After that, we ate our breakfast and got an upset stomach because we ate too much. Our departure was delayed for a bit because of it, but we managed to set off without trouble.
Sora-san sat in the driver seat while Riku-san rode shotgun. Meanwhile Umi and I sat in the back seat.
"You're driving, Sora-san? Thank you for your care, please take care of me today."
"Hehe, don't mind it. Also, it's okay if you two are going to flirt in the back, but make sure to wear your seatbelts properly, okay? Especially you, Umi."
"I-I know! Stop treating me like a kid!"
Umi and I naturally held each other's hands. Honestly, I wanted to do more than this, but I was afraid that we would distract Sora-san. I didn't want us to get into an accident because of my foolishness.
"Are you sure that you don't want me to drive, Mom? It's your first time driving to grandma's place, right?"
"I remember the way, no problem. If I get tired, you can take over."
"…Alright then, but keep in mind that we aren't the only ones in the car. Drive safely, okay, mom?"
"I know, I know."
After saying that, Riku-san sat in the passenger seat. He looked unusually worried though.
"Maki, here."
"Hm? What is this? Medicine?"
"Yeah, it's for motion sickness, we'll be inside the car for a long time after all. By the way, do you normally get carsick?"
"Yeah, but I should be fine if we occasionally rest along the way."
"Alright. If you feel uncomfortable, speak up, okay? I brought some vomit bags."
This girl also acted a little bit peculiar.
It had been a while since I rode a car, but I went on school trips before, so it wasn't that big of a deal. It would probably be bad for me if we were to go on an absurdly long trip, though. On this occasion, I had this medicine and Umi was with me as well, so it shouldn't be too bad.
…Still, her attitude concerned me.
"Uh, Umi?"
"Yes?"
"Is Sora-san… You know… A rash driver?"
"…Normally not, like back when we brought you to the hospital, she drives the car like a normal person… But on highways… Let's say that the speedometer number keeps going up."
"And the car will get more and more shaky as it goes up?"
"More or less."
"I see…"
Now I understood why Riku-san and Umi acted like that.
"Has everyone fastened their seatbelts yet? Done? Alright, let's get going!"
""…""
Despite her excitement, the mood between the other three people inside the car was gloomy.
I hoped that we survived this ordeal somehow.
* * *
I was slightly worried about how the trip would start out, but contrary to my expectation, Sora-san drove calmly so far.
We passed through the familiar scenery of the city into the landscapes that were unfamiliar to me.
From the highway, I could see a bunch of houses and a lot of factories lined up, a scenery that was probably familiar to the others around me, but to me it was like a whole new world opened up.
"Hehe, you've been looking outside for a while now, Maki. What are you acting like a kid for?~"
"I mean, I moved to this city not too long ago and ever since then, I rarely went outside. Seeing this new scenery feels refreshing."
All I've been doing was waking up in the morning, going to school and coming back home after school.
At first, I didn't even have the will to look at the scenery around me, but as I became friends and eventually lovers with Umi, I started to be able to enjoy the view around me.
Everything was thanks to this girl sitting beside me.
I probably sound like a broken record with how much I repeated my gratitude for her, but I'd say it over and over again to hammer this point home.
Firmly, I grasped her hand again before turning away from her smiling face to the scenery outside the window.
"Umi."
"What is it?"
"We're still riding the car, but you know what? I'm having so much fun already…"
"Really? I'm glad to hear that, but…"
She gripped my hand back before leaning closer to me.
"Look at me too, okay? Don't just stare outside like that…"
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
The purpose of this trip was to see various sceneries with Umi. I had to be careful not to spoil her mood, because if I did, that would defeat the purpose of this whole thing. But still, it was my first trip in years, so it was normal that I was unusually excited.
That aside, seeing her acting jealous over something like this was cute.
"Maki."
"Hm?"
"How do I look today?"
"You asked this question earlier."
"Look, I woke up at five to dress up, so I want you to praise me as much as possible~ Can you, Maki? Pretty please?~"
"Are you kidding me?"
Well, if that's what she wanted, I'll praise her as much as I can.
Sora-san giggled from the driver seat and Riku-san let out a heavy sigh, but I'll pretend that I didn't hear them.
"You look cute, Umi."
"Hehe, thank you, Maki. Here, here~"
"S-Stop poking my cheek!"
"Hehe, can't hear you~ Take this~"
The seatbelt restricted my movement, which frustrated me because it was harder for me to dodge her. Well, on the bright side, we were able to play around like this, so it wasn't all that bad.
"Mom, aren't you going to stop them?"
"Hehe, why would I? They aren't doing anything bad."
"Do I really have to watch over those two idiots? Ugh…"
"If you don't want to do it, just open the door and go home, Brother."
"The hell are you on about? I'm not going to knock on heaven's door anytime soon. Oi, that guy over there, make your girlfriend shut her mouth, will you? You can get a little rough with her, you have my permission."
"Haha, Nope. I'd rather not involve myself in a sibling's quarrel."
The four of us were slowly approaching our destination in a lively (?) mood.