surprised expression like before.
"Ara, did I just receive a compliment from Hikigaya-kun?"
"What are you looking so smug for…"
She smiled and the two of us began to slowly walk back to our rooms. "I'm just surprised because you don't seem like the type of person to compliment someone like that."
"Well, I-I mean you did look good today, but I thought I would tell you when the day was over."
"I-I see," since I made the atmosphere a bit awkward, we walked back to our rooms in silence.
After less than a minute of walking, we arrived at her room. She flashed her keycard on the scanner and was granted access, but she called out to me before she went inside.
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, I guess. Later." She shut the door after that.
When she shut the door, I decided to dive into deep thought while I made my way back to my room.
Yukinoshita.
Just saying her name permeated a distinct image of her in my mind that can only be described as perfection.
That feeling back then left me out to dry in middle school, but it seems to be different now. It's different because I feel like the reality I hold in my mind exists somewhere out there, almost as if it's bound to happen in my life. And my heart can't help but continue to flutter as the visualizations in my mind start to become more and more pronounced. I sighed to knock myself out of my trance, then I took out my keycard to open the door to my room.
Is this what they call youth? It seems its like a container full of emotions that occasionally get opened and closed, as it gradually takes us deeper into the depths of our being. Why would anyone long for this? It just seems like a mess. Life is easier as a loner because you don't have to deal with anyone besides your family. Yet I decided to stay in the club with her, so I wonder if I should've left when I had the chance. But I trust the rom-com gods will guide me through this transitional period of my life, and hopefully, I come out in one piece.