After a short while, the group got out of the van.
Perhaps for the sake of convenience, the manager of Moriya had arranged their lodging close to the LiveHouse. The inn not only offered excellent living conditions, but from its windows they could also gaze out at the scenery of Lake Suwa.
The inn's wooden floors were paired with geta-style slippers made from bamboo or wood. The courtyard paths were paved with stone, and just a little farther ahead one could see bamboo water spouts and a grove of bamboo, sights rarely encountered in everyday life. The entire Japanese-style inn radiated a rustic charm.
"Is… is this really the place we're staying?"
Kita Ikuyo's mouth hung open in astonishment as she looked around. Ever since she stepped out of the van, her attention had been completely captured by the inn. They hadn't even seen the rooms yet, and already the courtyard alone had left them stunned.
After all, their band wasn't that famous.
In Shimokitazawa, "Kessoku Band" had indeed made a name for itself, but outside of that area their reach was far more limited, let alone here in Nagano Prefecture, a considerable distance from Tokyo.
The fact that the manager was willing to invite them for a performance was already something to be grateful for, but to go as far as arranging such accommodations?
"Haru, d-do you, by any chance, have some kind of family connection with Manager Moriya?"
Nijika leaned close to Haru as she asked, which made Hitori glance over as well. Seeing the girls with such curious, probing looks, Haru could only sigh helplessly.
"Honestly, stop letting your imagination run wild."
"The drinks and snacks for the performance, the CD sales and merchandise, a lot of that is being handled by Moriya. Naturally, they're making money from this too. Instead of worrying about things like that, why don't you focus on putting your luggage away first?"
Why did it feel like he was babysitting? Where did this strange sense of fatigue come from?
"Haru."
After a moment of silence, Ryo tilted her head from beside his shoulder, her quiet voice making Haru raise a brow.
"Ryo-san, do you have a question?"
"At night, how do we sleep?"
"How many rooms did the LiveHouse prepare for our band?"
That seemingly casual question made Kita Ikuyo jolt. She and Hitori turned their heads at the same time, their eyes meeting, both of their cheeks tinged pink.
"They only booked one room for the band."
"…!"
The explanation left all of them frozen. Nijika, peeking out from behind Ryo, widened her crimson eyes in surprise. Kita's face flushed with excitement, almost unable to contain herself, while even Bocchi grew visibly tense.
One room?!
That would mean Haru sleeping right next to them!
But Haru had clearly predicted their reaction. Shaking his finger lightly, a faint smile on his lips, he continued calmly.
"Don't worry. I already booked another room in advance."
"At first I was going to get a single room at a different inn, but considering that would be inconvenient in a lot of ways, I just reserved one right next door to yours here."
Even though he and Kita were in a relationship, Haru naturally had to maintain proper boundaries. Not to mention, with Nijika's 'mother' and the "grazing hermit" around for the training camp, this was the only reasonable arrangement.
"Eh…"
The excitement on Kita's face faded almost visibly into disappointment.
Ryo, though silent as ever, showed a hint of dissatisfaction that Nijika easily picked up on. The feelings of the two were practically written across their foreheads.
Still, Nijika couldn't ignore something else.
"Wait… Haru booked a room right next to ours?! The lodging fees here must be expensive! And we're staying three days! We can't just let you waste that much on our training camp. That money should definitely come from the band's budget!"
"No, that's not really nec—"
Haru was about to refuse, but Nijika suddenly stepped forward.
"Absolutely not! We can't let you pay for it yourself!"
Usually so gentle and considerate, Nijika now showed a rare stubbornness. Pressing her lips together, her crimson eyes locked on Haru's face, as if declaring that unless he agreed, she wouldn't let it go.
Since Haru had handled all the performance negotiations and other arrangements, all they had done was enjoy the fruits of his work. And now he was even paying for his own room? How could she possibly accept that?
If Nijika wouldn't accept it, the others naturally wouldn't either.
Even the timid Bocchi frowned slightly, speaking up in a small, stammering voice despite shrinking her shoulders. "I… I think Nijika-senpai is right. No matter what, Haru-san shouldn't be the one paying."
The same Nijika who had once been so easily undermined now held the power to rally everyone with a single word.
"Haru, cancel the reservation and we'll forgive you."
"I agree! Ryo-senpai is absolutely right!"
Wait, wasn't there something strange mixed into those arguments?
Ryo and Kita both seemed unusually invested, while Haru, hand on his hip, rolled his eyes. He chose not to comment on Ryo's and Kita's "objections," but in the end, he couldn't overturn their stubborn insistence.
After a long silence, he could only sigh in defeat.
"Alright, alright. We'll do it Nijika's way."
Though money was no longer a problem for him, Haru understood Nijika's reasoning. They didn't want to feel indebted to him, they wanted to keep things on equal footing and interact with him naturally.
He knew that well enough, so of course he couldn't insist on paying himself.
"…Whew."
Nijika let out a long breath of relief, lowering her eyes slightly, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Had her "forceful" attitude just now been too much? Would Haru think badly of her because of it?
But Haru seemed to catch that flicker of unease, and the thought left him both amused and exasperated.
He gave her a small wink and whispered, "Thanks, Nijika."
Before she could react, he bent down and picked up the luggage resting on the floor.
"Anyway, let's go put our things away first."
At that moment, a spark of calculation flickered in Ryo's eyes. Pulling out her eyedrops, she quickly dabbed some in her eyes, then lifted her face to reveal an expression of forced grievance as she spoke.
"Since we have two rooms now, we don't all have to squeeze together. As a senior, I should think of my juniors… I'll sacrifice myself and share a room with Haru."
The other three girls gave her a look of utter disbelief.
Right now, Ryo was at a level that could leave Nagasaki Soyo stunned, make Kita Ikuyo feel ashamed, and even earn the admiration of Shiina Taki. Every scheming girl in existence would bow in respect.
Haru narrowed his black eyes, his expression steady as he replied in a flat voice,
"Go to the room next door like a good girl."
…
After setting down their backpacks and suitcases in the corner, Kita, in her lace-trimmed white socks, stepped onto the soft tatami. Her eyes sparkled as she glanced around the room, unable to resist turning to look at the wooden wall on the right.
"I was worried that putting down futons for four people at night might make the room feel a bit cramped… but I didn't expect the room to be this big. Even if six or seven people slept here, it would still be fine, right?"
"But this is our band's first time doing an overnight training camp together. Should we have a pajama party tonight or something?"
"As girls, I really want to talk about love and romance and all that~"
Brimming with excitement, Ikuyo shone like a little sun. Her radiant, sweet smile spread the so-called Kita Energy that could wipe out bacteria, filling every corner of the spacious room in an instant.
Cowering in the farthest corner, Hitori wore a look of sheer terror. Bathed in the blinding light, she instinctively raised her hands to shield her face, but her body betrayed her, burning up uncontrollably.
Having spent so long hidden away in a closet, she now looked like mold withering under the sun.
"Ikuyo, did you forget?"
Ryo's cool, serene voice drifted into the air. That unhurried "reminder" snapped Ikuyo back to reality, and only then did she recall the most important plan of this training camp.
"I'm terribly sorry, Supreme Leader Ryo! I actually forgot the most important thing."
Kita immediately straightened her posture and sat with solemn reverence, her eyes full of conviction.
"We must prepare for tonight's plan in advance."
Watching the two of them acting out their little play so seriously, Nijika set down her bag and let out an awkward little smile. She lifted a finger to scratch her cheek as if trying to calm herself back to her usual composure.
Ryo seemed to pick up on her feelings and slowly turned her head to ask softly, "Nijika, you remember too, don't you?"
"Eh!? R-remember… of course I remember! It's just that right now I'm still a little…"
Though she was just sitting properly on the tatami, Nijika couldn't hide the nervousness and unease that had plagued her ever since they stepped into the inn. As time passed, her anxious, tangled thoughts only grew heavier.
Even a girl like Nijika couldn't help but worry about confessing her feelings.
Could she really say those words out loud?
And if she did, how would Haru respond?
Just imagining it made her unbearably nervous. She could feel her breathing quicken and her heart race, blood surging hot through her veins until her thoughts turned chaotic.
"..."
Ryo quietly observed Nijika with her calm, unruffled gaze. As a longtime friend, she could easily sense Nijika's nerves. But the only thing she could do was give her a push from behind.
If Nijika faltered at the last moment tonight, Ryo might force her to go through with it, but in the end, it was something Nijika had to do herself.
"But speaking of this 'plan,' how exactly are we supposed to carry it out?"
"This time, the most important part is Nijika-senpai's and Ryo-senpai's confession, right?"
Kita tilted her head curiously as she asked. After all, before they came here, they had only talked about things in broad strokes. The details were always meant to be worked out once they arrived.
"I'm fine. I already confessed to Haru before."
Ryo shook her head as if it was nothing worth mentioning.
Even though there was still a thin veil between her and Haru, both of them understood each other's feelings perfectly well. Long ago, she had confessed to him, even earlier than anyone else.
But back then, her confession had gone nowhere.
At the time, Haru had earnestly asked her to accept his ridiculous dream of a harem. Yet Ryo, who only wanted to have his feelings all to herself, couldn't accept it. So that confession had fizzled out without an answer.
Now she had given up on monopolizing him, but neither of them had truly broken through that delicate, paper-thin barrier.
"Eh?"
Nijika nervously pinched the hem of her skirt. So now the spotlight was completely on her?
If Ryo were confessing alongside her, as her dearest friend, maybe it would ease her nerves. But with just herself left, it was impossible not to be anxious.
"I see. So the important part now is Nijika-senpai…"
"But Ryo-senpai, do you have a good plan?"
At Kita's question, Ryo nodded thoughtfully.
"Since it's a confession, it needs to have some impact. Later, we should walk around the inn and see if there's a good spot…"
Her words trailed off as she froze, suddenly raising her brows.
Usually so frivolous, Ryo now wore a faint frown. Her alluring, cool expression grew serious as she lowered her gaze and started to think deeply, which in turn made Bocchi tense up beside her.
"R-Ryo-senpai?"
"I just remembered, this inn is famous for its hot springs. When I checked the rooms earlier… I noticed that each room has its own private bath. That means we don't need to worry about anything complicated."
Yes, she had been overthinking it.
When she confessed to Haru before, all it had taken was pushing him against the wall and stealing a kiss. That alone had already secured half the victory. And now, with the natural advantage of a hot spring, there was really nothing to worry about.
"Nijika, mixed bath."
"E-eh… eeeeeh?!"
Nijika's eyes went wide as she stared at Ryo in shock. She had never imagined Ryo would suggest such a plan. Her pale, lovely face instantly flushed scarlet, and all she could do was let out broken, stammering whimpers.
Not just Nijika, but Kita and Bocchi also blushed bright red as they realized what Ryo was proposing.
"M-mixed bath?"
"That's right."
A trace of smugness flashed across Ryo's face, as if victory were already hers.
"Haru would definitely take full advantage of the private bath in his room. All you need to do is sneak in at that moment, surprise him by offering to wash his back, and your confession will succeed two hundred percent."
"Haru wouldn't be able to handle it."
If it were Ryo doing this, maybe Haru could just barely keep his cool. But if the one appearing in such a situation was shy, flustered Nijika, his already fragile composure would surely explode on the spot.
In Ryo's eyes, this plan was absolutely flawless.
"N-no no no no… impossible! That would be way too embarrassing. There's no way I could ever do something like that…"
Nijika covered her flushed face with both hands and shook her head wildly. Her silky golden side ponytail whipped through the air with her movements, drawing out bright arcs, while her downcast red eyes spun dizzily in circles from overwhelming shyness.
That—that kind of scene was too much for her to even imagine!
It was far too bold, there was no way she could possibly do something like that.
"Heh heh~ precisely because, in Haru's eyes, Nijika, you're the kind of girl who would never dare to do such a thing, the impact of this plan would multiply several times over. It's the ultimate secret weapon, absolutely flawless."
Ryo Yamada lifted her chin proudly, impressed with herself for coming up with such an unbeatable plan.
"A-as expected of Ryo-senpai!"
"It might be a little embarrassing, but honestly, it sounds like a really good idea!"
Ikuyo's eyes sparkled as she clapped enthusiastically for Ryo. Her reaction left Nijika wide-eyed in disbelief. She shook her head lightly, the tips of her ears glowing red beneath her golden hair.
"T-there's no way I could ever do something like that!"
"Bocchi, you think this plan is impossible too, right?"
Nijika turned a desperate gaze toward Hitori, her last hope. Always wrapped in her pink tracksuit no matter the season, Bocchi froze for a moment, her cheeks faintly flushed as a memory crept back into her mind...
Back when she had "confessed," hadn't she relied on seduction too…?
"A-actually… I think, maybe it could work?"
"Oh! That's our Bocchi."
The moment Bocchi sided with Ryo, Nijika's pupils trembled in shock. Even without seeing her own reflection, she knew her face must be blazing red like a furnace. She could feel heat surging to her head as if it might burst into flames at any second.
Wh-what should she do?
How on earth was she supposed to confess now?