As the summer vacation officially began, various cheers rose and fell, finally echoing throughout the entire campus.
"Togawa, let's set the operation for tonight."
Kitahara Makoto said softly.
Now that summer vacation had arrived, it was time to bring demon-like sensei to justice.
"Okay." Togawa Sakiko sat upright, nodding gently, "I'll contact Fukada."
"…"
Kitahara Makoto made an OK gesture, picked up his school bag, and left the classroom first.
The campus was even livelier than the classrooms.
Under the scorching, bright sunlight, students in twos and threes were chatting, each discussing their summer vacation plans, completely oblivious to the blazing sun and heat outside the classroom.
Kitahara Makoto, who possessed both youth and the feeling of youth, watched the groups of people leaving the school gate, his mood quite subtle.
When he graduated from high school in his previous life, he was ignorant about life; his mind contained nothing but knowledge, and he had no idea that a turn on a certain afternoon would mean that most people would become a permanent farewell.
"In my previous life, the three summer vacations in high school had nothing worth remembering. This summer vacation must be lived well; every day of life is worth cherishing…"
Kitahara Makoto silently stood in the hallway, contemplating youth and life, when a sweet and clear girl's voice suddenly rang in his ears.
"What are you spacing out about?"
Kitahara Makoto came back to his senses, turned his head, and saw Kita and Bocchi-chan had appeared behind him at some point.
Especially Bocchi-chan, her eyes were sparkling, and her small face was full of excitement and eagerness, just like an elementary school student who got good grades and couldn't wait to go home and be praised by her parents.
Clearly, her final exam results must have been very good.
Kita Ikuyo stood with her hands behind her back, her red hair as brilliant as flames in the sunlight. She walked to Kitahara Makoto's side, stood on her tiptoes, and looked up at the sky, wondering, "There's clearly nothing in the sky."
Kitahara Makoto said softly, "I'm thinking about how to create golden memories this summer."
"Eh?" Kita Ikuyo blinked, her expression bewildered. "Golden memories… what are those?"
Kitahara Makoto looked over:
"Kita hasn't seen the movie 'Inside Out'?"
"No." Kita Ikuyo shook her head, "I'm busy every day; I've watched very few movies since junior high."
"I have seen that movie…" Bocchi-chan spoke softly, "Rotten old man rented the movie disc outside and said it was suitable for the whole family to watch. It really is a very good movie."
Kita Ikuyo rested her right hand on her chin: "Bocchi-chan saying that suddenly makes me interested."
"I won't spoil the content, Kita can watch it herself when she has time." Kitahara Makoto said softly, "The main thing is the setting inside—people constantly form memories, but most memories are gray, representing repetitive, tedious, unimportant memories that will be forgotten over time. Only a few memories are golden, never forgotten for a lifetime, and the scenes from that time will occasionally replay in your mind."
"Golden memories, huh?"
Kita Ikuyo blinked, and a series of images suddenly appeared in her mind.
There were kisses on the rooftop, back massages at home, secrets in the bathroom stall at the swimming pool… all of them were deeply impressive, unforgettable images that she would occasionally recall.
These should be what they call golden memories, right?
Kitahara Makoto said softly, "I was just thinking about how to create as many golden memories as possible with Kita and Hitori during the summer vacation."
"Eh?"
Kita Ikuyo's eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
Bocchi-chan, even more flustered, quickly lowered her head and looked at her toes.
"Who wants to create those things with you?" Kita Ikuyo retreated half a step, her face red, and couldn't help but complain, "I don't want to have shared memories with a scumbag classmate who has a harem… Bocchi-chan, let's go."
"Mm-hmm."
Bocchi-chan quickly nodded and prepared to slip away, following behind Kita.
"Wait a moment." Kitahara Makoto reached out to stop the two girls. "You haven't completed today's punishment challenge yet."
Kita Ikuyo looked over warily:
"It's already summer vacation, and there's still a punishment challenge?"
"If it's not completed one day, it can't end one day." Kitahara Makoto said seriously, "Come with me to the storage room. It's a good chance to create the first golden memory of summer vacation."
"Pfft~"
Kita Ikuyo lightly spat.
Saying he wanted to create golden memories, he clearly just wanted to take advantage of them!
"Kita isn't scared, is she?"
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow and looked over.
"Hmph." Kita Ikuyo lifted her chin, "I won't fall for such a simple provocation."
"She's scared, after all."
"I am not!"
"If you're not, why don't you dare go to the storage room?"
"I'll go, I'll go…" Kita Ikuyo quickly raised her hand to cover her pink lips, "I said provocation doesn't work!"
"Alright, it seems it really has no effect." Kitahara Makoto sighed, his gaze shifting to Hitori, who was hiding behind Kita. "Hitori, come with me to the storage room. You don't want Futari to know our secret, do you?"
"…"
Gotō Hitori's face was flushed, and she pitifully walked out from behind Kita.
"Wait a moment." Kita Ikuyo pulled Bocchi-chan, her face full of suspicion, "What secret is Kitahara-kun talking about?"
Kitahara Makoto said calmly, "Since it's a secret, of course, I can't tell you."
Kita Ikuyo raised her hand to cover her mouth, whispering, "Bocchi-chan, Kitahara-kun didn't take strange photos to blackmail you, did he?"
"No, no."
Bocchi-chan's face was crimson, and she quickly shook her head.
(There are no strange photos or videos, but there's a recording of me saying I like Kitahara-kun… I can't let it be exposed! No matter what, it can't be exposed!)
When Bocchi-chan walked to his side, Kitahara Makoto looked at Kita again and lightly raised an eyebrow:
"Is Kita planning to stand by and do nothing, or stand by and do nothing?"
Kita Ikuyo: "…"
No choice.
She couldn't just watch Bocchi-chan suffer alone. Kita Ikuyo could only grit her teeth, her face flushed, and follow the two into the storage room.
An hour later.
Because he was too thirsty, Kitahara Makoto finally let Kita and Bocchi-chan go.
"It's a shame, the punishment challenge still failed." Kitahara Makoto said contentedly, "We'll continue the punishment after school starts in September."
"Hoo… hoo…"
Kita Ikuyo was panting, her face flushed, and she shyly wiped the corners of her lips, feeling a slight pain in her lips, which were clearly swollen from kissing.
"Too, too much! You still want to take advantage of us next semester?"
"It was Hitori's own choice for the punishment; she should stick to her word." Kitahara Makoto looked at Kita, "Did today leave Kita with a golden memory?"
"Of course not." Kita Ikuyo snorted lightly, "I'll forget everything by tomorrow… no, this afternoon."
Kitahara Makoto lightly raised an eyebrow: "It seems Kita wants to do it again."
"No, no!"
Kita Ikuyo immediately panicked and quickly raised her hand to cover her pink lips. One more kiss and they'd be too swollen to be seen.
"What about Hitori, did you get any golden memories?"
Kitahara Makoto then looked at Bocchi-chan.
Gotō Hitori clearly knew what it meant to be a wise person who submits to circumstances, and her small head nodded incessantly.
"Let's go." Kitahara Makoto looked around. Although the storage room was stuffy and hot, he already missed it. "Now that summer vacation has officially arrived, everyone can prepare supplies. We'll tentatively start the Eden Project in a week."