"I didn't expect that we would come here..."
"Surprise?"
Yuu didn't say anything and just looked at Mizuto speechlessly since he had brought her to Lake Biwa, located in the next prefecture, Shiga Prefecture.
Frankly, Mizuto wanted to visit Uji, the most famous tea production and also the setting of the first famous novel, Genji Monogatari, but he felt a bit lazy as it would take at least an hour of trip to go there by motorcycle.
Nevertheless, Lake Biwa was closer to their house, so Mizuto directly chose this largest lake in the country as their destination for their trip. Frankly, this lake was so large that it took a third of the total area of the Shiga Prefecture, which made this prefecture famous for this lake and nothing else.
Yet, Mizuto knew that he shouldn't say such a rude thing to the people of Shiga since those people would definitely threaten to stop supplying water to Kyoto.
Nevertheless, after they arrived, they sat on the bench on the shoreline of Lake Biwa, watching this largest lake in the country and all the activity that happened around it.
Still, even if he had said that they observed their surroundings, there weren't many people.
Or rather, there weren't any people at all!
Was it because of the location he had chosen, or was it because of the depopulation of the rural area, as most people would move into the city?
However, it was also due to the fact that the fauna and flora near their location were particularly vibrant.
As they sat on the bench, they could see various birds, such as ducks that flocked around, grey herons that stood on the edge of the rock Revetment, and shrikes that were chirping on the nearby trees. It was so peaceful, he thought.
Sitting by his side, Yuu took out her smartphone to take a picture of this scenery several times before she aimed her camera at him. Mizuto made a peace sign with a bright smile, causing her to blush, but she took his photo regardless.
"Though, I have to say that there is nothing here."
After he made a pose, he sighed helplessly.
"Didn't you the one who brought me here?" Yuu was speechless by his comments.
"Well, I didn't expect that it would be so quiet."
Except for old people, Mizuto didn't see any young people, and he was sure that those locals were too lazy to look at Lake Biwa as they had seen them until they were sick of it. Somehow, he felt like it should be okay for him to do "it" outdoors, and he didn't think someone would find out.
It was like this.
Yuu wanted to say something, but suddenly her cheek was kissed by him.
"....."
"Wh-What are you doing?!" Watching her blushing face, Mizuto was as calm as ever and said, "I thought that since there weren't any people, it would be okay to kiss you outdoors like this."
"..."
Yuu was silent, wondering whether Mizuto had loved to do something outdoors since the last time he had kissed her in the alley. Yet when she thought about her big sister, mother, or grandmother who might come to her room anytime, she felt like doing it outdoors was much safer than doing it inside her room.
"By the way, Yuu."
"Hmm?"
"Did you do it often in the cashier area?"
What he received wasn't an answer but a slap on his shoulder by Yuu. "Sorry, sorry. I won't mention it again."
Yuu felt that her face was burning, then sighed helplessly, "Please forget that, Mizuto..." She took a deep breath and said, "I guess... I was just not right on that mind at the time..." She wondered whether she was being possessed by something as she dared to do something so naughty in such an open place. Frankly, she also felt that she was lucky that it was him who discovered her, but if it was someone else?
"I won't do it again."
"It's good that you know." Mizuto smiled and then took out the plastic bag that he had been given when he had bought the specialty bread of the Shiga prefecture from his backpack. "For you."
"Is it okay?"
"I bought one for you, though."
"Thanks." Yuu looked at the "Salad Roll," then asked, "I wonder whether it is delicious..."
"You won't know until you try."
The "Salad Roll" is a famous bread product of the 1951-founded company Tsuruya Pan. Despite its name, it is an original and unique local sandwich made with a long bun filled with daikon radish pickles called "takuan" flavored with mayonnaise.
The packaging was retro, and it had never changed since the time the company was founded, which was also partly the reason for its popularity.
Mizuto was about to eat it, but Yuu suddenly asked, "Are you okay with tea?" He looked at her and then nodded. "I am fine."
"Wait here. Don't eat it first." Yuu stood up, then walked to the nearby vending machine, put two coins onto the machine, then pressed two barley teas for the two of them. "For you."
"Thanks." Mizuto smiled, and Yuu also smiled. "No problem."
The two sat side by side, watching the scenery of Lake Biwa under the shades of the trees as they ate the "Salad Roll." The gentle waves of the water on the lake, the cool wind from the surrounding area, the cheerful chirping of the birds, and the beautiful scenery before them made them enjoy their moment.
Only Mizuto was looking at his bitten "Salad Roll" helplessly as the taste was too unique for his tastebuds, but he could tell that Yuu seemed to enjoy this special bread, especially when she didn't notice the white stains of the mayonnaise on the corner of her lips.
As if noticing his gaze, Yuu blushed again and chided him lightly. "Pervert."
"Sorry." As he apologized, he wondered whether this relationship was okay to continue for a long time. If they were friends, it didn't matter, but he knew that their relationship was no longer a friend.
So, what was their current relationship?
It definitely wasn't a lover, so it should be... a friend with a benefit.
"By the way, is it delicious for you, Yuu?"
"Well, I like it." Yuu nodded since this bun was quite tasty, but then she noticed that he hadn't eaten his bread for a while. "You don't like it?"
"Well... it's okay." It was a shame for him to waste his food, so he tried to force himself to eat.
Yuu chuckled when she saw he was like a child who couldn't eat a vegetable. "Don't leave anything behind, okay, Mizuto-kun?" She thought that Mizuto would say something, but he just quietly ate as he gazed at the lake, which caused her to remember that he had lost his mother early. "Ah, um, I am sorry, Mizuto..."
"Why did you apologize?" Mizuto looked at Yuu in confusion.
"I... I thought that I reminded you of..."
Mizuto looked at her sad expression and felt a bit helpless since he knew that his status as someone without a mother would make people look at him in pity. If he was a previous Mizuto, he might act differently, but he wasn't the original Mizuto, so he didn't care much about this.
"It's okay. I am not thinking about that. I was just thinking that it was nice to spend time with you, Yuu."
He put his arm around her small waist, patting her back gently, telling her that he was thinking that it was nice to have a quiet time with her. If it was with Yume and the others, instead of a quiet time, his time would be spent wildly as they would attack him, kiss him, and do something naughty.
Yet, when he held her on his arm, he noticed her gaze was on his lips, which made him smile and lightly chid her. "Pervert."
Yuu felt her entire face was so hot as she couldn't deny that she was thinking something perverted, but before she reacted, her lips were kissed by him. She didn't push him and just lay willingly on him, accepting his advance obediently as her small tongue sought after his.
It was strange somehow as she felt like all the worry in her heart had disappeared the moment he kissed her, and she continued to kiss him until she lost her breath.
"It tastes like a pickle."
"Yours the same, though."
The two laughed before she leaned on his shoulder, watching the lake, before she asked, "By the way, how is your novel?"
"Now that you mention it, I haven't checked it."
"You haven't?"
"I have signed a contract, then I just leave everything to my editor. She told me that it should be uploaded on the official website now for the competition."
"Where is the website?"
"Wait a moment."
Mizuto took his smartphone and opened the Kadokawa website, where thousands of novels were uploaded every day. It was just that he didn't expect his novel to be at its most conspicuous place with so many readers having read it.
"...."
Isn't my novel too popular?
Nevertheless, Mizuto felt slightly complex as his scumbag story became the most popular story in the country.