The Gal Game Heroines Who Were Supposed to Die Somehow Learned My Secret ～By the Way, Where Did My [Diary] Go?～ - EX 1: Book Release Celebration: Shino Shinonome

EX 1: Book Release Celebration: Shino Shinonome

“Would you like to go stargazing for a day trip? It seems we’ll be able to see shooting stars tonight.”

It was a late autumn afternoon. I was relaxing on the sofa with Shino when she suddenly made this proposal.

“Sure. The other three should be finishing their classes soon, so we can go after—”

“Ahem.”

Shino deliberately cleared her throat. Then, she looked at me with a bright smile.

“Well~ it just so happens that all three of them have reports they absolutely need to finish today~ so they’ll be late coming home~.”

“Huh? Really?”

“It’s very unfortunate! Yes, truly, very unfortunate… but that means we have no choice but to go alone!”

…Strange. She sounded disappointed, yet her voice was oddly full of energy.

“Since that’s decided, we should hurry. I’ve already rented a car, and all the necessary supplies are packed inside. Now we just need to head to the site.”

“You sure came prepared…”

“Oh, it’s purely a coincidence. Now, come on, let’s go! Time is money, you know.”

Shino didn’t even flinch at my sarcasm. Her smile remained completely unshaken. When it came to keeping a poker face, she was unbeatable.

Most of the time, all five of us were together, but since the Four Beauties were constantly competing to be my number one, they often schemed to get me alone.

…Well, most of the time, the others got in the way.

Yet, somehow, Shino had managed to slip past their watchful eyes and seize this rare chance for just the two of us. I had no idea how long she had been planning this, but judging by the excitement radiating from her, it definitely wasn’t just a day or two. She must have really been looking forward to this.

Thinking about that suddenly made her feel even more precious to me.

“Hmm…? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

“Sorry, Shino. You’re just too cute.”

As I patted her head, she leaned into my touch, looking completely content. I absentmindedly rubbed her hair the way I would with a cat.

Yeah… today, I wanted to spend the whole day with Shino.

“Alright, let’s get going… wait, what’s with that look?”

Shino was staring at me with heated eyes.

“…Before we go, can I jump on you?”

“Of course not!?”

※I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

◇

Shino had brought me to a secluded campsite deep in the mountains, far from the city.

It was a quiet weekday, and luckily, there were no other visitors in sight.

From the top of a small hill, I could see the distant town. The autumn breeze gently brushed against my skin, rustling the leaves of the trees. The crimson sky slowly melted into the approaching twilight.

“Sometimes, it’s nice to step away from civilization. The view is beautiful.”

“Yeah. The air here is really fresh.”

I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the crisp mountain air. The cool sensation spread through my body, as if cleansing my mind.

Shino was dressed in a dark blue hooded jacket, layered over a simple white T-shirt with a subtle logo. She paired it with black denim pants and wore a small necklace.

She gazed at the fading crimson sky, her jet-black hair swaying slightly in the breeze. It almost felt like the night itself was welcoming her.

Then, suddenly, our eyes met.

“Something wrong?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

It felt a little embarrassing to admit I had been mesmerized by her, so I quickly turned my gaze forward.

“Still, drinking while enjoying this view really makes it taste better. Satoshi-san, would you like some?”

“Yeah, I’ll… wait a sec!?”

Instinctively, I turned to look at Shino.

Somehow, she had pulled out a can of beer, popped it open with a pshh, and took a deep gulp. Then, with a slight flush on her cheeks, she casually extended another can toward me.

…Yeah, that wasn’t the issue here.

“How are we getting back!?”

I didn’t even have a driver’s license since my right arm was still recovering. That’s why Shino had driven us here in the first place. But now that she had started drinking, driving was completely out of the question.

I wasn’t about to let her drink and drive. This was seriously bad.

Yet, Shino didn’t seem the least bit concerned.

“No need to worry. I brought a tent, so we can just spend the night here. Good thing I packed it just in case. As the old saying goes, ‘being prepared means having nothing to fear.’ Wise words, don’t you think?”

…This little schemer.

She proudly opened the trunk, revealing a perfectly packed camping set, just right for an overnight stay. It was way too much gear for a simple stargazing trip. Now it all made sense—she had planned this from the very start.

She had reassured me by calling it a ‘day trip’ just so I wouldn’t suspect anything.

I shot her a deadpan stare as a silent protest. But, like a breeze passing through the willows, she brushed it off without a care.

In fact—

“Forgive me~ nyan♡”

She stuck out her tongue and struck a cat pose, playfully tilting her head.

…

“…Fine, I forgive you.”

Being cute is totally unfair…

◇

The crackling of the campfire filled the quiet night.

Two foldable chairs were set up side by side, and we sat there, staring into the flickering flames.

In front of us, a mess tin sat over the fire, steam rising as the rice slowly cooked.

“Looks like it’s almost ready… Shino, can I leave it to you?”

“Leave it to me~!”

Shino was completely tipsy at this point. She gave me a cute salute before opening the lid of the mess tin.

I hesitated for a moment—was it really okay to let a drunk person handle food over an open fire? But watching her, I realized she was surprisingly skilled.

“Looks good. Let’s let it steam a bit.”

Without wasting a second, she closed the lid again and wrapped the mess tin in a towel to keep it warm.

Meanwhile, I set a packet of instant curry in hot water to heat it up. As the sauce warmed, the rich aroma of spices filled the air, making my stomach growl.

“Think it’s ready~?”

Timing it perfectly, Shino carefully opened the mess tin. Inside, the freshly cooked white rice glistened under the firelight.

She fluffed the rice gently with a rice paddle, then scooped it onto our plates. I poured the heated curry over the top, watching as the thick sauce coated the rice. Just the sight of it made me even hungrier.

Feeling caught up in the mood, I grabbed a can of beer and clinked it against Shino’s for a toast.

“This is so good~!”

“Yeah… way too good.”

It was so good that I started wondering what I had been eating all this time.

After dinner, we set up the tent and sat side by side at the entrance.

Wrapped together in a single blanket, we quietly gazed up at the night sky.

“It’s beautiful~.”

“Yeah…”

The stars shone brightly, cutting across the vast night sky.

It was the same sky, yet completely different from what I was used to in the city.

The meteor shower hadn’t started yet, but it should be soon.

Neither of us said much.

We simply sat close, waiting in silence.

Through the blanket, I could feel Shino’s warmth. It was so comforting that I wished this moment could last forever.

But then, she suddenly broke the quiet.

“…How much do you know about stars?”

“Unfortunately, not much. My knowledge stopped in middle school. If anything, I can recognize Orion’s Belt since the three stars line up neatly.”

I slipped my hand out from the blanket and traced the Orion constellation in the sky.

“Then, do you know the myth of Orion and Artemis?”

“More or less.”

Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon, was famous for disliking men.

But the only man she ever loved was Orion.

However, Artemis’s twin brother, Apollo, refused to accept their relationship.

So, he tricked Artemis into shooting Orion with her arrow, killing him.

When she realized what she had done, she was devastated.

Grief-stricken, she pleaded with her father, Zeus, to place Orion among the stars…

And so, he became a constellation in the night sky.

“It’s such a tragic story…”

I hated bad endings. I’d had enough of them.

“I despise Apollo. In Greek mythology, he’s worshipped as one of the greatest gods, but do you know how many tragedies he’s caused?”

“Really?”

In games, he was usually portrayed as a powerful character, so I never thought of him that way.

“Yes. He acts purely on his own desires, drags everyone around him into chaos, and ends up ruining people’s lives…”

“Ah… I see what you mean.”

I hadn’t noticed it until she pointed it out, but… yeah.

That guy… he was exactly like that.

Comparing him to a god was too much, but still…

Shino frowned, clearly remembering him. 

I let out a sigh, then pulled her closer by the shoulder.

She blinked, looking at me in surprise.

“W-What is it?”

“Well… I’d be a little sad if you were thinking about another guy while we’re on a date.”

“Ah…”

I already knew how she felt about him.

And I knew she loved me.

Even so, just the thought of her thinking about another guy made me jealous.

That’s how much I loved Shino.

“Fufu, I guess I really am loved…”

“Obviously.”

“Yeah… It feels so warm…”

Silence filled the world around us.

But strangely, it didn’t feel awkward.

Maybe it was because I could feel Shino next to me, sharing the same view. Just knowing that made even the silence feel comforting.

“Hey…”

“Hm?”

She called me in a way that felt… different.

When I turned to look at her, something soft pressed against my lips.

Then, as she gazed up at me with slightly hesitant eyes—

“F-Forever… let’s always be t-together, okay? Um… Satoshi… san.”

Her words stumbled at the end, and she couldn’t quite drop the honorific.

Shino, who was usually so precise and composed, was suddenly speaking in such an unpolished, clumsy way.

That alone made her seem even more precious to me.

“…Yeah. Me too.”

I looked up at the sky just as the first shooting stars began to streak across it.

It wasn’t a massive meteor shower like in anime, but even so, it was breathtaking.

Wanting to share the moment, I turned back to Shino—

She had her hands clasped together in a prayer pose.

A few seconds passed, then she exhaled softly, her breath turning white in the chilly air as she lifted her head.

“What did you wish fo—”

Before I could finish, she pressed a finger against my lips.

“It’s a secret. They say if you say your wish out loud, it won’t come true.”

“…Fair point.”

I’d find out what it was when the wish came true.

There was no rush.

We had all the time in the world—

━━━

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