Source

https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093083511177921/episodes/16818093090561980309

▼Nishihara Natsuki Perspective▼

Countless stars were shining in the night sky as the steam from the open-air bath was fantastically thick.

I soaked in the hot water up to my shoulders and looked up at the starry sky with a big smile on my face.

“Wow, it’s really beautiful… I haven’t seen stars like this in a long time.”

My exclamation leaked out with my breath, and Hina, who was standing next to me, happily responded.

“It’s so luxurious to be in a hot spring while looking at the stars!”

When Hina said that, another friend asked, seemingly intrigued.

“Hina chan, wouldn’t a place like this be even more romantic if you came with a boyfriend or something?”

Hina’s eyes widened for a moment at those words.

But she immediately blushed and responded in a small voice.

“I don’t have a boyfriend ……”

“Eh, that’s a lie. I mean, isn’t Hina-chan everyone’s admiration? There are definitely people who like her!”

The friends began to lightly tease Hina while cackling.

Hina hurriedly covered her face with her hands and sank slightly into the bathtub.

“T-That’s not true…”

However, her upset appearance showed that, on the contrary, she could not hide her feelings.

One of them also looks at her and smiles mischievously.

“Hey, the person you like, Hina-chan, is …… Hikaru-kun, isn’t it?”

Hina’s face turned red all at once.

“W-why did you say such a thing ……!”

“Well, it’s easy to understand. Hina-chan is completely different when you’re together.”

The other friends also nodded with curious faces at those words.

“Certainly. Isn’t it only when Hikaru-kun is with Hina-chan smiles so much?”

“Besides, the two of them are kind of nice together, aren’t they? It’s like youth!”

“Wait a minute …….”

Hina desperately tries to deny it, but her friends don’t listen.

In fact, they seem to be enjoying the reaction and makes the conversation even more exciting.

“So, what would you do if Hikaru-kun was here right now? What would you say to him?”

“T-that’s ……!”

Hina is momentarily stifled.

Many words come to mind in her head, but none of them come to fruition.

“Come on, come on, answer!”

“Moouu-…… it’s impossible, that’s impossible!”

When Hina shouted half a scream, the friends laughed in the bathtub.

Their voices melted into the steam and were absorbed into the night sky.

Natsuki looked a little more serious and approached her.

“But you really like him, don’t you? Then you could be a little more confident, couldn’t you?”

At those words, Hina’s face turns serious for a moment.

“Confidence ……?”

The voice that she muttered in a small voice might not have been heard by anyone.

But deep in Hina’s chest, something was certainly shaking.

“Hina-chan, do your best!”

Amidst the cheerful voices of her friends, Hina quietly looked up at the starry sky in the bathtub.

A slight blush remained on her cheeks.

In the corner of her gaze, the shadow of someone else was indeed floating in the air.

The person that Hina likes, it is definitely him – Hikaru.

And there is no one here anymore, including me, who doesn’t know that.

On the night of the school trip, even after the lights in the rooms were turned off, the girls’ rooms were still buzzing with activity.

We all crawled under the duvet and lay down in a circle, snacking on the snacks we had brought with us.

The topic naturally developed into love stories about various people, and finally moved on to love stories about me.

“Then it’s Natsuki’s turn!”

Suddenly, Hina shakes her head at me.

I was so surprised that I was at a loss for words for a moment, but I immediately returned it with a fake smile on my face.

“Eh? Me? There’s no one I like …….”

“Eh! Definitely a lie!”

“Because, Natsuki-chan, you always seem to be close to someone!”

While my classmates were talking, I shook my head without losing my smile.

“It’s true. Ah, but if I had to choose…a celebrity? The lead actor in the movie I saw the other day was really cooll!”

“Eh, that’s not love!”

The other girls laughed as Hina said.

At that moment, Natsuki was relieved that her lie had not been exposed, but she was also aware of the guilt that lingered deep in her heart.

(I’m sorry, Hina-chan. The truth is that I, too, bout Hikaru–)

Natsuki stared at Hina’s smile while pushing down her own emotions. As long as she was happy, she decided once again that she should keep these feelings hidden.

“Well then, Hina-chan, next time, give me more hints!”

When Natsuki turns the conversation back to Hina, she says: ‘Eh, that’s enough!’ in embarrassment.

Laughter echoed throughout the room and the heat of the love conversation grew even higher.

That night, Natsuki did not close her eyes until everyone was asleep.

She quietly meditated alone under the duvet, repeating Hina’s voice, her laughter and Hikaru’s name in her mind.

(Please, may Hina’s feelings reach him.)

Natsuki’s prayers melted away and disappeared in the stillness of the night.

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