School Trip Day 1 (part 2)

“Hokkaidoooooo!”

“Marin, your excitement is off the charts, haha.”

“I just love Hokkaido! But it’s a bit cold!” I handed her my cardigan.

“…Such a gentleman… I love you!” she said, hugging me.

“Yeah, yeah…”

On the first day, we planned to leave our luggage at the hotel in Asahikawa, learn about Ainu history and Hokkaido’s culture, and then visit Asahiyama Zoo.

Despite Marin-chan wandering off, the teacher managed to keep her in check, and we eventually arrived at the hotel. We were given our room keys to drop off our luggage.

Each room was shared by two people, and naturally, my roommate was Keito.

“…It’s really cold in Hokkaido,” I said, trying to muster the courage to start a conversation.

“Yeah, it is.”

“…”

“…”

In the past, Keito had always led our conversations. It made me realize how dependent I was on him and how incapable I was on my own.

I had no idea how to handle a falling out with a friend since Keito was my only friend.

“…I need to talk to you tonight,” he said.

“Uh, okay…”

With a sense of unease, I left the hotel room.

◇

“Nunun… Ainu traditional dance… ‘The Ainu traditional dance, passed down by the Ainu people living throughout Hokkaido, is performed during religious festivals and various events…’ It’s like the old version of modern dance videos?”

“That’s probably not it, but I don’t know, haha.”

“But dancing and singing haven’t changed since ancient times. Interesting,” Marin-chan said, engrossed in the information.

“You’re really into Ainu culture, huh,” one of the girls commented while they giggled among themselves. Meanwhile, I just stood there, taking it all in.

The Ainu people were displaced by sudden invaders, their land taken, and only their culture was left as a token gesture… Among the people here, only a few have Ainu ancestry; most are immigrants from the main island.

I could empathize with their plight, even if only a little.

But more pressing was what Kiyohito said… Honestly, the fear of it made me want to run away.

Lost in my thoughts, I was suddenly addressed.

“Hey, aren’t you the husband of the angel?” a familiar voice called out.

Turning around, I saw a guy I recognized. It was Sawatari from the next class, the former vice president of the student council.

“Yes, that’s right,” I responded.

“Wow, up close, you’re not as impressive as I thought,” he started provocatively.

“…”

Ignoring him, I tried to walk away, but he quickly added, “Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to provoke you. I just tend to speak my mind! Ah, that’s not good either, huh…”

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Well, I wanted to be friends!”

“No, thanks. Goodbye.”

“Wait, wait!”

“I know you’re interested in Marin… It’s pretty obvious.”

“Ahaha, you caught me…”

Despite this little interruption, we finished our tour of the Ainu cultural heritage sites and arrived at the zoo.

“Look, Aoi-kun! Look at the seal! It’s so fat!” Marin-chan exclaimed, pointing at the adorable seal.

“Marin… You notice it’s fat before you notice it’s cute?” I replied, chuckling a bit.

“But it’s really fat! I don’t want to end up like that… And you called me Marin outside,” she said, smirking slightly.

Annoyed at being teased, I gave her a gentle chop on the head.

“Ahaha, I got scolded,” she laughed, sticking her tongue out playfully.

I could tell she was trying to cheer me up. It’s one of the many things that make her such a perfect girl.

“Thanks,” I said softly.

Suddenly, she pulled my cheeks.

“Smile more! Stop looking so gloomy!”

“Ow, ow! It hurts!”

“I like it when you’re serious, but I love it most when you smile!”

I wasn’t intentionally trying to look serious, but she was right. There’s no point in dwelling on things we can’t change during this trip.

“You’re right. I’ll enjoy this trip.”

“Yay!” she said, pulling her own cheeks into a smile.

“There are so many fish here! Oh! Penguins, penguins, penguins!”

Her excitement reminded me of a certain commercial.

“Why are penguins so cute? Their shape is top class. And they walk on two legs—it’s like they were designed to be cute.”

“But their cries aren’t very cute. They sound like alarms.”

“True. It’s like a super cute gothic lolita with a husky voice… It’s the gap that makes it charming and so good👌.”

Clearly, Marin-chan found everything about the penguins utterly delightful.

After a day filled with exploring and excitement, we returned to the hotel for dinner. The evening finally arrived, bringing with it a sense of calm and anticipation for the night ahead.