Chapter 26 – A Stroll

Somehow or another, after being drained dry by Yukimori, Kazuki and Toudou finally woke up a little after noon.

The two of them, looking extremely apologetic, were now sitting in a formal seiza position right in front of me.

I sat cross-legged, arms folded, shooting a sharp glare their way.

Neither of them looked at me directly—they just stared at the tatami floor, faces full of guilt.

“Defendant, Kazuki Tomita.”

“W-wait! I really am sorry, I swear—”

“Death penalty.”

“You’re not even letting me defend myself!?”

“Just kidding.”

“Oh thank go—”

“Mob justice.”

“That’s just a word swap! The meaning didn’t change at all!!”

Sharp one. Well, we do hang out all the time.

I sighed quietly and took a sip of the tea Yukimori had brewed. Sluuurp. Delicious.

“It’s not like I’m mad about the oversleeping. I mean, it was your first time having sex, right? I get it. You got carried away doing it and all that.”

At my words, both Kazuki and Toudou turned beet red and hung their heads even lower. Not too far off the mark, huh? Cute, the both of them.

“Half the goal of this trip was to get you two together. But the other half was to have a proper trip. Yukimori went out of her way to plan everything, and you go and oversleep like this?”

“I-it’s okay, Hatsuse-kun. I don’t mind, really,” Yukimori said with a gentle smile.

Yeah, I know you don’t.

But someone’s gotta lay down the rules. Otherwise, it’ll bite them later.

New couples burn the brightest, but that also means they burn out fast. If they want it to last, they’ve gotta have a little restraint, a little balance.

But maybe Toudou didn’t like being unfairly scolded, because she puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

“You guys could’ve woken us up, you know…”

“Oh? You wanted us to wake up a couple sleeping buck naked in each other’s arms?”

“Wait, wha—Hatsuse, you saw!?”

“Relax. Yukimori saw you.”

“Yukimori-san saw me naked!?”

“Yes. Well… more or less.”

Nice save, Yukimori. I owe you one.

If Toudou knew I had been staring at her naked body, she’d probably kill me on the spot.

“Well, if she saw, I guess that’s okay…”

“What about me? That’s not okay!?”

“I-it’s fine! I mean, it was… average-sized. Probably bulk order tier?”

“Are you implying it’s mass-produced!? I give up! I’m going back to bed!”

…Yeah, that one was Yukimori’s fault.

Kazuki finally recovered an hour later. Around 1 PM, we finally left the inn.

“It’s already this late… At most, we can visit one or two places.”

“All Kazuki’s fault.”

“Totally Kazu-kun’s fault.”

“It’s my fault!?”

Well yeah, for sulking around forever.

We got into the car Yukimori arranged for us. While munching on the rice balls the innkeeper had prepared, we discussed where to go next.

“Hakone has lots of parks and museums, so most of the sightseeing involves walking.”

“First stop’s Gora Park, right?”

“Yes. We’ll stroll through Gora Park, and if we have time, head to the Open-Air Museum. It’s not far, but Gora Park is large, so we can take our time.”

I pulled up Gora Park’s website on my phone and looked at the map.

Wow, it really is big. There’s a lot to see—rest areas, scenic spots, flower gardens. The fountain plaza looks gorgeous, and the weather’s perfect for a stroll.

“I’m down with that. Kazuki, you good?”

“Yep, I’m good.”

“Me too! I wanna try the tea ceremony experience!”

…Kinda classy, Toudou. Didn’t expect that.

Then again, back in middle school, she was always kinda quiet and reserved. So maybe it makes sense.

As we chatted and looked things up on our phones, the car came to a gentle stop, and the driver opened the door. We’d arrived.

“Whoa… this is Gora Park? It looks way bigger in person than it does in photos.”

“It’s currently peak season for rhododendrons, peonies, and Japanese wisteria. Roses are starting to bloom too, so the rose garden is a great option.”

“I wanna check out the souvenirs!”

“That comes last. Seriously…”

Honestly, I get Kazuki’s excitement. Just looking at souvenirs is fun, even if you don’t buy any. …Not like I have anyone to give them to or anything. Sniff. 

Not sad though. Not even a little.

“Anyway, let’s take our time. No need to rush.”

“Agreed. Then, shall we?”

Walking through the main gate, I was immediately hit with a strange sensation.

It felt like stepping into another world—time slowed down, the atmosphere serene, like we’d been cut off from reality.

Everyone seemed to feel the same. Kazuki had this relaxed, melted look on his face.

“…I could live here forever.”

“Right? Totally get that.”

Kazuki and I actually both like places like this.

Sure, we enjoy noisy, lively spots too, but since we’re usually so busy, we really appreciate slower-paced environments like this.

Needless to say, Yukimori was fully embracing the calm vibe of the park with her whole being.

She’s always busy, after all. I remember during our trip planning phase, she suggested calm places like Kyoto.

As someone who’s basically her unofficial stress-relief buddy, I guess I should be helping her unwind more often… But how, exactly?

While I was watching Yukimori bask in the peacefulness with her eyes closed, Kazuki suddenly slung an arm around my shoulder.

“Yo, Inori. If you stare at Yukimori-san that much, she’s gonna think you’re a creep.”

“She’s not that kind of person.”

“Oh? You saying you, the closest one to her, understand her better than anyone?”

“Shut it.”

…Okay, not totally wrong.

Then Toudou placed her hand on my other shoulder.

“You know, it’s about time you got honest with your feelings. Watching you is infuriating.”

“Yeah. Yukimori-san’s not the type to make the first move. You’re gonna have to be the one to step up.”

“Zip it.”

They don’t know half of what’s going on, and they’re still running their mouths. …Wait, no—Toudou does know about us, doesn’t she?

“Yup, I do.”

“Stop reading my mind so casually.”

“I’m telling you because I know. Go for it, full speed ahead.”

Toudou gave my shoulder a firm smack, then walked over toward Yukimori.

Because she knows, huh… then why?