School Trip Part 4
The second day of the school trip.
After breakfast, we ended up going to a nearby ceramic workshop.
"What"s with the ceramics workshop, we aren"t some old geezers…"
"It"s way too plain…"
"Ah… it"s such a pain…"
Including Fujimoto, everyone in the cla.s.s voiced their complaints. The previous time, I also had the same opinion as everyone else. However, I remember it being unexpectedly interesting.
"Don"t complain! If we partic.i.p.ate seriously, I"m sure it"ll be fun. Alright?"
Hiiragi-chan gave a small smile to Fujimoto and the others who were complaining.
"""Well… if Hiiragi-chan says so…"""
The power of the G.o.ddess"s smile was quite amazing. Rather, everyone is completely embarra.s.sed! Are they all really so naïve!? It didn"t seem like they were shaken because it was Hiiragi-chan, but because of it being a smile from the opposite s.e.x.
"I"m sorry I pushed so hard yesterday, okay…? Hiiragi… that was very rash…."
While dropping her shoulders and looking down, Hiiragi-chan ended up apologizing about yesterday. After returning to her own room, and clearing her mind from being drunk, she seemed to have deeply reflected on her actions, so I didn"t end up scolding her for anything. It didn"t seem like she was that drunk, but I guess she still drank a lot.
"Such a bold m-m-m-move… It"s so embarra.s.sing…"
She seemed to have been rolling around in her bed in embarra.s.sment at that time.
"It seemed like you felt a lot more liberty drinking on a trip, and well… I didn"t exactly refuse it very much, so we"re even. However, next time please turn your drinking down a notch."
When I told her that, Hiiragi-chan nodded with all her might. When all is said and done, the two of us were still beginners when it came to being a couple, so our self-restraint was still a bit loose. When we arrived at the workshop, we were given ap.r.o.ns as we kneaded clay according to the instructions of the instructor. I quite liked working quietly and silently like this.
The previous time, I was complaining with Fujimoto and them while kneading. This time, however, Fujimoto and the other"s couldn"t say a word after seeing Hiiragi-chan"s smile.
"Just a little bit more at the tip…"
"Hey, Fujimoto. What are you making?"
"You can tell just by looking at it."
"What do you mean by that…?"
What is this? A daikon?
"It"s a turtle head."
"Don"t make weird things like that. Rather, there isn"t even any meaning in giving a shape right now, you know?" Beshan, the turtle"s head was crushed with a fist.
"Nuaaaaaaaa!? My pe***…!"
That"s what I thought it was. When I saw Hiiragi-chan, who was working nearby, her face was red.
"Look, the teacher is blushing because your making some obscene shape like that."
"If you want to see a real one then we can go right—"
"Stop it. You pervert."
Hiiragi-chan made a sideways glance towards us and nodded as if in understanding.
"So that… t-that"s what that was…"
She"s completely interested!? She as well was kneading her clay, making it into some sort of animal like shape.
"It"s done! It"s an anteater!"
If your going to make something, make something just a little bit more grand!
"Sensei, are you making a teacup, or a soup bowl?"
The girl next to her asked. Gaan, Hiiragi-chan took that fully in shock.
"Ah, but you know, this isn"t just a normal anteater, it"s a giant anteater."
"Sensei, it doesn"t matter which one it is. That"s not where the problem is after all."
The girl next to her put in the proper retort, so I was able to watch with relief. Rather, why would you even think it was safe as long as it was a giant anteater.
"So it"s a matter of quality, right?"
"High quality or low quality, they"re all out."
There is someone that is actually serious next to Hiiragi-chan, so let"s concentrate on our own work. I had experience from the previous time, so this time would be my second time. I have confidence that I can do better than last time.
After I finished kneading the clay, it was now time to use the potter"s wheel to shape the clay. The feeling of the clay felt quite nice. Looking around, no matter how you looked at it, I was the one doing the best. The instructor, on the other hand, was going around helping the students shape their clay, which had all become hard and stiff.
"Ah."
As Hiiragi-chan raised her voice, our eyes met.
… Ceramics, potter"s wheel, lover…
What came to her mind, I understood instantly. I don"t know the name of it, but it"s that. That famous scene from a movie that is often cited.
"I"m quite worried about everyone, so I"ll go around and check up on everyone ♪."
Who are you explaining that to. It"s suspicious as she"s not coming straight to where I was. After making a detour, I ended up being the last person for her to come around…!
I looked over at Hiiragi-chan"s own piece, and noticed that it had become insanely stiff. You are in no position to be guiding other people at all!
"Everyone seems to be doing great! Hmm? Hmmm? Sanadkun, you haven"t made anything at all."
"I-is that so…"
But I"m the one with the most progress, though!
"I"ll help you work on it ♡."
"Rather than worrying about me, you should worry more about yourself…"
Hiiragi-chan who wasn"t listening at all, sat down directly behind me, then put her arms on my shoulders, making it look like we were doing a Nininbaori. [1]
She squeezed with my hands to manipulate the clay
"Over here, you do this ♪."
This evil teacher knows that she"s pushing her chest up against my back.
"Sensei, this is a little embarra.s.sing… so I would like it if you were to stop…"
"But if I don"t do this, I wouldn"t be able to teach you properly, right?"
The line of sight for all of the boys were focused on the two of us.
"Dammit… if I also did really badly, I would also be able to be intima—I mean, be guided by Hiiragi-chan."
"What is that, it"s so envia—I mean, I also want to be taught using Hiiragi-chan"s style of teaching."
"Aah. This is bad. This is really bad. If I don"t get any help I won"t be able to make anything…"
Fujimoto, who was taking sidelong glances at Hiiragi-chan, ended up being helped by the instructor.
"That"s not what I wanted…!"
Pupupu, don"t mind it, Fujimoto. Adding in Hiiragi-chan"s helping hands, the shape quickly took form, quietly turning into a distorted looking bathtub.
"… Hey."
"…I-in order to make it well, there is sometimes a need to fail, you know?"
Even if you say that, if we try and remake it, it"ll probably stay the same with your terrible hands, Hiiragi-chan. Since it couldn"t be helped, I secretly put my hands on top of hers.
"Let me try."
"Ah… yeah… ♡"
In quiet voices, we made a secret exchange.
"Over here, we do this, and this…."
In the end, instead of me being taught by Hiiragi-chan, I ended up teaching her. When that was over, a reluctant Hiiragi-chan returned to her own seat, and faced her own work.
"Mumumumu… It"s difficult…"
She was bad at it, as expected, but, she was able to come up with something after putting in the effort. Since it takes some time for the finishing touches, the finished product would be sent to school at a later date.
In order to tell whose it was, everyone was asked to sign their piece in a unique way. Last time, I just casually wrote down my name, Sanada, but this time, I"ll change it a little bit.
S f o r H
Originally, I was planning on giving this to her, so I"ll just leave it at that. As I set down my own piece, Hiiragi-chan came over to set down her own.
"Ah…"
She let out a small voice, and looked back and forth between my face and the mug that I had made. Fuguu, she let out a funny sound and held down her chest.
"My heart skipped a beat and I thought I would die."
"Sensei, what did you make?"
"This."
Bashfully, Hiiragi-chan showed the flower vase that she made? Or at least showed me something that looked like that. Near the bottom, there was a signature.
H f o r S
She working that hard for my sake…? Me as well, I had to hold down my chest.
"Sanadkun, what"s wrong?"
"Just for a little bit. My heart skipped a beat and I thought I would die…"
Embarra.s.sed, Hiiragi-chan cleared her throat.
"Kohon. I don"t know who you"re giving it to, but I guess we both had the same thought in it?"
"Yeah… so there are other people that also think the same way. I don"t know who Sensei wants to give that flower vase to though."
"It"s not a flower vase! It"s a mug. I-it isn"t very good though…"
"Ah, it"s got its own spin on it, so it"s just fine."
"That"s right, it"s just my own twist. It"s a unique work that produces the feeling of it being handmade."
Meeting eyes with the strong-willed Hiiragi-chan, we both smiled.
"It"s okay, they"ll surely be happy."
"I-is that so? That would be good. Yours too, I"m sure they"ll be suuuuuuuper happy, you know? The person that accepts it. I"m looking forward to it"s completion."
As I nodded, in a place that couldn"t be seen, we touched the backs our hands together. Half embarra.s.sed, half happy, it was a cute smile.
As expected, my girlfriend is the best.
TL Note:
二人羽織: “Helping Hands” comedy performance; performance in which one person wears a haori on their shoulders, while another person behind them puts their arms through the sleeves of the haori and feeds the person in front