Trial Lover 31 (Patreon)

Main Story 30 - The Last Day of Consecutive Holidays

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Wednesday, May 5th.

The last day of the consecutive holidays. For consecutive holidays, during the morning of the last day, some would find their excitement at rock bottom, thinking “Today is the last day, huh? There is school starting tomorrow huh...”

But, this holiday is different.

Today, I'm going to an amusement park in the city center called [Tohto Dome Town Attractions] with Hiori, Kazuo, Shimizu-san, Himura-san, and Hazuki-san. So I'm feeling pretty good. It's been sunny today since this morning, and there's no fear of rain at all. It's a perfect day for an amusement park.

But, while my excitement is high, I am also a little nervous.

Today is the last day of my trial lovers relationship with Hiori. Will we continue this relationship after tomorrow? Or will we dissolve it? We plan to discuss it via video call after we return from the amusement park.

This is an important day for both Hiori and me. But first, I want to spend some fun time with Hiori and the others at the amusement park.

*

9:30am.

I'm standing on the platform of the Tokyo Chuo Line local train at NR Hagikubo Station. I’m standing at the last door of the last car heading toward the city center. The reason why I'm standing here is because Shimizu-san is boarding the train that will arrive here.

This time, the stations closest to the homes of the six of us are different. So we decided to meet up on the train. Last night, we discussed it in the LIME group chat and decided on it.

Shimizu-san is the farthest from Suishabashi Station, the nearest station to Tohto Dome Town Attractions. So, she was the one sending messages to the six-person group chat about the train she was taking. The contents is the departure time from her nearest station, North Hagikubo Station, and the door location.

In response to Shimizu-san's message about the departure time and the location of the door, all five of us, including myself, sent messages saying ‘Roger’. With this, we should be able to meet up properly.

[The local train bound for Chiba will arrive at Platform 2 shortly. The local train──]

Immediately after checking everyone's messages, I hear that announcement. Shimizu-san is on the train that is coming soon... I think.

Shortly thereafter, the train bound for Chiba arrives at the platform at Hagikubo Station. It slowly slows down and eventually comes to a stop. From the door in front of me, I see Shimizu-san wearing a parka. Shimizu-san also seems to have found me and waves at me with a cute smile.

The door opens and I get in. The train isn’t crowded, but most of the seats are occupied. It looks like I'll be standing all the way to Suishabashi Station.

“Good morning, Kamitou-kun!”

“Good morning, Shimizu-san. We met up properly, I see.”

“Yeah! I'm really relieved after meeting the first person.”

“I get you. When you plan to hang out with several people, you feel a lot safer when you can meet even just one person, right?”

Not only about being able to meet up properly, but also realizing that you are not the only one who hadn't been given a different date and time.

I put out a message in the group talk saying Shimizu-san that I have met up. When I do, Hiori quickly sends a message saying, “I understand.”

The train Shimizu-san and I are on slowly departs.

The plan is to meet up with Hiori and Kazuo at Kasagaya Station, one station ahead, and Himura-san and Hazuki-san at Kouya Station, three stations ahead.

* (T/N: I previously translated it as ‘Takano Station’ but I googled it and it turned out there is a ‘Kouya Station’ with that exact kanji. The reason I found out now is because the dictionary has the word for ‘Kouya Station’ but none for just ‘Kouya’ and there’s no furigana in that kanji. And ‘Takano’ is a common reading for that kanji (probably), that’s as a person’s name though.)

“Shimizu-san, you and Kazuo were at training camp until yesterday, weren't you? Aren’t you still tired?”

“I’m totally fine. It’s not like I practice like Kazuo-kun and the others. The climate was nice after all. I slept on the bus on the way home yesterday as well. I went to bed early that night too.”

“I see. Then, that’s good.”

Shimizu-san's face certainly looks refreshed. It must be proof that she slept well.

As for Kazuo... I'm sure he'll be fine. He is a man who can fully recharge his energy after a night's sleep and breakfast, unless something happens to him.

[Soon, Kasagaya. Kasagaya. The exit is on the right.]

Perhaps because I have been talking to Shimizu-san, we are already near Kasagaya Station.

I'm getting excited thinking that I'll be able to meet Hiori soon. Moreover, she’ll be wearing that blue one piece dress she bought on our date the day before yesterday.

“Kamitou-kun, you look excited.”

“I'm going to meet Hiori soon after all. Her outfit is also the one piece dress she bought on our date.”

“You did send a message about that. Kyoko-chan was really looking forward to it.”

“She hasn't seen her in a one piece dress after all.”

I wonder how Himura-san will react when she sees Hiori in a one piece dress when we arrive at Kouya Station. Let's look forward to it.

Eventually, the train we are on enters Kasagaya Station and stops.

In front of the door near us is Hiori, wearing the dress she bought the day before yesterday, and Kazuo, wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts, they are standing next to each other. When the door opens, the two enter the train.

“Akito-san, Miu-san, good morning.”

“Miu, Aki, good morning!”

“Hiori, Kazuo, good morning.”

“Good morning, both of you! Hiori-chan's one piece dress is so cute!”

As she says that, Shimizu-san squeezes Hiori's hand tightly. This makes Hiori smile. And Shimizu-san becomes fascinated by her smile.

“Hiori, that one piece dress looks really good on you. And Kazuo... feels like Kazuo.”

“Yeah!” (Kazuo)

“Thank you very much. I bought it at the apparel shop where Akemi-san works part-time. The two of you also look wonderful. The sleeves of this dress are French sleeves, so the two of you wearing long sleeves look very warm.”

“Aoyama is right. Aki looks especially warm because he’s wearing a long cardigan!”

“It's a long cardigan. If I feel hot, I can just roll up the sleeves or take it off.”* (T/N: the ‘long’ in this sentence is in engrish katakana, the one in the previous sentence is in kanji.)

“I see. Miu is cute. You look good in a colotte skirt!”

“Thank you. Also, this is a culotte skirt, Kazuo-kun.”

As Shimizu-san says that while laughing, Hiori giggles along with her. Is she caught up in Shimizu-san's laughter? Or did Kazuo's mistake hit the bullseye? The smile she gives me is nice, but seeing her laughing with someone else is also wonderful.

Perhaps because Hiori and Shimizu-san are laughing, there are a number of passengers, mainly men, looking at us.

Shortly thereafter, the train we are on departs.

Immediately after the train departed, I send a message to the group chat that I’ve met up with Hiori and Kazuo. Then Himura-san immediately sends a message back, saying, [I got it! I'll be waiting at Kouya Station with Saaya]. With this, we should be able to meet up with the two of them.

I put my smartphone in my slacks pocket and grab Hiori's right hand. I haven't held her hand since our date the day before yesterday. On the date, we often held hands. So doing this calms me down.

Kazuo and Shimizu-san are also holding hands. The two of them are smiling cheerfully. Immediately after they started dating, the two of them were totally stiff when they held hands. Knowing this makes me smile and happy at the same time.

“Kazuo. You had a training camp for three days until yesterday but, aren't you still tired?”

“I'm feeling great! I slept well last night and ate a lot of breakfast today too! I'm going to enjoy the amusement park to the fullest today!”

As expected, Kazuo is full of energy. That's a nice smile. Shimizu-san is staring at such Kazuo with an entranced look on her face.

“That's great. Also, we're on a train, so lower the volume of your voice a little more, okay?”

“Oops, I’ve got to be careful. Anyway, riding a train sure is nice. I guess it's because I walk to school.”

“I get you. I also go to school by bicycle, so the only time I ride the train is when I go somewhere to play.”

“I'm also the same as you two. Riding the train makes me feel elated.”

Hiori's expression as she says that is quite bright.

I wonder if it is a common thing for people who don't go to school by train to be excited when they ride the train.

“How about Miu-san? You commute to school by train, right?”

“I guess I get excited when I get on an empty train like now. It's always crowded when I commute to school. Especially in the morning.”

“I see.”

If you're always riding a crowded train, you might be happy to be able to ride an empty train.

Come to think of it, among my friends who commute to school by train, there are some who arrive at school looking tired. Depending on the person, riding a crowded train might be quite a drain on their stamina. When my sister started going to university, she used to say, [The morning train is so tiring...].

There is no university near my house. That’s why, if I were to go to university, I'd probably have to commute there by train too. If possible, I would like to go to the same university as Hiori and commute there together. If that happens, I wonder if we'll hold hands on the train like this. Because Hiori is in casual clothes by my side, I end up fantasizing about various things.

“What's wrong? You were looking at me and then smiling happily.”

“...I was fascinated by Hiori in your one piece dress.”

“Fufu, I see.”

Hiori smiles happily.

“I'm sure he was looking at Hiori-chan the same way when you tried it on.”

“That's true. He smiled and said it looked good on me. That became one of the reasons I decided to buy this dress.”

“I see.”

“This is truly a nice dress I bought.”

Is she remembering the time when she tried on the clothes? Hiori's smile is tinged with a blush.

That conversation leads the four of us to talk about our Hagikubo date the day before yesterday.

Even though I’ve talked about it in detail with Himura-san at LIME and briefly with Hazuki-san and Shimizu-san, I feel a bit embarrassed. Is it because we're talking face-to-face?

Also, I get embarrassed when Hiori shows them the photo of me wearing a cat ear headband. Both Kazuo and Shimizu-san say “it looks good on you” though.

[Soon, Kouya. Kouya. The exit is on the left.]

Maybe because we get too excited talking about our Hagikubo date, we are already near Kouya Station.

The train gradually slows down and arrives at Kouya Station.

We can see Himura-san and Hazuki-san from the window of the door near us. Perhaps seeing Hiori in her one piece dress, we hear Himura-san's high-pitched scream, “Kya─!” Himura-san is looking toward us excitedly.

The doors open and two people get off the train. And then,

“Hiori, everyone, good morning!”

Himura-san says as she gets into the train and hugs Hiori vigorously. While smiling wryly at her, Hazuki-san also gets on the train.

“Himuko was looking forward to seeing Hiorin in her new one piece dress after all-ssu...”

“She did say she was looking forward to it when she came during my part-time job yesterday.”

And now, she must be overjoyed to see Hiori in the long-awaited one piece dress.

“That one piece dress is so cute and beautiful! Let me take a photo later.”

“Okay. And Kyoko-san... you are wearing denim pants and a sleeveless blouse, I see. It looks good on you. It looks cool and refreshing.”

“...I'm happy that Hiori said that.”

Himura-san says this in a sweet voice and shows a very happy smile. Hiori looks at such Himura-san and gives her a gentle smile.

“Hiori is right. It looks good on you. I'm wearing a cardigan, so Himura-san looks really cool.”

“...Thank you.”

Perhaps because I gave my impressions after Hiori, Himura-san gives me a cute smile as well.

“Saaya-san also looks good in a three-quarter sleeve T-shirt. That long skirt with frills is also cute.”

“Thank you-ssu, Hiorin!”

Hazuki-san says that with her usual bright smile.

Soon after that, the train that the six of us are on departs.

According to the monitor inside the train, it will take 20 minutes to get to Suishabashi Station from here. Well, since I'm with Hiori and the others, it'll probably pass in a blink of an eye.

Perhaps because of the addition of cute girls that are Himura-san and Hazuki-san, there are more passengers looking at us than ever before. I also hear voices saying things like “So cute” or “So pretty.” The people in question don't seem to mind at all, though.

“Himura and Hazuki have also come, so now we're all together. It's great to see everyone in good health!”

“That's true. Kazuo-kun, did you properly bring the discount tickets?”

“Of course!”

Kazuo takes out his wallet from the pocket of his short pants. From his wallet, he takes out two free pass discount tickets for Tohto Dome Town Attractions. Himura-san and Hazuki-san are relieved at that. I guess they thought he might have forgotten them.

Shimizu-san, who asked if he had it or not, smiles and nods, “Yup.”

“You brought it properly, I see. That's admirable, Kazuo-kun.”

“Yeah!”

Perhaps wanting to pat Kazuo on the head, Shimizu-san stretches herself and extends her right hand towards his head. Kazuo lowers his head a little, and Shimizu-san starts patting his head and saying, “There, there.” What a pleasant sight. Also, I want to be patted on the head by Hiori.

We spend time on the train talking about my and Hiori's Hagikubo date, and the training camp that Kazuo and Shimizu-san participated in.

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