The journey to the trailhead.
As we were rocked by the bus, there were students inside holding karaoke competitions, some fighting over snacks… Everyone was having a blast, as they were making a lot of noise.
Yamato and I were also enjoying ourselves, watching random videos on our phones together, occasionally getting dragged into the karaoke competitions, and just having a festive time.
“Hey, Yamato! Want some of this?”
Amidst the noisy atmosphere inside the bus, I offered Yamato one of our favorite snacks, yakisoba bread.
“We’ve got yakisoba bread…! But doesn’t it seem smaller than usual…?”
Yamato noticed that it was a bit smaller than the ones we usually buy at the school store and asked me about it.
“W-well, I’m not sure if it’ll taste good… but… I made it myself…!”
Yes, I had made everything from scratch just for today… It turned out a bit smaller than I intended…
“Y-Yuto… for me…?”
“…Yeah…”
Rather than wanting Yamato to look back at me or to like me, I just wanted to make him happy… That’s all I’ve been thinking about lately.
“Thanks, man. I’ll take it, then?”
With those words, the yakisoba bread I made was brought to Yamato’s mouth…
Gulp…
Whether it tasted good or not… I was a little anxious…
“H-How is it…? Is it good?”
In response to my inquiry, Yamato turned his gaze to the window and ruffled his hair like a hedgehog.
“…It’s really delicious…”
He said this as he was trying to cover his embarrassment, but he was genuinely happy…
I felt relieved that he enjoyed it… I was happy just seeing him happy; that was enough for me…
Yamato slowly turned his face towards me and placed his ruffled hand on my head…
“Yuto, thanks…”
He said it gently while patting my head with a soft touch…
* * *
We arrived at the trailhead, and each of us, along with our favorite classmates, formed lines and began our mountain climb.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
In front of me was Shun, and behind me was Yamato.
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Yeg ugbeq jlwfv obg atf mjwqrlaf, beg vfralcjalbc ibmjafv jybea akb tbegr’ milwy jkjs.
Geglcu ws olgra wbecajlc milwy, P yfujc ab offi algfv… Gfrqlaf msmilcu fnfgs vjs, P atbeuta P tjv ujlcfv rbwf rajwlcj…
While pondering this, Yamato gently pushed my back as he sensed my fatigue.
“Come on, Yuto, you can do it!”
When someone you love pushes your back… You just know you can do it!
After that, I continued to gaze at Shun’s back and desperately made my way to the goal, the campsite.
* * *
We arrived at the campsite, and everyone looked tired as they rested individually.
The three of us also sat down under the shade of a tree and decided to take a temporary rest.
I took out water from my backpack as I was feeling thirsty and took a sip…
Ah, it tasted even better than usual… The evidence of the movement and drinking water surrounded by nature made it taste so delicious.
“…Huh… Yamato, don’t you have any drinks?”
“Yeah, I drank it all…”
Yamato held an empty plastic bottle, apparently having finished it during the climb.
My bottle still had more than half left… Normally, he should have just taken it, saying, “what’s yours is mine,” but he didn’t say anything…
Could it be… He’s concerned about my tiredness? If that’s the case, then today, what’s mine is Yamato’s, so I should offer it before he asks.
“Yamato, would you like to drink from mine?”
I offered my bottle to Yamato, who still had water left.
But… He returned an unusually worried expression.
“Because what’s mine is yours, right? Here, drink up!”
I echoed the words Yamato usually says with a smile.
“…Thanks…”
As Yamato received the bottle from my hand, he continued to stroke the hedgehog… And at that moment, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with happiness and excitement.
I wonder if Yamato feels the same way as I do…?
What does it feel like when he strokes it…?
I want to stay by his side like this forever…
While I was lost in these thoughts, Shun teased us as usual.
“Hey, you two! Just start dating already! You two look just like a perfect couple!”
Yamato and I both said in response to his words.
“Stop talking nonsense! Cut it out!”
And we harmonized so well. After hearing that, Shun burst into laughter…
He really knows how to hit the spot!
But even as I think that… Deep down, I wish Yamato and I could actually be together as lovers, always by each other’s sides…
I decided to keep that feeling of loneliness hidden from Shun, who seemed to be enjoying himself, and I was pretending as if it didn’t affect me at all.
* * *
At the campsite, several tents were already pitched, and it was decided that we would sleep in groups of three.
Of course, we were separated by gender… Shun seemed a bit disappointed about that. It’s only natural, but it seems his night with his girlfriend will have to wait…?
It was me, Yamato, and Shun, with three people in each group.
This combination was non-negotiable.
We placed our belongings in the tent we would be sleeping in and started preparing dinner.
* * *
For dinner, we decided to make curry rice with plenty of ingredients.
There were roles assigned for making the curry roux, starting the fire, and using the rice cooker to cook a large amount of rice.
Each class had their own division of tasks, and the three of us chose to be in charge of making the curry roux.
And when it came to making curry for dozens of people, it required quite a bit of effort.
I took the lead in chopping vegetables with enthusiasm, while Yamato and Shun seemed a bit fidgety behind me…
Could it be…? My suspicion was confirmed shortly after.
The three of us were given the task of cutting vegetables and preparing various ingredients.
“I’ll keep chopping away, Shun! Can you use that peeler over there to peel the carrots?”
“Peeler…?”
It seemed cooking was completely foreign to Shun, who was all about sports. He hesitantly grabbed the peeler and started peeling the carrots with rather precarious movements…
Please don’t peel your own hand…?
“Yamato, could you dice the carrots Shun peeled?”
“…Di-dice… Ah! Dice them!”
Although Yamato responded to me as if he understood, hey, Yamato… Those are actually just slices…
Yes, Yamato seemed capable of anything, but there were things he couldn’t do… Cooking seemed to be one of them…
I guided them step by step, with Yamato and Shun flanking me while efficiently preparing the ingredients.
*Chop, chop, chop, chop!*
“Wow, Yuto, you’re pretty good at cooking!”
“Hehe, maybe it just naturally came from cooking for myself while living alone?”
Yamato complimented me as he watched me handle the knife… Being praised is always a delightful feeling, especially when it comes from someone you like…
“That’s why the yakisoba bread you made was so delicious!”
“Huh?! Yakisoba bread?!!”
As soon as the conversation turned to food, Shun’s ears perked up, and he stared at us intently.
“Hey! Yamato!”
“Haha, it was really delicious~”
“Yuto, what the heck! Why didn’t you make any for me?!!”
Geez… Yamato, you idiot…
Next time, I’ll make sure to make some for Shun too, okay? I reassured Shun while feeling a bit flustered.
“Haha! Yamato, getting someone good at cooking like Yuto is such a lucky thing!”
And there goes Shun, teasing us as usual…
“Seriously! Stop talking nonsense!”
And yet, despite Shun’s teasing…
As we harmonize like this…
Shun laughs out loud as usual, but deep down, aren’t Yamato and I a good match…?
Even though I won’t be able to tell him that I love him…
While thinking about that, I continued to guide Yamato and Shun step by step, preparing the ingredients.
