OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 5
Chapter 5 The Elated Training on the Night Before is Mayhem
After that, several days passed and it was finally the night before summer training camp.
Having said that, nothing particularly unusual had happened. Like always, after I took care of the chores, I started to study until the next day approached. I was planning to review the exercises from the first half cram school class.
After staring at the mathematics textbook for an hour, my cellphone rang with the opening theme of some national RGP.
It was a text from Hime.
[From] [email protected] [Subject] Sea [Text] Will Eita bring a swimming ring?
"Hahaha."
That was pretty funny.
I could almost see the excited look on Hime's face the day before the trip.
While I was laughing, another text came.
[Subject] SEA [Text] Should I bring glasses?
"Is her eyesight bad?"
......Ah, no, she must mean goggles.
But it's true that seawater will sting the eyes, so it's probably better if she brings it.
I was about to reply, but just when I put my finger on the keys, another text came.
[Subject] OCEAN [Text] Should I bring noodles?
"Why would you need noodles!?"
You could probably stuff it into a bento, but it wouldn't taste good after it cooled down.
I pondered a little bit — and I finally understood! She was referring the fried noodles sold at stands at the seaside. Fried noodles are such a common thing, I didn't know how it would taste any different at the beach.
It seemed like Hime was thinking about ｢typical beach accessories｣ when she wrote all that.
I was in the middle of typing she could buy it there, so there was no reason to bring it, before another new message came.
[Subject] MARINE [Text] Should I bring the holy trident spear?
Ah, there was finally something ｢like｣ her.
A chuunibyou-chuunibyou feeling, a Hime-Hime feeling.
The so-called trident is the one that's said to be used by Poseidon of Greek mythology. In the world of RPGs, this was a legendary weapon.
If you had one, you might as well bring it. I really wanted to see it — I was in the middle of writing this went a another text came.
[Subject] night [Text] Are you going to bring contraceptives?
".............................."
I nearly broke my fingers, as I violently typed a reply.
[Subject] RE: night [Text] I definitely — won't bring one!
After I sent it, I immediately received a reply.
[Subject] So unfair [Text] On the anonymous message board, it said to leave it to the boy to bring it
"H-Hime this girl...…"
Knowledge from the net, is just unrealistic jabber.
This point I absolutely had to lecture her about.
[Subject] RE: So unfair [Text] Don't believe what anonymous authors write!
After about five minutes, the reply came:
[Subject] NO PROBLEM [Text] He said he was the president of the Internet
"Y-you've been tricked—!"
This wasn't working. It couldn't be solved like this.
I called Hime and spent almost an hour trying to explain there was no need to bring ｢contraceptives｣, and that she shouldn't blindly believe what was written on the Internet.
I only realized after I asked, but Hime didn't seem to understand what a ｢contraceptive｣ was. I ended up using an abstract analogy with storks and cabbage patch vocabulary to explain. Afterwards, even through the phone, I could see Hime sink shyly into silence.
Ah — this was exactly like Hime's style.
Although she once climbed naked into sheets in a very radical move—I've always felt as if she didn't understand what ｢that｣ meant. Among today's high school girls, she could be considered one of those rarely encountered innocent girls.
I hung up the phone and looked at my watch, and it was already eleven o'clock.
I was preparing the use the remaining hour to memorize key dates in Japanese history, when a ｢pah｣ sound came from the room's window as if something had hit it.
"That girl ......"
I got up and opened the curtains and windows, and faced the girl from the window next door and shouted:
"Hey Chiwa, don't through erasers! You'll break the window."
"Because when I called your phone, your line was busy—"
With her hair down and dressed in pajamas, Chiwa smiled and ｢hahaha｣ laughed. Probably because she just showered, her cheeks were still rather warmly pink.
"Then you should just press the doorbell to my house."
"That's so troublesome!"
This girl like this long ago too. Because she found going down the stairs troublesome, she would leap across the roof like a monkey and come to my room.
"So then, what's up?"
Chiwa immediately took out a white paper bag with a ｢*jingle jingle*｣:
"This is a new swimsuit! At lunch today, I went with Mei-chan and them all to go buy it!"
"Hmph! Rich people can go die."
I bought the swimming suit I was going to bring my first year of middle school.
"We can enjoy ourselves at the beach! Like split open watermelon, set off fireworks! I also want to eat barbecue! I want to roast lots of pork and beef."
Chiwa's spirits were much higher than usual, just like Hime, as if they were already floating in tomorrow's sea already.
After a few more moments of ruckus, Chiwa lowered her tone slightly, and said:
"So she looks unnatural in other people's eyes too."
"What?"
"Ei-kun's and Natsukawa's relationship."
I couldn't help but feel my heart jolt.
"W-What do you mean?"
"How should I put it? I guess you guys aren't the same as normal couples."
"What's the difference? What's strange about that?"
Chiwa put her finger on her lips as she thought:
"Ah—I don't know….. it's almost the feeling like its an act? I think Himecchi and Ai have noticed too?"
"......"
If this continued, it would be bad.
I really needed to follow what we decided in my conversation with Masuzu. Starting tomorrow, during summer training camp, we'd let them recognize that we're a real couple as ｢boyfriend and girlfriend｣.
Chiwa didn't know what I was thinking, and she slapped her chest resulted and said:
"I will definitely take first place in the pageant, and then I'll rescue you from Natukawa's hands!"
"......Haha, well thank you then."
—If.
If Chiwa came in first place, and Saeko-san wanted her to become my ｢bride｣, then what would happen?
Would I need to break up with Masuzu, and then start going out with Chiwa?
No, Saeka-san was joking. How could such a thing actually happen—
"Ah sorry, Ei-kun, I have a phone call."
I was pulled back to reality by Chiwa's voice.
"O-oh. I still want to study."
"Tomorrow morning at six, right?"
"Yes, we'll meet at the door."
After confirming the details of where to meet tomorrow, I closed the window.
When I was about to close the window, I heard Chiwa say, ｢Hello? Ai?｣. Where they already a point in their relationship that they called each other frequently? Even though they fought so much, I guess Chiwa really could cultivate friendships with anyone.
—My way of thinking was so simple, I only later understood how superficial I was.
By this point, it had long already gradually formed a—
A net to deal with fakeness.
Notes
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