School Trip Day 3 (Part 1)

I forced my eyes open, feeling the accumulated fatigue making it harder to wake up each morning.

“…So sleepy…”

“Yeah, same here…”

“Why are you guys so low-energy??” Marin-chan, on the third day, still has her usual high spirits.

“…Marin, how are you not tired?”

“Hm? Not really? Yukina fell asleep early last night, and I was so bored!”

“…What time did you go to bed?”

“Around 2?”

She’s not even a short sleeper, yet she has this boundless energy. It’s honestly impressive to the point of being a little scary…

“Come on, everyone, let’s get energized!” With that signal, we board the JR train to head to Hakodate.

Hakodate, one of the most unique places in Hokkaido, offers a distinctive landscape. It’s home to famous spots frequently featured in the media, such as Goryokaku, Mount Hakodate, the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses, and Hakodate Orthodox Church.

In Hakodate, we can also enjoy regional delicacies like soup curry and fresh seafood that only a coastal town can offer.

As I thought yesterday, the scenery from this Shinkansen isn’t bad at all.

The view provided a refreshing break from the bustle of the city, with its abundant nature soothing our eyes.

“Nothing but trees, huh?” Marin-chan says as she shoves me aside to plaster herself against the window.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Okay, let’s play shiritori since we’re bored.”

“…Sure.”

“Well, normal shiritori would never end, so let’s do it with famous people only.”

“Got it.”

“Alright, to make it more interesting, the loser has to sneak into the other’s room tonight. Game start!”

“Hey, wait a minute. I didn’t agree to any penalty game.”

“Alright, starting with Mozart!”

“…Tom Cruise.”

“Zlatan Ibrahimović!”

“Chikamatsu Monzaemon… Chiaki.”

“Wait, is that allowed?”

“There was no ‘n’ sound, so it’s allowed.”

“Ugh… Keanu Reeves.”

“Sugawara no Michizane.”

“Nezucchi.”

“Chi… chi… Chihara Junior.”

“Aimiyo… Akashiya Sanma!”

“…Oh, why didn’t you just say it? MacArthur.”

“Saito Kazumi!”

“Milla Jovovich.”

“Chiba Yudai!”

“Itou Hirobumi.”

“Mi…? Michelangelo!”

“Ro… Rokkaku Seiji.”

“Zidane!”

“…”

“…Oh, I lost,” she says, bowing deeply.

“Well then, I’ll be visiting your room tonight to steal your chastity.”

“What kind of perverted thief would do that?”

“By the way, isn’t it amazing that it takes three hours to travel within the same prefecture… I mean, within Hokkaido? It’s so big, big like my b**bs.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Oh my! Aoi-kun said my b**bs are big and nice!”

“Hey!! I did not say that! Please keep it down!”

“Hmm, what should I do,” she said with a mischievous smile.

Seriously, this girl…

Luckily, most of the class was asleep and missed her bombshell statement.

“Everyone’s asleep, huh?”

“I’d like to sleep too, if possible.”

“You want to sleep… with me?//”

“…Glad to see your mind and body are both still in top form.”

“You bet!”

Finally, we arrived in Hakodate.

“Wow… it’s cold. The wind is so strong.”

“Yeah, it’s really strong.”

“But it smells nice! Like the sea. I like it.”

We visited the Hakodate Mirai-kan, where we experienced some cutting-edge technology, then headed to Goryokaku Park.

“Whoa, this is Goryokaku. It’s huge. Isn’t the grave of Hijikata Toshizo from the Shinsengumi here? This place really feels historic.”

It’s thought-provoking to realize that this popular tourist spot was a battlefield just a few centuries ago.

“Hmm, we definitely need to see it from the tower! Let’s go!” Marin-chan said, dragging me along enthusiastically.

“Hold on, hold on—”

We enjoyed a happy time exploring the area.

Lunch was soup curry, and dinner was a seafood buffet at the hotel, both of which were incredibly satisfying.

“Phew… I’m stuffed,” I said, heading back to our room with Kiyoto when Umi-chan called out to me.

“Aoi-kun…”

“Hmm?”

“Can we talk for a bit?”

“…Sure.”

She led me outside the hotel.

“Hey, isn’t it a bad idea to go outside?”

“It’s fine… really…”

We walked to a nearby park and sat on a bench. Umi-chan gazed at the playground equipment, not saying a word.

“…Umi-chan?”

“I… I think I can’t do it,” she murmured.

“What?”

“Watching Marin-chan, I realized I can’t compete with her. I tried to imitate her, but it just didn’t work…”

“…Umi-chan, you’re you.”

“…Yeah. I know, but… I still admire her. She has everything…”

“True. Marin-chan is really fortunate. But even if she wasn’t, I think I’d still be drawn to her.”

“…Yeah. I get you.”

“…Yeah.”

“I… I’m going to give up.”

“…ok.”

“Thank you for everything… I really loved you, Aoi-kun,” she said, smiling the brightest smile I had ever seen.