Episode 99: School Trip (2)

The day of the school trip arrived in the blink of an eye.

The itinerary was as follows: travel in the morning of the first day, followed by visits to a history museum and historical sites in the afternoon. The second day was entirely free time. The plan for the morning of the third day was to buy souvenirs, and the afternoon was set aside for the journey home.

We were travelling by Shinkansen, and we were to be seated in order of our class numbers.

　Or so it was supposed to be…

‘Oh, I just can’t cope unless I’m by the window! Let’s swap!’

Whilst wondering if one really gets that travel-sick on the Shinkansen, I ended up swapping seats to accommodate Mai’s whim.

Endo-san was sitting next to me.

I couldn’t quite understand Mai’s behaviour; surely she could have just swapped with Endo-san?

‘Takizawa, what happened?’
‘Mai said she wanted a window seat, so she asked me to swap with her.’

　I sat down next to Endo-san. I sat down so abruptly that my shoulder bumped into hers.

‘It’s a long journey; shall we do something?’
‘What do you mean, “do something”? What can we do?’
‘Takizawa, do you watch anime or anything?’
‘I don’t watch much anime, but I do watch films.’
‘Right, shall we watch a film then?’

　Saying that, Endo-san took out a pair of wired earphones and put one in my ear. When I put the other one in Endo-san’s ear, we ended up leaning our heads close together so that the earphones wouldn’t fall out.

　The film Endo-san played was set in the Warring States period. I’d always imagined Endo-san as the type who’d like romantic dramas or something like that, so this was a surprise.

“So you watch this sort of thing, Endo-san?”
“Ever since Takizawa helped me with my studies, I’ve come to like films like this that feature historical figures.”

　I glanced sideways at Endo-san and saw her smiling happily.
　Seeing that, I felt a little relieved and watched the video she’d put on. She didn’t seem to have the same expression she’d had during our last homeroom period.

　As we watched the film, she suddenly took my hand.

“What are you doing, Endo-san?”
　I disliked Endo-san’s baffling behaviour, so I pulled my hand away.

“Sorry, that was a bit odd of me.”
　The usual her would have pressed the issue further, but today Endo-san gave up sooner than I’d expected.

　The journey flew by as we watched the video, and we arrived safely at our school trip destination.

　The afternoon’s schedule involved touring the castle we’d seen in our textbooks and viewing the historically significant artefacts on display at the museum.

‘It really does make you a bit more interested when you see it in person, doesn’t it?’
Mai said this cheerfully, though I’m a bit suspicious as to whether she really meant it.

‘That’s true. There are loads of things here that make you realise the stories Takizawa told us were actually true.’
‘Does that mean you didn’t believe what I said?’

When I asked that half-jokingly, Mai and Endo exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

　It makes me happy to see them having such a good time…

　Watching that scene, I couldn’t help but feel that way.

“Mai and the others are taking this quite seriously, aren’t they?”
　A voice came from a little way off, and when I looked in that direction, I saw Ando and the others heading this way.

“Ando and the others are looking at it quite seriously too, aren’t they?”
　Mai replied in the same tone. In the end, we joined up with Ando and the others, and the six of us went on the tour together.

　Izumi-chan seems to be quite taken with Endo-san today; she’s staying close to her. She was walking alongside her, clinging to her arm.

‘I’ve wanted to talk to Hina-chan ever since I was a first-year! You have such a stunning aura about you that I was too intimidated to speak to you, but I’m so happy we’ve become friends like this in our third year!’

Izumi-chan was still staring intently at Endo-san from close up.

‘I’m glad you think so, Izumi-chan.’

How on earth could Endo-san say such insincere things so effortlessly? Perhaps because I’d spent too much time with her, I realised straight away that those words didn’t reflect her true feelings.

‘That’s lovely! You’ve been incredibly popular with both boys and girls ever since you were in Year 1, haven’t you, Hina-chan!’

‘That’s true. Back in Year 1, wasn’t there someone asking you out every week? Even though it slowed down a bit in Year 2, quite a few people still asked you out, didn’t they?’

Picking up on Izumi-chan’s lead, Ando-san pressed on.
What they were saying was probably true. For some reason, those words made my heart ache a little.

　Having spent so much time with Endo-san, I’d forgotten, but she really is quite the popular girl. It wouldn’t have been at all strange if she’d found a girlfriend, our study sessions had ended, and she’d lost all connection with me.

　Thinking that, I was overcome by a suffocating feeling, as if a needle were stuck in my throat.

‘Haha, was that so?’
Endo-san brushed it off casually, but the fact that she didn’t deny it suggests it must be true.

‘Now, now, you two, Hina-san’s getting flustered, so give it a rest.’
Yamamoto-san spoke in a slightly lower tone, as if to curb their momentum.

‘O-okay, sorry.’
A reply came back with absolutely no sense of remorse, and the questioning of Endo-san was over.

　However, Izumi-chan didn’t leave Endo-san’s side after that, and the afternoon of the school trip came to an end.

Upon arriving at the hotel, we were each given a room key and told to spend the time until dinner in our rooms.

“Wow, the bed’s so soft!”
Mai dived onto the bed. There were three beds lined up side by side. Even though she hadn’t decided where to sit, she’d just dived onto the bed by the window.

‘Endo-san, which one do you prefer?’
‘I’m fine with the middle one. You like the one at the end, don’t you?’
Why did she know? I didn’t like the fact that Endo-san could read my mind so easily, so I couldn’t bring myself to be honest.

‘I’ll take the middle one.’
‘Uh, yeah. Got it.’
Endo-san simply placed her luggage at the end of the row.

‘Let’s go for a bath!’
Mai had already got her bath kit ready.

‘It’s fine to have a bath before dinner, isn’t it?’
Endo-san was getting ready too, so I hurried to get ready as well and headed for the bath.

Perhaps because I was the first one there, there was no one else around.

‘We’ve got the place to ourselves!’
Mai energetically stripped off her clothes and stepped into the bath.

I hurriedly took off my clothes so Endo-san wouldn’t see me, covered myself with a towel, and headed for the bath.

　Mai was washing herself.
I decided to rinse off a little way away from her.
As I was getting ready, Endo-san came up beside me.

Endo-san seemed completely unashamed, standing naked right in front of me.

“Mind if I join you?”

There were plenty of other empty spots, so why did she go out of her way to stand right next to me? And why was she acting so confident? It felt as though she was aware of me, trying to hide and feeling embarrassed, and I began to resent it.

　And yet, even though I knew I shouldn’t look, I couldn’t take my eyes off Endo-san. When I looked at Endo-san’s body, my heart pounded so loudly it echoed in my head.

“Takizawa, you pervert. You’re staring too much.”

　Saying that, she suddenly pretended to cover himself, which made me feel even more embarrassed, so I aimed the shower at Endo-san to avoid looking at her face.

“Takizawa, you do things like that?”

　She looked really surprised, but there was a hint of amusement in her expression. Somehow, I felt like I was the only one who wasn’t keeping my cool, and I began to hate being here.

　Endo’s naked body was beautiful.
　Her figure, the colour of her skin, his contours…
　I was left dumbfounded, wondering if there was a single flaw in her.

As the bath had an open-air section, we decided to make the most of it. By then, other students were starting to trickle in.

‘Blimey, this open-air bath is brilliant, isn’t it?’
‘It feels lovely. What do you think, Takizawa?’
‘It feels lovely. It’s making me sleepy.’
‘Hoshizora, if you fall asleep here, you’ll die.’
‘I won’t fall asleep.’
‘Hehe, you and Mai really are close, aren’t you?’

　Endo-san seemed to be enjoying listening to our conversation. Whenever I looked at Endo-san, I’d remember seeing her naked earlier and feel embarrassed, so I’d look away.

I want a body like Endo-san’s.
I think my own body is rather scrawny.

My breasts aren’t particularly large, and although I try to eat properly, there are parts of me that are still thin and frail.
I found myself thinking that if I were to be reborn, I’d want to be a beautiful, curvaceous older sister.

“I’d better get out before I get too hot—”

I stepped out of the open-air bath. I felt that if I stayed here any longer, I’d start thinking about all sorts of unnecessary things, so I decided to leave.

When I returned to the room, Mai was lying on the bed, even though she hadn’t eaten yet, looking as if she was about to fall asleep at any moment.

“You haven’t eaten yet, so don’t go to sleep!”
Endo-san said this as she sat down on Mai’s bed. I followed suit and sat down on Mai’s bed too.

“What’s this? Am I about to be attacked by the two of you?”
“We won’t attack you!” “We wouldn’t do that!”
Endo-san’s voice harmonised with mine, and I found it a bit funny, so I laughed.

“There’s still time before dinner, so let’s have a chat. Do either of you have a crush on anyone?”
Mai’s sudden question took my breath away.

“Do you, Mai?”
Endo-san was using her signature tactic of turning the question back on her.

“I’m dating Miumi.”
“huh?” “What?”
Once again, our voices harmonised.

“Eh, Miumi? The junior in the basketball club who Takizawa tutors?”
“Yeah.”
“Since when? Why? Who made the first move?”
Endo-san was asking the questions with a rare look of seriousness on her face.

“Since around the time the high school sports festival finished. I confessed that I liked her and she agreed to go out with me.”
She answered in her usual style, with a sort of ‘hehe’ tone.

“Are you happy now, Mai?”
I’d suddenly asked a rather sentimental question. But I couldn’t help asking.

“Yeah! I’m really happy. My tsundere junior is so cute, I’m doting on her every day.”
Scratching her head and speaking with a happy expression, Mai really did look happy.

“That’s great. I’m rooting for you.”

　I never know what the right thing to say is in situations like this, and I might have come across as a bit cold, but those were the best words I could muster at the time.

“So, next it’s your turn to answer, isn’t it~?”
　Mai was beaming with delight. She didn’t stop talking right there.

“Hina was so popular in her first and second years, so surely she must have had a boyfriend or two?”
　I was curious to hear what Endo-san would say, and I found myself holding my breath without realising it.

‘It’s not the answer you’re hoping for, Mai. In my first and second years, I was just trying to cope with my own life. I’ve never been in a relationship with anyone.’
　For some reason, Endo-san’s reply put me at ease, and I remembered how to breathe again.

‘So, what about now?’
‘There is someone I like…’

　She glanced briefly in my direction, but at those words my chest suddenly tightened and I looked away.

　I felt so distressed I didn’t want to be there anymore.
　I hadn’t known Endo-san had someone he liked. I didn’t want to know…

“Aren’t you going to confess?”
“Not right now. I know it’s a one-sided crush, and I don’t want to ruin our current relationship.”
“Oh.”
　Mai, who’d been listening but seemed uninterested, turned her attention to me.

‘What about Sora?’
Even though my mind was spinning and I couldn’t settle down, Mai wouldn’t let up.
I didn’t really understand things like ‘liking’ someone or ‘going out’ with them.

‘I don’t really know—’
‘Haven’t you ever liked anyone or been in a relationship before?’
‘Of course not.’
‘So, you’ve never kissed anyone, have you?’

My heart started pounding at those words.
　It felt similar to the anxiety you get when you’ve done something wrong and are worried you’ll get caught.
For some reason, Mai was grinning from ear to ear.

“Now, now, don’t pick on Takizawa too much.”
Endo-san said that and came to my rescue.
For that moment, she looked like a goddess to me.

“That’s right! Let’s go and get something to eat! Oh, I told you two because I trust you, but please don’t go telling everyone else!　Miumi gave me permission to tell you two, so that’s why I did.”
She looked straight at me, giving me a peace sign. I’ve known Mai since our first year, but I think we’d never really been able to have such deep conversations because I’d kept my distance. So, I was happy that she trusted me enough to open up about herself.

“Mai…”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you for telling me.”
“Well… why are you so cute?”
　Mai threw herself into my arms with gusto. Then she looked at me with a slightly serious expression.

“Let me know when you’ve found someone you like too, Hoshizora?”
“……Yeah.”
　As soon as Mai finished speaking, Endo-san tugged at my arm. I wonder if she’s in such a hurry to get to dinner.

　And so, we headed for the dining hall.

“Ah, I’m going to the loo before we go.”
　Saying that, I stepped away from the group for a moment.