Living Normally In An Abnormal World - Chapter 87: What Was Gained, What Was Lost

Chapter 87: What Was Gained, What Was Lost

The girls were filled with despair.

The cheerful atmosphere that had been there just a moment ago had disappeared, replaced by sadness. Their eyes had lost their light, and they were barely able to maintain their sanity.

“Why…”

One of them whispered.

They had all been looking forward to it. They thought they would make unforgettable memories. Why was reality so cruel? But the worst part was that they had kept it hidden until just a few days before the school trip.

The source of the problem spoke up.

“There’s nothing we can do about it. There’s no one I can trust. It’s not a place I can stay at for a few days without worrying.”

I guess he’s right.

The beach trip was still a day trip, so it was okay. Or at least, it should have been okay. Nothing happened, so it was fine. The only thing that happened was that Yuuto accidentally sank.

The school trip would be a few days, and even if the security measures at Yuuto’s house were better than anywhere else, that didn’t mean they were trustworthy.

“I’m sorry, but this time I can’t give in.”

Going to school itself was a big favor. I didn’t want to do anything else. For the beach trip, I had Mana’s permission in advance, and I just wanted to go to the beach.

But as soon as I mentioned it this time, Mana made a sour face. Yuuto’s answer was decided the moment he saw that face.

“So, go and have fun without me. Sensei, I’d like to leave early today. And I’ll be taking a few days off.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

“Well, goodbye.”

Yuuto ran away.

If he stayed, all they would talk about would be the school trip, and they would try to change his mind. And if they showed him tears, his resolve would waver.

He felt bad, but this was one thing he couldn’t give in on.

The girls who were left behind spent a few hours comforting each other, saying that it was inevitable given how lucky they had been up until now. They accepted it and started their final preparations for the school trip.

But the day before the school trip, some of the girls decided to do a little mean thing, saying, “Let’s make him feel a little lonely by saying goodbye to him.”

Yuuto sat in his room, hugging his knees.

***

“Good to see you, Yuuto-sama!”

“You too, Hanaka.”

On the day of the school trip, early in the morning, Hanaka came to the house.

But Mana and Yuuna weren’t there. Mana was at work as usual, and Yuuna was at school. So it was just the two of them, completely alone. Hanaka, who didn’t get to see them every day, wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.

She used to try to cling to his back in public, but she stopped doing that. But when they were alone or at home, she always tried to cling to him.

But Maria and the others, who were always there, wouldn’t let her. They would peel her off right away. Hanaka was in a particularly good mood today, probably because they weren’t there to stop her.

Yuuto gave up trying to peel her off himself. At most, he would give her a forehead bump, but she would happily come and hit herself against it. She clearly thought it was just part of their physical contact.

Also, her luggage for today was for a trip, assuming she would stay at the Kinoshita house. She had gotten permission from Mana and Yuuna in advance, so Yuuto didn’t have to say anything special.

He hadn’t expected her to come in the morning.

But when he saw her happy expression, saying, “I wanted to see you,” Yuuto naturally greeted her with a smile. He’s such a simple man.

“Yuuto-sama! Can I take a picture with you?”

“Sure.”

“Okay, let me!”

She hugged Yuuto from behind and took a picture with her face close to his.

At this point, it was a declaration of war to the world, but Hanaka was different. She sent the photo, which she usually used to get back at him, to a LINE group called “Love’s Enclosure (Elementary School),” which would probably make Yuuto smile wryly if he saw it.

“♪”

Of course, this was unbearable for them on the school trip. But this didn’t lead to a catfight later, probably because the opponent was Yuuto. But currently, everyone had read it, and Hanaka was getting a lot of complaints.

“What did you do?”

“It’s my usual payback.”

“Wow, you have a bad personality.”

She says it like it’s none of her business, but currently, Yuto’s LINE is being bombarded with sticker bombs from a stalker. He hasn’t noticed, so they’re being sent even more.

“How long do you plan to stick to me?”

“Until I’m satisfied!”

She rested her chin on his shoulder, still smiling broadly.

Then Hanaka started talking about herself. It seemed like she wanted to talk more than play games or watch movies. Yuto listened.

(…It’s fine.)

***

“Unfair…”

An unhappy girl was sitting on Yuuto’s knees.

She puffed out her cheeks and looked up at Yuuto’s face, clearly angry. It was a very cute action, and Yuuto should have felt guilty, but he was just happy.

“Don’t be so angry.”

“Mou~”

“Ah right, Yaya-sama. In the morning, you had a piano lesson, right?”

“If our schedules match, you can come earlier.”

“Okay.”

She seemed to have accepted it, but she still seemed dissatisfied, so she put Yuuto’s right hand on her head. It was a sign that she wanted him to pet her. Hanaka took advantage of this and put her left hand on Yuuto’s left shoulder, then put her left hand on her head.

“By the way, I made some pickles. Do you want to eat them?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll get them for you, just wait.”

“No.”

“Huh?”

Yaya got up and went to the refrigerator.

Thanks to coming over so many times, she knew where everything was in the fridge. Before opening it, she said, “Excuse me,” which was a very polite and cute action.

She found the cucumbers she was looking for, prepared a plate, and took out three. But for some reason, she forced them into Yuuto’s and Hanaka’s mouths, then bit into the last one and returned to Yuuto’s knees.

“Delicious.”

“It’s delicious!”

“…”

Yuuto tried to grab the handle of the chopsticks that were stuck in the cucumber. But his right hand was put back on Yaya’s head. So he tried to use his left hand, but Hanaka, who had sat down next to him to eat, blocked him and put his left hand on her head.

Just as he was about to eat with his mouth only, Yaya took the handle. It seemed like she was going to support him.

The three of them chewed on the cucumbers in silence until they were finished.