After the commotion subsided, the forest returned to silence.
The night deepened.
Only the wind rustling through the woods outside created a soft sound, but it was drowned out by the snoring inside the tent.
Aozawa really wanted to curse. It turned out Furusawa Kyoichiro snored and even talked in his sleep! Usually accustomed to quiet sleep, Aozawa was finding it hard to get any rest. He tried to adapt to the environment, but the thought of strangling Furusawa Kyoichiro lingered in his mind.
As he pondered a hundred ways to commit murder, the tent flap was quietly lifted. A head poked in and whispered, "Aozawa, are you asleep?"
"No."
Aozawa quickly unzipped his sleeping bag and patted the other side, smiling. "Ayaka, do you want to come in and sleep?"
Ayatsuki Ayaka's cheeks flushed slightly as she glared and said, "What are you thinking? I just want you to come out and chat."
"Oh." Aozawa felt a bit disappointed. He thought Ayaka wanted to come into the tent for some... private activities. Anyway, Furusawa Kyoichiro slept like a log; there was absolutely no chance of waking him up.
He didn't stay lying down and followed Ayatsuki Ayaka out of the tent.
The outside air was a bit chilly, ruffling Ayatsuki Ayaka's hair at her temples.
With no one around, Aozawa reached over to tuck her hair behind her ear, asking with concern, "Does it still hurt? Let me rub it for you."
"It's fine. There's plenty of padding here; it's well-cushioned."
Ayatsuki Ayaka patted the spot to show she was fine and didn't need a rub, then shyly added, "There were too many people during the day, so I didn't get to stroll around with you properly. Tonight is perfect to accompany you for a walk."
"Sure."
Aozawa took her small hand, his thumb gently caressing the back of it.
Ayatsuki Ayaka didn't resist his action, even nuzzling his arm with her shoulder.
Because of the hot weather, she wore a tank top, while Aozawa wore a short-sleeved shirt.
Their arms touched without any fabric between them, allowing them to fully enjoy the warmth of each other's smooth skin.
Aozawa lowered his head to look at the pattern on her chest and asked with some curiosity, "What flower is this?"
"Guess."
Instead of telling him directly, Ayatsuki Ayaka seemed quite excited to have him guess the type of flower.
Aozawa pulled open her neckline a little and peeked inside. "Oh, it's a Rose."
Ayatsuki Ayaka's wheat-colored cheeks turned redder. She quickly slapped his hand away and glared. "Aozawa, you're so lewd! Who told you to guess like that?"
"My brain told me it's the fastest way."
Aozawa then put his arm around her shoulder instead, grinning from ear to ear.
Ayatsuki Ayaka pretended to be annoyed, punching his shoulder and pouting, "I'm not talking to you."
She strode forward.
Aozawa hurried after her, grabbing her hand. "Okay, okay, it's my fault. Don't be angry."
"Will you dare to do it again next time?"
"I'll dare again next time."
"You're incorrigible!" Ayatsuki Ayaka punched him once more, her heart filled with sweetness. She wasn't the least bit upset about him peeking at her chest.
At that moment, the clouds dispersed, and the bright moon hung high in the sky. Its pure light spilled over everything, draping the stream, the pebbles, and the young couple in a silvery veil, creating a very warm scene.
The young miss watched this scene, biting her lip.
...
Phoenix Academy Maggie had intended to get some fresh air.
To her, the sleeping bag was too hard, like sleeping directly on the gravelly ground, and her whole body felt uncomfortable. Add to that, Nomura True Wave fell asleep instantly, liked to grind her teeth, and made SMACKING sounds in her sleep. Her terrible sleeping habits, a complete contrast to her daytime demeanor, made it impossible for Phoenix Academy Maggie to sleep, and she had considered going out for a breath of air.
Seeing this scene, her hand froze mid-action as she was lifting the tent flap.
She felt it would be better to endure True Wave's torture than witness this. But if she saw this and just meekly shrank back, wouldn't that make her look like a coward?
Phoenix Academy Maggie didn't want to run away. She deliberately made a loud noise as she pulled open the tent flap and then walked outside.
"Oh dear, have I come at a bad time and disturbed you two?"
Her face wore a smile, but her eyes held a cold sharpness, like an unsheathed sword eager to test its blade.
Ayatsuki Ayaka was startled and guiltily started to explain.
Aozawa calmly wrapped his arm around her shoulder and extended his other hand toward Phoenix Academy Maggie. "No, you've come at just the right time."
Displaying guilt now would only backfire; facing the situation boldly was far more appropriate.
Phoenix Academy Maggie had been ready to cause trouble, but seeing his bold and smiling demeanor, even beckoning her forward, her intended outburst died on her lips, leaving her somewhat at a loss for words.
"If you want to dream, you can go inside the tent and dream all you want."
Phoenix Academy Maggie's smile vanished. Expressionless, she walked to the stream's edge. She chose her spot cleverly, such that even if Aozawa stretched out his arm, it would still be a few centimeters short of her shoulder. To embrace her, he would have to let go of Ayatsuki Ayaka's shoulder. But that's impossible.
Phoenix Academy Maggie's eyes rested on the stream. A faint sadness rose in her heart.
Then, a hand wrapped around her shoulder from the side.
A flicker of surprise sparked within Phoenix Academy Maggie. She turned her head, but the surprise quickly faded. She discovered that Aozawa hadn't let go of Ayatsuki Ayaka; instead, he had moved with Ayaka to embrace her as well.
Phoenix Academy Maggie realized she had underestimated Aozawa's shamelessness and overestimated Ayatsuki Ayaka's backbone.
She clenched her right hand, raised it to rap Aozawa on the head, and said irritably, "Are you asking for a beating?"
"Don't be mad. The wind is so strong out here; it's warmer if we're all together."
Aozawa, enduring her feeble attack, naturally didn't let go. He could tell Phoenix Academy Maggie didn't really mind him putting his arm around her shoulder.
"You're right, it is too cold outside." Phoenix Academy Maggie took his hand off her shoulder and said with a smile, "I think I'll go back to the tent to sleep."
Aozawa sighed internally. It was still too early for his dream of having a girl on each arm; it had only lasted a few seconds. But such a wonderful dream was bound to become reality sooner or later.
He watched Phoenix Academy Maggie return to the tent, then shifted his gaze back to Ayatsuki Ayaka's face.
Her large eyes were staring at Aozawa.
"Did Maggie confess to you?"
"No, don't be silly. She and I are just good friends."
Aozawa smiled. He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling the whole truth either.
Ayatsuki Ayaka's cheeks puffed out, a hint of doubt in her eyes. "Really?"
"Really. If I'm lying to you, may I be struck by lightning."
"Okay, okay, I believe you. Don't make such a dire oath. What if it actually came true?"
"If you're afraid of me getting struck, it means you don't believe me. I swear on my honor, Maggie really hasn't confessed to me. We're just good friends right now," Aozawa answered with a serious expression.
Ayatsuki Ayaka thought for a moment. Considering Maggie's personality, it really didn't seem like she'd be the one to confess first. So she said cheerfully, "Then it's fine. Let's continue our walk."
"Shall we do some 'special activities' to liven up the atmosphere?" Aozawa's hand shifted to wrap around Ayatsuki Ayaka's waist. Her slender waist exuded the soft, warm fragrance of freshly baked bread.
Ayatsuki Ayaka blushed slightly and slapped his chest. "What are you thinking? We'll just walk along the riverside like this."
For her right now, doing *that sort of thing* indoors was already embarrassing enough; she couldn't even imagine doing it outdoors.
Hearing this, Aozawa didn't insist. He held Ayatsuki Ayaka's hand, and they strolled under the moonlight, which had its own special charm.
...
Phoenix Academy Maggie returned to the tent and crawled into her sleeping bag. She found that the sleeping bag no longer felt so unbearable; her thoughts were entirely focused on what was happening outside.
Now that she had left, and they were alone on this dark and windy night, what would Aozawa and Ayatsuki Ayaka do? By the stream? In the woods? Would the two of them become like animals in spring? Such thoughts made Phoenix Academy Maggie oblivious to the texture of the sleeping bag. Her mind raced, imagining those scenes, then dismissing them, convinced it was still too early for *that*.
The problem was Ayatsuki Ayaka's gentle nature; she probably wouldn't be able to resist Aozawa's relentless persistence. If *that* really happened, what should she, Maggie, do? Then again, she mused, just because the rice is cooked doesn't mean you have to eat it. Aren't there plenty of people who sleep together and then break up these days?
Countless thoughts spun through Phoenix Academy Maggie's mind, so much so that she didn't even realize when she fell asleep.
"Maggie, Maggie!"
Woken by the repeated calls, Phoenix Academy Maggie's consciousness slowly returned. She opened her eyes to see the tent and a familiar face.
After a brief moment of disorientation, she remembered she wasn't at home but at the Glacier Camping Site.
Nomura True Wave spread her hands and shook her head. "You sure love to sleep in, Young Miss. I called you so many times before you woke up. Aozawa and Hojo are already grilling meat; don't stay in bed any longer."
"Is that so?" The image of Aozawa and Ayatsuki Ayaka by the river flashed through Phoenix Academy Maggie's mind.
She'd know if something happened between those two last night just by looking at how Ayatsuki Ayaka walked today.
She unzipped her sleeping bag, crawled out, smoothed down her spaghetti-strap dress, then took a mirror from her bag to comb her disheveled blonde hair. After grabbing her toothbrush, toothpaste, and towel, she headed out of the tent.
This was a morning unlike any she had ever experienced.
Faint sunlight spilled over the campsite. Girls from her class, her age, were already awake and gathered around two barbecue grills laden with meat.
Two boys were grilling, the meat SIZZLING.
Phoenix Academy Maggie's gaze swept across the area and landed on Ayatsuki Ayaka. Her energetic, bouncy demeanor clearly indicated she hadn't been... deflowered.
From what Maggie understood, Ayatsuki Ayaka, unlike a Hot Girl like Takahashi, should still be inexperienced. So if something had *really* happened, she would definitely be limping.
"Good morning, Phoenix Academy," Ayatsuki Ayaka greeted with a smile, waving her hand.
"Mm," Phoenix Academy Maggie replied coolly and headed upstream to wash her face and brush her teeth.
Miyahara Kaoru pursed her lips, dissatisfied. "Ayaka, why did you greet her?"
"Don't do such a spineless thing, trying to curry favor with the enemy," Takahashi Saeko added, rapping Ayatsuki Ayaka on the forehead. They themselves could greet Phoenix Academy Maggie, but Ayatsuki Ayaka, of all people, shouldn't be so friendly towards her.
Ayatsuki Ayaka chuckled sheepishly. She knew they were looking out for her, but she also didn't want her relationship with Phoenix Academy Maggie to become too strained.