On the morning of the camping trip, just as we were about to set off around 5 am, Akiko-san returned from work.
"Take care and have a good time, Yuuta-kun. And Saki too."
Despite being visibly tired, she still saw us off.
My old man was still in bed. He was pretty worried about us when he went on his honeymoon (well, second honeymoon), but this time he seemed chill about it. Maybe it was a sign that he'd started trusting us more as time went on.
We told Akiko-san we were heading out and left the flat.
As we stepped out of the entryway, I saw that the sky was white. A little bit of the night's color still lingered in the west.
We were heading to Shibuya Station. We'd arranged for Yomiuri-senpai to pick us up in her car in the alley next to the bookstore.
Shibuya station at 6 am was still quiet, with the familiar crowds nowhere in sight.
We made our away across the scramble crossing and turned down a side street.
Yomiuri-senpai's car…
"Isn't that it? Look, she's waving."
Ayase-san was pointing at the car parked facing us. It was a bright red minivan, which looked like it had plenty of room in the back for luggage.
I saw a familiar face through the windscreen; a beautiful black-haired girl who looked like a traditional Japanese doll—Shiori Yomiuri-senpai. Kozono-san was already sitting in the back seat.
We'd invited our other coworkers too, but in the end, only the four of us could make it. Most university students on summer break already had plans to go to festivals or on trips, and the veteran part-timers said they simply couldn't keep up with the energy of youth. There were a few people who seemed interested, but due to shift conflicts, they regretfully couldn't come along. In the end, only us—the organizers—were left.
Yomiuri-senpai rolled down the window and greeted us with a "Good morning."
"Junior-kun, you sit in the front, and Saki-chan, you sit in the back."
"Eh?", Ayase-san uttered, hesitating at Yomiuri-senpai's direction for a moment.
Huh? Does she not want to or something? But that expression on Ayase-san's face vanished in an instant, making me wonder if I'd seen it wrong. Just like that, she gracefully hopped into the back seat.
I tilted my head in confusion, but did as I was told and got in the passenger's seat.
"Ehh, Yomiuri-senpai, are you trying to keep Asamura-senpai all to yourself?" Kozono-san said from the back.
But what would she actually gain from monopolizing me? Maybe as a distraction to keep her awake, but that's about it.
"'Cause if all three of you were in the back, it'd be like Asamura-kun got himself a cozy little harem, right? As your Onee-san, there's no way I'm letting such a jealousy-inducing setup happen," Yomiuri-senpai casually justified herself.
"Is that something to be jealous of?"
To the contrary, being packed in like sardines for a long distance car ride sounded nothing but uncomfortable.
Plus, the fantasy of being up close and personal with women is something guys can only enjoy in stories. That's because there's an unspoken rule that if a protagonist found himself in that kind of situation, the girls wouldn't dislike it.
But reality isn't that simple.
Well, to be fair, if that girl was limited to Ayase-san and we were in a relationship, it might be a different story…
"Junior-kun, you're making that face of yours again. Like you're making things unnecessarily complicated in your head."
"...Maybe you're just too carefree, Senpai."
"Your respect for the driver is found lacking."
"Yes ma'am, it's as you say, my honorable lord."
It'd be a problem if she got upset and started driving erratically.
"Indeed. Worry yourself not," Yomiuri-senpai, or should I say the honorable lord, said pompously, and started the car.
Kozono-san giggled from the back seat.
I hadn't expected to be part of a comedy routine this early in the morning, but it couldn't be helped. Yomiuri-senpai was the only one among the four of us who could drive. If I became the butt of the joke but it made her happy to drive, I could tolerate a bit of teasing.
"Your virgin purity is as charmingly innocent as ever, Asamura-kun!"
The heck…?
"W-what… why're you casually blurting out dirty jokes like that!? This is different from when we're at work, you know."
The car was full of girls. I wish she wouldn't be so full on with this stuff so early in the morning.
If she kept her mouth shut, she was charming and friendly—a paragon of traditional Japanese beauty skilled in customer service, and popular among the regulars. But what's to be done with the little old man in her who shows his face whenever she's around people she knows?
"Yomiuri-senpai, you say things like that, huh~?" Kozono-san said in an admiring voice.
Please don't learn from her.
"That's not all! I say stuff like this and that too."
"Don't say it."
"Hehehe, you don't have to be a gentleman just because you're surrounded by girls, y'know? Trying to look cool isn't bad, but it's a privilege of the young. All human beings become old men as they age."
"It's not 'old man' for women, it's old wo—"
"How mean! Calling a young girl an old woman!"
"Ah… my bad. I apologize for saying that part…."
I can't win. If I point one thing out, three comebacks fly back at me.
"Anyways, the male-to-female ratio in the car is three-to-one, so almost all women. A little dirty joke here and there is totally fine!"
"Don't say 'almost' all when it's seventy-five per cent. A quarter is still male. Are you the type to insist a 'few' means less than ten, Senpai?"
I didn't want to name names, but I was talking about Yoshida. Despite nearly scoffing a box of ten souvenir manju[1] by himself, he insisted he only had a 'few,' and got told off by Maru.
[1: A traditional Japanese sweet treat made from flour, rice powder, and filled with various fillings like sweet bean paste or fruit. It's often steamed and enjoyed as a snack or dessert]
"Now, now. Don't sweat the small stuff. Even exam-takers need to unwind. Let's forget all the unpleasant things today and just have fun!"
"Yep!"
The first one to respond was Kozono-san, a first-year high schooler who'd already finished her entrance exam.
"Alright, I'll forget about exams for today."
"Yep, yep, relax, relax. If you keep your head down, all the happiness will escape."
Reflecting on what Yomiuri-senpai said, I leaned back in the passenger seat and exhaled.
She was definitely right.
It'd be a waste to end this day camp with the lame excuse of wanting to make memories with the senpai who looked after me.
I need to enjoy this a bit more.
And we might not have been alone, but it was also a trip with my girlfriend.
Staring at the blue summer sky and white clouds beyond the front windscreen, I took another deep breath and relaxed my shoulders.
The car slowly pulled away from Shibuya station.
***
We arrived at a clearing in the mountains, which looked like a portion of the trees had been cut away to form it.
It was the place we'd booked for our day camp—Nasu-Shiobara campgrounds[2].
[2: A popular auto camping ground in Tochigi, about 2.5 hours from Shibuya]
After parking the car, we first went to the reception desk to check in. We checked where we could borrow stuff like a barbecue grill, fuel, tongs, knives, and cutting boards, and so on, then started unloading our things from the car.
We'd reserved a space not far from where we were parked. It looked like they'd simply roped off an area on ground, indicating we were free to use anything within its bounds.
"When you're moving around, don't go into other people's spots, even if they're empty right now, okay? Be mindful," Yomiuri-senpai warned us, and we all nodded.
After laying down a picnic blanket, we unloaded all the things from the car onto it.
"Ahhh, it's a perfect sunny day for camping," Yomiuri-senpai said, looking up at the sky.
We all followed her lead and looked up too.
The sky above was blue, with two or three fluffy summer clouds floating lazily by. The air tasted fresh, and the occasional breeze blowing through felt pleasant.
It really felt like we were in the mountains. I let out a deep breath.
"Alrighty, then let's start by setting up the tarp~"
We spread out a large brown piece of cloth on the grass.
"This is the tarp. We're gonna stretch it over our heads as a sort of roof or shelter. We'll set up poles and pull it tight with ropes."
"It's big, isn't it?"
It must have been about four meters long on one side, equivalent to eight tatami mats or so. That meant it was about the same size as my room.
"The sun's pretty strong, so let's get this set up quickly. I think I sent you a tutorial video on how to do it, did everyone watch it?"
All three of us nodded.
"Well, I'll be giving specific instructions, so let's put it together quick."
Following Yomiuri-senpai's instructions, we managed to set it up. Somehow.
It was a bit scary when it came time to hammer the pegs into the ground, as I felt like I might accidently hit my hand with the small hammer.
We placed our folding chairs under the tarp, which now hid the blue sky, and took a load off.
As I sat listening to the wind mingling with the rustling of leaves, time seemed to slip away unnoticed.
It was almost noon.
"Alright, I'll go borrow the barbecue equipment," I said as a stood up from my folding chair.
"Meat! Everyone, let's eat meat!" Yomiuri-senpai said in agreement.
"Yay!"
Kozono-san seemed to be in high spirits.
***
While the girls were prepping the ingredients, I was in charge of firing up the grill.
"Ah, Junior-kun. Here, here."
"Yes?"
"Here's the lighter fluid and torch for lighting it. If you follow the tutorial video I sent you just like before, you should be able to handle getting it going. Lemme know if you get stuck on anything. Well, I'll be watching from over here anyway."
The makeshift cooking table was behind me, opposite the grill, so I couldn't see what she was doing, but she could clearly see me.
"Take these too. Some gloves. They're old ones, so don't worry about using them."
"Thanks."
I put on the gloves and worked on getting the fire started. I thought I had a grasp on it from watching the video, but it was different actually doing it. I'm pretty sure it took twice as long for the charcoal to properly ignite. I guess it's a good thing that none of the girls are impatient types who'd get angry over my dawdling, huh?
Compared to my fumbling, Ayase-san, in charge of cooking, was truly amazing. It really showed that she was used to working in the kitchen every day. Even just glancing at her out of the corner of my eye, I could see that her movements were precise and efficient. Both Yomiuri-senpai and Kozono-san let out impressed "ooh's."
"You're really good with a knife, aren't ya, Saki-chan?"
"Well... I just use it a lot."
"You cook at home, huh? So, does that mean you make those bentos you always bring yourself?"
"Wha—?"
Apparently it wasn't just me who flinched at that question. I was only listening, but even my heart picked up its pace as I wondered how Ayase-san would answer.
"I mean, sometimes. But my family makes it for me too."
"Ah, there it is."
"Hm? What's that, Erina-chan?"
"The last time I asked, Ayase-senpai said, 'my family made it for me.' I thought it was a unique way of saying it. Asamura-senpai also said it the same way... Is it a trend or something?"
"Hmmm. I see, I see. Indeed, that's an interesting observation, Watson-kun."
"Watson? Who's that?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just talking to myself."
Kozono-san, not much of a bookworm and therefore not a Sherlockian, tilted her head in confusion at the reference, but Yomiuri-senpai didn't explain any further. Given that Yomiuri Holmes-senpai knew Ayase-san and I were step-siblings, she'd probably have a hunch about what the phrase "made by my family" implied.
"Sigh. Uhm, so, my mother makes mine. I was just wondering if it's different for Ayase-senpai."
"Well, there are families where everyone takes turns cooking, y'know~?"
"Ah, got it. So that's the case here?"
"Something like that," Ayase-san answered vaguely.
"Anyway, it's obvious Saki-chan is a whizz in the kitchen. Now, that should be enough veggies. Hey, Erina-chan, go cut that meat!"
"Huh, ah, yes. It's a big piece of meat, isn't it?"
Kozono-san apparently never cooked at home, so her knife skills were pretty sketchy. It seems she was struggling with the piece of meat.
Cutting meat might seem easy—just slice through it—but if you didn't cut it to a uniform thickness, it'd cook unevenly, and you needed to make sure to cut against the grain for tenderness. There was a lot to be mindful of. I didn't know any of that until I started cooking myself.
Yomiuri-senpai was nitpicking on how to do those things, and it sent Kozono-san into a mini panic.
When I glanced over, I could see her forcefully pressing the knife down on the cutting board, which split the meat in two and nearly launched it off the board.
Ayase-san, who clearly couldn't bear to watch any longer, stepped in to teach her the proper way of using a knife.
Still, she kept at it with her usual earnestness; flustered but continuing her battle with the meat.
"I did it!"
Ayase-san, who'd been watching her out of the corner of her eye, let out a small sigh of relief.
"Yes, yes. Good girl, good girl. Now, let's do the next piece."
Kozono-san's eyes narrowed in pleasure as Yomiuri-senpai patted her head.
"Ayase-san, I think it's about time to start grilling."
"Ah, yes."
She put the vegetables on a paper plate and brought them over to the grill.
"I think it's better to start grilling the things that take longer to cook, like onions and shiitake mushrooms. Bell peppers and eggplants can go last since they cook quickly," she said while showing me the plate.
"What about the corn? I thought it took a while to cook."
"I think if you face it towards the fire, it should cook faster. It takes longer if you stand it up on its axis, though."
Standing it up on its axis… she meant standing it up like a tower and grilling it. I hadn't thought of that.
According to Ayase-san, onions take a long time to cook, and corn is a bit of a hassle to grill.
"Corn takes a bit of effort because you have to keep rolling it to avoid uneven grilling. Also, be careful not to let it roll off the grill."
"Okay."
Just as I said that and placed it on the grill, it almost rolled off right away. I hastily pressed it down with tongs to prevent it from falling, but Ayase-san gave me a look of dismay.
"Told you so."
"Sorry, sorry."
While apologizing, I continued to arrange the vegetables on the grill.
"I also cut some veggies that can be eaten as they are."
Looking in the direction Ayase-san was glancing, I could see carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers, all cut into sticks and lined up at the edge of the folding table.
"I figured we might want something refreshing."
"Much appreciated. But wow, these are cut so neatly."
The onion rings were skewered without losing their shape, and the eggplants were cut to the exact same thickness.
"Really? I think it's just normal."
"No, no. I think it's more than enough to deserve a head pat," I muttered, recalling the exchange between Kozono-san and Yomiuri-senpai earlier. Ayase-san responded with a quiet "idiot" under her breath.
"What's this about a head pat?"
We both tensed up as we heard Yomiuri-senpai's voice.
Please don't stand behind us like some ninja.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Nothing much. I came to grill some meat. You two seemed to be having such a deep conversation, so it felt hard to interrupt."
"No, no, no. Tell me what you were talking about."
"We were just discussing how to grill vegetables," I said as Ayase-san moved away from me and retreated to the opposite side of the grill.
Yomiuri-senpai stood on my right, and Kozono-san on my left, boxing me in. It definitely felt pretty cramped with them crowded around that like.
Yomiuri-senpai handed me a plate of meat.
"Ah well, whatever. Everything else is trivial in the face of meat!"
"Yup!"
"Alright, let's grill!"
"Alright!"
Kozono-san's loud cheer overlapped with a timid "alright" from Ayase-san.
You don't have to force yourself to match her, you know?
Surrounded by passionate calls of love for meat, I found myself fully absorbed in the task of grilling the meat on the plate.
Grill. Eat. Grill. Eat. Meat. Vegetables. Meat. Vegetables. And more meat!
This wasn't like the barbecues I remember. Did we always eat this much?
"It's super tasty and all… but now I feel like I want rice."
"We didn't bring a rice cooking pot. If we had an electric car that could supply power, we could cook rice with a rice cooker. But it'll be fine without it for one meal."
"It'd be handy if we could cook rice too. Actually, at that point, would we even need a tent anymore?"
"We'd be all set even if we got isekai'd[3]!"
[3: A genre of fiction where characters are transported to or reincarnated in a parallel world, often featuring fantasy or science fiction elements]
No, it wouldn't work without charging stations, would it? Besides, bringing an electric car to another world seemed like too much of a cheat code.
"We do have rice, you know," Ayase-san chimed in.
Huh? The three of us turned to look at Ayase-san in unison.
"I thought something like this might happen, so I brought some."
Ayase-san took out her usual bento box from another box we'd packed the food in. When she opened the lid, it was stuffed full of onigiri, not even wrapped in nori[4].
[4: Onigiri: Rice balls, Nori: Seaweed]
She handed the bento box to me. It was still cool to the touch.
"When'd you find time to make this?" I blurted out, then instantly regretted how unnatural it sounded.
It implied I was in a position to know about Ayase-san's camp prep.
Luckily, though, Yomiuri-senpai and Kozono-san were too fixated on the lumps of rice in front of them, and my careless slip up apparently went over their heads.
"It's just rice, I didn't put anything inside. Oh, I made it into salted onigiri 'cause I thought it might go bad in the summer heat. I froze them and brought them as is. I just took them out of the cooler a while ago."
"Oooh. That means we can make grilled onigiri," Yomiuri-senpai said excitedly, and Ayase-san nodded.
There were exactly four pieces, one for each of us. Since Ayase-san usually rolled a full bowl of rice into each onigiri, it seemed just the right amount of rice to finish off the meal.
"Alrighy, time for the rice finale. Ah, I kinda wanna drizzle a little soy sauce on mine."
"Me too! I wanna do that too!"
"Okay, I'll grill them. What about you, Asamura-kun? Soy sauce, yeah?"
The way Ayase-san asked made it clear she knew I always put soy sauce on everything, but the other two didn't seem to pick up on that slip up either.
It hit me again. When you're together every day, your actions and words naturally reflect that closeness, unless you make a concerted effort to be mindful of them.
"Yes please."
We broke apart the grilled rice balls with chopsticks and ate them, and the barbecue ended without a hitch.
***
After a short break to let the food settle, Yomiuri-senpai declared, "It's finally swimsuit time!"
"I sort of panicked when you told us to bring a swimsuit at the last minute."
"I mean, we're camping by a river with waterfall views, aren't we? Plus, there's an outdoor sauna. It's normal to want to enjoy everything to the fullest in a swimsuit! That's the plan, right? It's gotta be!"
"Yep."
Yomiuri-senpai was unusually excited. Was she really looking forward to it that much?
"We've already booked a time, so we should get a move on."
"Ah, yes."
"Alright, time to change into our swimsuits~!" Yomiuri-senpai said with a pump of her fist.
She came closer to me and whispered, "You've been lookin' forward to the swimsuits, haven't ya?"
"No, I haven't."
Saying "yes" would definitely be used as teasing ammunition later. Not that I was complaining, though. I made sure to bring my swimsuit, just like she asked.
With all said and done, I changed in the dressing room and made my way to the sauna.
By the looks of it the sauna room, built like a modified bungalow, was unisex.
It was by reservation only, and we could use it for an hour or so.
Having changed, I decided to wait inside. Generally, guys change faster as it's pretty much just stripping down. The staff had already started the stove inside the sauna. It was a simple, utilitarian design you'd rarely see outside of colder regions. Stones were piled up in a metal box on top. They were heated up so much that carelessly touching one would probably earn you a nasty burn. The stove's chimney, extending upwards, was bent midway to protrude outside the cabin.
A short wait later, the three girls entered.
"It's so hot!"
"It's surprisingly spacious..."
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Junior-kun."
"Ah, yes."
Yomiuri-senpai made a face and pouted.
"Junior-kun! That reaction won't do."
"Huh?"
"That's not how a high school boy should react when he sees young girls in swimsuits. You shouldn't just say 'Ah, yes.' You should be drooling and leaning forward, staring intently while exclaiming, 'Wow, what a spectacular view!'"
What's this senpai of mine on about?
"It's worrying that you think that's a typical high school boy's reaction. Also, your phrasing is outdated."
"Leaning forward?"
"You don't wanna know, Kozono-san," Ayase-san warned her.
Kozono-san tilted her head curiously.
"So, whaddya think, Junior-kun?"
"I'm not sure what to say… sigh, well, I think they suit each of you."
Kozono-san was wearing a brightly colored cross neck halter swimsuit. While a fashion model might look sexy wearing it, it gave her an age-appropriate, youthful look. Not that I'd say that out loud, of course. The bottom part was a fluttery short pareo, so I didn't have much trouble finding a place to look. Though, given the amount of exposed skin, I hoped she didn't make any flashy movements.
Yomiuri-senpai was wearing a classic bikini, looking the most grown-up of the three. Considering her usual reserved and bookish style, seeing Yomiuri-senpai in a daring bikini was surprisingly unexpected. A black-haired beauty in such a daring swimsuit would be intimidating, especially if she threw on some sunglasses. Was that what she was going for?
"Mm? You're thinking something rude, aren't you? Unassuming pervert-kun[5]."
[5: Shiori is making a joke that Yuuta is someone who appears innocent but actually has lewd thoughts]
"No, no."
Ayase-san's swimsuit choice wasn't a surprise since I saw her pick it out. She was wearing a two-piece, blue like the one from last year.
The top part was designed to expose one shoulder—something she occasionally incorporated into her everyday fashion too. Seeing her like that gave me a strange sense of familiarity. She'd also wrapped a pareo around her waist, which had an asymmetrical shape on either side.
It suited her well, considering how much she'd ummed and ahhed when choosing it out.
"Well, it's not bad, right?"
"That kinda lukewarm reaction is so like you, Junior-kun."
"Asamura-senpai, Asamura-senpai. What's with the stones on top of the stove?"
"Hm? Oh, you use them like this."
I scooped up some water with a nearby ladle and sprinkled it on the stones. Steam instantly billowed up when the water touched the heated stones.
"Uh, Senpai, you're putting on too much water!"
"Oops. Sorry, sorry. The steam is more intense than I thought."
The room was quickly filled with white steam, causing a moment of panic.
Yomiuri-senpai said it was usually the staff's job to pour water on the stones in this kind of sauna. It made me think twice about trying it myself again.
The steam dissipated pretty quickly, but the humidity increased significantly.
We sat on the wooden benches on either side of the room, placing towels down to avoid getting our butt's burnt.
As we chatted away and sweated it out, it felt like the toxins in my body were being purged at the same time. Despite the mixed opinions about saunas these days, the undeniable fact remains that simply sweating it out feels pleasant and refreshing.
I snuck a glance at Ayase-san sitting next to me. Just as I did, a bead of sweat that'd formed on the nape of her neck slid down from her shoulder to her upper arm.
She'd twisted her hair up and was squeezing it with a towel. A few strands of stray hair near her ears were damp with sweat, drooping down. I was oddly captivated by a few that'd stuck to her cheek. I could feel my heart beat faster.
I remembered feeling something similar when we were walking together the other day. Do I have some kind of sweat fetish? What a ridiculous thought.
"Mm?"
Ayase-san turned to me with a questioning look on her face, and I quickly looked away.
"I-I think I've reached my limit."
What limit, you ask? No longer being able to handle the heat of the sauna, obviously. Let's go with that.
***
I stepped out of the sauna on my own.
There was a river nearby, maybe four-to-five meters wide, and several proper chairs were set up along the bank for relaxing. They looked more comfortable than our folding chairs.
There was a cold-water bath next to the sauna, but taking a dip in the river instead seemed to be the norm here.
Thinking about finding a good place to cool off, I walked into the river by myself.
The gravelly riverbed was a little rough on the soles of my feet, but it wasn't so painful that I couldn't walk. The current was gentle, and didn't sweep me away. The water was cold, but pleasant given it was summer. I found a large, flat stone and decided to sit down on it, slowly submerging my body.
As my body cooled down, my head cleared too. That was a close call earlier. It wasn't the time or place to be having lewd thoughts like that… I need to get a grip.
Breathing out, I lazily gazed up at the sky. The gentle flow of the water against my body was a sensation I couldn't experience in an ordinary bath, and made me feel like I was truly in nature.
A little while later, Ayase-san, Yomiuri-senpai, and Kozono-san came out of the sauna cabin.
Yomiuri-senpai rushed past Ayase-san with enough momentum that it looked like she was about to dive in, only to stop just at the water's edge. She scooped up some river water and splashed it onto her toes, letting out a yelp.
"Uhyaa, it's so cold!"
Yomiuri-senpai hastily retreated to solid land.
"I mean, it is a river."
"I haven't played in a river for years... It feels nostalgic," she said as she started flipping over stones by the riverbank.
"Oh, they're here!" she said delightedly as she watched the small bugs that'd been hiding underneath scurry away. Kozono-san was timidly peeking over her shoulder. It looked a bit like an exchange between elementary school boys and girls.
"Phew... it was so hot."
Ayase-san slowly sank down next to me.
"Good effort."
"Yeah. I'm tired now," Ayase-san said as she gently leaned closer to me.
She came so close her swimsuit almost touched me, and I was worried she might be able to hear my heart racing.
Glancing sideways, I thought in passing, Her shoulders are so delicate.
Ayase-san had a slightly resigned look on her face as she started to speak.
"I wanted to come out earlier, 'let's have a test of endurance, a healthy one!'... and I ended up being stuck there."
"Haha..."
Isn't that kind of a contradiction? A "healthy" endurance contest.
Also, doesn't that mean the order they came out was the order of who lost the contest first? Kozono-san was more competitive than I thought. I also thought Ayase-san, despite appearances, was pretty stubborn too.
"I don't wanna waste the time we can spend together on some endurance contest."
…Thank you.
As I savored the happiness those words brought, I heard Kozono-san's delighted voice and looked up.
"If you look closely, they're kinda cute."
"Ooh, there's a lot of centipedes over here~!"
"Hehehe. They're all wriggling around!"
They'd turned into full-blown elementary school boys in a blink of an eye. Kozono-san, do you actually like bugs? Or are you just going along with Yomiuri-senpai?
"Yomiuri-senpai, let's stop frightening them by flipping every stone you find."
"Nah, if you come out to nature, you've gotta enjoy it to the fullest. I hardly see any bugs in my daily life, so I can't help but feel excited and a little nostalgic. Look, look, Kozono-san, there's a little crab over here too."
"Crabs are nice and all, but… I think I'd like to cool down too."
She glanced over at us.
Then, she made her way over to where Ayase-san and I were sitting.
"It looks so comfortable. I wanna join too—"
Just as the last word left her lips, Kozono-san stepped on stone by the riverbank in front of us and started to lose her footing.
"Whoa!"
Her small body was about to fall into the river, so I shot to my feet and caught her as she stumbled forward. I managed to prevent us from full-on hugging by grabbing hold of her shoulders. Still, it was different from when my elementary school-aged cousin clung onto me—it was soft, and bad for my heart in a whole different way.
"Th-that scared me!"
"You okay?"
I continued to support her and helped her stand up again. Hand on my chest and still looking flustered, Kozono-san squeezed out a shaky, "Y-yes."
"Thank you, Asamura-senpai."
"No, don't sweat it… Just be careful, alright? The riverbank is slippery."
"Yes."
"Hey! You alright!?"
"I'm fine."
Kozono-san smiled at a worried looking Yomiuri-senpai as she came rushing over.
"Here you go, Kozono-san."
"O-oh, my towel. Thank you, Ayase-senpai."
Ayase-san had swiftly grabbed the towel just as it was about to get swept away.
The towel, which had been dropped when Kozono-san stumbled, was the one she used in the sauna. I was fully occupied with catching Kozono-san, so I was grateful for the assist. If not, it would've been carried away by the river.
Ayase-san and I had put our own towels on a big rock on the bank. Since it was a river, not a hot spring, it'd look funny and not make much sense to soak with them on our heads. Plus, it'd be a hassle if we dropped them like Kozono-san did.
"Really, thank you, Asamura-senpai. You saved my life."
"That's an exaggeration."
It's completely normal for someone to instinctively try to catch someone when they're about to fall in front of them.
Yomiuri-senpai nodded her agreement.
"Well, all's well that ends well. It's meant to be a fun thing, and I want it to end with only fun memories. Let's all watch out, okay?"
"Yes!" Kozono-san energetically replied.
"That goes for you too, okay, Senpai?"
Sticking out your tongue with a "tehe" won't fool anyone, you know.
Yomiuri-senpai and Kozono-san then sat down on rocks along the bank, just dipping their feet in to cool off while they started chatting.
Wait, where's Ayase-san?
I thought she was right next to me just a second ago. I couldn't see her anywhere. Where is she?
My gaze wandered over the river's surface.
A little away, Ayase-san suddenly burst from the water. She'd just been diving. I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't think she'd actually been swept away, but not being able to see her had made me panic for a moment. If I'd just stayed calm, I would've realized the river was too shallow to drown in.
Apparently she'd been diving in a slightly deeper spot.
Still, I couldn't stop myself silently watching her as she repeated her dives.
After doing it a few times, she seemed to notice I was watching her and stood up, walking over to me.
"What?"
"Ah, nothing…"
"Hey! You two, let's hit the sauna again!"
As we'd been called, Ayase-san and I reluctantly left the river. Before heading back to the sauna cabin, I quietly called her name.
"Um..."
"About earlier… that was… an unavoidable accident. I didn't touch any weird places or anything."
"What?"
"No, I mean..."
These days simply helping someone could be misconstrued as sexual harassment, so you had to tread lightly.
I figured it was important to clarify—
"Because the one I love is you, Ayase-san," I whispered just loud enough for her alone to hear.
I'd spoken from the heart, but Ayase-san couldn't help herself and burst out laughing at my attempt at a serious face. A wry smile spread across her face.
"I know that without you saying it."
Her gentle tone made me sigh in relief.
"Well, if that's the case, then it's all good."
"It's more like, I'm annoyed at how hopeless I am," she muttered.
"Huh?
But Ayase-san made no attempt to elaborate, and quickly ducked into the sauna cabin. And so, I spent our second sauna session dwelling on what she'd said… and ended up overheating.
Returning to the cold river, this time it was my turn to dunk my head under the water.
After leaving the sauna and having fun in the river some more, we all relaxed for a bit until the sunlight started to dim.
We folded up the tarp, finished preparing to leave, and then went to the reception to say, "Thank you!" as we completed the check-out process. Talking about how much fun we had, we all got into Yomiuri-senpai's car.
As we bid farewell to Nasu-Shiobara, the sun was sliding down the sky, looking like it was about to touch the edge of the mountains to the west. Though sunset was still a ways off, dusk arrives early in the mountains.
The seating arrangement on the way back was the same as when we set off.
Sitting next to Yomiuri-senpai, who was humming along to the music, I found myself absentmindedly gazing at the scenery as it faded into dusk.
***
With the mountains behind us, we merged onto the freeway.
The surroundings were completely enveloped in twilight. I watched the passing scenery, the mountains and far-off towns sinking into darkness, and yet unharvested summer rice fields blending into a muted green with the sunset hues.
Our conversations reflecting on how fun the day was started out lively, but pettered off as the comfortable vibration of the freeway lulled us. After a couple of pit stops, everyone eventually drifted into silence, probably all worn out.
More and more buildings began to appear as we got closer to the city. By the time we exited the freeway, it was pitch black around us.
The pair in the back seat had gone quiet, and a quick glance in the rearview mirror revealed they'd apparently fallen asleep.
"Thank you for today, Junior-kun," Yomiuri-senpai murmured softly.
"I didn't do anything special."
"No way. You think I didn't realize that you carried the heavy stuff for me?"
"Well, it's not a big deal..."
She had booked the campsite, and brought out a bunch of camping gear to boot. And—
"Right back at ya, thanks for driving us there and back."
"I mean, that's the least I could do. I did drag you along for this outing, after all. Plus I enjoyed the drive too."
"But we got caught in traffic at the very end."
Sure enough, as we got closer to Shibuya, the traffic got more congested. The car's GPS route lines had been red for a while now. Just when I thought we were finally moving again, we got caught at another traffic light.
"This light takes ageees to change, doesn't it?"
"Oh really?"
Maybe she'd been through here a few times before.
"So, um," she started saying, tapping my knee with her left hand. "I'll keep it a secret, so just tell me, Junior-kun. No, Yuuta Asamura-kun."
She leaned in a little closer and whispered to me, as if sharing a secret. Her voice was more serious and sultry than usual, and I reflexively swallowed.
"What is it you want me to tell you?"
"Are you and Saki-chan dating right now? As in, a couple?"
I was floored for a second, my voice catching in surprise. That question had come out of nowhere. There'd been no sign she would ask something like that. Why now?
"Um, well..."
I wasn't sure how to answer. I glanced back through the rearview mirror to check on Ayase-san and Kozono-san. They were out cold, not moving an inch.
"You'll probably be way too busy studying for entrance exams after summer vacation to have time to chat like this. I could ask when I'm working with you and Saki-chan isn't around, but… I'm quitting this year, so I at least want to know the answer to something that's been tickling my curiosity while I still can."
She looked at me and smiled in a way that implied we were confidants sharing a secret.
"You want to know… because?"
Why did she?
"Why do you think?"
"Uhm..."
She was giving me an unusually serious look. I was suddenly all too conscious of her crimson lips, starting to form words, close to my face. Her lipstick was a slightly darker shade of red than usual. Ah, she really is a university student. It made me realize all over again how much more grown-up she was than me.
If I were to answer, "Ayase-san is my sister," what would happen? I couldn't pry my eyes away from her captivating lips.
Just then, I was filled with intense regret.
It was just yesterday that Ayase-san and I discussed how best to reveal our relationship to Kozono-san. We decided to take a rain-check and think it over at a later date. Together. I knew somewhere inside that the time would come when I'd have to confidently tell the people close to me. I couldn't afford to make the wrong choice. Alarms were going off in my head.
"Ah..."
"Ah?"
"Ayase-san and I are... dating."
We fell silent for a moment.
Unbeknownst to me, the signal had turned green.
"Gotcha."
By the time she spoke, Yomiuri-senpai had already turned her face forward, and the car had started slowly rolling forward.
"Mind if I hit the gas?"
What does she mean? The car's moving because she's already stepping on the accelerator.
"Let your senpai give you a piece of advice. Wanna know something?" Yomiuri-senpai continued, still facing forward.
"What?"
"Men are more attractive when they have a girlfriend. If you cherish your girlfriend, beware of temptations."
I didn't get it. Why would having a girlfriend change how people see me?
…No, to say nothing has changed would be lying.
It's true that as my relationship with Ayase-san deepened, I felt more comfortable talking to other women. Experience is a powerful teacher. And my looks had probably improved since I'd been taking fashion tips.
But I still didn't get why that would make me more popular. But Yomiuri-senpai's tone wasn't her usual one hundred percent playful one, now sounding half serious.
Also, Ayase-san seemed enough of a jealous type to be bothered by TV segments on cheating. I didn't want to make her sad, hurt her, nor cause any misunderstandings.
So—
"...I'll keep that in mind."
—I decided to take Yomiuri-senpai's advice to heart.
With a satisifed smile, she gave me a "good", before focussing on driving.
She didn't say another word until she pulled over and woke up the others.