In a World Where Chastity Is Reversed, I Kept Provoking Girls Until Things Went Too Far

Chapter 27: Training Field Trip (Part 1)

The bus stopped at the rest area, and everyone got out to buy drinks or stretch. Among them, Yuri cleverly claimed a table seat and said with a grin.

“Okay… time for the penalty game, huh♪”

Kouta took a sip of water from his bottle and choked suddenly.

“Geh… y-you’re really going to do it!?”

“Of course! Penalty games have no mercy~!”

“You’re so strict about the rules…”

“So, what’s it going to be?”

Otowa asked with unusual excitement.

“Yeah, it’s this──’Say what you like about everyone in the group!'”

“Nice, that sounds fun!”

“I really like penalty games like this…”

The others cheered with applause, but Kouta’s face turned bright red.

“W-why’d you have to go in that direction…!”

“Come on, say it quick or the bus’ll leave~”

“Ugh…!”

Otowa crossed her arms and looked down at him.

“Say it already. And no half-hearted stuff.”

“No… give me a minute to think!”

Kouta took a small deep breath and looked around at their faces one by one.

First, Eri.

“Eri… you’re always so full of energy. I like how you brighten up the atmosphere.”

“Eh… h-huh. W-well, of course! This group would be gloomy without me!”

She laughed to hide her embarrassment, but her cheeks turned a little pink.

Next, Haru.

“Haru-chan, you’re so calm… talking to you feels reassuring and fun.”

“Hehe, thanks. Kouta-kun can say surprisingly cute things, huh.”

“C-cute!? Take that back!!”

“Hehe, can’t do that.”

Saya.

“Saya-san, I could tell right away since we ended up in the same group this time, but… you really watch out for everyone. It’s amazing how you naturally help when someone’s in trouble.”

“Oh, that… I never really thought about it, but thanks.”

“No, really, I respect that.”

And finally, Otowa.

“…Otowa, you… you tutor me and stuff, and you’re always looking out for me one way or another. I mean, you really help me out a lot.”

Otowa looked away and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“H-huh… whatever, it was just a whim.”

“Yeah, I know. But thanks.”

“…Idiot.”

Yuri clapped her hands.

“All right, you pass~! Everyone, applause~!!”

“Why applause!? This was quietly embarrassing, you know!”

“The embarrassed Kouta-kun was super cute too~”

Laughter burst out everywhere.

For just a moment, the bus fatigue and tension vanished from the air.

──And seeing Kouta more flustered than anyone,

Otowa murmured softly.

“…Yeah, you’re totally different from other guys, aren’t you?”

“We’ve arrived—!!”

Someone from the class shouted, and the bus door opened at the same time.

Cool mountain air swept away the stuffy heat inside the bus. The damp scent of soil and grass mixed together, creating a somehow nostalgic smell.

“Wow~, the air’s so clean!”

“Let’s take a photo! Come on, Kouta, get in here too!”

Eri held up her phone and dragged Kouta over by force.

“H-hey, don’t get so close!”

“What’s with the blushing~? It’s a nature retreat, right? A青春 event?”

“I won’t last with that energy…”

When he looked around, buses from other classes were arriving one after another, and the teachers shouted instructions to line up. Beyond the campsite, he could see a few lodges peeking through the trees, and faintly hear the sound of a river in the distance.

“Roll call by group! Drop your bags in your rooms, change into your gym clothes, and gather at the assembly point!”

The homeroom teacher’s voice echoed through the mountains.

“Eh… Training Field Trip?? 20 km!?”

Saya’s face twisted the moment she saw the itinerary at the assembly point.

“You didn’t hear? It’s an annual thing.”

Otowa said as she put on her hat.

“Isn’t a nature retreat supposed to be camping or hands-on activities? Why ‘training’…?”

“Well, to toughen up your mind and body, right~?”

Eri started warm-up stretches with a laugh.

The homeroom teacher grabbed a megaphone and bellowed.

“Here’s the annual nature retreat training hike! The course loops around the base of this mountain, and make sure you’re back before the campfire starts! No pushing too hard—help each other out in your groups! That’s all!”

(20 km… that’s gonna wipe out the whole day…)

Kouta looked up at the distant mountain ridge and sighed. Under the blue sky, the sunlight already beat down hot. But surprisingly, the girls around him seemed energetic. Except for Saya, who was the epitome of an indoor type…

“Okay, groups, time to head out!”

“Got it~! Otowa’s the group leader, right? Lead the way properly!”

“Understood. Let me know if the pace gets too tough.”

Kouta’s group set off too.

The first few kilometers were a gentle uphill slope.

Only the sound of birds and shoes crunching on gravel echoed quietly.

“Hey, Kouta-kun, you already tired?”

Eri turned back with a sly grin.

“N-not really… just a bit hot.”

“Hehe, you okay~? Drink some water~”

“Quit teasing!”

“Rest point’s in 2 km.”

Otowa said while checking the map.

“2 km… that’s still only a quarter…”

Saya hugged her head beside him.

“Come on, put some grit into it and walk.”

“…This is unfair.”

Eventually, they reached the first rest area’s clearing.

Other groups rested in the shade of the trees.

Kouta wiped his sweat and sat down on the ground.

“Anyone bring snacks~?”

Eri called out, and Haru pulled a small bag from her pouch.

“Want a candy?”

“Thanks… wait, it’s melted.”

“Whoa, it really is~!”

Laughter spilled from those around them.

All in all, the vibe wasn’t bad. Still, Kouta felt dizzy thinking about the endless road ahead.

—

Chapter 28: Training Field Trip (Part 2)

“…How many kilometers left?”

“About halfway. We’ve walked 10 km.”

Otowa answered while checking the map app.

“10 km… that’s already a normal distance to end a field trip…”

“Well, the training field trip name isn’t just for show.”

“I really didn’t hear about this torture setup!!!”

Saya shouted with the loudest voice of the day.

The group’s line had already spread out a bit, with Otowa and Eri ahead, and Kouta, Haru, and Saya a little behind. The sky shone fully in midday light, and the distant mountain ridge shimmered like a heat haze.

“Hey, Takeda-kun, you’re really bad at sports, huh.”

Haru turned back and grinned slyly.

“That’s rude. Among guys, I’m supposed to be on the athletic side! Probably…”

“Sure, but right now, in the group, Saya-san and you are totally wiped out.”

“…Can’t argue with that.”

“What do guys usually do on days off?”

Saya asked with clear interest.

“Hm? Well, sleep, eat… play games… sleep.”

“Like a kid.”

Otowa immediately jabbed from ahead.

“Kouta-kun, are you really good at games?”

Saya said with a sideways laugh.

“I-I’m into chill games like VR Chat!!”

“VR Chat?”

“Wait, isn’t that the thing from that incident that came up before…?”

“STOP! Don’t remind me of that anymore!!”

“Hmm, you probably just wanted to get fawned over in the game, right?”

“…H-how do you know?”

“Bullseye!”

“No! That was… strategy!”

“Hehehe, strategy, huh~”

Eri nodded exaggeratedly.

“Seriously, he never learns in that area.”

Otowa sighed in exasperation.

Kouta could only give a wry smile at the rowdiness that made nearby groups turn back.

“All right, this is the last rest stop!”

Otowa’s voice rang out, and everyone headed to the shade of the trees all at once. The breeze felt nice and cooled their sweaty necks.

Kouta sat down on the ground and retied his shoelaces.

“Your feet okay?”

Otowa crouched down next to him.

“Well, they don’t hurt… but they’re heavy.”

“Can’t rely on your muscle mass, Kouta.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you lack stamina and grit.”

“That kinda pisses me off…”

“Here, have some Pocari.”

Otowa held out a plastic bottle.

“Thanks.”

“I already drank from the mouth, but don’t mind.”

“…I do mind!”

“Okay! Break’s over!”

Otowa stood up and called out. Everyone in the group grabbed their stuff and got back on their feet.

At that moment, Kouta’s foot caught lightly.

“Whoa—”

“Ah!”

Otowa caught him on reflex.

Their distance closed for a split second, and their eyes met.

“…Oops.”

“Watch it.”

“Y-yeah, I got it.”

“Whoa~ Did you see that~?”

Kouta’s ears turned bright red at Eri’s teasing voice.

“…My legs… feel like sticks…”

Kouta muttered while bending forward.

“Sticks? More like they’re already broken.”

Eri stretched beside him with a laugh.

“One more kilometer, just one more!”

Otowa shouted from ahead.

Haru and Saya reflexively looked up at her voice, but their faces looked like the walking dead.

“One kilometer… doesn’t that feel kinda long?”

“The ‘just a bit more’ part is the toughest…”

They looked at each other, but it was hard to tell if they were crying or laughing.

The sun had already started to set, and the orange light along the path edge cast long shadows. The wind turned cool, and the sweat on their cheeks felt a bit chilly.

“…But, you know, it’s kinda weird.”

Kouta muttered quietly.

“I thought it was hell at first, but walking like this with everyone, it’s starting to feel a little fun.”

“Has Kouta-kun finally gotten into the fun of exercise~?”

Eri turned back with a sly grin.

“I still hate exercise itself!!”

“I agree with Takeda-kun~”

“Me too.”

“You three really lack grit~”

Everyone had hit peak fatigue. No one was having serious conversations anymore. Still, they kept walking toward the goal without stopping.

“Goal!!!”

With the shout, everyone collapsed onto the ground.