I tapped my way lightly down the stairs.
The floor above was supposed to have the girls' rooms, and rumor said Atsugi was standing guard on the stairs so that boys wouldn't go up there, but I wasn't about to bother with confirming for myself.
The juice vending machine was in the first-floor lobby.
We were allowed this much freedom before bedtime. But everyone else was busy hanging out with their friends and hadn't bothered coming all the way out here. The only people in the lobby now were people like me and Tobe, who'd been sent to buy drinks as punishments.
Tobe was off in front of the vending machine. He bought a drink, it came down with a thunk, and then he bought another until he had enough for everyone. When I approached, he noticed me. "Oh, Hikitani. What's up?"
"Hey."
He asked what was up as a greeting, even when he already knew the answer. Was that just something he used all the time, like
Yuigahama's yahallo? We exchanged greetings, and I swapped places with him to stand in front of the vending machine.
Then I felt someone's eyes on me from behind, so I turned around.
Strangely, Tobe was still standing there.
"What?" I asked, suspicious that he hadn't gone back even though he had done what he'd come for.
He suddenly laughed. "Oh, it's just, you've really been working hard at this, huh, Hikitani? So I kinda feel like I should thank you? I mean, for that nice assist you did."
Uh, you don't record it as an assist unless you score a goal, though. "I haven't really done anything. And I mean, it's mostly Yuigahama. If you're gonna thank anyone, thank her."
"Ohhh, of course, yeah, yeah. But I gotta say thanks to you, at least. Like, your help's kinda got me determined to tell her now. So I'm counting on you to be my wingman tomorrow!" he said, then hurried off.
Well, he was a good guy, in a way. But for better or for worse, his loyalties lay with the mood of the moment, making him basically a slave to his surroundings.
But that nature may have been the very reason he had made no progress with Ebina. Since he was reacting to the mood on a moment-to-moment basis, he couldn't take appropriate action.
I could see difficulties in store for him…
Confessing, huh? I'm sure it'll be hard, but I hope it goes well.
To ease the wave of exhaustion coming over me, I decided to imbibe some sweet MAX Coffee.
I stared at the lineup in the vending machine in order, from the top.
…?
One more time, I stared at the drinks in order, this time from the bottom.
I carefully inspected each and every can with the utmost attention, like when I'm searching for Gagaga books at the bookstore. You've gotta look close, or you'll miss those blue spines.
But no matter how I searched, I couldn't find my (MAX) dose of sugar.
Huh…? What's going on? No matter how hard I searched, they were only selling some cheap knockoffs!
So this is Kyoto… As expected of the thousand-year home of the imperial family…
I compromised and bought a café au lait. You know, they're in longish cans and somewhat similar. I popped open the tab with a fsk and sank into the couch located at the edge of the lobby.
Though the guys had asked me to buy them drinks for my punishment, I didn't feel like going back to our room-turned-mahjongg-parlor right away.
I was taking my little break with this mild sweetness when a familiar figure appeared in a corner of the lobby. Yukino Yukinoshita was striding in with purpose.
She must have just left the bath, as her hair was tied up and her clothes were unusually casual, for her. She was heading straight for the hotel's gift shop. She stared at one shelf with a particular intensity… Well, if she was eyeing something that seriously, there was only one thing it could be.
She put a hand to her mouth, considering for a while, before gently reaching out to the item as if she'd made up her mind. But that moment, she noticed what was going on around her. Of course, her eyes met with mine. I'd been watching her the whole time.
Her arm quietly lowered, and then she went back the way she'd come, pretending like she didn't even know me.
…The usual. I said good night to her in my head, sipping away at my remaining café au lait.
But then she walked briskly back to me. She came to stand in front of my seat and folded her arms, towering over me. "What a coincidence to see you out so late."
"You should have said that to me earlier…" In fact, I was surprised she'd deliberately come back just to say this. And what's with the arrogant posturing here?
"So what's going on?" she asked. "Did you run here because you couldn't stand to be in your room?"
"I'm just letting the youngsters handle things on their own. You?" Yukinoshita blew a vexed sigh. "…My classmates were trying to direct their conversation at me. Why do they love talking about that nonsense so much?"
I–I wonder what they were talking about…? It wasn't like I had zero interest, but I could tell she'd get mad at me if I asked, so I couldn't follow up. It was probably best to say something safe. "But if they're trying to talk to you, that means they're interested in you, right? Isn't that a good thing?"
"You're talking as if you're completely uninvolved, but during the cultural festival, you…" She was almost glaring down at me now.
"Huh, me? …Hey, wait. I didn't do anything." I didn't know what this was about, but I decided to assert my innocence for now.
Yukinoshita pressed her temple, closed her eyes, and finally said with resignation, "…It's nothing. So what are you doing here?"
"I was tired of playing, so I'm taking a break. What about you? You're not gonna get yourself a souvenir?"
"I'm not actually going to buy anything. I was just a little curious." She jerked her eyes away.
Is that so? She'd been staring at that thing so hard, I thought for sure she would buy it, though—probably some Kyoto-exclusive Grue-bear item.
"What about you? No souvenirs?" she asked me.
"If I bought them now, they'd just be troublesome to carry around. I'll buy some on my way back."
"I see. Have you already decided what to buy?"
"More or less. I mean, I'll just buy the stuff Komachi asked for. Oh, and tell me some place that has, like, a god of academics," I requested, since we were already talking. Please, Miss Yukipedia.
Yukinoshita blinked and tilted her head. "To pray for Komachi passing her exams?"
"Basically," I replied.
Yukinoshita smiled. It seems many people loved my little sister, which made her big brother happy.
"Yes…" Thinking, she sat down next to me. Well, no sense in standing if we were gonna talk. I moved over a bit to accommodate her. "I believe Kitano Tenmangu Shrine might be the most famous."
"Tenmangu, huh? I'll remember that." I'd go there during our free time on the third day. I'd be buying Komachi a charm, but getting a ritual blessing as well would cost more money. And I figured it'd be a big pain to carry home a hayama arrow… If someone else writes a wish and hangs it up for you, do you still get a blessing out of it?
"…It's nice that you're concerned about Komachi, but how is that request going?"
Oh, whoops, I'd zoned out there. "Not good, not bad, I guess," I replied.
Yukinoshita looked down apologetically. "I'm sorry. I can't really help from another class."
"Don't worry about it. I'm in their class, but I'm not doing anything."
"You should be worried about it…"
As we were conversing, Miss Hiratsuka passed by. She was wearing her coat over her suit, and even though it was already late at night, she had sunglasses on for some indiscernible reason. When she noticed us, she seemed clearly dismayed. "Wh-why are you kids here?"
"Uh, well, I just came down to buy some drinks," I said. "Why are you up at this hour, Miss Hiratsuka?"
"H-hmm… D-don't tell anyone else, okay? You gotta keep it top secret." The oddly girlish emphasis made my heart pitter-patter. Her shyness made the word Shizucute pop into my head, but the next thing she said mercilessly erased it.
"U-um…I-I'm going…to go eat ramen…"
She's hopeless. Give me back those pitter-patters.
Me and Yukinoshita both looked at her with exasperation. The teacher folded her arms and then straightened up like she'd had a sudden idea. She even removed her sunglasses, too. Must have been her disguise. "Hmm. Well, if it's you two, I suppose this is perfect."
"Pardon?" Yukinoshita tilted her head, failing to infer what the teacher meant.
Miss Hiratsuka smiled at her, then sneered at me. "I'm sure you wouldn't tell anyone, Yukinoshita, but unfortunately, Hikigaya isn't trustworthy."
"Ouch…" I'm absolutely gonna tell. Though I don't particularly have anyone to tell it to.
Seeing my defiance, Miss Hiratsuka cleared her throat and added, "So I'll pay for your silence. How about with ramen?"
…Ramen, she says? In other words, she meant we should come with her?
This would be my first time eating Kyoto ramen. Perhaps due to my youth, I was already hungry again. In fact, I felt like the word ramen alone had made me hungry. "Well, i-if you insist," I replied.
Miss Hiratsuka gave a couple of nods.
Oh, I was looking forward to Kyoto ramen. As my mind started to drift away in anticipation, Yukinoshita, sitting beside me, quietly got to her feet. "All right, I'll go back." She gave Miss Hiratsuka a crisp bow and turned away from us.
Miss Hiratsuka called after her. "Yukinoshita, you come, too."
"But…" Turning to look over her shoulder, Yukinoshita glanced down as if a little embarrassed.
Miss Hiratsuka grinned. "Come on, just think of it as an extracurricular activity. It's still not that late, either."
"But…look how I'm dressed…" She grabbed her slightly overlong sleeves with each of her hands and spread them like she was about to curtsy.
Miss Hiratsuka took off her coat and tossed it at the reluctant
Yukinoshita. "Then wear this."
Aw, what the heck, she's so cool. I could just about fall for her. The times are less Shizucute and more Shizucool after all!
"I have no right to refuse, do I?" she said.
"Doesn't look like it."
Yukinoshita breathed a short sigh, but she obediently put on the borrowed coat, apparently giving in.
"Come on, let's go." Miss Hiratsuka took us along, heels clicking as she jauntily headed out into the Kyoto night.
A few steps out of the hotel, and the night breeze was unpleasantly cold. Well, more like I'd left wearing my indoor clothes. "Kyoto's kinda chilly, huh?"
Miss Hiratsuka noticed my attire and smiled teasingly.
We continued out into the street, and Miss Hiratsuka raised a hand.
A compact taxi cruising nearby stopped right by us. "Go on, Yukinoshita—get in." Miss Hiratsuka waved her in like a doorman, and Yukinoshita adjusted the coat around her, bowed to Miss Hiratsuka, and got into the taxi.
Next, the teacher let me get in before her, too. "You too, Hikigaya." "Oh no, Miss Hiratsuka, please go ahead," I politely refused.
"Oh?" Miss Hiratsuka was half-surprised, half-impressed. "My, ladies first, is it? You've grown. But your concern is unnecessary."
"Huh…? B-but you're always a lady, no matter how old you are! Have some more confidence!"
Miss Hiratsuka smiled sweetly and grabbed me by the forehead. "…I'm putting you there because of all the seats in the back, the middle one has the highest death rate."
"Ow, ow, ow!"
With her iron claw, she flung me into the taxi. She has more attack variety now, not just strikes. It seems we've both grown.
"…What an idiot," Yukinoshita muttered.
"Shut up," I shot back. "I'm being kind, in my own way."
"You have no idea what kindness is…"
Miss Hiratsuka took the seat beside me. I'd assumed that, in a small taxi, three people sitting in the back would be tight, but Yukinoshita and Miss Hiratsuka were both slender, so there was actually room to spare. Phew…if we'd smushed together, I would have been a little uncomfortable.
"To Ichijou-ji Temple," Miss Hiratsuka told the driver, and the taxi set out.
Ichijou-ji Temple is a location fans of Musashi Miyamoto might know of. Sagarimatsu, in Ichijou-ji Temple, is known as the place where Musashi had a duel with the disciples of the Yoshioka school of martial arts. Although, this is apparently not a historical fact and rather an invention of later generations.
And Ichijou-ji Temple is now one of the top most competitive ramen zones in Kyoto with rows of famous shops.
As we discussed this stuff in the taxi, before long, we were there. Taxis are fast. Faster than Salamander.
Then, when we got out, I saw a shocking sight.
"Th-this is the very first Tenkaippin…"
Yes, Tenkaippin. Not Dera-beppin. I'd only ever heard rumors of it. They say that you can stand chopsticks up in the broth and that it sticks to the noodles so well, it just disappears.
As I trembled in awe, behind me, Yukinoshita asked, "Is this a famous restaurant?"
"Oh, well, it's a national chain," I said.
"Then we didn't have to come all the way here…"
Now that she mentioned it, this was indeed true. But there was another reason I was so filled with wonder. "But…for some reason, there isn't one in Chiba. It's the only prefecture in the whole Kanto region that doesn't have one…"
Over my long personal history (of about seventeen years), Chiba has oft been praised as the promised paradise (by me), but even so, I can't yet declare it perfect, for one of the pieces missing from it is Tenkaippin.
"Well, they used to have one in Chiba, though." Miss Hiratsuka, having just finished her pre-meal smoke, came over with a scrape of her heels on the sidewalk.
"Oh-ho! What was that?" I said. "The sound of the walking encyclopedia of Chiba ramen? No, that's just your biological clock ticking."
"You were closer the first time, Hikigaya. "
"That hurts, that hurts!"
The grinding of my cranium contrasted with her cheerful tone.
"Well," she continued, "they have these in every nook and cranny of Japan, but company-run branches and flagship stores just have such a different feel compared with franchise locations. I mean, there's always going to be some variation in flavor from store to store in a chain. So I wanted to give it a try." Miss Hiratsuka finally released my head, gazing at the storefront of Tenichi with sincere passion. "Come on, let's go in."
Fortunately, there were plenty of free seats inside. Miss Hiratsuka, Yukinoshita, and I sat at the counter, in that order.
"Thick," Miss Hiratsuka ordered without looking at the menu.
Well, I wanted to try the rumored thick broth at Tenichi, too. "Thick for me, too."
"…"
I hadn't heard Yukinoshita order, so I glanced over to check on her. She was speechless, timidly looking at the people around her. She tugged on my sleeve. "…Hey, does that mean the broth?"
Her expression was of something near terror. Oh, no, that's quite a reasonable feeling to have. But if this was gonna scare her off, she'd never be able to eat at Naritake. At Naritake, it's less like broth and more like pure back fat. Delicious.
Miss Hiratsuka chuckled in amusement and opened the menu. "There's also light broth. You might prefer that."
"Oh, no. Just looking at it makes me feel full…" Quite unlike her usual self, Yukinoshita shook her head feebly.
"Oh? Then we'll get an extra serving bowl for you, and you can just try a bit of ours," Miss Hiratsuka proposed. Yukinoshita still seemed intimidated, but she did eventually agree.
We ordered, and then after a little wait, they brought us the ramen.
I picked up my chopsticks and put my hands together in front of my chest. "Thanks."
Oof! My chopsticks are so heavy! I can't handle it! The thick, dripping broth coated every noodle. In Chiba, you only ever see broth this heavy at Tora no Ana. Oh my god, this is amazing!
"Here, Yukinoshita." Miss Hiratsuka gently laid down the serving bowl with some for her. Yukinoshita hesitated, but then she took up the chopsticks and china spoon with resolve. Tucking her long hair behind her ear, she lifted the spoon into her mouth. I looked away from the unnecessarily seductive movement of her throat swallowing the thick broth.
She wiped the broth from the corner of her mouth with a napkin, then put on a very serious expression. "…It has a particularly aggressive flavor."
Whoa, that's accurate.
As I savored my ramen, I found myself belatedly wondering if this was allowed. I ended up saying it out loud. "Is it okay for a teacher to be doing something like this, though?" I asked.
But Miss Hiratsuka wasn't worried. "Of course not. That's why I've paid you to keep your mouths shut."
"Isn't that even more unbefitting of a teacher?" Yukinoshita said with some exasperation.
But Miss Hiratsuka was unrepentant. In fact, she seemed even more laid-back as she continued to eat. "Teachers are human, and so are adults. We make mistakes. Whether we're aware of them or not."
"Won't you get chewed out if anyone catches on?" I asked. If that happened, I'd probably get dragged into it, too.
"Nope. I'll get off with complaints, sarcasm, and a private talking-to for formality's sake."
"Does that not count as being chewed out?" Yukinoshita asked.
I agreed with her.
Miss Hiratsuka finished drinking her broth, set down her bowl, and politely wiped her mouth with her napkin before turning back to us. "No. An order not to cause problems is completely different from making someone resolve it."
"I don't get the difference."
"…Yes. Perhaps since I've never been 'chewed out' before." Putting her hand in a loose fist to her jaw, Yukinoshita seemed pensive, as if sifting through her memories.
Miss Hiratsuka nodded in response. "Oh? Then I'll give you a proper scolding. Well, it's always been my intention to be scolding you, at least. But it seems I've been too soft."
"No, I've definitely had enough." I waved my hands wildly in firm refusal. Any more bodily injuries, and I'd be damaged goods; then she'd end up having to take responsibility, and I'd be the one taking her last name. Ah! Was that indeed her goal…?
Yukinoshita ignored me and my various worries and said nonchalantly, "No one's ever taken the time to scold me or anything like that, so I wouldn't mind."
"Yukinoshita, a lecture isn't a bad thing. It means someone is paying attention to you," Miss Hiratsuka said.
Yukinoshita's shoulders drooped a little. She tilted her face down, hanging her head. I couldn't tell where her gaze was.
Miss Hiratsuka kindly patted her shoulder. "I'm paying attention to you, so make all the mistakes you like."
We taxied back, and once we were out of the car, Miss Hiratsuka started walking away from the hotel. "I'm going to the convenience store to buy some alcohol for myself. See you. Take care on your way back."
Should she be doing that?
I replied to her wave with a casually raised hand, and Yukinoshita and I started making our way back toward the hotel. Neither of us deliberately took the first step. We were both silent, but it felt natural. "…"
"…"
Yukinoshita walked a few steps in front of me. But then her feet suddenly stopped, and she glanced around.
…Well, I could get the gist of what her problem was right then. Call it experience, I guess.
"Take a right."
"O-oh." She adjusted Miss Hiratsuka's coat around her shoulders and ducked her face into the collar to avoid the wind.
I breathed a little snigger of a sigh and started walking ahead of her. I could show her the way, at least. She seemed to get what I was doing, as I heard her footsteps a few paces behind me.
But the sounds gradually diminished.
Confused, I turned around to see that she was farther away than before. "If you hang too far back, you're gonna get lost again."
"No…um…"
My bemusement wasn't getting me a clear answer. As she buried her face in the standing collar of the coat, her voice wilted.
I didn't at all understand what she was saying, but it'd be a pain if she wandered off and got lost, so I decided to wait for her to come closer. Yukinoshita and I glared at each other from a distance.
What are we doing, though…?
We stood like that for a while, and then she breathed a sigh of resignation. "I wouldn't mind if you just went on back ahead of me…," she muttered, reluctantly coming up to my side.
I wondered if taming a stray cat was like this. "Uh, there's not really any point, though. It's not even far."
"Maybe…not to you, but this makes me uncomfortable," she said evasively.
Without thinking, I asked, "What does?" Although, honestly, it would have been polite to pretend I didn't hear the question when it seemed she had so much trouble saying it.
"Um…if we were to be seen together this late…it would be a little…"
It wasn't that cold, but she was adjusting the jacket to hide her face. "…O-oh." Once she'd explicitly pointed it out, I had to think about the situation more calmly, too.
We'd met at night before, and we'd met alone. To me, there was not a need to be so overconcerned about it, and it did not bother me, and it was not anything strange. It was a big string of nots.
And along those lines, I'd not ever seen her like this, either.
She was looking every which way, including my feet so she wouldn't get lost.
I'd never seen her lower her eyes in embarrassment like this, or raise her hand halfway to try to stop me when I went too far ahead and then immediately lower it again.
Her awkwardness started infecting me, too, and unconsciously, my right leg and right arm started swinging forward at the same time. Even though it wasn't that far, it felt like a really long way to the hotel.
Yukinoshita and I weren't walking side by side but a fixed distance from each other just out of arm's reach.
By the time we made it back to the lobby, I was exhausted.
Ahead, there would be students around. If Yukinoshita was concerned about the eyes of others, it would be best to part ways here.
I stopped and casually raised a hand to let her go first. "See you."
"…Yes, good night… Um…thank you for walking me back," she replied, then started to leave. Though we were already inside, she was still wearing the coat. She was walking so fast, its sleeves were fluttering.
Wondering if she was going to return the coat, though it didn't really matter, I returned to my room, too.
When I walked in, the mah-jongg tournament was still going.
"Oh, Hachiman, welcome back," said Totsuka. He and Zaimokuza were playing old maid.
"Where've you been? You've been out for an age," said Zaimokuza.
"Have I?"
Well, it had been about two hours since I'd left.
"So where are the drinks and my ramen?"
"Ah." Now that Zaimokuza mentioned it, I'd been in the middle of a punishment errand.
"It cannot be—you forgot?!" Zaimokuza looked at me like I was an idiot, which was a step too far.
So I deliberately provoked him. "…Heh, of course not. I've got it…in here." I pointed straight at my stomach, and Zaimokuza's face twisted in shock.
"Wh-what?! You fiend, you went out to eat! What a formidable man…" Zaimokuza wiped sweat off his forehead as disdain gave way to respect.
Ha. That was easy.
But that wasn't going to work on the other one.
"Then go out again." Totsuka grinned broadly at me as he ordered me back out on the errand.
Wahhh, Totsuka's scaryyy…
7 Unexpectedly, Yumiko Miura is actually paying attention.
It was the second day of the field trip. Today, I would be touring with my group, traveling from Uzumasa to the Rakusai area.
Our first goal point of the day was the Toei Kyoto Studio Park. It was a period theme park used in real dramas, too, with elaborately made sets of a townscape re-creating places like Yoshiwara Street and the Ikedaya Inn. Plus, it had lots of fun attractions: historical costumes to borrow, a haunted house, a ninja house, and other stuff. It was a famous tourist spot.
We took the city bus from the hotel to the Studio Park.
The day-long bus pass is a powerful ally to tourists and students on field trips. It's the free pass of dreams: for a mere five hundred yen, you can ride the Kyoto municipal bus as much as you want. The Kyoto bus network is particularly developed, so you can take it to practically all the major tourist spots.
But there is an unexpected pitfall here.
This being the season when fall leaves were still in color, the buses were packed like cans of sardines. It had to be at about 150 percent capacity. The city bus was so convenient and such a good deal that tons of tourists were using it. The population density was basically rush-hour levels, and it just about broke me. I'm not gonna get a job, I'm not gonna get a job… If it means feeling like this, then I need no employment!
Maybe boys would be fine in such a brutal crowd, but I started getting concerned about fragile girls and Totsuka.
But the girls had Miura and Kawasaki glaring at everyone, and their intimidation kept Ebina and Yuigahama super-safe.
Yeah, um, those two are scary, huh…?
And as for Totsuka, he made sure to move into a safe zone.
"H-Hachiman, do you mind? Sorry." He looked at me apologetically from my arms.
"Hey, it's no big deal. People are just constantly elbowing me in the stomach and stepping on my feet, that's all."
"My bad! Sorry, Hikitani! But what can ya do about it, eh? This is way too crowded, man."
Damn you, Tobe…, I thought, but he was only barely maintaining his position, too. He was also being pushed from the side and stepped on from behind, and that was why he'd elbowed me a moment ago. It wasn't enough to make me mad.
"Don't forget, we're getting off at the next stop," Hayama told us. Even now, he was being considerate. I was impressed.
Finally, the bus pulled up to Toei Kyoto Studio Park and spit us out in front of the other kids on field trips and tourists as everyone crawled from the vehicle. We'd only just gotten there and hadn't had any fun yet, and we were already feeling ragged.
I would have liked to go straight to the nearby Komeda's Coffee and take a break with one of their Shiro-Noirs—ice cream on a hot Danish—but Tobe raced straight over to get tickets.
"Here, Ebina," he said.
"Thanks."
Oh, so he'd run over to buy them so he could hand her ticket to her directly—if he was too slow, Hayama or someone else would have promptly gone to buy them.
"And here ya go, Hikitani."
"…Uh-huh."
Well, it looked like he was feeling motivated, so I'd put a little effort into this, too.
We headed straight into the Studio Park. As soon as I passed through the gates, I suddenly saw some Precure stuff, but I mean, I was a grown boy, after all, so I'd go another time, when I was alone. For the time being, I'd look around the rest of the park.
We passed through an area with a smattering of Edo city buildings.
Occasionally, we'd pass by some people wearing samurai outfits. They must have been staff or something.
There were oiran courtesans on the streets, impromptu lessons in stage sword-fighting, and even a mysterious little dinosaur that popped out of the pond… Just being among them helped me start to enjoy myself.
The pond where the dinosaur came out was especially enjoyable. You could just tell something was going to happen, but then it just poked its head out, huffed its token amount of smoke with a fshhhh, and then blooped back underwater again. Really surreal.
After we watched the dinosaur disappear into the pond, a strange silence hung around us. The bizarre sight had left us all frozen. "…Let's move on," Hayama said with a smile.
Tobe unfroze and rebooted, too. "Y-yeah! Go, go, go!"
"Hey, so why don't we go there next?" Yuigahama was pointing at the most terrifying haunted house in history. She'd had her eye on it from the beginning, in all likelihood.
Well, it was a standard choice. Actually, she might have figured it would do something for Tobe and Ebina. The so-called suspensionbridge effect. Dinosaur aside—there was some hope for the haunted house.
And this place was not to be underestimated as just another haunted house. Toei's version meets expectations. Of course, they put some legit effort into the ghost sets and stuff, but the monsters that jump out at you are also Toei actors.
I thought maybe somebody in the group wouldn't want to go, but nobody excused themselves, and we found ourselves in the lineup.
"Hayatooo, I'm scaaared." Miura flirtatiously snuggled up to Hayama.
I think you're cuter when you're looking after all these kids like a mom, though, Miura. You should consider appealing to that.
"Yeah, I can't really handle this stuff, either." Hayama gave a shy ahha-ha to cover up his embarrassment. He was usually perfect, so that little sign of weakness even got me right in the heart.
Before long, it was our turn. Of course, a party of eight was too many at once, so we decided to split into groups of four.
The first member of Hayama's group disappeared inside, then the second, and eventually, when all of them were gone, our group headed into the haunted house, too.
The first part was the introduction. Since some of the ghosts were played by actors, they played a video warning us not to hit, kick, or otherwise be violent to them. But the video just made it more surreal… It's kinda like a spoiler. I mean, it's smacking you in the face with a reminder that this is totally fake.
Or so I'd thought, until now. One step in, and everything felt different.
The theme here seemed to be the Edo period. It was dark, with only absolutely minimal lighting, but the light sources were positioned to guide the eye to all the classically eerie objects. They limit your field of vision and then place items around in the vague, dark areas so that they jump out and shock you when you see them.
Calmly analyzing it like this made it…scary. Scary is scary, man.
It was hard to see the group ahead—probably Hayama's—and tell how far they were because of the darkness and the constant stream of Buddhist chanting and resentful muttering we heard around us.
It was only thanks to their typical antics that I could still tell they were Hayama and co.
"Ohmanohmanohmanohmanohmaaaagh!" Tobe, with his reputation for going along with any vibe, was completely swallowed up by the terror of the haunted house. He was constantly terrified and never left Hayama's side the whole time. Ebina watched them with a sound like guh-heh.
"Yeek! I just heard something weird…" Kawasaki, walking behind me, was so frightened that she yanked at my blazer.
Um, you're gonna rip it off, so please don't? That's just Ebina, nothing sca… Actually, you're right; she is.
As I examined the design of the interior here and there, the setting appeared to be a household massacre in an Edo-period mansion, or something like that. It was a standard haunted house, but that was exactly why the interior sucked you in.
Yuigahama timidly laid her hand on my shoulder as she tottered beside me with weak knees. "I—I can't really handle stuff like this…," she said, constantly vigilant and anxious that something might leap out.
So I deployed my pet theory. "Ghosts at a haunted house aren't scary. What's scary is people."
"There you go, being grumpy again! …But maybe that just means we can rely on you." Yuigahama didn't take me seriously and just laughed.
But you know, humans really are the scary thing here.
"…In other words, the most terrifying type of haunted house is the kind where people do the scaring."
"Nope! We can't count on you at all!"
I mean, stuff scares me, too. If I'd come in there alone, I probably would have sprinted through the whole thing screaming Sooooi! Soi! Sooooi! or something equally nonsensical to distract myself from the fear. I might not have even been able to find the exit.
However, I didn't have to scream now, and since the others were being so loud, I wasn't that scared.
I don't know if it was for the same reasons as me, but Totsuka didn't seem very frightened, either. In fact, he even seemed to be enjoying himself.
"You look totally fine with this, Totsuka…," I commented.
"Yeah, I like this sort of thing." I could see that beaming smile of his even in the darkness.
His radiance might just end up saving us from the global energy crisis, I thought. This will be the era of smiles, not oil!
We moved on a little farther, and a ghost (with a person inside it) jumped out and yelled, "BRYARGH!"
Kawasaki's back went stiff and straight, and then without a word, she sprinted her way out of there as fast as her legs would go. Totsuka, who seemed more startled by her reaction, hurried after her.
I was playing it calm, but I was pretty freaked out, too. I cringed reflexively, bumping into Yuigahama beside me. Well, more like our heads cracked together.
"Ngk…"
"Ow…"
The two of us squatted down right there, rubbing our respective injuries.
"S-sorry…"
"No, I'm sorry, I was startled…," I apologized, facing her.
Tears in her eyes, Yuigahama gently reached her hand out to me, touching my head and patting it to make sure it was okay. "It didn't hurt?"
"Oh, it hurt like hell." But that's embarrassing, so stop. I jerked my head away, escaping her hand to stand up. Yuigahama was still squatting. "Anyway, let's go. They'll leave us behind." I extended my hand to help her up, too. I think the big-brother skill I used for my sister, Komachi, just activated automatically.
"Huh?" Yuigahama looked at my hand incredulously.
Wait, this is okay to do because it's my little sister. I rethought it, and I was about to put my hand in my pocket.
"Thanks." She grabbed my hand.
Well, I suppose it was just a nice thing to do. The fabled act of kindness. The act of a gentleman. I'd just done what any human would have done. There was just no helping it for a nice guy like me.
Which was why I couldn't shake off her hand.
"Then let's head to the finish point." Yuigahama smiled brightly and gently let go. Before I had the time to feel disappointed, she tugged on my shoulder. "Come on."
It was dark and chilly. We made our way forward through the haunted house, encountering blood splatter here and there, getting chased around by severed heads and fallen soldiers and such.
"This looks like the exit," I said. Light from outside seeped in through the final door. As we stepped through it, a fresh breeze blew on our faces.
"I-it's over… That was pretty scary…" Yuigahama must have been on edge. She was suddenly drained, staggering around in search of a bench. Hayama, Totsuka, and the others had already finished and were currently occupying the bench she sought.
I followed after her. Oh, I was seriously exhausted. My heart was thumping uncomfortably hard. Isn't this, like, cardiac arrhythmia? Quick, get me some medicine.
When I came up beside the bench to take a break, Totsuka turned to me. "That was so much fun, huh, Hachiman?"
His smile made me dizzy. Now I'm getting light-headed? His pretty smile was curing me with the glittering force of all the stars. It made my heart pound, bringing the feelings inside me to a new stage.
"I think we're done with this one. Let's get going to the next attraction." Hayama examined the group. It seemed there were no objections.
Miura hopped up from the bench. "Then I'm gonna call over Ebina," she announced, dashing to the souvenir shop. I'd assumed all of us were there, but Ebina and Tobe were gone, huh? I glanced at the shop and saw Ebina rapt and panting at the Shinsengumi goods, while Tobe was going on like, "Man…wooden swords are expensive…"
O-okay… Maybe the haunted house worked…?
Our next goal was the Rakusai area. We would be going there on the bus from Uzumasa.
But Rakusai has a lot of popular tourist spots, including Kinkaku-ji Temple, and with the fall colors still in season, the bus was packed to the rafters.
What's more, since tourists were coming out of the Studio Park, too, we would probably be waiting for quite a while. We'd already watched multiple buses pass by, and I was getting tired of waiting for nothing.
I am a man who hates full trains. A long time ago, I had to go to a university in Tokyo for a mock test, but it would have meant riding the Tozai Line during rush hour, so I gave up. I didn't take that mock test. Such is my past.
So consequently, I really wanted to avoid getting on this city bus right now.
Mentally cackling as I looked around the area for some other way— or some way out, somewhere—suddenly, my eyes landed on the taxi stand.
Hmm.
It's strange. Once you know there's an easier way, the next time around, you won't hesitate to pick the method of the undisciplined.
Yuigahama was lined up beside me, so I patted her shoulder. She was
probably a little tired, as she was slow to react. She turned only her head toward me. "What?"
"Let's get a taxi," I said.
She drew her eyebrows together and hmm'd. "A taxi? Aren't they expensive? We're not doing anything expensive." And to put a period on the matter, she turned back again to wait for the bus.
She's kind of housewifely… She was being pretty strict about money—it was the same during the cultural festival, too.
But I couldn't let her beat me in the realm of the stay-at-homes.
Or rather, I couldn't allow her to beat me in the area of sophistry and pulling money from somewhere or other. I'm the fun-money alchemist.
"Just listen. You'd think it's expensive because of Tokyo, but Kyoto is cheaper, comparatively. Compact cars are mainstream here. In fact, it's so cheap, you'd be losing money if you didn't take a taxi. Besides, if we split it with everyone in the same car, it won't be that much."
"Ehhh…"
Hmm, she still didn't seem on board. I'd actually been attempting to make a decent argument, such as it was, but this wasn't enough to move Yuigahama's heart. I had to change tacks. "Hold on, calm down. Losing time here would be the greater cost."
"How?" Yuigahama was trying to casually ignore me, as if this conversation was just a way to kill time while she waited. Agh… Times like this, first, you have to start by striking at their personal interests. "Do you like Destiny Land?"
"I do. So?"
Now, unlike before, her whole upper body turned toward me, not just her head. I know quite a bit about Chiba. So of course, I am knowledgeable about Destiny Land. Of my Chiba-related knowledge, the only thing I figured would intersect with Yuigahama's interests was Destiny Land and related topics. So I decided to attack from this angle. "It's popular as a date spot, too, right?"
"Yeah, it is." Yuigahama nodded with an uh-huh.
"I have sad news about that."
"Huh? What?"
Now her entire body was facing me. I must have piqued her curiosity.
Seeing her interest, I informed her of the rest. "Couples who go on dates to Destiny Land end up separating."
"Oh, I've heard that one before. Like it's a jinx?"
"Yeah. But, well, if you think about it, it's obvious." No mysterious powers or whatever at work here. It's a simple question of human psychology. "When you wait a long time for a ride, it'll always stress you out. And you run out of things to talk about, too. And so the irritation and the silence build and build, and you start thinking your date is really boring. It's like the opposite of the suspension-bridge effect."
"Ohhh, I get it~." Impressed, Yuigahama nodded vigorously. It seemed I'd convinced her. So then this meant just one more push.
"Don't you think right now is a similar situation?"
"You and me? Um, not really," she said with a blank expression.
Hey, don't look at me like that's never even crossed your mind. "No…Tobe and Ebina."
"Oh, I—I get it…" Yuigahama blushed and looked down, as if embarrassed about her misunderstanding.
I surreptitiously poked my thumb toward the pair ahead of us.
Both Tobe and Ebina seemed bored, and Ebina was half paying attention to a conversation with Miura as she occasionally messed around with her phone. Tobe was a few steps behind her, swinging a wooden sword. Wait, he bought that?
"Y-yeah…" Nobody would claim this was going well. Yuigahama crossed her arms, mulling over it for a bit.
Well, I suppose I'll add this, just to make doubly sure. "Besides, a taxi is kinda like a locked room. Feels more intimate." Or if it's Conan, it means someone will die.
Now that I'd brought it up, Yuigahama suddenly clued in, too. "I—I get it… I'll go try asking them." She called to the group lining up ahead, waving her arm. "Heeeey! Why don't we all take a taxi?" she said.
They all reacted with skepticism. Unsurprisingly, high school kids weren't thrilled with the idea, but there was no helping that. Because of the long-standing belief that taxis were expensive, they just didn't see them as an option for students.
I figured I might as well try convincing them. I didn't want to pack into a bus after all. "If we get a compact car and split it among four people, it won't cost that much."
"I see." Hayama was thankfully quick on the uptake. Once our trusty leader agreed, the rest would all follow in succession. Miura and Tobe had no complaints. Ebina nodded, too, and we quickly got Kawasaki to agree as well. It seemed Totsuka didn't have any objections, either, and he would come with us.
So we left the lineup and moved over to the taxi stand.
There were eight of us, so thinking about it normally, we'd be getting in two taxis in groups of four.
Up until we got to the taxi stand, Hayama and Miura were at the front of the line, with Kawasaki and Totsuka behind them, while I was the wall separating the remaining three from them. Now, when we got in, inevitably, Tobe, Ebina, Yuigahama, and I would be a group of four. Here, the role of wall was important.
Hey, this is me we're talking about—I always get shunted to leftover defense positions whenever we have to play sports. I have an established reputation for playing defense.
Hayama took the lead until we got to the taxi stand.
"Then go on in." I prompted Hayama, at the head of the line, to proceed ahead of us. Now the rest of us just had to get in like natural.
"Yeah. Then Yumiko," Hayama called.
"Okay!" Miura immediately took a seat. Hayama continued to stand in front of the door and called the next person into the cab. "Let's go, Tobe."
Tobe, behind me, reacted nimbly. "Oh, gotcha. Then you come, too, Ebina."
"Okeydoke. I'll see you later, then, Yui, Saki-Saki."
Tobe and Ebina both went over to Hayama and got in the car one after the other. Right as Ebina was stepping into the taxi, she gave Yuigahama and Kawasaki a wave.
"Oh, yeah, see you soon."
"Don't call me Saki-Saki."
Yuigahama replied with a casual half wave, while Saki-Saki snapped at her with a blush.
Then Hayama went for shotgun. "…We'll see you there, then." Hayama was talking to me but not looking at me. I was sure there was something I should have said in reply, but the door closed before I could.
…Hmm, I see.
And so I had to get the rest of us into a taxi, too.
"So who's going to sit where?" Totsuka asked me, but I mean, the reasonable solution would be to put me in the front seat.
"I'll go in front, and you three in the back," I said.
The door opened automatically, and I made sure Totsuka, Kawasaki, and Yuigahama got in first. Then I opened the passenger's side door, sat myself down, and fastened the seat belt.
"To Ninna-ji Temple," I said briefly, and then the driver, who just looked like a softhearted person, smiled and repeated our destination.
The car quietly rolled out.
While we were waiting at a light, the driver asked me, "Are you on a school field trip?"
"Yeah, basically," I replied shortly, glancing over for a second. I didn't mean to act so curt, but I wasn't used to this small talk.
"Where are you from?"
"Tokyo."
Here's a factoid about the Chibanese: When we go somewhere and people ask where we're from, we end up answering From Tokyo. I mean, if you tell them it's Chiba, they don't really get it… Like, you know, it's similar to how lots of people from Kanagawa pretend they're from Yokohama.
My halting and fragmented conversation with the driver went on. Ah, so this is a pitfall of taxis…
Meanwhile, in the back seat, they were talking about the girls' room.
"Yeah. So then Saki started getting serious and threw a pillow, and Yumiko burst into tears."
"You don't have to talk about this…"
Through the rearview mirror, I could see Yuigahama apparently enjoying the conversation, while Kawasaki grumpily crossed her legs in the opposite direction.
Man, Miura cries too much…
Totsuka giggled as he followed up with gossip from the boys' room.
"A pillow fight sounds fun, though. We were playing mah-jongg and Uno and stuff. Oh, and Hachiman lost, but then he forgot about his punishment."
Though I was only slightly separated from them, their conversation felt very far away.
As for me, I ended up feeling kind of like I had to be considerate to the driver beside me, so I didn't join in the discussion. I just stared emptily at the town as it flowed by.
Ninna-ji Temple is the temple famous for the careless, giggling priest
who sticks out his tongue and appears in part fifty-two of Tsurezuregusa, which often shows up in textbooks.
The place had to be more popular in spring than in fall. There were apparently cherry blossoms blooming all over the place. But even in late fall, there were tourists, of course, and the temple and garden were both well worth seeing.
But regrettably, we were high school students in the prime of our youth. So the extent of our discussion was comments like "So amazing," "I know," and "It really is so amazing."
Where did the energy from the Studio Park go…?
Still, it wasn't as if I had any deep knowledge about temples, either. All I could do was impertinently mutter, "Oh-ho, so this is that famous spot from Tsurezuregusa…" Well, it's not like Ninna-ji Temple itself is the main subject of part fifty-two, though.
We looked around the temple and garden for a while until we were all silently wondering Can we go now?
Yuigahama, as the one particularly sensitive to our impatience, prompted us. "Righty then, let's move on!"
Mysteriously, we were all more excited to leave, and we all followed after Yuigahama and left Ninna-ji Temple.
Now then, our next goal point was Ryouan-ji Temple. Not only did this one have a cool name—the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon—it had a famous rock garden. Even more cool. By the way, Tenryuu-ji Temple has an equally cool name, the Temple of the Heavenly
Dragon, but first place is a duel between Konkai Koumyou-ji Temple
(Temple to the Golden Light of Virtue) or Kyouou Gokoku-ji Temple (Defender of King and Country Temple). Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple is kinda like the secret unlock character here.
It was about ten minutes walking from Ninna-ji Temple to Ryouan-ji Temple. We headed off at a slow and steady pace, red leaves fluttering down around us.
I was strolling at the very back, a habit of mine when I was walking in a group. Yuigahama should have been in the lead, but she gradually slowed her pace until before I knew it, she was by my side.
"It's not going good, huh?" she murmured, looking a little glum. She must have been talking about Tobe and Ebina.
"Of course it isn't. I can't even manage myself right. I can't be taking care of other people, too."
"…Yeah…that's true."
"And besides…"
"Besides?"
And besides, the trouble wasn't Yuigahama's fault. This wasn't just something I wanted to say to make her feel better. It was fact.
We had Tobe's natural personality to contend with, plus the fact that Ebina didn't even consider him an option. But more than that, more than anything, one of the group was doing things that didn't make sense. I was sure this was one factor getting in the way.
I didn't know what was motivating this strange behavior, and I didn't think there was much point in mentioning it when I couldn't be certain of it. Suspicion and misgivings are not to be voiced out loud; they're things you should bottle up inside yourself. Especially when they're really bad. If you go and say them and they turn out to be true, you're out of luck.
Suspicions that stay suspicions don't hurt anyone.
Yuigahama was waiting for me to continue, so I told her something unrelated. "We don't have to be so aggressive about it. If it's not gonna happen, it's not gonna happen."
"But I want you to really try." Yuigahama's shoulders fell a little again, and her feet seemed to drag as they scuffed over some fallen leaves.
"Don't take this too far. It'd suck if Ebina gets annoyed by it."
"Oh…"
"These things really do work if the person in question is even a little bit interested, though."
"Hmm…," Yuigahama replied listlessly.
No, it really does. It's awful.
As we walked and talked, we noticed Hayama and the others waiting ahead of us. We'd arrived at Ryouan-ji Temple.
We went through the visitors' reception and onto the temple grounds to look out over a big pond. Apparently, this was called Kyoyochi Pond, and it covered about half of the whole area. Aristocrats of the Heian period would amuse themselves boating here.
A fence of woven bamboo was built along the road to the shrine, going up the stone steps.
Going into this place called Houjou—well, basically, it's a temple hall—we were finally face-to-face with the rock garden.
Kare-sansui refers to a style of garden that doesn't use water, expressing the form of a garden through stones and such. I guess this white sand represents the surface of the water. Hmm, I see. I bet these concentric circles around the rocks are supposed to be ripples, probably.
Everyone was a little tired from walking around and sat down to gaze at the rock garden vacantly. I decided to do the same and, with a heavy sigh, made to seat myself at the edge of the bench.
The person next to me scooched away slightly. I pardoned myself with a casual bow and a hand gesture in thanks, and then the person spoke to me. "Oh, fancy meeting you here."
I turned to look with a "Huh?" and found the one sitting there was Yukino Yukinoshita.
"Oh, you're here, too?"
"I am."
Looking over, I saw what appeared to be her group. Some proper, modest, quiet-looking girls were all sitting in a line. The suspicious looks they shot at me were a little uncomfortable… Well, an outsider might find it strange for me and Yukinoshita to be together.
But from where I stood, Yukinoshita was way stranger just by being herself.
Whether or not she had real friends in her class, she could be part of a group, although she couldn't mess around with them on an equal basis the way Yuigahama did. I more got the impression these girls had gathered to worship her from afar.
Well, you'll get different impressions of a person depending on your perspective.
For example, this rock garden. Supposedly, you can't see all fifteen stones placed in it at once from any single angle. Depending on your point of view, they change. The people who made this garden were probably thinking something more grand and philosophical, but being the shallow person I am, all I could come up with was this cliché analysis.
The world was full of so many things I didn't understand: the meaning in this rock garden, people's true faces, and how to engage with others.
As I lost myself in thought staring blankly at the rock garden, Yukinoshita stood up beside me and then sat down again.
I looked at her as if to ask, Why the heck did you just stand up…?
Yukinoshita noticed and replied, "This place is also known as the garden where the tiger carries her cub across the river, so I was wondering which part represented the tiger."
Oh-ho. She's curious about it because tigers are cats, isn't she?
A tiger carrying its cub across the river, huh…? I stood up to look at it, too, wondering which part was the tiger.
Yep. I have no idea.
But Yukinoshita seemed so at peace as she drank in the landscape that I figured she must have found some insight.
I dunno; maybe this is a moment to say "Deep" or something. But even that thought is particularly shallow.
This gazing went on for a while.
"Oh, Yukinon."
I hadn't even realized Yuigahama was next to me. When she noticed Yukinoshita, too, she moved to sit in between me and her. Yukinoshita smirked and stood up. "Shall we go elsewhere?" "Yeah, let's talk over there," said Yuigahama.
With a flutter of her hair, Yukinoshita spun around. "I'm sorry. I'll be leaving you for a bit. I don't mind if you move on without me," she said to her classmates from Class J, and they looked at her with adoring, sparkling eyes as they nodded their assent.
It's like they're her lovestruck underclassmen at a private school for rich girls… Well, if push came to shove, I wouldn't say they were that close.
As I was pondering Yukinoshita's relationship with her classmates, a voice came down to me. "What're you doing? Hurry up."
Oh. So I'm going, too. When I stood up as well, the girls from Class
J glared daggers at me, and it was a little scary. I'm not, like, gonna get stabbed by Yukinoshita's fangirls anytime soon, am I? Am I gonna have to start stuffing manga magazines under my shirt tomorrow?
They decided to leave Houjou and walk a circle around the garden. I followed after them.
"How is the request going?" Yukinoshita asked.
"Hmm… Not too great." Yuigahama summed up the situation thus far.
Yukinoshita looked down, a little apologetic. "I see. I'm sorry I've made you do everything."
"Oh, no, don't worry about it." Yuigahama waved her hands below her chest in tiny motions.
The gesture seemed to relieve Yukinoshita, and she smiled. "I can't really say this will make up for it, but I have been considering the matter."
"Considering what?" I asked.
Yukinoshita looked at me. "There are some famous Kyoto locations women tend to enjoy. I figured they might be useful for the free day tomorrow."
"Ohhh, awesome, Yukinon! Okay, let's go there tomorrow, then!"
"With Tobe and everyone else?" I got the feeling that wouldn't be much different from how today had been.
"No," said Yuigahama. "We'll follow after them, and if anything happens, we'll help them out."
"I can't say that sounds very classy." Sneaking after people and spying on them didn't seem very admirable.
"Well, whether we follow after them or not, if we just recommend a tour to Tobecchi and the others, they'll probably go along with it. So
if anything happens, we can go meet up with them."
So we'd plan out their date and propose the idea to them, huh? Well, if we stayed nearby, then they could call for us if there were any issues, and we could potentially help out.
"I can't say it's a very sound idea, either, but we have nothing else," said Yukinoshita.
At any rate, we'd settled on a plan for the next day. I had no idea how we should do this, nor how it would benefit Tobe.
Right about then, we finished a full circle of the garden and returned to the main gate.
"We're going to Kinkaku-ji Temple now," I said.
"Then I'll head back," said Yukinoshita.
"Okay, see you again tomorrow," Yuigahama replied.
"Yes, see you tomorrow."
Parting ways with Yukinoshita, we met up with Hayama's group. We still had places to go.
We walked the easy slope from Ryouan-ji Temple to Kinkaku-ji Temple, and the twisting road took us past Ritsumeikan University.
Seeing Kinkaku-ji Temple ended up using all our touring time. It was past five now. From Kinkaku-ji Temple, we waited for yet another bus and returned to the hotel. Hayama called our homeroom teacher to say we'd be late, and in the end, by the time we arrived at the hotel, the boys' bathing time had already passed.
And so I ended up using the inside bath on the second day, too.
No, it's still okay—there's still the third day! I won't give up!