Inside the Light Truck—
A heavy atmosphere loomed over them. In the end, they rejected Shiro's idea of both drunk driving and driving without a license.
Compared to him, they were more willing to trust someone who at least had a license… Even though this "licensed" person was just as unreliable!
The trio seriously suspected that Aina had bought her license! And why the hell did she have a manual transmission license?
If you were going to buy one, wouldn't an automatic license be the smarter choice?
"Life is truly short."
"The sky is so blue today!"
"I never thought my final moments would be spent with you guys."
The three sighed in resignation. At this moment, the back of the truck was fully occupied by them and Kotobuki.
Originally, Shiro wanted to take the small car instead—after all, there were only three people in that one, so there was room for one more!
Unfortunately…
That car only had two extra seats left. The trio, unable to split up evenly, decided they would rather face death together…
"You guys are seriously rude!!!"
Aina shouted from the driver's seat.
Even if they wanted to say such things, couldn't they at least lower their voices a little? Had they ever considered the driver's feelings?!
If they kept this up, she just might make them experience "equipment-free diving" firsthand!
"Oh, this truck bed is actually quite comfortable!"
Only Kotobuki seemed genuinely intrigued, curiously enjoying the experience. This was his first time riding in one, and it actually felt pretty good.
Whenever he took a regular car, he always felt cramped—this was just the right size for him.
Disaster strikes again.
Just as they were contemplating life, that damned shop owner came running back.
＼(`Δ')／
"Hey! Mister, forget it! We are NOT buying any of your services!"
The moment Shiro saw the owner, he became visibly agitated.
He was already convinced this guy was running a scam—handing out free manual transmission trucks, waiting for the customers to realize they couldn't drive them, and then charging outrageous service fees!
Damn it!
He refused to let someone make money off such a devious trick!
(′｀;)?
The owner looked completely dumbfounded. What… happened?
Did they somehow find out that he owned this land too?
"Ah, I just wanted to remind you all—this entire area is my private property, by the way."
(In Japan, passengers are not allowed to ride in the bed of a truck without police permission.)
"..."
Shiro fell into a deep silence. He could almost hear a calculator frantically crunching numbers in his mind.
How much did all this land cost?!
Why was someone this rich unable to provide them with a proper nine-seater vehicle? A minibus would've worked too, right?!
Lowering his head, he realized—this black-hearted shop owner must have used highly questionable methods to make his fortune!
As the owner walked away, Shiro silently vowed:
One day! One day, I will become even more ruthless than him!
Damn it, why does the law have to set interest rate limits?!
Everything was ready!
Now, it was time to start the engine!
"Vroom!"
A cloud of black smoke puffed out as the slightly worn-down truck roared to life.
"Everyone, hold on tight!"
"Oh, dear God!"
"Uuuuu X﹏X"
The trio braced themselves, feeling as though time had slowed to a crawl—so much so that the truck, which should have shot forward, was… driving completely normally.
"Huh?" ×3
They were utterly confused—was Aina actually good at this?!
"Why are you so skilled at this?!"
Shiro leaned against the driver's window, staring in disbelief. This was the work of an experienced driver.
Feeling proud at first, Aina immediately tensed up at his words, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"N-no, I'm not experienced at all! Someone as sophisticated as me would never have helped out on a farm using this kind of vehicle!"
Shiro casually delivered a critical hit.
The moment the others heard her excuse, their nervous tension vanished. So, she actually had experience driving this kind of truck.
That meant they didn't have to worry about safety anymore and could fully enjoy the ride!
"Hahaha! This is unexpectedly exhilarating!"
"Aina's driving is really solid!"
"Youth! The ocean, here I come!"
"Hahahaha!"
The four of them burst into laughter. This was exactly the kind of training camp they were looking forward to!
Well… except for one thing.
"Too bad we didn't bring any beer with us."
"Yeah, we left it all in Chisa's car."
"Should we stop and go grab some? They're right behind us anyway."
"Agreed!"
The four exchanged knowing glances—this was the perfect mood for some alcohol!
"Absolutely not! Have any of you even considered the feelings of the driver?!"
Aina yelled in frustration. If they started drinking beer in the truck, who knew what would come next?
Strip poker?
A full-blown drinking party?
Come on! This was just a small truck! It wouldn't survive the impact of these beasts!
"Hmm, I guess you have a point."
After hearing Aina's protest, Shiro and the others reconsidered. She was right—they were being thoughtless.
So...
"Aina, do you want the local beer, or the kind we had before?"
"…I'M DRIVING, YOU IDIOTS! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO CONVINCE THE DRIVER TO DRINK?!"
At this moment, Aina genuinely wanted to take them all down with her. Was their brain filled with nothing but alcohol?!
(?????)
"Wait!"
"Shiro, we have a problem!"
Just as Shiro was about to reply, Iori yanked him back.
A cargo truck was heading straight toward them!
If they got caught, it would mean dealing with a whole lot of unnecessary trouble!
Their youthful adventure did NOT belong in a police station!
"Hide!"
"Damn it, there's no room!"
"Lie down?"
"There's a tarp over here!"
Once again, the seniors proved their worth—finding a discarded tarp in the corner.
It wasn't big enough to cover them completely, but it would work as a disguise prop!
The four of them quickly lay down, pulled the tarp over themselves, leaving only their ankles exposed.
In that instant, all four of them had the exact same brilliant idea.
The truck driver had no idea he was about to witness something horrifying.
Casually puffing on a cigarette, he noticed movement in the back of a passing light truck.
That… didn't seem safe.
If people were really riding in the back, he planned to report it to the police. No way was he letting some reckless idiots endanger themselves on the road!
As he got closer…
He saw it.
Four pale, motionless ankles sticking out from under a white sheet.
{{(°△°; "}}!!!
His whole body shuddered, and his phone slipped from his hands.
A white sheet?
Bare ankles?
A light truck?
That was a corpse transport truck!!!
Then… whose head did he see earlier?!
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
His scream rose with the speed of his truck as he sped away.
Back in the truck bed, the four of them threw off the tarp.
"Success!"
Their plan had worked flawlessly. Now, nobody would suspect there were passengers in the back!
…except for the two unlucky guys who ended up face-to-face under the tarp.
＼(`Δ')／
"STOP FIGHTING BACK THERE, DAMN IT!!!"
Aina was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
...
Behind them, Chisa and the others silently watched from the minivan.
"What are those idiots doing now?"
"Haha, Shiro and the others are as lively as ever—such a close bond~"
"Exactly! Chisa, you should hurry up and join in too~"
(???)
Chisa looked at the three already half-naked figures in front and chose to selectively ignore that last line.
Join in?
Sorry, but she simply wasn't perverted enough to be part of that…