CH 28

Dinner time is over, and all that is left is to take a bath and go to bed.

The baths are rented out in the large baths at the glamping facility, and each class decides on a time to take a bath.

After slowly extracting the fatigue of the day’s overworked body in the warm water, I sleep in an uncomfortable sleeping bag.

Then I go home to greet tomorrow. This is the end of this one-night, two-day forest school.

“I thought, but what is this”

It is just before nine o’clock. The allotted time for us to take a bath has passed, and if anything, we’ve already bathed.

Then why? Why are we out?

“How should I know”

It was Asagiri who gave a reply that was not an answer.

Asagiri’s mouth was agape and I could see that he was in a somewhat foul mood.

There is nothing more troublesome than a beast in the hands.

“Who’s the troublesome? I can hear it in your voice.”

Oops.

I was in a hurry to keep my mouth shut.

We are alone now.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a meeting. This is not the kind of encounter that couples often have on school trips, where they are alone with each other in secret. This is definitely not like that.

After all, we are in the middle of the mountain. It’s a dark night, with a single flashlight in one hand, and there’s nothing elegant about it.

Yes, we are here to test our courage. After taking a bath, we were about to go to bed when our homeroom teacher, Kirihara-sensei, called for us.

She told us, the students of the fourth class, who had gathered around her in a tired manner, that we were here for a test of courage.

It’s a test of courage.

I had heard that every year there is a campfire, a test of courage, or some other such event.

However, it seems that there is usually an assembly and explanation before the bath, but there was none this time.

So I thought I was lucky that there was no such event.

“Let’s get this over with.”

“If that’s how you feel, then get on with it.”

The order comes from Asagiri, who has been paired by a lottery. I can’t help but feel that this is a bit intentional

Since there is only one flashlight for both of us, I am inevitably in front of her, holding the flashlight in my hand.

“You don’t have to take it any other way, do you?”

“What? You’re not scared, are you?”

“I’m not scared. I’m just worried that you tried to lead me down this dark road as if it was natural.”

“I’m not worried about some little thing. Are you still a man?”

“It’s an era of equality.”

“If we’re equal, who cares who goes first? You have it, so you go first!”

Aaah by the way, this…

“All right.”

“I see. Then don’t be scared and get on with it!”

“………… hey hey.”

Nothing is more unproductive than arguing with Asagiri. Deciding that arguing any longer would be too long, I tried to move on quickly, as I was told to do.

But——Pitann

“…”

I took a few steps and stopped.

“You better get going.”

“Yes yes.”

Asagiri urges me to take another step forward.

And again—Pitann

After a few steps, I stopped there.

“………… asagiri?”

“What?”

“Aren’t you a little close?”

“H-Huh?! What? Aren’t you self-conscious?”

“No, I don’t understand. That’s why I said it’s too close.”

“Nothing you know? I was just trying to be close to you to see if you were freaked out.”

“Oh, really? Thanks a lot. But it’s hard to move when you’re so attached to me, so I’d appreciate it if you’d move a little further away.”

“Wha!? I-I’m not clinging to you! T-This is fine, isn’t it?!”

Asagiri half-heartedly took a step backward from me.

We were not as far apart as I said. I also noticed that she was secretly grabbing the sleeve of my jersey.

“…… maybe, but are you scared?”

“…………”

Not scared (shudder).

I think it’s Asagiri who’s scared. How could she keep that attitude until a while ago? No, she was just being defensive because she was scared.

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of ghosts?”

“T-t-there’s no such thing as ghosts! What kind of nonsense are you talking about?　 you don’t believe in something so unrealistic, do you?”

“……I don’t”

I’m the one who can predict the future.

More importantly, I’ve learned enough to know that Asagiri believes in unrealistic things like ghosts.

…….I see there is some cute things in her

I was often annoyed by the way she always said harsh things in an orderly manner, but looking at her like this, I can see that she is a human being.

I can feel a slight vibration from her hand gripping my sleeve.

Considering what she always does, I wanted to give her a hard time, but she seemed to be really scared, so I decided not to. It couldn’t be helped.

“Well, I’m afraid of the dark, too, so let’s just get this over with.”

“I-I knew it. You’re scared of the dark. Let’s get out of here.”

“Hey hey”

I knew this guy was in good shape.

We then proceeded to our destination with a subtle sense of distance.

The destination is not that far away. There is a single mountain road near the glamping facility. If we continue down the road, we will find a Jizo-san (a Buddhist statue) at the end of the road.

It’s a perfect place to try out your luck every year.

It may seem like a bit of a punishment, but the staff at the facility smiled and said it was a nice atmosphere, so I guess it’s okay.

I would then return with a piece of nondescript paper that the teachers had set up at the Jizo-san.

That would be a certificate to show that we got there.

There is no need to get lost, as there is only one road. What is there to be scared of?

We continued straight ahead, relying on the light from our flashlights.

Asagiri had been silent since a while ago.

I was worried about her when she was so silent.

“Are you okay?”

“O-of course I’m okay. ……”

Even at a time like this, she has a difficult personality to be so forceful.

“Well, if that’s the case, don’t push yourself too hard.”

It would be no good for me if she were to pull my back out. I don’t want to whip this tired body anymore.

“I-I know. ……”

Her voice was so low that it was hard to hear her.

With this in mind, I saw several Jizo statues in front of me as I illuminated the front.

“Oh, isn’t that it?”

“Hiii!? Wait, what the hell is that?!”

“!!”

She screams in my ear every now and then, which makes my ears perk up.

Some are mute, some shout, and some are extreme. But it is true that there is a bit of an atmosphere when there are several of them in a row.

I proceeded to the Jizo-san without stopping to pay attention to Asagiri, who was freaking out.

I felt a stronger tug on my sleeve than before.

“I think this is it”

Near one of the enshrined Jizo statues, there was a small notepad labeled 4 sets. I moved the stone tablet on top of it and picked it up.

“I-If you got them, let’s go home.”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

＊＊＊

I felt something rustle and something moved behind a blade of grass.

“Kyaa——!!!”

It was Asagiri, half a step behind me, who responded.

Asagiri let out an ear-splitting scream, jumped up, and hugged me.

I couldn’t react because of the suddenness of the situation.

“Wait!?”

“N-no way…..nononono….no more”

She hugs me tightly, shivering in her pathetic appearance.

What I can feel is the nice scent of soap tickling my nostrils and the softness that is peculiar to women.

“Aaaaa, there! Oh, there it moves!”

Asagiri is shaking and pointing her finger at something. I somehow managed to turn my attention away from Asagiri and toward it.

Asagiri was so scared that I was afraid that something might come out of her, and I held my breath.

—nyaa

It was a cat.

“…….”

“…….”

Not only did I noticed it, but Asagiri noticed it at the same time.

“S-So it’s a cat”

Relieved, Asagiri once again checks her situation.

It was the moment when I realized that I was in a hug, with her arms and legs entwined around me, and that her face was only inches away from mine.

“~~~~!”

She turned red in the face as if she was about to explode with a bong, and then she moved away from me vigorously.

＊＊＊

“Come on …… what are you doing ……”

…… I’m seeing a hell of a future

Eh, what am I going to do with this?

Isn’t it too goofy that Asagiri, freaked out by the cat, hugs me and gets embarrassed?

But it is a feeling in the future that I remember clearly. It remains in my memory as if I had experienced it.

My face gets hot remembering it.

No, no, no, what am I thinking. If I know the future to come, why don’t I just avoid it?

But I didn’t know when it was going to happen, or the timing.

But if I knew the timing, what if I avoided it?

Asagiri may have made a spur-of-the-moment decision and reflexively hugged me nearby, but what if I wasn’t in the shameful place where I was?

Asagiri might strike out and fall down vigorously on the spot, injuring herself.

That’s not good, no matter how you think about it.

C-can’t I avoid it ……?

Knowing that, I have to accept Asagiri’s embrace?

Remembering the scent and breath of such morning mist, my face became hot all over again.