Inside the campsite's restroom, Ryo stepped out of a stall and went to wash her hands.
Hitori was a step ahead of her, already drying her hands with tissues.
Ryo glanced at her with some concern, then shut off the tap and waved away the offered tissue, simply shaking her hands dry.
"Something on your mind, Bocchi-chan?"
As the two of them strolled leisurely back, Ryo suddenly asked.
Hitori blinked, then instinctively denied it.
"Nope. Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
"It's about Utaha and Eriri, isn't it?"
Ryo didn't look at her, just kept facing forward.
"They weren't part of the original plan for this trip, were they? I bet you had a lot of things planned—like getting lovey-dovey with the president and deepening your relationship."
"N-no! That's not it! I didn't think that at all!"
Hitori panicked, flailing her hands helplessly in the air.
"You're so easy to read, Bocchi-chan."
Ryo smiled.
"Ah… ugh…"
Hitori slumped in defeat, her head hanging low and her face turning bright red.
"Even though I've really had fun, I can't help but feel a little disappointed."
"Especially since today's the last day."
"Yeah…"
"There probably won't be another chance to go camping like this anytime soon."
"…"
Hitori's head drooped lower and lower.
Ryo turned her face toward her, then sighed softly.
"Hey, Bocchi-chan."
"Mm?"
"I've basically spelled it out for you, and you're still not going to ask me for help?"
"Eh… Ryo, what do you mean?"
A big question mark practically popped up over Hitori's small head.
Ryo raised her hand and let out a little "heh" as she lightly tapped her on the head.
"Didn't you say earlier that you felt the president was ignoring you? If you want a chance to get closer, I can help."
"H-help me? But how…"
"Well, I've got my ways. But you'll have to promise to report back to me with every little detail of how things go after your move."
"Eh?"
"Just think of it as satisfying my curiosity."
If she could really make her wish come true, then something like that—while a little embarrassing—wasn't too bad.
Still… has Ryo always been this nosy? She never used to seem so interested in others' private matters…
Hitori, a mix of confused and flustered, eventually nodded.
"Leave it to me."
The deal was struck, and Ryo smiled brightly.
…
Since camp meals were simple and didn't require much skill, everyone agreed to let Seika take charge of the cooking—especially since she seemed so enthusiastic.
While she didn't cook often, she wasn't completely clueless. She had basic knowledge, and with Chisato supervising, nothing could go too wrong.
Nijika and the rest of Kesshoku Band didn't go far; they were working together to build a snowman nearby.
Eriri was in her tent video chatting with her family, while Utaha lounged in a folding chair, reading a book she'd brought along.
Chisato patiently explained the proper way to use the portable gas stove and canisters to Seika.
Everyone was thoroughly enjoying the final day of their trip.
"Thanks. Nijika and the others haven't had this much fun in a long time."
Watching her sister from afar, Seika rinsed the rice quickly, then covered the pot and placed it over the flame to cook.
Chisato followed her gaze, then turned back to arrange the chopped vegetables neatly on a plate. They were planning to eat hot pot with rice.
"Just Nijika and the others?"
Seika glanced at Chisato's cheerful expression and sighed.
"I'm having fun too, I guess. Thanks for everything."
"'I guess'? If that's all, then I'll need to plan more events like this in the future. How do you feel about the ocean, Manager?"
"Well… if I had to choose between like and dislike, I suppose I'd say I like it."
"I like it too. Then, when summer comes, just the same group of us, let's find a time when everyone's free and go on a beach vacation."
"Better not. You've got your own things to deal with—you don't need to go out of your way for us. It'd probably be better to spend more time with them."
Seika glanced toward the distance where Eriri had just come out of the tent and was talking with Utaha, then lowered her head and clumsily resumed chopping the onion.
"When we're all acting together like this, you have to consider all sorts of things—how everyone feels, what might happen. Doesn't it get tiring to juggle all that?"
"Even if that's true, I don't really find it troublesome. How should I put it… I actually kind of enjoy it."
"Uwah… you freak, don't tell me you've got some kind of masochistic streak?"
Seika made a show of an exaggerated look of disgust.
Then she raised her knife-wielding hand to rub her eyes—she was clearly unaccustomed to the sting of chopping onions, not being much of a cook herself.
"As long as everyone's happy, that kind of trouble isn't a big deal."
Chisato took the chopped onion from Seika's cutting board and quickly sliced it up before neatly placing it aside.
He then reached out and gestured for the remaining onion.
"…"
Seika averted her gaze and, half a beat slow, handed it to him.
"I've got nothing to do right now—anything I can help with?"
Not far away, Eriri came over and casually draped an arm around Seika's shoulders, wordlessly inserting herself between the two of them.
With Eriri joining in, the preparations for lunch went smoothly from there.
After lunch, the group strolled around the campsite, had a short snowball fight, then rented sleds and took a few laps around the open field nearby.
Even though they hadn't done much, time flew by.
As the sun set, they lit the camping lanterns and began preparing dinner—outdoor barbecue.
They had pre-packaged slices of raw beef that just needed to be placed on the grill to cook.
Everyone gathered around the grill, chatting and laughing as they ate and sipped hot tea from their cups.
Before they knew it, it was past seven.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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