— — — — — —
The "preparations" Shizuka mentioned basically meant setting up the bonfire.
After all, they were in the mountains.
This wasn't like the beach, where you could casually light a fire anywhere.
If something went wrong here, it wouldn't just be a mistake. It'd be "one spark on the mountain, and you're spending the rest of your life behind bars."
Which was exactly why, every time Shizuka lit up a cigarette without a care in the world, Oikawa instinctively kept his distance.
He had no interest in eating free meals in a detention center anytime soon.
Oikawa and Tobe were assigned to chop and carry firewood. Hayato handled stacking the logs, while Hachiman arranged them into a proper crisscross structure.
The girls worked around the bonfire pile, drawing a white circle on the ground.
Their job was simple. They finished quickly—
And then moved on to the enviable stage known as "free time."
As for the guys…
It took over an hour of sweating and hauling before they were finally done.
"I'm dead… I'm seriously gonna die…"
Tobe collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.
Oikawa had given it his all chopping wood too, but he'd probably only managed about two-thirds of Tobe's workload.
Sometimes, being a "sports idiot" actually came in handy.
"Good work, everyone!"
Shizuka walked over and handed out a few cans of ice-cold drinks.
Sitting under the shade of a tree, Oikawa took one, pressed it against his forehead, and closed his eyes for a moment.
The world instantly felt brand new.
Or rather… he felt alive again.
Sure, Shizuka could be unreliable at times, but at moments like this, Oikawa couldn't help feeling a little grateful.
"Alright, the bonfire's basically ready. Until the test of courage starts this evening, you're free to do whatever you want!"
"Woohoo!"
"Hayato, let's go play basketball. Those guys from yesterday said they wanted a rematch!"
Tobe suddenly looked nothing like someone who'd been exhausted just moments ago.
"Sure."
Hayato nodded, then turned to Oikawa and Hachiman.
"Want to join us?"
For some reason, Oikawa felt like Hayato was really inviting him, with Hachiman just along for the ride.
There was a clear competitive spark in his eyes.
Too bad Oikawa had zero interest in basketball right now.
It was way too hot.
"I'll pass. I don't play."
That was a lie, actually.
Oikawa's style was simple. Stay on the perimeter and shoot threes all game.
People who'd played against him used to call him "an annoying fly you can't get rid of."
…Probably a compliment?
He wasn't entirely sure.
But the helpless look on defenders' faces was something he genuinely enjoyed.
"I don't play either," Hachiman added lazily.
"That's a shame." Hayato looked genuinely disappointed before leaving with Tobe.
…
..
After sweating that much, Oikawa headed toward the stream to cool off and wash his face.
Following the flow of water upstream, the dense forest gradually thinned, and the sound of rushing water grew louder.
Soon, an open riverbank came into view.
Listening to the gentle babble of the stream, Oikawa found himself admiring the place all over again.
Living out here in seclusion didn't sound half bad.
"Man, that's cold!"
"So refreshing!"
He splashed water on his face, the cool sensation spreading instantly.
Staring at the shimmering surface, he decided to walk a bit farther, maybe find where the stream ended.
After a while—
He didn't find the source of the stream.
Instead, he found Yui and Komachi… in swimsuits.
"Oikawa, over here… we're here!"
Yui waved at him.
He walked over.
And then his eyes… rebelled.
He was, in theory, a decent guy.
But his gaze kept drifting toward Yui, no matter how much he tried to fight it.
She was wearing a blue bikini.
When he approached, she looked a little shy, nowhere near as lively as usual.
But that half-hesitant, half-inviting vibe…
Honestly, it was even more captivating.
Her skin had a soft glow to it, radiating that unmistakable freshness of youth.
Droplets of water slid down from her neck, tracing the pale curve of her skin, pausing briefly at her collarbone—
Before disappearing into the swell of her chest.
…Alright.
Oikawa admitted it.
He lost that battle completely.
Was this what they called gravitational pull?
Newton really must've been a man of culture.
"Oikawa… do you think this swimsuit looks good on me?" Yui asked shyly.
Well, since she asked—
That gave him full permission to look properly.
He took a good, thorough glance, then gave her a thumbs-up.
"Looks great."
What he really wanted to say was… it's damn impressive.
"Really? Hehe."
She smiled brightly, no longer as shy as before.
At that moment—
A cool voice cut in from behind him.
"So the pervert finally found his chance, huh? Just don't take any pictures, or I'll report you."
Oikawa turned around.
Yukino Yukinoshita and Shizuka Hiratsuka stood there in swimsuits.
…Was this heaven?
Yeah.
This had to be heaven.
.
.
.