Translator: Haruto.
This is a mass release (Ch29-33).
It’s now 10:35 p.m. It’s gotten completely dark outside. Lights out time is approaching, so the students that were hanging out in their friends’ rooms are returning to their own, and some others are brushing their teeth and getting ready to hit the sack.
However, in one particular room… there’s a bit of tension in the air.
“It’s not here… It’s not here!!” Yuuji’s classmate, Tajima, is rummaging desperately through his bag.
Seeing that something is wrong, his roommate asks worriedly, “H-Hey, dude, what’s wrong…?”
“The money!! It’s gone!”
“The money…? You don’t mean—”
“That’s right… The money we collected to cover the cost of the present we got for Mr. Takebayashi’s birthday is gone!” Tajima shouts, resuming his search around the room.
“Um, I’d love to help you look for it… but we should go to sleep before a teacher comes to check on us…! We’ll search for it tomorrow…”
“Are you kidding me?! I gotta find it now!! I’ll be in a world of trouble if people find out I lost that money!!”
“Calm down, man… You probably won’t find it here, anyway. You must have left it elsewhere, so just wait until tomorrow when you’ll be able to look for it with a cool he—”
“Didn’t you hear me?! I gotta—”
“Besides…!! At this rate, you’ll just end up ruining the surprise and making our efforts to keep the present a secret go down the drain!”
“Ugh…” While it seems Tajima still has some things to say, he reluctantly goes to his bed and covers himself with a blanket.
Then he whispers under his breath, “…Where the hell could it be? Damn it… I tried to be so careful with it… And I looked everywhere… But wait, what if… someone stole it…?”
***
It’s the second day of the school camp. We were offered a breakfast buffet this morning, so I filled my plate with all the stuff I wanted to eat and took a seat in front of Yuito.
As to why I didn’t sit beside him, well, that’s because I knew that the two sisters would be filling those seats later…
“Fwaaah!”
“That’s quite a big yawn, Yuuji-kun.”
“Yeah… I’m still tired…” I hold back my next yawn and my eyes get teary.
I slept like a log after I had that conversation with Rina, but… for some reason, I was still feeling somewhat weary when I woke up this morning.
“Ah, almost forgot! I’m sorry about yesterday, Yuito. You wanted to tell me something, didn’t you?”
“No, it’s okay. I just wanted to let you know that you forgot your phone in the changing room.”
“Huh? I did?”
My phone is currently inside my pocket. I thought it was strange when I found it near my pillow this morning… but it seems Yuito just left it there after he picked it up in the changing room. He was even thoughtful enough to wait until today to tell me about it so that I could get some rest.
“Thanks, Yuito. You really are a considerate guy!”
“Hehe…” Yuito smiles happily.
I then pull out my phone and see that I’ve gotten a text.
Yuuji-sama, are you enjoying the school camp?
It’s from Hibari. I guess I’ll just reply, “I sure am.”
“Morning, Yuito… and Kasashima-kun.”
“Good morning, Yui-kun!! And Kasashima.”
Having filled their plates, the two sisters finally arrive at our table. As always, they treat me like an afterthought. Oh, whatever, I’m just thankful they let me be in their group.
“Now then… I’ll be taking a seat next to you, Yuito.”
“Okay.”
I watch Mahiro take her seat beside Yuito.
Everyone in the cafeteria, not just me, knew that the sisters would choose to sit beside him, which is why those two seats were left empty. However, when Rina’s turn came to take the other seat—
“Huh? You’ll sit next to Kasashima-kun today, Rina?” asks Mahiro.
“Yeah… I just thought it wouldn’t hurt to change seats from time to time…”
“Hmm…”
For some reason, Rina has decided to sit beside me.
Mahiro directs a meaningful look at both Rina and me. But hey, I’m as surprised as she is.
“Don’t misunderstand, I just, um… wanted to feed Yui-kun! Say, ‘Aah!’”
“A-Aaah!”
“See? It’s just easier to feed him this way. That’s why I sat here,” Rina says, looking at me.
Yeah, I kind of expected something like this… Oh well, I guess I should also speak my mind…
“I’d rather you go sit beside him, though. I don’t want you getting all lovey-dovey right next to me.”
I’m not saying they shouldn’t flirt with each other. I know well that the protagonist and the heroines of an Eroge are meant to do that kind of stuff, and our job as NPCs is to put up with it the best we can. Yesterday, for example, I managed to turn a blind eye to it just fine… however, if they do it right next to me… I’m not sure I’ll be able to contain myself.
“So cheeky,” Rina says.
“You’re the one making say this!! If you wanna flirt, go do it somewhere else! It’s just too damn sweet! I don’t wanna throw up sugar again!!”
“Huh?! What the heck are you even saying?!”
“When did you guys get so close?” Mahiro asks.
“We’re not close!!” We both yell at the same time.
“Hehe, you are, though. And I feel like the way you talk is slightly different today, Rina-chan,” Yuito observes.
“Huh…?”
“I don’t know how to put it… It’s like you change the way you speak when you’re talking with Yuuji-kun.”
That’s the protagonist for you. He can’t notice how girls feel about him, but he’s still got a good eye for detail.
“Ah, that’s because she was fak—Agh?!”
“Hmm!”
I feel a sudden pain in my side. I turn around and see Rina trying to tell me something from under that perfect smile of hers…
“Yuuji-kun?”
“Umm… Right! You know how early in the morning you don’t really have complete control over your emotions sometimes? Well, yeah… I’m sure Rina-san’s experiencing just that!”
“Oh! I totally know what you’re talking about! In my case, I tend to feel kind of moody after waking up.”
“Yeah! She’s just moo—Ouch!”
“What’s wrong, Yuuji-kun?”
“Hahaha! It’s nothing!”
I’m certain I came up with a great excuse, and yet Rina is still hitting my side from under the table. She’s not putting much force into it, but it still hurts a little.
“Anyhow, now that Rina-san has taken her seat, how about we start eating already?” I say.
“…” Rina’s little punches finally stop.
We all put our hands together in gratitude and begin eating.
“Yuito, that fish has too many bones, so why don’t you take this one that’s easier to eat?”
“And don’t forget to eat your vegetables, Yui-kun!”
“It’s okay, Mahiro-chan, Rina-chan. I can eat by myself!’ Yuito says, overwhelmed.
When I see them flirt around like this, I can’t help but understand how background characters used to feel back in the original game…
It seems things will be quite lively today as well.
The second day of the school camp had just begun, however. And since the first day had gone by without much of a hitch, I ended up dropping my guard and failed to realize what was coming…
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