Chapter 92: Chapter 8 - February 18th (Thu) – Field Trip Day 2 – Ayase Saki
Today was the second day of the field trip, and chaos ensued right after I woke up. My eyes opened to Maaya sitting on the bed next to brushing her hair, and she suddenly said "Let's walk around with Asamura-kun and the others today," leaving completely baffled. What's she on about? I thought to myself.
"What are you on about?" I asked without much hesitation.
"Exactly what I said. Are you okay with that, Ryou-chan?" Maaya asked towards the bed on the opposite side of hers.
"Hmmm?" Satou Ryouko-san blinked at Maaya with a drowsy gaze. "Who… is Asamura-kun?"
"The boy in another class' group. There's Maru-kun, Asamura-kun, and… Rember what I said? That group's also the one with your friend in it, right?"
"Ah… Yeah. Okay, sounds good." She still seed half asleep when agreeing here. Is this really okay?
Also, it sounds like they discussed this beforehand.
"Maaya, I didn't hear about any of this!"
"Because I didn't tell you!"
"Why not?!"
"A surprise is no surprise if you don't keep it a surprise, right?"
Why do we need surprises on an already stressful field trip? And I thought we were supposed to stick together as a group today.
"We have to stay in our groups again today, right?"
"Yup," Maaya nodded and flashed a truly innocent smile—in other words, one that you definitely could not trust. "And today, our group is heading to the zoo and night safari."
"I know that."
"It just so happens that Maru-kun's group is also going to the zoo and night safari today! What a wonderful coincidence!"
"Hey."
"And thus… We students from Suisei High might as well move together in a large group to foster the relationships between students and give yet another crucial aning to this field trip… is what happened."
"That didn't just happen, did it?"
"Hm? Did I say sothing weird? Ryou-chan, what do you think?"
"Nope, not at all. Being able to spend ti with people I'm friends with makes happy, too."
Oh, right. A friend of hers is in Asamura-kun's class. But… really? Asamura-kun's group and ours are going to walk around together today. But what about my feelings? What about my loneliness of not being able to see him for this entire trip? …And is this really okay?
"Can you really just decide that?"
"I an, you were there when our group decided on our schedule, right?"
"Ah."
I focused my brain to try and rember. Our group consisted of Maaya as the leader, paired with and Satou Ryouko-san, as well as two rowdy boys and one more boy who'd keep them in control. When we turned in our group's schedule, our horoom teacher was happy to have Maaya with us, so I'm guessing they just put all the problem children together. I'm well aware that I'm not very good when it cos to adjusting to others. That's why I'm genuinely thankful to Maaya. And at the sa ti, I rember her working out information and details about every possible place we could visit, asking all the group mbers where they wanted to go. All we did was simply pick where we wanted to go. In that sense, we should really be thankful to Maaya. But even so…
"I'm glad he's got enough charisma to push for the popular spots. Though I did say we should et up if our spots overlapped."
"To whom?"
"It's amazing to think all the places we wanted to visit matched up so beautifully!"
Ah, she didn't want to tell . I wonder who it is? Asamura-kun? No, he would have told sothing.
"By the way, we're also heading to Sentosa Island together tomorrow."
"Tomorrow as well?"
"Yup. Isn't that right, Ryou-chan?"
"Yeah. Makes happy."
"As for the boys… Well, they don't know each other too well, but Maru-kun should be able to handle them."
"…Maru-kun is Asamura-kun's friend, right? I didn't know you were friends with him."
"We're both group leaders, after all."
Is that really as convincing of a reason as she made it out to be?
"Anyway, I'd like to get to know the boys in their group. And I need to warn our boys to not bother the girls in their group too much."
…I see. So she had it all planned out from the start. After she finished her hair, she leaned towards and whispered.
"Now you'll always be together with your brother, right?" She put one hand on her mouth and snickered like a witch.
"Maaya! Geez, I can't believe you!" I burst out in anger, and Satou-san twitched in shock.
I swear, look what you caused, Maaya.
"S-Sorry about that."
"It's okay…"
"And with that out of the way, let's have so fun at the zoo today! It's ti to eat breakfast first though, but after that, it's 'let's go Singapore!'" She finished it off with yet another clunky English pronunciation at the end as she jumped off the bed. "All those cutesy animals are waiting for us!" She said while raising her fist into the air.
I just shook my head and shrugged. When she's like this, nobody can stop her. Still… Asamura-kun and I are going to get to walk around the zoo together today. …Huh.
When we arrived at the zoo entrance, Asamura-kun's group had just made it there, too. Even though I hadn't seen his face for barely a day, I felt a wave of relief when I saw him from a distance. Since both of our groups will be sticking together today, it'll be 12 people at once checking out the zoo and the night safari next to it. Now that I think about it, it's been since last sumr and the day at the pool that we've been in as a group as big as this. Asamura-kun's friends Maru-kun and Maaya took the leading role today as they looked after the two groups. And not only that, Maaya would even throw conversation starters our way from ti to ti.
"Hey, Asamura-kun, Saki, what animals do you two like?"
We were walking around inside the zoo when Maaya asked us that question. Asamura-kun went first and responded with "Sloths." Um… sloths?
"That's unexpected. You seem like a devoted person to , Asamura-kun. I figure you'd readily help make food if the need arose. Don't you agree, Saki?"
"…I think he's like a sloth."
Wait, no. She asked us what animals we like, not which animals represent us as a person. Won't he think I'm insulting him? But it's true that I can relax when I'm with him. It's like ti passes much slower. In that way, it does suit him, but it's not like…
"I'm not calling you lazy or anything."
"I know that."
"Okay, good."
Phew, that made panic. I don't know why, but talking with Asamura-kun in front of everyone makes so restless. Even though I can relax perfectly fine when we're at ho. And I don't think I was alone in that feeling. It seed like Asamura-kun was also holding himself back when we were talking. Because of that, we felt so distant, even though we were right next to each other. And once the sun began to set, we headed over to the night safari.
After watching the various animals and their life at night, we moved to a restaurant and eat dinner there. The nu was set up like a buffet, so after we grabbed all the food we wanted, we headed to a table. After all that walking, I was feeling especially hungry.
"What a beautiful voice," Maru-kun said.
He must be talking about the woman playing the guitar up on that stage. Once her performance was over, she grabbed all her belongings, headed to the nearby bar, and started talking to the bartender. She ordered sothing and received a cocktail glass, only to suddenly co our direction. Our eyes t and she smiled at . She looked like she was either Japanese or from South Asia. If I had to guess, she was around twenty, maybe a bit older. Her tied-up blonde hair reached down to the shoulders, which were open and uncovered by her red dress. Since the dress had deep cuts on both sides, you could sneak glances at her legs. Even as a girl, I found myself staring for a mont. She then looked at all our faces once and started speaking English.
"My na is lissa Woo. Where did you boys and girls co from? Japan?"
It wasn't anything too difficult, but because she was speaking so fast, everyone else in the group started staring at her in confusion.
"You were watching , right? How was I? I don't want to interrupt your trip, but I'd love to hear your impressions of my performance." She said and smiled.
However, nobody from our group said anything. I guess it must be how fast she was speaking. She waited for a mont, but then seed disappointed. Maybe she thought that we had just ignored her. I don't think she's aware of the fact that our English might not be very good. Even I barely managed to catch what she said. While everybody else hesitated, Asamura-kun spoke up.
"Maybe she's saying stuff like 'Who are you?' or 'Where are you from?' and so on?"
Yeah, exactly.
"Um, lissa-san? We're students who ca from Japan for a field trip." I responded, and lissa turned toward .
"A field trip! Then you must be in middle school? Six boys and six girls, I can tell you're good friends! And judging from your age, you probably haven't heard that type of music before, no? What did you think? Maybe sothing more popular would have been better? Like ani music?"
M-Middle school…? Do we look that young to her?
"We're in high school. Our second year, actually. And we ca from Tokyo, Japan."
I just replied with that for now.
"You're amazing, Saki!"
"Ayase-san, you can speak English?"
I an, all of you would have been able to understand it if she just spoke a bit more slowly. And Asamura-kun seems to have grasped the aning, too. I just waved my hands left and right as I played down their praise.
"I used relatively simple vocabulary. Asamura-kun's assumption was fairly spot-on, too. She's asking where we ca from."
That's all I told them, but Maaya made so weird joke that made Maru-kun angry at her. I swear… Look, lissa-san's looking at us in utter confusion. And Asamura-kun seems worried that she may have gotten the wrong idea.
"I said that we're from Japan and currently on a field trip. Don't worry."
"Boooring!"
"Maaya, I swear… What if she gets the wrong idea? And on that note, her na is lissa Woo-san."
And then she asked us about our impressions of her performance, so I translated it for her. It seems like I'm playing the role of interpreter now.
"What about you, Asamura?"
My heart skipped a beat. I didn't think I'd have to even translate what Asamura-kun said. And actually, I feel like he should be proficient enough to say it in English himself as long as he keeps it simple enough… But more importantly, I need to listen properly. I took what he said and reford it in my head into English words. I think because I've been listening and thinking English a lot these days, my thoughts imdiately changed to English without much of a hindrance. This made realize that keeping a balance between two languages in my head at the sa ti was a lot harder than just translating sothing.
"lissa-san, he ntioned that he listened to your performance yesterday, too. He was asking if that was folk music. And he said that he enjoyed listening to your voice."
Asamura-kun tried to keep his impressions short and concise, which made it easier for .
"Let's see… Was he at the museum yesterday?"
"I think so."
"Ah, I see. That ans this must have been his second ti hearing play. And yes, the song I played is fairly popular around here. And I'm happy that he appreciates my voice that much."
I repeated what lissa told in Japanese. And even before I could do that, so people in our group had begun nodding to themselves. I'm guessing they were slowly catching on to what she was saying. The other people at least understood that lissa was thankful, and then they started saying so many things that Maru-kun couldn't keep them under control. I once again tried my best to convey it in English as accurately and correctly as possible. Though sotis it took a while to find the right English expression or idiom.
Once everyone was done, Maaya suddenly raised her head, held her phone towards lissa, and tapped on the screen. When she did so, an electronic female voice started speaking in English. It was a fairly long text, too. She probably typed it all into a translator and played it out loud. lissa was surprised at first, but she listened earnestly.
As for the content, it was pretty much what you'd expect from Maaya. How she perceived the performance, what she thought of lissa's voice, and all that. Listening to that, lissa started grinning about midway through. Granted, I don't know how well it conveyed everything from the original text since I couldn't read it, but there wasn't anything weird about what I heard, which made realize that we really lived in a convenient day and age. Then again, it would take quite a while to type in everything just like that.
"I guess we should have just asked Maaya from the start."
I had a mont of weakness and grumbled to myself, but Maaya imdiately denied that. She argued that it may be quick and easy, but it lost all nuance and human emotion in the process. That makes sense.
"Exactly! And she seems thankful, too," Maaya said, as lissa stood up from her chair to walk behind , embracing my shoulders.
"What's your na? Is it Saki?"
"Ah, yes. I'm Saki."
Oh, she picked up my na through all that?
"Mmm! What a cute na. Thanks to you, I got to hear what all you cuties thought about my performance, so I'm really thankful!"
She slapped on the shoulder with a bright smile, which honestly hurt a bit. But when I saw her smile happily, I realized that this was just typical physical contact for her.
"Hey, Saki. I haven't heard your impressions yet."
Ah, right.
"I thought it was wonderful."
"I see, I see! Thank you. What's your impression of Singapore? A great place, right? Are you having fun?"
"Yes, I didn't think it'd be such a beautiful city. Though it's a bit too hot for my taste."
"Haha! That's right, it's still mid-winter over in Japan, right? Say, Saki, you seem to be going along with everyone here… but do you have a special soone in this group? A lover, maybe?"
"Huh?!"
L-Lover?!
"You must have one, right? You're so pretty. There's no way people would leave you alone. So tell , who and who are the lucky person?"
Huh? What? Who and who? Did I just mishear things right now?
"That reaction… There's soone, right?"
I happened to glance over at Asamura-kun, only to quickly avert my eyes. Why is she just bluntly asking such embarrassing things? Or am I just misunderstanding her? Granted, her English was a bit on the harder side of things. Maybe it's because this is a genuine conversation, or maybe it's her accent. I don't know what the secret ingredient is, but I never really struggled to understand her up to this point. But she's speaking a lot more frankly right now, so maybe I'm just mistranslating what she's telling …
"I-I don't have sobody like that!"
"Really?" She narrowed her eyes with a smirk.
It's almost like she saw right through and is just telling to confess. And I realized that with just her words alone, that wouldn't have co across… Maaya was right! But that's not the problem right now. I broke out in a bit of a panic as lissa let go of my shoulders. A man approached us, calling lissa's na. She then jumped into his arms and they exchanged a passionate kiss right in front of us. Honestly, I thought my heart was gonna leap out of my chest. My instinct told to turn my back towards it, which caused to see everyone's faces. They all were just as shocked as , but they kept on looking.
"You boys! Stop staring!" Maaya leaned forward.
I slowly turned around again to look… But they were still at it. lissa and the man were tightly embracing each other, as if trying to suck up each other's warmth. Eventually, they moved their heads away from each other and lissa turned to again.
"Where are you people staying?"
I was spacing out and didn't listen properly. Only after a brief mont of silence did I realize she asked where we were staying during our field trip. I discussed this with Maaya and told lissa about the nearest bus stop we had to take. That shouldn't be a problem, at least. Upon hearing that, lissa ntioned that her ho was in the sa direction, asking if we should head ho together. And since we had to get going soon, we decided to agree. While we sat on the bus ride, lissa and I talked almost the entire ti.
I didn't think I'd have to rely on my practice in such an odd circumstance, but I'm happy that my efforts paid off, at least. Granted, lissa used so slang and other terms I didn't know, so I couldn't pick up every little thing she said, but what she tried to convey definitely ca across. As for our topics, it was honestly a bit of everything. What's popular right now in Japan, our favorite songs, and since lissa was a huge fan of ani and manga, we talked about so series here and there, but as I wasn't so much of an avid reader, so I couldn't contribute much.
Maybe I should have asked Maaya for help. But she was busy talking with everyone else, as she usually did. lissa's boyfriend (?) didn't co with us. They separated at the restaurant. Apparently, they live in different areas. We then got off the bus near the hotel and lissa went her way, saying she hoped we'd et again if the chance arose.
The rest of us entered the hotel, and I talked a bit with the girls from Maru-kun's group in the lobby. Since I rembered their nas and faces after just eting today, I guess I've made so progress myself. But at the sa ti, I realize that this usually happens when Maaya is around.
As we headed deeper inside and back to our rooms, my phone started being flooded with new ssages. It was from the group chatroom, with people saying 'Today was fun' or 'Good night everyone.' It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but looking at it made feel fluffy inside. That's probably why I responded with 'It was fun,' myself. Then things moved to the girls' only group, where I sent a sticker of a smiling cat. It's the one that Maaya loves to send. In response ca a flood of stickers. They each were thed around smiles, but everybody used different characters or motifs. I think this really shows the differences between people. Maaya, for example, sent so kind of weird sticker of a robot laughing. What even is that?
After arriving at our room, we changed into sothing more comfortable. I wanted to make sure that my uniform didn't end up with any wrinkles, only to realize that my skirt had been tattered a tad bit. Luckily, there weren't any holes that needed fixing. Nothing more than a frayed spot. It must have happened when we were walking through the zoo or the night safari. There were a lot of bushes or branches that it could have gotten stuck on. It wasn't significant enough that it stood out but I couldn't just leave it alone, either. But to get it fixed completely, I'd have to take it to a tailor back ho in Japan.
I looked through my suitcase, only to realize my blunder. I didn't bring a sewing kit with . What do I do… I should ask if I can borrow it from soone else. I feel like Maaya or Satou-san should have one.
"Um…"
I raised my head and tried to speak up, but I realized that Satou-san was busy with a phone call. It must be that girl 'Mio-chan' from Asamura-kun's group. They were probably discussing what happened today. Normally, she was always very docile and introverted, but when talking with her friend, she seed so happy and energetic. I didn't want to bother her for my own reasons. As for Maaya… she was doing sothing on her phone. Yeah, I'd rather not get in their way.
I checked the ti on my phone. I could still head outside if I needed to. And by 'outside,' I was referring to the convenience store here on the hotel grounds. They might have a sewing kit there. I put my wallet into my purse and told Maaya I'd be heading to the convenience store real quick. On the way, I explained the circumstances to the vice-principal and headed to the first floor of the hotel.
Although it was located on the hotel premises, this convenience store was big enough to have two entrances. One for the front outside the premises, and one for the hotel visitors. I imdiately went to look for the sewing kit when a familiar voice called out my na. When I turned around, I spotted a woman smiling at with a plastic bottle in hand—It's lissa. She had a basket hanging from her arm, filled with drinks and potato chips.
"Oh, wow! This is the hotel where you're staying? What a coincidence. Do you have so ti to talk?"
"Um…"
I hesitated for a mont but saw it as a chance to practice my English further, and I had no reason to decline in the first place. So I agreed for a bit longer. lissa finished paying for her goods, handing them to the man standing next to her. Looking at him, I was confused, as he wasn't the man we t at the restaurant. The man she kissed had an Asian look with straight black hair, but this one here has red hair, is a bit smaller, and gives off friendly vibes. I don't think he's family, either, they look too different. The man accepted the plastic bag, kissed lissa on the cheek, and left the convenience store.
"Are you sure?"
"About what?"
"Making your friend wait, I an."
"It's okay. We'll spend the rest of the evening together, anyway. Also, he's not my friend, he's my boyfriend."
…Co again? Maybe I misheard her? Did she just call him her boyfriend? I was confused, but still sohow managed to buy the sewing kit, as well as a can of coffee while I was at it. After that, I moved to the rest area in the lobby with lissa. I think it should be fine if we talk here for another ten minutes or so. We weren't alone either, so no problems there. But right as I sat down, my phone vibrated. Taking it out, I saw that I had gotten a ssage from Maaya.
"Did I interrupt you?"
lissa asked with a worried expression, but I reassured her I was fine. She just had invited to play cards with them, so joining in later shouldn't be a huge issue. Though I did respond with a quick ssage. In the anti, lissa opened a can of beverage she had at her feet. Bubbles ca gushing out, and she put her lips to it, drinking a good sip. It must be beer, or sothing else with carbohydrates. It does sll of alcohol, at least.
"Want a sip, Saki?"
"No thanks. I'm still a minor."
"Oh? I thought Japanese people were regarded as adults at 18?"
I'm surprised she knows about that. But that's also not quite right.
"Not when it cos to drinking or smoking. Also, I'm still 17 anyway."
"Oh, really? I'm sorry. I guess I can't even invite you out for a drink then."
"And I've got a curfew, too. Though I'm happy for the invitation."
"A curfew! Wow, I had no idea… Then that ans you only get to see your lover during the day."
For so reason, she showed sympathy and regret. And then she said that we won't get any ti to indulge in sexual activities during the day… Wait, what?
"Hm? Did you not understand ? Maybe my pronunciation was off."
No, that wasn't the problem. I just thought… I heard so unorthodox vocabulary mixed within her statent. lissa narrowed her eyes, assuming I didn't understand her.
"Hm, I think you'd be just fine, Saki."
"…For that?"
I asked in English, but…
"Like, intercourse. Jumping into the box. Deepening your bonds. That kind of thing?"
Out of the blue, she started speaking in Japanese.
"Wh-What are you saying?! Keep it down!"
lissa saw my reaction and covered her mouth with both her hands.
"But you're a lot louder than ."
I gasped and looked around . Luckily, only a few people were around, and none of them were paying us any attention. Phew… that made panic for a second.
"lissa-san, you're speaking Japanese…?"
"Ah, yeah. I do understand a bit. I'm half-Japanese, after all."
"…What?"
When she told that, I once again looked closely at her. I always felt like she had Asian looks, but with blonde hair and tan skin, it was really hard to be sure.
"Specifically, my mother is from Taiwan and my father from Kyushu. They got to know each other when she was studying overseas."
"I had no idea."
We then switched to Japanese, and she told about her life. She said that her mother, born in Taiwan, ca to Japan to study, where she t her father. After she graduated, they went to get married, and lissa was born in Japan. That's why she had a Japanese birth certificate. She spent a few years in Japan, so she can at least speak the language.
"My real na is Woo ishen. That's what he called just now, rember? lissa is just my English na."
She must be talking about the man who was with her in the convenience store. Though I didn't rember what he called her.
"Then should I call you ishen instead?"
"I'll leave it up to you. Though I would prefer lissa," she said as a faint shadow appeared on her face.
…Maybe there's sothing going on behind the scenes? I can't help feeling curious. And I'm guessing lissa saw this, as she asked another question.
"How many lovers would you like to have, Saki?"
Did she just ask… How many?
"Isn't it normal to just have one?" I answered, and lissa sighed.
"So that's gonna be your answer…"
I an, I was the one who was surprised.
"Could you elaborate?"
"I want more than two, at least."
"Excuse ?"
"Is that really so shocking to hear?"
"To it is, yes."
"But… there's not just one singular reason why you would fall in love with people, right?"
Her words made think. Reason to fall in love with soone… Because they're kind. Because they're cool. Because they're handso… Those sorts of things, right?
"Exactly. Because your hobbies align. Because your personalities match."
"Ah, because you're a good match with that person—"
"Because your bodies are a perfect fit."
…Guess not.
"And there's no guarantee that one person fulfills all those various requests you may have."
"That… is true, but…"
I'd love to et a person like that.
"And going with that, it's not normal to only love one person, right?"
"Erm…"
I think that's a bit of a leap.
"For example, my taste in alcohol is similar to that man you just saw."
"So… he's your drinking buddy?"
"Our bodies are a great fit, too. In bed, of course. He does everything I love having done to ."
You really don't need to go into so much detail… I could feel my cheeks growing hot.
"So that person at the restaurant…"
"He's also in the music scene. And our taste in music matches. I want more people to listen to his music. But no matter how much love he may whisper to , he's not interested in my body."
That… happens, I guess?
"If there's only one reason to like, then you can just pick who feels better. But with many various reasons to love soone, you can't just keep yourself limited to just one person."
"I get where you're coming from, but…"
"You also think it's weird, right?"
"Well…"
Denying sothing just because I can't grasp the logic would speak against my ethics. I don't want to force my views and principles onto other people. Especially when it cos to skinship and how other people love.
"…I won't deny how you feel, but I'm curious. Going with that logic, it ans that the other person can choose as many other lovers as they want, right?"
"That's true," lissa responded bluntly.
She looked at like I asked sothing weird.
"Um, so… Are all those n you're dating actually…"
"I know. It wouldn't be fair otherwise. Though, both parties have to agree to this, of course," she said with a smile, which left speechless.
It was a set of values I hadn't encountered before, which made this even more baffling. Compared to lissa's argunt, Professor Kudou's endless barrage of logic and reason was much easier to grasp.
"Saki, I'm happy you didn't call it weird."
I gasped. lissa dropped her gaze.
"When I was living in Japan, nobody understood what I was talking about. Nobody would even listen to . That's why I ca here. But when people heard that I ca from Japan, a lot of people expected chastity and virtue from . Despite my hair and skin color."
"That's why you chose an English na?"
lissa nodded. She dyed her hair, put on makeup, and chose an English na, which allowed her to finally find people who agreed with her logic. A place where she could communicate as she wanted. According to her, she learned English, Chinese, and Japanese. However, she usually keeps everything in English. Upon hearing that, it felt like I understood her at least a bit. The reason I dye my hair and pay close attention to my clothes is that my own body is slightly different from who I wanted to be. Everyone said that it fit with who I was. If I was as strong as Yomiuri Shiori-san, I may have been able to do what she does. Being true to herself while also retaining her typically Japanese beauty. But I knew I wasn't as strong as her. And so that I don't get dragged in a direction I don't prefer, I chose to build up my armant.
"When I saw you, Saki, I had a hunch."
"Huh…?"
"That we resemble each other."
I rembered earlier when she smiled at in the restaurant.
"That's why I decided to talk to you. I think I was half correct, and half off the mark. You tend to hold back when it cos to a lot of things, right?"
"Does it… look that way?"
"At least to , it does."
It's easy to deny that. But what good would that do?
"Saki, you're extrely bothered when it cos to the gazes of others and the pressure from society, right?"
"That… is true."
During this entire trip, I hadn't mustered up the courage to talk to Asamura-kun even once. No matter what I say, that fact can't be denied.
"It's so constraining, right?"
When she said that, I felt the urge to fire back.
"But limiting yourself to the choice of not speaking Japanese isn't?"
"I'm saying that you need to find a place where you can be as selfish and free as you want, or you'll break apart."
Despite my outburst, lissa continued to speak with kind words, making realize how she just hit the nail where it hurt. And that made feel embarrassed.
"You must find a community that lets you live freely without trying to block off and restrain every single thing you do."
It wasn't about living carelessly and as I wanted, but more about finding a safe space where I was allowed to do that… is probably what she's saying. And that was all she told . She left and returned to where her boyfriend was waiting. They planned to have so drinks and snacks and watch ani all night. I also gulped down the rest of the canned coffee I bought. A faint sweetness danced on top of my tongue and remained there. If I'd known that would happen, I would have chosen black coffee.
When I got back to the room, Maaya was still getting absolutely beat up by Satou-san in the card ga they were playing.
"That's why I wanted you to join us, Saki!"
So she wanted to join simply so that she wouldn't end up with only losses under her belt?
"I an, you're bad at this ga, too! You're always about to win, only to forget you gotta call it."
I an… that's not wrong. But that just happens from ti to ti.
"Um, should we play one more ga, then? I promise I'll hold back."
"Winning such an easy ga won't make happy at all!"
"Ah… I'm sorry…" Satou-san made a saddened expression, which made Maaya panic.
What a rare sight.
"N-No, you don't have to apologize, Ryou-chan. You're not at fault! It's all because of this boring lady over here!"
"Who's a boring lady?"
"You?"
"Don't phrase it as a question."
"If you had been here, I would have won a few rounds without Ryou-chan having to hold back!"
That might be true logic-wise, at least…
"You can't know that for sure."
"Oh, now you said it. Let's have one final match!"
"If we don't take a bath soon, it'll be lights out before we get to, you know?"
"Just one more round! Please!"
I swear… Maaya began distributing the cards before I could even say yes or no. But in the end, we played one more round, and Satou-san won. In the final round, I managed to barely win against Maaya, who ended up in last place again.
"Oh…Hm? This is weird…" I smirked.
"You two, it's bath ti," Maaya said, trying to escape reality.
"I already took a bath," Satou-san said.
How admirable.
"Then let's go take a bath together, Saki."
"Why together…?"
"We won't make it in ti otherwise, right?"
I glanced at the ti, and just as she said, we couldn't afford to take turns.
"C'mon, c'mon."
"Yeah, yeah."
Luckily, the bath here in this room was relatively spacious, allowing us both to use it at the sa ti. It felt like it was designed for Japanese traditions, which I was grateful for. Once I finished my shower, I continued washing my body. anwhile, Maaya hopped in the bath.
"Took you so ti to get back, huh? What happened?"
"Ah, about that…"
I told her what happened while I washed myself off. That I t lissa in the convenience store, and that we had been talking in the lobby until now.
"Oh, I see. So she's got two hot buds, eh? Well, I get where she's coming from. If there are various reasons to co to like soone, and if these reasons don't co-exist in two people at the sa ti, then you would have to rely on having several lovers."
"That's pretty much it, but why'd you phrase it that way?"
"I an, it's fair if permission is involved. The real problem is the matching." Maaya said as she stood up from the bathtub.
Her towel fell off into the water, allowing to see her navel and the area around that. I swear, use your towel properly… After I finished my shower, I switched places with her and stepped into the bathtub. Allowing yourself to sink as deep as possible into the water really is what makes this feel like a Japanese bath. It's like all the exhaustion of the day was being washed away. As my head started feeling fuzzy from the heat, I asked one more question.
"What do you an by matching?"
"I an, one side might like it, but the other doesn't. And that goes both ways. If both sides agree and there's no actual harm, then just let them do as they please, really."
"Harm…"
What a violent choice of words.
"Think about it in extre ways. What about a world where there's only one man left but many won, or vice versa? The idea of having only one partner would lead to the ruin of humanity."
That… is an extre example, yeah. But I get where she's coming from.
"In other words, if you try to abide by the morals and ideas of having only one partner as it's common in Japan, then there may be a problem."
Morals change as does the world. As expected, you could say. And if Professor Kudou was here, she'd move on with exactly that rebuttal.
"Exactly. Of course, the opposite can be the case, too. However, the sign of a grown world and society would be that, as long as your morals aren't injuring or hurting anybody else, you should try to keep them."
"Right…"
"A character in a science-fiction ani I watched before said that, actually."
"Does all your wisdom co from ani, Maaya?"
"I've got sound effects, too."
"How trivial."
"It's not. Want to tell you?"
"I'll pass."
I'd never get a wink of sleep if she started on that.
"Anyway, if the people involved are happy, what's it matter? As long as they accept it. But, Saki, in your case—"
I was indulging in the hot and pleasant bath so much that my brain was lagging behind.
"—You wouldn't want Asamura-kun to be stolen from you, right?"
"Of course I wouldn't," I blurted out without hesitation but realized it too late.
I looked over at Maaya in shock, who grinned at . It's not like it matters much, but the way the shampoo on her head ford bubbles made her smile look even more devious.
"Now you've said it."
"Agh… Um…"
"Hee hee hee! You don't need to hide it anymore, for real!"
"B-But… We're supposed to be siblings… It's weird, right?"
I was worried about what she'd think about it.
"I an, you're basically strangers who beca non-blood-related step-siblings. Of course, that doesn't an that all step-siblings in the world will necessarily end up the sa as you two."
"Y-Yeah…"
"But in the beginning, you didn't look at him the way you do right now, did you? You planned to remain in a plain and dry position as his younger sister, I bet."
Absolutely. How does she understand so well?
"You're just like an open book."
"R-Really?"
"To at least."
I had no idea.
"I had a feeling like you two might have ended up in a relationship like that."
"Ugh… Was it that obvious?"
Honestly, I was so worried about what she'd think if she found out, but now that the cat's out of the bag, I just feel exhausted more than anything.
"So?"
"So… what?"
"If you don't want him running around cheating, you should probably keep him tied down. Are you doing it?"
"D-Do what?"
"Like, going on dates."
"Ah, that's what you ant."
Wait, what did I think she was asking ? Gosh…
"That's fine, too. But I'll have you tell all about that later during so pillow talk."
"Nothing of that sort has happened, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, you're on a trip, rember? You've gotta use that to your advantage."
"But it's not just us two. We're on a school field trip."
"Then how about you two youngbloods go on a date tomorrow? Luckily, Asamura-kun's group is also touring Sentosa Island. And we can move freely tomorrow."
"Is that…"
…really sothing we can do?
"If you leave him to himself, he might walk around with the girls from his group."
Hmph.
"And lately, he's been a lot more conscious about his outfits. People have been more interested in talking to him, too."
Mhmph…
"Really?"
"Well, that's what I say."
"Just you…"
Stop scaring like that.
"Anyway, it's my job to ensure that my group gets to have fun and returns to Japan with a bunch of great mories. And you're part of my group, Saki. So tell … What do you want to do?"
Maaya rinsed the shampoo off her hair and then looked at . She was grinning, too. No fair. If she asks like that…
"I want to walk around with Asamura-kun…Just the two of us."
Maaya let out a snort.
"Good girl. Well said."
"Ugh, this is so embarrassing."
But when I look at Maaya, and how she allows to easily talk about what's on my mind… Then maybe she is one of those communities that'll accept fully… just like lissa told about. Though I'd be happy if I could be soone like that for Maaya, too.
"Then you have to tell Asamura-kun that, okay?"
"Will do."
I almost died from the embarrassnt, so I dove deeper into the bathtub so that only my eyes and upper head were visible. 'Thanks, Maaya…' My mumbling turned into bubbles and dispersed as they reached the surface of the water.
We finished our bath, and after I was finished drying my hair, I imdiately slipped into my bed. Before the drowsiness got the better of , I quickly thought about my plans for tomorrow. We'll be spending the whole day at Sentosa Island, and although we were supposed to stay in our groups, Maaya said it was fine to explore independently. And I think the sa was true for Asamura-kun's group.
Since this sounded like another lucky coincidence, I bet Maaya set this up with Maru-kun. And since Satou-san is friends with a girl from their group, she won't mind. In fact, she might want to walk around with her. I wonder what Maaya will do. I grabbed my phone which was currently charging. I'll just send Asamura-kun a ssage. I think all this heat and passion from today is making go crazy. And because Maaya pushed like this. She even found out, too. I have to tell him about that, too.
'I'd like to walk around alone with you on Sentosa Island tomorrow. Do you think that's possible?'
I even added the excuse that we didn't have to walk around as a big group as long as we didn't leave the island. There are going to be so many 2nd-year students from Suisei High on the island. However, as long as we stay away from crowded places and pay attention, we shouldn't run into anybody that knows us. That should allow us to et up.
I got a read notification attached to my ssage but the ti spent waiting for his response felt like an eternity. I grew worried that maybe I was putting too much pressure on him. When the ssage notification ca in, I felt my chest tightening.
'Got it. I'll tell the people in my group, so I'll let you know if we can et up and everything else tomorrow.'
A sigh escaped my lips. It wasn't an OK or a no, but it could be worse. Honestly, there's no guarantee we can always be alone. At least he didn't decline so… the rest depends on tomorrow. I was so relieved that I started feeling sleepy imdiately. But as my consciousness started drifting away, another ssage ca in. I rubbed my eyes and checked my phone.
'I also want to walk around with you, Ayase-san.'
…Huh? Oh, that makes really happy. How should I respond? After a lot of worrying, I just went with a sticker. I didn't want to be too happy in case sothing cos up and it makes it harder for him to decline. All I could do was pray that we could walk around the island together as I closed my eyelids.
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