Chapter 23 – Blessings

We returned to the room first, Yukimori and I, and let out a sigh of relief as we drank some tea.

“Man, for a second there, I didn’t know how that was gonna turn out.”

“Seriously. But wow, I never imagined those two had a past like that.”

I felt this gnawing sense of guilt—both for eavesdropping and for learning something we probably weren’t supposed to know.

Yukimori looked like she was feeling the same, offering a wry smile.

“So, what do we do? When they come back, should we just pretend we don’t know?”

“That’s probably best. If they decide to tell us themselves, we can give them our congratulations. Though with Asuka-chan, she might just come out and say it like it’s no big deal.”

“True enough.”

I mean, if they found out we were spying, Toudou would probably punch us straight into next week.

…And when it comes to the condom thing, I’m definitely gonna punch Kazuki. That jerk tried to pin it on me.

“Now that we’ve calmed down, I’m kinda hungry.”

“Now that you mention it, it’s already 6 PM. Shall we have them start preparing dinner?”

“Alright, I’ll go call those two.”

I grabbed my phone and dialed Kazuki.

He picked up after just one ring. What is this, does he like me or something?

“Y-Yo, what’s up, Inori?”

“Dinner time. Where you guys at?”

“G-Got it! We’ll head back now.”

…He sounds panicked? What the hell are they doing?

“Heyyy, Kazu-kun~ hug me more~~!”

“Idiot! Asuka, keep your voice down…!”

“Nghh~!”

“Wait—! S-Sorry, Inori, we’ll be back in like ten minutes! Later!”

Click.

…That disgustingly sweet voice I just heard from behind Kazuki, that was Toudou, right?

Wait, they just started dating and they’re already full-on lovebirds? This is all happening way too fast.

And he’s already being called “Kazu-kun”? How excited are those two?

Yeah, I’m definitely teasing them once they get back.

“Huh? Hatsuse-kun, what’s wrong? You’ve got this scary look on your face.”

“Nah, well, I’m just… happy for them. You know?”

“Your face says otherwise!”

Look, if you had to listen to that cutesy whispering right in your ear, you’d make this face too.

They’re really going at it, huh…

…Though, wait. We’re not exactly ones to talk, are we?

“Why are you glaring at me?”

“Because you’re the prime example of someone who’s ‘really going at it.’”

“Why the sudden personal attack!?”

“Reflect on your actions.”

“S-Sorry…?”

Yes. Good.

“I feel like this is deeply unfair.”

That’s just your imagination.

A few minutes later, the inn staff started bringing in dish after dish.

It was an incredible spread of traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine.

Each dish came in a small bowl or portion, but there were so many different varieties, it was overwhelming.

Kazuki and I would probably be able to finish it all, but Yukimori and Toudou might struggle.

“This is nuts.”

“Tenkū Tōjikyō’s food is famous, but the secret VIP course is a whole other level. It’s not listed on their website—only available to behind-the-scenes VIPs. It’s their absolute best course, so please enjoy.”

Huh… I didn’t know there was something like that. This secret VIP thing is on another level.

Once the staff finished bringing everything in, Kazuki and Toudou finally returned.

They weren’t holding hands or anything. Their body language was… pretty much normal.

“Sorry for the wait.”

“We’re back~”

““…………””

““W-What?””

““Noootthiiing~””

Hmm. So they’re not gonna bring it up themselves, huh?

Boring.

…Alright, time to mess with them a little.

“Where’ve you two been?”

“Oh, there’s this small room at the end of the hall. The view’s great, so we hung out there.”

“Ohh, a small room… just the two of you, huh~?”

“S-So what? We can hang out wherever we want!”

So that’s how you wanna play it—pretend nothing happened.

Well then, I’ve got a little plan of my own.

“Kazuki, your neck’s all red.”

“Huh, no way. She didn’t even suck that hard… ah.”

Gotcha, you idiot!

Kazuki’s slip-up made Toudou facepalm and shake her head.

“I told you we had to keep it subtle so things wouldn’t get awkward during the trip.”

“C’mon, I couldn’t help it! And hey, you’re the one who did it!”

“No one needed to know that part!! Why would you just say it out loud, you moron!?”

Ahhh, lovebirds’ quarrels—the classic drama even dogs won’t eat.

Yukimori and I just sat there grinning as we watched Toudou (mostly Toudou) loudly scold Kazuki.

Man, new couples really are something else. Makes you grin just watching ‘em.

“C’mon, Kazuki. What really happened? Hmm?”

“Ugh… W-Well, um… A-Asuka and I, uh… we, uh… we’re dating now…”

“Ughhh. So much for keeping it a secret…”

Kazuki’s face turned beet red, while Toudou looked like she was about to cry.

I do feel kinda bad… but hey, you’re the ones who slipped up.

“Congrats, you two.”

“Asuka-chan, Tomita-kun, congratulations.”

“Thanks. …Wait, you guys don’t look surprised at all.”

“We knew you two were into each other for a while now.”

“This whole trip was pretty much set up to get you two together. Though I didn’t expect the confession to happen on day one.”

Yeah, I figured it’d take a bit longer to build up to that. Can’t believe it went so smoothly.

“K-Kinda embarrassing, though. Getting found out the same day we start dating.”

“But everyone’s congratulating us, so it’s fine, right?”

“…Yeah, you’re right. Oh, and don’t worry—during the trip, I’ll keep things appropriate. I know we’re in a group, so I won’t be all lovey-dovey with my girlfriend the whole time. Wouldn’t wanna ruin the vibe.”

“That’d be a big help.”

I was looking forward to this trip too. I’d rather not have it get awkward.

“Alright, everyone. Let’s dig in—think of it as a celebration too. Gotta eat it while it’s still hot!”

“Yeah. Hey, you two lovebirds—get over here and pose. I’m taking pictures.”

“Don’t tease us, Inori!”

Oh, I am teasing you. Something this juicy doesn’t come along every day.

Kazuki and Toudou lined up side-by-side, and Yukimori and I snapped a bunch of pictures.

They were smiling like they were on top of the world.

…Man, can they just go ahead and explode already for now?