Lush green mountains spread out before their eyes. The wind brushing against their skin was cool for midsummer, feeling pleasant on bodies warmed by the strong sunlight. “Because the elevation is high, the temperature is comfortable,” Shuichi said, stretching broadly after being freed from the long drive, as he got out of the car. “Thanks for the driving, dear,” Ikue, who got out from the passenger seat, said words of appreciation to Shuichi and handed him the coffee she had in a thermos. As the Tojo couple were exchanging those words, the sliding door of the rear seat opened, and Ryota, freed from the cramped car interior, jumped out. “It’s camping time~!” As if venting the stress from sitting still during the long drive, Ryota ran across the green grassland at full speed. Ayaka, getting out of the car, warned her innocent younger brother’s back. “Ryota! Don’t go too far by yourself!” “Okayーy!” Ryota replied cheerfully, but being too high-spirited, he didn’t seem to be listening to his sister’s warning. Saki, who got out of the car after Ayaka, chased after the energetic Ryota. “Ryotaー! How about we explore the forest together!” “Yeah!! Let’s explore!!” Ryota replied in a loud voice, then ran towards Saki, held her hand, and went towards the forest adjacent to the campsite. Watching that scene, Haruto, who got out of the car last, showed a gentle smile. “Ryota-kun looks like he’s having fun.” “I hope he doesn’t get too carried away and get injured or anything,” Ayaka said with a bit of worry. Haruto looked towards Saki, who was having fun with Ryota but was also taking good care of him while firmly holding his hand. “Aizawa-san is good at looking after others.” “Saki has been looking after Ryota since he was little, you see.” As Ayaka and Haruto stood side-by-side watching Ryota and the others, Shuichi approached them, carrying luggage in one hand.
“Ōtsuki-kun, could you help me unload the luggage from the car?”
“Yes, of course. Where should I take the luggage?” “We reserved that section over there, so could you take them there?” Shuichi said, pointing to a section around the middle of the campsite. Haruto replied, “Understood,” and took out luggage like tents from the roof box attached to the Tojo family’s minivan and carried it. Haruto, who was invited to camp by Shuichi when he attended the Tojo family’s barbecue last week, came camping with Saki, who was also invited. The campsite, which they reached after about a three-hour drive, was located in a high-altitude mountainous area, so although the sunlight was strong like summer, the temperature felt lower compared to the plains. To Haruto, who had finished unloading the luggage from the car, Shuichi said, pointing to the bag containing the tent set. “Ōtsuki-kun, could I leave the assembly of that tent to you? I’ll assemble this tent here.” “Understood. Leave it to me.” Two tents were prepared, one for men and one for women. The plan was to set up a tarp tent in the middle and arrange each tent on either side of it. “Um… first, insert the poles into the sleeves of the inner tent. The inner tent.” Haruto assembled the tent while looking at the diagrams in the instruction manual. He had not had many opportunities for outdoor activities before. In fact, this was his first time assembling a tent. “I see, so inserting the poles into the lower parts makes the tent stand up. It’s surprisingly easy to assemble. But the person who first came up with the idea of a tent must be a genius.” Haruto felt a slight sense of awe at assembling a tent for the first time. Ayaka came over to him as he proceeded smoothly with the tent assembly, setting up the front poles and so on. “Haruto-kun, can I help with anything?” “Ah, okay, I’m going to put this flysheet over, so could you hold that side?” “Okay, got it.” Ayaka nodded at his words, moved to face Haruto, and held an edge of the flysheet. “Okay, let’s put it on.” At Haruto’s signal, they coordinated their movements and placed the flysheet over the inner tent.
Afterwards, they connected the inner tent and the flysheet and finally inserted pegs into the ground. While Haruto was pegging down the opposite side, checking the tension of the tent, Ayaka surprisingly hammered in the pegs efficiently. “You’re good at this.” When Haruto praised her, Ayaka gave a slightly smug smile. “I come camping with my family every year. Was this your first time camping, Haruto-kun?” “For a proper one, yes.” Haruto had done day-trip-like camping several times with Tomoya before. However, a full-fledged camping trip where you pitch a tent and stay overnight was a first experience for him this time. “You didn’t get lost assembling a tent for the first time.” “Well, if you just follow the instructions, it wasn’t that difficult, you know?” “Seriously? When I assembled a tent for the first time, it turned into a mysterious object!” “A mysterious object… Heh.” Imagining Ayaka fumbling and building a mysterious structure during her first tent assembly, looking lost, Haruto couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Ah! Haruto-kun, you just laughed! You’re making fun of me!” “No, not at all. Only a little bit.” “So you are making fun of me!” Ayaka puffed out her cheeks and lightly smacked Haruto with the empty bag that had contained the pegs and such. “Sorry, sorry. No, I just thought you’d be kind of cute imagining you like that back then.” “Hmph… Ngh!” At Haruto’s words, Ayaka not only puffed out her cheeks but also pursed her lips, vigorously smacking Haruto. As Haruto’s expression softened at her cuteness, diligently delivering zero-attack-power bag smacks, Shuichi, who had been assembling the other tent, came over. “Oh, you’re fast at assembling it. As expected of Ōtsuki-kun.” “No, Ayaka-san helped me.” When Haruto said this while looking at the slightly pouting Ayaka, Ikue, who was tidying up the luggage, smiled warmly.
“I’m so happy to see you two have become quite close.” Ikue said this with a beaming expression, teasing them a little. When Haruto first came to the Tojo house for housekeeping help, when teased like this, Ayaka would immediately protest, her face turning red. However, now, although her face still turns red, she no longer denies her mother’s words as she used to. “You’ve come to the house many times for housekeeping work now, so it would be strange if you didn’t get along. Right, Haruto-kun?” “Uh, ah, well, yeah.” “Oh my, that’s nice~. Ōtsuki-kun, please take care of Ayaka from now on too, okay?” “Ah, yes.” Haruto, requested by Ikue, replied reflexively. At that moment, Shuichi, holding the tarp fabric, called out. “Alright, let’s quickly set up the tarp together.” Saying so, Shuichi spread out the fabric between the two assembled tents. The tarp the Tojo family had prepared this time was a rectangular type called a Recta tarp. “Ōtsuki-kun, I’ll set up this pole here, so could you set up the pole over there?” “Understood.” Haruto nodded at Shuichi, who was pointing to one of the two main poles that would serve as supports, and moved to the base of the opposite main pole. Seeing Shuichi fixing the guide ropes that support the main poles with pegs, Haruto imitated him and fixed the guide ropes to the ground in the same way. “Okay, let’s raise the poles. Is your side alright, Ōtsuki-kun?” “Yes, I think it’s fine.” “Alright. Then let’s go? Ready, set!” At Shuichi’s signal, they raised the poles simultaneously. As the tarp shot up, Ikue and Ayaka fixed the ropes at the four corners to the ground with pegs, stretching the tarp taught. Shuichi and Haruto adjusted the tension of the guide ropes to ensure the main poles were standing securely. “Alright! Tent setup complete!” Stepping back a few steps, Shuichi nodded with satisfaction, looking at the completed tent setup.
Just then, Ryota, who had been exploring the forest with Saki, ran back. “Onii-chan! Look at this! There was a weird bug!” Full of energy and excitement, Ryota held up a brown insect he had in his hand and showed it to Haruto. “This is a cicada nymph.” “Huh?! This is a cicada? Its shape is totally different!” Haruto said this upon seeing the insect Ryota held, and Ryota stared intently at the insect with a look of utter wonder. “You see, cicadas spend a long time underground, and when they come out onto the surface, they molt and become adult cicadas.” “Molt?” “Molting is… when a cicada with wings comes out of this nymph.” “A cicada comes out of this?” It seemed Ryota couldn’t picture Haruto’s explanation at all, as he kept tilting his head the whole time. At his expression, Haruto smiled fondly. “Maybe you’ll be able to see it molt tonight, so how about we put the cicada nymph on the tent?” “Yeah!” Ryota nodded vigorously at Haruto’s suggestion and released the cicada nymph he was holding onto the tent. “Become a strong cicada!” Ryota called out while watching the cicada nymph, released onto the tent, slowly climb up the tent. As Haruto smiled at this heartwarming scene, Shuichi, untying a bundle of firewood, spoke to Haruto. “Ōtsuki-kun, it seems you can use fallen branches from the forest for the bonfire here, so could you pick up a few?” “Understood. Ryota-kun, how about we go pick up branches for the bonfire together?” “Yeah! Let’s go!” “Oh, Haruto-kun, I’ll go too.” Following Ryota, who nodded enthusiastically, Ayaka also said she would go with Haruto and the others. “Saki, are you coming too?” “I’ll pass… I need a little rest…” Ayaka called out to Saki, who was sitting on the cooler box placed next to the tent.
However, she shook her head with a slightly breathless voice. It seemed her energy had been completely drained from keeping up with high-energy Ryota. “Saki-chan, you must be tired. Want some cocoa when I make it?” “Yes, please! I’d love some!” Saki nodded back happily to Ikue, who spoke in a comforting tone. “Okay, we’ll go and pick up some firewood?” “Yeah, have fun~” Seen off by Saki, who waved one hand casually, Haruto and the others went into the forest to collect firewood. “When we explored the forest just now, lots of branches were lying around!” “Oh, then let’s pick up lots of branches and have an amazing bonfire.” “We’ll have a splendid bonfire!” “Be careful not to get too excited and burn yourself, okay?” Ryota’s eyes sparkled at Haruto’s words. Ayaka smiled wryly at her brother and warned him. Not just Ryota, but Haruto too, with his heart leaping with anticipation for his first proper camping trip that was about to begin, headed towards the forest adjacent to the campsite. “Just as Ryota-kun said, there are lots of branches fallen.” The three of them, Haruto, Ayaka, and Ryota, walked through the forest, picking up fallen twigs. “Onii-chan! This branch is big!” Ryota came over to Haruto with a big smile, holding a branch in both hands. “Oh, it’s big. But maybe that’s a bit too big? Let’s pick up slightly smaller branches.” What Ryota dragged over felt more like a trunk than a branch. They had bought firewood for the bonfire, so what Haruto and the others were collecting now were thin branches for kindling. Haruto picked up a branch that had fallen just at his feet and showed it to Ryota. “Ryota-kun, let’s collect lots of branches around this size.” “Yeah! Got it!” Ryota nodded cheerfully, threw down the tree trunk he was holding with a thud, and ran off again to gather branches.
“Ryota. Try to collect wood that’s as dry as possible.” “Okay!” Ayaka called out to Ryota, who was running around in the forest, with a wry smile. Since this forest was managed by the campsite, the trees grew neatly in rows, the ground was somewhat leveled, and there were no tall grasses or bamboo grass, making it very easy to walk. “Looks like Ryota will collect an amazing amount by himself.” Saying so, Ayaka slowly gathered the branches lying nearby. Beside her, Haruto also smiled while picking up branches. “That stamina is a little bit enviable, isn’t it?” Ryota had been repeating a tough workout of running at full speed, crouching to pick up branches, standing up, and immediately running at full speed to the next branch. “But he’ll probably start sleeping like a log in the evening or at night, like he suddenly ran out of battery?” “That’s cute in its own way.” “My prediction is he’ll whine about being sleepy on the way back from the hot spring.” “If that happens, I’ll carry him back on my back.” “Carrying a sleeping child on your back is heavy~” To Ayaka, who said this teasingly, trying to test Haruto a little, he smiled and said, “It’s okay.” “Someone like Ryota-kun is fine. It’s not that long a distance either.” The campsite they were staying at today had a hot spring facility about a ten-minute walk away. After enjoying camping food in the evening, everyone was planning to go to that hot spring. “If anything, I can even carry Ayaka on my back.” When Haruto, who had been attending a karate dojo since childhood and was confident in his physical strength, said this jokingly, Ayaka’s face turned slightly red with embarrassment. “If you say things like that, I might really ask for a piggyback ride, you know?” Haruto’s heart gave a sudden lurch when Ayaka looked up at him with a slightly serious look. “Huh? Ah~… If Ayaka throws a tantrum saying she’s too sleepy to take even one step, then I’ll carry you on my back.”
“Hmm, that might be a little embarrassing.” Haruto replied, feigning calmness while hiding his inner turmoil. Then Ayaka made a slightly thoughtful expression. “But I think I’ll feel good and get sleepy after the hot spring, so being carried on Haruto-kun’s back would be convenient and appealing, you know?” “Don’t talk about people like they’re a taxi!” To her words, said like a monologue, Haruto retorted with a small laugh. Drawn by this, Ayaka also smiled. “Hey, Haruto-kun.” “Hmm?” “Haruto-kun, if you get a real girlfriend, would you prefer to do outdoor activities like this together? Or would you prefer to relax and spend time together at home?” “Hmm, let’s see.” Haruto tilted his head at Ayaka’s question while casually picking up a branch that looked just right. “Both are appealing, but…” In Haruto’s mind as he answered, he recalled his time with Ayaka during this summer break. The time they spent in her room practicing being a couple and studying for summer homework was fun, and walking around town together, like the other day visiting the shopping mall or having lunch at a cafe, was also very enjoyable. “I think a girlfriend I can enjoy both outdoor and indoor activities with would be nice. Is that a selfish answer?” “No, I think the same way as you, Haruto-kun.” Ayaka smiled brightly and continued speaking, looking at Haruto with a little embarrassment. “You see, I had a really fun time when I was with you in my room, and during the ice cream hunt date the other day, and I’m having a lot of fun now too… So, recently I’ve often thought that when I get a boyfriend in the future, I’d like someone that I can feel happy just being with, like this.” “Oh, is that so…” “Yeah…” At Ayaka’s words, Haruto stopped the hand he had extended to pick up a branch dead in its tracks and replied with confusion. In response, Ayaka also looked down shyly and nodded slightly.
“Um… if Ayaka wants to, I think you could get a boyfriend right away, you know?” “…Really?” Ayaka stared at Haruto with slightly moist eyes. Her eyes seemed to overflow with various emotions, and Haruto, hesitant to interpret them, reflexively averted his gaze from her. “Ayaka is, um… cute, you know.” “Hehehe, thank you.” “Mm…” Haruto could only manage a short reply to her shy, bashful smile. Just as the atmosphere became slightly awkward, Ryota returned to them, his arms full of branches. “Onii-chan! With this much, can we have a splendid bonfire?” “Ah, ah, yeah. That’s amazing, Ryota-kun. It’s great that you collected so many branches.” “Hehe~” Praised by Haruto, Ryota’s expression became smug. “Alright, let’s go back to everyone and start the bonfire.” “Yeah! Splendid bonfire!” Following the overly excited Ryota, who was hugging a chestful of branches, Haruto returned to the campsite. In his head, the words Ayaka had just said were repeating over and over. Upon returning to the campsite from the forest, Haruto immediately began preparing for the bonfire. “You picked up a lot.” Seeing the branches piled up like a small mountain next to the firewood they had bought for the bonfire, Saki wore an expression that was both impressed and exasperated. “I collected the most!” Next to the small mountain of branches, Ryota showed a proud expression to Saki. “Really? How pathetic for both Ayaka and Ōtsuki-kun to lose to Ryota~” “I really can’t compete with Ryota-kun’s stamina.” To Saki, who brought both hands up to her shoulders and shook her head as if saying “Oh dear,” Haruto said in defense. At his words, Saki put a hand on her chin and said, “Hmm?” looking back and forth between Ayaka and Haruto.
“Is it really a matter of stamina? Weren’t you actually flirting instead of picking up branches~?” “Th- That’s not true at all!” At Saki’s suggestion, Ayaka hastily denied it. “Really? Is it just me, or does Ayaka’s face look a bit red?” “Yes, it’s just your imagination! Right, Haruto-kun! We were seriously picking up branches, weren’t we?” “Yep. We weren’t focused on quantity, but quality, carefully selecting the branches.” Haruto, prompted by Ayaka, deliberately joked and exaggerated his answer. Seeing the two of them, Saki grinned. “I see. Well, I’ll just pretend that’s the case.” “It’s the truth. I was just having a normal conversation with Haruto-kun.” “There are times when Ayaka’s ‘normal’ is completely not normal.” “That’s not true. I’m always normal, a person of common sense.” “Oh ho, if that’s what you think, would it be alright if I shared some stories about Ayaka’s airheadedness with Ōtsuki-kun?” At Saki’s words, Ayaka said anxiously. “W- wait! Tell me what kind of stories they are first, okay?” “Ehh~ That won’t be fun though.” “It’s fine if it’s not fun!” Ayaka was busy getting embarrassed and flustered at Saki’s teasing, but somehow they seemed to be having a fun conversation. As Haruto smiled wryly at the two who had started a girls’ talk, Ryota, looking impatient, tugged at his sleeve. “Onii-chan. Is the bonfire ready yet?” “Right. Let’s start the bonfire.” Haruto smiled at Ryota and then called out to Shuichi, who was carrying chairs and tables under the tarp. “Shuichi-san. I’m thinking of starting the bonfire, but where is the bonfire stand?” “Ah, um… Mom. Where did you put the bonfire stand?” “I think it’s in that grey box over there. Could you open it and check?” Ikue, who was carrying tableware onto the assembled table, said, pointing to a plastic storage box. “Understood. Thank you.”
After thanking Ikue, Haruto peeked inside the storage box she mentioned. Inside, he found what he was looking for, neatly folded and compactly stored. Haruto immediately assembled the bonfire stand and began preparing for the bonfire. Just then, Ikue brought a bundle of bamboo skewers and a bag of marshmallows. “Eat these once the fire is lit.” “Wow! Roasted marshmallows! Ikue-mama is the best!” Saki, who had been having a girls’ talk with Ayaka, looked at the bag of marshmallows with sparkling eyes. “Hehe, Saki-chan, we have these too, so eat the roasted marshmallows sandwiched in them.” Saying so, Ikue handed Saki a box of crackers. “Oh! S’mores, right!” Saki’s face broke into a happy smile at the simple sweet that could be made by just roasting marshmallows and sandwiching them with crackers. “Ōtsuki-kun! We must make a fire immediately!” To Ryota and Saki, who were looking at him with excited expressions, Haruto smiled wryly and said to Ryota. “Got it. Okay, Ryota-kun, could you place the fire starter in the middle of the bonfire stand?” “Okay! Um… is it okay here?” “Yeah. Alright, let’s arrange small branches over it.” Haruto and Ryota together arranged the collected twigs over the fire starter like a pyramid. After arranging the branches, Haruto lit the fire starter through a gap. Seeing the flickering, weak flame caress the branches, Ryota looked up at Haruto. “Onii-chan. Should we fan it?” “No, let’s wait a bit longer before fanning. Let’s fan it once the branches have caught fire properly.” “Yeah!” Ryota stared intently at the fire with a serious look. Eventually, the fire from the kindling transferred to the thin branches, and the unreliable flame grew a little larger. Haruto added slightly thicker branches and said to Ryota, “Alright, let’s fan it. Fire might fly, so stay a little bit away, and fan slowly at first.”
“Got it!” Ryota took the fan from Haruto and slowly sent air from a spot a little distance from the bonfire. “Good job. Very good.” “Hehehe.” Ryota beamed happily at Haruto’s praise. After that, the fire continued to grow steadily, and once the purchased firewood caught fire, Saki, as if she had been waiting, held a bag of marshmallows and said, “Ōtsuki-kun, is the fire-starting complete?” “Yeah, I think it’s fine now.” “Saki-neechan, I helped start the fire too!” “Good boy! For such a good Ryota, I’ll give you this.” Saki patted Ryota’s head and then handed him a marshmallow from the bag. Just then, Ayaka came over with bamboo skewers. “Ryota, you skewer the marshmallow on this and roast it.” “Like this?” “Yes, exactly. Now bring it close to the fire.” Hearing Ayaka’s words, Ryota forcefully plunged the marshmallow skewered on the bamboo stick into the fiercely burning fire. Immediately, the marshmallow caught fire, and what was pure white rapidly turned pitch black. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!? It turned all black!?” Ryota looked at the carbonized marshmallow in surprise, and Haruto skewered a marshmallow on his own skewer, showing Ryota an example. “Ryota-kun. If you roast it slowly like this, away from the fire and turning it, it’ll turn out well.” The marshmallow, roasted slowly over indirect heat, had a faintly goldenbrown surface. Haruto removed the perfectly roasted marshmallow from the skewer, put it between crackers, and handed it to Ryota. “Here you go. It’s a snack called a S’more.” “Thank you! It’s sweet and delicious!” Ryota’s face lit up as he tasted a S’more for the first time. Next to him, Ayaka, just like her brother, had carbonized her roasted marshmallow.
“Ah… I messed up.” With a sad expression, she looked towards Haruto as if seeking help. Receiving her gaze, he chuckled and skewered a marshmallow for Ayaka. “The heat might be a bit too strong.” Saying something to back her up, Haruto, like he did for Ryota, placed the golden-brown marshmallow between crackers and handed it to Ayaka. “Thank you, Haruto-kun.” Ayaka thanked him with a beaming smile. The moment he saw her smile, a conversation with her in the forest flashed back in Haruto’s mind, and he felt his face redden slightly. Praying that she would think his face was red from the heat of the bonfire, Haruto returned Ayaka’s thanks with a smile. Just then, Saki, munching on a S’more she had made herself, said as if something had sparked in her mind, “I think I’ve come up with the best combination!” Saki said that and rummaged through her backpack, which held her belongings, pulling out a box of snacks. “Wouldn’t making S’mores with these be amazing?” In her hand was a packet of everyone’s favorite biscuits with chocolate shaped like a sailboat. The moment she saw them, Ayaka’s excitement also soared. “That’s definitely going to be delicious! Saki, you’re a genius!” “Heheheh~. Praise me more.” To Saki, who stood with her hands on her hips, Ayaka bowed exaggeratedly, saying, “Yes, Saki-sama~.” “Hmm, you may rise. I shall share these biscuits with everyone.” Saying that, Saki distributed the snacks to everyone. Ayaka, who received a biscuit from her, looked at Haruto with expectant eyes. “Haruto-kun.” “Understood. I’ll roast them now, just a moment.” “Me too, Onii-chan.” At the Tojo siblings’ pleas, Haruto gave a wry smile and skewered three marshmallows onto a stick. The Tojo siblings looked on with sparkling eyes, excitedly watching Haruto roast the marshmallows. Seeing their similar expressions, Haruto smiled, thinking they were indeed siblings, and then placed the roasted marshmallow between Saki’s
biscuits. “Here you go.” “Thank you, Haruto-kun.” “Thank you! Onii-chan!” The Tojo siblings happily accepted them and immediately popped them into their mouths, their faces glowing with happiness. “Mmm~, the melted marshmallow and chocolate mixed with the crispy biscuit is the best~.” “Onii-chan! This is so delicious!” “That’s good to hear.” Haruto nodded gently at Ryota’s words, eating a S’more himself with one hand, while with the other, he roasted the next marshmallow for the Tojo siblings. Saki, next to Ayaka, was eating her proposed S’more variation, muttering, “Am I a genius?” As the four enjoyed S’mores, the large bag of marshmallows disappeared in an instant. Just then, Ikue came over with a slightly larger skillet. “Can I use the bonfire?” “Yes, of course.” Haruto replied and spread the fire slightly to make it easier for Ikue to cook, then set up a trivet over it. “Thank you, Ōtsuki-kun.” “Ikue-mama. What are you making?” Saki looked at Ikue with expectant eyes, watching the skillet placed on the trivet. “Seafood paella.” “Paella at a camp! How stylish!” “Heheheh~, sometimes, as a housewife, I need to show off that I can make delicious food, you know?” Ikue oiled the skillet with olive oil and, while sautéing onions and garlic, smiled sweetly at Haruto. Receiving her smile, Haruto subtly raised the corners of his mouth, showing a slight competitive spirit. “Then I’ll have to make something not to lose to Ikue-san either.” Saying that, he took out another skillet, different from Ikue’s, which he had brought, and placed it on the trivet. “What are you making, Onii-chan?”
“Ajillo.” “A-jil-lo?” Ryota tilted his head at the unfamiliar word. Haruto smiled, saying, “Wait a little until it’s done,” and then accepted some olive oil from Ikue and poured it into his skillet. Haruto had told Ikue and Shuichi in advance that he would cook dinner as a thank-you for being invited to the Tojo family’s camping trip. He had planned to buy and bring ingredients himself, but when he told Shuichi, he was told, “We’ll prepare all the ingredients, so Ōtsuki-kun just needs to bring changes of clothes and a sleeping bag.” Incidentally, when Shuichi, with sparkling eyes, asked, “What are you planning to make?” and Haruto replied Ajillo, Shuichi had a happy expression, saying, “I see, perhaps some wine?” Ikue and Haruto, side by side, continued cooking with their skillets. A garlic aroma wafted from Ikue’s skillet. She added rice and seafood mix to it. “Ikue-san, can I have some of that seafood mix later?” “Of course. I’ll leave it here for you.” “Thank you.” Haruto thanked Ikue for placing the seafood mix on the adjacent table, then peeled garlic and put it into his skillet filled with olive oil. “I’m looking forward to Haruto-kun’s Ajillo.” Ayaka said, watching Haruto cook. “Well, Ajillo is just putting ingredients into olive oil and simmering them, so the taste doesn’t change much no matter who makes it,” Haruto replied, adding a few chili peppers. Since Ryota would also be eating, he was careful not to let any seeds get in, keeping the amount small enough for just a hint of flavor. Just then, Shuichi came to the bonfire with sliced baguettes on a tray. “Ayaka, could you roast these for a bit?” “Yeah, got it.” Ayaka took the tray from Shuichi and arranged the baguettes in the space between the two skillets to roast them. Watching her, Saki’s expression softened. “It’s the best to dip baguettes in Ajillo and eat them, isn’t it?” “Hey, Onee-chan. I want one piece of bread.” While Saki happily watched the cooking, Ryota looked at the tray Ayaka was holding with longing eyes and said,
“Alright, fine. Just one, okay? It’s tastier if you roast it properly and eat it with Ajillo.” Saying that, Ayaka handed one baguette to Ryota. Ryota said, “Yay!” and took it with both hands, happily taking a bite. Listening to their exchange, Haruto added broccoli, shrimp, scallops, and cherry tomatoes to his Ajillo and simmered them, then added a little herb salt. “The Ajillo is mostly done.” “The paella will take a little longer.” Ikue replied, looking at the covered skillet. “Well then, let’s eat the Ajillo first.” At Shuichi’s words, Haruto nodded, took the Ajillo off the trivet, and moved it to the table. “Let’s eat.” Everyone put their hands together and said “Itadakimasu!”, then Ryota immediately reached for the Ajillo with sparkling eyes. “Ryota-kun, it’s delicious with bread.” “Really?” Haruto said that to Ryota, took a roasted baguette, put shrimp on it, and handed it to Ryota. “Thank you, Onii-chan!” Ryota took it from Haruto, took a bite, and his face lit up. “Onii-chan, this is delicious!!” “That’s good to hear.” Haruto was soothed by Ryota’s smile. Saki, sitting opposite him, dipped a baguette in the Ajillo, placed garlic on it, and brought it to her mouth. “Mmm-hmm~! It’s the BEST!! Ōtsuki-kun, the seasoning is perfect!” Saki, who shivered and moaned in ecstasy the moment she tasted it, gave Haruto a thumbs-up. Next to her, Ayaka also ate broccoli and nodded. “Yeah, as expected of Haruto-kun.” “Hahaha, thanks. But as I said earlier, Ajillo is just simmering ingredients in olive oil and garlic, so the taste doesn’t change much no matter who makes it,” Haruto replied, trying to hide his embarrassment by handing Ryota a baguette soaked in Ajillo oil. Just then, Ikue smiled sweetly. “The simpler the dish, the harder it can be because there’s less to hide behind.”
“Ayaka, you’re so lucky to get to eat so much of Ōtsuki-kun’s home cooking. You naughty girl~.” Saki said, lightly nudging Ayaka next to her. “W-Well, it’s not just me, Ryota’s eating it too, and…” Ayaka replied to Saki’s words and reached for the Ajillo as if to escape from Saki, eating a scallop. “Even so, when someone is this good at cooking, Ōtsuki-kun’s future wife must be envious, huh?” Saki said to Ayaka with a slightly mischievous expression, in a voice quiet enough that Haruto couldn’t hear. “That’s… that’s true.” “It looks like she needs to secure that position quickly, or someone might steal it~.” “U-Ugh…” As Ayaka’s face reddened slightly and she looked down, Saki grinned. Then Ikue, who had been checking on the paella, seemed to have heard Saki’s words and joined the conversation. “That’s right, Ayaka. If you don’t catch Ōtsuki-kun quickly, I’ll be in trouble.” “M-Mama, that has nothing to do with you!” “It has everything to do with me!” Ayaka’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at her mother joining the conversation. To her daughter, Ikue explained with a very serious expression. “Because Ōtsuki-kun is only doing the house-keeping part-time job for the summer holidays, isn’t he?” “Yeah, he is.” “That means when summer vacation ends, Ōtsuki-kun won’t come to our house anymore, right?” “That’s…” “This summer holiday, Ōtsuki-kun’s house-keeping has helped me so much that I can’t live without him anymore.” Ikue said with a slightly exaggerated, joking tone. “Mama, what!?” To her mother, Ayaka looked at Haruto in a slight panic. He was currently feeding Ajillo to Ryota, engrossed in an outdoor discussion with Shuichi next to him, and couldn’t hear Ayaka’s conversation.
Ayaka breathed a sigh of relief at this. Seeing her daughter’s reaction, Ikue smiled and continued speaking. “If Ayaka catches Ōtsuki-kun, he’ll still come to the house even after summer vacation ends, won’t he?” “T-That might be true, but since he won’t be doing house-keeping work anymore, it’d be rude to ask Haruto-kun to cook.” To Ayaka, who was arguing with Ikue, Saki said with a grinning expression, “That’s where you, as his girlfriend, ask your boyfriend, ‘Haruto-kun, I want to eat your cooking!’” Ayaka’s cheeks instantly reddened upon hearing Saki’s words. Ikue then pressed on further. “As for me, I’d like Ōtsuki-kun to eventually come to our house as a sonin-law, you know.” “A s-son-in-law!? T-That’s too soon to talk about!” “But if Ayaka becomes Ōtsuki-kun’s wife, you’ll have all-you-can-eat of his home cooking, won’t you?” “T-That’s… certainly tempting, but…” Under the barrage from Ikue and Saki, Ayaka’s face was completely red, looking as if steam might pour from her head. Just then, Ryota, who had been engrossed in eating Ajillo, opened his mouth with a pure, innocent expression. “Onee-chan, are you going to be Onii-chan’s wife?” Ryota said loudly, looking at his sister with shining, expectant eyes. That question clearly reached Haruto’s ears, who had been engrossed in conversation with Shuichi. Ryota had been engrossed in Ajillo until now. Ikue and the others had also been talking in a slightly lower voice so Haruto wouldn’t hear, but it seemed Ryota’s ears were exceptionally sharp when it came to his beloved sister and Haruto. He had clearly heard Ikue’s statement, “If Ayaka becomes Ōtsuki-kun’s wife,” and was looking excited. At Ryota’s sudden remark, Haruto paused his conversation with Shuichi and looked at Ryota with a bewildered expression. In response to the situation, Ayaka, with a bright red face, hurriedly denied Ryota’s statement. “W-What are you saying, Ryota!! Don’t suddenly say weird things!!” “But Mom just said that Onee-chan is going to be Onii-chan’s wife!” “Eh?”
At Ryota’s words, Haruto looked at Ikue with a surprised expression. “Oh dear, oh my.” Receiving his gaze, Ikue gave a slightly troubled smile, placing a hand on her cheek. “Mama, what!? Not ‘Oh dear, oh my’! Please deny it properly!” “Hmm, Ayaka’s time to marry off has finally come…” “Eh? Eh!?” To Shuichi, who mumbled contemplatively, Haruto looked at him with a confused expression, completely unable to grasp the flow of the conversation. “Wha- Papa!! Don’t take it seriously!!” Ayaka desperately tried to stop her father, who was, as usual, getting carried away. Watching her best friend, Saki covered her mouth with a hand and stifled a laugh, muttering, “Ōtsuki-kun is completely surrounded…” “Eh? What is this? What’s the context of this conversation?” As Haruto looked around in confusion, Ikue clapped her hands. “Ah, look! The paella is ready, so let’s all eat.” “Mama… try to change the subject a little more gracefully…” In the summer twilight, at the campsite in the mountains, Ayaka’s weary murmur drifted softly.
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