Two outcasts who look down on each other share an innocent first kiss. - Chapter 11

In manga and such, it’s kind of a staple for school trips to include a test of courage at night. But in a real mountain like this, of course, any reckless activity like that is strictly off-limits.

Honestly, I’m relieved. Getting paired up with some random boy for a spooky night walk? That’s just adding insult to injury. It’s awkward and scary—how is that supposed to be entertaining?

Outside the bungalow, it’s pitch dark. Even without any ghosts, the threat of wild animals or a sudden cliff drop makes it feel like death could come easily out there.

But I didn’t pay it any mind. I sat on my bed, knees hugged to my chest, absentmindedly fiddling with my smartphone.

Thank goodness they didn’t make a big deal about banning phones.

If I didn’t have this marvelous piece of civilization, I’d have died of boredom by now. I’m also incredibly grateful that there’s a decent signal even out here in the mountains. With gratitude in my heart, I opened YouTube.

The other three girls in my group—who also share this room—said they were going to take a bath, but never came back.

They’re probably over at the boys’ bungalow right now, squealing and having a blast.

In fact, I could faintly hear the noise from the other bungalows seeping through the walls. It seems the teachers don’t really care about students going back and forth, as long as it’s not past lights-out.

Technically, I’m being excluded. But this is a situation I chose for myself.

Shirakawa-san, our group leader and the one who invited me when we were forming teams, had kindly asked me to come along to the bath as well.

“Sumino-san, want to go to the bath together?”

With her elegant long hair and refined beauty, even I, a fellow girl, couldn’t help but feel my heart flutter when Shirakawa-san asked me that.

Going with her to the communal bath would mean seeing that beautiful girl completely naked. That was… quite the tempting thought. But the words that came out of my mouth were:

“Ah, no… I’m good.”

It’s just how I am—my default response is always set to no.

And because I’m not used to using polite language, I ended up sounding like some rude part-timer.

I hadn’t really been eager about the big bath in the first place, so I guess I stuck to the plan. But still, I could’ve said it more gracefully, right?

I mean, seriously—someone like me saying, “I’m too embarrassed to be seen naked…” That’s hard to admit.

Especially when Shirakawa-san is the one going. She has a body far more worthy of admiration than mine, and she’s willingly showing it off. Wouldn’t people think, Why is she hiding when Shirakawa-san isn’t?—like, the nerve.

So, I just took a quick shower in the unit bath attached to the bungalow.

I thought about skipping it for the day, but after hiking through the mountains, I felt too gross not to. Not that anyone was going to smell me or anything.

And in the end, I was doing the exact same thing I’d do at home—watching YouTube alone.

I guess I could’ve gone for a walk in the mountain night, as long as I stayed within the facility grounds. But that kind of free-spirited choice isn’t really in my nature.

…If only I weren’t alone.

If there had been someone with me, maybe I could’ve stepped out of this cramped bungalow.

If… if he had been within earshot…

…Seriously, what the heck.

Just because we talked a little after such a long time?

It’s like I’m starting to depend on him—on Hashiyama. And I hate that.

I’d been waiting all along.

Every morning, he would follow me like some detective or spy, and I thought eventually he’d talk to me, apologize for what happened back then.

Then I’d tease him with something like, “You’ve been hung up on that all this time? What a virgin,” and just laugh it off like nothing happened.

But he… he chickened out for over a month.

Seriously, what the hell? How long can you possibly hesitate?

I was starting to think he’d just given up on patching things up with me, that it had become too much of a hassle.

I mean, I’ve done that kind of thing a few times myself.

But now, just when I least expected it, he nervously tried to talk to me…

…Ugh, come on already!

The fact that the only decent connection I’ve managed to maintain is with that pathetic coward makes me depressed.

Even without him, I can do whatever I want.

Yeah. I’ll prove it.

I’m not like him—a cowardly virgin who can’t act.

I turned off my phone, shoved it into the pocket of my tracksuit, and climbed off the bed.

Then I walked toward the bungalow’s entrance and gently pushed open the door.

The old wooden door creaked as a chilly night breeze drifted through the crack, brushing against my skin.

At the bottom of a short flight of steps was a gravel path that branched off to the left and right.

In the faint moonlight, I could see the glow of other bungalows in the distance, and the warm sounds of laughter spilled out along with it, reaching my ears.

Glancing both ways, I stepped outside and descended the stairs, the crunch of gravel under my sneakers marking each step.

Through my tracksuit, the cold air pressed softly against my skin.

I could hear my classmates laughing somewhere far off, but around me, everything felt still—like silence itself had settled over the mountain. Maybe it was the darkness… or the chill in the air.

See? Look at me.

Even alone, I can manage this much.

Smirking to myself, even though no one was watching, I walked along the gravel path, heading deeper into the shadows.

The gravel path was lined with four small bungalows, but none of them seemed to have much sign of life.

The lights were on, but there were no voices.

Everyone must’ve gathered somewhere else. People tend to flock to where other people are.

I walked past those silent bungalows.

Behind them, the forest loomed like a wall of pitch-black—so tall and thick it felt like we were trapped inside.

When I’m staring at a screen, it feels like I can go anywhere. But in reality, I’m stuck in this tiny, dark place.

And yet, some part of me feels comforted by that fact. I must be a small-minded person.

I tend to be rebellious about most things, but deep down, I’m conservative about just as many.

I can’t become a revolutionary, but I don’t think I could be a submissive worker bee either.

So then—what am I even supposed to be?

I kept walking along the gravel path, keeping a careful distance from the faint laughter echoing in the background.

I wonder… is Hashiyama among those laughing voices?

…No way. He probably got kicked out of his bungalow and is sitting in the dark somewhere, staring at his phone.

“—…Did… say something?”

Just as I passed the bungalows and reached the trail that led back toward the campsite where we cooked with mess kits, I heard a faint voice and spotted two figures facing each other by the path. I stopped in my tracks.

“No way! I can’t… do something like that!”

That flustered, not-quite-restrained voice made me realize who one of them was.

Shirakawa-san.

That long, flowing hair was unmistakable.

Even in silhouette, she looked like a beautiful girl out of a storybook.

“Come on, go! This is your chance to talk to him without getting judged.”

The other speaker was probably Midoriya-san, Shirakawa-san’s friend.

Unlike the classically elegant and graceful Shirakawa-san, Midoriya-san had more of an airheaded or whimsical vibe. I heard they’d been friends since middle school. She’s in the same group as me, and I figured all that out from the way she talked. No way she’d have told me that directly.

“What do you mean, ‘without getting judged’…?”

“You’re too embarrassed to talk in front of everyone, right? But if it’s late at night, people will let it slide, probably.”

“But I just got out of the bath…!”

“That’s perfect! Even someone as dense as Kurosaki might notice you if he sees a different side of Hikari tonight~”

“Stop saying ‘probably’ like you know! Don’t make things up!”

…If I’m honest, my only takeaway from eavesdropping was—

Even beautiful girls fall in love like anyone else.

I mean, duh. It’s not like they’re idols.

But Kurosaki…? Isn’t he the one who sometimes chats with Hashiyama? The quiet one—not as bad as Hashiyama, but still pretty silent in class?

Shirakawa-san likes him?

Wow. I guess that’s what makes her a true beauty. She doesn’t go for the obvious choice—like the soccer club pretty boys.

Now that I think about it, Kurosaki does have a certain aura.

Judging by that conversation, I’d bet no one else knows about this yet.

A secret, unspoken romance blooming quietly in the background of the class, like something out of a story.

From the distant laughter of my classmates…

From Shirakawa-san, blushing adorably in the darkness…

I turned my back and headed toward my bungalow.

If that laughter represents “light,” and that hidden moment in the shadows was “darkness,”

—Then what am I, caught in between, belonging to neither?

The first day’s activity was basically just hiking.

So what about day two?

Yup. More hiking.

“Keep it up—! It’s actually harder if you stop!”

“…Haa… haa…”

With the voice of our overly energetic-for-her-age teacher echoing behind me, I trudged on, my feet slipping now and then on wet leaves and uneven ground.

The bungalow we slept in was halfway up the mountain, and today, we were hiking all the way to the summit.

Seriously, what’s the point of this event? Are we supposed to be learning about local insects that swarm around your sweat?

Even with all the complaints buzzing in my head, all I could do now was climb in silence.

Wood-reinforced steps, then an uphill trail, then more steps. All the while, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind surrounded me.

When I looked up, all I could see were overlapping branches like a canopy, giving no hint of how far we’d climbed.

Just like yesterday, I was stuck in the very back of the group. The presence of the middle-aged teacher beside me made that painfully clear.

Dragging my heavy legs, I looked up the path ahead.

There was a cluster of students toward the back of the group, and at the rear of that pack—closest to me—was Hashiyama, hunched over as he climbed.

He’d been there yesterday too.

Maybe he’s not athletic. Or maybe he just wanted to be in a less crowded part of the group. Or maybe—just maybe—it’s because I’m here.

If it’s the last one, that’s just laughable.

Is he trying to watch over me or something? Hovering a few steps ahead and glancing back occasionally, making me feel pathetic each time?

In the end, he just wants to look at someone worse than himself and feel better about his own shortcomings.

He’s bad at things, so he needs someone even worse to compare himself to—to think, At least I’m not that bad.

I get it. I do the same.

When I see him freeze up in front of the class, I feel like maybe I’m not such a mess after all.

That’s why I can talk to him normally. Why I don’t get nervous when he’s around.

He’s the only one who makes me feel normal.

We connect at the lowest level, compete at the lowest level. It’s like a battle of small fry, and I know that.

But for someone like me, who’s always behind everyone else, it was the only place I could feel like a decent human being.

That’s probably why… I didn’t want to ruin it.

I was scared—instinctively—that if we suddenly got closer, something would break.

Because… I mean, it’s me we’re talking about.

I’m not cute. I’m short. Still just a C-cup.

I can’t read the room. I’ve got a foul mouth. Always picking fights over stupid stuff.

Even if I pretended to fall in love… there’s no way it’d go well.

We’re not people who chose each other from a crowd—we’re just the only ones in each other’s tiny world.

It’s not love. It can’t be.

I’m scared.

If I ever crossed that invisible curtain and stepped into the world beyond that window, I’d be judged without filters or softening. I wouldn’t be able to run away.

And there’s nothing appealing about the raw, exposed me. I couldn’t possibly live up to whatever he’s expecting.

The best I can do is sit on the other side of a window—or a screen—and play games.

Anything more than that… I’m not ready for.

I want friends. I want a boyfriend.

But only if they love me as I am now.

It’s easy to dream when it’s just a fantasy.

But forcing that onto someone real like him—that’s just selfish.

That’s why I don’t ask.

I say I want something, but I never actually reach for it.

Friends… lovers…

Truth is, I gave up on all of that a long time ago.

“Oh?”

The teacher beside me muttered as she looked ahead.

I followed her gaze and saw a boy sitting on the edge of the path, his back leaning against a steep cliff wall. He was from our class, but I didn’t recognize his face. I never really look at people, so I don’t remember their faces.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Ignoring my slow pace, the teacher hurried toward him.

Apparently, he had fallen around here and twisted his ankle. When the teacher rolled up his pant leg, his knee was badly scraped too.

“Oh dear… just a moment. I’ll take care of this right away…”

She pulled a first aid kit from her bag as I finally caught up to them.

Then she turned to me with a troubled look.

“Um… Sumino-san…”

It was obvious—someone had to stay with the injured student.

But she was also uneasy about leaving someone like me, who kept trailing behind, all alone.

I could see it clearly on her face.

There’s nothing more uncomfortable than causing someone trouble.

Wanting to show that I’d be fine on my own, I turned to walk ahead in silence.

But that’s where I messed up—trying to speed up legs that had long since turned to lead.

My foot didn’t lift as high as I thought.

My toe caught on the edge of a wooden step.

“Ah—”

I’m gonna fall.

I realized it the moment my balance broke.

Sorry for becoming a second patient, I thought, as if I had time to spare for such thoughts mid-fall.

But then—

A hand grabbed mine.

At the same time, something firmly supported my shoulder.

As my body tilted, I looked up—and there he was. Hashiyama’s face, closer than ever before.

Hashiyama.

He should’ve been farther up the trail.

Why…?

But his gaze wasn’t on me—it was on the teacher behind me.

Then he spoke.

No stammering. No hesitation. Just a clear, steady voice.

“I’ll stay with Sumino, sensei.”

From where he held my hand, a strange, electric feeling spread through me.