The next morning, Chitose Wakabayashi arrived bright and early. "I wonder if they're ready yet," she said to herself as she got out of the car. Following close behind her was Ai Kawaguchi. "I hope they've enjoyed themselves" she said. The two women then walked up to the cabin and headed inside.
"Heeey, they did a real good job cleanin' this place," Chitose whistled. "I'm sure they were quite shocked to learn that they would all have to clean in the first place," Ai half-said, half-sighed. "Ah, who cares? It's good for them!" Chitose said, planting her fists on her hips. "But... it's pretty quiet, ain't it?" "Yes, I would agree." "Don't tell me they're still sleepin'?" Chitose said as she went toward the stairs. "Hey Chiyooo! You up?!" Naturally, there was no response, as it was only 7:00 a.m. "C'mon, didn't I tell her that I'd come to get 'em early?"
Arriving at the top of the stairs, Chitose began to go down the line of room. After a couple tries, she landed on the one she was looking for. "There ya are. C'mon already," she said to a still fast asleep Chiyo. "Mnmmannn..." Chiyo let out as she rolled over. "...Seriously girl?" Chitose said, staring at her little sister in a disappointing fashion. "Alright, that's enough of that. Rise and shine sunshine!" Chitose proclaimed as she tore the sheet off of Chiyo. "Kyaaa! Whuh?! Huh? What's going on?" Chiyo said as she sat up in a panic. "It's time to go lil' sis, so get a move on. And put some clothes on while you're at it," Chitose said. Currently Chiyo was clad in nothing but a red lace bra and panties. "Clothes? Oh, right. It was just so hot last night that I needed to sleep like this. It was so much cooler this way!" Chiyo said happily. "Geez, where did I go wrong in raising you?" Chitose sighed. "I don't need the whole run-down, just hurry up."
With all of the noise, Kanako woke up as well. "Mnnn... Morning Chiyo..." she said as she rubbed her eyes. "Gooood morning Kana-chan!" Chiyo said as she glomped onto Kanako. "Mn? ...C-Chiyo! H-Hey, w-w-why aren't you wearing anything?!" Kanako panicked. "Hm? But I am? Don't you think it's cute?" Chiyo said playfully. "T-That's not the issue!" Kanako said. "Oh?" Chiyo said, turning to whisper into Kanako's ear. "Could it be because I've got two things Haru-chi doesn't?" "Huh? Why'd you mention Haruna?" Kanako asked, confused. "Wow, what a stone-cold sober reaction," Chiyo said flatly. "Well whatever. You'll understand one day." Then mid-shrug, Chiyo got hit on the head with a pillow.
"Oof! What the-?" "Let's go girl!" Chitose said impatiently. "Geez, what's got you so worked up?" Chiyo said as she rubbed her head. "I've got class in a few hours, so I don't have time to screw around," Chitose explained. "Class? Isn't your school like, nowhere near here?" Chiyo asked. "Which is whyyy I'm in a hurry!" Chitose said forcefully. "Okay, okay, we're movin', we're movin'," Chiyo said as she slowly got up.
Meanwhile, Ai was working on waking up her daughter. "It's morning my dear. It's time to wake up," she said gently as she gave Mayu a little nudge. It wasn't much, but that was all it took to get her to open her eyes. "Oh, hello mother," Mayu said sleepily. "...Mother?!" "Yes dear. I arrived at the time I was told to by Wakabayashi-san." "Oh! Oh no! I'm so sorry mother! I'll get my things together right away!" Mayu said as she began to move in a flurry. Ai laughed. "There's no need to be in such a rush."
Mayu went over to Michi and reached out her hand. She was a little hesitant to try to wake Michi up considering how bad of a mood she had been in, but Mayu knew they also needed to get ready to leave. So, taking a deep breath, Mayu did her best to rise Michi from her slumber.
"Mi-chan, it's morning. Come on, you have to get up," Mayu said. Michi opened her eyes. "Just let me sleep for five more minutes," she said, then rolled over. "N-No Mi-chan! We need to leave now!" Mayu said. "Whatever. Just leave without me. I'll get another ride," Michi mumbled. "Oi, what's taking so long in here? Everyone else is already up and at 'em!" Chitose called as she walked into the room. "What? That girl's still in bed?" she muttered.
Chitose walked over to the side of Michi's futon and stood over her. "Hey. Fukuhara-san, right?" she began. "C'mon, let's go." "Mmm... I just told you, let me-" Michi said as she turned over. That was when she saw Chitose towering over her, glaring. "Let you what?" she said harshly. "Go already. Move it." "Y-Yes ma'am!" Michi said as she quickly sprang up into a kneeling position. "Alright, everyone's rollin'!" Chitose said, now pleased and walking away. "God, I don't what it is about that woman that freaks me out so much. I feel like I have to listen to her or else something bad will happen," Michi thought with a shudder. Then she and Mayu, along with everyone else, began to pack up all of their belongings in preparation to go back home.
The packing didn't take long, although Jasmine and Chiyo both had a time of it trying to put all of their stuff back in their bags. "I don't get it! It all fit coming here!" Chiyo whined as she pushed on her clothes. "I know what you mean. It's like my bag totally shrunk," Jasmine said, having the same problems. "My question is how did you even fit all of that in a couple bags to begin with?" Haruna asked as she watched.
Once everyone was done, it was time for all of them to go home. "So are we doin' the same groups as last time?" Chitose asked. Chiyo looked around at the group. It was clear the tension was still there, especially between Haruna, Michi and Kanako. "It's probably best to keep them separate," Chiyo thought, then said, "Yep! Same as last time!" "Great. Jas-chin, ya got everything?" Chitose asked. "Yeah, I think so," Jasmine said. "Alright, then throw it in the trunk. You too squirt," Chitose said as she turned to Michi. "Squirt?! Who are-" Michi started. "What?" Chitose said with a glare. Michi's back straightened. "N-No, nothing!" Chitose shrugged. "You're such a weird girl Fukuhara-san. I don't get why Chiyo keeps hangin' around ya." "That makes two of us..." Michi muttered.
While everyone put their stuff in the cars, Chiyo slid over to Michi. "Sorry about my big sis. She must be stressed about something, because she's normally a lot more chill, y'know?" "Whatever. It's not like I care anyways," Michi said with a huff. Chiyo smirked. "Hm? Hmm? Hey, Mi-chan. Do you like my big sis? You seem to really listen to her." "I-I do not like her! She's just scary!" Michi yelled. Chiyo laughed. "Pffft! Scary? Chitose? Yeah right! She's like, the least scary ever! A fly's got more fright in it than she does!"
"Oh yeah?" a voice said behind Chiyo. Slowly, Chiyo turned around. "Y'know, I can be pretty terrifyin' when I want to be, yeah?" Chitose said with an eerie smile. "Heeeey, big sis, heheheh..." Chiyo said, trailing off and finishing with an audible gulp. All Chitose did was walk away. "Phew..." Chiyo let out. "Guess I'm not the only one," Michi said smugly, satisfied with seeing Chiyo on the ropes for once. "Oh shut up," Chiyo said with a pout.
Once everybody had their things in the cars and then themselves, the two vehicles took off. "It's kinda sad that's it's over now," Itsuki said as she stared out the window as the cabin got further away. "Yes, but we'll always have our memories," Mayu said contently. She appeared to be back to her usual self now (for the most part). "I'll just be happy to sleep in my own bed," Haruna said. "S-Same here," Kanako agreed. However, small talk such as this would turn out to be the only kind of conversation to take place in the Kawaguchi car. Mayu still felt uneasy learning about Haruna's feelings for Kanako and needed time to really think about it. Itsuki had mixed feelings, with most of what was making them murky coming from Michi and what she had said the previous day. Kanako found herself feeling better than she had at the beginning, but she still had a lot on her mind. Finally, there was Haruna, who not only had to worry about getting her own feelings across to Kanako, but now had to worry about Michi getting in the way somehow as well.
In the other car, things weren't much different. Chitose talked with Jasmine some, but Chiyo remained surprisingly quiet while Michi just stared out the window. "...Did something happen?" Chitose asked in a whisper to Jasmine. "Well... Yeah, I guess you could say that," she answered cryptically. Deciding she probably wasn't going to get any more information than that, Chitose opted for silence as well. Then, one by one, both cars made their rounds as they dropped off each of their passengers.
The first one was Michi. After giving a brief thanks, she grabbed her stuff and trudged over to her apartment building. Climbing the stairs felt like a pain to her, but part of that was simply due to her foul mood. Once inside, Michi halfway threw her belongings across the floor before moving to flop down onto her bed. Quiet filled the air before the girl let out a long and heavy sigh.
"What a dumb trip..." she muttered. "I feel like I was constantly the victim of everyone's attacks." Rolling onto her back, Michi stared at the ceiling. "Well, if nothing else, I learned for sure that Endo-san is no good. Then again, I guess I already knew that."
For a while, Michi just laid on her bed, not thinking much about anything. Whether that was because she just didn't feel like it or there was so much for her to think about that she couldn't focus was hard to say, but either way, her mind was blank. She enjoyed the moment, feeling like it was the first time in a while she had been able to experience something like that. However, the moment was short-lived, as soon enough Michi was back to worrying about Haruna's relationship with Kanako.
Michi was still mad at Kanako. She didn't understand why she continued to take Haruna's side (guessing that it had to be through some kind of manipulation), and even if Haruna wasn't the topic, the two girls just seemed to naturally fight now anyways. "It's always something with Kana-chan," Michi mumbled. "Why can't she just listen to me? I'm telling her what's good for her."
But, even if she was upset with Kanako, that didn't prevent Michi from wanting to protect her. And protection in Michi's eyes meant cutting Haruna off from Kanako. Michi thought about her personal dilemma for a moment. "...This is impossible," she sighed. No matter how she looked at it, trying to keep Kanako and Haruna apart all the time would be something Michi couldn't hope to accomplish. "But I have to try," she told herself. "Endo-san is a bad influence on Kana-chan. She used to be so nice and docile..." Michi paused, remembering how Kanako could be when she gets angry. "...Okay, maybe not docile."
For the briefest of seconds, Michi wondered if Kanako had really changed as much as she believed. "She did ask me about changing that one time," she thought. "And, when I really look at her, how much is actually different?" Truly, the only major change Kanako had experienced was reuniting with Haruna. However, in Michi's eyes, that meant a lot more than what it seemed. It was impossible for her to see Haruna as anything other than an enemy. Whether her feelings were coming from a place of hatred, jealousy, sadness or some other emotion, Michi's point of view had become skewed and jaded to the point that all she could see was what she believed. "I know I'm right. Somehow, Endo-san and Miyashita-san are conspiring and using Kana-chan. I just can't figure out how yet."
Ironically, it wasn't as if Michi was very far off. Originally, Haruna had been using Kanako to try to date Akio, and Akio had his own reasons for having the two of them date each other instead of himself. So, in that sense, Michi wasn't entirely wrong. But, what she failed to see (or didn't know) was how much the circumstances had changed, at least for one party.
As it would turn out, Michi would spend the rest of what little summer break was left trying to figure out how to keep Haruna away from Kanako.
*****
The next person to be dropped off was Jasmine. "I'll talk to ya later Jas-chin!" Chiyo waved. "Sure," Jasmine waved back as her ride drove off. Turning around, she faced her house, standing still and closing her eyes as she braced herself. "Why do I live in this dump?" she muttered as she marched up to the front door.
Immediately, Jasmine's face hit a cloud of smoke. "Huh? Where've you been?" a scantily-clad woman asked as she blew smoke. Her left hand was holding a cigarette, appearing to be freshly lit. Looking at the ash tray next to her, Jasmine guessed that the woman had gone through half a pack already. "Thought ya might've died," a man said lazily, lounging in a recliner. His words were ones typically spoken with concern, but they came from his mouth sounding more like a joke than any sort of worry.
"Dying would probably be better than comin' back here," Jasmine said as she made her way through the living room. "What'd you say?!" the man shouted, lunging upright. "What? Are you gonna chase after me? I'd like to see you try geezer. How many have you had today anyways?" Jasmine quipped back. The man glared at her before going back to leaning in his chair. "Not nearly enough, apparently."
"Aw, c'mon you two. You're always like this," the woman cooed. "Shut up. No one asked you to drag this filth into our home," Jasmine said back. "Hey, Jasmine, that's not nice!" the woman cried. "Whatever. I'm going to my room," Jasmine said as she walked away. "You should have more respect for your mother!" the man called. Jasmine's only response was a slam of her door.
Dropping her stuff in the middle of her room, Jasmine took out her phone. Over the course of the trip, she had taken some pictures. She flipped through them, and as she did, Jasmine found herself laughing. "That camping trip was kinda nuts, but like, it was pretty fun too."
To Jasmine, life was pretty boring and it seemed like it was rare for something or someone to come along and actually interest her. Little had she known though, that Chiyo's idea for a camping trip would turn out to mean a lot to the gal. Jasmine realized that the people she was hanging out with now were actually all pretty interesting. There was Itsuki, the tomboy track girl who was a bit of a doofus and more feminine on the inside than expected. There was Michi, in all her angsty glory. Then there was Haruna and Kanako and whatever was going on between them. Lastly, there was Mayu, who Jasmine got the feeling that somehow, the two of them could relate. Of course, Jasmine already knew Chiyo, who was a show all on her own.
Together, the group combined to form a pretty entertaining bunch to Jasmine. Being on a trip with all of them had certainly come with its challenges, but looking back on it, Jasmine was happy she had gone, if for no other reason than to have briefly escape the shack she unfortunately called home.
*****
Next, Itsuki got dropped off. She had tried to worm her way into going back to Mayu's house, but Mayu stood her ground, pointing out that they had just spent almost an entire week together and would be seeing each other again in a couple of days when the new term started. Reluctantly, Itsuki agreed.
When she got back, she was greeted instantaneously by a big ball of fur. "Oof!" Itsuki let out, getting knocked to the floor. Standing above her was a large, black dog. "I'm back Six!" Itsuki said with glee. Six, the dog, barked back happily. The animal had come to get its name because it had been the sixth puppy born in the litter that Itsuki's family got him from.
"Is that you Itsuki?" a woman called. "Yep! I'm home mama!" Itsuki called back. "Welcome back sport," her dad said as he walked toward the front door. Itsuki managed to get Six off of her and stood up. "Hey, where's everyone else?" she asked. "Well, your older brother decided to go to Sapporo for a few days, and the younger one went to..." Itsuki's dad trailed off as he failed to remember. "A friend's house dear," Itsuki's mother finished. "Oh, alright. Well, I'm gonna go put my stuff away, and then I'll tell you all about my trip!" Itsuki said, rushing off to her room.
The girl had enjoyed nearly every minute of her camping excursion. It had only been toward the end when she had gotten a little down. Itsuki had felt hurt by Michi's comments, but after thinking about it, she decided to just chalk it up to stress. "Not everyone does well on trips like that anyways, so maybe she was just feeling uncomfortable," Itsuki concluded. She had known Michi for a few years now. The idea of her being as mean as she was and that turning out to be more of what Michi was really like was a thought that Itsuki didn't really consider. "I mean, if Endo-san turned out to not be as scary as I thought, then there's no way Mi-chan is actually like that."
Itsuki thought that, and yet, she found doubt lingering in her mind. No matter how much she tried to shake it away, it just seemed to stick, as if there was something keeping it there. "I want to believe in her," Itsuki thought. "I want to believe in the Mi-chan I know." With that hope in her heart, Itsuki went back to her parents to tell them all about her experience.
*****
"You seem tired sweetheart," Ai said as the two of them got out of the car after dropping off Haruna and Kanako. "Huh? I-I do?" Mayu said. "Yes. You've seemed a bit out of sorts since I saw you this morning. Are you alright? You're not getting sick are you?" Ai asked, placing her hand to her daughter's forehead. "I'm fine mother, I promise," Mayu said. Her words came out a little flat, but Ai decided to believe her. "Well, how about you rest up in your room and I'll make you something for lunch." Mayu decided to take her mother up on her offer and did what had been suggested to her.
Once she reached her room, Mayu found her mind clouding once again. She had thought that she had worked out all of her feelings, but it was clear she still had a ways to go. "Haruna... likes Kanako... romantically..." she repeated quietly for the umpteenth time. Those exact words had either crossed her mind or ran over her lips so many times in the span of a day plus that Mayu had lost count.
It didn't seem to matter how many times Mayu thought about it, the result was always the same. She had no idea what to make of such a discovery. Between her own simplistic lifestyle and the thinking that came with that, the way and beliefs she had been raised with, and her own personal feelings, Mayu just felt extremely conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to do her best to support her friends. She hadn't known Haruna for long, but from the time she had spent with her, Mayu felt like Haruna wasn't really a bad person, so she thought of saying the two of them were friends now didn't seem too presumptuous of her. Then there was Kanako, who Mayu had known for a few years. She had no idea how Kanako felt about Haruna, but if it turned out to be mutual, Mayu wanted to be able to support her friend.
But, as hard as she tried, Mayu kept hitting a wall. She knew she had to figure out what the wall even was before she tried to climb over it, but even that was presenting its own challenge. "How did my life get so complicated so quickly?" Mayu wondered. Getting lost in thought, Mayu soon heard her mother calling her name for lunch, failing to rest like she had been told.
*****
"So, didja have fun?" Chitose asked Chiyo when they got inside. "You bet! It was a blast sis!" Chiyo exclaimed. "We went swimming, we played around a lot and, oh! We saw a bear too!" "A bear? You get any pics?" Chitose asked. "No, but I think Jas-chin did," Chiyo said. "I'll have to ask her to see 'em next time she's here," Chitose said. "I'm glad I didn't have to turn around and pick you girls up after ya saw you'd have to clean the place." Chiyo frowned. "Yeah, thanks for dropping that on us sis. Totes uncool." "C'mon, ya managed alright didn't ya?" Chitose said with a laugh. "I guess so," Chiyo said.
Chitose stared at Chiyo. "W-What?" Chiyo said, feeling uneasy. "Ya just seem, I dunno, different I guess. Like not as bubbly or somethin'," Chitose said. "Do I?" Chiyo said, trying to feign her typical appearance. "C'mon girl. Ya can't pull that way of talkin' with me," Chitose said. Chiyo sighed. "I'm just worried about Mi-chan." "Mi-chan huh?" Chitose repeated. "That girl's trouble Chi. Ya should probably give up on her." "But I know she has a big heart, and she means well. I think she just needs someone to help her along," Chiyo said with a weak smile. Chitose sighed. "You've always been like this, so I guess I won't stop ya. But seriously Chi. That Mi-chan girl might end up hurtin' ya one day." "... I know," Chiyo said, looking down glumly.
Chitose went to wrap her arm around Chiyo's shoulders. "Hey, cheer up! We've got a couple days before your break is over right? Let's do somethin' fun!" "Don't you have like, class or something?" Chiyo asked. "Ah, yeah... I think I'll just skip after all," Chitose shrugged. Chiyo laughed. "What the heck? "So you were mad earlier for no reason!" Chiyo said. "Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to come off like that. But hey, that's life. So, you wanna hang out with your big sis?" Chitose asked. Chiyo beamed. "Let's go!"
Together, the Wakabayashi sisters headed out for one last night of fun in town before the end of summer break.
End of Chapter Twenty-Three.