I need to briefly talk about the story before the summer vacation starts.
Around that time, a pretty big change happened in our house.
On the day we discussed the summer camp and came back, as soon as I opened the door, I felt a refreshing breeze rush in, and I opened my eyes wide.
It wasn’t just a cool breeze. It wasn’t that sticky summer breeze; it was a truly chilly and refreshing artificial breeze.
“Wow!”
Koko dashed into the room right away.
Then, she raised both arms in front of the air conditioner installed on the wall.
“Wow!”
The cold air blasting from the air conditioner gently swayed Koko’s hair.
I quickly followed her in, took off my shoes, and stood next to her.
“Wow…”
I unconsciously let out a sound similar to Koko’s.
Willy Carrier, I respect you.
As I reflected deeply on the name of the inventor of the air conditioner, I suddenly heard a sound from behind.
Before Koko and I could escape, Kagami jumped on us from behind and hugged us.
“Wow?”
“Ah, wait a minute, Mom.”
I said in surprise.
I hadn’t dried off from the sweat yet. I had been sweating the entire 30-minute walk here. I wanted to stay in front of the air conditioner a little longer… No, I just wanted to shower.
Perhaps I showed a disgusted expression for a moment, because Kagami quickly let go of us.
Then she plopped down on the floor as if she had just been dumped.
“That’s why it was like this…!”
I stared blankly at Kagami, who exaggerated her words in a theatrical tone. She pointed at the air conditioner with her finger and shouted.
“It’s summer and humid, and you don’t even hug me! If I try to hug you, you dodge left and right! You make disgusted faces!”
“…”
Uh, that.
What’s up with that?
I did do that.
Um.
I couldn’t think of a comeback for a moment. Kagami, perhaps sensing my silence, seemed to think she had a chance and started her monologue.
“That’s why we bought an air conditioner! I thought maybe in a cool place, I could get at least a light hug!”
“…No, um.”
I paused to think about what to say.
The conclusion was simple. I had done wrong.
I shouldn’t avoid family hugs just because the weather was a bit hot and humid.
“…”
No, this was really wrong.
Just a while ago, I had realized the importance of family and thought good things about having a family again, but I neglected them as soon as I got used to it.
Moreover, it hasn’t even been a year since then; it’s only been about half a year.
“Kotone?”
As I was deep in thought, Koko tilted her head and called me.
Kagami, noticing that I was seriously pondering, stopped her theatrics and quickly came over to me.
“I was just joking. You don’t need to think too seriously about it…”
“…Is that so?”
I replied while tilting my head.
“Of course. It can be annoying when it’s hot and humid. You can get angry more easily than usual.”
“That’s true.”
I nodded.
Did I think too seriously about it?
I avoided hugs, but I had not forgotten that Kagami and Koko were family.
“Yes. So, if you hug me just once, I’ll forgive everything.”
“…”
I narrowed my eyes while looking at Kagami, who was spreading her arms wide.
In the end, that’s what she was aiming for.
It was a bit ridiculous, but now that I had cooled down from sweating, it seemed fine.
I hugged Kagami.
As always, Kagami, who hugged me, had a look as if she was about to ascend to happiness.
*
Since we had an air conditioner at home, I spent the first few days of summer vacation holed up inside and didn’t go out.
Isn’t the convenience of civilization just wonderful?
Since the room was small, the air conditioner’s efficiency was so clear that if I set the temperature too low, it actually got too cold inside.
Kagami looked unexpectedly fascinated by the sight of me doing nothing in the room. Did she think I was a diligent person or something?
…
Thinking back, I really was busy last year. I didn’t particularly want to be diligent, but for various reasons, I had no choice.
But even while lounging, I still went to my part-time job regularly.
“You seem to be eating well these days,”
the boss said with a smile.
“You used to be really skinny back then.”
There was a reason why the boss was not particularly surprised to see me like this. Most of the kids who came to work here were skinny anyway.
Sure, it might be because it’s a maid cafe, but it’s likely due to the fact that there were often children whose family circumstances weren’t that great.
“You look good. Just keep maintaining that.”
I nodded at the boss’s words and looked around.
I couldn’t see the face I always saw when I came here.
“What about Miki?”
“Miki is studying.”
The boss smiled and said.
She might not be as clumsy as Kagami, but the boss really cherished her little sister.
I had no intention to poke into that. After all, she was her sister, so the money she earned working here was just going around.
“I don’t think her grades are to her liking. I thought she was doing fine,”
I replied.
Is that so?
Well, last time I heard, she had barely passed her school entrance exams. Even so, she went to the best school she could attend, so she probably has an ambition for studying.
“You guys are the reason,”
the boss said, glancing between me and Shii.
“I guess seeing you two working hard gave her motivation.”
Especially for me, there might have been some overlap. Miki must have seen Koko too.
“It’s fortunate that we could be of help,”
I said and started working.
The boss shrugged and stepped aside for me to pass.
*
“Oh, by the way, Shii. About the camp.”
While working, I called out to Shii.
“Yeah.”
As always, Shii would be joining our camp. I had already treated Shii like a junior in the literature club, and Shii naturally called me their senior, so I conveyed the details about the camp smoothly.
Naturally, all the members agreed. Tsuneda had an expression of both expectation and concern when hearing about Shii, but she nodded anyway.
By the way, Sasaki isn’t coming. Two people are definitely going to tag along if she does.
We sometimes hung out since we were in the same class, so I got reasonably close with Sasaki and Nanami. Hagiwara also often came around to check on us.
Speaking of Hagiwara… she seems to be studying hard these days. Hearing her talk about wanting to get into a good university and become a tutor for Sasaki next year made me think she was really serious about it.
Still, I was glad Tsuneda wasn’t too disappointed by the news that Sasaki wasn’t coming.
Anyway, I told Sasaki to film a love comedy at home.
“Our schedule has been adjusted a bit. Is that okay?”
We had already exchanged messages and calls, but I felt like I needed to ask again for certainty.
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
Shii smiled.
“After hearing about it for the first time, I cleared my schedule beforehand.”
That really gave me peace of mind.
Despite feeling a bit sorry for seeing a child who had grown up too early, a bright kid like her is lovely.
“Okay, then I won’t worry about it.”
“Yeah, I’ve also prepared well, so you don’t need to worry!”
Shii exclaimed, clenching both hands.
I couldn’t help but smile a bit at that.
Sasaki really is a lucky kid.
Even though their story sounds gloomy, having a sister like Shii is a blessing.
Well, I think my little sister is definitely not lacking in cuteness either.
*
So, on the day we were headed to the accommodation.
We gathered in front of Tamachi Station, the closest station to the school.
Since everyone lived in different houses, it wasn’t the most efficient choice, but ‘a place everyone can certainly recognize’ was about all we could manage. If we met at my house, the others would have to travel way too far.
If it were a place only second and third years were going to, we might have just said to meet at a big station, but there are juniors and prospective juniors with us.
I thought it would be nice for the two of them to be able to gather without worry.
“Oh, hello, Kotone-senpai!”
Perhaps feeling a bit nervous about meeting a senior during vacation, Tsuneda raised her voice a little to greet me.
“Hello.”
As I scanned the surroundings while returning the greeting, I noticed Yuka and Shii were there.
I was glad Yuka had arrived first. Otherwise, those two wouldn’t have known who each other was.
Actually, Kagami insisted on taking me this morning, but I thought it might make the juniors uncomfortable if I brought my mom along, so I declined.
With the camp pulled forward a bit, it has become early August. We also had a plan to write reflections after visiting the festival together in mid-August.
After that, there was going to be a short family trip with Kagami and Koko together. It would probably be about a two-night, three-day trip.
At the end of August, we were going to Comiket, and in the days in between, friends might come over, or I might visit friends.
Even though I thought a month off would be a long time, seeing the packed schedule made it seem so busy. Well, most of it consisted of leisure.
Just because summer vacation ended doesn’t mean it’s over. There will be athletic events, school trips, and cultural festivals in autumn. The athletic event would be similar to last year, aside from Kagami coming, but the school trip is set to be in Hawaii, and I plan to exert all my efforts for the cultural festival.
Naturally, at the end of the year, I’d be busy with all sorts of activities with the club members as well.
So, it means I’m likely to be busy throughout the year.
The fact that I didn’t find it bothersome at all suggests I’ve become accustomed to this lifestyle.
It feels almost regrettable that I’ll be in the third year next year.
The year has already flown by. If that’s the case, I need to make the most of the remaining time.
The club members arrived in small groups.
“Hello! You all got here early!”
“If you hadn’t slept in so much, we might have been the first here.”
“Come on, I arrived with plenty of time left, so I didn’t sleep in.”
Kaworu and Izumi chatted as they arrived.
We briefly exchanged greetings and caught up on what’s happened recently. The two of them seemed to be studying hard after all. It seems they want to go to a university in Tokyo or nearby, if possible.
As for their studies… I honestly still don’t know if they’re good or bad. I’m not sure how the national level stacks up against them yet.
But since the two of them could speak so confidently, they likely aren’t falling behind even on a national level. I figured out right away that I wouldn’t get into certain schools as soon as I entered high school.
Yeah, instead of studying all the time, it’s also a method to set aside time to relax and relieve stress intermittently. I’m not sure, but that’s a common thing said among those who got into Seoul National University.
“Hello!”
“Uh, did we arrive a little late?”
“…It’s because Harumi overslept.”
Mako and her group of three arrived together.
They actually arrived ten minutes before the meeting time, so they were not late in a strict sense.
“Good~!”
Kaworu turned to us with her hands on her hips.
“Looks like everyone’s here.”
“Shall we head out? The sooner we leave, the more time we save.”
Izumi glanced at her wristwatch and said, and Kaworu nodded vigorously.
“Okay. Let’s get going right away! Tsugumi, can you pass me your bag? I’ll carry it for you.”
“Ah, I’m fine! This is light enough.”
Tsuneda looked flustered as she dragged the biggest suitcase among us.
“I’ll pull it!”
Then Koko raised both arms high, looking at Kaworu.
“Oh, really? Well, as a junior, I should take care of you. Here you go!”
Kaworu confidently handed over the suitcase’s handle.
“Uh? Uh?”
Before Tsuneda could say anything, Koko took the handle from Kaworu.
In terms of height and build, Koko was almost identical to Tsuneda… In fact, objectively speaking, Koko was a little smaller and thinner.
Thus, Tsuneda was quite flustered watching Koko drag the suitcase. You could read on her face an expression of wonder if this was even allowed.
“Don’t worry too much.”
I casually told Tsuneda.
Kaworu knew full well what she was doing. She already knew Koko wasn’t an ordinary person.
“Uh? Is that so?”
“Yeah. She was really happy about having a junior.”
She was so happy that she even shared the food she received with Koko.
I was glad I wasn’t treated like a little sister. If that had happened, I would have felt various forms of guilt. Just like Tsuneda felt right now.
“Junior…”
Tsuneda still seemed unable to properly process the situation and was mumbling a little.
“Koko, Koko. Should I pull it for you?”
Harumi walked over to Koko and spoke to her.
“I’m fine! This isn’t heavy at all!”
And yet, she forgot her own bag in the process.
I chuckled at how ridiculous it was as I placed my hand on Koko’s suitcase, and Yuuki pulled it gently.
“…I’ll carry it.”
“Uh?”
However, Yuuki pulled it ahead without me having a chance to protest.
Dragging one in each hand does seem a bit… difficult, doesn’t it? Maybe he’s better balanced since he’s so much taller than me. It felt a bit frustrating.
Mako was watching the scene between Yuuki and me with a warm expression. If a potato saw that gaze, it would probably sprout blue shoots in five minutes.
“Senpai, let’s go.”
Shii spoke to Tsuneda, who was dazed.
“Uh, wait, wait a minute!”
Tsuneda hurriedly followed after Shii, who was already starting to walk ahead. Was she also trying to carry her bag, like Koko?
That was an adorably heartwarming scene.
As I started walking, Yuka came up beside me.
“Oh, right.”
Then, as we entered the train station, she suddenly spoke as if she had remembered something she had forgotten.
“Just in case, I brought some talismans. They say there’s a haunted house, so if you need it inside, feel free to use them.”
“…”
Didn’t you say you were done with exorcisms?
Well, if I have it, I would be grateful to borrow it.
…The main story is definitely over, right?
Remembering that we’re heading to an island made me a little uneasy.
At the same time, I felt excited. Honestly, it was hard to distinguish which of those two emotions was making my heart race.
Maybe it’s that I’m excited because I’m anxious.
With such thoughts, I walked at the back of our party alongside Yuka, my heart racing.
Starting off with such a big commotion, I really liked it.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.