Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ - Volume 3 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Aim for the Best Summer Ever!

“So hot...”

Sweltering heat assailed us as we left the school. It was the middle of July—the height of blistering summer weather. The temperature was over thirty-two degrees Celsius, and I felt like my body was on fire. I was merely walking, but my stamina was depleting at a startling rate.

“This is the worst summer ever...” Nanase muttered. She plodded along next to me, looking like she was at death’s door.

Well, with this heat, yeah... According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, it’s going to be hotter than normal this year. Apparently Gunma’s going to have it especially bad; something about being surrounded by mountains and foehn winds or whatever makes the terrain heat up easier.

“Nanase, you hanging in there?” I asked. “You look really pale.”

“Can...we take a break?” She pointed at the vending machines lined up against the side of the road.

“’Course,” I said with a nod.

I bought an iced coffee. Nanase must’ve been extremely parched because she bought a sports drink for herself. She quickly gulped it down and aahed, refreshed.

“I feel alive again.”

“Are you really okay? It’s not heatstroke, right?”

“You don’t need to worry so much. I was just a little dehydrated, that’s all.”

We were at a mini rest stop on the riverside road that led from the school to the station. There were three vending machines and two benches basking in the shade, fortunately enough. It felt a few degrees cooler already. This spot had become a usual hangout location for the students of our school, but due to the unbearable heat, no one was loitering around.

“Can you really work like this? Don’t push yourself,” I pressed again.

“Yeah... I’m sorry. I’m sleep-deprived because I’ve been studying for finals.” Her tone sounded a bit weary, just as I feared. “I’ll recover after I get some rest.”

She tried to reassure me, but I couldn’t dismiss my concerns. After all, Nanase didn’t have a strong constitution; she’d already missed school a few times due to getting sick.

“Haibara-kun, you’re such a worrywart.” She let out a relaxed little giggle.

Huh? What the— You can’t smile like that! That’s way too gosh darn cute! I stan my Nanase today too...

Oblivious to the fact that I was internally geeking out, Nanase asked, “Haibara-kun, how did you do on the tests?”

Is this small talk to pass the time while we rest? Her complexion seems better, so I guess she really is recouping okay. “Hmm. I don’t think I did bad,” I replied, accepting the topic change.

Our finals had ended just last week. We’d gotten our tests back, but they hadn’t announced the overall results or ranks yet. Those would likely come out in two or three days.

“Quite the lukewarm response... You’ll rub people the wrong way with excessive humility. Mainly me,” she complained, lips pursed into a pout.

“So just you? But those really are my honest thoughts.” A wry smile crept onto my face, and I shrugged my shoulders. “I gotta say, I scored a bit low in English.”

“How many points did you get? You don’t have to say if you don’t want to, though.” She sounded like she was trying to respect my privacy, but her tone oozed curiosity.

I wasn’t the type to hide my test scores, so I answered her honestly. “Eighty-nine points.”

The warmth in Nanase’s eyes faded further. “If that’s low, then mine must be abysmal.”

She’s kinda cute when she sulks. I let out a half-assed laugh to smooth over the subject. What am I supposed to say in situations like this? Proper responses were a constant worry of mine lately, what with all the compliments I’d been getting. I decided to ask a harmless question instead. “Nanase, are you bad at English?”

“If I had to say, it’s one of my stronger subjects,” she answered, turning away in a huff.

My attempt to drive the conversation in a more positive direction had failed. So much for a “harmless question”! I reached into my backpack and took out a snack to improve her mood. “Don’t sulk. Here, you can have this.” I dangled a cookie I’d bought from the convenience store in front of her.

She shot me an exasperated look. “I’m not even sulking. And I’m not an elementary schooler; don’t think you can bribe me with sweets,” she claimed, but snatched the cookie out of my hand and began eating it. The way she nibbled on it with her little mouth was reminiscent of a squirrel.

Mm-hmm. No choice but to stan... In spite of her cool appearance, Nanase actually liked sweets quite a lot. She often snacked on them during her breaks at work. From my observations, she especially liked chocolate and cookies.

“If I gain weight, how are you going to take responsibility?” Nanase was coming off more aggressive than usual today. She glowered at me, clearly displeased about something.

So I earnestly replied, “If that happens, then I’ll go on a diet with you. Don’t worry, if you exercise, you’ll lose weight for sure!”

“For some reason...I find that oddly persuasive.”

Well, that’s because I’ve got firsthand experience with weight loss! With consistent, daily exercise, it’ll all be fine. But for those of you reading along at home, don’t try the reckless diet-exercise schedule I went on. You might die. “You’re way too skinny in the first place, if you ask me. I think it’d be good for you to fatten up a bit,” I remarked lightheartedly.

She looked conflicted at that. “Oh, there’s fat, all right. It’s just not visible right now.”

Really? My eyes inadvertently dropped to Nanase’s chest. But hey, there wasn’t any deeper meaning behind that action.

“Haibara-kun?”

I looked back up and locked eyes with her at point-blank range. Our faces were close because we were sitting on the same bench. She looked somewhat flushed.

“A-All right then! We should get going. It’s almost time for our shift!” I blatantly changed the subject and stood up.

Nanase sent a dissatisfied scowl my way, sighed, and then stood up as well. I began half walking, half running away. She trotted to catch up and took her place next to me.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t worked in a while,” she said.

“You haven’t worked for about a week, right? I snuck in a few shifts.”

During the testing period, the café owner had been in a bind because he lacked student part-timers, so I’d picked up some shifts since I was on my miraculous second round of high school and didn’t need to study as much. I’d still taken fewer shifts than usual, so I was likely to land first place in our year again.

“If you don’t study properly during exam season, your parents will scold you,” Nanase grumbled.

I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, true that.”

In the past, my mom would often get on my case and berate me. “Study up!” she’d yell all the time. I ignored her, though, since I was busy reading manga and light novels and playing games. She hadn’t given me an earful this time because I’d placed first for our midterms.

“If I was first place, then maybe my parents would stop nagging me.”

“Who knows? But that’s unexpected. Nanase, do your parents rag on you?” I asked, surprised. She looked the type to study on her own without needing her parents to chew her out.

Abashed, she muttered, “If I play any games during exam season, my parents will confiscate them.”

Wait, Nanase plays games?

“They’re annoying about games even when we don’t have tests. They always lecture me about only playing for one hour a day,” she continued.

Wow. Sounds like they treat you like you’re still in elementary school. I kept that thought to myself since it’d probably put Nanase in an even worse mood, and tried to keep the conversation innocuous.

“Nanase, what kind of games do you play?”

“Mostly rhythm games. I like RPGs too, though.” She then listed several popular rhythm games that even I had heard of. Apparently, she often played them at home or during her commute to school. “Do you play any? You’re good at singing, so I could see you being good at rhythm games too.”

“I’ve never played one before. I enjoy video games in general, though,” I replied. I was an otaku who liked stories, so I’d only ever played RPGs throughout middle school and high school. I’d gotten hooked on FPS games in college but had never tried any rhythm games. “But I am confident in my sense of rhythm.”

“Why don’t you try one? I’ll show you how to play after work today,” Nanase suggested. I had no reason to refuse, so I nodded. She smiled brightly and chuckled. “I can’t wait.”

We continued walking and chatting until we reached Café Mares. The cherry blossom trees that lined the road had bloomed with flowers in the spring, but now, instead of vibrant flower petals dancing in the air, the treetops were completely covered in green verdure. It was my second time experiencing high school, but the seasons transitioned just like they had during my first round.

Spring came and went, then came the rainy season, and now summer was in full swing. The brilliant sun shone over us, with cicada cries as our background music. I wiped the sweat lining my neck with a towel.

Now that our finals were over, only a week remained until summer break.

***

“Now then, to celebrate that we all avoided flunking... Cheers!” Uta gleefully raised a cup brimming with cola into the air.

It was around 8 p.m. at Café Mares. Uta, Reita, and Tatsuya had come to visit Nanase and me while we were on the clock. Everyone had received good test results, so we were having a celebratory get-together.

“Uh, did you have to say ‘avoided flunking’? How about a normal celebration because tests are over?” Reita asked with a sarcastic smile and a shrug.

Nanase giggled. “Merely avoiding failing really isn’t something to celebrate,” she teased Uta.

“Sh-Shut up! Tests are a matter of life or death for us!” Uta rebutted with her cheeks puffed up. She turned to Tatsuya, who was seated next to her, and began shaking him by the shoulders aggressively. “Right, Tatsu?!”

“You’re so friggin’ loud! Also, don’t lump me in with you. I didn’t barely scrape by this time like you did,” he replied in an annoyed tone as she shook him back and forth.

As Tatsuya had said, his grades weren’t too bad this time. He’d probably averaged around fifty points on all the subjects. It was a considerable improvement compared to his performance on our midterms. Uta had barely passed all the subjects, so it really wasn’t fair to put them in the same boat.

“Grrr... That’s true, I guess. You’ve betrayed me!”

“No, you just didn’t grow. Unlike you, I actually learned from last time and diligently studied every day.”

“Huh?! That’s not something Tatsu would say! What happened to you?!”

In contrast to Uta’s panicked expression, Tatsuya wore a smug smile.

“Well, if that’s all you amounted to after diligently studying, then I don’t think that’s much to brag about,” Reita remarked casually.

Damaged by Reita’s scalding words, Tatsuya held his head. “Don’t you think your remarks cut too deep sometimes?”

“Sorry, sorry. It irritated me a bit that you were boasting so much,” Reita said with that same pleasant smile of his.

Um, Reita-san? You’re kinda scary right now, you know? Tatsuya looked pitiful, cradling his head in his arms, so I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Don’t feel down. Your scores are way better than last time.”

“You’re the only one I don’t want to be encouraged by! You’re probably rank one in the grade again.” Tatsuya threw a sharp glare my way and smacked my hand off of his shoulder.

Ugh, he’s incomprehensible!

“Natsuki has a point, though. You worked hard this time, Tatsuya,” Reita said, retracting his previous statement.

“Yeah?” Tatsuya grumbled with a sour look, but he did seem a little happy.

Reita was the one who’d made Tatsuya feel so down in the first place, but he easily overrode his insult and cheered Tatsuya back up. This was a technique Reita used often. And it reinforced exactly why he was so popular with girls.

“Shiratori-kun, since you’ve said so much, how did you do?” Nanase inquired.

“The same as always. I probably scored lower than you did, Nanase-san.” Reita reached into his bag and took out a clear file. Inside were the tests the teachers had returned to him. After a quick mental calculation, I estimated he’d averaged around eighty points.

“Heh. I beat Shiratori-kun. I’m quite pleased about that!” Nanase tugged on the cuff of my shirt and smiled at me.

Huh? Why’d you do that? Why are you beaming at me so happily?! Argh, you’re too cute! I bellowed internally. I wish Nanase was more self-aware of how pretty she is. She often says she likes girls with cute faces, but she’s one of them too! Contrary to my internal raving, I responded with gentleness and warmth. “Yes, yes. Good for you.”

She furrowed her brows. “Except it’s not good. I lost to you, Haibara-kun.”

Oh, come on! What is the correct response here?! I wondered, sulking a bit.

She giggled quietly. “I’m sorry. It’s been so much fun tormenting you lately!”

“Uh-huh, is that so?” Just do whatever you want. I can take anything as long as you’re enjoying yourself!

We continued discussing the tests after that: things like how the math test was difficult, how world history was strangely easy, how to solve that one problem on the physics test, or how our English teacher was heartless—we had a plethora of topics to chat about. However, Nanase and I were still working. There weren’t many customers at this time, but if we loitered around for too long, the manager would scold us.

“All right, take your time, guys. We’ll be clocking out soon,” I said.

“Okaaay! We’ve got to get going soon, though!” Uta replied.

Nanase and I ended the conversation there and returned to our tasks. Recently, Uta, Reita, and Tatsuya had started stopping by Café Mares on a regular basis after they finished their club activities, usually on days when Nanase and I were both on the job. It worked out since we could accompany them for a bit so late in the evening. Plus, it was past dinnertime, so the store was pretty relaxed.

“Come to think of it, where’s Hoshimiya? Not here because of her strict curfew?” I asked Nanase, who was cleaning nearby.

“Her parents aren’t very flexible. It’s out of the question for her to stay out this late,” she replied.

“Huh... I see.”

Nanase seemed to know Hoshimiya’s parents quite well. The two of them had known each other since middle school, so perhaps that was just a given. I was curious about Hoshimiya’s environment at home, but I didn’t want to ask anything that might come off as impolite, so I hesitated.

“Would you be happier if Hikari were here?” Nanase asked teasingly.

I shrugged. “Nah, I just think it’d be more fun if everyone got to hang out together on days like this.”

As of late, I no longer lost my composure when Nanase and Reita teased me and instead replied coolly. I’m a far cry from the old me who used to act sus every time someone talked to him. Haven’t I matured? Okay, fine, all I did was tell the truth... Of course I want to spend more time with Hoshimiya!

“True. Hikari is quite jealous whenever we all gather at night.”

“Yeah, she cries about it over RINE a lot. ‘I want to go too!’” I said, imitating the messages she’d send to our group chat.

Nanase stopped cleaning and stared towards the table where Uta and the others were chatting. “I wish I could do something for her,” she murmured.

“For Hoshimiya?” I questioned.

She nodded and continued laying out her thoughts. “I understand why she has a curfew, but that aside, there are other things that Hikari is limited by. Her dad is a bit too strict.” It was a rare occurrence when Nanase sounded like she was complaining. She was Hoshimiya’s longtime childhood friend, so perhaps she’d heard the gripes firsthand.

“I kinda had a feeling things were like that for her.”

“He’s quite stubborn. He doesn’t listen to Hikari’s opinions at all.” Nanase gazed out the window, reminiscing about something from the past, and sighed.

That’s a toughie. You can’t really meddle with other people’s home life. Just because someone’s upbringing is strict, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the parents are in the wrong. We’re only Hoshimiya’s friends, so there’s not much we can do to interfere... In the first place, she might not even want us to do anything about it. I don’t know if it’s actually a problem. But there is one thing that tickles my curiosity.

“Would it be hard for Hoshimiya to go on a trip with everyone?” I asked.

Summer break would arrive in a week. It was our long vacation that we’d all been eagerly awaiting. We hadn’t decided on the specifics yet, but the six of us had been discussing plans to go somewhere together. We’d been talking about little aside from our tests recently, but it was about time to iron out those details. Above all, this was a monumental youth event for me. If Hoshimiya can’t come...then I’ll be super sad. She said herself that she wanted to go to the ocean, though.

“Hmm... I’m sure Hikari wants to go with us, but who knows if she can? Maybe it would be possible if it were a short day trip, but you’re all expecting something that will involve staying the night, based on your discussions, right?” Nanase remarked.

“Well... Yeah, I guess so. We don’t have a concrete plan yet, though.”

“I think it’ll be difficult for her to go on an overnight trip that’ll also have boys there. I wish I could convince her parents that it’s fine since I’ll be there too, but I don’t know if that would be enough.”

“I see...” I uttered.

Hoshimiya is just that cute. Her parents are probably worried that she might get hassled by some strange guys, so there’s no helping it. Even I’d be hesitant to let her walk home alone at night. My parents get overprotective of my little sister too, but they pretty much let me do anything. Boys and girls just face different risks when it comes to these sorts of things.

“In the end, we won’t know unless we ask. We’d better make plans first,” Nanase said, bringing our conversation to an end.

Right, it’s just as she says. We shouldn’t be worried about getting parental permission at this point in time. If Hoshimiya can’t go after we propose a plan to her parents...then that’s just that... I want to go with her, but in the end, that’s only my hope.

“I’ll think up a few places we could go,” I said. Even without Hoshimiya in the picture, there was still money, dates, the place, and so on to consider. Before I bounce ideas around with everyone, I should ask Miori what she thinks first.

***

After I got home, I took a shower and withdrew to my room since I’d already eaten dinner at Café Mares. I was done preparing for bed, so I texted Miori, “You free right now?” I waited a few minutes, but she didn’t read the message. Is she asleep already? Just as I thought that, my phone rang.

“Nice! You’re still awake!” I said when I answered.

“I just got out of the bath. Need something?” she asked.

“I wanted to ask you for help cooking up plans for summer break.”

Miori and I conversed over the phone quite often these days. We used to meet up at the nearby park to talk, but it was too hot, and Miori’s parents worried about her walking outside at night.

“Oh, yeah. You guys wanted to go to the mountains or the ocean, right?”

“Yep. We’re leaning towards staying the night by the ocean,” I replied. Hoshimiya had said she wanted to go to the ocean. Plus, when people spoke of summer, beaches were the first thing that came to mind. When I asked the others for their opinions on the subject, the majority of us had preferred the ocean over the mountains too.

“Don’t you just want to see Uta and Hikari-chan in swimsuits?” Miori asked accusingly.

“N-No... Not really,” I denied.

“I heard a little pause in your response just now.”

“Shut it! Calling me out on that was uncalled for!” If anyone asks, yes, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it once. And yes, if anyone asks whether I’d want to see them in swimsuits or not, of course I’d really like to. I want to see Nanase in a swimsuit too, okay?!

As if she knew the creepy thoughts running through my head, Miori giggled. “Hmm? Oh, really? Well, I guess you truly are a boy.”

“Quiet, just let me go. My main reason is obviously because I want to play at the beach!”

“By the way, I just took a bath, so I’m only wearing underwear right now. It’s hot in here.”

“Don’t throw in unnecessary information!”

How can I not imagine it?! That must’ve been what she was after. I would never picture my childhood friend in a dubious way...is what I wish I could confidently declare. Miori is too stunning for me not to be aware of her as the opposite sex at this point. Of course, I would never tell her that. It’d definitely go to her head!

“Anyway, so you’re set on an overnight trip?” She seamlessly continued the conversation after riling me up.

“Yeah. It’ll take a while to travel to the ocean from Gunma, after all.” If we wanted to play on the beach to our hearts’ content, staying the night would be ideal. We would be too tight on time if we went for a day trip.

“I agree, but it’ll be costly.”

“Nanase and I have been saving up from our part-time work, so the problem is the other four.”

“I heard from Uta that she gets some allowance for helping out at her family’s okonomiyaki shop.”

“Oh, really? Then the biggest problem will be...Tatsuya,” I said conclusively. Reita had mentioned he’d been saving up, so I wasn’t worried about him. On the other hand, Tatsuya often groaned about not having money, on account of his all-too-frequent snack-buying habits at the convenience store. “Maybe he can scrape together enough if we only stay for one night?”

It’ll cost about ten thousand yen to stay one night at a cheap hotel. And traveling expenses will be a few thousand yen... No, that’ll depend on which beach we go to. We’ll also need some cash to use on the day of. The whole trip will probably cost twenty or thirty thousand yen, and that’s an optimistic estimate. Ugh! Money concerns are always a headache.

It was a lot of money, even for me. I’d had plenty of funds back when I was a college student because I had the option of working part-time or attending lectures, but I didn’t have much money saved up now. Only three months had passed since I’d started working.

“Yeah, staying two nights would be too much. It’ll be hard for people to be free three days in a row logistically speaking too,” Miori said.

“True. The rest of them have club activities, after all.”

Nanase and I could adjust our shift schedules, but Uta, Reita, and Tatsuya couldn’t skip practice. Hoshimiya was probably fine since her club didn’t have mandatory meetings over the long break. Regardless, we’d need to plan around when everyone had a day off from club activities.

“Well, I think there’ll be opportunities where everyone will be free, like around the Obon holidays. Here’s what the girls’ basketball club’s got planned.” Miori sent me an image via RINE. It was a picture of a printout of their summer break practice schedule. Sure enough, the girls’ team did have periodic rest days slated in. But it was jam-packed with their training regime and practice games. “More importantly, shouldn’t you pick a place? I think you should discuss with everyone and then decide, but you should find a few candidates first. You’re the one with the most free time, after all.”

“Oh, shush. I’m busy enough with my job and working out.”

“Oooh? You’re still working out every day? I don’t think you need to anymore, though.”

“It’s not about whether I need to or not. Working out is wonderful, I’ll have you know! It solves everything.” Why didn’t I work out before now? I don’t know. If you work out, the world changes. Exercise is justice!

“Ew, gross...”

“Hey! Don’t actually sound disgusted by that!” My glass mentality will shatter. Working out has a function too: it’s critical to maintain my physique since I’m not part of a club, and it’s also a good way to kill time.

“Oh, but if you’re gonna let loose at the beach, muscles are pretty important! Toned bodies are really attractive. Hold on—is that what you’re going for?”

After a beat, I said, “I never thought about that before.” Right. Wearing a swimsuit means being seen in one too. Well, I don’t mind people looking at me...but I’d better tighten up my abs a bit... Yeah, just a bit. I don’t really care that much about it or anything.

“Well, if working out is your hobby, then I guess you don’t have to worry about your muscles now,” Miori said with a sleepy yawn.

“Anyway, aren’t we talking about the location?” I asked.

“Mm-hmm. I guess the go-to is Niigata, right? Or if you want to be by the Pacific Ocean, then Ibaraki,” she suggested.

Yeah. Distancewise from Gunma, it’s gotta be one of those two prefectures.

“Here, don’t one of these places look good?” she continued.

I tapped on the link that Miori sent. It led to a site that listed a bunch of beaches in Niigata. It’d been a while since I’d seen any beach pictures, and I was awed by their beauty, which roused my desire to go even more. I’ve been to Niigata before when I was a kid; there are a ton of beaches there, and I’m sure it’d be beautiful and pleasant no matter which one we chose. Maybe going there again would be nice. 

The two of us continued to chat as we researched different options. When I realized the time, the hands of the clock were aligned at the apex. There was a small pause in our conversation, and Miori yawned once more.

“We should get to sleep,” I said.

“Yeah... We didn’t finalize anything, but I think we’ve got the options pretty much settled. Now all you gotta do is talk to them and decide. I’m curious, so tell me what you guys pick, okay?” Her gentle tone reached me through the phone.

I also heard a hint of loneliness, so I spontaneously asked, “Do you think it’d be hard for you to come too?”

Miori was the type of person to passionately gun for the guy she liked. I’d expected her to say she wanted to come with us too if Reita was going. However, it didn’t sound like she was thinking about that at all.

“It’d be pretty hard for me to barge in on the six of you,” she replied.

“But it’s you we’re talking about. Aren’t you pretty friendly with all of us?”

“Sure, but I’m still in a different class, so I’m not really part of your normal friend group. I’m sure you guys have a vibe going on when it’s just the six of you, right? I’d hate to make things awkward by forcing my way in.”

Every point of Miori’s take on the situation was realistic. I didn’t know how to retort against such sound logic and sank into silence.

She giggled. “Oooh, what’s this? Are you going to get anxious if I’m not around?”

“No, I just thought it’d be more fun if you came too.” Memories of my childhood flashed through my mind. It was always fun whenever Miori was around because she’d take the lead. That’s why the idea had struck me: add Miori to our usual six, and we would surely experience the closest possible thing to my ideal youth.

“O-Oh, really? But that’s just your wish in the end.”

She’s right. Just because I want her to come doesn’t mean everyone else will be down. Well, I bet Reita would approve. I know how he feels about Miori now, after all... Man, who would’ve thought that he’d already be into Miori! He doesn’t talk much about himself, so I never noticed. I was really surprised when he told me. But that doesn’t mean I can just spill the beans to her. They’d get together faster if I just blurted it out since I know how they both feel, but that’s not up to me to decide. And Reita told me because he trusted me to keep it on the down-low.

I’d retreated into the recesses of my mind, but Miori broke the silence between us. “A-Anyway, I’m going to bed now, okay? Good night,” she said.

“Yeah, it’s late already. Thanks for bouncing ideas with me,” I replied and hung up. Is it just me, or did she start talking weirdly fast and sound kinda flustered? Did something happen? It’s a bit suspicious but too late to ask now. Ah, well, whatever. I’ve got school tomorrow, so I’d better hit the hay too.

I often waffled about whether I should leave the air conditioner on or off when I slept in the summer. If I kept it on, my throat usually got irritated and sore, but if I turned it off, I often woke up in the middle of the night because of how sweaty I got. There were trade-offs, so I usually decided what to do based on the temperature of that day.

I left the AC on tonight and closed my eyes. My consciousness immediately sank into a deep slumber.

***

The next day, I headed to school with my throat feeling a bit under the weather. I took the train from my town and got off at Maebashi station. As I walked down the tree-lined road, someone tapped on my shoulder from behind.

“Morning, Natsuki-kun!”

I turned to see a beautiful girl beaming at me. No, she’s the cutest girl in the world! “Hey! Morning, Hoshimiya.”

She came up beside me and calmed her slightly ragged breathing. She’d likely spotted me walking up ahead and ran to catch up to me. “Wow, it’s hot again today!” she commented.

The mornings were cool, but it only felt that way relative to the rest of the day in summer. Covered in sweat because she’d run, Hoshimiya grabbed the front of her shirt and fanned her chest. Inadvertently drawn to the gesture, I accidentally caught a glimpse of her alabaster skin beneath her shirt. Realizing that I’d unintentionally peeped, I averted my gaze in a panic. Hoshimiya is too defenseless when it comes to this sorta stuff, I thought.

“It’s great that the trees shade the road, huh?” I said.

She and I occasionally bumped into each other like this during our commute to school. The other guys had practice in the morning, so I never encountered them. Well, I did sometimes see Nanase, but her demeanor looked kinda lifeless in the morning, and she always exuded this incredible aura that said, “I don’t want to talk right now, so don’t you dare say a word to me!” So we pretty much never spoke.

“Oh, right! I heard you all hung out at the café yesterday, right?” Hoshimiya asked, her cheeks swelling up to an unnatural size. She sounded disgruntled.

“Nanase and I had work yesterday. The others came to talk about the tests.”

“Hmm? How nice...” she said wistfully. “I felt pretty good about my results this time around, so I wanted to brag about them too.”

“Really? I’ll lend you an ear, so go ahead and brag to your heart’s desire!”

“It’s not bragging when I’m talking to our grade’s number one student,” Hoshimiya said sulkily, lips pouting. Her expression soon returned to neutral, and she bowed her head towards me. “But my grades did go up because you and Yuino-chan helped me. I’m grateful, you know? Thank you.”

Just like we had for our midterms, the six of us held study sessions for our finals. Last time, Nanase had tutored Hoshimiya, but this time, I’d had many opportunities to teach her too. Hoshimiya had likely come to me with questions often because of my midterm results.

“Heh heh. My grades rose, and summer vacation is almost here—I’m feeling great today!” With light steps, Hoshimiya moved in front of me, turned around, and smiled. She’d seemed so displeased just moments ago, but her expression was fickle and changed in a snap.

“Yeah, summer break is coming right up. Hoshimiya, do you have any plans?” I asked, half to gather intel for my plan and half just out of curiosity.

“Hmm. I’m basically just going to laze around my room, you know? It’s hot outside, after all. The literature club is going to meet once a week, but attendance is optional so I don’t have to go. Oh, but there are a ton of novels I want to read! I’m backlogged, so I’ve gotta get reading,” she replied and then asked, “What about you, Natsuki-kun?”

“I’ll probably just work as much as I please at the café. But I don’t have any commitments, so I’ll clear out my schedule if anyone invites me to hang out. When I’m at home, I’ll read my way through the novels you recommended to me.”

“Oooh, sounds nice! Maybe I should recommend a few more since we’re on the topic!”

“Please do! I’m not in any clubs, so I feel like I’m going to have time to spare over vacation,” I said.

If everyone were part of the go home club like me, we’d all have plenty of chances to hang out, but they’re all busy with their club activities. I don’t have any lingering attachment to the basketball club anymore. Still, maybe joining a club would give me a stronger dose of youth juice over the long break. Ah well, no point in mulling over that now!

“Okay!” Hoshimiya exclaimed with an enthusiastic nod, but then her brows knit together in a frown. “We’re going to get a ton of homework for summer break, though. Just thinking about it makes me grumpy!”

Right, if memory serves, we’re going to get a lot of homework—enough that working on it for a few days won’t cut it. I’m not in any clubs, so I’ll be fine, but it’ll definitely be rough for the club crew. We’ll have to do it anyway, so might as well turn summer homework into another youth event, I reasoned.

“We’ll finish it if we all work together. Let’s have some study parties!” I suggested. We can meet up at Café Mares or a family restaurant by the station. Hitting the books alone in silence isn’t much fun, so I’d rather do it while making small talk with my friends.

“Oh, that’s a good idea! I’ll feel at ease with you teaching me!”

Hoshimiya and I continued chatting about stuff like that as we walked, and we soon reached the school. We passed through the gates and headed to the entrance. My alone time with her was drawing near its end. Now is probably a good time to throw out that question.

“There’s also the topic of going on a trip with everyone. Hoshimiya, you said you wanted to go to the ocean, right?” I asked, trying to keep my tone as natural as possible.

Her cheerful mood suddenly plummeted. “Yeah... It’d be fun if we could all go together.” Her response was nondescript. Clearly she wanted to go, but the way she’d worded it sounded like she knew it was unlikely she’d be able to come with us. Hoshimiya looked at me apologetically, as if she’d sensed that I was feeling out her situation. “Sorry. I said I wanted to go to the ocean, but I might not be able to.”

I hesitated and then asked, “Because your parents won’t let you go?”

“I brought it up to papa in passing, but he didn’t seem very receptive to the idea. I really want to go, though,” she explained. “Did you possibly hear something from Yuino-chan?”

“She told me you might not be able to go. She didn’t provide more details than that, though,” I replied.

With a dark expression, Hoshimiya muttered, as if to complain, “Papa is very stubborn. If he says no once, he’ll pretty much never change his mind. Ugh, that rock head. I really wish I could do something...”

This was my first time hearing Hoshimiya say something negative about a person, let alone a family member.

That’s why I unwittingly blinked at her—it was a new and surprising impression.

Realizing my shock, she blushed in embarrassment. “S-Sorry! Gosh, what am I saying out of the blue...? I’m so ashamed.”

“Oh, no. If anything, it feels easier to talk to you about, y’know? I just witnessed a rare moment,” I assured her.

“J-Just forget I said that! Jeez, Natsuki-kun!”

Hoshimiya was adorable when upset, so I shrugged my shoulders in defeat. “Okay, okay.”

Right then, we entered the school building and changed from our outdoor shoes into our indoor ones.

“A-Anyway, I’ll work something out with papa!” Hoshimiya balled her hand into a fist in front of her chest and uttered, “I can do it!”

“I’d be happy if you could come too...but don’t push yourself, okay? We’ll have plenty of other chances to hang out as a group. Maybe we can go somewhere else for a day trip,” I said. If we didn’t have to stay somewhere overnight, Hoshimiya’s dad might permit her to go. It wouldn’t be enough time to amble about the beach, though. Gunma prefecture didn’t border any oceans, after all.

“Still, I want to go to the ocean. I’m the one who suggested it too,” she murmured, absentmindedly staring into the distance.

“Do you like the ocean that much?” I asked.

“Hmm, yeah, I do. It’s beautiful and feels nice and cool. Also...zoning out at the great blue makes me feel like my worries are just a drop in the bucket, which cheers me up.” Words streamed out of her mouth, as if she wasn’t even thinking about it, and lingered in my mind. Hoshimiya gasped and quickly put on a smile. “B-But I’m perfectly happy with going to other places too! Anywhere will be a blast if I’m with you guys!” It sounded like she was trying to gloss over the subject, but she wasn’t exactly lying either.

“Got it. We’ll see what the others say. Let’s meet up somewhere,” I said.

“Yeah, roger dodger!” She gave me a sharp salute to display her assent. We made our way through the bustling halls until we reached class 1-2.

“Morning, everyone!” Hoshimiya exclaimed as we opened the door.

Inside the classroom, we saw the familiar faces of our classmates as they conversed listlessly. The lackadaisical atmosphere of the room quickly flourished with Hoshimiya’s arrival as she greeted everyone with a dazzling smile. It made me wonder if she was aware of just how much influence she held over our class. And yet I couldn’t imagine what was going on inside her head—I had no way of knowing.

Every person has their own problems to worry about. I thought I had understood that already, but when I’d heard Hoshimiya talk about her issues, I’d found myself feeling surprised. That was because I’d only ever known the perpetually bright and smiling side of her.

I love Hoshimiya Hikari.

I fell for her appearance at first sight, and I’ve also been charmed by her kindness. But I don’t know her very well. Without a doubt, I only understand her on a surface level. And that’s why I want to learn more about her, I thought genuinely to myself.

***

During lunch break that same day, I summoned everyone to the school cafeteria so we could deliberate our summer vacation plans. I’d considered gathering at a family restaurant or a café, but the club crew would be busy after school. Plus, if we wanted to go all out over our vacation, we shouldn’t waste money eating out.

Reita slurped up his kakiage udon and finished off the broth before opening his mouth. “Natsuki’s right. It’s about time we lay out the specifics of our plan.”

“We’re talking about going to the beach, right?” Uta asked as if she’d just remembered. In front of her was a large shoyu ramen that didn’t match her small stature.

“But I don’t have much money left,” Tatsuya grumbled as he voraciously shoveled spoonfuls of large-sized curry into his mouth.

“Tatsu, if you tell your mom that you’re going on a trip, won’t she give you some money?” Uta suggested.

“I guess she might fork over some cash, but who knows? I do wanna go, though,” he replied.

As expected, money is the first issue. “Tatsuya aside, is everyone else good on money?” I asked. The rest of the group nodded.

“I’ve got a decent amount saved up,” Reita replied.

“I help out at our restaurant every now and then, so I’m good too!” Uta exclaimed.

“Like you, Haibara-kun, I’ve been working quite hard, so I should have sufficient funds,” answered Nanase.

“Me too. I think my allowance will be enough,” Hoshimiya said.

Pretty much what Miori and I predicted. Which means Tatsuya’s the only problem.

“How much is the trip gonna cost? We’re staying overnight, right?” Tatsuya asked, peering into his wallet. His expression was very grim.

“It depends on where we go and where we stay. Thirty thousand yen is probably enough for the whole trip,” I answered. That estimate was made under the assumption that we would stay at a cheap hotel, but traveling expenses would be a big blow to our funds since we’d likely need to take the bullet train.

“Well, that’s a realistic assessment,” Nanase said in agreement.

Tatsuya frowned and let out a low grunt. “There’re tons of things I wanna do with you guys too...”

“Figure something out, so we can all go together! Just think about it: summer at the beach! It’ll definitely be awesome!” Uta eagerly tried to talk him up. Then, as if she’d just thought of something, her eyes began to twinkle. “I know! Tatsu, why don’t you work at our shop over the break? You used to help out sometimes in the past!”

“Oh, yeah, I did do that,” Tatsuya said as he looked at her with blank eyes. “I’ve got practice during the day, so I can pretty much only work at night. Is that okay?”

“Yeah! We’re looking for a new part-timer, so this is perfect timing! I’ll ask my parents!” she replied with an exceptionally bright smile.

“It’s hard for Tatsuya to work a new job when he has practice all the time, so a temp summer job at Uta’s place is definitely a good idea,” Reita remarked calmly. “Not bad.”

“Tatsu’s worked at our place a few times already, so he’s experienced, which is great for us too!” Uta said, beaming blissfully.

It’s certainly a win-win situation, or rather, a two-birds-one-stone type of deal. Looks like a great solution was close at hand this whole time! It really is best to discuss problems like this with everyone... But imagining Uta and Tatsuya working together is unsettling my heart a bit. Suddenly, the night of the Tanabata festival flashed through my mind. Even now, I could still vividly recall the sensation of Uta’s lips on my cheek.

“This is how I feel.”

I had said nothing in response to her words. She had told me not to reply—surely because she’d detected my hesitation. I was taking advantage of Uta’s kindness right now. I shouldn’t feel this way about Uta and Tatsuya being together... I get it. What I’m feeling now is jealousy. I know how she feels about me, but I’ve held off on replying. And now I don’t want her to get closer to other guys.

I’m not allowed to feel this way. I shook my head to rid myself of those thoughts and changed mental gears before rejoining the conversation. “Cool. Sounds like money is no longer an issue, then.”

“Yeah, well, I can’t take on that many shifts, so it’s still gonna be rough for me,” Tatsuya complained.

“It’s going to be rough for me too. We need to plan this trip to be as inexpensive as possible,” Reita added. There was a short pause in our conversation, so he brought up the next problem. “Before we start, we have to match up our schedules. I’m sure everyone has club activities or other stuff, so we’ll have to plan around things.”

At that, everyone took out their smartphones or notebooks to check their summer schedules. After some cross-checking, we found that August 6 and 7 would work for all of us. There were a few more one-off dates when everyone was available, but it would’ve been pretty hard to sync up two other days in a row.

Everyone had a break from their club activities during Obon, but most planned to visit their grandparents during that period. So we settled on the sixth and seventh. It was also huge that I now knew what days people were free. I planned on holding homework sessions over the long vacation, after all. Plus, the knowledge would make it easier to invite people to hang out too.

“Now that we’ve confirmed dates, all that’s left is...the location,” Reita said with a small frown as he stared at his phone, likely looking up some possible choices.

If anyone had thought of a place instantly, then I would’ve let them take the wheel, but based on their contemplative expressions, it didn’t look like anyone had anything in mind. So I proposed the locations that Miori and I had come up with. “I’ve got a few options. How about somewhere in Niigata?”

I placed my phone on top of the table and showed everyone the website that listed a bunch of beaches as I gave a more in-depth description of each place. They leaned in close to look at my phone screen, and we all ended up huddling close together. I was particularly conscious of Hoshimiya; she was so close that her shoulder was basically stuck to mine.

There’s something about girls that always makes them smell nice. O-Oh no... At this rate, my explanations are going to come flying out of my head! I’m the center of the discussion right now—I’ve gotta keep it together...

“Wow! This place looks suuuper pretty!” Uta exclaimed. She watched Hoshimiya and me touching shoulders with a peculiar look on her face.

I pretended not to notice her gaze. “Y-Yeah. I’ve actually been here before. It’s a nice place.”

“Yeah, isn’t this place good? It’s the closest beach from Gunma too,” Reita said. He was our group’s designated voice of authority, and no one objected, so we all settled on the number one candidate Miori and I had come up with.

Uta also fervently agreed, eyes sparkling. “Let’s go here! It’ll definitely be fun!”

“I’ve got a few options if we choose this place. I thought it’d be nice if we took this opportunity to stay at a cottage.” I showed them a site that listed the cottages Miori and I had looked into. “What do you guys think? They look like this.”

Uta tilted her head to the side quizzically. “A cottage?”

“They’re basically villas we can rent. It’d be like renting a single-family home.” I showed her a picture on my phone. It was of a wooden building quietly situated along a mountain path in the countryside. It had a kitchen, dining room, living room, and even a spacious terrace. The second floor was lined with individual rooms.

“Oooh! This looks great!” she exclaimed.

“Hey, we could have a barbecue on the terrace. Let’s stay here,” Reita said as he reviewed the website.

That comment got a big reaction out of Tatsuya. “What?! We’re gonna eat meat? All right, let’s go with that!”

“You do know that if we stay at a cottage, we’ll have to buy our own meat and grill it ourselves, right?” Nanase pointed out in an exasperated tone.

“Isn’t that fine? That’s got a kind of... What’s the word?” Tatsuya cocked his head to the side for a moment to think and then gave her an optimistic reply. “Doesn’t it have some panache to it?”

“Ah ha ha! Tatsu’s using hard words!” Uta cackled.

“What’s so funny about that?!” he yelled, face wrenched with emotion.

These two have really done well to return to their natural state of banter after all that awkward air.

“But won’t a place like this be expensive?” Nanase questioned.

I was prepared for this concern, though. “It’s actually pretty cheap. This is the cost for staying one night, but...” I opened up the calculator on my phone and quickly input the numbers. “If we split the cost between the six of us, it’ll go down to this. Look.”

“Oooh!” everyone uttered, impressed.

“Isn’t that cheaper than staying at a hotel in the same area?” Reita commented.

“Yeah, I think so. It looks expensive at a glance, but we’re splitting the price between six people. It’d be even cheaper if we went with more people; though, sizewise, I think this cottage maxes out at eight or nine people,” I explained.

We could hold a barbecue at this lodging, and it had plenty of space. That did mean we’d need to prepare our meals and baths on our own, but it shouldn’t be too much work since we were only staying for one night. After I’d finished disclosing this information, everybody’s response was quite positive.

“Thanks, Natsu. You must’ve put a lot of thought into this, huh?” Uta said, her expression suddenly softening.

“Well, I do have the most free time. I just looked through random sightseeing websites,” I said with a shrug.

Tatsuya crossed his arms. “Natsuki’s clutch, as always. A whiz like you thought this up, so it’s pretty much settled, then.”

“Yeah, Natsuki’s proposal sounds solid all around,” Reita said in agreement.

I secretly sighed in relief. It was worth staying up late with Miori to brainstorm.

“And, hey, if it’d be cheaper, then why don’t we invite some more people?” Tatsuya suggested, money occupying his mind.

“Yeah! It’ll be more fun with more people!” Uta said, on board with his suggestion for clearly different motives.

“I understand your logic, but won’t it be a bit awkward for other people to suddenly mingle with our group?” Nanase objected with a stern look on her face.

“You think so? I think any of our classmates would be fine.” Uta tilted her head, puzzled.

Well, Uta is friends with people outside of our group and treats them exactly the same as us. It’s not just her, though. Everyone besides me gets along just fine with other people.

“Sure, but we normally hang out as a set group of six, so a single outsider might find it a little daunting to join in. And they probably have their own friend group,” Reita said with a hard look.

I was of the same opinion, so I backed him up in the form of a question. “On the flip side, do we have anyone in mind?”

No one has a specific person in mind right now. It’d be great if we could name someone in particular, but if we can’t, then we don’t need to go out of our way to get anyone else on board. I don’t think our plus-one would like it if we invited them by process of elimination either. My goal for this special summer event is to have as much fun as possible. And even without forcing ourselves to bring more people, I think this trip will be plenty fun with the six of us.

“Someone who meshes well with all of us and can keep up with our vibe if they come with... Hmm...” Tatsuya muttered the prerequisites aloud.

As I’d predicted, no one came to mind—but then, someone shattered that prediction.

“I’d wanna go with Miorin and Seri!” remarked Uta.

Miorin is Miori, but who’s Seri?

“Oh, good idea! They both get along well with all of us!” Hoshimiya chimed in her agreement.

It had weighed on my mind how little Hoshimiya had spoken up until now, but there was no sign of gloom in her tone. I wondered if she had a reason for staying quiet, but I guess there was no special meaning behind her silence? Also, “they get along with all of us”? I don’t even know anyone named Seri, though!

Reita glanced my way and then agreed with a soft smile. “I’m on board too. It’ll definitely be fun if those two come.”

Even someone as dense as I was could understand why he’d looked at me. He wanted me to concur as well. I knew that Reita was interested in Miori, after all. Reita’s probably thinking this will be the perfect chance to get closer to Miori if she comes with us... Well, even if I don’t read too deep into it, he might just want to hang out with her. He didn’t sound like he was lying when he said it’d definitely be fun.

“So we’d be splitting the cost by eight?” Still worried about money, Tatsuya punched the numbers into his phone’s calculator. His face turned all smiles, and he eagerly assented. “Oh, it’s pretty cheap now. Let’s invite ’em!”

What’s the word...? He’s a calculating guy...when it comes to money, anyway.

“Miori-san is Haibara-kun’s childhood friend too, so isn’t that perfect?” Nanase commented.

Everyone nodded. Wait, aren’t we all ignoring the biggest question? “Um... Who’s Seri?” I tentatively asked.

I’d thought it was a basic question, but everyone blinked in surprise. Huh? Why do you all look like the answer is obvious? Am I just out of the loop because it’s a nickname? But no one who’d have that nickname comes to mind...

“What? Natsu, you’ve never hung out with Seri before?” Uta asked, astonished.

Before I could respond, Reita interjected first. “Come to think of it, Natsuki might be the only one who hasn’t talked to her... No, wait, I’m pretty sure you met her at our café study group. Though maybe you didn’t talk much.”

With those words, the memories flashed back to me. Ohhh. The blonde, fashionable girl who sat across from Miori! “Oh, yeah, Miori’s talked about her a few times. I know the two of them are close.” If memory serves, her name is Serika. Ah, I see, Uta got “Seri” from Serika. “Wait a sec, are you all friends with Serika?”

They all shared a look for a moment and then Nanase answered. “She went to the same middle school as Hikari and me.”

“Tatsuya and I went to the same elementary school as her,” Reita said. “Uta went to a different school, though.”

I... I see... I didn’t expect them to have that kind of connection.

“Me and Miorin are tight, so I talk to Seri a lot these days!” Uta added.

Ah, so everyone besides me is pretty close to this Serika... And if everyone else is already friends with Miori and Serika, then they certainly are the perfect duo to invite.

“If Natsuki’s never talked to her before, then maybe we shouldn’t go with them?” Reita said out of consideration for me.

“Nah...” I reflexively shook my head. Reita wants to go with Miori. Heck, I think it’ll be a blast if Miori comes too. If all it takes is for one person I’ve never talked to before to tag along, then it’s no big deal! If anything, this is a chance for me to expand my circle of friends. “It’s fine. Let’s invite them.”

The conversation I’d had with Miori last night popped into my mind.

“Oooh, what’s this? Are you going to get anxious if I’m not around?”

“No, I just thought it’d be more fun if you came too.”

She declined when I asked her to come, but now Serika makes another good reason for Miori to say yes. And most important of all, everyone suggested they both come without any nudging from me. Surely she’ll change her mind...

“If Natsuki-kun’s okay with it, then let’s ask them and see what they say. If they decline, we’ll just have to go with the six of us,” Hoshimiya proposed.

“I’ll invite them pronto. I’ll let you guys know over RINE what they tell me,” Reita said, concluding the topic.

We continued bouncing ideas and discussing minor details, when Hoshimiya suddenly spoke up. “Um... Actually, I haven’t gotten permission from my papa to go on this trip,” she hesitantly said. Her tone was dark, a complete one-eighty from just moments ago. “I might not be able to go. Sorry.”

Everyone seemed to have guessed that already—perhaps they’d heard from Nanase. No one looked surprised, but the mood did take a dreary dive. I searched for something to say, but Uta spoke up first, changing the atmosphere with her bright timbre.

“Don’t sweat it, families are like that sometimes. Although, I do hope we can go together, Hikarin!”

Unexpectedly, Tatsuya was the next person to follow up. “Can’t we do something about that? It’ll definitely be less fun if you can’t come with.”

It was unheralded to hear Tatsuya say that to Hoshimiya. Everyone exchanged looks, thinking the same thing. Hoshimiya blinked at him, shocked.

“Wh-What’s with you guys? Is it that weird to hear that coming from me?” Tatsuya asked.

“Oh, no, n-not at all! I’m thrilled to hear that! Th-Thanks!” Hoshimiya frantically denied, but it was plain for all to see that she was discombobulated.

“Hoshimiya-san, you’re clearly rattled.” Seeing her flustered, Reita burst out in laughter as he held his stomach.

Tatsuya shot me a funny look, but I was stumped as to what to say.

“A-Anyway, I’ll do my best so I can come too!” she declared.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help and report back soon. So can you all wait a little longer?” Nanase said as she patted Hoshimiya on the head.

Everyone bobbed their heads cheerfully, and right then, the end-of-lunch-break bell rang.

***

A few days later, we heard that Miori and Serika had readily accepted Reita’s invitation. I’d been calling Serika by her given name for convenience’s sake, but I learned that her full name was Hondo Serika. I should call her Hondo-san, then. If I get the opportunity, I’d like to properly introduce myself to her.

Also, with Nanase’s help, Hoshimiya had apparently succeeded in persuading her father. When she sent our group chat a message informing us of her achievement, it gave me peace of mind for the moment.

“Hey!”

“Gweh!”

I was walking down the hallway before morning homeroom started when someone suddenly pulled on me from behind. I felt them grabbing the collar of my button-down. The only person who’d do this is Miori!

“What the heck do you want?!” I cried.

“Was it your suggestion?” she asked.

Don’t respond to my question with a question! And besides, haven’t you ever heard of context? Ah well, I guess it’s fine since I know what you’re talking about. “It wasn’t. Uta and Reita were the ones who suggested it. And then everyone else endorsed the idea, saying they wanted to go with you and your friend. Though, apparently another reason was because they’re all friends with Hondo-san.”

“I did hear about that from Serika...” Miori admitted, though still not fully convinced.

“I thought you said you were down to go?”

“Well, yeah... Serika seemed eager to go, and I had no reason to decline.”

“Then what’s the big deal? I get to hang out with you too, so we’re killing two birds with one stone.”

She looked like she had mixed feelings about the trip, which baffled me. Strangely displeased, she got up on her tippy-toes for some reason and pinched my cheek.

“Ow!” I yelped. Hey, if you do this in the middle of the hall, then people are gonna think we’re dating! I saw a few people eyeing us already.

“Anyway, even if the other five are friends with Serika, you’ve never interacted with her before, right?” Miori said.

“Yeah, but...it’s cool. Won’t it be fine if I just see it as a chance to make a new friend?”

The idea came out of my own mouth, but it didn’t sound like a line of reasoning I’d normally have. I’d certainly improved to some extent, but it didn’t change the fact that I was still a shy introvert at heart. There was no doubt that I had the least friends out of everyone in my friend group. After all, I was too much of a wimp to try to make any new ones. But confining myself to a world with the same six people forever wouldn’t lead to my ideal youth. I needed to muster up the courage to expand my horizons, even if only by a little at a time.

“Hmm.” Miori stared at my face and then said, “Well, I guess I’m okay with it if you’re okay with it.” Finished with our conversation, she turned away.

“Morning, Miori,” someone called out.

We simultaneously turned around to see who it was. Speak of the devil and something whatever. It’s her! The topic of our conversation, Hondo-san, was waving at us.

“Hey, Serika. G’morning!”

Miori shot back an extremely normal greeting, but what the heck am I supposed to do here? We both know each other by name through Miori, but we’ve never spoken before. I don’t think we’re close enough to say hello, but we are going on a trip together. And wouldn’t it be weird if I didn’t say anything since I’m standing right next to Miori, and they just greeted each other? Such socially anxious thoughts kept spinning round and round in my head.

Then, Serika looked at me and said, “Morning, Haibara-kun.”

“G-Good morning,” I replied after a split second of hesitation. It, too, was a very normal exchange. O-Oh, right. I just needed to say good morning like a regular person... Why in the world was I floundering over this?

I felt a mysterious sense of defeat, but Miori and Hondo-san paid no notice as they began chatting. Then, the two trained their gazes on me.

“Haibara-kun is going on the trip too, right?” asked Hondo-san.

“Yep! He’s not a bad guy, so be nice to him!” replied Miori.

“Nice to meet you, Haibara-kun,” she said.

“Y-Yeah. Nice to meet you too, Hondo-san,” I said with a fervent nod.

“M’kay, I’ll head in first,” Hondo-san said placidly and then walked into her classroom.

Phew... That made me oddly nervous! 

Seeing me sigh in relief, Miori smiled dryly. “Serika’s pretty low energy. She’s always like that, so don’t overthink it.”

“Really? She’s not like that because it’s the morning or anything?” I asked in surprise. Nanase’s complexion looked ghastly and she had very low energy in the morning, so I’d figured Hondo-san was the same.

“Mm-hmm. That’s why she might not come off too sociable. It’s a shame since she’s so cute,” Miori said with pursed lips. “What a waste.”

She’s definitely well-dressed, but she’s not very expressive. I guess she just looks like an outgoing gal on the surface. “Do you think I can be friends with her?”

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. That girl doesn’t really like or dislike anyone. And she’s not shy with strangers either. She might look intimidating, but she’s actually pretty easygoing.”

“Um, but I’m not good with strangers...”

“That’s a you problem that you’ll just have to get over. Didn’t you say this was your chance to make a new friend?”

“Now that I’ve talked to the actual person, I’ve suddenly lost all confidence...”

“Listen here, you,” Miori said. She looked fed up as she pressed on her forehead. But then, the morning homeroom bell rang. When we looked around, we realized that we were the only two people left in the hall. “Oh, shoot! I’ve gotta go. See you later!”

“Yeah, see you.”

I watched Miori hurry into her classroom and then opened the door to the class next to hers.

“You’re late, Natsuki,” Reita called out.

“I was talking to Miori about the trip,” I explained as I sat down.

Just as I did, our homeroom teacher strolled in. “All right. Summer vacation starts tomorrow, but remember that because you are students of our school, you’d better conduct yourself in a manner that befits our reputation. Also, I’m sure you’ve been assigned ample homework for the summer, but it’s an amount that’ll disappear if you diligently work on it day by day. Do not start on it too late. Got it? Yes, it’s a break, but...”

Our teacher began lecturing us about not losing focus over our long vacation, but the atmosphere of the classroom became antsy instead. The teacher was going off about rules and regulations at great length, but all the students in class began whispering to each other quietly and sharing hushed laughter.

While I was surveying everyone else, I made eye contact with Hoshimiya. Flustered, she averted her eyes but peeked at me one more time for reasons beyond me. She mouthed, “I can’t wait,” and her expression loosened into a small smile.

My mind blanked for a moment. Huuuh?! What was that?! That was way too freaking cute! Don’t win over my heart so easily! Just as I calmed my inner turmoil, the end-of-homeroom bell rang.

“All right. Be sure to conduct yourselves with discipline!” Our teacher, who’d been repeating the same message over and over, finally ended that long-winded spiel.

Lecturing us forever, same as always! We’ve got our end-of-term ceremony today, so we’ll also be stuck listening to the principal’s extremely long speech in the gym, which’ll be blazing hot. I wish our homeroom could’ve been short and sweet to make up for that suffering!

As soon as our homeroom teacher left, the classroom burst back into loud chatter. Most of us were talking about our summer homework—namely, how there was too much of it. But there were plenty of other topics mixed in too: I overheard that one student wanted to go to the pool with their friends, and another couldn’t wait to see the fireworks display. Someone else was going to host a Smash Bros. tournament at their friend’s place, while another person would be going abroad with their family. Somebody said they had club activities every day and wished for more days off. There were a few complaints too, but everybody seemed to be in high spirits.

Brilliant sunlight shone through the window. The air conditioner was on and should’ve been cooling the room, but I felt a burning sensation on my skin nonetheless. Today was the closing ceremony of the first term. Apparently, it would be over thirty degrees Celsius today as well.

Starting tomorrow, our summer vacation would begin.