Chapter 19
Hot Springs Trip With Hiiragi-chan – Part 1
Starting from a week before testing periods start at our school, with the exception of students who partic.i.p.ate in club activities, school ends for the second half. My own grades were above average. As such, even if I didn’t study very hard, I wasn’t going to get any failing marks.
“For this times test, if you try hard, I’ll do something good for you ♡.”
I was thinking there was going to be some sort of conversation, but the real Hiiragi-chan ended up exceeding my expectations. It was about last night.
“Seiji-kun, tomorrow, it’ll head into testing period.”
“Yeah. There isn’t a need for me to study too hard, but a little bit of light studying is needed.”
“Eeeeh!? Aren’t your grades just fine!? I know it. Last year, your grades. Seiji-kun would be fine even if you don’t try, right? If you want to study, I won’t stop you though.”
“Isn’t now the time where you’re supposed to give me some kind of condition for motivation or something…? You’re a teacher after all.”
“I’m not your teacher, but your girlfriend. Phun.”
“No, well, you shouldn’t be pouting. I just said that you technically still had the standing of a teacher…”
“As I was working, I was looking up things on my laptop and planning what we would be doing together from Friday evening to Sunday when you stay over.”
“Do your work!”
“Please tell your parents beforehand, okay? If you don’t, it’ll be that I kidnapped a minor.”
“My family won’t miss me. And just sending a text to them would be fine as well, I believe.”
“Yeah yeah. There isn’t a need for Seiji-kun to study then. I’m really looking forward to the weekend ♪ .”
It was something like that.
It seems like she wants me to throw the idea of studying over the weekend out of the window, and just have fun. That’s why, Hiiragi-chan worked hard, late into the night so that she could enjoy the weekend. I didn’t hear anything about where we were going. Is everything really okay…?
Then, the Friday leading into the weekend arrived. As I was heading back home from school, a call came from Hiiragi-chan.
“I was able to work hard… this weekend… it doesn’t seem like I have any work left…!”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“I worked… hard, it wasn’t just a super-deluxe amount of
effort, but it was ultrdeluxe amount.”
She said deluxe twice, but I’ll let it go. From the day she had proposed the plan of going on a trip over the weekend, Hiiragi-chan continued to work hard. She didn’t show herself at lunch or the home economics club. She even worked hard after school late into the night. She was able to be seen during cla.s.s, but she ended up having a ghostly aura around her which scared all of my cla.s.smates. Coupling that with how haggard she looked, it provided quite a bit of impact.
In the end, I wasn’t able to give her the gift that I ended up buying the last time that I went shopping. I’ll try to find the timing to hand it over to her. It seemed that Hiiragi-chan was just about to head home, and that she wanted me to prepare before I go. That was fine, but where were we going?
I put a change of clothes and various other things inside my bag, and I head out to Hiiragi-chan’s place on my bike. After making sure that there was no one watching me, I stopped my bike, and used the spare key that I just got to open the door to Hiiragi-chan’s place. Shortly there after I heard the sound of the owner returning home.
“Welcome home, Haruksan.”
“!!”
Seeing me welcome her back, she seemed somewhat moved as her eyes became a little bit teary.
“Gyu”
She hugged me at the entrance.
“Haruksan, thanks for your hard work.”
“Somehow, this is pretty nice! After you graduate, let’s do this every day, okay?”
Maybe it was because she hadn’t talked to me this whole week, but it suddenly felt like Hiiragi-chan had released some sort of limiter, and in a sudden full burst, began to give me kisses. It was just as intense as an American. [1]
On my forehead, on my cheeks, and even my lips.
…What is this? It felt like some sort of large dog.
“Alright, alright. Haruksan, start preparing.”
“Don’t underestimate Hiiragi-sensei! Last night, I was preparing and I was so looking forward to it I didn’t sleep at all.”
“Rather than a teacher, you’ve gotten to the level of an elementary schooler!?”
Looking at where Hiiragi-chan was pointing her finger, there was a Boston bag [2] and one carry case.
“…Well then, where am I being taken exactly?”
“Hot springs! Inn!”
“Yeah! …Wait. But I
I don’t have that much money?”
While I was being held she began to pet my head.
“It’s alright, it’s alright. Haruksan will put out the money for your part too ♡.”
“Eeh… that makes me feel kind of bad.”
“I don’t have many interests anyways, so I don’t have very many other ways to spend the money. It’s alright!”
“No, well there’s no need to go that far…”
“Seiji-kun, good?”
She grabbed me by the cheeks and rocked me back and forth while looking straight at me from a very close distance.
… It’s a little embarra.s.sing.
“Hiiragi Haruksan is a lot richer than you think, Seiji-kun!”
“You declared that you were rich with a straight face!?”
I see, I finally understand what it means to become totally dependent on another person.
“I was only saying that jokingly, but still, before I started dating Seiji-kun, I just spent my days lazing about. I didn’t really use any of my money… I was pretty sparing on clothes, makeup, and alcohol as well.”
Now that she said that, I did remember it. A person working in society was usually too busy and didn’t have much time to use their money. Even if they do use it, besides the daily necessities, there wasn’t much else for them to spend it on.
“I guess I could save money since I didn’t have many interests. I knew that using it on games and stuff was a little bit of an expense. Besides, I also didn’t drink much and my meals are pretty basic.”
“That’s right that’s right… eh? Seiji-kun, you can’t drink alcohol, you know? And meals being basic… don’t you live at home?”
“Ah.”
I ended up talking out loud.
“Or rather, a slightly older relative mentioned that to me?”
“Ah, that’s what it was.”
That was close. From now on, if I accidentally let something out, I should use this hypothetical relative to pa.s.s it off. I don’t know who it is though.
“Now. Let’s go let’s go.”
We joined hands in the heat of the moment and left the house, getting onto Hiiragi-chan’s car.
“From now, it’ll be about two hours till we get there…”
I entered the destination information that Hiiragi-chan had told me into the navigation. It was a spa town near the sea just outside the prefecture.
“Even if we check in late, it seems like the inn will still let you eat dinner late…”
Hiiragi-chan continued to report to me various pieces
various pieces of information about the inn. After a little while, the number of things she said strangely lessened. I thought it was weird, so I took a sidelong glance at the person next to me. When I did, I noticed that Hiirag-chan was sleepily rubbing her eyes.
… S-she seemed super sleepy!
“Sensei, are you okay with driving? You didn’t sleep, right?”
“It’s not Haruksan, it’s Sensei, right…?”
Ah, this is bad. She’s already starting to breakdown.
“We should at least stop the car somewhere and have you take a nap.”
“Today, I didn’t sleep so it’s definitely bad~. What should we do~? It’s really bad~.”
“This isn’t the time to be making some sort of strange, I didn’t sleep much, appeal! This situation really is bad after all!”
We found a supermarket with a large parking lot and entered into it. She sat down in the backseat and yawned, and then began to sleep with a cute expression. I’ll let her sleep for about 15 more minutes.
During that time, I went into the supermarket to by a can of coffee and return to the car. Hiiragi-chan looked so peaceful, that it didn’t seem like she would wake up. Even after 30 minutes, she looked so peaceful and showed no sign of waking up.
“Sensei. Isn’t it about time for us to leave, or it’ll be bad? Aren’t we supposed to check in at 8?”
I hit her shoulders, and shook her. But even with that, she didn’t wake up. Gradually, I became more and more uneasy. Are we staying overnight in the car…? If that’s the case, I wouldn’t mind. However, this times trip was something that Hiiragi-chan had worked hard in order to make it a reality.
Adding on to that, it was the most excited that I’ve seen her yet. She was even telling me happily about tonight’s menu for dinner. Even if it wasn’t a trip, and it was just a date, I still would have been happy. However, when she wakes up, Hiiragi-chan will probably apologize to me repeatedly.
I’ll probably tell her multiple times that I didn’t mind staying overnight in the car and that there was no need for her to apologize. Even if I tell her that though, the kind Hiiragi-chan will probably still apologize due to guilt. I think I might just let her sleep for longer.
…Hmmm.
I don’t want to see Hiiragi-chanto see Hiiragi-chan looking down. She was just about to enjoy a trip that she had planned, so I don’t want that to fall apart.
“…”
Now then. Let’s go.
I shook the shoulder of Hiiragi-chan who was sitting in the driver’s seat from the pa.s.senger seat.
“Haruksan.”
“Ueeh…?”
Hiiragi-chan blinked a few times and looked around at the surroundings.
“Hmm? We’re here…?”
“Yeah. You don’t remember? Since you didn’t sleep, your memory became a little fuzzy. Probably.”
“Is that so…?”
“Come on, it’s almost time. Let’s hurry?”
I took got out of the car and took Hiiragi-chan’s stuff with me. She ended up scratching her head, confused, before chasing after me. Looking over the inn from the outside, it wasn’t at the level that I recognize… It had a feeling of sophistication… it looked very luxurious…
After checking in without any problems, a worker at the inn showed us to our room. It was a j.a.panese style room about 8 tatami mats large. On one side of the room there were two chairs with a low table between them. It was dark right now, but looking outside, it seemed like you could see the sea. The aesthetics were outstanding.
“Is it alright if I bring in your meals?”
“Yes. Please do.”
After checking for further instructions, the inn worker resigned herself from the room.
“Haruksan. Do you know how long the large bath rooms will be open?”
“Eh? There’s no such thing?”
“Hah? Isn’t this a hot spring inn?
“Come over here.”
She pulled me along and opened the door that I was curious about ever since I entered. There was a changing area, and a door to what looked to be a bathing area. There was a nice Hinoko bath, and also a small open air bath beyond the gla.s.s.
“…Eh.”
“It seems like each room has one. Still, there aren’t very many rooms, but we can enter it any time we want, you see?”
In other words, it was personal bath…? As a commoner, I was super nervous. I was hugged by Hiiragi-chan from behind.
“Since I had the chance, I went over the top.”
“No wonder you were looking forward to it.”
“…For bad children, Sensei needs to give punishment.”
Well, of course she would notice. After saying something teacher like, Hiiragi-chan used her mouth to give me a long kiss.
TL Note:
There is a mild stereotype in j.a.pan that Americans are far more intimate and physical with their affection.A general utility traveling bag.