Chapter 109

“Have a safe trip, you two.”

Friday afternoon, right after classes ended—just before we departed for the training camp Lodging.

Miyuki had come all the way out to the front of the Kendo Club to see Tetsuya off.

It hurt to think of her heading back alone with that heavy bag.

So I had to take her home, didn’t I?

“I’ll be going. Get back safely. Let me know if anything happens.”

Tetsuya offered his parting words with his usual goofy smile.

Thrilled when Miyuki waved back at him with a bright expression, he soon ducked into the Club Room, claiming he had a lot of preparations to help Renka with.

I waited until the bastard was out of sight before I spoke.

“Let’s go.”

“Huh? Where?”

“To your place. I’m going to drop you off and come back.”

“What...? There’s no need for that. I can just take the train.”

Miyuki waved her hands in refusal.

Grabbing her wrist, I headed toward the Parking Lot.

“Matsuda-kun...! I’m telling you, I’m really fine! Everyone else is waiting, so what are you doing going off on your own?”

“There’s a lot to prepare anyway, so it’ll take a while.”

“Then you should at least help Senior Nanase...! She’s a manager too.”

“I finished all that yesterday.”

“...Were you always this much of a planner?”

She sounded exasperated, but her joy was written all over her face.

Looking down at Miyuki, I smirked and slowed my pace.

“What are you going to do over the weekend?”

“Hmm... I’m thinking about meeting up with my friends. I haven’t seen them much lately because I’ve only been hanging out with you, Matsuda-kun...”

“Don’t go wandering around late just because you’re excited to see them. Go home early. Got it?”

“No... I only go home late when I’m meeting you, Matsuda-kun...”

“Answer me.”

“A-all right... I’ll go home early...”

Satisfied with her shy reply, I nodded. We reached the Parking Lot and got into the car together.

Did she really like that I was taking care of her?

As soon as Miyuki put her bag down, she held my hand tightly and interlaced our fingers.

“How am I supposed to drive like this?”

“You’ve always managed just fine before...”

“True enough. We’re off.”

“Yeah.”

Returning to the Kendo Club, I saw Chinami checking the supplies in the bus’s luggage compartment.

The way she scurried around in the lower compartment made her look just like a squirrel.

I walked up to the compartment, crouched down, and asked.

“What are you doing? Didn’t you finish checking the supplies yesterday?”

“Ah, it’s you, junior. I was just double-checking everything, just in case.”

“You’re thorough. But where did the President go, and why are you out here doing this alone?”

“Renka is finalizing the training schedule with the director. The director wants to run a hellish training regimen under his strict supervision, while my close friend Renka argues it would be better to give everyone plenty of free training time. They are currently locked in a fierce debate.”

Hearing her describe it made it sound like a negotiation between nations.

“Personally, I want to side with the President. I want to train together with you, Master.”

“Ah...! I feel the same way.”

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

“No, it’s fine. I just finished checking everything. The equipment, the consumables—everything is perfect.”

I reached out a hand as Chinami wiggled her way out. She flinched in surprise, then grabbed my hand and pulled herself up.

She straightened her back and let out a long stretch.

I lightly patted her lower back.

“Good work.”

“Ah! Ah...!”

She flinched and let out strange little gasps every time my hand touched her.

She was cute, like a puppy enjoying a pat on the rump.

Finally, I gently wrapped my hands around Chinami’s shoulders, gave them a brief massage, and asked.

“Can we get on the bus now?”

At that, Chinami licked her lips as if slightly disappointed and nodded.

“Yes... You get on first, junior. I have to go see the director and Renka.”

“Understood. You’re going to sit next to me, right?”

“Hngh...?”

Chinami opened her already large eyes even wider.

Tilting my head at her reaction, I spoke as if it were obvious.

“We should sit together. I even bought some jelly to share with you, Master.”

“Ahem... Sounds good to me.”

“Were you planning on sitting separately? If so, I’d be really hurt...”

At those words, Chinami placed her hands on her hips and scolded me.

“Now, hold on...! I brought some peaches to share with you too, junior. If you jump to such mean conclusions, I’m the one who’ll be hurt...! I was just a little flustered because you brought it up so suddenly...!”

“Is that right?”

“That’s right. Hurry up and get on. I’ll be right there.”

“Understood.”

I watched Chinami’s back as she trudged toward the Club Room, then got on the bus.

The chartered bus was a fifty-seater. It was plenty spacious for a club of just over thirty members.

Has Tetsuya not boarded yet? Knowing him, he’s probably hovering around Renka.

I grabbed a water bottle from the front, exchanged some light banter with a few members who told me to sit next to them, and settled into a seat just in front of the empty back row.

“Hello, Matsuda-kun.”

The greeting came from two second-year female club members sitting right in front of me.

It made me think of those AVs where people sneak around on a dark, late-night bus, enjoying all sorts of play with the women.

Smirking, I gave them a brief nod.

“Hello. Do you have anything to eat by any chance?”

“We have matcha-flavored Pocky, want some? We have banana bread, too.”

“Want to trade the Pocky for some jelly?”

“We have jelly too, you know?”

“Then why did you leave that out when you offered?”

“Because we don’t want to give you any?”

“Hand it over.”

When I slipped my hand through the gap between the seats, they giggled and placed a jelly in my palm.

Even when I act like a jerk, they still like it. This is why having a good face is so important.

My recent reputation probably played a part, too. If it were the old me, they wouldn’t have even bothered talking to me.

Next year, maybe I should make it my goal to sleep in the girls’ rooms during the training camp.

Entertaining those wild thoughts while making idle chatter with the girls, I raised a hand when Chinami finally boarded the bus.

“Master, over here.”

Spotting me, she trotted over but then hesitated.

Since I was sitting in the aisle seat, it seemed she was a bit embarrassed to squeeze past me.

“Um... junior. Should I sit on the aisle side?”

“No.”

I refused flatly and pulled my legs back under the armrest. Only then did a relieved Chinami slide in, careful not to let her body brush against mine as she moved to the window seat.

Then, she pulled a rectangular pack out of the plastic bag she was holding.

Inside the translucent pack were neatly sliced peaches.

Opening the lid, she spoke.

“Today I brought Madoka peaches, the most delicious of all the firm peaches.”

“They have a really strong scent, don’t they?”

“Mhm...! You’re sharp. That’s one of the characteristics of the Madoka variety.”

“Peaches are barely in season anymore, aren’t they? You did well to find some.”

“Firm peaches have a great shelf life, which means their shipping times can be staggered. I’ll have to start freezing some soon for the winter, but they’re still available for now, so it’s fine.”

She even freezes them? Does she have a dedicated peach freezer at home or something?

The more I learned about Chinami’s love for peaches, the more intense it seemed.

It’s a little scary.

“I see...”

“Eat up quickly before the color fades.”

Chinami mumbled around a slice of peach she’d just popped into her mouth.

Staring at her chewing with full cheeks, I let out a soft chuckle and replied.

“Sure.”

While I was savoring the peaches with Chinami like that, the rest of the members boarded the bus and filled the seats.

As for Renka, she twitched her eyebrows when she saw me sitting with Chinami, then took the window seat in the row opposite us.

And Tetsuya took the empty seat next to her.

That son of a bitch... look at him sitting down so naturally.

It’s an absolute eyesore.

When the bastard threw a nod of greeting in my direction, I shot back a joke in a voice too low for Renka to catch.

“Must be nice, huh?”

“What is?”

“Never mind, it’s nothing.”

“Boring... But hey, what’s wrong with your neck?”

“My neck?”

“It’s a little red.”

This? It’s a mark Miyuki left on me in the car while you were cluelessly wagging your tail at Renka.

“Really? Is it bad?”

“Not that bad.”

“Then it’s fine.”

“You really are carefree the more I look at you. How can a guy be like that?”

Like I could beat you at that, you fucker.

I let a dry chuckle serve as my answer, then quietly turned to Chinami, who was still happily munching on her peaches.

“How did the showdown end?”

“Huh? Ah... they compromised. On the first day, we’ll unpack and eat as soon as we arrive. After that, we’ll have group training, but it won’t be too intense.”

“And tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, the training leading up to lunch will be a bit tough, but they agreed to let us loose after that. We can do independent training, or play in the valley near the cabin. There’s an audiovisual room too, so we can watch movies. The nearby walking trails are also really nice.”

“The cabin even has an audiovisual room?”

“It’s a pension-style cabin. It’s a popular choice for retreats as well as training camps, so it has great facilities.”

If the facilities are that good, there must be a few secluded spots too, right?

Like a place where two people could give each other a private massage... somewhere like that.

It would be nice if there was a room with a private open-air bath, but expecting that much would probably be pushing it.

“I see. Good to know.”

“It’s a little disappointing that the training intensity is lower than last year’s camp, but we can make up for it during the free training periods, so it should be fine.”

Hearing her say that, it sounded like she was planning to force me to train under the guise of improving my skills.

If I was going to focus all my energy on my event with Renka, I’d have to keep the training moderate and sneak off to flirt.

“Everyone quiet. We’re starting the head count.”

At the words of Goro, who had quietly boarded the bus, the noisy interior instantly fell silent.

We were finally off. This was going to be the most crucial turning point in my route to capture Renka, so I needed to aim for the absolute best outcome possible.