Author's note: I've finally gotten around to writing another chapter – I had to figure out some new activities for Hachiman and Yukino in a familiar locale. Our favourite couple makes the trip to Kyoto once again for their senior year school trip – but what will ensue this time? Hope you enjoy it!

The air was still and the city loud at Tokyo Station as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students of Chiba Inage Sōbu High School gathered on the Shinkansen platform, luggage in tow.

Why the Kyoto trip was an annual one for all students was something of a mystery. Perhaps it was convenient for all of us to go to one place at the same time, even if we'd been there the year before. Perhaps the school had a standing block of rooms booked at the hotels, at affordable rates. And maybe the teachers thought that Kyoto and its environs alone had enough to offer us as a window into our cultural heritage.

However, as I stood with Yukino and our classmates awaiting the arrival of the Hikari Super Express service to Kyoto Station, I couldn't help but see this repeated trip as an opportunity for a do-over or an enhancement. Last year's trip was a critical moment in the formation of our relationship. Being in each other's proximity for such a long time forced our antisocial selves to learn more about each other. Whether we knew it or not, back then, we were laying the groundwork for our ability to communicate and connect as, well, ordinary people. We had formed a bond over that little trip down to the ramen shop with Hiratsuka-sensei.

However, that trip also had its share of lows. A rash decision, a Service Club request gone wrong, and ostracization from those around me – these were just some of the pitfalls that arose. As the Shinkansen slowly glid into the station, I resolved to make this trip one of happy memories for Yukino and I.

A couple of carriages down the platform stood Iroha, Yuigahama, and Komachi. Three girls from three years – they were supposed to stand with their classmates but, as usual, they were breaking the rules not only of the school, but also common-sense knowledge regarding relationships.

Why did my sister have to get dragged into all this. Why did she have to enable Yuigahama?

The train doors opened, and an orderly line of passengers filed out as the cleaners got to work. Before long, the teachers successfully encouraged the girls to return to their assigned groups. Yukino tightened her grip on my hand as she watched Yuigahama approach alongside the other 3rd- years.

"Let's try and steer clear of her." I said to Yukino as she looked at me, nodding softly yet with a certain determination.

We settled into our seats and soon we were off. No Yuigahama leaning over me this time, and (somewhat to my disappointment) no Totsuka either. Though they were both on the train, they mercifully left Yukino and I to gaze out the window at the scenery rushing by as the train picked up pace.

"Seeing Fuji-san never gets tiring." I said softly. The clouds had mercifully parted, and we were able to enjoy a picture-perfect view of the mountain. Although we had been on a train journey not long ago, and in spite of the other students chattering around us, we felt content in our own space here.

"Indeed…" Yukino spoke with a hint of sleepiness in her voice.

"How did you sleep last night?"

My girlfriend blushed a bit at this.

"Not the best, to be honest…"

"Why?"

"I was a bit nervous about the trip."

I could understand that.

"Is the reason…me?"

"No…I trust you. I just hope we don't have to go through that whole…debacle with Yuigahama again."

"Same here. I…we'll…do everything we can to avoid her and the others."

"Don't mind her." Yukino rested her head against my shoulder and, suddenly, I felt that nothing could go wrong here.

The hills of Yamanashi prefecture soon gave way to the urban sprawl of Nagoya. One landscape flowed and flew into another, hour after hour. Even though we'd taken this exact trip only just last year, the experience was fun each time. Dare I say, I was becoming something of a densha otoko – but was I really saving Yukino from anything? [1]

This train of thought was interrupted by Yukino pulling out a set of two bento boxes from her bag.

"How thoughtful of you. Thank you!" My gratefulness was genuine. I could hardly imagine myself thanking anyone like this even a year ago.

"Think nothing of it." Yukino gave that sweet smile that, I had learned, came to be reserved only for those whom she truly cared about. I felt so fortunate to be graced by that smile. Truly, I needed nobody else. I eagerly opened my bento box, which contained an appetizing mix of onigiri, sausages, and other small snacks.

Several rows behind me, I had no doubt that a certain pink-haired girl was alternating between chatting with her friends and typing away on a group chat with my sister and Isshiki.

Before long, we were cutting through ever-higher mountains until, at last, the regal valley that was home to Kyoto came into view. As city views gave way to the majestic structure of Kyoto Station, a sense of déjà vu washed over me. After all, this was where I had that awkward meeting on the roof with Ebina that brought our last trip to a close. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to go through anything so embarrassing on this trip.

As we stepped off the train, I made sure to stay close to Yukino – after all, Yuigahama was in the same train car. That being said, I did have to make one concession – my sister. Everything else aside, this was my first school trip with Komachi, and it was also my responsibility to make it a good experience for her.

"Onii-san!"

I turned around to see her, grinning and – mercifully – alone, having walked up from however many carriages away the 1st-years were.

"How was the train ride for you?"

"Pretty exciting, although you probably enjoyed it more than I did."

"Well, what can I say? It's great to have you here with me."

"Oh, no need to butter me up, onii-san." Komachi gave her usual devilish grin.

"It looks like you had fun with your friends," I said, trying not to imply any discontent.

"Oh yeah, they made the ride a bit more bearable." Her face revealed nothing of concern or out of the ordinary.

We walked away from the platform and made our way up to the bus that would take us to our hotel. Along the way, we couldn't help but look up in awe at the vast atrium of the station that tourists from around the world came to see.

Our teachers tried their best to wrangle the mostly rowdy group over to the local train that would take us to our hotel – the same as last year's, incidentally.

As usual, the boys' and girls' rooms were quite well separated. Yukino and I would have to get together on our own terms outside of the hotel. However, while we were contrarians in many ways, we probably weren't rebellious enough to want to get together at any other time.

I soon found out that I'd be sharing my room with Tobe and Totsuka. This latter fact might have caused me to become flustered, if not for the fact that I was now dating Yukino.

"It's so exciting, isn't it Hikitani?" Tobe was his usual gregarious self. I wondered what would become of him after high school. I didn't really interact enough with him to know what path he planned to pursue. He certainly wasn't academically stellar. Perhaps he had some athletic notability, but what else?

But really, why should I judge? I guess others must've thought of me as useless too. Now that I had some notability, could I still stand at a distance and observe others the way I used to?

"Yeah, it's great to be back. I wonder if we'll be checking out some different spots this time."

"Whoa, yeah, I heard we might be going to Nara this time! I heard they have all these deer there. Crazy!"

I hadn't paid all that much attention to the itinerary when it was discussed in class. Deer, though…those could be cute. I'm sure Yukino will appreciate them. Komachi, too. They were the true animal whisperers in my life.

"Yeah, looking forward to it."

"Hey, Hikitani-kun – you and Yukinoshita are still dating, right? How's that going, man?"

"Ah…great. It's great, we are having a wonderful time together."

"Oh wow, amazing!" Tobe smiled. "I hope I'll find someone out there too."

Getting rejected by Ebina-san the way he did must have been rough. Even though that event was a full year ago, perhaps the situation was still on his mind. Who knew if he would find anyone here in his last year of high school – or would have to wait until whatever life had in store for him after?

"Hey…uh…how did things work out so well for you two?"

"Hmm…it may not have felt that way at first, but we ended up being more similar than we thought. I guess we were just too proud to admit it at first."

"Wow, man, that sounds tough…" Tobe looked at me with something of a blank expression on his face.

"Yeah…Anyways, I'd better get to sleep soon. Good night."

"Oh…uh, yeah. Good night."

Now wasn't the time for late-night conversations with Tobe. Totsuka was perhaps a different story, but he was fast asleep already. At least, not having Hayato here made things easier after that awkward encounter a few days ago.

I tossed and turned during the night. Even though the temperature was relatively cool as fall set in, I felt nervous about what was to come. Yukino and I may be dating, but the stakes for our relationship felt unexpectedly high.

Above all, I had to trust Yukino and trust in the strength of our relationship. Nonetheless, intrusive thoughts came and went through my mind.

I'm sorry, Hachiman…I had not anticipated just how difficult this would all be…

No, no, she wouldn't say something like that. On that night on the bridge, we had agreed to accept each other's quirks and awkwardness. Within reason, of course. I had to do what I could to support this relationship, after all.

Hachiman, you're not doing enough to stop her…

No, not that either. She is an active participant in all of this. To accuse me of not doing enough, I'd have to be in a position to accuse her of the same.

The next morning, we got up and briefly reviewed the day's itinerary. Today, we would be travelling to the south of the valley, to visit Uji and see a matcha factory, followed by a trip to Nara and its world-renowned deer park. I suppose the organizers were keeping in mind that us 3rd-years had already thoroughly seen the city of Kyoto itself. And after all, Nara was popular with both domestic and international tourists.

We walked as a group down to the train station, and eagerly piled on the train to Uji, via the Keihan Electric Railway.

"Hachiman." Yukino approached me with a smile. "I hope you had a nice rest."

"Same goes for you. Excited for today?"

"I'm more of a coffee than a tea person, as you know. The deer, though…"

"Hehe, I knew you might like the deer. I wonder if their personality is…cat like…"

"Everything reminds you of a cat. You'd probably see a bear and wonder why it doesn't have pointy ears."

"Hmph, not at all…" Yukino crossed her arms in mock indignation.

"You know it's true."

We took our seats next to each other on the train. Soon, the train began to move, and my eyes could only switch between Yukino and the scenery of the valley outside – as buildings gave way to smaller houses and farmland. If I kept doing this, perhaps I could even avert my eyes of Yuigahama, who was on the far side of the train carriage chatting with her friends while stealing glances at us. Looking out the window, I couldn't help but hear euphonium music in my mind [2].

Before long, the train came to a stop at Uji, a tranquil town set alongside a river. As we stepped out into the sun, it felt a bit warmer than in Kyoto – the valley was a bit wider here, and the air more still even alongside the waters. We crossed the majestic Ujibashi bridge, its wooden pillars still standing after hundreds of years. Just around the corner lay the matcha factory, where green tea leaves grown in the shade was processed into fine matcha powder.

"I wonder if this place offers sample drinks." Yukino pondered aloud as she held my hand.

"I certainly hope it does. Maybe they even have sample snacks?"

"That wouldn't be so bad, either. Although, it would be important to leave space for lunch in that case."

I smiled as the tour guide brought us into a viewing area where we could watch the tea leaves be processed into matcha. As a coffee drinker, and considering the popularity of the matcha latte worldwide, one might consider this a sort of holy site. However, I liked my coffee black; only the influence of Yukino might encourage me to think otherwise.

Later, as we were invited to try samples of the freshly processed matcha in the form of refreshing tea, I allowed myself to breathe a bit. Nothing dire or concerning was happening. Perhaps, just this once, the troublesome trio would leave me alone, and I could enjoy my time with Yukino. Indeed, Yuigahama and the others seemed quite content over in the other corner. I shouldn't have to pay so much attention to her.

Instead, I looked over at Yukino. She was grinning as she sipped gingerly from her cup – living in the moment, as it were.

"So? Has this experience finally convinced you of beverages besides canned coffee?"

I smiled. "I can be classy when I want to be, you know."

"Yes, this behaviour seems suitably sophisticated." [3]

I put my hand on Yukino's across the table. We had become more comfortable with this kind of touch in public – not caring what others thought. We would express ourselves in our own unique way, true to our relationship.

As students chattered around us, we tried to lose ourselves in the moment – so much so that I nearly failed to see a certain pink-haired girl tentatively approach us.

"Ah, Yukino! I…I hope you're enjoying your tea! The selection here is really nice, isn't it, hehe…" Yuigahama twiddled her thumbs nervously, averting both my and Yukino's gaze.

Yukino nodded softly, and I could nearly read her mind. Please, get us out of this situation…

"Ah, yes indeed it is. I hope you're enjoying yourself, Yuigahama. Now, if you'll excuse us, we just needed to go somewhere now."

Yes!

"Ok, I won't disturb you then…" With a crestfallen look on her face, Yuigahama walked away. What a change it was from scarcely a year ago. But then again, she had brought this upon herself in her misguided persistence.

"Crisis averted?" I asked Yukino once Yuigahama was a safe distance away. "Too soon?"

She laughed softly in response. "I handled it."

I searched Yukino's face for any sign of trepidation, of regret in sending her friend away. After all, I was aware that, at one point, they had a close relationship. But all I saw in her eyes was confidence and sympathy.

"Thank you. I truly appreciate it."

"We needed to do it for…for us." Yukino smiled.

Thanks to her intervention, the rest of the matcha excursion passed without much fanfare. Soon, we were on our way out from Uji towards our next stop – Nara, the ancient capital of Japan.

The Nara Deer Park, as the name suggests, was full of deer lounging everywhere from the grassy meadows to the surrounding streets. As we approached, Yukino got excited. Did she really just see a field full of giant cats in these deer? To be sure, the deer were quite easy to feed and pet.

Before long, we were in the park. At what must have been a considerable expense to our school, we were each equipped with a small package of two deer cookies.

"If you and I plan things right, we might just be able to raise a small deer army."

"How cute. What would we have it do?"

Defend us from intruders upon our relationship, that's for sure.

"Live our lives like we're in a fairy tale, I suppose." I said with a smile. No need to bring sourness into the moment.

"Well said, hehe."

I took a cookie out of the small packaging. Tentatively, I walked towards a fawn resting on the ground. Even as I approached, it turned its head curiously towards me. Despite my arguably unfriendly demeanour, it moved for my hand and took a bite of the cookie.

"I heard that if you raise your hand above its head, it will bow to you." Yukino offered.

"In deference to my almighty power."

"Don't let it get to your head, now."

Sure enough, the deer bowed its head to me. I wondered how long it had been trained in this role, or for how many years it and its kin had been conditioned to bow for food. They had their own expectations and roles in life – just like us. I, too, had thought that my life was seriously constrained by bothersome roles. But maybe there was some aspect of these roles that wasn't so odd or problematic. Like being in a normal relationship or enjoying youth – even if only a little bit.

I looked over at Yukino, who seemed to have attracted a deer as well. She gingerly handed the snack to the deer, and readily pet it as it looked up at her. Truly, Yukino's affinity for animals was among the most endearing parts of her personality.

"You've gained a loyal follower."

"As have you!" Yukino pointed to the deer following me close behind.

Together, we walked through the park, which was now full of Sōbu High School students strolling about with their deer in tow. I remained vigilant for the usual suspects. In this awkward game of us dodging each other, I spotted the trio across the field from us. They seemed distracted by a crowd of deer surrounding them – we were safe for now. Regardless, it was unfortunate that they were always there in the background. I just hoped that, once high school was over, Yukino and I could move on from having them in the background. A different university, a change of scenery, could help.

Before long, it was time to go. We bade our new friends a relucant goodbye as we made our way back to the train station for the ride back to Kyoto.

Reject normalcy, embrace deer.

"Hm?"

"Did I say that aloud?"

Yukino only giggled.

References:

[1] Literally "train man", the name of a popular Japanese franchise about a man who dates a woman he rescues on a train.

[2] The anime series "Sound Euphonium" is set in Uji.

[3] "Collecting rare and exquisite treasure…yes, this seems suitably sophisticated." is a voiceline of Kamisato Ayaka from Genshin Impact, who shares a Japanese VA with Yukino.