Chapter 48: The Biggest Piece of Trash in Town

The Biggest Piece of Trash in Town

“Yeah, the weather’s nice.”

A March morning, with the sunlight growing warmer.

I pulled open the curtains and stretched my arms.

Then, I turned around.

“Hmm… Would this outfit be better…? B-but, this one gives off a more modest impression…”

Hatsune had woken up much earlier than me and was still agonizing over which outfit to wear.

That said, the black one-piece dress she bought before was already a given.

“Haha… Hatsune is cute, so anything you wear would look good on you.”

“Really?! That’s not the point! I just want Yuuta’s parents to think well of me, even a little!”

Whoa, she got mad…

“W-well… Like I’ve said many times, my dad and mom already adore you, so you don’t have to worry—“I will worry!””

…Yeah, I should just leave her be.

I changed into my own clothes, folded up the futon, and brushed my teeth.

“Come to think of it, we’re meeting up with Sasaki-senpai and the others at 11 AM in front of the station, right?”

“Yeah.”

Right… For today’s trip back home, Sasaki-senpai and Kinoshita-senpai would be coming along too.

Well, Sasaki-senpai and I are from the same hometown, after all.

Then—

“Ahaha… Y-Yuuta, how do I look…?”

“Ohhh!”

Seeing Hatsune, I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of admiration.

Seriously, just how cute is my girlfriend?

She paired her black one-piece dress with a light blue blouse and a beige cardigan, giving off a lovely spring vibe. Her natural makeup was flawless, and the soft rouge on her lips was incredibly charming.

“Yeah, the cutest in the world. Super cute.”

“A-Ahaha… Yay!”

With a beaming smile, Hatsune made a small fist pump.

Ahh, she’s so cute it’s almost unfair.

“It’s a bit early, but should we head out soon?”

“Ah, yeah, good idea. We need to have breakfast too.”

Right… Since we’ll be going back home for a while starting today, we used up all the food, so the fridge was completely empty.

It’s a little sad that I won’t get to eat Hatsune’s cooking, but this isn’t the time to be selfish.

And so—

“Yuuta! Let’s go!”

“Yeah!”

Pulling our suitcases along, we headed toward the station.

“…So, why is Mushakoji-san here?”

At a café in front of the station, for some reason, we were having breakfast with Mushakoji-san as well.

Not only that, she had a pretty large suitcase with her.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going on a trip too.”

“…Just to be sure, where to?”

“XX City.”

“That’s my hometown!”

Sigh… I didn’t hear anything about Mushakoji-san coming along…

“A-Ahaha… W-Well, Yuuta, it’ll be more fun with Mikoto around, right…?”

“Hatsune-senpai! Exactly! …Unlike someone here…”

Wait, why is she sighing at me like I’m the problem?!

“J-Just so you know, there’s not much to do in my hometown, okay?”

“What are you talking about? As long as Hatsune-senpai is there, it’s bound to be fun.”

“A-Ahaha…”

Grrr…! It’s true that Mushakoji-san is a reliable friend, but to interfere this blatantly…!

Just as I clenched my fists under the table—

Ring-ring

“Ah, it’s Sasaki-senpai.”

I took my phone and stepped outside before tapping the call button.

“Hello?”

[Yo, Yuuta! We just got to the station!]

“Oh, really? You’re early.”

[Yeah. We’ll kill some time at a nearby café, so you guys take your time— Wait, huh?!]

“Ah…”

Haha, Sasaki-senpai and Kinoshita-senpai were standing right in front of me, phones in hand.

“Oi, oi, you guys are already here too?!”

“Ow, senpai!”

He smacked my back repeatedly, and I shot him a glare.

“Ahaha, so you decided to have breakfast here too?”

“Yeah. Since Hatsune and the others are here too, let’s go inside.”

And so, we stepped into the café.

“Oh! Mikoto-chan’s here too!”

“…Eh?”

I whipped around at the utterly shocking words Sasaki-senpai had just blurted out.

“C-Could it be…”

“Huh? No, well, Mikoto-chan asked when we’d be heading home, so I figured why not invite her along?”

…So he was the culprit.

“Haha! Now we’ve got the perfect number of people for futsal, and more importantly, the Sakura Festival is coming up!”

“Ah, oh, right!”

That’s right, I completely forgot…

This weekend is the Sakura Festival…

“Hm? Kouki, what’s this Sakura Festival?”

“Oh, I’ll explain once we sit down.”

After speaking to the staff, we moved to a six-person table.

“Good morning, you two! I’m looking forward to today!”

“I look forward to working with you too.”

Yep, Hatsune’s so lively and adorable…

As for Mushakoji-san… I’d appreciate it if she treated me with the same level of politeness.

“So, Kouki—?”

“Oh, right. So, this weekend, there’s something called the Sakura Festival.”

Sasaki-senpai began explaining to the others.

“Basically, our hometown is famous for its cherry blossoms, and every year there’s a big festival with food stalls and all.

And, for the locals, it’s actually one of the biggest events for couples—right up there with Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

That’s because there’s a legend that if a couple takes a small branch with a cherry blossom bud from the Sakura Festival and nurtures it together until it blooms, they’ll find happiness.”

“—And so, I really want all of us to go to the Sakura Festival together!”

“Hatsune-senpai! Let’s grow a cherry blossom together!”

“A-Ahaha…”

Wait, wait, why is Mushakoji-san growing a cherry blossom with my Hatsune?!

As I glared at Mushakoji-san with narrowed eyes, thinking that—

Squeeze

“Ah…”

“Nfufu… Yuuta, let’s make sure our flower blooms, okay?”

Under the table, Hatsune gently squeezed my hand and smiled happily.

“Yeah… Of course.”

“Mmm…! We finally made it…!”

Nearly two hours on the Shinkansen, then another thirty minutes on a local train.

At last, we arrived at our hometown’s station.

“Ahaha… So this is the town Yuuta grew up in…”

“Yeah…”

Haha… It’s been two years since I’ve seen this station and its surroundings…

As I stood there, holding Hatsune’s hand, lost in nostalgia—

“…That b🬀🬀tard.”

Suddenly, Sasaki-senpai’s voice—low and sharp—cut through the air.

“K-Kouki, what’s wrong?!”

Even Kinoshita-senpai, sensing the unusual tension, asked in confusion.

Following Sasaki-senpai’s intense gaze, I turned to look—

“Kouki… Who is that?”

“…Oh, just the biggest piece of trash in this town.”

Standing there was someone I once called my best friend—Yokoyama Kazuki.