.
[-Continuation-]
.
[-Third Person View-]
??!!Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes snapped open like window blinds on a stormy morning.
He shot up instantly, sending his blanket on a mini-adventure to the floor.
There was none of that usual - where am I? - fog clouding his brain.
Nope, his eyes were unusually clear while a sharp awareness replacing the usual haze of sleep that clouded his mornings.
He didn't feel groggy or confused, he felt his mind revving up like a sports car at the starting line.
The first thing he did was grab his phone from the bedside of his futon.
His fingers flew across the screen, a man on a mission. His eyes scanned the screen, quickly finding what he was looking for.
Bingo! There it was - the call to Ryota, staring back at him from his call log.
"So, it wasn't a dream." He muttered to himself, a grin sneaking on his lips.
His shoulders, which had been doing their best impression of a coat hanger, finally decided to chill out.
With a dramatic sigh, he tossed his phone aside like yesterday's newspaper with a careless flick of his wrist. Its importance suddenly diminished. It clattered softly on the floor, but he didn't care to check where it landed.
Finally, he took a moment to scope out his surroundings. To his left, sprawled on the floor in a haphazard fashion, was Zaimokuza, snoring softly with a half-open manga resting on his chest.
On his right, Totsuka lay curled up in a sleeping bag, his face peaceful and serene, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Some things never change, huh?" Hachiman mused, shaking his head.
….
.
Meanwhile, just above the floor of the same inn, Yukino Yukinoshita was kicking off her day in a strikingly similar fashion.
She bolted upright in bed, almost as if someone had pulled her from sleep. Her blanket was thrown off with a sharp, decisive motion, surprising her classmates who were resting nearby.
But Yukino? She was in her own world. Population - one.
Her eyes were wide open, alert, with no trace of sleepiness clouding their icy blue depths. It was as if she had never truly been asleep at all.
Without wasting a moment, she reached for her phone near her pillow. Her fingers moved with intent, scrolling through the chat history until she found last night's conversation with Yui, laid out in all its glory.
As she skimmed the messages, her face softened like butter left out in the sun.
"So, it wasn't a dream." She murmured softly, her shoulders easing down as a small blush crept across her cheeks, painting them a delicate pink.
She set her phone back down on the pillow with all the care this time, as if the device had suddenly become fragile.
And just like that, our two leads, Hikigaya Hachiman and Yukinoshita Yukino, kicked off their day in an oddly similar fashion.
….
.
[-Hachiman's POV-]
It was the second day of the field trip.
The road map for today was something like this.
From Uzumasa district to the historic Rakusei area.
….and obviously, our starting point was Uzumasa.
We relocated to Uzumasa from the inn by way of the city bus, a motley crew of sleepy-eyed students and chattering tourists, all bound for our first stop- the Uzumasa Movie Village.
As we reached our destination, the bus groaned to a stop, its doors opening with a sharp hiss.
What followed could only be described as organized chaos.
We spilled out onto the sidewalk, a jumble of limbs and backpacks, like a clown car had just emptied its content, too many people in too small a space.
In this state, I would have gladly ducked into the nearest Komeda Coffee for a quick cinnamon pastry and some rest.
But there was no time for that. Duty called, and we shuffled toward the imposing gates of the movie village.
As we passed through the entrance, it felt like stepping back in time. The modern world fell away, replaced by a tableau of feudal Japan.
Every now and then, you would catch sight of someone dressed as a samurai, passing by in character. Whether they were actors or staff members was hard to tell, but their presence gave the place an air of authenticity.
The village buzzed with a strange energy - part theme park excitement, part reverent hush.
….
[-After An Hour-]
.
Just as I stepped out of the haunted mansion, I made my way over to a nearby bench and let out a deep sigh.
The field trip was still in full swing, and the latest visit, a haunted mansion, had finally wrapped up.
And I mean just now, seriously, I was still catching my breath from the whole ordeal as I walked over to a bench shaded by a tree.
I settled in, trying to relax. The haunted mansion itself wasn't all that scary, and my mind was elsewhere to begin with the entire time.
Yeah, I am still thinking about her… What could she be doing right now?
So…. you got the gist of it I guess. Well there is one other thing, I might be putting an exactly less than one present of my mind on…
Did the haunted mansion even have an effect on them at all?
I am speaking of our setup attempt for Tobe and Ebina. Another scheme, another plan trying to nudge them together.
And yeah, that plan was still playing out. I even tried giving Tobe a bit of a pep talk earlier, but, as usual, it didn't work out.
If I am being honest, I am not even interested in that whole topic anymore. It's like. 'Okay, let's just get this over with.'
Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed Totsuka approaching until he was right next to me. He had gone through the haunted mansion with me, after all.
"Hachiman, that was really fun, huh?" The smiling Totsuka started to make me feel dizzy.
….
.
Yooossh…
On to the next destination!
Why am I so pumped? Because this is the moment I have been waiting for.
It's time to see my girlfriend.
And why am I so sure? Because I know it, we met in the story and I am convinced we will run into her again.
Anyway, our next stop is the Rakusei area.
More specifically, Ninnaji Temple in the Rakusei area.
Ninnaji Temple is apparently more popular in spring when cherry blossoms paint the grounds in delicate pink. Even after autumn, though, it held a certain charm.
It started when we boarded the bus again, leaving Uzumasa behind, while all I did was space out, closing my eyes.
Just as I was about lost on the edge of a daydream, a familiar voice cut through my reverie, sharp and playful.
"Hey, Hikki." Yuigahama's voice lilted with a mischievous undertone. "Think we will bump into Yukino there?" Her eyes sparkled with an impish glint, reminiscent of a cat that had just cornered its prey.
I cracked one eye open, and looked over at Yuigahama sitting beside me, or to be more precise, in the window seat.
What's with this girl today?
She is making things unnecessarily bothersome to me...
Not that she is giving me a hard time exactly, but she is definitely not making it easy, either.
It is not the usual level of annoyance I am used to from her, it's like she is being extra mischievous, a bit more... edgy, even.
How do I put this into words?
Like, just now, I was about to take the window seat in the back, but she darted past me like a flash and claimed it for herself. And let's not forget the little victory pose she made, sticking her tongue out like a child.
With no other choice, I had to settle for the seat beside her.
And then, out of nowhere, she brings up Yukinoshita's name.
That's suspicious.
"Who knows?" I replied, aiming for nonchalance but probably landing somewhere between neutral and mild irritation. "If it happens, it happens."
With that, I ignored whatever she was saying and entered into my spaced out mode again, leaning back on the seat.
There was no way I was going to admit that yes, we are definitely going to meet Yukinoshita.
Maybe if she had been a bit nicer to me today... but not after the stunts she's been pulling.
And no, I am not admitting that her tricks are getting under my skin.
Nope. No. I was above all that. Definitely.
….
.
Yep. There is nothing more to see here.
After briefly touring around the gardens and temples, everyone was emanating an 'isn't it about time we get going?' feeling.
With her sensitive nature, Yuigahama took a hint and prompted everyone.
"Mmkay, let's go to the next one!"
Now then, the next place of interest was Ryouanji Temple.
On top of having such a cool name, this place was also famous for its rock garden. It was a mere ten-minute stroll from Ninnaji, so we set off on foot.
So we began trudging along on the road. I found myself trailing at the back of the group, content to observe from a distance.
As we continued talking while walking, we found ourselves at the entrance to Ryoanji Temple, while there were few extreme groups who had already reached and were waiting for us ahead.
We made our way to the Hojo, the main hall, where the renowned rock garden awaited.
It was the Karesansui Garden.
It was basically a garden style that primarily used rocks and other minerals without any water.
After all the walking, fatigue began to set in. One by one, my classmates found their way to the benches, staring blankly at the rock garden as if in a daze.
But I wasn't paying much attention to them.
I had something more important on my mind, I was looking for someone.
...And no, I hadn't texted her. In fact, I hadn't messaged her since last night.
I figured it was the best course of action, letting fate or 'coincidence' decide our encounter.
Scanning the area, I slowly made my way to a bench and claimed a spot at its far end.
As I sat down, the person next to me shifted slightly, making space.
And just as I nodded in thanks, to show my feeling of appreciation as if I awarded money, the person called out to me.
"Oh, what a coincidence."
Hm? When I turned towards the person, the person sitting there was Yukinoshita Yukino. My girlfriend.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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