章 857: Star Lake
"Coming?"
Hearing those footsteps, Shinichi turned and put Rizu on his back.
Although his physical strength had increased rapidly, he had never experienced carrying someone while climbing a mountain. His skill in exerting his strength wasn't proficient enough, so his arms couldn't bear the weight for long.
Moreover, throughout the journey, Rizu was almost used to the darkness in the forest, and she was no longer so scared that she had to be carried on his back for easier walking.
As for the regret on her face, Shinichi pretended not to notice it.
"I'm here,... Asada-san, what do you want to do?"
After touching Rizu's head, Fumino looked at him angrily.
"I was originally looking forward to a test of courage, but in the end, I was asked to sign a lot and arrange for people to avoid us. That's really lacking in game experience."
She narrowed her eyes, with a suspicious expression on her face.
"You couldn't possibly... be planning something bad, right?"
Shinichi couldn't hold back his laughter: "This is something bad. Kashima-san won't help me, right?"
"It's hard to say, your skills in charming girls are always good." Fumino praised him with a smile.
"...This is full of hatred."
Shinichi seemed to realize something and laughed.
"Are you unhappy after finding out about Kashima-san and me? I just told you that we're just coworkers. Do you need to be so concerned?"
Kashima looked at Fumino, whose expression was slightly stiff beside her.
"No, that's not the issue!... That's not true either. You've done so many things without telling us, and you've secretly made that inexplicable bet. Isn't it normal for me to feel annoyed? It's not like I'm jealous!"
"Yes~~" Shinichi said with a long voice, looking at the beautiful blue-haired girl with a red face, the corners of his mouth lifted, and he smiled wickedly.
"Of course, let's just think of it that way."
"...Goooooooh! Ricchan, don't stop me! I'll beat this guy to the ground today so his head can bloom all year round!"
"Fumino, I'm not stopping you."
"Then stop me first!"
"..."
Watching the "happy" interaction between the three of them, knowing that this wasn't an atmosphere she could intervene in, Kashima bid farewell immediately.
"Then I'll go to the mountaintop first. After you finish your work, go to the turnaround point on the map to find me. Try not to delay too long, or you'll be easily suspected."
The three of them stopped talking and turned to look.
"I understand, thank you for your help."
"Kashima-san, be careful on the road!"
"There are no ghosts on this mountain, so you don't need to be afraid."
Kashima tilted her head in confusion: "Ghosts?... In short, thank you for your concern."
"Then, see you later."
Kashima waved her hand, turned around, took a different route, and her figure quickly disappeared into the dark trees.
Turning her gaze back, Fumino touched her chin and murmured in thought.
"Finished...?"
"Besides, it's not something you'd think in your head." Shinichi patted Rizu's head and teased, "Fumino, learn from Rizu. Don't think about it all day."
"Who! Who's being flippant with you? I haven't said anything!" Fumino blushed and bumped her shoulder in annoyance.
"Why don't you do it properly? You're troublesome, Kashima-san and the Thorn Club will set up this show, and ruin our experience participating in the test of courage. What are you trying to do!"
"It's okay if you don't participate in the Test of Courage, in my opinion..." Sandwiched between the two of them, grabbing Shinichi and Fumino's clothes, Rizu murmured softly.
"You'll know when you get there."
Shinichi smiled mysteriously, handing the flashlight to Rizu, grabbing her hand, and reaching out his other hand to Fumino.
"Let's go."
"..."
Fumino stared at that hand. After a moment of silence, she sighed and raised her hand.
"There's nothing I can do about you..."
Held tightly, the cold air in the mountains and forests seemed to melt, and the cold feeling at the fingertips was enveloped in thick warmth.
She didn't know why, but just doing this made her smile.
"Let's go."
Then, Fumino and Rizu used the flashlight to illuminate the path ahead.
The three of them held hands and walked side by side on the dim forest trail.
△
The dark clouds gradually disappeared, and the stars and moon had revealed a glimmer of light.
As they walked, Fumino occasionally looked up at the night sky. Every time she caught a few stars between the leaves, she would smile happily and joyfully like a child finding candy in flour.
The two beside her looked at her appearance without much surprise, sometimes they raised their chins with her and pointed upwards.
"That's the North Star, right?"
"That's not correct, it's Murojukuichi."
"What about that one?"
"Murozoa, wait a moment when you leave the forest, you might still see Auntie. All four of them together form the Four Seasons Square..."
"It's almost December, and you can still see the Four Seasons Square..."
"Because now is the prosperous period in the winter sky, which starts around late October..."
During their journey, Fumino joyfully shared her knowledge about the stars.
She spoke cheerfully, and the two of them listened attentively.
Unconsciously, the distance between the trees widened, and the branches covering the sky gradually became sparse.
"Weird..."
Fumino stopped explaining and sniffed the air in confusion, as if she smelled something different from the leaves on the branches and trees.
Looking to the end of the road, several cedar trees were arranged unsteadily, forming the entrance to the secret base, and beyond that, dim lights flickered among the branches and leaves, like treasures hidden in the forest.
Rizu also shifted her gaze, her eyes widening in surprise. Then, she quickened her pace and walked towards the entrance.
The other two quickly followed and soon reached the end of the road, passing through the cedar trees, and stepping into the space behind.
"This is..."
Fumino suddenly stopped, her eyes widened in astonishment, staring straight ahead at the sudden scene unfolding before her.
She even let go of Shinichi's hand and stood there with a blank stare, murmuring involuntarily.
"There are two parts, the starry sky..."
Right now.
The stars in the sky broke free from the shackles of branches and leaves, and the dark clouds spread out, revealing the night, spreading the beauty of light to the ground.
The stars on the ground rippled in the water, and the surface of the clear lake rippled by the wind, causing the bright stars to sway.
Both in the sky and on the ground, all these lights were stars.
Not only that...
Shinichi turned to look, and the girl's eyes facing upward were filled with light.
He couldn't help but smile, shifting his gaze back to the stadium-sized lake again, and spoke softly.
"This is a secret attraction not open to students. Because the view is so beautiful and the water is clear, on a good weather day, you can see an amazing sky view, with stars shining together, so the hotel calls it Star Lake."
"Through the great help of the Thorn Club, we were able to have this place to ourselves today. Although it won't last long, let's sit down and enjoy the view."
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