Shirogane Miyuki: "Hah?"
What did it mean to apologize right after coming in? The pink-haired classmate in front of him seemed to be a student from Toyogasaki Academy, whom he was not very familiar with.
Ishigami Yu walked directly to his room to change clothes.
Only Natsume Takashi stepped forward and asked with a smile. "Um, is there something wrong, Gotou-san?"
Bocchi-chan: "I..."
I can do it! I can say it! It's just telling them about going mountain climbing, calm down Gotou Hitori! Bocchi-chan took a deep breath. "We... are going mountain climbing..."
Natsume Takashi turned his head and exchanged glances with Uchiha Ryo.
Shirogane Miyuki frowned. "What does your mountain climbing have to do with us?"
Uchiha Ryo: "Probably came to invite us. Then you go back and tell them, we will all participate."
Getting Uchiha Ryo's affirmative answer, Bocchi-chan was relieved, and then she ran out of the villa quickly as if escaping.
Too scary! That person just now was the Student Council President of Shuchiin, right? Feels even more terrifying than the manager... Uchiha Ryo turned his head. "Alright, alright, let's go out after changing clothes. Shirogane, what are you still standing here for?"
Shirogane Miyuki scratched his head awkwardly. "Um... am I scary?"
This was really hard to answer. After all, what Bocchi-chan was afraid of was not only Shirogane Miyuki, but also the atmosphere of having two strangers in the living room.
"No, you aren't scary, rest assured. That guy is just extremely socially anxious."
Shirogane Miyuki rushed to the bathroom and looked carefully in the mirror.
"But... leaving aside that socially anxious classmate just now, even within the school, I find that fewer and fewer people dare to make eye contact with me."
Uchiha Ryo: "Well... maybe you'll be fine if you rest more. But let's change clothes first, people are waiting outside."
Coming out of the villa, the four-person boys' group found Shinomiya Kaguya and the others waiting for them at the foot of the mountain.
"The mountain climbing you talked about is just these stairs?"
In Uchiha Ryo's impression, shouldn't mountain climbing involve walking on mountain paths?
Yukinoshita: "These stairs are fine. If you want to experience the feeling of mountain climbing, you can take another path."
Shinomiya Kaguya pointed to not far away. "Over there. The destination is the summit, but that path is circular. You have to go around the mountain to climb to the top."
Bocchi-chan looked over there. A circular mountain path around the mountain... if I walk there, I will die of exhaustion. Fujiwara Chika chuckled. "How about the boys compete with us? We take different mountain paths, and see which team reaches the summit first."
Competition? Uchiha Ryo turned to look at the three people behind him.
Shirogane Miyuki raised his arm. "Don't underestimate the stamina I've developed from frequent part-time jobs. But what are we betting on?"
Fujiwara Chika: "We bet on dinner! If we win, you boys prepare your own dinner. Don't come to eat with us."
"If we lose, we will cook four extra portions of meals every day and bring them out for you."
Uchiha Ryo chuckled.
"As expected of Fujiwara-san. You can't cook anyway, so this competition has nothing to do with you regardless of winning or losing, right?"
Fujiwara Chika looked awkwardly at the cooking team behind her: Yukinoshita, Chitanda, Hayasaka Ai, and Shinomiya Kaguya.
Chitanda: "I have no objection. What about you guys?"
Yukino nodded, Hayasaka Ai waved her hand, and Shinomiya Kaguya expressed no opinion. Seeing this, Fujiwara Chika raised her head again.
"Hehehe! Just asking if you dare!"
The boys' group looked at each other. If they win, the meal tickets for these seven days are guaranteed. Even if they lose, Shirogane Miyuki and Uchiha Ryo can solve the cooking problem.
Uchiha Ryo: "What's there to be afraid of? Let's go!"
...
Shirogane Miyuki: "Spiral staircase..."
Ishigami Yu: "Rhinoceros beetle..."
Natsume Takashi: "What are you two talking about?"
During the climb, Shirogane Miyuki raised his head. "I am calculating the actual distance of our two teams. They are walking in a straight line, while we are spiraling. In other words, to win, we must speed up."
Ishigami Yu: "Uh, I just simply saw a rhinoceros beetle on the tree."
Uchiha Ryo walked at the front. Just now, Enyun-chan and Nyanko-sensei had already wandered around the mountain and didn't encounter any threatening youkai. As for those weak spirits, there was no need to pay attention to them.
"Whatever, but the air here is indeed very good. Feels more atmospheric than the Chiba forest."
Ishigami Yu: "Because the Chiba forest has been developed almost completely. After all, this is a privately owned uninhabited island."
Shirogane Miyuki seemed to have thought of something. "There won't be wild beasts on the mountain, right?"
There was no need to worry about this point. After the Shinomiya family bought this small island, they had already sent people to inspect it. There were no ferocious beasts on the mountain, but snakes and wild goats were still there. This information came from the ninja cat Enyun-chan.
On the other side—
Gotou Hitori: "I can't anymore... slow down..."
Chitanda: "What's wrong with you guys? Do your best, hang in there~"
Yukinoshita: "Phew— I'm also a bit..."
Fujiwara Chika was supported by Shinomiya Kaguya.
"Wow, this road is so long... I can't do it either. Hayasaka! Chitanda! Slow down."
Hayasaka Ai, walking at the front, stopped. "Everyone keep up quickly. There is a small platform ahead. Let's rest there for a while. But your stamina is really poor."
Yukinoshita: "... It's just that the stamina of you two is too good."
As a nanny and attendant cultivated by the Shinomiya family, Hayasaka Ai was very confident in her stamina. Instead, Chitanda being able to keep up surprised her a little.
Chitanda: "Ehehe, maybe because I was born in a farming family and often climbed mountains before."
At this time, there was still half the distance to the summit. Not far away, one could see the small waterfall and clear pool halfway up the mountain.
Fujiwara Chika: "I'm going to die of exhaustion... How long have we been walking?"
Hayasaka Ai took out her phone. "Probably walked for ten minutes, only climbed five hundred steps. Still half left."
Still half left!! Bocchi-chan sat under the shade of a tree, feeling her world starting to spin.
Ah... this is the reason for not exercising for a long time. Playing guitar at home every day, sorry, it's my fault. Chitanda: "Let's rest for five minutes, then continue! Ryo-kun and the others might want to walk up in one breath."
—
Boys' group, Ishigami Yu's hands rested on Shirogane Miyuki and Uchiha Ryo's shoulders.
"Sorry... this is my last bit of strength."
Like Bocchi-chan who played guitar at home all year round, Ishigami Yu, also an otaku, lost the ability to move forward.
Shirogane Miyuki: "Can't be helped. Uchiha, let's rest for a while. Just don't know where they have reached. If they have already walked more than half, we probably lost."
Uchiha Ryo took out his phone. "They are resting and watching the waterfall on the platform halfway up the mountain."
Ishigami Yu: "As expected of Uchiha-senpai, actually have an insider!"
Natsume Takashi helped Ishigami Yu sit on the ground and handed over a bottle of water from the backpack behind him. Shirogane Miyuki also wiped the sweat from his forehead and sat on the ground.
"Insider, who sent you the message?"
"Guess!"