...
The three of them sat at the dining table eating the freshly made stir-fried udon.
Slurp~
"So delicious!"
Kubo Nagisa: "Saiki-kun, you're amazing."
[It's okay.]
"So can I come every day from now on and have you teach me cooking? Please?"
[No thanks!]
Saiki decisively refused. He was a lazy person by nature—teaching someone to cook every single day was absolutely impossible, no matter who asked.
Shiina Mahiru: "Kubo-san, don't let Saiki-kun's appearance fool you. He's actually really lazy normally."
"Oh, is that so!"
Kubo Nagisa looked at Saiki in slight surprise. "Really, Saiki-kun?"
Slurp~
[Yeah, yeah. I'm super lazy, especially during break. If I can lie down, I won't sit. If I can sit, I won't stand.]
"Then okay, I'll just come occasionally. Plus, there's Shiina-san too, right?"
Kubo Nagisa hugged Shiina Mahiru's arm. "I'll come ask Shiina Mahiru to teach me cooking instead, okay!"
For Kubo Nagisa, cooking was secondary—mainly she just wanted to see Saiki. Getting to see him occasionally during break still felt pretty good.
The innocent Shiina Mahiru said, "Mm, I don't have any problem with that!"
After hearing the answer, Kubo Nagisa put on an innocent smile and looked at Saiki. "Hehe!"
(Yare yare...)
...
[The weather's getting hotter. To match the season, better buy some summer clothes.]
Saiki walked toward a shopping street a few kilometers from home.
[Yare yare, come to think of it, tomorrow seems to be the day we're going to the river with Izumi and the others.]
Saiki recalled last night after dinner when he received a phone call.
It was an excited Izumi saying, "Saiki-kun, it's decided! Tomorrow's the day we go to the river. We'll meet at the station. I'm so excited..."
After a bunch of half-hearted responses from Saiki, the call finally ended. He only caught that tomorrow was the river day—nothing else really registered.
Then right after hanging up, another call came in—this time from Shikimori. "Saiki-kun, the day is set! I'm letting you know—tomorrow, meet at the station. So exciting..."
After listening to half of it again, Saiki hung up. Then another call from Inuzuka Shu: "Saiki, so exciting! We've decided the day is..."
[Tomorrow, right? I know.]
Saiki hung up decisively before Inuzuka could ramble on, then turned his phone off completely.
[Seriously, just send one person to tell everyone. Why does each person have to call and repeat the same thing? Isn't that tiring?]
When Saiki arrived at the mall, it was packed with people, voices overlapping everywhere—especially the heart voices.
Passerby [What a hassle. Tomorrow I have to go to the river with my girlfriend again. She dragged me here to carry her shopping bags. I'm exhausted, but at least my buddy's suffering with me.]
Passerby [Even though I'm secretly dating my buddy's girlfriend and haven't told him yet... I even promised to go to the river with them tomorrow. Feels a bit bad for him. I'll make it up by helping carry stuff for him and his girlfriend.]
Passerby [Where are the bear cookies!]
...
(All these random heart voices are so annoying.)
"Saiki, what a coincidence—you're here too."
Just as Saiki was trying his best to block out the heart voices, a familiar voice rang out.
Saiki instinctively turned and saw Inuzuka Shu. Standing beside him were Izumi, Shikimori, Hachimitsu Yui, and Nekozaki Kyo.
[Why do I run into them here...]
...
"Man, what are the odds, Saiki."
Inuzuka Shu walked beside Saiki, placed a hand on his shoulder, and sighed as he spoke. "I never thought I'd get dragged out shopping during summer break. We already bought most of the stuff, but they said there was still something important missing. Turns out they just wanted to buy more clothes. Sigh... but since we're already here, we have no choice but to tag along, right, Saiki?"
(I was just passing by. You guys are the ones who decided to follow me and drag me into this.)
"Saiki, why aren't you saying anything? Oh right, I haven't even asked—what are you here for?"
(Finally asking. Don't tell me I have to say I'm here to buy clothes... Shopping for clothes with them, ugh, whatever...)
[I'm just here for a walk and to look around.]
Inuzuka Shu: "Coming all this way just for a walk? You've got some energy."
[None of your business.]
[Then why are you guys coming all this way to shop?]
Shikimori: "Saiki-kun, didn't I tell you yesterday? We're all coming here together to buy stuff! Earlier I even thought you were waiting here for us!"
[I... I see.]
Saiki felt a wave of regret. Why hadn't he listened properly last night!
Nekozaki Kyo: "So for tomorrow's river trip, if you're thinking about what to buy, the most important thing is definitely swimsuits!"
Nekozaki Kyo's picture →
"Exactly."
Hachimitsu Yui nodded enthusiastically from the side.
Hachimitsu Yui's picture →
"Come on, is it really necessary? Going to the river and buying swimsuits? We're not kids anymore. We've already bought everything we need for tomorrow's river trip, right? This is such a hassle, isn't it, Saiki?"
Inuzuka Shu mercilessly complained from the side.
(Don't ask me. But if it's just barbecuing at the river, why buy swimsuits... unless they want to swim?)
Shikimori: "Saiki-kun, do you want to swim? If you do, let's go buy swimsuits together!"
[No, I'm good. Swimming in the river is fine, but I'll pass.]
"Are you bad at swimming?"
Saiki remembered the first time he went swimming—at age seven, when he crossed the Pacific Ocean.
[I can swim. I just don't do it often anymore. I used to like it, but now it's whatever.]
"Really? That's too bad, what a shame."
Shikimori looked a little disappointed.
Nekozaki Kyo quietly sidled up and whispered, "Why is it a shame? What's so regrettable about it?"
Shikimori instinctively replied, "I was really looking forward to it... and swimming together with Saiki-kun would be..."
Shikimori o_O???
"What are you doing!"
Nekozaki Kyo giggled "hehehe" from the side.
Shikimori turned and saw Saiki apparently not having heard, chatting with Izumi instead.
Shikimori [He definitely heard that. So embarrassing.]
(...)
[Izumi, you're going swimming tomorrow? Wait, no—river tomorrow. You planning to swim?]
Izumi: "Nah, I'm not."
Izumi remembered when he was little and went swimming. Because his sun resistance was zero, he got completely sunburned and ran crying back to his mom.
(That's way too weak.)
"But what style of swimsuit should we buy?"
"Should we go for something sexy?"
"Just for the river, probably not necessary."
...