“…! S-speaking of which, were you all able to express your gratitude to Akasaki-kun?”
Perhaps to hide her embarrassment, Rin changed the topic.
“You’re bad at changing subjects.”
Yuna pointed this out but continued.
“Well. I haven’t been able to thank him… but I think it was good that you invited Akasaki-kun. Thank you, Sara.”
“I think so too. Thank you… Sara-chin.”
“……………”
“Sara?” “Sara-chin?”
Seeing Sara fall silent, the two asked worriedly.
“…Ah, no, it’s nothing.”
Sara said with a lonely smile.
“Did you two have anything good happen with Akasaki-san?”
She asked something she already knew.
She already knew that both Rin and Yuna had grown closer to Haruya.
Sara had caught glimpses of this from a distance.
Their happy appearance on the train. Him alone with Rin at the beach. Him enjoying himself with Yuna at the barbecue…
“N-no, it’s not like anything particularly good happened.”
“N-nothing like that, really.”
Both deflected their gazes with similar gestures.
The time they spent with Haruya. Or perhaps they wanted to keep the content of their conversations secret.
Yuna and Rin wouldn’t talk about specifics.
“Didn’t Sara have anything?”
To such a question from Yuna, she answered.
Putting on as cheerful a smile as possible.
“…I did.”
Seeing Sara’s face as she answered, Rin and Yuna decided not to press further.
After finishing the topic about Haruya, Rin murmured thoughtfully.
“I’d like to come to this hot spring again next year…”
“What’s gotten into you suddenly?”
Sara returned to her usual tone and responded to Rin.
“No, I just felt that way somehow…”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Yuna chimed in with her eyes narrowed.
Because, Rin continued.
“If our classes change next year, it’ll be hard for everyone to gather like this. And gatherings like this feel special.”
“I think I understand what you’re trying to say.”
“Yes, I agree.”
All three looked up at the night sky while immersed in sentimental feelings.
─────── Would they be able to come together again next year, all three of them?
No one said it aloud, but with Haruya making it four. And adding Kazamiya to make it five.
Perhaps unable to bear the sentimental mood, Sara changed the subject with “Speaking of which.”
“Tomorrow is the fireworks festival, but before that we’re planning to wander around the shopping district and shrine… how is the script coming along, Yuna-san?”
“I’m fine, so don’t worry.”
Yuna raised her hand and responded on the spot.
“I see. Rin-san, is there anything you’d like to ask?”
About tomorrow, presumably.
“Nothing in particular. We can wear rental yukatas, right…?”
“Yes, of course.”
“T-then… okay.”
Seeing Rin looking embarrassed, she probably couldn’t wait to wear a yukata.
Of course, since there aren’t many opportunities to wear yukatas except for summer firework festivals, Yuna and Sara felt the same way.
Splash, Yuna was the first to get out of the milky bath.
“I want to go to the sauna, so I’d like to move. What about everyone else?”
Rin and Sara grimaced with “Ugh.”
Apparently both of them disliked saunas.
“Don’t stay too long, Yuna-rin. We’ll soak in another bath.”
“Okay, understood.”
“Please be careful!”
Yuna lightly raised her hand at their words and headed toward the sauna.
While Sara, Yuna, and Rin were enjoying the hot springs.
Haruya and the others were also enjoying the baths. The faint scent of cypress enveloped their nostrils.
The flowing sweat felt pleasant, and their bodies were truly burning hot.
Now, Haruya and the others were in the sauna. They could only use saunas on occasions like this.
With such thoughts, Haruya and the others were using the sauna.
Most of the other users around them appeared to be older than Haruya and the others.
They watched the variety show on TV in the sauna, and after about five minutes, they would enter the cold bath to soothe their bodies. They repeated this several sets.
Kazamiya wanted to talk partway through, but the sauna was an enclosed space with other users around.
He looked disappointed that he couldn’t talk due to manners.
“Hey, isn’t the sauna enough already?”
Just as they left the sauna and were about to head to the cold bath again, he whispered in Haruya’s ear.
Since Haruya also wanted to enjoy the outdoor bath, he agreed with Kazamiya.
“Still, Akasaki. You stubbornly won’t push your bangs up. Your eyes must hurt. Really.”
On the way to the outdoor bath.
Kazamiya pointed this out while shaking his shoulders with chuckles.
His bangs, heavy with moisture, were covering his vision even more.
Kazamiya was right.
But he was afraid of being seen and causing a fuss later, so he couldn’t push his hair up.
It might be self-consciousness, but there was precedent for this.
It was when his own name came up in the topic about Sara.
Therefore, he became cautious about showing his face.
“It’s not particularly like that.”
“No matter how you look at it, it just seems like you’re putting on a brave front.”
Saying this, he soaked in the same outdoor bath as Haruya.
When soaking in an outdoor bath, all the strength leaves your body at once, and you end up leaning against the wall while letting out old-man-like sounds. Since it’s embarrassing to do that in a public place, Haruya held back and quietly took a light breath to relax.
However, Kazamiya was completely relaxed.
…That’s already like an old man.
While making such a retort, he looked up at the sky.
The night sky was endlessly beautiful… the moon and steam added even more to the scenic beauty.
“Hey… Akasaki.”
Suddenly becoming serious, Kazamiya said.
“Have you already decided which of those three you’ll choose?”
Kazamiya asked as if it were nothing.
Haruya froze at the unexpected statement.
“No, I asked that wrong. Akasaki, have you fallen for anyone?”
“…! Why are you asking something like that?”
“Haven’t you noticed, Akasaki?”
“Noticed what?”
Kazamiya shook his shoulders amusedly and answered Haruya’s question.
“…Akasaki. You seemed happier than usual today.”
“Eh?”
He had no such awareness. An absent-minded sound escaped him.
“Seems like you weren’t aware. But today’s Akasaki seemed to be enjoying himself despite saying this and that, so I was happy too.”
Kazamiya said as if savoring the words.
“How can you tell? That I seemed to be enjoying myself.”
It’s not like he hadn’t stopped smiling today.
The time he spent with Kazamiya wasn’t long either.
Therefore, Haruya was bothered by Kazamiya’s confident assertion.
“I was behind you the whole first semester, so I can tell.”
After sending a meaningful look, Kazamiya continued.
“You’re different from when you first entered school. You’ve become much softer, and I can tell you’re having fun. You must have had some good encounters.”
That would be those three, right?
Though he didn’t say it in words, Kazamiya concluded with such implications.
“…That might be so.”
“Oh, how unusually honest of you.”
“No, I’m just acknowledging that I’ve had good encounters.”
“Is that so?”
Kazamiya showed his white teeth in a grin and continued.
“Well, but you know. If Akasaki hasn’t decided who to choose yet…”
Kazamiya turned toward Haruya with a serious face.
“Could you pay attention to Himekawa-san?”
“Eh, Himekawa-san?”
“Yeah, I thought so when we were talking on the train, and I felt it when we were swimming at the beach too…”
Kazamiya had sensed that Sara’s gaze was directed toward Haruya.
And he had seen her looking dejected while watching Haruya interact with Rin and Yuna.
But since he couldn’t tell Haruya this directly, Kazamiya added.
“…She seemed a bit anxious, so please look out for her.”
Since his expression was so serious, Haruya had no choice but to nod.
The atmosphere wasn’t one for joking around either.
“Well. That’s how it is. By the way, Akasaki. Sorry for the delicate topic, but I was surprised by how big yours is – are you doing something special?”
“Don’t suddenly switch to talking about that. I’ll catch a cold from the temperature difference.”
“Sorry! But tell me in detail. What’s the secret to that size?”
“There isn’t one. I don’t know even if you ask me that.”
After that, Haruya was forced to put up with Kazamiya’s silly talk.
While halfheartedly entertaining Kazamiya, he found himself thinking.
(…What is Himekawa-san anxious about? What should I pay attention to?)
From what Haruya could see, Sara seemed perfectly normal… but he had no idea what she might be anxious about.
For now, Haruya resolved to be mindful of Sara while feeling grateful to Kazamiya.
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