Chapter 59 - Groups
(1)
"Toya-kun, morning~"
I pretend to be asleep while waiting for Airi.
I've already pulled back the covers.
Come on, come whenever you like.
Airi probably knows I'm waiting for her.
She climbs on top of me.
I open my eyes.
Then I look at Airi and check her appearance... but there was no need to.
"...!?"
Where did her usual twin-tails go?
On the contrary, she has cut her hair down to about neck-length and let it hang.
What happened?
"What happened to your hair!?"
Now that I think about it, she didn't come to the house yesterday, saying she "had errands."
It seems she's no longer anxious about being alone with Kanna and me.
"I cut it."
"I can tell just by looking."
"...Does it not suit me?"
That line is unfair.
I think few boys could be told that while she's making that kind of face and say "it doesn't suit you."
I am not one of those boys.
"It suits you."
Airi hugs me, squealing with joy.
"Haa, you two always do this,"
Kanna lets out a sigh as she watches the scene.
"Ah, Kanna! He praised my hairstyle~"
"That's good for you~"
"So, what happened?"
I asked bluntly.
"Eh?"
"Huh?"
Both of them ask back at the same time?
No, when a girl cuts her hair, there's usually a reason, right?
However, Airi's answer was different from what I expected.
"Nothing in particular? Just a whim."
A whim... is that how it works!?
Like, maybe she had a broken heart... no, that's probably not it. Isn't there some kind of reason?
"Hmm, would it have been better if I answered that I was dumped by Toya-kun?"
"N-no. That would be problematic."
"Right!"
"Isn't it fine! Cutting it on a whim. It suits her, right?"
"W-well, yeah."
Rather than just suiting her, she's become somewhat more mature.
"Let's go downstairs?"
Airi pulls my arm.
We left the room.
(2)
Things were the same as always at school.
However, it wasn't that something was happening.
I was simply being ignored.
That was no problem.
Rather, it was convenient.
But a problem arose.
"Alright, decide your groups! Just form them randomly."
Overnight training.
A three-day, two-night training session at a facility in the southern part of the prefecture.
It's halfway like a vacation.
But deciding the groups was troublesome.
Unfortunately, I've been with Airi and Kanna ever since entering high school and haven't spoken properly with anyone else.
It's the same for Airi and Kanna... I looked at Kanna in the seat in front of me.
Airi goes over to Kanna.
That's expected.
But what do I do after that?
Huh?
She went over to Ijuin-san.
They are talking about something.
Then, Morishita-san, Sashihara-san, and Kudo-san joined in, and the group reached the required number of people.
That's good for them~
This is no time to be worrying about other people.
What should I do?
Perhaps because of the incident with Airi, I'm viewed with hostility by all the boys.
Or rather, there are only three people in this class from Minami Junior High.
While I was troubled, a well-built boy came up to me.
If I recall... Watanabe-kun.
"I figured it would be something like this. Come on."
He grabs my hand and pulls.
Following his lead, I found four boys waiting.
"Oh, it's Katagiri. You actually came!"
Kiritani-kun, who sits behind me, was there.
"Um, I'm Ishihara."
"I'm Eto, nice to meet you, Katagiri."
"Shinji Kusakabe. Nice to meet you."
"That makes six of us."
Watanabe-kun looked satisfied.
Then the six of us talked.
Mostly about me, though.
"I thought you seemed like a timid guy, but you're surprisingly not."
"I've thought you were a scary guy since around the time you punched Takeshita-kun, though."
"Has nothing happened since then?"
Far from nothing happening, I wasn't even acknowledged as an opponent.
While responding casually, I glanced at Airi and the others.
Then, Airi was looking this way in the same manner.
When our eyes met, Airi smiled brightly.
"Ah, he just made eye contact with Tosaka-san."
Kiritani-kun makes a fuss.
"Eita, don't make such a racket."
Watanabe-kun cautions him.
"Sorry."
"I don't really mind."
Yeah, it's too late for that now.
"But Katagiri, you're partly to blame too, you know? Since you only talk to girls and don't try to make male friends."
Eto-kun says.
It's not that I don't try. It's that they won't let me.
"Katagiri... I'll call you Toya. Toya, you've got your reasons too."
Watanabe-kun, you're a good person.
"Alright, it's mostly decided. Now, decide on a leader and submit the roster to me."
Watanabe-kun seems fine as the leader.
It seemed the other four thought the same.
Watanabe-kun, decided as the leader, submits the roster.
After confirming he had received everyone's, Mizuta-sensei says.
"Looks like nobody was left out. Well then, enjoy yourselves."
(3)
The day of the overnight training.
We board the bus by class.
The bus seats were...
"Just do whatever."
...that.
Well, it was already decided, though. That my neighbor is Airi.
Airi grabs my arm and won't let go.
It turns out like this, I knew it would turn out like this.
We arrive at the lodging facility.
Rooms are assigned by group.
Upon entering the room, I first secure my own sleeping spot and take a breath.
Well, I can't relax for that long, though.
"You're not going to sleep right away tonight, right?"
Kiritani-kun said.
Is it that kind of vibe again? I'd prefer to be let sleep immediately.
After eating lunch, the study time begins immediately.
Studying after eating lunch is torture, isn't it?
You'd naturally think I'm slumped over my desk sleeping.
Usually, they put this kind of thing right before the academic tests after a long holiday.
I was wide awake.
...Kanna was sleeping.
When evening comes, we are liberated for a while.
Riding boats, fishing, each doing their own thing.
I chose fishing.
Because it's easy.
I let the fishing line hang and space out.
Then, someone covered my eyes from behind.
"Guess who!"
How many years do you think I've been hearing that voice?
"It's Airi, right? What's up? Are you fishing too, Airi?"
"No~, I was bored so I was looking for Toya-kun."
"What about Kanna and the others?"
"They're riding canoes."
"I see."
"It's okay, it's just girls."
I wonder what's "okay" about that?
"Airi, you don't need to ride one?"
"Because whenever I try to ride one, the boys follow me."
Ah, it's a pain.
It's hard being a popular girl.
"So, you were looking for me?"
"Yep."
Saying so, Airi sits next to me and snuggles up.
There's no point in worrying about it now.
"But I was surprised that you're in the same group as Ijuin-san."
"Yeah, about that... I was the one who invited her."
"Eh?"
"You'd normally think that, right? But she's the same as me. Being hit on by guys just because of her looks and grades... I thought I was bad with that~ but she was different. It seemed she genuinely thought it was annoying."
"How does that lead to hitting it off?"
"That's because..."
"Tosaka-san! Please refrain from acting on your own!"
"Yeees. Akira is here, so I'm going."
"Airi!!"
"Yes?"
Airi looks back at me.
"The jersey look suits you too."
"...I'm not happy to be praised for that."
Saying so, she went somewhere with Ijuin-san.
...I don't understand girls.
(5)
Dinner, regardless of taste, had volume.
After eating, I took a bath, and while listening to music in bed, Kiritani-kun peered into my bed.
"Don't just listen to music alone, join the conversation."
"It's already past lights-out."
"Isn't the thrill great! Communicating with classmates is important too."
I can't help it.
I go downstairs and join the conversation.
"So, which one confessed first?"
As expected, it's that kind of talk.
I dislike it because it feels like bragging.
"Toya, you don't have to say it if you don't want to."
As expected of Watanabe-kun, he understands well.
"So, how far did you go?"
I take back my previous statement.
"I didn't go anywhere in particular."
"I see, I'll show you something good."
Watanabe-kun says so and shows an image.
An image of green panties. Someone is wearing... hey!
"Why do you have a photo like this?"
"Ah, it's a photo of my girlfriend."
I wonder how his girlfriend allowed this.
Watanabe-kun explains the photo.
"Well, she rarely wears underwear like this when she's with me, but since it was on the way home from school, she seems to have let her guard down."
"She actually let you take a photo?"
"She told me that if this was good enough, I could use it as 'okazu'."
Watanabe-kun laughed as he said that.
I'm scared that if I told Airi, she'd start saying "If Toya-kun wants, I'll show you every day."
"Watanabe-kun, have you already had experience?"
"Yeah. In my third year of middle school."
"I also had experience recently. Sashihara-san confessed to me. I did it after about a week."
"I see... Good luck, Toya."
"Thanks."
Sorry. I've already finished.
I deliberately didn't say it.
"How long are you bastards going to keep talking?"
That day, we were made to sit in seiza in the hallway late at night.
(6)
Second day.
Breakfast~
TKG! TKG! (T/N: Tamago Kake Gohan - raw egg over rice)
"Good morning, Toya-kun."
"Yo, Toya."
I was greeted by the two of them.
"Good morning."
Because seats are decided by group, and because we can't get food until everyone is in their seat, I keep it to just greetings without talking much.
"See you later."
After finishing the meal, the morning is for studying.
After finishing lunch, it's free time... though today it's raining.
We can't go outside.
It's a choice of three: go to the lobby and watch TV, exercise in the gym, or relax in the room.
I decided to relax in the room.
"Toya, wake up!"
Who is it. Let me at least take a nap.
When I sat up, Kanna was climbing the ladder and peering in.
"Kanna!?"
"Yo, I came to play. Airi's here too."
No, this is bad!
"Spare me from being made to sit in seiza again."
"It's free time, so it's fine, right? Let's all play."
They are sitting crowded together on the empty beds below.
Apparently, Watanabe-kun was the one who called.
"Well, you need this kind of fun too."
"I was thinking of using this time for self-study, so this is extremely annoying," Ijuin-san says.
"A break is necessary too, Akira."
Airi soothes Ijuin-san.
I joined the gathering too.
We talked about various things, played card games.
Eventually, each person began to act freely.
The rain had stopped around 3 o'clock.
Free time is until 5 o'clock.
There's still time.
Sashihara-san and Kiritani-kun are nowhere to be seen.
Did the two of them go somewhere together?
At that moment, Airi pulls my clothes.
"There's somewhere I want to go..."
"Acting alone is bad, right?"
"Don't be so stiff, Toya. You two go and enjoy yourselves."
Since Watanabe-kun said so, I followed Airi.
A lovers' sacred spot.
Several couples have already visited.
Though, there's not much to do other than take commemorative photos.
Kiritani-kun and the others had also shrewdly come here.
"Ah, it's Ai. Hey~"
Airi calls out to Sashihara-san.
"Ah, Airi~. Just in time!"
Saying so, the two couples take photos of each other.
"Thank you."
"No no, thank you too~"
We sat on a nearby bench and talked.
"How did you two start dating?"
That's a straight question, Airi.
"Because Eita is cute!"
"S-stop it. I'm getting embarrassed."
The two of them flirt as they say this.
Airi looks on enviously.
I wonder if we were like this at first too?
I wonder if we are like this at school?
Airi and I watched Kiritani-kun and the other, who acted close without worrying about the eyes of others.
Well, only couples come here.
It's probably fine to let loose a bit, right?
Did Airi judge it that way too? No, if anything, she was a girl who didn't care from the start.
Airi clings to me excessively.
Airi grabs my arm and operates the smartphone with her other arm to take selfies.
Making funny faces, kissing my cheek.
...No, that's not allowed, right?
"Wow, Airi is bold!"
"As expected, you really want to enjoy yourself with Toya."
Sashihara-san and Kiritani-kun said, looking surprised.
Airi puffs out her chest proudly.
Then, a teacher arrived.
"What are you doing, you lot?"
Why do adults caution high school couples?
Mizuta-sensei and others are one thing, but also the music teacher, Mikimoto Yuji-sensei.
For now, everyone dispersed.
When I returned to the room, the girls had all gone back.
After that, I ate dinner, took a bath, and watched TV in the lobby.
When it became lights-out time, everyone returned to their rooms.
The lights were off, but the conversation didn't end.
The content was a continuation of yesterday.
Like, who do you like in class?
Who confessed to whom.
Who is the cutest?
The topics for conversation are endless.
And... that day too, I was made to sit in seiza in the hallway.
(7)
3rd Day
Waking up early, doing gymnastics, and eating breakfast.
Practicing the school song, studying, and the morning passes.
Eating lunch, and preparing to go home.
From tomorrow, it's a long holiday.
In the bus on the way back, I was sleeping.
"Wait, Toya-kun!"
I'm sleeping, so forgive me...
I was sleeping while leaning on Airi.
"I wanted to talk about various things... well, after we get home is fine!"
Such a voice was only faintly audible, and I slept comfortably.