I Want a Girlfriend who Won’t Betray Me

Coincidences do Happen

I thought my summer break would be uneventful aside from the family trip, but I ended up going to the pool with Kamijo-san, then again with Kanbayashi and the others. I even went to watch a movie with Kamijo-san after that. For me, these past days have been more than fulfilling.

After that, I spend time in my room reading books for my book report assignment and finally finish writing my review on a book. Tomorrow is our family trip to Omoizawa.

Back in Boston, my mom was home every day, and my dad would return home by 7PM. But since we moved back to Japan, Mom has returned to the showbiz industry. Because of her busy schedule, she can’t be home every day. The time she leaves and comes home varies from day to day. Dad also usually doesn’t get home until after 8PM every day.

That’s why I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s trip.

The next day, we leave home at 7 AM with my dad’s car. We drive on local roads for about 40 minutes before getting onto the highway.

After a little while, we start driving at a constant speed.

“It’s been a while since we’ve gone on a trip like this as a family.”

“Yeah, we haven’t gone anywhere at all since we moved back to Japan.”

“Let’s all relax and enjoy our time together.”

Once we’re on the highway, we have a nice family bonding time for the first time in a while.

Along the way, we stop at a rest area for a 30-minutes break. When my mother gets out of the car, the people around us all looks surprised, but no one comes up to talk to her.

A little while later, we enter a different highway, exit at the Omoizawa IC, and arrive at the hotel about ten minutes later.

After everyone gets out of the car and hand our luggage to the bellboy, my father takes the car to the parking lot himself.

Once he returns to the lobby, he goes to the front desk to check in. Apparently, this hotel is quite famous in the area.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Asai’s POV

My name is Kaori Asai. My family and I are going on a family trip for four days and three nights. Right now, I’m on the lobby of the hotel in Omoizawa where we stay every year.

Hmm? That person, I’m pretty sure…

As I get closer, there’s no mistake.

“Shinonome-kun.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kazuki’s POV

I didn’t expect to run into anyone I know around here, but when I turn towards the voice, I see a beautiful girl standing there. She has long, shining black hair that reaches down to her waist and large, sharp eyes.

“Eh? Asai-san?”

“Shinonome-kun, are you staying here too?”

“Yeah, for three nights starting today.”

“Eh!? Me too!”

“Kazuki, who is this?”

“Ah, Mom, this is Kaori Asai, a classmate from school.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kaori Asai.”

“Nice to meet you too. I’m Kazuki’s mother. Thank you for looking after my son.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Asai’s POV

I’m so surprised by the appearance of the woman who greets me. I tug on Shinonome-kun’s sleeve and whisper in his ear.

“Hey, doesn’t your mom look just like the actress Toko Kitagawa?”

“Ah, right, sorry I never mentioned it. Yeah, she is Toko Kitagawa.”

“Eh!? Seriously?”

Shinonome-kun’s face really resembles his mother. But still, I can’t believe his mom is the actress, Toko Kitagawa. This is quite something…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kazuki’s POV

As we are talking to each other, Dad returns

“The check-in is done. Who’s this?”

“She’s Kaori Asai, a classmate from my school.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kaori Asai.”

“Nice to meet you too, I’m Kazuki’s father.”

As Asai-san and dad are exchanging greetings, a young man approaches us.

“Kaori, we’re done checking in. Let’s go to our room.”

“Alright, see you later, Shinonome-kun.”

It seems like Asai-san has come with her family too. Her parents and, apparently, her older brother.

“Kazuki, she’s a very beautiful girl.”

“Yeah, she’s the one I went to the pool with the other day.”

“Eh, is that so?”

Hah…but I never thought I’d meet Asai-san here. Now she even knows about my family. If I see her again later, I should probably ask her to keep it to herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Asai’s POV

“Hey, Kaori. Who’s that boy you were talking to earlier?”

“Ah, he’s a classmate from my school. His name is Kazuki Shinonome.”

“He’s really handsome. And the woman standing next to him?”

“Yeah, that was actress Kitagawa Toko. She’s his mother.”

“Whoa, seriously? You’ve got some amazing friends.”

“I’m not sure if I’d call him a friend yet. We know each other, but that’s about it.”

“Then hurry up and befriend him. Maybe I’ll get a chance to meet her.”

“Onii-chan, what are you even saying? There’s no way I can do that.”

“Come on, isn’t there a chance?”

“No way!”

Seriously, if he tries to approach Kazuki with that kind of motive, he’ll ruin any chance I have.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kazuki’s POV

This hotel has a gently curved design and is three stories tall. Our room is a four-person room on the third floor. Outside the window, I can see a large pond and a green forest.

“Alright, let’s take a short rest, then head to the restaurant for lunch. We can decide what to do in the afternoon while we’re there.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. I prefer a relaxed plan over a rigid schedule.”

We have a leisurely lunch at the café lounge.

Afterwards, I tell my parents.

“I’m going to take a walk for a bit.”

“Alright. How about we visit the hot springs in the afternoon? I heard we can book a private family bath.”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

“Then, I’ll head out for a bit. I’ll be back in about two hours.”

“Okay.”

That said, this is my first time here. I have no choice but to check Google Maps on my phone. The station is just a five-minute walk away, and there seem to be various shops around in the area. Might as well take a look.

If I walk straight down the road from the hotel, I’ll reach the station in no time. But what is this? This place is just like Takegami Street in Tokyo’s back alleys. And what’s with this crowd?

There are more foreigners than Japanese people here. I think it’s be better to have some tea in the hotel lounge. I should’ve brought a book with me.

That said, since I’m already here, I keep walking around the area, and for some reason, I stumble upon a foreign-language bookstore. I have no idea why a bookstore specializing in foreign books is here, but it’s a lucky find for me.

Inside, there’s a decent selection of books. I pick up a paperback and a magazine, then decide to head back to the hotel.

As I’m walking leisurely, I see Asai-san and her older brother walking towards me.

Well, since we are staying at the same hotel nearby, it’s only natural that we’ll run into each other.

I thought it would be rude to just pass by in silence, so I give a slight nod as I try to walk past them.

But then—

Grab!

For some reason, Asai-san grabs my arm.

“Shinonome-kun, you’re not even going to say hello?”

“Well, I didn’t want to interrupt your walk with your brother.”

“That’s not a problem at all, right, Onii-chan?”

She calls him Onii-chan? That’s not the image I had of her.

“Well, it’s fine. I’ll just wander around on my own, so you two can have fun. See you.”