When I called the campground, I told them we would stay at the lodge.
If it was like normal, I would have to make a reservation a day in advance.
However, this was an emergency. I thought they would show a bit of compa.s.sion.

「Okutani-kun, should we buy any necessities?」

After our lodging was decided, Kurusu seemed to be having fun.

「I only brought clothes to change into after a bath but I should manage somehow」
「Same here」

Since one of the things we would do would be to take a bath, we both brought a change of clothes.
However, it"s fine to say we didn"t bring much more than this.
I brought along a lighter I bought for this occasion.
But, the need for it did not arise.

We both entered the pharmacy.
We couldn"t expect the lodge to have needed amenities.
We put toothbrushes and face wash in the basket.
Kurusu needed a case and liquid for her contacts.
We also got 2 things of face tissues and pocket tissues as well as two umbrellas.

「Ah, do we need this too…?」

Kurusu grabbed a case from the shelf.
And then looking at me holding the basket, she smiled seeming embarra.s.sed.
The thing in Kurusu"s hand was a box of condoms.
I ended up flapping my mouth open and close like a carp looking for bait.

「I"m joking」

Kurusu returns the box to the shelf.

「This is too much for you, huh」
「Ah, etto…」

I thought I needed to say something but my mouth failed me.

「It"s fine! I have some」
「Eh?」

Silence dominates us.
The shrill high-pitched theme song from the pharmacy flowed through my ears.
The fluorescent lights were s.h.i.+ning too bright and the beautiful high school girl before my eyes had a red face.
Looking at the fl.u.s.tered Kurusu, I ended up getting fl.u.s.tered.

「Ah, etto…wh-when I got into high school, all the guys were carrying them…」
「H-hee…」
「I mean, it"s not like it"s all we want to do…Ah, but it"s not like we don"t want to do it…That"s right! It"s like a charm, that"s why we put it in my wallet!」

When I talk, I just sound like an idiot.

「Since I"m, you know, b-bigger than most people…I need to carry something that is the proper size…so, it"s fine…」

Saying up to there, Kurusu burst into laughter.
*Puu*, she laughed so loudly like a dam burst.

「Hahahahahahah. It"s fine, I got it. You don"t need to get so desperate」
「I-I"m not getting desperate!」

No, I might have a bit.
Kurusu nodded her head multiple times like she was satisfied with something.

「Yosh, Yosh. Then, shall we go?」

After finis.h.i.+ng the bill, we opened up the umbrellas and head towards the roundabout.
We get on the lone taxi there and inform the driver of the address.

「You"re going camping in this rain?」

The sociable driver properly tries to start a conversation with Kurusu.
The car took off.

Kurusu and I were sitting in the backseat and our hands were touching.
Our skin that had gotten wet from the rain intertwined.
Kurusu continued talking to the driver behaving like she didn"t notice.
This time, I pinch and rub her finger with my thumb and index finger.
Kurusu moves her hand like it is ticklish. And then she tightly gripped my finger.
It was like her way of silently saying stop.
Kurusu slightly moves her finger and lightly scratches my palm.
It seems to be her meagre revenge.
However, it was ticklish and felt good.
I look at Kurusu, who was talking to the driver, and got a strange sense of fulfillment.

The taxi arrived at the destination.
After paying the fair, we both enter the campgrounds.
The river flows nearby. As I thought, the water is rising.
It made a deafening roar as it flowed.
Naturally, there wasn"t anybody in tents nearby.
There was a big building standing slightly separated that seems to be a hot springs inst.i.tution.
There were plenty of cars parked in a parking lot in front of it.

There seemed to be a management building immediately near where the taxi dropped us off.
It seemed to be the start of the lodge with a few building behind it.
They weren"t as well lit as the lodge.

「We called ahead but is it fine?」

Kurusu and I entered the management office.
The aging receptionist raised his face languidly.

「Ah, Okutani-san」
「Yes…」

It was a different voice from the one who answered the phone.
Perhaps the headquarters are in a different location.

「Come here. Please fill in the necessary information here. You will be staying one night, correct?」
「Yes」

I filled out the paper pa.s.sed over to me with my name, age, and address.

「You are both minors?」
「Y-yeah…」

The old person let out a long breath seeming troubled.
He told us in a tone like he was reading a manual.

「In the event that the lodgers are under age, you need permission from a guardian. Please write your parents contact info here.」

That is how it is.
We are both 16.

「Will you call both your parents?」
「That"s right」

I turned to look at Kurusu.
After thinking about it for a bit, Kurusu nodded.

「I think my house is fine. At least if I explain the circ.u.mstances」
「Is that so? Mine is fine too」

To put it nicely, my family tried not to interfere with each other.
To put it bluntly, we were indifferent.1

「Then, please call them and tell me their response in about 5 minutes」

Saying that unsociably, the elderly person was no longer on the opposite side of the part.i.tion.
We called both of our parents on a cell phone.

「Yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Understood, yes, yes, yes」2

I barely even spoke with my parents.
But, there were no problems.

「How was it?」

It seems Kurusu is also done with her call.
After smiling a bit, Kurusu replied.

「They told me to properly use contraception」3

After waiting a bit, the elderly person came back to the opposite side of the part.i.tion.

「Since I have confirmation, here…your room is 940. Please take a look at this map. Since the rain is bad, we won"t be lending out the camping equipment. Also the hot springs is open till 10 tonight」

The deposit we paid was not cheap but we received the key.
The money I had brought along had almost gotten all used up.

Leaving the management office, we open up our umbrellas.
We more or less walk towards the lodge on a paved road.

This may not even be remotely close. It"s a complete guess from me ↩ It is not uncommon for j.a.panese people to constantly affirm the other person in the middle of them speaking. It is very disorienting. ↩ d.a.m.n these are some chill parents ↩