I was such a fool.
It was a problem that I could have easily figured out if I had just thought about it for a moment, but I was a fool who was simply happy that the immediate situation was resolved.
They say that regretting something is akin to it being too late.
That saying must be true.
But it’s already too late to turn back. It’s far too late.
Besides, even if I were to go back to the past, I would ultimately make the same choice again.
Because for me, there was only that one option.
Yet, I continue to regret and pray like a fool.
“Hehehe… Cute young lady, where are you from? Shall we spend some good time together, like sisters?”
“Eek…”
“Ugh, you really sound like an uncle…”
Please, spare me.
There’s no need to mention that Tateyama, Onodera, and Tokuhara, who were in the same group for the school trip, are without a doubt the top tier of our class cast.
And I, a communication-impaired nobody, have to spend three long days with them…?
Looks like my high school trip went horribly wrong.
“It’s my first time traveling abroad, you know. Maybe that’s why I’m super excited.”
“Two hours on a plane… It doesn’t feel that far when I put it that way, right?”
“Yeah, saying it’s just two hours makes it feel close.”
I guess the only saving grace is that I was sitting by the window.
From the window seat, it was me, Onodera, Tateyama, and Tokuhara in that order.
…But naturally, I thought Tateyama would be sitting next to me, yet it was Onodera sitting there instead.
Thinking back, that’s not fortunate at all.
“Hey. You know? I couldn’t sleep at all last night because I was too excited… I want to fall asleep in Kaya’s arms…”
“Aah… Well, um…”
But now I know.
Onodera does this because she wants to see me squirm with discomfort.
That doesn’t mean she has any ill intentions.
Last time I asked Tateyama, she said this is Onodera’s unique way of bridging the gap.
Such behavior is a sign that she wants to get closer to me.
So, Onodera must be a natural socialite.
No matter how much I wish to, that’s something I can’t reach…
“…”
About half an hour later, starting with Tateyama, Onodera and Tokuhara also closed their eyes.
Thanks to that, the previously bustling atmosphere around us quieted down quite a bit, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief.
Well, even if they are communication monsters on the top tier of the school cast, talking for two hours non-stop would be tiring and impossible.
…No, thinking about it, they could definitely manage that.
Maybe sleeping now is a way to save energy for later?
If that’s the case, how much more incredible of a communication ability are they planning to show after this nap?
Just imagining it terrifies me…
“Haah…”
“…Aren’t you going to sleep, Kaya? If you keep this up, you’ll get tired soon.”
“Huh?!”
As I was thinking that and looking out the window, Oonodera suddenly poked my cheek and spoke to me.
“Hey, weren’t you asleep…?”
“I had my eyes closed, but I couldn’t sleep, you know. What about you, Kaya?”
“I’m, um, okay.”
“Really.”
Sitting still and doing nothing is my specialty at killing time…
“Have you been to Korea before?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Did you go with your mother?”
“Yes. I, um, was so young that I don’t really remember…”
Onodera started whispering softly in my ear.
Since we agreed to keep my mixed heritage a secret, it seemed she was worried that someone might overhear us.
And it’s a secret that I couldn’t tell her that it came to me with multiple triggers.
“If you don’t remember, this must be your first real trip, right? You must be excited.”
“Haha…”
Sorry, thanks to my memories of my previous life, I’m not excited at all…
“And I’m curious about something…”
“Eek?!”
As she said that, Onodera suddenly leaned against my shoulder.
Startled, I shrank back, causing her to cover her mouth and laugh.
“Sorry, sorry. I know you don’t like this kind of thing, but your reaction is so cute that I can’t help it.”
“Haa…”
“What should I say? You’re the type I want to tease because your reactions are so adorable.”
…Is that so? So even Onodera was into teasing.
I wonder why. I must be the ultimate cute girl in the universe, yet people seem to enjoy bullying me.
I just can’t understand it…
★
“Yano! Kaya!”
“Eek?!”
“You have to wake up because we’re almost there.”
“…Ah, t-thank you.”
When on earth did I fall asleep?
As I slowly retraced my memories, the last thing I remembered was talking with Onodera.
Aha, I must have fainted from lacking communication stamina in front of the top-tier school cast predator like Onodera.
“Looks like Kaya is a sleepyhead. You said you were fine earlier.”
Onodera giggled, and I had no words to return.
…Could she have been watching me while I slept? That thought felt a bit embarrassing.
Thinking that, I looked outside and saw the dwindling cityscape.
Much larger buildings could now easily be covered by my pinky finger, and that surreal sight began to tickle my heart.
“I’m so excited, Kayacchi.”
With Tateyama’s question, I quietly nodded.
So there I was, standing on Korean soil for the first time in about a decade—effectively 17 years.
But maybe too much time had passed? Everything felt completely new to me.
“Haah…”
And February in Korea was freezing. My breath formed visible puffs of mist when I exhaled.
Of course, part of it was because I was naturally sensitive to the cold, but the other classmates were also complaining about the chill, so it wasn’t just my issue.
Anyway, according to the schedule, we would head to Yongsan for lunch before going to the National Museum of Korea.
Since the first day followed the schedule set by the school, there were naturally buses prepared for each class.
Sitting next to me on the bus was Tateyama, which brought a sense of relief.
It’s not that I dislike Onodera; it’s just that I feel more comfortable when Tateyama sits next to me.
“…”
As the bus departed, the view outside the window was just the ordinary city landscape I expected.
Of course, to nitpick, it wasn’t a familiar sight, but that was simply because I hadn’t been here in my previous life.
Excluding that fact, nothing I was currently seeing seemed all that special, and objectively there wasn’t much difference from the streets of Tokyo.
That earlier feeling of excitement was quickly evaporating…
“Wow…”
But Tateyama and my other classmates were gushing in awe as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Well, the fact that I can feel this way is likely because I have memories of being Korean.
If I’d lost those memories of my past life, I would surely find this scenery fascinating too.
…Thinking that made me feel a sense of loneliness.
★
After arriving at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan, the first thing we did was take a group photo by class.
In the group photo, my position was naturally on the right edge of the front row, third from the corner.
The very end stands out for various reasons.
The second spot from the edge is actually the perfect place for stealth tactics.
To be honest, a position in the back row would have been much better, but I didn’t even get the chance to choose that position due to my obvious height disadvantage…
“Kayacchi, come over here!”
“Eh?!”
As I was naturally employing my best stealth tactics from that spot, Tateyama instantly spotted me and tugged on my arm.
She pulled me to the center spot that only the top predators of the school caste could occupy for the group photo.
This spot draws a ridiculous amount of attention! I preferred the earlier spot!
I trembled, sending her glances filled with thoughts, but Tateyama smiled brightly as our eyes met and said,
“I’m so excited, Kayacchi!”
This was the same question she had asked before landing on the plane, but now my thoughts were nowhere close to what they were then.
But I had no courage to deny her.
“Y-yeah… H-hehe…”
In the end, I just managed to give Tateyama my best smile in response.
★
The advantage of group activities is that moving as a group makes it easy to not stand out, while the disadvantage is that it’s exhausting for someone like me.
In other words, the perk of group activities is their very nature, and the downfall is also that nature.
‘…What does that even mean?’
I thought I heard Koga’s voice saying that, but this is a fact recognized by the international social-awkwardness communication impairment association.
Of course, the members of this association can never tell anyone.
Because knowing the secrets of a beautiful girl can bring harm.
Anyway, after the day’s schedule ended, I immediately threw myself onto the bed in the accommodation we arrived at.
“Uwaah…”
The physical fatigue from walking around all day and the mental exhaustion from group activities made me desperately want to sleep right then and there.
However, there was one last hurdle left for me: the accommodation had a public bath.
“Kaya! Let’s all go take a bath together!”
Naturally, Onodera insisted I join her for a bath.
But couldn’t I just refuse and use the private bathroom in our room?
I’ve said it countless times, but if I could refuse something like this, I wouldn’t be struggling with social appliances!
Thus, I ended up heading toward the public bath with Tateyama, Onodera, and Tokuhara, according to the school’s designated timings.
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