Chapter 43 - Cla.s.s Trip

"Jun, I want to meet… I like you…"

Her voice pleasantly reverberated somewhere deep inside.
I know. This is a dream. Noticing that it is a dream within a dream is a common thing.
Location, myself, everything is vague.
Only the familiar blonde girl and my naked consciousness were in that s.p.a.ce.

"Why have you disappeared when I like you so much? Dummy…"

If I"m told such a thing, a pure feeling of happiness will gush forth.
However, what I felt right after was the feeling of guilt. What am I making her say inside my head? Can it possibly mean that I wish for it somewhere inside my heart? That I actually want her to want me in that way?

What do I… wish for myself?
Even though she won"t touch my body ever again.

"Come on, I"ll make you happy. Come to like me already…"

Within the dream, she puffed out her cheeks.
Only, it"s not that fake angry face she often makes while she says "Ghmm!". She is desperately appealing with wet eyes. As if she will start crying right now.

"Like this, I will start hating Jun, you know?"

… That alone, is unacceptable.
I will do anything. Embarra.s.sing things, it"s fine to say anything.
Also, I"m sorry I kissed you because of the mood the other day. Forgive the stupid me. I still can"t believe it. That I have really done that.

"It… It really is impossible. I can"t hate you… I"m sorry, Jun… I love you"

As if I can hate you.
As I wanted to put my arm around her shoulder, I reached out with my hand——

– Ha…!

I woke up on futon.
Early hours, it is still twilight.
It seems I have gotten completely used to waking up early. Quite a number of days has already pa.s.sed since I came to this rural area of tranquil beach. This will be the fifth day.

That is to say, more than two weeks has pa.s.sed since I last met with Tachibana. I feel like I"m about to go crazy. That I can feel so fl.u.s.tered just from her not being there.
… Feeling lonely, is it something like this?
Gentle warmth left where she was clinging is now replaced with a feeling of emptiness as if I"m falling to the bottom. Even though it was so hot yesterday that I couldn"t sleep, there was chilliness coming from inside of my body.

-Nn…

Komatsu-kun was sleeping on the futon beside me.
If someone I know has seen such a dumbfounded appearance  of myself, it is certain that I would die an agonizing death from embarra.s.sment.

… d.a.m.n, I have perhaps reached my limit. I might… want to meet.

What? Want to meet? Want to, meet?
And what would I do if we met? I have no face to meet her anyway.
Hmm, sounds like lame J-pop song which has it popularity go through a three-year cycle. I crashed into the futon with a sense of self-deprecation and looked up at the ceiling, but naturally, I found no comfort in that.

Probably, I"m not working enough.
Although I"m trying so hard, I still can"t get over it.
In any case, with nothing happening, only the time was slowly pa.s.sing. It is my first summer holiday when I"m covered with sweat and tiredness.

The room"s fusuma1 was opened.

– Oh, it seems you have gotten used to getting up early, Jun. Way to go, way to go!

Komatsu-kun"s older sister smiled as if in admiration.
While my chest is in such a chaos, I can only make a short greeting, but this person is smiling without a worry. Still, what has happened? I"m sure it is still not 6 o"clock in the morning and her usual hot pants figure is already here.

– Quickly make preparations. And also wake up that blanked out brother of mine

– Ye-, yeah…

– Well, let"s do it! … Today, there"s lots of work to do

She was in extremely good mood as she said that. To the point that she was humming.

– Hmmm. So excited, so excited♪ Good things do happen, riight

What? Excited about what?

Well… It has been several days since I came here, but today is strange.
To start with, morning and noon I was only cleaning guest rooms. So far I was only doing things like helping out in the kitchen or going for shopping.

There was no deceit when she said that there was lots of work to do, finishing one room after the other, me and Komatsu-kun were going around cleaning with masks put on. Altogether, there are 10 rooms, so it is quite a heavy labor. I don"t mind the labor itself. I feel like working right now anyway.
… Only, even though the family which checked-out yesterday were out of money by the end.
… Even though, private lodge business didn"t seem to flourish even at the best of times.
In that case, what am I made to do?
Despite the kitchen being so busy right now, why?

For this reason, at the time when sun started to go down after the midday.

– Seriously, what is happening? This room and the previous one were heavily covered in dust. As if there were no guests there for quite some time. Mn… what is it, Komatsu-kun?

I only intended to put my thoughts into words.
However, as I turned towards my companion Komatsu-kun, I believe that he opened his eyes wide for just a moment and fearfully looked away.

– Hi, hiii… I, I haven"t…

Suddenly my cla.s.smate turned towards the window.
This is obviously suspicious…
I have believed that we are certainly merely making preparations for a full sell of the rooms in this private lodge,  but in that case there should be nothing to hide from me.

As I made just one step towards Komatsu-kun, he made two steps back.
And as I was about to make the second step, he fell onto the floor with his b.u.t.t.

– It, it wasn"t me! Forgive me!

– I haven"t said anything yet…

– You"re my first ever friend, I wouldn"t betray you… But how should I put it, I am surprised as well, Nee-san let me know only yesterday…… Hoydou-san is

– Hyoudou, what? Could it be that you have spilled that I am here?

– Ugh…

It was silent for about a second.
Komatsu-kun"s expression was trembling and I felt as if that fear was infecting me too.

– Rei! Jun! Come do-o-own!

Ririksan shouted from the lower floor.
At that, my companion turned pale. But nothing can be done as she has called for us. Despite being bewildered, I nodded to suggest that we go together.
And then… My face twisted as I saw a familiar face.

– Oh, Ichijou-kun is here as well. He"s really here! Eeh, I thought it was a lie!

Iidzuka… From the football club… And yet, it was not the end of it.
He was not the only one coming through the entrance.

– Ichijou-kun, long time no see. So you"re still alive

Figure of one more football club member of our cla.s.s, Ogino, as well.
It seems condition of both of their hairdos is good.

– Shii… Hey, is it true you were rejected by Karen?

– Ha, haa!?

– … A rumor is going around the cla.s.s

This information could only be leaked by either me or Tachibana.
Just what the h.e.l.l is happening? I can only think of it as if the whole universe is set on bullying me. Too many event are happening at once. How am I supposed to deal with it?

Other came in succession…
Cla.s.smates, whose faces and names I tried hard to remember, pa.s.sed through the entrance.

– Hey, hey, everybody come in! A delicious dinner is ready!

– Komatsu-san, this is…

– Aren"t these obviously your cla.s.smates? Hasn"t Rei told you?

– I-, Ichijou-kun. I…

Oi, this can"t be… This is going really bad…

– Ah, Ichijou-kun, h.e.l.lo. Yayoi has told me, but you really are here

As Tenjuin-san made an adult-like sweet smile…
Mastermind behind the present case, smoothly entered the scene in a detached manner while yawning.

Always sprawled on top of the desk, an unmotivated gyaru.
Tachibana"s stylish friend who has a short bob with a touch of a gray.

Our seats were close during the school term, so we have talked a bit, but it doesn"t mean that I know her well. And yet, when she saw me, she sent a cold gaze at me as if displeased. Jiii~

– … Hey, useless guy

– Wh-, what…

– Aren"t you useless? A high school student with his smartphone turned off nowadays, that is unheard of

However, Hyoudou… gradually started grinning.
It seems like it is fun when I turn pale.

– Well, it doesn"t matter now♪ I was told Ichijou is here, so I thought a cla.s.s trip might be fun, you know. If Ichijou can partic.i.p.ate, isn"t it killing two birds with one stone?

– Oi! Who let it slip that I am here?

– Ah… Also, word has it… that Karen rejected you?

– Ha, haa?

– So sorry… It"s bad that you"re still having a heartbreak, but I brought her. Karen!

– Ye-, yeah…

Tachibana Karen. A flashy girl with blonde hair. Even with so many people around, she still stands out.
As she finally entered, a mix of boys and girls reaching about 20 people overall, completely filled the wide entrance.

But seeing that figure, I wonder what have I thought about?
Like it"s embarra.s.sing, or there"s a strange rumor going around the cla.s.s, or how I felt lonely.
At any rate, I have stolen that lips— no, were my lips stolen? At this point, I can"t even remember— She stood there. Looking worried and with a glum face.