Chapter 311: Oh My, I'm So Angry
The day of the elementary school activity organized by Shizuka Hiratsuka arrived swiftly.
Hachiman had already selected the participants, including the original Service Club members Yukino and Yui, and Komachi, his sister. Additionally, he informed Saeko and Kotonoha, two girls with a nurturing and motherly vibe who wouldn't find taking care of kids too challenging.
Regarding Yumiko, Hachiman chose not to inform her, expecting her to join the event as in the original story.
Notably, this time, the activity took place at the elementary school attended by Kokoro, Kotonoha's sister. However, it remained uncertain if Kokoro would participate in the event.
At the station, when Hachiman and Komachi arrived, Shizuka was already waiting. She stood in front of a van, her black hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a khaki hat and sunglasses. Her upper body was clad in a black short-sleeved T-shirt paired with denim jeans, highlighting her well-defined figure.
"Shizuka-nee," Komachi greeted as they approached.
Uh, sister...
Hearing Komachi's address, Hachiman smirked.
Do you even realize she's old enough to be your aunt?!
Seeing his expression, Shizuka glared at him.
"What's the matter? Do you have a problem?"
You've even referred to yourself in such a manner. Technically, I'm Komachi's sister-in-law, so what's wrong with her calling me sister?
"No problem," Hachiman shook his head.
At that moment, a familiar voice reached his ears.
"Hikki, you're so slow."
Hachiman turned to see Yui and Yukino approaching from a short distance.
Dressed in summer attire, the two exuded a youthful charm.
"Yui-neechan, hi there."
Seeing the two, Komachi naturally greeted them.
"Hi there, Komachi."
Yui responded as well.
Observing the lively antics of the two, Hachiman felt a bit helpless.
After greeting Yui, Komachi shifted her gaze to Yukino. "Hi there, Yukino-nee."
"Hi... Hello, Komachi."
Surprisingly, Yukino was almost taken aback but managed to recover in time.
Noticing Hachiman's gaze, the girl blushed slightly and turned her head away.
Stepping forward, Komachi grabbed Yukino's hands. "Thank you for inviting me. I'm so happy."
Although Yukino was momentarily uncomfortable, with Komachi's lively personality, the three of them quickly engaged in cheerful conversation.
Watching his sister openly siding with the enemy, Hachiman smirked.
Hey, hey, you got the person to thank all wrong. Clearly, I'm the one who brought you here.
Just then, another voice reached his ears.
"Hachiman."
Turning towards the sound, he saw a handsome young man with grayish short hair waving and running towards him.
It was Saika.
Greeting the newcomer, Komachi naturally welcomed him.
"Hi, Totsuka."
Saika waved back, responding with, "Yeah, hi there."
Surprisingly, even Saika used this greeting. Was this some kind of trend?
As Hachiman pondered this, Shizuka spoke up.
"I've called everyone, kid. Who else did you invite?"
Hachiman smiled, "Saeko-senpai and Kotonoha, they should be here soon."
As he finished speaking, two charming figures approached from a distance.
Approaching him, Kotonoha wore a slightly apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Hachiman-kun, for keeping you waiting."
"No problem, we just arrived too."
Hachiman greeted the two women with a gentle smile and then turned to Shizuka.
"Alright, everyone's here. We can depart now."
Hearing his words and observing Saeko and Kotonoha's attractive faces and curvaceous figures, Shizuka rolled her eyes.
Without even looking, she could tell these were Hachiman's targets, and maybe he had already made his move.
Adding Yukino and Yui to the mix...
Oh, I'm so annoyed. There are so many competing against me.
Sighing, Shizuka also signaled everyone to get on the van.
With three rows of seats, Hachiman sat in the front passenger seat, and the two rows behind accommodated three people each, fitting everyone perfectly.
Once everyone was on board, Shizuka started the engine, stepped on the gas, and the van slowly left the station.
"Where are we going?"
Sitting in the front passenger seat, Hachiman casually asked.
Shizuka replied, "Chiba Village."
"Oh? Chiba Village."
Hearing this name, Hachiman raised an eyebrow, recalling a field trip during his middle school days.
Before long, Shizuka's driven vehicle reached the destination.
As everyone disembarked, they couldn't help but marvel at the picturesque surroundings.
"Wow, it's a mountain! So beautiful."
"Yeah, it's really nice."
"Look at all those big trees."
"The air is so fresh."
...
For modern city dwellers, the sight of forests and mountains is indeed a rare treat.
The weather today was exceptionally clear, and in the distance, the silhouette of Mount Fuji could be seen. Coupled with the lush mountain range nearby, the verdant forests even brought a hint of brightness to Yukino's usually composed eyes.
At this moment, another van slowly pulled to a stop.
Opening the door, out came Hayama and Yumiko, along with others.
Seeing Hachiman not far away, Yumiko snorted lightly, turned her head away, and upon observing her friend's reaction, Ebina's eyes flickered but she didn't say anything.
Hachiman didn't pay much attention, greeted Hayama.
"Yo, Hayama, you're here too."
"Yeah, Hiratsuka-sensei asked me to help," Hayama naturally nodded with a smile, then greeted Yukino.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Yukinoshita."
However, upon seeing Hayama, Yukino slightly turned her head away, showing a reluctance to engage with him.
Seeing her reaction, Hayama awkwardly chuckled.
"Now that everyone's here, let me explain the situation," Shizuka spoke up to diffuse the awkwardness.
"You guys will temporarily be volunteers here, assisting in this forest summer camp," she said, turning her gaze to Yukino, "It will also count as a collective activity for your Service Club. No problem with that, right, Yukinoshita?"
"No problem."
Yukino naturally wouldn't refuse; after all, the duties of the Service Club were not significantly different from those of volunteers.
Nodding, Shizuka continued, "Rest assured, your efforts won't be in vain. This activity will be an added bonus in your college applications. Also, during your free time, you're free to explore."
"All right, follow me. After you drop off your luggage, we'll start working."
With that, Shizuka walked ahead, leading everyone to the designated area.