Dullard Buddy-kun: Heading Reluctantly to School Again Today - Episode 52

Phew, I’m seriously exhausted…

Today was the main day of our school trip, the day for free activities, and I, Kento Mamiya, have had way too much going on. Finally, I’ve managed to take a breather, sprawled out on the bed in my hotel room.

Dinner is done, and I’ve taken a bath. I’m in a state where all that’s left to do is sleep.

Glancing outside through the large window, I see that it’s completely dark now. Maybe because the weather was nice today, the night sky is filled with beautiful stars.

And once again, it’s just me in this room..

I thought I would see Tanaka-kun again this morning, but he’s not here now.

I know he was taken away by the student guidance teacher for some reason, but did he do something?

Well, I can’t reach him on LINE either, but it’s possible he just went straight to a friend’s room like yesterday.

As I ponder these things, I absentmindedly take a sip from my water bottle.

Well, even though I’m alone again tonight, it’s unlikely that Shibuya-san will suddenly appear here like she did yesterday, so I can feel somewhat at ease.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that last night, there was apparently a dangerous guy from our school strutting around the hallways wearing night vision goggles at a ridiculously late hour, and today, the teachers at our school have been on heightened patrol.

Moreover, amidst all this, rumors have spread that several clearly non-students with a rough appearance entered this floor of the hotel, which should only have our school’s students, and that our homeroom teachers discovered them and immediately called security.

Wait a minute, could it be that the reason Tanaka-kun isn’t here right now is…

No way, there’s definitely no way Tanaka-kun would do something like that.

I know for sure that he’s not the type of person to do anything weird like that.

It’s probably those cocky guys like Sakaki who messed up last night and today as well.

Right. I just remembered that the Sakaki I saw this afternoon were so low-energy it was hard to believe they were the same guys.

They must have done something for sure, and they had that thoroughly scolded look on their faces. Seriously, even on a school trip, they’re such idiots.

But, a school trip…

After getting caught up in some strange situation again today, I ended up meeting up with Yamamoto-san.

Unexpectedly, it turned into a situation where it was just me, Yamamoto-san, and Shibuya-san hanging out together…

Is this one of the photos from that time…?

I’m lying on my bed, absentmindedly looking at the photos sent by those girls on my phone.

At that time, I had no awareness of it at all, and I didn’t intend it that way, but…

While being sandwiched between the two of them… I’m smiling, albeit slightly…?

But, honestly…

I thought this school trip would definitely be more like a hellish experience.

For someone like me, who’s always alone, I was bracing myself for something that would be painful enough to bring me to tears.

Since there’s still tomorrow left, I’m not letting my guard down, but practically speaking, I’ll be on a plane back to Japan by tomorrow morning, so it’s just a formality at this point.

I’ve completely overcome the peak of this school trip.

Moreover, despite everything, I ended up visiting many of the tourist attractions and famous spots in this country, eating delicious food, buying souvenirs, and even taking memorable photos with someone that I never expected…

This school trip, surprisingly, I…

“…..”

For now, I’m grateful to Yamamoto-san and Shibuya-san, who accompanied me without making a single unpleasant face during our free activities, but…

Still, for this school trip, the person I need to be most thankful to is…

Tanaka-kun…

It’s definitely him.

In all sorts of situations, like on the bus and the plane, he really helped me by stepping up to sit next to me, even though we weren’t friends. And even in this room, although we haven’t been together yesterday or today, looking back, it might have been his way of being considerate so I wouldn’t feel awkward.

Even during our free time, we weren’t really together most of the time, but if he hadn’t spoken to me during the group selection, I would have definitely been passed around like a hot potato.

Honestly, if it weren’t for Tanaka-kun, this school trip would have turned out just as I imagined, or rather, even worse than I imagined.

I really don’t understand why he’s been so kind to me, but I genuinely can’t thank you enough, Tanaka-kun.

There were various ups and downs, but I never imagined I would be able to maintain my peace of mind and finish what is probably the biggest event of high school, the school trip, in this way.

For now, it might be a bit early to take a nap, but I have nothing else to do, and I’m just so tired.

I think I’ll just go to sleep…

As I’m thinking this, I suddenly hear a relatively loud noise from outside.

It’s a sound I somewhat recognize.

Boom! Whoosh, bang! Boom! Whoosh, bang!!

Oh… Slowly waking up to that sound, I head toward the window, and I’m greeted by the sight of countless flowers blooming brilliantly across the night sky.

And it’s quite a grand display…

Yes. What I’m seeing now are extravagant fireworks being launched one after another into the night sky.

I wonder if there’s some kind of festival going on today. It might be that I haven’t seen fireworks in a long time, or perhaps it’s just that this room has a perfect angle for viewing them from the window.

Honestly, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I’ve never seen such magnificent and beautiful fireworks before; I find myself completely captivated by this scene.

Purely… beautiful.

I can’t hear the words, but it seems like the people in the neighboring rooms are also getting excited about this sight. I can hear their lively voices.

The last night of the school trip is being capped off with grand fireworks…

Not bad at all…

If tomorrow passes without any issues, then I really won’t have anything else to say.

Still, it’s really beautiful…

Fireworks.

What was that? Now there’s a knocking sound at the door…?

Could it be… again?

No, that can’t be…

This time, I properly check the person outside the door through the peephole…

And there, I see a familiar smiling face.

I wonder why. He has such a refreshing expression on his face.

But I’m relieved. It definitely wasn’t her.

While thinking about that, I hurriedly unlock the door in front of me.

“Tanaka-kun!”

“Haha, everything went well, so I’ll be staying here and getting some rest tonight, Mamiya-kun.”