Vol 2 Chapter 36 – The Sketch

We made it to the summit.

Not that it was much of a success—it was the kind of mountain even a group of elementary schoolers could climb with a teacher leading them.

With no one complaining of exhaustion, we chatted our way to the top.

There were a fair number of people, and unfortunately, the small gazebo at the rest stop seemed to be occupied by a group of elderly hikers.

Well, there’s plenty of room to spread out a picnic blanket, so it’s no problem.

“Alright, everyone made it safely. Great work, everyone!”

Club President Takahashi called out cheerfully.

“Whoo!” Emma-san shouted, a voice that wasn’t like her at all as she raised her hand.

It seemed she was experiencing a bit of a trekking high, not unlike a runner’s high.

“Well, I’m a little hungry, but it’s a bit too early for lunch.”

“That’s because we got here so early in the morning.”

Responding to Toudou-san’s comment, I glanced at the time on my smartphone.

It was just past ten o’clock.

Still too early for a lunch break.

“Okay, let’s split our sketching time between the morning and the afternoon. For now, take two hours and sketch any scenery you like, okay? Of course, you don’t have to spend all that time on just one piece. Feel free to sketch two or three different spots if you want.”

“Gotcha, gotcha.”

At the club president’s words, Toudou-san gave a light reply, shrugged off her backpack, and pulled out her sketchbook.

The summit was an open park, so we’d probably be able to see where everyone was even if we spread out a bit.

Of course, Segawa-san had already confirmed that it was okay for us to have a picnic here beforehand.

Apparently, a lot of people come here for recreation, so there was more than enough space to not bother anyone.

“Alright, let’s spread out our picnic blankets and put our bags on them. But make sure to keep your valuables, like your wallets and phones, with you!”

“Understood.”

At Segawa-san’s signal, I took out the small picnic blanket I also used at the doujin convention.

It seemed everyone had brought their own small blankets, and we used our backpacks, heavy with our lunches, as weights to keep them from being carried off by a sudden gust of wind.

Even so—

“It may be a low mountain, but it’s a beautiful spot.”

It’s very well-maintained.

There are fences set up here and there to prevent falls; the safety measures are so thorough that a group of elementary schoolers on a field trip would be perfectly fine.

“You know, climbing just 300 meters really makes it feel different from ground level.”

Toudou-san made a visor with her hand and looked down at the town we had climbed up from.

Half the view is a mountain covered in trees, but the streets at the base are also clearly visible.

Yeah, this is a great picnic. The fact that I could come here with my good friends from the club… the feeling is just incredible.

“…I’m really glad I joined the Modern Culture Research Society.”

“Oh my, getting sentimental, are we?”

“I just haven’t had many chances to go out much.”

I was such a homebody. Including my past life, I’ve had almost zero opportunities to go to places like this. I wasn’t blessed with those kinds of friends, and to be honest, I was a total introvert, so I don’t have a single happy memory from field trips, let alone school trips. The one-hour hike we did today was infinitely more fun.

“Well, to be honest, I’m having a blast, too. Man, a one-hour hike with a boy by my side was a treat. I’m going to brag to my little sister when I get home.”

Hee hee hee.

Toudou-san giggled. She took out her smartphone. “Mind if I take a picture?”

Of course, I don’t mind.

“A memento of today? If so, why don’t we all get a photo together? I could go ask that group of older folks.”

“Let’s do that at the end. This picture isn’t for us, you see.”

“Meaning?”

I tilted my head. In any case, I agreed to be photographed, putting on an awkward smile—no, actually, it was an honest smile that said I’m having the time of my life right now.

Click.

The shutter sound echoed from Toudou-san’s smartphone.

“I’m sending this to my sister. I’m going to make her so jealous! She was so persistent about wanting to come today, going on and on about it. Fufufu, I can just picture her face, seething with envy!”

“It would have been fine if she came along, wouldn’t it?”

Toudou-san and Club President Takahashi have been friends since middle school. So Club President Takahashi knows her sister, too. Besides, I doubt anyone in our club would have had a problem with it.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. That’s not good, Kajiwara-kun. If you let a woman get even a tiny foot in the door of our society, she’ll use it to force her way in. My sister is no different.”

“Is that how it is?”

“That’s how it is. You have no idea how fed up Chihiro is with the girls who try to join our club just to get close to you.”

Ah, so people like that really do exist. I’m not some dense, oblivious light novel protagonist, after all. I’m aware that some people feel that way.

“I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“No worries, no worries. Chihiro is super capable, so she shoos them away without a second thought.”

I bet. I don’t have a single doubt about Club President Takahashi’s abilities in that department.

“You don’t have to worry about a thing, Kajiwara-kun. Chihiro will protect our comfortable, fun little space for us.”

“I’m still a little worried, but I’ll trust her.”

It’s painful to think that I’m causing them trouble. But I also know that my worrying would only bother the club president and be an unwelcome burden.

Like Toudou-san, I took out my sketchbook. Alright, time to sit on a bench and sketch the scenery.

—Though I’ve never sketched a landscape in my life.

Then again, maybe the whole point of this trip is to try something I’ve never done before. That’s what I’ll tell myself.

“Kajiwara-kun, is it okay if I sit a little ways away from you?”

“Huh? Not, ‘Do you mind if I sit next to you?'”

I would understand if she were asking for permission to sit beside me so we could draw the same thing together. But why ask to sit a little ways away?

“Because I’m going to sketch you sketching, Kajiwara-kun.”

“I don’t mind, but… couldn’t you do that at school?”

It’s not that I dislike the idea; I’d be fine with it anytime. I tilted my head, trying to convey that, but Toudou-san just smiled as if to say, ‘You’re missing the point.’

“The point isn’t to sketch a model who’s posing. The real value is in sketching a subject as they are, completely absorbed in what they’re doing.”

“Is that how it is?”

“That’s how it is.”

Well, if she says so. I sat down on the bench and turned my eyes to the landscape.

It’s not what I’d call a breathtaking view, but it feels nice.

Now then, as I’ve said multiple times, I’ve never drawn anything like a landscape before.

—No, strictly speaking, I guess I have. In art class back in elementary school. No, that can hardly be called experience.

Mm.

But it probably wasn’t a complete waste. I’ll start with the general composition. It will never be a work of art, but I can at least show a shred of effort. I’ll look carefully at the placement of everything and just try not to mess that up as I draw the lines with my pencil.

Skritch, skritch.

A sound came from beside me.

…

Toudou-san seemed to be earnestly drawing me as I sat on the bench. She’s so focused.

Come to think of it—I don’t really know much about Toudou-san. Then again, it’s only been about a month since I joined the “Modern Culture Research Society.” I know that Club President Takahashi is incredibly reliable. That Segawa-san seems competent with promotion and advertising, but is also a hopeless klutz who’s prone to blunders. That Emma-san is timid and easily startled, but she’s a harder worker than anyone. And Toudou-san is a bit of a perv. No, more than a bit. Her brain is pretty much saturated with lust. But, she’s a good person.

Mm.

Determined not to be outdone by Toudou-san, I moved my pencil.

The mountains, the town, the bridge visible in the distance. I can’t see the ocean, but this is surely more than enough for a landscape sketch.

Little by little, I drew each line with great care. Pouring every ounce of ability I possessed into it.

I’m sure the result will be terrible. This is my first time, after all; the quality is bound to be abysmal. But I’ll think of it this way.

Don’t fear what will happen if you go down this road. With fear, there is no road. Take the first step, and that step becomes the road, and that step will create the road. Go on without hesitation. Go, and you will find out.

I don’t know which monk came up with it, but it’s a famous line from a pro wrestler in my past life. If I keep drawing, that will become my path. Mustering the courage that Club President Takahashi gave me, I focused on my sketch with single-minded determination.