Chapter 286: The Hero's Sword
Friday, the students of Shuchiin boarded the bus.
Sakurai Saki sat in the back row, with Hayasaka Ai next to him.
Their destination was a campsite somewhere in Nagano. The entire grade was divided into two groups, heading to different campgrounds to avoid overcrowding.
"I actually don't know how to ski," Sakurai Saki said offhandedly.
He had never tried the sport, his knowledge of it almost zero, and only hoped nothing would go wrong when the time came.
"I can teach you," Hayasaka Ai said, pulling out a pack of cornflakes. She tore it open and held a piece up to his mouth.
Sakurai Saki chewed the snack while recalling the schedule.
From Tokyo to Nagano wasn't that far—about an hour by shinkansen, longer by bus.
On the first day, they'd have to cook their own lunch outdoors. There was a temporary tent kitchen, pretty much like a summer camp.
In the afternoon there would be a two-hour safety lecture, followed by free activities.
The first evening would feature a campfire and a courage test. The second day they'd go to the ski resort, and the third day would be free time. Compared to the first day, Sakurai Saki was looking forward to the second day more. Even though he didn't know how to ski and disliked the cold, just hearing "skiing" sounded far more interesting.
The previous cultural festival had already included a campfire once; he didn't need to experience that again.
Next to the campsite there was a ryokan (japanese inn) with hot springs. If anyone didn't want to stay there, they could pitch a tent outdoors—the school didn't require it. Nagano's hot springs were as famous as its ski resorts. Sakurai Saki wanted to try a natural hot spring and wondered if there would be monkeys bathing there like in anime.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Mmmm Monke."
"Master Oogway?"
"No, just actual monkeys, the kind that bathe in hot springs."
Hayasaka Ai couldn't follow his train of thought and asked in confusion, "What's that?"
...
The whole bus was lively the entire trip.
Halfway through, someone wanted to sing, and it turned into an impromptu singing performance with everyone joining in.
Sakurai Saki was annoyed by the noise, but he could only accept the Bluetooth earphones Hayasaka handed him with a helpless yet amused expression, finally getting a bit of quiet.
Halfway through the ride, he tried to sleep, but the chatter never stopped, full of gossip that kept him awake.
That was when he realized it wasn't just girls who liked gossip—boys liked it too, himself included.
The topics revolved around who liked whom, which club had pretty girls, which club's flirtatious boy had been exposed… and it was really fun to listen to!
By late morning everyone got off the bus.
As soon as Sakurai Saki stepped down from the back, he felt the skin-piercing cold.
In the distance he could see snowy mountains; in front of him were dense cedar forests, the ground below covered in white snow.
"Look!! Snow!!!"
"Charge!!"
三三₍₍⚞(˶˃ ꒳ ˂˶)⚟⁾⁾
Christmas and New Year's had already brought snow, yet some boys acted like they'd never seen it before, practically itching to dive in and roll around.
"Alright everyone, grab your luggage. After getting off, bring it to the ryokan and put it in your rooms. Gather back here in thirty minutes!!" Masaki-sensei shouted toward the two guys who had already leapt into the snow. "It's not free time yet!! Get back here!!"
"Yes——!!" came their voices, full of disappointment.
Carrying his suitcase, Sakurai Saki turned to Hayasaka Ai beside him. "Need a hand?"
"Umu." Though Ai-chan could carry it herself, what girlfriend would dislike this kind of pampering?
Shinomiya Kaguya glanced over a few times but ultimately gave up on asking Sakurai Saki to help with her luggage.
Kaguya: (•́ ᴖ •̀)
Halfway along the path, Sakurai Saki spotted some familiar faces.
"Shirogane!!! Tanuma!!"
The two waved at him from a distance.
After greeting them, Sakurai Saki didn't go over; he was walking with his girlfriend. He first escorted her to the girls' room—three to a room: Kaguya, Hayasaka, and Hinokuchi Mirin, one of Ai-chan's friends.
After carrying his girlfriend's things, Sakurai Saki finally took his own luggage to the boys' room.
The boys' and girls' rooms were far apart, for some reason.
Were they afraid that boys and girls might "accidentally" meet at midnight and icha-icha?
He knocked on the door but heard nothing. Just as he was about to use the key, he found the door already open.
"Shirogane?" Sakurai Saki hadn't expected his roommate to be Shirogane Miyuki.
"What a coincidence, Tanuma's with us too." Shirogane took the luggage from his hands.
Because the room assignments didn't divide evenly, there was a chance of sharing with students from other classes, but fortunately everyone was familiar.
Since there was still time before the group meeting, Sakurai Saki didn't rush to unpack.
He glanced at Tanuma Tsubasa, who was sitting on the balcony, and said casually, "Looks like tonight we'll only be able to stay in the ryokan and play cards, huh?"
"We could also go to the hot spring," Tanuma Tsubasa suggested.
Of course, he understood what Sakurai Saki was hinting at—how could they possibly meet up with their girlfriends—but Tanuma Tsubasa had no solution either.
The boys' and girls' rooms were far apart; sneaking over could easily earn them the girls' disgust and, back at school, start all sorts of rumors.
Most importantly, all the rooms here were fully booked; they couldn't just reserve a private room.
Unless they camped outside—but with the temperature at minus five degrees, no ordinary person would dare.
"Then let's just go to the hot spring," Sakurai Saki sighed.
An open-air natural hot spring—there was no such thing to soak in back in Tokyo.
Since they'd come all the way here, wouldn't it be a waste not to enjoy it?
...
For lunch, the students had to cook by themselves.
Class A planned to make simple curry, easy to prepare. The girls were in charge of cooking, while the boys were in charge of gathering firewood.
"I think, you know, society today really ought to pay attention to gender equality," Kazamatsuri Gou said, patting Sakurai Saki's shoulder with a sigh.
Carrying several dry branches, Sakurai Saki replied calmly, "If you've got time to complain, why not help me gather more."
"Why do the boys have to trek deep into the forest to gather firewood while the girls can sit in the shelter chopping vegetables?" Kazamatsuri Gou took the firewood from Sakurai Saki's arms and walked off.
Dusting off his hands, Sakurai Saki said, "No matter how much you strive for equality, girls will always have natural advantages. Even if equality in status is possible, morally it isn't. A woman's body is without doubt at a disadvantage compared to a man's."
"That sounds way too deep. I'm too lazy to listen." It wasn't that he didn't understand, he just couldn't be bothered.
"You started the topic and then denied it yourself…" Sakurai Saki bent down and picked up a perfectly straight branch.
What an excellent sword!
"This sword is really straight!!!" Kazamatsuri Gou's eyes lit up.
"This is the finest treasure sword in the village." Sakurai Saki swung the branch and then thrust it into the ground.
"Legend says only the one who can draw it out can be called a Hero."
"Hahaha!! Let me try!" Kazamatsuri Gou set down his firewood and stood before the "treasure sword."
He placed his right hand on the hilt, using more and more strength, his face growing serious, but no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge.
He gave up.
"Haizz." Kazamatsuri Gou sighed, bending down to pick up the firewood again.
"Sakurai, I can't do it."
"What? Even you, the 69th descendant of Hero Himmel, can't pull it out?! Could it be you're a fake?!" Sakurai Saki exclaimed dramatically.
"What's wrong with being a fake hero?!" Kazamatsuri Gou shook his head hard, his bangs flying.
"Like my ancestor, I'll defeat the Demon King and restore peace to the world!" Kazamatsuri Gou, 69th descendant of Hero Himmel, laughed heartily and shouted, "Then whether I'm real or fake won't matter anymore!!"
...
Not far away, Shinomiya Kaguya—the girls' representative sent to urge the boys to hurry with the firewood—witnessed the scene.
She shouted, "Sakurai-san!! Hurry up!!!"
Immediately after, she caught sight of the utterly embarrassed faces of Sakurai Saki and kis friend "weeb."
Seeing this, the corners of Kaguya's lips curled slightly.
'Interesting.'
So he had such a childish side too.
How cute~.