"You guys are so slow. Hurry up and unload these, then help prepare lunch."
Hiratsuka Shizuka jumped out of the van.
Before everyone could even rest, she was already urging them and issuing new tasks.
Of course, although it was called orienteering, considering the elementary schoolers' stamina, the distance from start to finish wasn't that long.
An after-dinner walk would be longer.
So, neither the Service Club nor the popular clique felt any resistance to Hiratsuka Shizuka's urging.
Because they were helping to transport goods for the summer camp, the vehicle they used was naturally not the luxury car Hiratsuka Shizuka had driven over, but just an ordinary van.
Opening the back, Hayama and Tobe worked together to lift the plastic baskets from the van.
Hikigaya and Totsuka were instructed to take the pears from the baskets and soak them in the small stream.
This would wash off the dirt from the pears' surface and also improve their taste.
The remaining girls were assigned to peel and cut the fruit.
The boys would have to join in later.
After all, preparing fruit for an entire grade of students was a huge undertaking for them.
After arranging the manpower, Hiratsuka Shizuka noticed a blind spot.
"Where did Mori Shinra and Yukinoshita go?"
"It seems they left something at the dorm. Yukino-chan went to get it, and Mori-kun went with her," Yuigahama Yui replied.
She knew Yukino-chan had a bad sense of direction, so it wasn't surprising that Mori Shinra went with her. In fact, it would be more worrying if he hadn't. If not for Miura Yumiko being right there, Yuigahama would have felt it best to go with Yukino-chan herself.
"I see..." Hiratsuka Shizuka relaxed after hearing they had just gone back to get something.
In her view, both Yukinoshita and Mori Shinra were the types of kids who didn't cause trouble.
The former's personality might be a headache, but she had no worries about the latter.
With Mori Shinra accompanying her, Yukinoshita Yukino was unlikely to run into problems.
If there was a problem, it was probably Mori Shinra's doing.
"Sensei, can I skip the pear-peeling?" Miura Yumiko raised her hand.
At the same time, she showed off her nails.
Friends who often get manicures know very well that delicate tasks like peeling are extremely inconvenient with long nails.
Tobe also raised his hand, stating that he was not good with knives.
In contrast, the last member of the popular clique, Ebina, said she was fine with anything, be it peeling or arranging the fruit.
Hiratsuka Shizuka looked at Hayama and said, "In that case, I'll leave you to make the arrangements."
"This... alright." Hayama accepted.
Assigning work has never been an easy task.
If you do it well, it's expected.
If you do it poorly, you easily offend people.
However, Hayama was already used to all this.
Being the core of the popular clique was not so easy.
"Hmm... how should we divide the labor... Distributing the bentos shouldn't require too many people. How about the four of us handle distributing the bentos and maintaining order, and we'll leave the task of preparing the after-meal fruit to you guys?" Hayama asked in a consultative tone.
Yuigahama naturally had no problem.
As for the Hikigaya siblings and Totsuka Saika, they were even less likely to have objections.
In fact, for Hikigaya Hachiman, just having to cut fruit instead of facing that horde of elementary schoolers was simply perfect.
Cutting fruit is good. I must cut fruit.
However, there was one point that bothered Hikigaya...
"Yuigahama, is it okay for you not to be over there?"
"Huh? What do you mean by that? Ah! I get it. You're trying to say I'm bad at cooking, aren't you! I can still handle something like peeling pears!" Yuigahama felt like she was being treated as an idiot.
"No, that's not what I meant..."
Hikigaya really wanted to say that someone who can't even make cookies is a cooking idiot. But that wasn't what he was trying to express. What he really wanted to say was, Yuigahama is supposed to be on good terms with Miura and the others, right? Is it really okay for her not to be with them? You have to know, loyalty that isn't absolute is absolute disloyalty. By choosing the Service Club, there would definitely be some dissonance from the popular clique's side. Especially since Miura Yumiko and Yukinoshita Yukino don't get along...
But what Hikigaya didn't know was that the other core of the popular clique, Miura Yumiko, wasn't actually that petty.
In essence, she was a classic 'knife-mouth, tofu-heart'.
Not to mention, she had her own little plans now.
She would need Yuigahama's help a lot in the future.
She wouldn't hold a small thing like this against her.
If you're talking about disloyalty... Yumiko might be even more disloyal than Yuigahama.
"Hmph, just watch. I've improved a lot lately." Yuigahama rolled up her sleeves, looking like she was about to go all out.
It's just peeling fruit. Why does she look like she's going to war?
Not long after the group started working, Mori Shinra and Yukinoshita finally arrived.
"Sorry, we're late," Yukinoshita apologized.
"It's fine, it's fine. Yukino-chan, can you come help me?" Yuigahama called for help.
She may have overestimated her own abilities. She could peel the fruit, but that was all she could do. As for the finished product... honestly, it was Mori Shinra's first time seeing someone peel a pear into the shape of a gourd.
Yukinoshita's eye also twitched when she saw Yuigahama's masterpiece.
She glanced at the path they came from; quite a few students had already reached the finish line.
"It's too late to teach you now. Leave this to me. You go help Hikigaya," Yukinoshita said.
"Okay." Yuigahama obediently followed the arrangement.
Komachi saw this and raised her hand, "Yui-san, let me take over your job."
When it came to peeling fruit, Hikigaya Komachi was quite experienced.
After all, she had always helped with housework at home and sometimes even prepared bento for Hikigaya Hachiman.
She was the ideal little sister.
With a sister like this, it's understandable that Hikigaya Hachiman would become a sis-con.
"I'll help too." Mori Shinra hadn't peeled much fruit in his daily life, but he was a fast learner.
Yukinoshita saw Mori Shinra's somewhat unfamiliar technique and took the initiative to demonstrate for him.
"First, hold the knife steady, then use your other hand to turn the pear... The cut needs to be level with the pear. If the angle is too deep, you'll cut into the flesh. If it's too shallow, you won't peel it cleanly. Your hand must be steady, and your movements fast, otherwise the pear's temperature will rise."
As she spoke, Yukinoshita put down her own tool and began to teach Mori Shinra, hand-over-hand.
Miura Yumiko, watching this from a distance, was dumbfounded.
Wait, Yukinoshita, you!
When she saw Mori Shinra and Yukinoshita return, she had thought about whether to call them over to help distribute the bentos, but in the end, she decided against it. Nominally, Yukinoshita and Mori Shinra were part of the Service Club, not her group. Even if she invited them, the answer would probably just be a polite refusal. Besides, it's just peeling fruit. It's not like they could get up to any trouble.
But! She never, ever expected that Yukinoshita would just go 'hands-on' while watching! What happened to your dignity as the Ice Queen? So your usual coldness and aloofness were all just an act? You're not even pretending anymore! Yuigahama! Do something! Save the situation!
Miura Yumiko wanted to go over and stop Yukinoshita's obvious "groping", but one, she had no standing, and two, it would violate her persona in the popular clique.
So she could only watch helplessly as Yukinoshita made rapid progress, while she could do nothing.
Mori Shinra learned quickly.
Before long, he was able to peel a pear so that the peel came off in one continuous strip.
With Yukinoshita and Mori Shinra joining in, the efficiency of fruit peeling increased significantly.
Mori Shinra, in particular, got faster and faster, until finally, the fruit cutters couldn't keep up with the peeler.
He was a ruthless peeling machine.
Rushing and hurrying, they finally finished processing all the iced pears.
Yuigahama, now free, sidled up to Yukinoshita and whispered, "Yukino-chan, that was pretty bold of you just now."
"Bold? What do you mean?" Yukinoshita was a bit confused.
"I mean..." Yuigahama grabbed Yukinoshita's hand, imitating the hand-over-hand posture she had used to teach Mori Shinra.
Yukinoshita froze, only then realizing what she had done.
The main problem was that she was just too familiar with that guy, Mori Shinra. During their stamina training, he would often stay at her place for dinner. He would help out while she was cooking. Over time, some simple physical contact became unavoidable, and she had gotten used to it. As a result, when she was teaching him hand-over-hand just now, she didn't think there was anything wrong with it. It wasn't until Yuigahama pointed it out that Yukinoshita realized something was off.
Sometimes, not thinking there's a problem is the biggest problem.
Habit... is truly a terrifying thing.
So, am I being boiled like a frog in warm water?
Yukinoshita Yukino didn't know.
Or rather, she had been deliberately avoiding this question.
After Yuigahama pointed it out, Yukinoshita's first reaction was to reflect that she had been careless, not to find some other excuse.
In other words, if it had been just her and Mori Shinra in private, she wouldn't even have thought such an action was a problem.
"It's just a more efficient way to teach. Isn't it the same as when I taught you?" Yukinoshita Yukino forced herself to calm down and replied, feigning composure.
How can that be the same...
Yuigahama grumbled inwardly.
She was a girl, and Mori Shinra was a boy. She had never seen Yukino-chan be so intimate with any boy. Forget intimacy, she barely even spoke to them.
Take this time, for example. The number of sentences Yukino-chan had spoken to Hayama and Tobe combined was less than five, and that even included polite greetings. It was only because she knew Hikigaya and Totsuka that she would say a few more words, but that was it. In contrast, look at Mori Shinra. Sometimes, even when he wasn't talking to Yukino-chan, Yukino-chan would actively chime in. Although most of it was just teasing him or helping him tease Hikki, didn't this also prove that their relationship was unusual?
But since Yukino-chan had said so, she couldn't press the issue.
It's just... those who know, know.
"...I-I guess so, ha." Yuigahama smiled, not dwelling on the issue.
"Speaking of which, Komachi-chan's skills are surprisingly good," Yukinoshita nonchalantly changed the subject.
Komachi hadn't expected to be part of the topic. "It's alright, I'm just used to doing it."
"If Komachi, the younger sister, is so capable, then Hikki, the older brother..."
Yuigahama suddenly thought of a possibility.
Could it be that Hikigaya is also very good at housework?
"I wonder if Yuigahama-san has heard the story of the three monks who went to fetch water," Yukinoshita asked.
"I've heard it. Yukino-chan, are you saying..."
"Sometimes, a capable younger sister often means an older brother who is... quite useless," Yukinoshita said mercilessly.
Then Yukinoshita added silently in her heart: And sometimes, a too-capable older sister also means that no matter how hard the younger sister tries, as long as she doesn't surpass the older sister, it's all useless.
"Is that so?" Yuigahama looked at Komachi.
"Well, my brother is a little useful," Komachi said after thinking, then added, "He often helps Komachi with grocery shopping."
"And I occasionally help out, okay!" Hikigaya finally couldn't help but interject.
These guys, they're not even trying to hide it when they slander me now! This is bullying, isn't it? It definitely is!
"Don't mind the details (chew chew chew). Speaking of which, Hikigaya, you should try this (chew chew chew). This pear tastes pretty good. (Swallow)." Mori Shinra shamelessly took a piece of the cut fruit and popped it into his mouth.
"Really? Let me try." Hikigaya instantly forgot about the slander.
Well, actually, it was because he couldn't effectively refute the slander. It was better to just take the ladder Mori Shinra was offering.
While they were chatting and laughing, the elementary schoolers also began to arrive at the finish line.
It was now the popular clique's turn to feed the hungry children bentos and pears.
As for Mori Shinra and the others, they each grabbed a bento and began to eat happily.
Mhm. After we finish, we'll go over and "help" symbolically. Perfect.
After lunch, the elementary schoolers returned to the campsite for an afternoon break.
The "big brothers and sisters" could also use this opportunity for free time.
However, despite it being "free time," everyone ultimately chose to return to their dorms to rest.
After all, they had been in a car all day, and then immediately helped prepare lunch.
Other than Mori Shinra, who was made of iron, everyone else was more or less fatigued.
Not to mention, after the lunch break, they had to start preparing dinner for the camp.
Mori Shinra did not go straight back to his own dorm, but instead followed Hikigaya and Totsuka to theirs.
He would be bored all alone in his room. It's just an afternoon break, not nighttime. Mori Shinra definitely had to 'bond' with Hikigaya and Totsuka. It was also a good chance to ask the two of them to help him keep an eye out for some news.
About Tsurumi Rumi.