Chapter: 26: These eyes.
As Hagiwara Kenji said, the teacher did indeed notify them of the school trip arrangements not long afterward.
They will be going to Okinawa in their first year of high school. They will first be grouped by class, and then divided into small groups of 3 to 6 people. After the itinerary is confirmed, they will have time to act independently.
The trip will last four days and will take place in facilities arranged by the school in Okinawa.
"Um—Jinpei-chan, tone down that 'wanting to tear this apart' look on your face! This is an airplane! If you really tear it apart, we'll all crash!"
"Tsk, do you think I'm that childish?"
"You are." Morofushi Sora'aki said.
When the groups were being assigned, many people focused on Hagiwara Kenji's group—naturally, Hagiwara Kenji was the leader, and the essential members were Matsuda Jinpei and Morofushi Sora'aki.
Given that all three are high-quality players, girls at this age who have already awakened to the concept of romance would want to team up with these three, even if it's just based on their looks.
"After all, that's Hagiwara! Even with two guys who are good at creating awkward silences around, it's impossible for it to be embarrassing!"
"Putting everything else aside, I just think they're very pleasing to the eye..."
"To be honest, I fell in love with Morofushi's eyes at first sight!"
Hagiwara Kenji considered the personalities of his two friends and reluctantly declined their request to team up. However, when the others looked disappointed, he smiled and said, "But I don't mind having the same schedule as everyone else, okay?"
"Although we will be assigned to teams, most of the schedules will be similar, right?" Hagiwara Kenji said, instantly reassuring the students who wanted to form teams.
Matsuda Jinpei leaned closer to Morofushi Sora'aki and whispered, "I wouldn't be surprised if Future Hagi were to be murdered out of passion."
"But I think Hagiwara has the ability to realize it before being murdered out of kindness and then take care of the other party."
"...Which aspect are you referring to with this approach?"
"If you think it's a physical treatment, I won't argue with that." said Morofushi Sora'aki, with a lollipop in his mouth.
Hagiwara Kenji's attractive qualities (especially to the opposite sex) are said to have been evident since elementary school, and even more so in middle school and high school.
Looking at the four or five female classmates who were naturally surrounding Hagiwara Kenji, Morofushi Sora'aki suddenly felt that they looked somewhat familiar.
In his own world, the "Rouman Academy", he seemed to often see similar scenes.
In the Rouman Academy, there's a classmate, whose class I don't know, who's always surrounded by girls. And this classmate can say things like "Your Highness" quite naturally, which makes the girls very excited.
Morofushi Sora'aki asked Matsuda Jinpei, "Does Hagiwara say 'princess'?"
Matsuda Jinpei, with his half-moon-shaped eyes, said, "Do you think this is a TV drama?"
Morofushi Sora'aki said in a serious tone: "It's not a TV series, it's a stage play."
Matsuda Jinpei: "Is there a difference?"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "..."
"Hagiwara is definitely more normal," Morofushi Sora'aki nodded.
"..." Matsuda Jinpei: "Wait, who are you comparing Hagiwara to?"
"I think I heard my name—" Hagiwara Kenji leaned closer and said with a smile, "Are you guys talking bad about me again?"
Several girls walked over with Hagiwara Kenji.
Regarding the question from before, Morofushi Sora'aki decided to ask the person directly: "Hagiwara, would you say 'Your Highness' to a girl?"
"Hmm?" Hagiwara Kenji raised an eyebrow. "What did you watch this time?"
"Real-world imagery." said Morofushi Sora'aki, after all, it was as if he had seen it with his own eyes, only separated by a different world.
"...I didn't say that." Hagiwara Kenji turned around hesitantly, looking at the expectant expressions on the faces of his female classmates, but he wasn't embarrassed at all. "But if you want to hear it, I can say it once~ After all, it's rare for us to get out here."
Hagiwara Kenji naturally steered the conversation off-topic again, and before they knew it, Morofushi Sora'aki, who was behind them, said to Matsuda Jinpei, "In the end, Hagiwara still didn't say anything."
"Ah, I guessed it. For Hagi, that would be quite embarrassing." Matsuda Jinpei yawned. "But this guy is always very proud, so he'll never show it. At most, he'll just change the subject."
"Oh." Morofushi Sora'aki chewed the lollipop in his mouth, then tore open another one and stuffed it into his mouth.
"...Have you been eating too much candy lately?" Matsuda Jinpei asked, turning his head to the side.
"I brushed my teeth."
"That's not the issue." Matsuda Jinpei stared at Morofushi Sora'aki for a few seconds before looking away. "Never mind, just tell me if you're feeling unwell."
"Hmm." Morofushi Sora'aki replied casually.
As time went by, the side effects of his exceptional memory became more and more apparent, though still within a tolerable range. Sometimes, however, he would lose control and experience headaches.
Another side effect is that he has been eating too much sugar lately, which has caused him to smell a bit like candy on his body, and Matsuda Jinpei has teased him about it many times.
Then, Hagiwara Kenji recommended that Morofushi Sora'aki use perfume—at that moment, Hagiwara Kenji's tone was like that of an insurance salesman you might encounter on the street.
In the end, Morofushi Sora'aki chose a compromise. He put candy in the bags and pockets of Matsuda Jinpei and Hagiwara Kenji, making sure that all three of them smelled the same, so that Matsuda Jinpei couldn't laugh at him.
Okinawa is a coastal city, so all related itineraries revolve around the sea, and even your outfits will unintentionally be influenced by Okinawa.
—For example, Hagiwara Kenji, who has already started buying flower wreaths and wearing them around his neck.
"That's a Hawaiian-style flower wreath! What's your impression of Okinawa, Hagi?!"
"Haha, I just think the atmosphere is just right—want to pick out some local specialties? Since we're in Okinawa, we can't miss out on Ryukyu glass crafts!" Hagiwara Kenji waved the phone charm in his hand: "My sister would probably love this design."
Four days and three nights may seem long, but it didn't feel like it was long at all; it felt like half the time had passed in no time.
"Wow—Okinawa is so hot in the summer!"
"It must be hot all the time, right?" Matsuda Jinpei tugged at his collar impatiently. Since arriving in Okinawa, their outfits had become noticeably cooler.
"But compared to us, there seems to be someone who is even more afraid of the heat?" The two people talking turned their gaze to Morofushi Sora'aki, who was huddled in a shaved ice shop, completely sprawled out like a cat.
"Seriously, Sora'aki-chan, is it really necessary to go to such lengths?"
"Ugh…" Morofushi Sora'aki struggled and let out a meaningless groan.
"Okay, okay, Jinpei-chan and I are going out for a walk. You stay here and don't wander around. We'll come pick you up later, okay?"
Morofushi Sora'aki nodded slowly, then continued to lie in the spot where the wind was blowing.
Seeing his friend's behavior, Hagiwara Kenji shook his head helplessly.
"Don't come to Okinawa next time, that guy is way too afraid of the heat." Matsuda Jinpei said.
"Is it arranged by the school? Will the rest of the itinerary include an aquarium or something? It shouldn't be as hot then, right?"
The two chatted casually, and when they had finished shopping and were about to go back to find someone, Matsuda Jinpei glanced around and inadvertently noticed a black-haired boy standing in front of a yakitori restaurant.
Because of the angle, Matsuda Jinpei could only see the other person's upturned eyes and the profile lines that were partially obscured by hair.
The all-too-familiar features made Matsuda Jinpei clench his fist: "Alright, this guy said he was hot, but he actually came out on his own! Hagi, let's go give him a scare!"
"Huh? You mean Sora'aki-chan? He's here?"
As he spoke, Matsuda Jinpei silently appeared behind the black-haired boy, his hand landing on the boy's shoulder with a "thud": "Morofushi! Didn't you say you couldn't say it!"
At that moment, the boy standing at the entrance of the skewer shop was startled. His blue cat eyes narrowed, and he turned around abruptly, his face showing obvious shock.
Matsuda Jinpei and Hagiwara Kenji, who originally only wanted to scare their friend, were both stunned.
Because he was mostly blocked by the shop sign next to him, Matsuda Jinpei didn't notice the difference in the clothes the other person was wearing or their body type. He only saw those familiar cat eyes and made that judgment.
"Ah, sorry, I mistook you for someone else," Matsuda Jinpei said.
But even if it's a mistake, aren't they just too similar?
The boy standing in front of the store now has a pair of upturned cat eyes, is wearing a simple white shirt, and doesn't look too good because he's been frightened.
However, the other person quickly composed themselves, and the young man put on a gentle smile: "Excuse me, what can I do for you?"
"Huh—? I already said, I mistook you for someone else."
The boy was a little confused: "But just now... you called for Morofushi, right?"
Matsuda Jinpei and Hagiwara Kenji exchanged a glance: "Um, excuse me, may I ask your name?"
"...Morofushi, Morofushi Hiromitsu." Morofushi Hiromitsu asked politely, "Is there a problem?"
Hagiwara Kenji: "Um, Morofushi-kun...? Do you... have any brothers?"
"Why are you asking these questions...?" Morofushi Hiromitsu's polite smile remained unchanged, but a clear sense of vigilance had appeared on his face.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Just as the standoff was taking place, a blond, dark-skinned boy frowned and rushed between the three people. He grabbed Morofushi Hiromitsu's wrist and shielded him behind him.
"I don't know what's going on with you, but I'm sorry, our teacher asked us to gather. If there's anything else, we can talk another time." The blond mixed-race boy grabbed Morofushi Hiromitsu's hand: "Hiro, let's go."
Morofushi Hiromitsu nodded to Matsuda Jinpei and Hagiwara Kenji, then quickened his pace and left the spot with the blond boy.
"Hiro, are you alright?"
"It's nothing, but… were those two people from our school?" Morofushi Hiromitsu asked doubtfully, "I don't think I've ever seen them before."
"They're not from our school, right?" Hagiwara Kenji asked Matsuda Jinpei as he watched the two boys leave. "That Morofushi from earlier."
Matsuda Jinpei's face showed a hint of interest: "Go back and ask Raki. That guy's mysterious family members should be exposed by now, right?"
"Just looking at those eyes, it's impossible to say they're not related, right?"