—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Nekorune
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Have a safe trip, both of you.”
Friday, the day of departure for the training camp, after all classes had ended.
Miyuki came to the kendo club to see Tetsuya off. It pained me to think of her going home alone with that heavy bag of hers. So I should give her a ride, right?
“I’ll be back. Be careful going home. Call me if anything happens.”
Tetsuya said goodbye with his usual goofy smile. He brightened when Miyuki waved cheerfully, then said he had a lot to prepare with Renka’s help and entered the clubroom.
I waited until he was out of sight, then said,
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? Where?”
“To your house. I’ll drive you and then come back.”
“What…? You don’t have to. I can take the train.”
Miyuki waved her hands dismissively. I grabbed her wrist and headed towards the parking lot.
“Matsuda-kun…! I’m really okay…? What are you doing, making everyone wait while you do this?”
“They have a lot to prepare anyway, it’ll take a while.”
“Then you should at least help Nanase-senpai…! You’re both managers.”
“We finished everything yesterday.”
“…Were you always this organized?”
She spoke as if she was exasperated, but her face clearly showed she was happy. Chuckling at her, I slowed my pace.
“What are you going to do this weekend?”
“Hmm… I was thinking of meeting up with some friends. I haven’t seen them in a while because I’ve been spending so much time with you…”
“Don’t stay out late just because you’re excited to see them after a while. Get home early, okay?”
“But… I only stay out late when I’m with you…”
“…Okay?”
“O, okay… I’ll get home early…”
Satisfied with her shy reply, I nodded and, upon reaching the parking lot, got in the car with Miyuki.
Was she really happy that I was taking care of her? As soon as she put her bag down, Miyuki took my hand and interlaced her fingers with mine.
“How am I supposed to drive like this?”
“You’ve always managed just fine…”
“That’s true. Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Back at the kendo club, I saw Chinami checking the supplies in the bus’s luggage compartment. She looked like a squirrel, moving around in the lower compartment.
Crouching down in front of the compartment, I asked,
“What are you doing? We finished checking the supplies yesterday.”
“Oh, it’s you, Matsuda-kouhai. I was just double-checking, just in case.”
“You’re very thorough, aren’t you? But where’s the captain, and why are you doing this alone?”
“Renka is finalizing the training schedule with the coach. The coach’s opinion of having intense training under his supervision clashes sharply with Renka’s opinion of having a lot of free training time.”
The way she put it made it sound like a negotiation between countries.
“Personally, I’d side with the captain. I want to train with you, Master.”
“Ah…! Me too.”
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
“No, I just finished checking. The equipment, the supplies, everything’s good to go.”
I reached out my hand to Chinami as she was trying to get out, and she flinched, then took my hand and emerged. She stretched, straightening her bent back. I lightly patted her back.
“Good work.”
“Ah! Ah…!”
She let out strange moans, flinching every time my hand touched her. She was like a cute happy puppy who likes to be patted on the butt. After gently wrapping my hand around Chinami’s shoulder and giving it a light massage, I asked,
“Can we get on the bus now?”
Chinami, looking slightly disappointed, nodded.
“Yes… You go ahead, Kouhai. I need to go see the coach and Renka.”
“Alright. You’ll sit next to me, right?”
“Huh…?”
Chinami’s eyes widened. I tilted my head at her reaction and said as if it were obvious,
“We should sit together. I bought jelly to eat with you, Master.”
“Hmm hmm… I’d like that.”
“Were you planning to sit separately? I would have been really disappointed…”
At my words, Chinami put her hands on her hips and scolded me.
“Hey…! I brought peaches to eat with you, Kouhai, so I’d be the disappointed one if you misunderstood like that…! I was just surprised because you said it so suddenly…!”
“Is that so?”
“That’s right. Now get on. I’ll be there soon.”
“Alright.”
I watched Chinami walk back to the clubroom, then boarded the bus.
The chartered bus had 50 seats. It was quite large for just over thirty club members.
Was Tetsuya not on yet? I bet he was hovering around Renka.
I grabbed a bottle of water from the front seat, chatted briefly with some members who invited me to sit next to them, then sat in a seat in front of the empty back row.
“Hi, Matsuda-kun.”
Two second-year female members, who were sitting right in front of me, greeted me. It reminded me of those adult videos where guys sneak around in a dark bus at night and have fun with girls.
I grinned and nodded briefly.
“Hello. Do you have any snacks?”
“We have matcha-flavored Pocky, do you want some? We also have banana bread.”
“Want to trade Pocky for jelly?”
“We have jelly too.”
“Then why didn’t you mention it?”
“Because we don’t want to give it to you.”
“Aw come on, give me some.”
As I reached my hand between the seatbacks, they giggled and placed a jelly in my palm. They talked to me rudely, but they still liked me. This was why looks were important. The recent rumors about me must have played a part too. If this were the old me, they wouldn’t even bother talking to me.
Should I aim to sleep in the girls’ dorm at next year’s training camp?
As I indulged in such fantasies and chatted with the female members, Chinami boarded the bus, and I raised my hand.
“Master, over here.”
Spotting me, she hurried over, then hesitated. She seemed a bit embarrassed to squeeze past me since I was sitting on the aisle side.
“Um… Kouhai…. Should I sit on the aisle side?”
“No.”
I said firmly, and as I moved my legs under the armrest, Chinami, relieved, carefully squeezed past me, avoiding contact. Then, she took a rectangular pack out of the plastic bag she was carrying. Inside the translucent pack were neatly sliced peaches.
Opening the lid, she said,
“I brought Madoka peaches today, the most delicious kind.”
“The scent is quite strong, isn’t it?”
“Mm-hmm…! You have a keen nose. That’s one of the characteristics of the Madoka variety.”
“Peaches are almost out of season, aren’t they? You managed to find some.”
“This kind stores well, so we can control the shipping time. I’ll have to freeze some for the winter soon, but they’re still available now, so it’s okay.”
Freeze them? Did she have a dedicated peach freezer at home? Chinami’s love for peaches was truly remarkable. It was a bit scary.
“I see…”
“Eat them before they lose their color,” Chinami said, popping a peach into her mouth. I chuckled at the sight of her chewing with her plump cheeks and replied,
“Okay.”
As Chinami and I were enjoying the peaches, the rest of the members boarded the bus and filled the seats. Renka, seeing me sitting with Chinami, twitched her eyebrows and sat in the window seat across from us. And Tetsuya took the empty seat next to her.
That damn bastard… Look at him sitting down so naturally. It was a disgusting sight.
I joked to him, as he greeted me with a nod, in a voice low enough for Renka not to hear,
“Lucky you.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re being weird… By the way, what’s wrong with your neck?”
“My neck?”
“It’s a bit red.”
Oh, this? This is a mark Miyuki left on me in the car while you were shamelessly wagging your tail at Renka.
“Really? Is it bad?”
“Not really.”
“Then it’s fine.”
“You really are nonchalant. How can you be like that?”
Says the pot to the kettle.
I chuckled in response and quietly asked Chinami, who was munching on a peach,
“How did the negotiations end?”
“Huh? Oh… We compromised. On the first day, we’ll unpack and eat as soon as we arrive. After that, we’ll have group training, but it won’t be too intense.”
“What about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow’s training will be a bit tough until lunchtime, but after that, it’s free time. We can do free training, play in the valley near the lodge, or watch a movie in the screening room. There’s also a nice walking trail nearby.”
“The lodge has a screening room?”
“It’s a pension-style lodge. It’s often used for training camps and retreats, so it’s well-equipped.”
If it was well-equipped, there must be some hidden spots, right? Like a place for a private massage… It would be nice if there were rooms with open-air baths, but that was probably too much to ask for.
“I see. Understood.”
“It’s a little disappointing that the training intensity is lower than last year’s training camp, but I think it’ll be okay if I supplement it during free training time.”
Judging by what she said, she seemed to be planning to train me under the pretense of improving my skills. I should take it easy on the training and focus on getting closer to Renka for the event.
“Everyone, quiet. We’re starting the roll call.”
At Goro’s words, who had gotten on the bus at some point, the noisy bus quieted down.
We were finally going. This training camp would be the most important turning point in my strategy for Renka, so I should aim to get the most out of it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Thanks Neko!