7Having finished going for a round of swimming in the pool, perhaps it"s due to having exhausted myself but I felt incredibly thirsty. The other members must have felt the same too, as on our way back from the dusk-lit pool one of Ichinose"s friends said this reservedly.
"Hey Honami-chan, I"m thinking I want to have some ice cream, how about it?".
"That"s right---I think I might want to have some too".
Even though I"d say we were refreshed, there was still a seething heat left.
"If you"re fine with it, why don"t have make a detour before going back?".
Seeing a convenience store nearby, she said that. Perhaps everyone had the same idea as her as there were no objections. As we entered the store together, the members of the group all rushed to the ice cream corner. Horikita entered, seemingly conflicted about whether to have a drink but now exactly like her surroundings, it seems she now wants to have ice cream.
"I"ll have this! The Ultra Choco Monaka!".
Ike extended his hands and grasped an ice cream that was 3 times the standard size. The price of it was almost 4 times the standard one. I did feel like it was just a loss but if the person in question is satisfied with it then that"s fine.
Sudou and Yamauchi chose to have kakigori while Ichinose chose to have ice candy. Even in such a place, I found it interesting that each of their personal idiosyncrasies were slipping into view. From behind my back, Sakura was looking on hesitantly.
"What"ll you be doing?".
"Umm, w-what should I do?".
She flailed around in panic but it"s natural that she would not be able to answer. Because from a slight distance away, Sakura was eagerly standing on her tiptoes to look into the ice cooler and see its contents. It"s just whether or not she could see a part of it from my point of view. Ike and the others, at a slight distance away, were lightly stretching their backs.
"Let"s go".
"O-ok".
Since she seems to be having a difficult time buying ice cream, I followed up for her and together we chose our ice cream. Sakura seems to be confused and her hands were shaking.
"I wonder what I should do...".
"Do you dislike it? Ice cream" I asked her.
"No, I like them all. I"ve probably eaten all of the ones around here" she said while pointing towards the right half of the case.
As we were doing so, Horikita, who had also remained behind, chose her ice cream and went to the counter.
"Hurry up already---. You"ll get left behind---".
Having finished paying, Ike says that jokingly. Towards that statement, perhaps Sakura received it nervously as she becomes more p.r.o.nouncedly rushed in her actions.
"Umm, ummmm.....sorry.....I"m, at a time like this, I"m the type to take my time when choosing.....".
"There"s no need to panic. He"s just joking. I haven"t decided yet either".
"Ayanokouji-kun, what will you be having then...?".
"Me?".
Taking my attention off Sakura for a moment, I glanced at the contents of the case. Honestly, all I could see were that most of them looked identical to each other.
"I"ll have this I suppose".
As I answered her, what I took into my hands was the standard soft cream. The one with the milk coiled around it round and round. There were also ones with chocolate mixed into them but let"s leave those for next time.
"S-So, I"ll have those too then. Because it"s delicious" Sakura said.
I did feel like I forced her into making that choice, but if Sakura is satisfied with it then all is fine I suppose. Having made our purchase and gone outside, together with everyone we gathered in the open s.p.a.ce of the convenience store and began to eat. Opening up the cup, and ferrying the soft cream into my mouth, I felt the soft milk melt and spread out inside me.
"This is...delicious...".
The sweetness and coldness that could end up being a bad habit seeps through my body. Honestly, this is revolutionary. I never knew ice cream was something this delicious.
It"s just eating too much seems like it"ll be bad for your body though.....
"You sure are eating it like it"s that delicious---. It"s almost like you"re eating it for the first time in your life".
"I"m sure anyone would find this delicious. If it"s in this simmering heat".
As a matter of fact, that would be obvious if you look at the figure that"s eating it up this peacefully.
"I guess---. It"s just you"re eating it like it"s so delicious, you see. It"s the first time I"ve seen an expression like that".
"It"s because he"s like a doll. He never changes his expressions".
I received such an interjection from someone who"s the same doll-type as me. I really can"t accept this. But despite that, perhaps it seems their opinions aligned, but Horikita and Ichinose were happily chatting away. Their topic changed from me to the upcoming second semester.
"Hey Ichinose, it"s fine to talk and all but your ice cream"s in a terrible shape".
"Wawa, it"s real!".
It was only a matter of time before her ice candy melted in this heat. Panicking, Ichinose quickly licked the liquid that was dripping and put the stick into her mouth.
"Hahiharoos.h.i.+herekurehe".
Perhaps she"s expressing her grat.i.tude while mumbling? She"s saying something like that. It seemed delicious even as the ice dripped onto the asphalt and left stains on top of it.
8
"It was a good day, today was fun. Right, everyone?".
"Yeah. It was fun being able to talk to Horikitsan and Sakursan. Let"s play together again".
The girls of Cla.s.s B seemed to have spent the last day of the vacations satisfactorily since they thanked us. Sakura, too, seemed to have opened up a little since she showed a small smile.
On the other hand, Ike and Yamauchi, as well as Sudou, seemed to be uneasy as after some farewells they got into the elevator.
"Ayanokouji, we"ll be coming to play in your room later".
Leaving behind such an unnecessary word, they left.
"I wonder what happened? I got a more cheerful impression from them though".
"Today they seemed especially strange. It seems a certain someone knows what the matter is though".
They slighly glanced towards me, but I persisted in making no comments on it. I have various reasons for it.
"Then, I"ll see you again at school, Ayanokouji-kun".
"See you again tomorrow then.....".
Parting ways with Kus.h.i.+da and Sakura too, only me and Horikita were left in the lobby. I had thought she had only stayed behind to avoid Kus.h.i.+da but even when another elevator arrived she made no move to get on.
"You"re not going back?"
"How about you? If you"re fine with it, when don"t we have a little walk?".
"I guess so".
As I left the lobby with Horikita once again, while looking up at the sky dyed by the color of the sunset we walked along a tree-lined road.
"I had fun today. Occasionally it might not be too bad to have such a vacation too" she said.
That is, as the person in question admits too, a most surprising statement. Horikita speaks slowly as her hair which had not fully dried yet flutters.
"From tomorrow, the second semester begins. Surely a tougher battle than the first semester awaits us".
"I suppose so".
The school should have normally given the newly enrolled students easy-to-understand, simple tests. Yet the survival test on the uninhabited island, or having us deceive one another on the cruise s.h.i.+p, only tests far removed from ordinary high school students continued to be repeated. There"s no way of knowing how much hards.h.i.+p awaits us from now.
"I"ve been thinking various things over the summer vacation. The things I have done, I was able to do".
"And what could you tell from that?" I asked her.
"That"s a secret.....even if I told you, you"d only laugh at me".
Perhaps there was something she thought was shameful, but saying that she dodged the question.