— — — — — —
Far off on the horizon, the sun slowly dipped below the earth.
Golden evening light spilled across the dining table, giving everything a soft, almost dreamlike glow.
On the table—
Besides the fragrant curry, there were also wild vegetables you could only find up in the mountains, dug up earlier by Shizuka and Komachi.
There were even some leftover pears from what had been handed out to the kids.
Looking at everyone gathered around, Oikawa couldn't help but feel like it resembled that famous painting… The Last Supper.
Well, almost.
They were two people short.
If Zaimokuza and Saika Totsuka were here, they'd make a perfect thirteen.
...
Out of everything in this volunteer trip, the thing Oikawa had been looking forward to the most was the hot springs afterward.
A shame it wasn't mixed bathing.
---
After dinner—
Shizuka Hiratsuka sat on top of the table like some gang boss straight out of a yakuza movie, casually lighting a cigarette.
Around that time, Hachiman finally brought up the issue of the girl who'd been getting isolated. Her name seemed to be Rumi.
Everyone started discussing what to do about it.
Oikawa chimed in halfheartedly a few times, but aside from the part where Yukino Yukinoshita and Yumiko Miura got into an argument, his mind was mostly elsewhere.
Those two really did clash like fire and water.
Of course, Oikawa couldn't help but think, a bit subjectively, that Yumiko was simply too jealous of Yukino, which was what led to the fight.
With everyone stepping in to mediate, the argument didn't last long.
As for how to deal with Rumi's situation… in the end, no perfect solution was found.
…
..
Free time.
Oikawa wasted no time heading straight for the hot springs.
A mountain hot spring wasn't something you got to enjoy every day. Miss it once, and who knows when you'd get another chance.
The place was empty.
Compared to soaking in hot water, the kids clearly preferred running around and playing with each other.
"Ohhh~"
The moment he stepped into the water, Oikawa let out a satisfied expression. The fatigue from the entire day seemed to melt away.
Leaning back against the edge, he took out his phone and snapped a picture of the rising steam, then sent it to Utako Kasumi.
[(Photo) A mountain hot spring really is healing… just like my Your Lie in April.]
Utaha replied almost immediately.
"Senpai, you're kind of a pervert, aren't you? Using your phone in the bath… aren't you afraid you'll get caught?"
Oikawa's face went blank.
"Senpai would appreciate it if you didn't make me think you're the pervert."
"There's no one here, that's why I'm using my phone!"
Honestly, this girl said whatever came to mind.
Was she always like this, or just online?
"By the way, Senpai, my Koisuru Metronome finally has a release date. End of September. I'm finally done with all those exhausting revisions."
"(Image)"
The photo she sent was of her stretching lazily, her figure practically bursting out of the screen.
…Yeah. Definitely a pervert.
"Hope your book does well."
"Bye."
Oikawa exited LINE at lightning speed. If anyone saw that photo, he'd never be able to explain it.
After putting his phone away, he relaxed back into the hot spring and let himself drift, half-dozing.
By the time he opened his eyes again, it was already past eight.
He stepped out, rinsed off, dried himself, and walked out of the bathhouse with a yawn.
"Time to head back and sleep. Tomorrow's probably going to be busy."
The forest path was dim, but under the clear moonlight, it was still visible enough.
He was about to head toward the boys' lodging when—
Voices arguing suddenly reached his ears.
Without thinking, he moved closer toward the sound.
"What gives you the right to humiliate me? You're just good at studying. What's so great about that?"
It sounded like Yumiko, though her voice carried a hint of tears.
Oikawa stopped behind a tree, not stepping any closer.
Soon, the other voice joined in.
"Sorry, but I'm not just 'good' at studying. I've always ranked first. Since I was a child."
"And I've never thought it was something worth bragging about. It's just that when you look at me, you feel inferior."
"It's not that I look down on you. You're the one who thinks you're beneath me."
Yukino Yukinoshita.
Oikawa was a little surprised. He hadn't expected such sharp words from her.
Lies don't hurt.
The truth cuts deep.
He could faintly hear sniffing. It seemed Yumiko had really taken a heavy blow.
"Oikawa—"
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
Before he could think, Oikawa quickly covered the person's mouth and pulled them behind the tree with him.
Their bodies pressed tightly together.
A faint, pleasant scent drifted to him.
Yui Yuigahama.
Yui seemed to carry a kind of natural fragrance… he couldn't tell if it was her shampoo or something uniquely hers.
Her hair was still damp. She must have just come from the hot springs too, heading back to sleep.
But now her heart was pounding. Her mind felt like it had completely shut down, unable to process what was happening.
The thought of pushing Oikawa him away didn't even cross her mind.
Time passed… who knew how long.
Then suddenly, the sound of someone crying faded into the distance down the path.
"You can come out now. I heard you."
At that moment, Oikawa was certain the air itself was made entirely of awkwardness.
Eavesdropping was bad enough—
Getting caught by the person involved?
That was on a whole different level of embarrassing.
.
.
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