Capítulo 33: Chapter Fourteen: It's Time To Go
The day for the trip to begin had finally arrived. The details had all been nailed down as well, with it being decided that the trip would last for five days and the girls would get to stay in a cabin near a camping ground outside of Iwanai thanks to the connections of Chiyo's sister. The ride situation had been figured out as well, with the aforementioned sister driving one car and Mayu's mother driving the other.
Starting out, Chiyo grabbed her things and packed them inside her sister's car, which was now cleaned out. Once all of her stuff was loaded in, the two drove over to Jasmine's house. Getting out of the vehicle, Chiyo hurried to the front door and knocked. "Jas-chin! You ready?" she called, but there was no response. "She better not still be sleeping," Chiyo said to herself. It was currently eight in the morning, and with it still being summer break, it was highly likely that that was exactly what Jasmine was doing. With another knock and still getting silence in return, Chiyo tried calling her fellow gal.
At nearly the end of the ringing, someone finally answered. "...what?" the groggy voice said. "Jas-chin? Come on, hurry up and get out here!" Chiyo told her. "Huh? Why?" Jasmine replied. "It's time to go camping! Let's go, let's go, let's gooooo!" Chiyo yelled into the phone. "Ah, geez... why're you so loud this early?" Jasmine groaned. "Just let me sleep for five more minutes..." "Jas-chiiiiin! We have to get the others!" Chiyo shouted. "Ugh... Fine..." Jasmine said as a sound of ruffling came through the phone. "I'm out of bed." she said grumpily. "Great! Now get out here!" Chiyo commanded.
To her surprise, a few seconds later Jasmine opened the door. She was... certainly not decent. "Jas-chin!" Chiyo exclaimed. "Put some clothes on!" Jasmine looked herself up and down as she stood in the doorway wearing nothing but pink lace underwear that matched the color of her hair. "Huh? Oh, right," she said, still half-asleep. "Geez girl, I swear, you're a mess when you're not fully awake!" Chiyo said as she pushed Jasmine back inside.
About 10 minutes later, the two gals reemerged from the house, this time with Jasmine fully clothed. She was also carrying several bags that seemed to be packed to the brim with her belongings. "Jas-chin, do you really need all of this? I mean, we're only like, gonna be gone for five days," Chiyo commented. Jasmine shrugged. "It's not like I go camping often. Who knows what I'll need." "Yeah, but... I don't think you'll need... what is this thing anyways?" Chiyo asked as she pulled something out that was sticking out of a bag. "Um, that's a... I don't remember actually," Jasmine said blankly. "Then why are you bringing it?!" Chiyo asked, baffled. "Maybe it'll come in handy," Jasmine said.
The item in question could best be described as a type of water purifier machine that people used to filter water found out in the wilderness. The problem was that the description of such a machine didn't match with what Chiyo was holding. For one, there was no spot to actually put in a container to hold any water. Not only that, but the item itself didn't even seem to have a spot to pouring anything into it either. After staring at it for a moment, Chiyo turned around and put the mystery item back inside. "Hey, I was gonna bring that," Jasmine said without much emotion. "Nuh-uh," Chiyo refused. "You don't even know what it does. Where'd you get something like that anyways?" "Umm, a boyfriend maybe?" Jasmine answered uncertainly. Chiyo sighed. "Well, whatever. Let's get going."
Once Jasmine's stuff was in the car, the group began to head to their next destination. The plan of travel was for Chiyo to pick up Jasmine, and Haruna and Kanako to ride together, with Michi getting her own ride and Itsuki already spending the night at Mayu's house, which had been determined to be the meet-up spot. From there, the two-car caravan would head to the campground. With the two gals packed and ready to go, they made their way to Mayu's house to meet everyone else.
*****
Haruna found herself in a somewhat uncomfortable position. Actually, it was one she'd been in before, but it seemed no matter how much she did it, there was no preventing the moment at hand from being awkward for her to some degree. While Haruna stood in place, she thought over what to do as she stared at the sleeping Kanako still tucked away cozily in bed.
The task of waking Kanako up had been forced upon Haruna at the start of their deal. It wasn't as if Akio made Haruna do it, but he had expected the two girls to come to school together. Haruna was in the habit of arriving a few minutes before the bell, but Kanako had always been in the habit of being late more often than not. With that being the case and Haruna not wanting to be late herself, she had started going to wake Kanako up every morning before school.
At first she had hated it, but as time went on, Haruna was realizing that she didn't mind doing it as much. Of course, once she realized her feelings for Kanako, her thoughts on her morning task changed drastically. Haruna still didn't want to wake Kanako up, but it had now become because she didn't know how to approach waking up the girl she liked. Through her efforts, Haruna had tried all sorts of things before the first term finished. She had tried whipping open the curtains (much to Kanako's dismay), saying Kanako's name louder and louder until she woke up, and once, Haruna even nearly kissed Kanako on the cheek, but just before she could, Kanako's eyes opened. A truly awkward encounter was avoided only because Kanako wasn't awake enough to really notice Haruna jolting away from her.
Remembering all of this made Haruna feel embarrassed. "God, what the hell have I been doing?" she thought. "Especially with that last one..." Shaking her head, Haruna went back to looking at Kanako. Due to everyone being on summer break, it had actually been some time since Haruna had had to wake the girl up. Nevertheless, it still felt like a challenge.
Ultimately, Haruna decided to go with a lighter approach. "H-Hey... Kanako. Come on, get up. We need to go," she said as she gently pushed the girl on her shoulder. "Mmm..." Haruna blushed a little at the noise Kanako made as she rolled over. "Damn it, now's not the time to be cute," Haruna thought, then aloud, "Kanako, hurry up!" At the shout, Kanako's eyes opened. "Huuu...wha? Who's shouting?" she said. "It's me dumbass! Move it or I'll leave without you!" Haruna yelled back. That was enough to bring Kanako to full consciousness.
"Ah, Haruna! S-Sorry! I had trouble sleeping, a-and... oh geez, I need to get ready!" Kanako stumbled as she got out of bed. While Kanako got dressed and finished grabbing what she needed for the trip, Haruna waited downstairs. Standing near the front door, Haruna worried. "Am I going to be okay?" It was a question that deserved some thought. For most of summer break, Haruna and Kanako hadn't interacted with each other. Because of that, there had been no frequent hand-holding, no walking together and no wake-up calls. Perhaps it's true what they say, that distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Haruna found that her desire to be with Kanako had seemingly intensified. She had thought that simply being around her was good enough, but now, even though confessing still felt like far too high a hurdle, Haruna knew she wanted to be... closer. What exactly that meant she wasn't quite sure, but it was evident as she had stood in Kanako's room that her feelings had become stronger than what they were before.
This is what led to Haruna's worries and wondering if she'd be okay. ��What if we have to share a room or something? Or worse, what if we're right next to each other on the floor?" Haruna sighed. "No, that's all pretty unlikely. I think Chiyo said there were plenty of rooms in the cabin, so we'll probably each have one. Even if we didn't, I bet Kanako would choose to stay with her other friends over me anyways."
As Haruna dealt with her internal struggle, Kanako came down. "Alright, I think I have everything!" she said happily. "Finally," Haruna said. "Haruna, you seem a little... u-upset this morning. Did I do something?" Kanako asked. "N-No, I just don't like being up this early, that's all," Haruna made an excuse. "It's not like I can tell her I'm so flustered right now because of her," she thought.
"Oh good, you're both ready!" Kanako's mom said as she came out of the living room. "Let's get going!" With that announcement, the two girls made their way to Mayu's house.
*****
The apartment of Michi Fukuhara remained dark as she sat on the edge of her bed. Next to her was a packed suitcase, along with a bag to hold her more personal items. But, despite appearing ready to go, the girl continued to sit in her room as uncertainty welled up within her.
One push of a button would be all it'd take for her ride to show up and take Michi to where she needed to be, but her finger only hovered above it. Then, she lowered her hands, both the one holding her phone and the one without, and pressed the lock button instead on the side of the device. A few seconds later, Michi unlocked her phone and began the process again. This had been going on for the past five minutes or so.
"Should I even go?" she wondered for the umpteenth time. Michi felt really torn. There was a part of her that wanted to go on the camping trip. She wanted to hang out with Mayu, Itsuki and Kanako. Knowing that Haruna, Jasmine and Chiyo would be going did make Michi reconsider, but she also realized she should be there to act as a wall and deterrent so that none of them would mess with Kanako. "Then again, Kana-chan and I..." Michi thought. The last time they had seen each other was at the sleepover at Mayu's house earlier in the summer. Michi had made something up the next morning so that she could leave without having to talk to her best friend. "That really was pretty cowardly..." Michi thought regrettably.
Back and forth she went in her head, unable to decide between the desire to spend time with and protect her friends, and her dread of having to spend a week with people she despised. "Honestly, it could maybe be tolerable if Wakabayashi-san wasn't going..." Of course, the whole trip had been Chiyo's idea in the first place, so Michi knew that wouldn't happen. "She just had to twist my arm and get me to agree to go. That freak is such a pain in the ass..." Michi muttered.
Staring off into the dark, Michi wondered if it'd really be okay for her to go. "It's not like I want Kana-chan and I to fight... it just seems like lately that's what keeps happening. It would suck if we fought again while we were on this trip." However, instead of trying to come up with a way to avoid that potential future, Michi decided to go with something else. "It's all Endo-san's fault," she thought angrily. It was a thought she had had before, but voicing it to Haruna herself hadn't gone over so well. Regardless, Michi was determined to pin the blame on her. "Ever since she started hanging around Kana-chan, we've been at odds." That was when Michi made up her mind. "I'll go. I have to go and keep Endo-san away from Kana-chan!"
Once she had made her final decision. Michi unlocked her phone once more and finally hit the button to call for her ride. A few minutes later it arrived. Going down to meet the car, Michi handed the driver her things and climbed inside, now with a new goal in mind.
*****
Surprisingly enough and despite all of the delays, everyone managed to arrive at Mayu's house on time. "Alright, we all made it!" Chiyo said excitedly as she got out of her sister's car. Following behind her was a still sleepy Jasmine. "...Huh? Where are we?" Jasmine asked, confused as to why she suddenly found herself basically in the country. "I told you, this is where Mayu-chan lives!" Chiyo pouted in response. "Whaat? But it's the middle of nowhere," Jasmine commented.
"Honestly, it does seem kinda far," Haruna said as she and Kanako joined the other two girls. "Haru-chi! Kana-chan!" Chiyo said as she ran over and hugged them both. "H-Hi Chiyo," Kanako said, surprised but also happy to see the gal. "Chiyo, let go already. You'll squeeze the air out of me," Haruna complained. "Oops! Sorry Haru-chi, I forgot you don't have any padding there," Chiyo snickered as she motioned toward Haruna's chest. "You-�� she began to yell, but was cut off.
"Oh my, it appears we have guests," a mature voice said. Everyone turned to see a short woman dressed in traditional wear standing at the front of the entryway. Behind her was a girl the group was much more familiar with. "Hello everyone," Mayu said kindly. "Mayu-chan!" Chiyo said, dashing over to her. "I haven't seen you all summer! I missed you" Mayu laughed. "I missed you too Chiyo."
Mayu's mother stared on, somewhat shocked by what she was seeing. "W-Well, Mayu dear, you certainly have made some... flashy friends," she said, looking back and forth between Chiyo and Jasmine, who were both wearing brightly colored tight shirts and short shorts. "Hiya! I'm Chiyo! Chiyo Wakabayashi!" the gal said as she introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Mayu's mother, Ai Kawaguchi." During these introductions, another individual joined the conversation.
"Well, as long as we're saying our names, I guess I should too. I'm Chitose, Chiyo's older sister." The girl standing in front of Ai and Mayu was one that could certainly be described as a cool beauty. Her navy blue hair was cut short in the typical "prince of the school" sort of way, and her face was thin, with only enough make-up applied to accentuate her already round brown eyes and thin lips. Her body wasn't as voluptuous as Chiyo's but she still had the chest size to match. The clothes she was currently wearing consisted of a simple black tank top and jean shorts that hardly went down her thighs at all.
"T-That's Chiyo's sister?!" Kanako exclaimed, but only loud enough for Haruna to hear. "Yeah, that's her. She can come off as intimidating, but once you get to know her she's actually pretty laid-back." "She looks cool..." Kanako breathed. Haruna let out a "Tch," before turning away. "She's not that cool," she thought with a little jealousy.
"It's nice to meet you as well," Ai said to Chitose with a bow. "Yeah," Chitose said, turning to look at Mayu. "You're Mayu-chan right? Thanks for looking after my dumb sister and helping her study. I hope she hasn't given you too much trouble," she said with a laugh. "Oh no, it's fine. Chiyo is very easy to teach. I just hope I've been of help to her," Mayu said politely. "Hey! Whaddya mean dumb?! That's not very nice big sis!" Chiyo whined. "Sure, sure," Chitose said with another laugh and a smile as she rubbed Chiyo's head.
"They seem like they get along pretty well," Kanako said. "Well, they're all they got really," Jasmine said, appearing next to Kanako and Haruna. "Huh? What do you mean?" Kanako asked. "... Let's just say their home life is kinda complicated," Jasmine answered cryptically. "O-Okay," was all Kanako could think to say. She didn't want to push the issue, but she had to admit that she was a little more curious about Chiyo's background.
Just then, the final car pulled up. First the driver got out, then he opened the door for his passenger. Out stepped Michi, and as she did, the driver went to go get her things from the trunk. "Ah, it's Mi-chan!" Chiyo yelled, attempting to run over to her. "Guh! No, get away!" Michi screamed as soon as she saw the gal barreling toward her. However, Chiyo was stopped by a pull on her collar, causing her to suddenly come to a halt before slipping and landing on her bottom. "Ow! Hey, what did ya do that for?!" Chiyo shouted at the one responsible, which was her sister.
Ignoring her, Chitose waltz over to Michi and leaned in close, to the point that their noses were almost touching. "So... you're the famous Mi-chan I've heard so much about huh?" she asked. "U-Um, y-yes?" Michi said, put off balance by the sudden closeness. "Hmm. Yeah, I guess I get what Chiyo sees in you," Chitose said as she leaned away. "What?�� Michi said, confused by the comment. "Don't worry about her Mi-chan. My big sis can be kinda weird like that," Chiyo said as she stood up. "Oh, so this is the sister you mentioned before..." Michi said. "Yep! Isn't she the coolest?" Chiyo said. "Hey, cut it out. You're gonna make me embarrassed," Chitose said. It was hard to tell whether she was actually starting to feel embarrassed or just acting.
"Alright," Chitose went on. "How're we gonna divide up people?" The current situation was two cars (and of course two drivers; Michi and Kanako/Haruna's rides had already left) and seven passengers. "I'm riding with Mayu-chan!" Itsuki called, finally appearing from inside the house. "What took you so long?" Mayu asked. "Kanade wouldn't let me go! It took an eternity to convince her!" Itsuki explained.
"If Itsuki and Mayu are in a car, then I want that one," Michi said. "Oh, I wanna ride with Mi-chan!" Chiyo said. "Ew, no way! I don't want to be in that small of a space with you!" Michi protested. "How about we just draw straws or something?" Jasmine suggested. "What? Why? Just put Kana-chan in-" Michi began to say, but stopped herself. "Right... we're still fighting aren't we?" she thought. "I-I can go in either car," Kanako said, but it was clearly she was thinking something similar to Michi.
Ultimately, it was Chitose who took the lead. "We're never gonna get on the road at this rate. Let's have Chiyo, Mi-chan and Jasmine in my car and the others can go in Ai-san's car." "Huh?! Why am I stuck with those two?!" Michi complained. "What? You got a problem with it?" Chitose said, giving off a somewhat intimidating aura. "N-No ma'am..." Michi stuttered, suddenly feeling afraid. "Great! Then it's settled. Let's hit the road girls!" Chitose proclaimed.
With the decision made, the divided groups went to their separate vehicles. Naturally Chitose got in the driver seat, but the other three had their own decision to make. "So like, who's sitting where?" Jasmine asked. "How about I sit in the other car?" Michi said grumpily. "Cheer up Mi-chan! We can sit together!" Chiyo said. "Ugh, no way! I want you as far away from me as possible!" Michi yelled. Chitose sighed. "All of you just get in the car." "But-" Michi was about to protest, but Chitose shot her a look. "...alright..." Michi muttered. In the end, it was Jasmine that got to sit in the front, and Michi and Chiyo sat in the back.
"This sucks..." Michi said under her breath. She was practically hugging the door in an effort to put as much space between her and Chiyo as she could. Of course, her efforts were in vain as Chiyo kept moving so close she was basically in the middle seat. "Isn't this exciting Mi-chan? We all get to play together!" "Whatever. At least we'll be in the woods so I can yell at you as much as I want," Michi shot back. "Oh, so you are planning on giving me attention hm?" Chiyo teased, poking Michi's cheek. "Ah! Don't touch me you freak! And no! I don't even want to look at you!" "Always so cold Mi-chan," Chiyo said, smiling but with a hint of pain. Jasmine took a brief look back at the commotion before facing forward again, shaking her head. "Seriously Chiyo, that girl might be a lost cause," she thought.
But as Jasmine thought that, Chitose laughed. "Seeing them like that reminds me of when Chiyo was little," she said, only loud enough for Jasmine to hear. "Oh yeah? Has Chiyo always been like that?" Jasmine asked, taking an interest. "Well, it's more like she's always wanted to be friends with everyone. Also, it always seemed like it was the ones that liked her the least that she tried the hardest. It's too bad that ended up getting her in trouble..." Chitose trailed off. "What do you-" Jasmine began to ask, but she got cut off by Chiyo yelling about seeing a bear.
"There aren't any bears over here stupid!" Michi scolded her. "Come on, I know I totes saw one!" Chiyo said as she continued to gaze out the window. "Hey Jasmine-chan, we're you saying something?" Chitose asked. "Huh? Oh, um, no..." Jasmine said. She decided not to finish her question. After all, she had a pretty good idea of what Chitose had meant. Jasmine didn't know everything about Chiyo, but she knew enough to know that it probably had something to do with the girls Chiyo knew in Tokyo and why she moved to Hokkaido. Although, the exact answer to why was still something Jasmine didn't know.
While Jasmine guessed at Chiyo's past, Michi continued to complain. "I can't believe I got roped into this stupid trip," she whined. "Y'know, you should be grateful. After all, you get to stay in a nice cabin and get your own space. It's practically luxury," Chitose pointed out. "Luxury?" Jasmine repeated. "Yeah, I got you girls a pretty nice deal. Y'see, my boss and I get along pretty well, and he's mentioned that he owned a cabin out near a camp ground not too far from Iwanai. When I heard about the trip Chiyo was planning, I asked about it and he said he wouldn't be using it this year, so he gave the okay for you all to use it instead! Pretty great huh?" Chitose said proudly. "Definitely better than sleeping on the ground," Jasmine agreed.
"Whatever. It's not like I wanted to come on this trip anyways," Michi spat. "Then why'd you come...?" Jasmine asked in a questioning tone. "W-Well... I had to make sure you two didn't try anything!" Michi said. "Try anything? It's not like we're animals or something, doing it with anything that moves... Actually, scratch that. Chiyo's an animal," Jasmine said. "H-Hey, Jas-chin! Shhh!" Chiyo said in a panic. "Hm? Why is my lil' sis an animal?" Chitose asked. "Ah, well she... eats a lot?" Jasmine said the first thing she could think of. "She does? Doesn't seem like it," Chitose said without much thought. Jasmine turned back to Chiyo, who mouthed, "She. Doesn't. Know. About. My. Sex. Life!" Jasmine sighed. "How could she not? Don't they live in the same house?" she thought. "Then again, Chiyo does seem to do guys in a lot of places that aren't her home..."
Deciding to just ask all the questions she was coming up with later, Jasmine stared out the window until they arrived at the cabin.
*****
Meanwhile, the other car was just as excitable, but it was mostly due to Itsuki. "Camp-ing! Camp-ing!" she chanted. "She's so loud..." Haruna muttered. "Yeah, but that's just how Itsuki-chan normally is," Kanako said with a laugh. "Aren't you excited Haruna?" "I don't know if excited is the right word..." Haruna said. "I'm more worried for my heart more than anything," she added in her head.
"I have to say, I don't think I've ever camped before," Mayu said. "I believe we took you once when you were very young. Perhaps you don't remember," Ai said. "Really? That's a shame. I wish I did. It seems like something that would make lots of good memories," Mayu said. "It's the best! I've gone with the track team a few times and we all have a blast! You'll love it Mayu-chan!" Itsuki exclaimed as she turned around to face the back. "Itsuki, please sit properly," Ai said in a stern tone. "Oh, right," Itsuki said. The seating arrangements had turned out to be Itsuki in the front, followed by Mayu, Kanako in the middle, and Haruna.
"I think I'm really looking forward to this," Kanako said pleasantly. "Huh? Why?" Haruna asked. "Because all of my friends will be there. You, Mayu-chan, Itsuki-chan, Mi-chan, Chiyo..." Kanako looked at Haruna. "Do think Jasmine-chan counts?" "I don't know. Maybe," Haruna said, not giving much of an answer. "Maybe I can get to know her better on this trip," Kanako said. "Careful what you wish for. She may not seem like it, but she's basically as bad as Chiyo is," Haruna said. "R-Really?" Kanako said, feeling uncertain now. "W-Well, I like Chiyo, so I think it'll be alright..."
Kanako thought about how Chiyo tended to act. To her, it was kind of like having a big sister when she was around. Although, before the group had gotten in cars, Kanako had seen something that made her laugh. "It was kind of funny to see Chiyo being treated like a kid," she said. "Yeah, Chitose-san's always like that with her," Haruna said. "Do you know her well?" Kanako asked. "Hmmm. I don't think I'd say I know her well. It's more like, I know Chiyo, so I know Chitose-san too," Haruna explained. "I see," Kanako said.
"I was surprised by those two girls that showed up earlier," Ai said, having a somewhat separate conversation with Mayu. "Who are you talking about mother?" Mayu asked. "What were their names? Wakabayashi-san and... who was the other one? The one with the pink hair," Ai asked. "Oh, you mean Jasmine-chan!" Itsuki answered. "Yes, her. Those two were... quite flashy, not to mention both of them were showing a lot of skin," Ai commented. "It makes a mother worry about the company her daughter keeps." "Mother, I told you about how nice Chiyo is didn't I? And while I don't know Hiraoka-san very well, I know she's kind too. You have nothing to worry about," Mayu said, defending the girls. "I wonder..." Ai said, then mumbled, "Such frivolousness wouldn't have been allowed back when I was young..."
Hearing Ai say that made Kanako remember her discomfort from earlier in the summer. "The way she just spoke sounded just like that time..." Kanako thought. Being reminded of it almost made Kanako mad again. But, because she didn't want to feel that way, she looked for any way to calm herself down. Really, there weren't many options in the car, but there was one that came to mind. Kanako found that the idea of holding Haruna's hand seemed like it would work. "But, considering what Mayu's mom said at the sleepover, I wonder if she'd yell at me if she saw me grab Haruna's hand?" Kanako wondered. "Then again, it's not like we're actually dating, so it should be fine right?" So slowly, and low enough to be sure Ai wouldn't see, Kanako shifted her hand over to Haruna's. "K-Kanako?! What're you-" Haruna began to say in a panicked whisper, but Kanako just smiled in response. The two girls' fingers interlocked, and their hands slid down and tucked into the gap between Haruna and Kanako's legs. "What is this? What's going on?" Haruna wondered. "There's no way that Kanako is actually doing something like this because of her feelings right? I mean, wouldn't the only way she would is if Miyashita-kun was around to see us? He's definitely not here, so..."
While Haruna had no way of knowing, she was right regardless. Kanako simply wanted something (or someone) to hold onto. Honestly, she wasn't even sure why herself, but she found that holding Haruna's hand seemed to be working, just like she had hoped. Kanako began to feel calmer again and she was able to push out those upsetting memories that Ai had created. "I'm glad Haruna is here," she thought.
However, as Kanako was finding her inner peace through Haruna, the girl next to her was going the opposite direction. "My heart's racing right now. Is it because we haven't held hands in so long? Is it because we're in this small space? Agh, why the hell is this so damn confusing?!" Haruna yelled internally. She looked at Kanako again, who once again smiled at her, causing Haruna to quickly look away. "Damn it Kanako... at least think about how I feel..." Haruna thought as her face continued to get redder.
Soon enough, the car and its passengers arrived at the campsite along with their counterpart, and they all prepared to move into the cabin that would be their home for the next five days.
End of Chapter Fourteen.
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