My Youth As A Sorcerer Sucks, Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Will Our Camp Be Doomed As I Expected?

—OoOoO—

Chiba was a prefecture with a relatively diverse geographical landscape. It was located at the eastern tip of Japan and had metropolitan areas, business centres, one of the largest ports in the country, mountainous areas, and beautiful beaches. If people were tired of the urban atmosphere, Chiba had abundant options to refresh one's mood. In other words, the prefecture had no shortage of tourist spots or even camping.

"When you said it’d be a summer camp, I thought we were going to the Boso Peninsula or maybe Mount Tsukuba," Hachiman monologued.

His eyes stared out the window with his hair dancing wildly in the wind.

"But, why all the way to Gunma? Are you crazy?" he continued, turning to the driver beside him.

A mid-sized family van, which could accommodate up to twelve people if you didn't consider the extra luggage. However, the vehicle was only filled by five people, and the back seat was deliberately removed to provide more space for their luggage.

Hachiman sat in the front, accompanying Hiratsuka, who was driving in a great mood. Behind him sat three cute girls. Yui and Yukino sat between Komachi, who was in the middle of the two sophomores.

“Well, I actually wanted to take you guys to Mount Fuji. However, we booked the place too late and couldn’t get the full package,” the woman replied.

‘We? Is she working with someone else?’ Hachiman thought in confusion.

However, the boy discarded the question and went back to the topic.

“No, that’s even worse. Mount Fuji is further away, you know? Besides, that’s not what I asked.”

'And what do you mean by full package? What do you need for camping besides a place to sleep, cooking, and eating utensils?' the boy thought.

However, Hachiman didn't voice his question since he felt it didn't bother him too much even though there was a slight suspicion. Besides, when he saw no tent and cooking utensils they brought, the boy concluded that they’d be sleeping in a hut. At that point, he had no complaints because it was much better than sleeping under a tent.

“It’s summer, Hikigaya, summer," Hiratsuka replied while gazing on the highway, "If we're talking about a summer camp, the choice should be Mount Fuji, the Alps, or areas like Nagano, Tochigi, and Gunma, right?"

“You forgot to include Chiba in there,” Hachiman interrupted.

Meanwhile, the boy heard a soft snort from a girl right behind him.

“Here we go again, Hikigaya-kun with his strange obsession with Chiba.”

A cold and soft voice that could shoot the soul, that's how Yukino was every time she threw out her words. However, that only applied if she didn’t include poison in every word that came out of her mouth.

“I'm being serious here, you know?”

“Chill, Hikigaya. I understand what you mean. That’s why, even though we’re going to Gunma, the place we’re visiting isn’t just a random place,” Hiratsuka took over the conversation again.

The teenagers in the car stared at the woman intently, waiting for their teacher to explain. However, Hachiman found the girls' reactions strange.

“Wait, you guys don’t know where the camp is either?” the guy asked in surprise.

Yui shook her head while shrugging her shoulders.

“No. Actually, Hiratsuka-sensei just said that we’re going to do some summer activities,” answered the short-haired girl.

Hachiman narrowed his eyes, looking at the girls through the rearview mirror in front of him.

“Next time, if someone offers you a candy or invites you somewhere with the promise of something, please don’t accept it and immediately report them to the police.”

When Hiratsuka heard that statement, she immediately pinched the guy's ear. Although her mouth was smiling, her broken smile was obvious, showing that she was pretty offended by those words.

"You think I'm suspicious, huh, Hikigaya?” the woman said coldly.

"Ouch. Please stop, ouch."

The girls, other than Komachi, couldn't see it. However, Hiratsuka imbued her pinch with cursed energy and squeezed it hard enough to nearly make the boy's ears fall off.

“Please let go of my ear already. Shouldn’t you focus on the road?” Hachiman said again.

“Don’t worry. I can even drive with my feet if you want.”

The smile etched on the adult woman's face showed no friendliness. In fact, it looked pretty scary. However, after seeing Hachiman's ear turning slightly red, she finally felt satisfied and let go of her pinch.

“So, can we get back on topic?” Yukino asked flatly.

Even though her face looked indifferent to what had just happened, deep down, the girl was immensely enjoying the scene where the boy before her was being tortured by their teacher.

"Well, like I said, even though it's in Gunma, it's not just any place, and I'm sure you guys will like it, especially you, Hikigaya.”

Hiratsuka deliberately left her words hanging to see the reactions of her cute students.

“Because we’re gonna go to Chiba Village!!!”

Hiratsuka took both hands off the wheel and clapped her hands alone to liven up the atmosphere. However, instead of making her students excited, Yukino and Yui glared at her reckless actions.

“Sensei, the steering wheel! Your hands! Please don’t play with it!” Yukino shouted.

The girl almost jumped out of her seat to reflexively grab the woman. However, she still had some resistance, so her body only leaned forward slightly while her hands gripped the back of the driver's seat.

“Don’t worry, Yukinoshita. We're on the highway and no vehicles are around us."

"Isn't that precisely why you must be extra careful, Sensei?"

Yukino knew that her teacher was a hot-blooded woman with many crazy things in her head. Every action Hiratsuka took and every day behaviour she displayed made Yukino think that the woman seemed to have the spirit of youth that’d never fade. However, the girl never thought she’d be that reckless even when driving.

"Fine, fine. You can sit quietly now," replied Hiratsuka, not wanting to tease Yukino further.

To ensure the girl was okay, the woman slightly reduced the speed of her vehicle.

Yukino let out a sigh of relief as she rubbed her chest. It was the first time she screamed that loudly, perhaps even in her whole life. Even though her heart was beating fast, the girl didn't realise it. That was just how surprised she was at the moment. However, seeing her teacher chuckle lightly, she should have known the woman was teasing her.

'Still, a prank like that is not funny at all.'

“Would you like some water, Yukino-san?”

Yukino glanced to the side, finding a girl two years younger than her handing her a bottle of mineral water.

“Thank you, Komachi-san.”

The girl with long black hair accepted it happily, and immediately opened it and drank it slowly.

“By the way, what is Chiba Village? That’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”

Yui, who had been silent because of the previous event, finally asked the question tickling her mind.

“Hikigaya, you explain that.”

Instead of answering Yui's question, Hiratsuka threw the responsibility to Hachiman, making the boy look at her sarcastically. However, in the next second, he sighed with his eyes closed while his left hand rubbed the back of his neck.

“Chiba Village, well, the official name is Kogen Chiba Mura, established in 1970. It’s a kinda camping complex that has complete facilities such as a ski area, indoor sports hall, tennis courts, outdoor activities, and even an onsen. Although administratively it's in Gunma Prefecture, the owner is Chiba City Government."

Hachiman paused his long explanation to take a breath before continuing again.

“Well, that being said, rumour has it that the place might close next year.”

“Wow, Onii-chan, you really know a lot when it comes to Chiba, huh?” Komachi responded.

The youngest girl in the group stared at her smartphone, scrolling through the screen to ensure her brother’s explanation was accurate. However, Hachiman seemed unhappy with her reaction.

“Hey, I also know many things besides Chiba, you know?" he argued.

Meanwhile, Yui was still digesting the new information. It was news to her. Despite being born and raised as a true Chiba citizen, she never knew that the city she lived in had something like that. However, she still had a nagging feeling about that Chiba Village thingy.

"But isn't that a bit strange? I mean, why build such an area there? And why will it be closed next year?" the pink-haired girl asked further.

"Although it sounds ridiculous, the Chiba Government wanted to create a tourist destination for their citizens then. Gunma was chosen due to its cool temperature and not too far from Chiba. And as for why Chiba Village will be closed, it's because the number of visitors has been decreasing drastically."

“Eh? Why did the number of visitors decrease drastically?” Yui asked again.

Hachiman stared at Yui with his soulless eyes through the rearview mirror, making the girl look a little taken aback.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be annoying by always asking questions."

“What? I didn’t do anything, though?” the guy defended.

“That's because your eyes look scary, Onii-chan.”

Komachi's indifferent words successfully made Hachiman avert his gaze. However, not only that boy, but also Yui unconsciously turned to the middle school girl sitting on her left side.

Admittedly, Yui sometimes had mixed feelings whenever she saw him. His indifferent attitude gave the impression of an unfriendly boy. Even his sharp words were often on the same level as Yukino's. It wasn’t that bad per se. However, he sometimes gave off an aura that made her uncomfortable around him even though she knew he was a good guy.

Yui took a deep breath and bit her tongue, trying to overcome her weird prejudices toward the boy.

“So, why did the number of visitors drop so drastically?” the girl repeated her question.

Hachiman didn't answer right away. Honestly, he had never thought about the reason. Even for a nerd like him, who was quite fond of collecting trivial information, he still had many more important things to pay attention to than just finding out why the tourism business run by the city government wasn’t going well. After all, what he loved was Chiba with all its diversity, not the mundane affairs that the local Government was doing.

After Yui repeated her question, the atmosphere in the car was silent for a moment with a slight pause that confused Hachiman about what kind of answer to give. Even so, she kept staring at the boy with sparkling eyes, filled with pure enthusiasm. Occasionally, a rough snort would be heard from the girl as if she couldn't wait for the answer she had been waiting for. Meanwhile, Hachiman seemed to be rubbing the back of his neck slowly, thinking hard as if the simple question was a test that’d determine his future.

On the other hand, Yukino saw the boy's reaction and worked hard to holding back the laughter that seemed to tickle her stomach. Almost every day, she was treated to weird knowledge from the boy who could always answer such peculiar questions. That was why finding himself in trouble was refreshing for Yukinoshita Yukino.

“Actually, it’s a bit rude for me to speak like this,” said the long black-haired girl after being satisfied with the boy situation, “However, if I have to be frank, the Chiba City Government has made a mistake in their approach to developing Chiba Village.”

The girls' eyes were now focused on Yukino, and even Hachiman secretly opened his ears wide to ensure he heard every word of the girl's explanation.

“Uhm… so, what does that mean?” Komachi asked, earning an enthusiastic nod from Yui.

“In short, right from the moment they decided to use the ‘Chiba Village’ branding for a tourism business outside of Chiba, the risk of failure was highly determined. If it were not a regional municipal-owned corporation funded directly using the municipal budget yearly, it would have probably closed down long ago."

If there was a fundamental difference between municipally owned corporations and private companies, it was the interests and objectives of establishing the business. The private company would always be a profit-oriented one. Meanwhile, municipally owned corporations, and also state-owned corporations, tend to be businesses that were established to accommodate the interests of citizens in general. Therefore, even though they were also required to make profits, in some cases, losses every year would still be tolerated within certain limits as long as the interests of the people were accommodated.

"Wait, wait. I'm unfamiliar with these municipal-owned corporation and municipal budget thingy. But why do you think the branding of 'Chiba Village' is a mistake?" Yui asked, her head starting to smoke. "Can you explain it more simply and leave out the difficult terms, Yukinon?”

The youngest Yukinoshita took a deep breath with her eyes closed momentarily.

“So, Chiba Village was built as a recommendation for Chiba people as a tourist option. Although it seems like a form of understanding from the Government, it also indirectly gives the impression that it is an exclusive place for our citizens. This makes people outside Chiba not consider Chiba Village a first, second, third, or even fourth choice."

Yukino paused her explanation momentarily to catch her breath and see how people were reacting. Seeing Yui and Komachi listening to her with sparkling eyes made her even more eager to start her session again.

"Moreover, people tend to be proud of local products from their regions. When you open a business in Gunma, it means that the people of Gunma are the biggest potential market. However, when they know that Chiba Village is a product from another region, they will prefer to support their local businesses. Meanwhile, for the people of Chiba themselves, who are the primary market for Chiba Village, the Boso Peninsula is still a favourite destination for tourism.”

Yukino ended the impromptu class with a long sigh. Meanwhile, Yui stared at her, amazed, even though she didn't understand half of Yukino's explanation. Meanwhile, Hiratsuka, listening silently, smiled in satisfaction at how brilliant her student was.

"Also, if they want to find a different atmosphere, Chiba people prefer to go to Mount Fuji and the Alps. Or if they have a lot of money, Hokkaido and Okinawa are the main choices. Because of that, Chiba Village has difficulty optimising its potential because it couldn’t grab the biggest potential market and the primary market,” Yukino added a little trivia to her explanation.

“Ugh… my head can’t wrap all of this,” Yui mumbled.

The girl's eyes were tightly shut, and her expression twisted as if she had eaten a sour fruit. From the start, she wasn't the type of person who was good at using her head to understand complicated things. Even after Yukino gave her the most straightforward explanation possible, her brain still couldn't keep up.

“The bottom line is, only fools think they can dictate where a person goes. And when such fools run something, it’s destined to be doomed sooner or later.”

Not Yukino, the harsh criticism came from Hachiman, who finally voiced his thoughts again after a while.

“Oh, now you are talking, huh? You were so quiet. I almost forgot you were here, Hikigaya-kun. And no wonder the atmosphere became more peaceful."

“Just so you know. My silence doesn’t mean I don’t know the answer, you know? And stop thinking that I’m some kind of plague or something.”

“Please, pardon my rudeness. But I do not think you are a plague. It is just that when you stop talking, I feel like the air around becomes fresher,” Yukinoshita replied.

Hachiman frowned at those words. However, before he could defend, the girl proceeded to him again.

“Oh, please do not misunderstand. You do not have to be offended by that. On the contrary, perhaps you can reduce global warming by stopping talking, Hiki-pollution-kun?”

“Oh, no, no. I’m not offended at all,” Hachiman replied in a fake tone, “You know, if you feel like you can breathe easier just because someone is silent, you should probably see a psychiatrist because you might be suffering from a lot of stress.”

Hachiman paused his words for a moment to catch his breath. However, he made sure not to give the Yukinoshita girl a chance before he finished firing his words of revenge.

“Oh, not gonna say you're a girl with a mental illness, though.”

“It is fine, do not worry about that. Even this mentally ill girl can explain things better than you, who is so-called a normal boy,” Yukino replied to the sarcasm calmly.

She combed her hung down black hair with her hand and threw it behind like an arrogant noble lady. Her dignity wasn't tarnished in the slightest although she received such words. The girl crossed her arms in front of her chest while her chin was slightly raised, showing she wouldn’t feel inferior to anything.

Meanwhile, in the front seat, Hachiman growled at Yukino's reaction. It was annoying to see her act all high and mighty. However, he couldn't deny that she suited the strong and cold person.

"Oh no, they're doing it again," Yui muttered, watching from the sidelines.

The comment seemed to hit the black-haired girl, sinking her soul back into her own flesh body after being carried away by the atmosphere to the world where there was only her and that boy before her could understand.

Yukino pretended to cough, covering her mouth with her right hand. She awkwardly glanced at Komachi, who was sitting next to her.

“I am sorry, Komachi-san. I did not mean to badmouth your brother,” she said.

“No, don't worry, Yukino-san. You guys look funny, so it's fine.”

“You should be angry on your brother’s behalf, you know?” Hachiman chimed in.

“Eh? Why, though? I mean, I know you’re my brother, but I also like Yukino-san.”

Komachi immediately grabbed Yukino's free arm, hugging her tightly as if there was no tomorrow. Komachi's sudden action made Yukino feel awkward due to her lack of preparation. As such, a blush appeared on the girl's cheeks.

“Ah, the joy of being young. That’s so dazzling,” Hiratsuka suddenly complained as she sped up her car, “And look at me now. No one has even talked to me since earlier.”

The woman looked slumped in her seat with a gloomy aura surrounding her.

“Hey, Hikigaya! Talk to me too. Am I not young and good enough for you?"

“W-what’s that even mean? Why suddenly?”

Hachiman unconsciously shifted his body to the side when Hiratsuka looked at him with her pleading gaze. Her lips seemed to be pursed cutely while the corners of her eyes were drawn down following the line of her eyebrows. It was a contrasting sight considering the woman always displayed a strong and dominant aura. However, what Hachiman witnessed right now was just a woman who looked so cute with her adorable behaviour.

'Wait, who in the hell is this? Where did that terrifying, tomboyish woman go?' Hachiman thought as he glanced at the other passengers, 'Someone, please talk to her! Like, seriously or I'll take over the driver's seat and make her listen to me ramble on the whole ride so she won't be lonely anymore!'

Luckily, they were stopped at a toll gate with a line of cars in front of them, so they didn't have to worry about the driver's sudden change in mood. However, in the next second, Hiratsuka seemed to laugh out loud at Hachiman's funny expression.

“Take it easy, little buddy. I was just kidding,” the woman said with a sigh, “But I really miss my youth, goddamn!”

Hachiman, as did Yukino, rolled their eyes in boredom after hearing the clarification. The boy felt like an idiot for almost falling for the prank. Meanwhile, Yui and Komachi looked like they were grinning with the woman.

“By the way, Hiratsuka-sensei,” Yui said after her laughter had subsided, “Could you close the window? The wind is too strong and it’s messing up my hair.”

Hiratsuka looked in the rearview mirror above her and found the short-haired girl busy tidying her hair with her fingers.

“Well, I don’t mind. But it’d make stuffy,” Hiratsuka replied.

The woman refocused her gaze forward after the long line of cars in front of her had left. She stepped on the gas pedal carefully so that the vehicle moved slowly.

“I mean, can't the AC be turned on?”

“AC isn’t good for your skin. Besides, isn’t the breeze from nature more refreshing?” Hiratsuka replied.

Yui felt like she had no other arguments to give to win over her teacher. As such, she could only fall into silence without being able to say anything.

Suddenly, the distinctive 'beep!' sound of the ETC scanner broke the silence that had followed the girl into silence. In an instant, the automatic toll barrier lifted, opening up a path that led them onto the city streets. Hiratsuka immediately pressed the accelerator harder without hesitation, making the car go faster. However, the breeze, which grew stronger as the car's speed increased, made the girl feel slightly uncomfortable again.

“Hey, Yukinon. Your hair is long. Isn’t it annoying if it keeps getting blown by the wind?” asked Yui, who was trying to find a friend.

“Mine? Not really," replied the black-haired girl, "Basically, I have soft hair, so just combing it with my hands is enough. Also, I tie the ends of my hair so that they do not scatter when the wind blows.”

Yukino showed the red scrunchie that tied her lower hair. Seeing that, Yui cried in her mind, while Hiratsuka amusedly chuckled.

“Would you like to borrow my hat, Yuigahama? With your short hair, you’d look good.”

Yui stared at the green patrol cap intently. It was a military hat that gave the wearer a tomboyish impression. Honestly, it wasn't her style. Moreover, wearing the hat was uncomfortable, and her bun was styled to the side. However, the girl was also curious about how she’d look if she wore a slightly different outfit.

“I guess I’ll give it a try,” the girl said.

Hiratsuka smiled softly as she pressed the button to slightly raise both sides of the front windows. The air circulation in the vehicle decreased slightly, although not to the point where it was stuffy. She didn't like turning on the air conditioning while driving because she believed that the best trip experience was thoroughly enjoying the blessings of nature. Moreover, she sometimes smoked some cigarettes while driving even though only Hachiman and Iroha knew that behaviour of her. However, she also couldn't act selfishly by ignoring her student's complaint, especially since it was a trivial request.

Therefore, leaving three-quarters of the front windows closed was the best compensation she could give.

“You’ll like it for real.”

Hiratsuka took off her hat and gave it to Yui, sitting behind her. The girl accepted it happily. However, she didn't wear it immediately and just stared at it for a few seconds. With a long exhale, Yui untied her hair. Right after the hat was on her head, she took out her smartphone and used it as a mirror.

“Wow, it’s cooler than I expected. What do you think, Komachi-chan?”

Yui asked the only fashion-conscious person in the car. Yukino was indeed wonderful, elegant, and charming, but her natural perfection made her not care about the latest fashion. Meanwhile, even though Hiratsuka was a mature woman with a lot of experience, she had a completely different taste.

“Your usual hairstyle is unique and cute, but the combination of short hair and the patrol cap is the best, Yui-san!” Komachi replied enthusiastically.

Hachiman watched the two girls' conversation from the front seat. He never understood those who were always so excited about fashion.

'Are girls always like that? Even Maki would scold Okkotsu when he was caught buying clothes with silly writing on them with me and Inumaki.'

His mind wandered to examine the temperament of every woman he knew, and he found most of them were like that. He could only mention a few names, and one of them was Hiratsuka. She might not seem like that because she had a personality and hobbies that tended to be like men's. Moreover, being a super-strong sorcerer, she could do whatever she wanted, and no one would dare to complain.

'She’s what they call might makes right, after all.'

Hachiman's eyes then fell on the rearview mirror, which reflected a figure of a girl with long black hair burying her nose in a book. Her small mouth and sharp nose made the girl look cute. However, her curly eyelashes and cold gaze gave a strong impression of elegance. The extraordinary combination created perfect beauty.

'If it's Yukinoshita, she probably wouldn't care what other people wear as long as it's not against the norms. A noble girl like her would probably be more likely to scold you if you acted stupid than if you wore chuuni clothes. Plus, she'd still look good no matter what she wore, making her naturally quite indifferent to what she wears.'

As the boy analysed Yukino's personality, his mind couldn't help but drag Haruno into the reading.

If Yukino was a unique combination of cuteness and elegance, Haruno was a perfectionist dominating all aspects. She could make men dance in her hand by using her looks alone. The woman was a true monster who knew how to use whatever she had for personal gain. And by all means, she literally had everything.

'Haruno-san also never nagged me when I bought clothes with silly writings. But, well, for that person, anything she can see will be her source of entertainment. And I'm sure she’ll always laugh and enjoy the stupid things other people do.'

It was ridiculous to find himself suddenly thinking about Haruno, even to the point of understanding how the woman's head worked.

However, when he was lost in his reverie, the sound of a horn suddenly disturbed his peace. Moreover, the fierce sound of a car whose engine was revved like a maniac made his soul return from the world of reverie.

'Who’s the bastard that's doing that?' Hachiman cursed silently.

If someone honked their horn even though the traffic light was still red, it was a sure sign that they were idiots. Even the most impatient toxic person on the road would only honk when it turned green. However, when someone revved the engine in such a situation in the van that Hiratsuka was driving, it could only mean two things. First, they were a bunch of idiots trying to flirt after seeing the pretty girls in the car. Or second, the perpetrators were people they already knew, trying to joke around with these things.

Everyone in the van looked to the side, with Hiratsuka rolling down the car window. A classic car, a Toyota AE86, that had definitely been modified, caught their eyes.

Yui panicked a little, seeing the car, thinking that its owner, who made a loud noise from its exhaust, was a bad person. Meanwhile, Hiratsuka and Komachi looked calm, as if they knew and expected the car to catch up to them sooner or later. On the other hand, Hachiman's eyes widened briefly, but returned to normal after understanding the situation.

'Yuuji said that this vacation was Hiratsuka-sensei's idea to relieve tension after all the crazy things. It makes sense Haruno-san will join this trip. Plus, it clears my question why she was in my house this morning. But I wonder why Isshiki isn’t here, though?'

However, of all the reactions, none were more shocked than the long black-haired girl. Her eyes were wide open, so her pupils were quivering. Her mouth was agape as if she had lost the ability to communicate. Even so, a murmur was heard from the girl.

“Why is Onee-san here?”

After hearing her clubmate's question, Yui, who was initially panicked, now looked confused. However, Hiratsuka preceded her with an explanation before she could ask further.

“Well, actually, I was drinking with Haruno a few days ago. And without realising it, I accidentally told her the plan and asked her to join.”

Yukino looked at her teacher, who could only grin in the end. She sighed in resignation as the atmosphere around her felt a little gloomy.

“Hey, there! Your group looks so lively. Mind if this beautiful Onee-san joins the party?" Haruno shouted, and her car window rolled down.

Meanwhile, Yukino knew that this so-called summer camp wouldn’t be ordinary. Considering Hiratsuka's personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if the woman had an additional agenda to make the camp not end in monotony. However, the girl never expected her sister to interfere in the activities.

“Hey, that pretty black-haired girl over there!” Haruno shouted again, “Why do you look gloomy? Wanna ride and have a little fun with this Onee-san?”

Yukino stared at the woman wearing a white shirt covered in black denim. However, seeing her wide smile was enough to make her head spin.

“The next three days, I hope I have the energy to get through it,” the girl muttered.

—OoOoO—

After travelling for about three hours by car, they finally arrived at the Chiba Village parking lot. However, they still had to walk about five hundred metres more before setting foot on the campsite. Right now, everyone was working together to unload their belongings from the van trunk.

When they stopped for about thirty minutes to restock at a supermarket in Chiba, Hachiman didn't think they had brought much. However, after taking them out individually, he realised they had prepared enough to throw a festive party for several days.

"I'm getting increasingly convinced this isn't gonna be an ordinary camp," the boy muttered with a sigh.

Hachiman looked around, seeing what people were doing. Haruno, Komachi, and Yui were busy taking photos in various silly poses, while Hiratsuka stood a little away, talking to someone on the phone. As for Yukino, the girl stood not far from him, rechecking their belongings with a note in her hand.

“Nothing was missed, right?” Hachiman asked.

"If you look at the list, some are not here."

The black-haired girl dived back into the arranged items. Her eyes occasionally glanced back at the notes she was holding to make sure of something she was looking for. However, a tired sigh escaped her mouth when she once again couldn't find it.

“Is there perhaps something still in Haruno-san’s car?” Hachiman asked again.

“I am sure that is not the case,” Yukino replied, shaking her head slowly, “I have checked and Nee-san only brought medicine and extra blankets.”

From the start, doubting the examination of a super meticulous girl like Yukino was ridiculous. Even though she seemed consistently hostile, Hachiman would never doubt her capability to do something.

“Hiratsuka-sensei also most likely won't make this amateur mistake,” Hachiman muttered.

The two teenagers stared at each other as if trying to correct each other through their eyes. Their brains were working in sync and on the same frequency. All factors had been considered well, leading them to the same conclusion.

“Don’t tell me that….”

“There are still other groups that will join,” Yukino completed Hachiman's sentence.

Hiratsuka's original purpose for this vacation was to refresh everyone's minds after everything that happened with the Jujutsu Society in Chiba. Whatever the woman did by gathering the Service Club was a cover or side quest to disguise her true purpose. If the information Hachiman had was correct, he could guess who the last name to come was.

'However, if Miura came here alone, it’d look strange and suspicious.'

His gaze fell back on the vast stock of goods, which could even be said to be excessive for just the people present here.

Hachiman's eyes widened as if the boy had just realised something. However, before he could ask for confirmation, a small black van appeared to enter the parking area. The car stopped right next to the vehicle his group was using. And it didn't take long for the doors on each side of the vehicle to open.

“Tsk.”

Hachiman clicked his tongue as he saw who came out of the vehicle.

The most popular group from his school's second-year class just appeared. Hayama Hayato was the first to step out of the car. Miura Yumiko followed him through the second-row door with her best friend, Ebina Hina. Meanwhile, from the other side, a group of guys like Tobe Kakeru and his gang came out; even Totsuka Saika from the Tennis Club also joined in.

“Your dissatisfaction is clearly visible on your face, Hikigaya-kun. Stop or you will make things worse,” Yukino said.

Hachiman wanted to reply to those words, but he changed his mind when he saw the expression on the girl's face.

“I don’t wanna hear it from a girl who broke her pen just because a group she doesn't like is joining.”

When the girl found out her sister was also there, she reacted completely differently. When she saw Haruno, Yukino looked more like a younger sister who didn't want her older sister to follow her when she was out with her friends.

'I could tell it because Komachi looked at me like a pest when she found out I was tailing her around when she hung out with her guy friends, especially with that Taichi boy or something.'

However, Yukino's reaction when she saw them was pure hatred. Even though the girl had a tense relationship with Miura Yumiko a few months ago, she’d never be that irritated by her presence. Yukino had never felt inferior to others. It'd only tarnish her honour and pride if she felt irritated because of Yumiko's presence, mainly because of their fight a few months ago.

'In other words, there's something more personal than that and it’s definitely not about Miura.'

“Alright, kids. Come here and listen to me.”

Hiratsuka's sudden shout made everyone turn their gaze. As instructed, they began to gather, forming lines according to their respective groups. Only Haruno stood next to the high school teacher.

“I’ll briefly explain our agenda.”

Hiratuka delayed her explanation to ensure that the people's attention was focused entirely on her.

“So, today and the next few days, we’ll be extra manpower to help with the field trip organised by a local elementary school in Inage. It just so happens that one of the teachers is an acquaintance of mine, so I got this opportunity to hold a summer camp. However, since the Service Club itself is short of manpower, I invited other students from my class, as well as Hikigaya Komachi, to persuade her brother to join."

'Persuade me your ass, you forced me to be more precise,' the guy cursed.

“Hikigaya, I know what you’re thinking!” the woman shouted, glaring at the boy.

“Tsk.”

But babysitting a bunch of elementary school kids on a field trip? Even Hachiman never imagined that in his wildest dreams. While he wasn't exactly bad at handling little kids, that didn't mean he would happily babysit a kid he didn't even have any connection with, especially if there were many of them.

'Is it normal for me to feel tired even before the event starts?' the boy thought as he took a deep breath.

—To Be Continued—

Author Note: Hello hi. How are you guys? I hope you're doing well. I can't believe it's already May.

Anyway, maybe some of you don't know. Actually, Chiba Village, which is the setting for the Oregairu series in the summer arc, is in Gunma. The reason is as written in this chapter. And yes, even for Chiba people, this place isn’t popular. At least, when I was in Japan, almost no one knew about Chiba Village. Maybe because it was closed at that time, I don't know. The point is, it is what it is.

If you're wondering why the car scene feels so long, well, to put it simply, I wanted to emphasise the relationship between the Service Club in this arc, which was previously sidelined throughout the story. Also, because this arc will be full of Slice of Life nuances, there’ll be more interactions with them in the future. And because Haruno is also here, the big picture of this arc will be different from the canon version. So, you can look forward to it with quite an enthusiasm even though there won't be any heavy topics that will be touched on for a while.

Alright, that's all from me. See you in the next two weeks. And if nothing goes wrong, the first two chapters of Spiderman fic will probably be released next month. See ya!