Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/1177354054897729140/episodes/16818792437091655197
The morning of the second day of the camp.
I woke up feeling surprisingly fine.
It must be because I was able to express all my feelings toward Karen last night.
The words I said to her were my true feelings, without any lies.
I just want to move forward.
My deceased father always told me that a man must never stop moving forward.
Until recently, I had broken that vow, so I’m sure my father in heaven is scolding me.
“Sir Seiji, you look quite refreshed today.”
I woke up earlier than everyone else and was doing stretches outside the dormitory.
For some reason, Hanzo appeared, drenched in sweat, early in the morning.
“Hanzo…I hope you’re not telling me you were running alone in these mountains.”
There could be bears here.
“Of course not ! Training should be done every day. If you skip a day, it takes three days to catch up !”
Hanzo, the training fanatic, laughed as if to say, “Of course !”
“…And, Sir Seiji. I was worried because you went straight to bed as soon as you returned to your room last night. From what I can see, is your mind at ease now?”
Hanzo really does observe me closely…to an unsettling degree.
No, it’s more like a compliment or a way to hide his embarrassment.
He’s just a genuinely kind-hearted person who can’t bear to leave someone in trouble or distress alone.
In an RPG, he’d be the hero type.
Me? I’m more like the sacrificial character who gets attacked first by the monster rumored in the second town.
Anyway, I need to answer Hanzō’s question.
“Well…yeah.”
Hanzo has noticed the relationship between me and Karen, but he doesn’t mention it.
He keeps an appropriate distance.
But I should probably be honest with Hanzo at some point.
“I told Karen…..I mean, Oishi, exactly what I wanted to say. I don’t regret it one bit !”
Hanzo’s eyes widened slightly at my words, then he returned to his calm expression.
“Is that so…that was quite a feat…!”
Hanzo had been looking out for me as a friend all along, and his expression had changed to a refreshing one.
It finally felt like everyday life had truly begun.
“…Are you imitating my tone of voice!?”
He seemed unhappy about his tone being imitated. He’s a guy I don’t really understand, but I sincerely thought that I had a good friend.
***
“So, what are we doing on the second day? I want to go home already.”
“I thought you would say that, Sir Seiji…on the second day, we’ll go hiking and sightseeing, and make curry for lunch.”
Huh, that’s too easy. I mean, who wants to eat curry after hiking and sightseeing?
When I was in elementary and junior high school, we had similar events, but I never felt like eating something heavy like curry after all that activity.
Besides, consuming a lot of carbohydrates after exercise is the best way to gain weight.
“And in the evening…” Hanzo was about to say, but Iijima kun and Hagiya kun interrupted him.
“A ghost story !”
They must be really excited, because they said it in unison.
“The ghost story event held on the second night of this camp is one of the seven mysteries of Aozora Academy High School ! There’s a rumor that you’ll end up with the person you’re paired with !”
“The two of you who are paired here will definitely do all sorts of things during winter break !”
Iijima kun and Hagiya kun were talking with incredible enthusiasm, more talkative than usual.
Ah…wait, I heard that from Yoshizaki san…ugh, mentioning Yoshizaki san makes me remember yesterday’s events and my stomach…!
However, I suddenly thought calmly.
“…By the way, what happens if it’s between two people of the same sex?”
Then Iijima kun and Hagiya kun fell silent.
[ […..] ]
“Don’t ask, Nagamine…we want to dream too…”
Oh, it seems I’ve dampened their spirits.
“I’m sorry…”
Well, healthy high school boys tend to want to add some color to events like this.
If it weren’t for what happened with Karen, I would have been excited about this ghost story tradition too.
I’m sure this weathered heart of mine will heal over time.
By the night of the actual trial, we should prepare topics to discuss in case our partners are strangers, whether they are of the same sex or the opposite sex.
“Hey, Hanzo, you smell sweaty, so you should take a bath.”
“W-what !?”
“I thought it smelled weird, but it was Hanzo ! I thought it was Nagamine !”
“It’s not me ! ! !”
Despite everything, I feel like I’ve naturally bonded with these kendo boys.
I was able to say what I wanted to say to Karen, and I’ve made friends…I don’t know if I can call them friends, but I’ve made people I can get along with.
In a way, this camp at the forest school may have been a turning point—–…
(●) (●)
“…!?”
Suddenly, I felt a gaze from outside the window.
It felt like someone was stabbing me in the chest with a knife from behind.
“Huh? What’s wrong, Nagamine?”
“Sir Seiji, it’s time to change into your tracksuit and go to the dining hall. You can’t fight on an empty stomach !”
“What are we going to fight, Hanzo?”
From the look on Hanzo and the others’ faces, they hadn’t noticed…
It would be bad to stir up unnecessary anxiety, so I’ll keep quiet.
It’s okay, it’ll be fine.
But there’s no doubt about that gaze…
“It’s probably Karen, nine times out of ten…”
I muttered under my breath so no one else could hear, then followed Hanzo and the others to the dining hall for breakfast.
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