On the train, we did a quick debrief of the situation. Basically:
The two second-years from Abydos had, from some unintentional clues, figured out what Hoshino was planning today and wanted to get in on the action.
At the same time, Hoshino sensed that the juniors had discovered something and tried a "divide and conquer" tactic: she intended for the deliberately excluded Serika and Ayane to keep Nonomi and Shiroko occupied, while she would enjoy a private two-person outing with me.
Unfortunately, Hoshino's plan went slightly off because Serika woke up late.
"Serika-chan, did you stay up late working again yesterday? I told you not to overdo it!"
Faced with Nonomi's angry concern, Serika scratched her face awkwardly and forced a smile.
No matter. Even if Hoshino couldn't achieve the optimal outcome, she had a backup plan.
She simply involved the entire Foreclosure Task Force, creating more chaos to mask her private intentions, thus explaining the current situation.
I secretly sent Hoshino a momotalk message, asking why, if she was so excited, she didn't let me politely reject the others from intruding.
Her reply was that she wouldn't openly sneak off, and really, if she alone had fun, it would feel a bit selfish.
Though I wanted to tell her not to worry, immediately after, she took advantage of everyone's distraction, intertwined her fingers with mine, and flashed that cute little smile with her tiny fangs.
Understood. Sneaking off while not hiding it from everyone is not sneaking, it's provocation.
The rest of the short ride passed without any particularly notable incidents.
Full of anticipation, we arrived at the center of the Trinity District, the destination for today's date.
"Uhee~" Hoshino exclaimed excitedly. "This is it! This country bumpkin isn't used to places like this yet."
The others, aside from Nonomi, shared similar expressions.
After all, this place was completely the opposite of the heavily desertified Abydos.
It was an aquarium that not long ago had displayed a rare species called the "Golden Tuna," with tickets priced quite high.
But after a certain terrorist group's attack, the golden tuna perished. With the promotional hype gone, ticket prices plummeted to levels even ordinary students could afford.
However, when I came here a few days ago for reconnaissance with the Make-up Club who had passed their evaluation exams, even without the "golden tuna," the remaining exhibits were more than enough to enjoy a full day.
As a side note, all the aquarium's losses were reportedly covered solely by Haruna, the main person responsible.
…So why did they have to do it by force?
Perhaps, for the Gourmet Research Club, it really was just for fun.
"Tropical fish hall, deep-sea fish hall, feeding experience hall… and the underwater tunnel…"
Shiroko, the most proactive, had at some point grabbed six visitor guides, distributed them, and began reading aloud.
"Also, Hoshino-senpai's favorite: the whale."
Hoshino's eyes immediately lit up, leaning toward Shiroko: "Eh? Which page? Let this Oji-san see~"
Serika, flipping through her guide as well, was focused elsewhere.
The cat-eared girl muttered: "Ugh… to make it worth the ticket, Ayane, Nonomi-senpai, let's plan today's route together."
"Sure~ leave it to me~☆"
"Umm, let's see… to keep it interesting…"
"Eh~ it says whale shark here? But it's probably similar to a whale, right?" Hoshino's excitement was overflowing. "Uhee~ where should we start?"
Shiroko suggested: "Anyway, let's go inside first."
Her suggestion was unanimously agreed upon, so we entered the aquarium.
Perhaps because we arrived early, the place wasn't crowded, allowing us to enjoy the aquatic life fully.
Watching the girls, led by Hoshino, get excited over creatures they'd only seen in books or online was more satisfying for me than the fish themselves.
"Everyone looks so happy, it's really nice~" Nonomi said quietly, approaching me with a smile. "See? All of Abydos's kids are super cute, right?"
I nodded: "Yes, and Nonomi too."
Caught off guard, Nonomi blushed: "R-Really? Suddenly being complimented like this… feels a little shy…"
Seeing her flustered reaction, I was moved: "Nonomi, are you free soon?"
"Huh?"
"It's been a while since our date," I said. "Besides, it's summer now, and I was thinking of buying some seasonal clothes."
Her expression softened immediately: "I see~ hmm, so… is it just the two of us?"
"If you want it to be."
"No choice, everyone's got things to do," Nonomi said energetically. "Just leave it to me alone!"
Seeing her little smile, I silently hoped she wouldn't run into any mishaps and end up like Hoshino today.
Of course, having all five together has its own advantages. The only thing limiting me now is the battery of the Shittim Chest.
After passing the first few exhibits, we reached the underwater tunnel.
Countless fish swam through the deep blue, clearly visible through the transparent glass, making it feel as if we were truly under the sea.
The most striking sight was undoubtedly the massive, majestic creature whose presence alone was awe-inspiring even from afar.
A whale shark.
"Is this a whale?" Hoshino's eyes widened, like a child seeing a long-desired dream. "Uhehe~ amazing!"
"Whale sharks are technically sharks…"
"Don't worry about that, Ayane! Look at that fish, it's so cute!"
Hoshino spoke while letting out a silver-bell-like laugh, her mood unusually cheerful today.
However, as she looked around, I noticed a subtle trace of… melancholy? Loneliness?
I wanted to observe more closely, but the strange emotion vanished instantly. For the rest of the day, until the aquarium closed at sunset, Hoshino showed no further odd behavior, making me wonder if I had imagined it.
But if something serious came up, she would surely tell me.
So, I escorted the slightly tired but happy girls back to Abydos, and returned to Schale alone.