CH 38

Foreshadowing



It seems that the overnight learning program is an annual event called the Orientation Camp.



In June, when the new students are getting used to school, and as a reward for finishing the mid-term exams, the school makes various arrangements for us.



The location was a nature park about two hours away by bus. We were told that we would be able to sleep in the accommodations there.



The main thing to do was to socialize.



Suzuki-sensei, the homeroom teacher, explained that the purpose of the trip was to help the students get to know their classmates better once they had learned their names and faces.



Outdoor cooking, recreational activities, a test of courage, and a campfire were all planned for now.



The school may think that the students will be happy, but for someone like me, who doesn’t have many friends and isn’t very active in socializing, it’s quite a pain.



Shimotsuki, who is an indoor person, seemed to feel the same way as I did, and didn’t look too happy when the day arrived.



“I’m so depressed that I would have caught a cold and fallen asleep if it weren’t for Nakayama-kun.”



The students were to meet in the schoolyard, so we were outside.



We were dressed in the school’s designated school uniform. It’s a dark blue jersey, and it’s plain, but when Shimotsuki wears it, it makes any outfit look good.



Moreover, today she was wearing a straw hat, probably to protect herself from the sun. It’s a mystery why she chose to wear a straw hat instead of a regular cap, but it looks good on her, so it’s not a problem.



Compared to the other girls around her, she looked so cute today that she seemed to sparkle and shine.



“There’s a lot of staring and …… I can’t speak.”



Her speech was lower than usual, probably because she was nervous. Shimotsuki’s inability to speak well is endearing in its own way, though.



“Huh……. Oh, by the way, the seats on the bus are in order of attendance, right? Does that mean you’ll be next to that person?”



In our school, attendance numbers are not determined by alphabetical order, but by the order of address. So, Shimotsuki and Ryuzaki are neighbors.



I guess she hates that and can’t help it.



She laughed elegantly and said.



“Oh. I have a constitution that makes me prone to bus sickness. …… So I’ll have to move my seat so I don’t vomit on the person next to me. Yeah, that’s why I’m going to ask Suzuki-sensei to help me.”



Shimotsuki runs off with a thud. What’s the setting? …… She just put it on. I’m sure that’s how much she hates being next to Ryuzaki.



I wonder if the lightness of her footsteps is due to her weight. …… It’s as if she has angel wings.



…… No, this is a hallucination.



Lately, Shimotsuki has been looking unusually cute. The more I get to know her, the more I become infatuated with her charms.



I feel like she’s going to become a deity in a little while.



So it seems that Shimotsuki was able to escape from being next to Ryuzaki after asking Suzuki-sensei for help. When she boarded the bus, she sat in the first single seat in the front.



Now, who will be sitting in the empty seat?



Recently, looking at the situation of the Ryuzaki harem, it seems that my stepsister Azusa is one step ahead of the rest……, and I’m sure she won’t miss such a chance.



Azusa has the same address as me, and our attendance numbers are next to each other, but I think I may be the only one seated there on the …… bus.



I thought that would be good because it would help me relax.



“Oh, I thought you were …… Nakayama-kun, you’re sitting next to me today. If possible, I’d like to sit by the window.”



Unexpectedly, Azusa came next to me.



I was surprised to see that the seat next to Ryuzaki is now available……. She was so aggressive that she would be the first to sit down if she had been around recently.



“…… The seat next to Ryuzaki is empty?”



I wondered if maybe she hadn’t noticed, but how could Azusa not know about Ryuzaki?



“I know. But not today. I was in the mood to talk to Nakayama-kun. In fact, for Azusa ……, I’m making a very serious decision this time.”



As Azusa bent down to sit down, I, who was sitting by the window, shifted one position and gave up my seat. Although I said myself that we don’t behave as brother and sister outside the house, …… it seems that it is my sister who unconsciously says that she wants to be near the window at times like this.



And me, who listens to her selfishness without any resistance, must have the habit of being an older brother ingrained in my body.



I was thinking about such unimportant things, so I was very surprised by Azusa’s comment.



“I’m going to confess to …… Ryoma Onii-chan.”



“―――― !?”



I opened my eyes and went rigid.



It seems that the time has finally come for the relationship between the Ryuzaki harem to become complicated.



I’m sure that Azusa’s confession will be the catalyst for a fierce battle in the Ryuzaki harem.



This is it. It’s a preliminary preparation to make the story more exciting in the future.



It was an unmistakable “foreshadowing”.