"It's just a simple trip, everyone going out together to have fun, and we're only staying one night. Mom, you don't have to worry about it."
Eriri said this while scooping up a small bite of rice.
She still didn't catch her mother's underlying meaning. She simply thought her mom was trying to help her plan the trip, maybe recommend some restaurants near their destination.
Honestly—she wasn't a little kid anymore. She could handle something as basic as this herself. Just the other day, she had earned two million yen on her own.
Compared to others her age, that was pretty impressive.
Mrs. Sawamura closed her eyes gently and let out a quiet sigh.
A little melancholy lingered in her heart, along with some concern. If things kept going like this, would she and her daughter never be able to reach that unspoken understanding—where just a glance or a small hint was enough for them to be on the same page?
"I'm not worried about that," Mrs. Sawamura said softly. "I just mean—since you're inviting everyone out, this might be a good chance for you. You should make use of it properly."
Normally she didn't like putting things so bluntly; it went against her personal sense of conversational elegance. But since her adorable daughter still hadn't picked up on the subtleties, she had no choice but to spell it out.
"Make use of it? Make use of what?"
Eriri frowned, plucking a tiny fish bone out of her mouth with a napkin. She was still completely lost.
Mr. Sawamura sat there with complicated feelings. As a senior diplomat stationed in Tokyo, he'd dealt with enough business leaders and politicians to know exactly what his wife was trying to hint at.
He knew his wife adored Senya, and truth be told, he held the boy in high regard himself.
A handsome young man, brimming with confidence, standing like a fresh breeze under the heavens—a striking figure, much like his own youth. So dazzling, in fact, that those around him would pale in comparison. It was that very quality that had once swept his wife off her feet, a love so fierce it had endured all these years without fading in the slightest.
Ahem.
Well, in any case… middle school was still too early. At the very least, such things should wait until high school.
Of course, part of this was also the reluctance of a father unwilling to let go.
So, thinking it unnecessary to spell things out right now, Mr. Sawamura nudged his wife's foot under the table.
What he wanted to say was: She doesn't get it yet, so just let it be. No need to push it.
But Mrs. Sawamura didn't even glance at him. Instead, with practiced subtlety, she used her own feet to hook his pant leg, slipping her toes against the bare skin of his calf and lightly stroking.
In that instant, Mr. Sawamura felt as though a cold serpent had coiled itself around him. A shiver shot up his spine. He immediately withdrew his foot, sat upright, and quietly went back to eating without another word.
Their little under-the-table exchange went completely unnoticed by Eriri—just as she hadn't noticed that time at the kotatsu when Saeko had made some rather suggestive gestures toward Minamoto Senya during their gaming session.
Mrs. Sawamura turned back to her daughter, her voice patient and gentle. "Think about it: you're the host. You're the one arranging the trip and the lodging. In that situation… what do you think that means?"
By now, the hint was more than obvious.
Eriri slowly set down her chopsticks, placing her hands nervously on her thighs under the table. Her face grew bashful.
With that one nudge from her mother, it suddenly clicked.
That's right. If I'm the one arranging everything… then this really is a golden opportunity!
Mrs. Sawamura set her chopsticks aside and rested her chin in her hand, her expression turning nostalgic.
"It reminds me of when your father and I were young. We once went on a trip with friends. There was a girl he'd grown up with—someone very close to him. We all played during the day, but when night came, everyone, including her, just went back to their rooms to sleep. That's when I privately asked your father to meet me at the hotel pool, so he could teach me how to swim.
Looking back, I think that was when our relationship really began. It's a good thing I seized the chance back then—otherwise, you might not even exist today."
"My dear, why don't I remember any of this…?" Mr. Sawamura began to protest, but his voice trailed off almost immediately.
Eriri, who had been listening intently, glanced at her father in concern. "Dad, what's wrong?"
"He… uh… choked on his food. Don't mind him. So, tell me, Eriri—what inn did you book for the trip?" Mrs. Sawamura smoothly cut off her husband and guided the conversation back on track.
Armed with reasoning and real-life precedent, her words struck home. Eriri no longer resisted. "My phone's in my room. I'll show you after dinner, Mom."
"Perfect."
After the meal, Mr. Sawamura dutifully collected the dishes, while Eriri went to fetch her phone. Soon, she was sitting shoulder to shoulder with her mother on the sofa, showing her the plans.
"…Based on online reviews, I picked this place. They say the spring water is natural and very comfortable, and the food's excellent. The head chef is a former Michelin two-star chef, and all the ingredients are seasonal. It's tasty and healthy at the same time."
"I see… actually, a friend once recommended this very inn to me. She said the service and overall experience were flawless. She even planned to go back a second time."
"Of course! I did my homework properly before booking."
"Alright then. Let's see what kind of rooms you reserved."
"Just a sec…" Eriri tapped her phone and pulled up the order. "…There are six of us going, so I booked three rooms."
She showed her mother the details.
Mrs. Sawamura swiped through the photos.
The rooms were traditional Japanese-style. No beds—just futons laid out over tatami mats. Perfectly ordinary by local standards.
"They seem rather plain."
"I know, but… I only made two million, not twenty million. There are nicer rooms, but the prices are insane. If I spent too much on lodging, we'd have to cut corners on meals."
Mrs. Sawamura raised her brows. "Sweetie, even after your little splurges, two million should've been plenty. These three rooms together cost what—sixty thousand yen or so?"
"Well… today I went out with Rokka, and we bought some games, some merch… oh, and I upgraded my tablet for drawing. The old one was giving me trouble. Then there's this new set of wireless earbuds I really liked, so I bought two—one for myself, and one for Yukino's birthday.
And since Senya's birthday is coming up too, I pre-ordered a smart fitness band online that tracks heart rate during workouts. So… yeah, now I'm down to around nine hundred thousand."
She looked a little sheepish admitting it, realizing maybe she'd gone overboard.
But her mother wasn't the least bit upset. After all, it was money her daughter had earned herself. She had every right to spend it as she pleased—and it wasn't as if she'd wasted it.
Games and merch were her hobby, the tablet was for her work, and the earbuds and fitness band were thoughtful gifts for friends.
All of it was reasonable.
So Mrs. Sawamura waved her hand with a decisive smile.
"You only get a chance like this once in a while, so don't worry about the cost. Here—take your father's credit card. Look, this suite is perfect. Private and spacious, with its own little garden and two separate hot springs. You can split the rooms among yourselves, and visiting each other is easy through the garden's covered walkway. No need to run back and forth in the public halls."
She tapped on the deluxe suite option. The pictures were beautiful, and Eriri couldn't help but feel tempted. But when she saw the price, her jaw dropped.
"It is nice, but… Mom, it's two hundred thousand yen a night!"
Compared to that, a brand-new Switch felt like a bargain—you could buy four of them for that price. One to use, one to display, one to collect, one to give away. Perfect.
Mrs. Sawamura gently stroked her daughter's hair.
"Clearly, I was too strict about your allowance before. For your father, this isn't much at all. He spends more than that just opening a bottle of wine at the embassy club. Compared to that, spending it on making you kids happy is a far better use."
"That's called work-related entertaining," Mr. Sawamura muttered as he returned from the kitchen, drying his hands. "Everyone in my circle does it, I don't have much choice…"
But no one paid him any attention.
Eriri had already thrown herself into her mother's arms. "Thank you, Mom!"
"Mmm, well… who could say no to my little cutie?"
Shouldn't she be thanking me? It's my card…
Mr. Sawamura sulked in the armchair, hiding behind his newspaper.
"That inn is a bit far," he tried again. "If you leave in the morning, you'll probably arrive around noon. That means you'd only have half a day before heading back the next day. The area has mountains, shrines, scenic spots… wouldn't it be a waste not to enjoy them?"
"We're planning to! We'll go sightseeing that afternoon."
"But even so, the schedule's tight… Here's an idea: why don't you go a day earlier? Leave in the afternoon, have dinner there, soak in the hot springs, and rest well. Then you'd have a whole full day to enjoy yourselves."
"That does sound nice, but… that would mean booking the suite for two nights."
"That's no problem. Daddy's credit card will take care of everything."
"Thanks, Mom!"
…Say thank you to me too, at least!
Mr. Sawamura tried to recall the last time his daughter had hugged him so sweetly, but it had clearly been too long.
"Oh wait—this won't work." Eriri suddenly frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"I already set the schedule with everyone. The departure time's fixed. If we change it last minute, some people might not be able to make it."
Mrs. Sawamura thought for a moment before asking:
"So, who all are going on this trip?"
Eriri raised her fingers, counting one by one.
"Senya, Yukino, Rikka, Saeko-nee, and Kasumigaoka Utaha."
Mrs. Sawamura tilted her head.
"Are Senya and Rikka especially busy lately?"
"Not really," Eriri replied. "Over the New Year they mostly stayed at home."
Mrs. Sawamura clapped her hands lightly.
"Well, then it's simple. The others can head out as planned, but if timing's an issue, there's no need to be rigid about it. Why don't you just go ahead with Rikka and Senya first? The rest can catch up later. Flexibility is important, you know."
Eriri blushed, nodding as if she'd just realized something.
"I'll ask them about it later."
But in her heart, a little devil version of herself appeared. Hopefully that black-stockinged woman—Kasumigaoka—can't make the earlier trip. Or maybe even Saeko-nee or Yukino…
Just then, the angel version of Eriri manifested, smashing the devil with a fist. No, not Yukino or Saeko-nee. That's too much.
The devil crumpled away, leaving only one wish: As long as Kasumigaoka can't change her schedule, we can leave her behind. Then we can all enjoy one happy night without her.
Mrs. Sawamura suddenly asked, curious:
"But this time, you didn't invite Tohka along?"
"I did," Eriri answered. "But Tohka-nee turned me down—she has to stay home to help take care of Chiyo."
"So responsible of her. Compared to that, my own daughter…" Mrs. Sawamura reached out, pinching Eriri's cheeks. "Well, let's just say your future has promise."
"M-Mom!" Eriri mumbled through squished lips, "Don't underestimate me. If you had another child, a younger brother or sister, I'd help take care of them wholeheartedly too."
For some reason, Mr. Sawamura's face turned pale at once. He shot up from his seat, tossed aside the newspaper, and fled the living room in a panic.
Mrs. Sawamura lowered her gaze helplessly as she watched her husband's retreating back. Even if he wanted another, I certainly don't. Pregnancy was hard enough the first time—I have no desire to go through that again.
From that standpoint, Mrs. Takanashi really was devoted to her current husband. How nice… how very nice.
Afterward, mother and daughter huddled together again, discussing fun ideas that might be useful during the upcoming trip. Out of consideration for her daughter's easily embarrassed nature, Mrs. Sawamura used vague hints and examples drawn from her own past experiences to suggest certain things without saying them outright.
To her surprise, Eriri kept nodding vigorously, amazed that her usually reserved mother was secretly so… playful.
By the end of it, Eriri felt like she had learned a lot. Returning to her room, she now carried a bundle of expectations for the trip to the hot spring inn that hadn't been there before.
After all, Mom had managed to win Dad over during a trip like this. Maybe I'll have my chance too…
The truth was, up until now, Eriri's mindset had been fairly "pure and restrained."
Back in third or fourth grade, on that Christmas Eve when she, Yukino, and Senya had made their promise, she'd thought it was enough for the three of them to always stay together, to remain best friends forever. That alone would be happiness.
But things had changed with the sudden arrival of Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Seeing this woman appear out of nowhere at Senya's side—throwing herself at him in ways that were all but blatant—had triggered a crisis in Eriri's heart. Feelings she'd kept buried, feelings she hadn't wanted to confront, awakened quickly under that pressure.
And then, her mother's repeated emphasis tonight—retelling the story of how she had once defeated her husband's childhood friend, despite starting from a disadvantage, and ultimately married him—left Eriri deeply inspired.
Of course she sided with her mother. But it also hardened her own resolve—she would never repeat the mistakes of that other childhood friend.
To lose despite having the advantage of being childhood friends? That's just pathetic. If it were me, I'd never lose.
With that thought, Eriri picked up her phone, opened the group chat she'd created for the hot spring trip, and typed a message.
[Eriri]: @Everyone Sorry, everyone! I've been thinking it over, and I think we'll have more fun if we head out earlier. What if we check in at the inn a day in advance, in the afternoon? That way we'll have more time. What do you think?
[Kasumigaoka]: Works for me.
"Tch." Eriri scowled at her screen. Of course the idle one has plenty of time. So much for that wish…
[Rikka]: I'm fine with that. I've been free lately anyway. Let me ask Senya, okay?
[Eriri]: Mm-hmm.
[Yukino]: Please wait a moment. I'll check if my mother has any plans for me.
[Eriri]: Got it~
[Rikka]: Senya says he's fine with it!
[Eriri]: Yay! 👍
[Saeko]: I have time as well. Leaving earlier sounds like a great idea. Though of course, it will raise the cost. If you don't mind, I can help cover part of it.
[Eriri]: No need, Saeko-nee. You take care of me so much already—let me be the cool one this time. I promised to treat everyone, so not a single yen from your pockets!
[Saeko]: Understood. 😊
[Kasumigaoka]: Well then, thank you ever so much. I'll be sure to spend the entire trip filled with gratitude. 🤭🐶
How does she manage to be infuriating even through text? Eriri ground her teeth. The thought of that woman staying at the inn on her dime, eating meals she paid for, made her want to scream.
But then she remembered—it had been Senya who first suggested inviting Kasumigaoka. That alone killed her indignation.
If Senya's fine with it… then forget it. Don't think about it. The more I think, the madder I'll get.
About ten minutes later, Yukino popped back into the chat.
[Yukino]: There are no family plans. I can leave a day early as well. Same meeting point in front of the station. What time should we set?
And with that, the decision was unanimous—the schedule was officially confirmed.
January 7th, afternoon — the day of departure
Minamoto Senya packed light: just a few changes of clothes and his personal toiletries, all stuffed into a school bag that sagged half-empty on his shoulder.
Takanashi Rikka, however, dramatically rolled out a full-sized suitcase.
Unable to stand it, Tohka flipped it open on the spot—only to find a jumble of random items: a folding umbrella, a first-aid kit, a flashlight, a hair dryer…
Her temple twitched. Without hesitation, she tossed out everything unnecessary, leaving only a set of fresh clothes. Just like Senya, she crammed them into Rikka's school bag, slung it on her sister's back, and literally kicked her out the door.
On the way to meet up with the others, Rikka grumbled endlessly about her sister's "tyranny and dictatorship."
But the moment she spotted the group, her mood flipped from storm clouds to sunshine. She immediately grabbed Eriri's hands with a bright smile, chirping greetings to everyone.
"Good afternoon, Senya.""Good afternoon, Saeko."
Busujima Saeko's long, deep-violet hair flowed past her shoulders. Today she wore a light beige sweater paired with navy jeans. Her tightly wrapped legs were long and elegant, toned yet shapely, radiating a healthy beauty.
The sweater, though loose, still revealed the soft curves of her figure—the full, rounded lines of her body were impossible to ignore. It was hard to believe such a… generous figure belonged to a high school student.
"I brought drinks for everyone," Saeko said warmly. "Here, Senya, this one's yours."
"Thanks."
Kasumigaoka Utaha stepped forward next, offering a hot drink of her own.
"Here."
"Thank you," Senya replied.
Clearly, Utaha had dressed with intent today. A fitted high-waist dress with slim heels that lengthened her legs. The intellectual air about her blended seamlessly with the allure of black stockings outlining the smooth curves beneath her skirt. The effect was both pure and seductive at once, yet never clashing—rather, it heightened her unique charm.
"Alright," Yukino said, glancing at her wristwatch. "Everyone's here. We should get going."
Her words drew Senya's attention—and for a moment, he was struck by how stunning she looked today. A soft gray knit top paired with a dark-gray high-waisted skirt, and long over-the-knee socks with crisp white trim. Between hem and sock stretched that irresistible strip of exposed thigh—her "absolute territory."
"What is it?" Yukino asked, catching his gaze. Her heart skipped, a tiny thrill fluttering in her chest. Though her lips curved faintly upward, her tone held a touch of reproach. She had noticed, after all, how his eyes had been wandering—lingering first on Saeko's chest, then on Utaha's legs.
Are those really so much better to look at?
"You look beautiful today," Senya said plainly.
It was a clean hit—spoken outright, in front of everyone.
The others barely reacted, but Yukino herself nearly lost her composure.
"I… I know." She turned quickly away. "Come on. We should go—it's about time."
Senya chuckled softly, following after her. But before he did, he turned toward the trip's organizer.
"Eriri, you're looking really cute today too."
She was wearing a frilly, Lolita-style dress much like Rikka's, with soft puffed skirts and white thigh-high socks. To Senya, it radiated nothing but cuteness.
"Th-thank you," Eriri stammered, cheeks flushing. All the trouble she'd gone through that morning—trying on outfit after outfit in front of the mirror—suddenly felt completely worth it.
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