Chapter 16: Shizuka Hiratsuka is Always Watching Over Them

The next day, the school trip commenced without a hitch. The destination was Kyoto, a tourist hotspot lined with historic shrines and temples.

Waking up early to gather at Tokyo Station, the second-year students of Sobu High School boarded the Shinkansen with excited expressions, setting off into the extraordinary.

We boarded the Shinkansen grouped by class. With a bunch of high schoolers riding together, naturally, the train cars were quickly filled with chatter.

Right about now, in the car carrying the members of Class F, Hikigaya-kun is probably getting flustered by Totsuka-kun sitting next to him, or having his heart pound as Yuigahama-san leans in close while excitedly pointing at Mt. Fuji out the window.

As a former high school boy myself, I couldn't be more jealous. He used to say "normies should explode," so now I really want him to go explode.

I let out a small sigh and settled back into my seat. Sitting by the window, the seat next to me was empty. My seatmate had probably gone off to chat with their close friends.

Leaning against the backrest, I closed my eyes. With the subdued chatter of my classmates and the hum of the Shinkansen as background music, I began to focus my thoughts.

What should I do during this school trip?

Should I stop Hikigaya-kun from making his fake confession, or should I let things proceed according to the original story as I know it?

I had been thinking about it endlessly, but I still didn't have an answer.

Personally, I don't want Hikigaya-kun to resolve the problem with a fake confession. I don't want to create a rift in the current Service Club.

However, I also feel that stopping his actions isn't something I should do lightly. Having read it on the pages, I know full well: that outcome was the result of the complex feelings of various people intertwining.

If Hikigaya-kun doesn't solve the problem, what happens to Tobe-kun and Ebina-san's relationship? The atmosphere in Hayama-kun's clique might turn sour.

—No, that's not what I'm truly afraid of.

If Hikigaya-kun doesn't experience that setback, the story might not progress the way I know it. The happy ending might slip further away.

In short, my anxiety stemmed from such selfish concerns.

What if someone ends up unhappy because of my arbitrary actions? That thought crossed my mind, leaving me utterly unable to make a decision.

Cutting off my fruitless train of thought, I looked up at the sky. The sky on the first day of the school trip was irritatingly clear.

Arriving at Kyoto Station, I psyched myself up for sightseeing, only to be greeted by the horrendous crowds at Kiyomizu-dera.

Our entire class lined up for the main hall, but I quickly grew sick of the sheer number of people.

As expected of a popular spot, there was a massive line in front of Kiyomizu-dera despite it being a weekday, with no sign of ever reaching the main hall. While my classmates chatted happily to pass the time, I stood there shivering in the cold.

By the time we finally entered the main hall, my somewhat frail body was completely exhausted by the crowds.

Invited by my classmates, I took a group photo by the railing. Due to exhaustion, I couldn't really manage my facial expression.

Prompted by concerned classmates, I leaned against a building on the temple grounds to catch my breath. I told the classmates who had worriedly stayed behind with me to go on ahead and enjoy the sightseeing. I wonder if they're around the Love Stone right about now.

In my field of vision was a throng of people around the stone. Just looking at it made me feel fed up.

"Why do lines even exist...? They're the second most unnecessary thing in human history, right after war..."

The soliloquy slipped from my lips. I suddenly looked up. From the edge of the grounds, I could clearly see the bustling commotion of the tourist spot.

Feeling a sudden chill, I gently hugged my own shoulders.

"Even talking to yourself feels empty when there's no one around to answer."

Another muttered remark. The words went unheard by anyone, melting into the cold late-autumn sky.

After that, I was made to walk so much I thought it was some kind of punishment. I understood that Ginkaku-ji was magnificent, but given my lack of stamina, I couldn't muster the energy to fully enjoy the sightseeing.

This Yukino Yukinoshita body is high-spec in many ways, but in situations requiring physical stamina like this, it's extremely inconvenient. It's partly because I don't go out much myself, but even so, the fatigue was severe.

After arriving at the hotel in the evening, I devoted myself to resting. By the time I had dinner and took a bath, my stamina had finally returned, and my energy was coming back.

When you get a little bit of your energy back, you tend to think of things you want to do. I went down to the lobby to check out the hotel gift shop.

"...There it is. The Pan-san Kyoto Edition!!"

Reaching out, I suddenly felt a gaze. I looked around. In the deserted lobby stood a single boy with somewhat dead eyes.

"...Yo."

Slowly withdrawing the hand I had reached out toward Pan-san, I stared fixedly at him.

A brief silence. In the distance, I could hear the raucous voices of what sounded like Sobu High students.

After slowly watching Hikigaya-kun shift uncomfortably during the silence, I opened my mouth.

"Oh, Hikigaya-kun, what a coincidence."

"No, no. Don't act like that embarrassing moment didn't just happen. I saw the whole thing."

"Whatever do you mean? There is not a single thing in my life to be ashamed of."

"Overconfident as always, I see..."

Hikigaya-kun responded with an exasperated tone. For some reason, his demeanor felt incredibly nostalgic, and I realized the corners of my mouth were threatening to curve upward.

"Coming all the way down here at this hour, what's wrong?"

"A penalty game. They told me to go buy drinks."

"I see, an errand boy. It suits you."

"Leave me alone."

Hikigaya-kun averted his gaze slightly and threw out the blunt remark, falling silent after that.

For a moment, there was a pause as if we were both searching for a topic. But the silence wasn't uncomfortable, and I felt that if it was with him, sharing this kind of time wasn't so bad.

Suddenly, something came to mind. The matter of Tobe-kun's confession.

"Are things going well with Tobe-kun and Ebina-san?"

"So-so. You could say it hasn't really changed from how they normally are. Well, it's still only the first day."

He reported back in a sluggish manner.

"Did you help him properly?"

"Yeah. But even though we're off-campus, we're stuck with the same group the whole time. Honestly, it's probably hard to create a good mood."

"That's true."

Surely, he still hasn't thought of making a fake confession to stop Tobe-kun's confession. —Right now, I can still stop him. Thinking that, I timidly opened my mouth.

"Hikigaya-kun—"

"What's this? What are you two doing in a place like this?"

My slightly quieted voice was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Hiratsuka-sensei.

"Nothing, just buying drinks. What about you, Sensei? Why are you wearing sunglasses?"

At Hikigaya-kun's question, Hiratsuka-sensei blushed with slight embarrassment and muttered quietly.

"Well... I'm heading out to eat ramen..."

The delivery was pure maiden, but the content was pure macho man...

"...No, you two are actually perfect. Come with me. I'll treat you to ramen to buy your silence."

"Well, I'm fine with that."

"I doubt whether a teacher offering bribes to students is proper conduct... but I will go too."

"Oho, I didn't expect Yukinoshita to agree so easily."

"It's a special trip, after all. I'd like to experience new things too, wouldn't you?"

In reality, I was so exhausted by the crowds during the day that I couldn't properly enjoy sightseeing, so I was just in the mood to go somewhere for a bit.

More than anything, it was the ramen. As a former high school boy, it definitely piqued my interest.

I couldn't go to the ramen shops near my house because I worried about what people would think, but if I'm being taken by Hiratsuka-sensei, it should be fine.

"Yukinoshita, you must be cold. Wear this."

With a swish, Hiratsuka-sensei tossed her coat to me and walked briskly toward the taxi stand.

...So cool.

Hikigaya-kun and I hurriedly chased after Hiratsuka-sensei's dependable back.

"I'm cold too, you know."

"You'll just have to endure it a bit, Hikigaya. Eating ramen when your body is chilled to the bone is the absolute best."

And so, we set out into the Kyoto night.

A few minutes in the taxi. We arrived at a ramen shop with "Tenkaippin" written in massive letters.

"Let's go."

There were a decent amount of open seats inside. The three of us sat side-by-side at the counter.

"Kotteri (thick/rich broth), please."

"I'll have the kotteri too."

The two of them, who had ordered with practiced ease, looked over at me. Flustered, I tried to order too, but suddenly hesitated. ...Can this body even fit a bowl of ramen after dinner?

"...Let's get an extra bowl and share some noodles with Yukinoshita. How about that?"

"...That sounds good. Yes, please."

I gratefully accepted Hiratsuka-sensei's proposal.

Good grief, not even being able to casually eat a single bowl of ramen... what an inconvenient body.

Holding my hair back so it wouldn't dip into the broth, I stuffed my cheeks with the noodles scooped from the bowl and slurped them up in one go. The slightly firm texture of the noodles paired perfectly with the oil-rich soup.

It's quite delicious. Maybe I should have ordered a whole bowl myself.

While I was silently slurping the steaming ramen, inwardly moved, Hiratsuka-sensei spoke to me.

"Are you enjoying the school trip, Yukinoshita?"

"The crowds really got to me on the first day. But I did get to see the Kiyomizu Stage, so I'm satisfied with that."

"I see, I see. That's good, then."

Nodding in satisfaction, Hiratsuka-sensei vigorously slurped her noodles. Her tone was gentle, and somehow, just listening to her made me feel at ease.

Gazing at the profile of such a reliable adult, the words mysteriously tumbled out of me.

"—Hiratsuka-sensei."

"Mmh... what is it?"

Her replying voice was a bit softer than usual.

"—Assuming your actions might make someone unhappy, do you think it is still right to push your own ideas through?"

Despite the vague question, Sensei turned to face me and listened with a sincere expression.

"Hmm, specifically?"

"I can't say clearly. ...But for the sake of my own happiness, I want to take a certain action. No, I want to stop something from happening. But that might cause someone else to be unhappy. Is it right for me to force my ego onto the situation?"

Hearing my vague and nebulous words, Hiratsuka-sensei put down her chopsticks and crossed her arms.

"It's easy to say 'it depends on the situation.' ...Let's see. Coming from someone who doesn't know the full story, what I can tell you is this: don't assume that the solution to a problem is always a binary choice."

Holding up two fingers, Hiratsuka-sensei continued.

"Aren't you convincing yourself that there are only two options: whether you take action or not? In human relationships, the feelings of multiple people are always intertwining. —Don't assume that your actions alone will be what sets things in motion."

"That's..."

"Observe the people around you closely, and really think about whether those two are truly your only choices. Human relationships aren't like school exams—there aren't set multiple-choice options, and more importantly, there is no single clear-cut correct answer. To me, it looks like you're rushing a bit and your field of vision has narrowed."

Having declared this calmly, Hiratsuka-sensei slurped her ramen as if to say that was the end of the discussion.

I mulled over Sensei's words. Don't think of it as an either-or choice. Broaden your perspective. —Don't rush.

"...You're right."

I murmured quietly, but Hiratsuka-sensei didn't look my way again.

Eventually, around the time a conclusion had solidified within me, we left the shop.