Naha Airport!
"So hot!"
"Ah~ this place is totally filled with tropical vibes!"
"Coconuts! Wow, actual coconuts!"
As soon as she got off the plane, Aina was practically going wild, glancing around like someone who had never seen the world before.
Unable to watch any longer, Chisa cautiously reminded her that a lot of people were watching them.
"Ahaha, sorry, I just got a little too excited."
Aina scratched the back of her head apologetically… though she suspected those people weren't actually looking at her. Her gaze shifted to the beasts behind her...
"To celebrate our safe arrival in Okinawa!"
"And our fateful encounter with the local beer!"
"Cheers!!!" ×n
Thanks to a moment of carelessness, the beasts had already begun their party. The speed at which they stripped and started buying beer left the people around them speechless.
Some locals even started taking pictures—if nothing else, this was sure to be a highlight on the evening news.
"Let's just pretend we don't know those people..."
Chisa silently turned her head away. Great, this group trip just turned into a two-person vacation.
…
Gulp gulp
"So, what's the plan next?"
After finishing a bottle of beer, Shiro was brimming with excitement. Of course the first thing to do after getting off a plane was to try the local beer!
So refreshing!
"Are we going straight into training?"
"Or should we start with a welcome party?"
Iori and Kohei were just as hyped.
The group had split into two teams—on their side, it was the two senior senpais, plus Azusa and Nanaka, leading them to get their diving licenses. Only after that could they go diving in Miyako Island!
"Nope, first we'll spend the night here! The manager arranged a villa for us!"
"It's a bit of a drive from here, so let's take the rental car!"
The two senpais explained that since they'd come all this way, they might as well enjoy themselves first.
"A villa?!!" ×n
Everyone's eyes lit up at that word. As ordinary folks, they rarely got to see a villa—something only the rich could afford!
The manager's amazing, no wonder even Mizuki Kaya visits his diving shop. He's got real connections!
Gulp gulp
Shiro chugged down another bottle. He couldn't wait to see that villa!
How to get there?
Drive?
Drive…
(???)
He looked at the car in front of him… then at the now-empty beer bottle in his hand…
At that moment, he felt a strange calm wash over him. If he remembered correctly, the ones who just drank beer were…
Himself, the four-beast squad, Azusa-nee, and Nanaka-nee…
That means… the whole team is out of commission!!!
Just then, the others began to realize it too.
"What are we gonna do?!"
"Ah… I didn't even notice I was drinking."
"You mean buying that beer was totally subconscious?!"
"Yeah, it just sorta happened, you know?"
The two senpais had totally innocent expressions. Weren't they the ones who were enjoying it the most just now?
"Can't we just have another senpai come drive for us?"
Shiro sat hopelessly on top of his suitcase. He didn't want to walk to the villa in this blazing summer heat.
"Oh, the others are meeting us in Miyako Island three days from now."
Three days…
X﹏X
"Hahahaha, it's fine, it's fine! Chisa-chan has a license~"
Azusa smiled.
Don't forget, there were still two people in their group who hadn't drunk any alcohol.
Hearing that, Shiro and the others breathed a sigh of relief. If Chisa had a license, they could just rent a bigger car and it'd be fine.
"Maybe Aina-chan has one too~"
"No! I don't think she does!"
"She seems way too clumsy."
"Think about it—even if she does have a license, she's the type who'd confuse the gas and brake pedals. Who would trust her to drive?!"
The three of them didn't hesitate to shoot the idea down. The idea of the corpse-makeup beast driving was terrifying!
(*?????)
Aina looked like she was about to cry.
These jerks were too much! She and Kotegawa were both normal people, weren't they? Why the double standard?
"By the way, what kind of car can fit nine people?"
"No idea."
"Maybe a foreign one?"
With the license issue settled, the group made their way to the rental station.
…
"Alright! This is your car!"
Ta-da!
A tiny car was now bearing a weight it was never meant to handle. Not only were seven people crammed inside, two beast senpai had taken over the roof.
The atmosphere was grim—
"What's wrong, guys?"
The shop owner noticed something was off and asked curiously.
"You seriously have to ask?!"
"How are we all supposed to fit in this thing?!"
"Hold up, how did you even cram five people into a backseat meant for three?!"
Shiro was having mixed feelings.
His head was buried in Azusa's softness—if he ignored the fact that he couldn't breathe, it was actually kind of nice…
Damn it! Why couldn't he hold his breath longer?!
"Uh… Bukki, did you maybe book the wrong vehicle?"
Azusa's expression was awkward. It was way too cramped. And why was Shiro's face turning purple?
"Nope, I definitely booked a 9-seater."
Kotobuki pulled out the receipt, and it did indeed say 9 people. Clearly, this was the store's mistake.
"Oh, oops. You're right. Sorry, I mixed up the 4-seater and 9-seater."
!!!
"You moron! How does anyone mix up those two numbers?!"
"Four and nine are very different!"
"Ughhh X﹏X… oxygen…"
Shiro just wanted to live right now…
Fortunately, the shop owner wasn't unreasonable. Once he realized the mistake, he immediately agreed to give them a different vehicle.
To make up for the trouble, he even loaned them a convertible for free!
A villa!
A convertible!
At that moment, the newbie group's excitement shot right back to its peak!
But as it turned out…
Free stuff is never great.
A farm truck showed up in front of them. It was very spacious in the back, but…
There's no way this was meant for human passengers!
What kind of shop was this?! Why was it so hard for them to just get a 9-seater car?!
"We don't have cars that big in our shop~"
!!!
This place was definitely shady! People with squinty eyes are always the worst!
"Anyway, have a fun trip~"
The manager didn't give them a chance to argue. He just left the mini-truck there and dipped—he had a lot of other things to take care of, after all.
sigh Having a big business sure is troublesome~
"Ah!"
"Old man, don't go!"
"At least give us someone who can drive this thing!"
The three were on the verge of losing it.
The problem wasn't whether or not the truck was usable—it was that no one could drive it! It was manual transmission!
Chisa only had a license for automatic, and she had already gotten into the smaller car…
"Well, if it comes down to it, we can just walk. It'll be great exercise—diving takes a lot of stamina too!"
Kotobuki suggested optimistically. He figured they could challenge themselves and make it there before dark!
"That's not a distance humans are meant to walk!"
"Endurance! You gotta have endurance!"
"Are you guys just single-minded idiots?!"
"What separates modern people from cavemen is tools! We use tools!"
The three argued back firmly—there was no way they were walking. They'd die!
"Damn it!"
Shiro looked around. At this point, their only option might be to pay for someone who can drive a manual. Maybe the shop offered that service?
Wait a second…
Was this the manager's plan all along?!
He was caught off guard! What a brilliant robbery scheme!
He had a serious look on his face. If that really was the case, then they had no choice but to recruit someone from the street. They had the power to make it work!
A passerby…
Huh?
Wait, is that a manual license?
He stared at the license that suddenly appeared in front of him in confusion… until he saw who it belonged to…
The corpse-makeup freak?!?
"Hey, Kitahara, Kohei… I mean, driving after drinking a little beer shouldn't be a big deal, right? We only had two bottles."
"Yeah, seems fine."
"Life is precious after all. But there's one issue left—Shiro, do you even have a manual license?"
(′?`)
Come on… what era do they think this is… of course not!!!
Also… if we're already talking about drunk driving, does it even matter if I have a license?! What gear do you even start in…?