Episode One Hundred and Thirty-Two

“A contest, is it?”

Ibara deftly raised just one eyebrow.
I’m still confused.

“Er, Runa?”

“Yes, let’s settle it with a contest.”

Please don’t ignore me.

“A contest? What exactly?”

And why is Ibara so keen on this anyway?

“Well now…”

Runa placed a hand on her chin and approached the cottage wall.
Ah, no plan at all.
Still living purely on impulse, as ever. Natural-born artist, her.
A map of the surrounding area was pinned to the wall. It was heavily illustrated, designed to be easily understood even by children.
Being deep in the mountains away from the city, the land was vast.
　Besides other campsites, there were adventure trails, a fishing pond, and even a putting green.
Oh, and hot springs too.

“How about this?”

Runa pointed to one section.
I peered at the map.

“──A hiking course?”

It was a route that left the grounds and looped halfway around the entire area.
It seemed to be a proper mountain trail, not a paved road.
An illustration of the hot spring was drawn at the endpoint. That piqued my interest a little.

“Yes. Everyone starts at the same time and whoever reaches the goal first wins. They get to decide the bed assignments. But running is forbidden. It’s dangerous on the mountain trail, you see.”

“Wait.”

I thrust out my palm, striking a “Hold on” pose.

“What, Ame?”

“When you say everyone. Surely not me too?”

“It’s a special occasion.”

“…This hiking course says it takes two hours to complete a full loop…”

“It’s high altitude and in the mountains, so it’ll be cool.”

Even so, you expect me to walk around in the mountains for two hours in summer?

“W-won’t we die? What if bears come out?”

“Shigure-san…” “Onee-san…”

The younger pair looked at me with slightly disappointed eyes.
What can I say? I’m a born indoor person.
　Would it be alright if I just waited at the hot springs at the end?
Runa gave a wry smile and said.

“You do need to be careful about heatstroke, but it’s not that hot today, people don’t die from walking for two hours, and there aren’t any bears around here.”

“Oh, really…”

“Ame and Shizuku-chan, you can just walk slowly.”

The conversation progressed as if it were a settled matter.
　We all knew we were coming to the mountains, after all. Everyone, myself included, was wearing shorts and trainers.
We’d brought hats too. There seemed to be mobile reception, and even though it was summer, as long as we didn’t forget drinks, a hike like this shouldn’t be a problem.

“Right then…”

Above all, Ibara was raring to go.
This kid absolutely loves running, as long as she’s not feeling ill.

“Er… Ibara, you mustn’t run. It’s dangerous.”

“Yeah, I know. I won’t lose, no matter what.”

She nodded, twisting her wrists and ankles.
Such a sore loser. Also, does she really understand?

“Ah, wait a moment. What about Shizuku? Is that alright for her too?”

“It’s fine. It’s Sensei’s suggestion.”

Fine then. A total affirmation machine.
Runa clapped her hands together.

“Right then, it’s settled. Shall we get ready and go?”

It was settled.
Ugh, I don’t want to exercise.
Swallowing that utterly pathetic honest thought, even to myself, I began getting ready.

†

A sign stuck in the ground read, “Hiking trail this way →”.
Somehow it felt like a game.
Beyond the arrow lay a path of black, damp earth.
It sloped gently upwards, with wooden steps visible further ahead. A fairly proper hiking trail—no, this was verging on trekking.
Two hours along this path, eh?
　It promised to be quite a workout.
In fact, by the time the four of us had finished a light warm-up, we were already sweating properly.
Well, it was hot, even for the mountains. That was the reason. Probably.

“No running. If you get lost or hurt, contact us immediately. Don’t forget to stay hydrated. Understood?”

“Don’t treat me like a child.”

Ibara pouts, lips pursed.

“I know what I’m doing, thank you very much.”

“Right, right. Shall we begin then?”

Both pairs of eyes turned towards me.
Eh? What?

“Ame, give the signal.”

“Shigure-san, signal.”

They were dead serious. An aura radiated from them. Scary.

“Eh, um… what should I do… Right then, ready, set, go!”

The moment I clapped my hands together, Ibara and Runa set off at an incredible pace.
They weren’t running, exactly. What, speed walking? That sort of speed.
In the blink of an eye, they vanished beyond the trees and the winding path.
Fast.
I called out to Shizuku beside me.

“Um, shall we take it slow?”

“Mm.”

My sister nodded, as if to say, “Well, alright then.”
Taking a step forward, the pungent scent of greenery enveloped me.
Bird calls reached me from somewhere. Cicadas too.
The damp earth felt soft beneath my soles.
Hmm. This might not be half bad, actually.
　Shizuku and I began walking along the hiking trail at our own pace.
Still… I wonder if those two are all right?