I wouldn't call it excessive, but a month of dieting had definitely sharpened Hayashi's appetite, and she’d made quite a few requests. After weighing the options for about a week, I finally settled on Isawa Onsen for our hot spring getaway.
The clincher was the convenience of the commute.
The fact that we could get there in about an hour and a half on a single train from Shinjuku without any transfers was a major selling point.
"So, what's Isawa Onsen famous for, anyway?"
As it turned out, Hayashi asked me that the second the destination was decided.
"Well, it's in Yamanashi, so grapes. And wine."
"We're minors, so we can't drink wine. So, grapes, huh... Hmm..."
"...Wow, you look incredibly dissatisfied."
"Wait, Yamamoto. Give me a break. It's not that I'm dissatisfied."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. Think about it. If I told you to go ahead and pick the place, and then I acted unhappy with your choice... you'd think, 'Well, you should have helped choose the destination then,' wouldn't you?"
"Well, yeah."
From my perspective, regardless of whether she was unhappy or not, I already thought she should have participated in the planning.
"Then why are you groaning?"
"No, I was just wondering if grapes are actually filling."
"We're going on a hot spring trip, and all you can think about is your stomach."
I followed up by telling her that Yamanashi was also famous for local specialties like houtou and simmered chicken offal.
For the record, I’m not a fan of organ meats.
If Hayashi said she wanted to eat simmered chicken offal, I’d probably tell her to go find a place and eat it on her own.
"Now for the inn."
During a break between university lectures, I was scrolling through my smartphone, looking up accommodations in Isawa Onsen.
Come to think of it, I recalled Hayashi telling me once that I should try talking to people while I was at university, but... right now, finalizing our travel plans took priority over socializing.
...That’s a lie.
The truth was, I still didn't have a single friend at university.
Takeshita was absent from today's lecture, so I really had no one to talk to.
Man, once you get to this point, you start to think you don't even need friends at school.
It’s not like it causes any actual harm.
Besides, I can concentrate during my time alone like this...!
...Hmph. How pathetic.
"What are you doing, Yamamoto-kun?"
"Gah!?"
While I was wallowing in my pathetic thoughts, someone smacked my back, and I let out a strange yelp.
With my heart pounding, I spun around to find...
"Ugh."
"Hey! You just went 'ugh'! 'Ugh'! That’s so mean! Is that any way to treat your ex-girlfriend!?"
Kasahara puffed out her cheeks in a show of protest.
"My bad. I'm sorry... so just stop with that weird 'ex' teasing, alright?"
"I won't stop. It's not teasing, it's a fact."
As always, Kasahara was smiling cheerfully, looking like she was having the time of her life.
She sat down in the seat next to me as if it were her assigned spot.
"Yamamoto-kun, do you know why I just sat down next to you?"
Despite the smile, Kasahara... actually looked a little angry.
Lately, it felt like she was annoyed every time she showed up.
"I have no idea."
I honestly couldn't think of a single reason why she’d be mad.
"Why not?"
"Because there are too many possibilities."
"Hmph. True enough."
I seemed to have successfully talked her down with that.
"...Fine. I'll forgive you for today."
"I'm honored."
"...So, how's Megu been lately?"
"She's fine. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Hmm. Then, what's that?"
Kasahara pointed at my smartphone.
She was a sharp woman. She’d already seen what I was looking at.
"...I'm planning a comfort trip."
"By yourself?"
"...Yeah."
"I see, I see. Have fun! On your comfort trip for two!"
...There was no point in her even asking if she already knew.
"Did you hear about this from Hayashi?"
"No. I just sort of noticed because you were giving off a 'kind aura,' Yamamoto-kun."
"You can read my aura now? Impressive. Even I don't know what kind of aura I'm projecting."
"I can tell. Because it’s about the person I love."
"Right. You do love Hayashi, after all."
"...Hehe."
Every single time, she acted in a way that toyed with my feelings.
Even though I knew she was just playing with me, there was something seriously wrong with me for actually blushing.
"...I feel like before I knew it, you two have gone somewhere far away," Kasahara muttered.
For some reason, her voice sounded a little lonely.
"That's not true."
"No, it is."
Looking at Kasahara, a scene from the past suddenly overlapped with the present.
"You have a surprisingly active personality, Yamamoto-kun."
Back in high school, Kasahara—the only girlfriend I’d ever had—had once smiled and said those exact words to me.
"...That's not true."
Back then, I hadn't contested her words.
But now, for some reason, I didn't feel like simply nodding in agreement.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
At first, I wondered if it was because I still had some lingering attachment to Kasahara. That would be pretty pathetic.
"That's not true, is it?"
"It is."
But I realized the truth halfway through.
I was arguing with her because I was bashful.
...Even though we used to loathe each other.
Being teased about my relationship with that woman I was living with... it was just plain embarrassing.