Ryou's invitation was a little sudden.
Before Kaito could respond, a new chat window popped up.
[Yamada Ryou: After all, the members left in the band are all weak and powerless girls. If only we go, camping outdoors is still too unsafe.]
[Yamada Ryou: Boyfriend-kun, you don't want Bocchi to be in danger either, right?]
Kaito: "?"
'What you say makes a lot of sense, but—'
He had always loved saying no to people who liked to threaten him.
[Kaito: I understand.]
[Kaito: I'll have Bocchi reject your camping invitation later, so she won't encounter danger.]
[Yamada Ryou: ???]
[Yamada Ryou: Ahem! I thought it over again, it's a rare band bonding activity, it would be a pity if anyone is absent.]
[Yamada Ryou: Besides, I especially brought a lot of beer from home for this camping trip. It would be such a waste if no one drinks it.]
[Kaito: What are you bringing alcohol for?]
[Kaito: Are you good at drinking?]
[Yamada Ryou: No, Kita and Bocchi don't know, but Nijika and I are the same, we can only drink a little bit.]
[Yamada Ryou: So you can take this chance to get us all drunk.]
[Kaito: ?]
[Kaito: What's the point of getting you drunk?]
[Yamada Ryou: It works.]
'This gremlin really is hopeless.'
Kaito was silent for two seconds, and in the end still agreed to her camping invitation.
Of course, not because he could get Nijika drunk.
He just purely wanted to spend time with Bocchi. The little social anxiety girl usually didn't like going out, and didn't even dare to ask him on a date. It was a rare chance for a group bonding event with friends; he really couldn't just let her stay at home and grow mushrooms.
The two agreed on a time, and coincidentally, the Ferris wheel had finished a rotation. He put away his phone and looked ahead.
The tightly shut cabin door opened again. Mortis weakly walked out, followed by a little yellow cucumber with a blank expression, which made Kaito inexplicably recall a very old cartoon, "Mindless and Unhappy."
As for who was Mindless and who was Unhappy… that was, of course, up to interpretation.
"Was the Ferris wheel fun?"
Faced with her brother's concern, Mortis secretly pouted. She really wanted to say "it was super boring," but in order not to expose her wolfish ambition, she had no choice but to force a pure smile and praised, "Very fun! The view up there was also beautiful! The whole atmosphere was very romantic!"
'If only the person sitting next to me wasn't Mutsumi."
"That's good," Kaito asked, "Looking at your expression, I thought you were disappointed… Want to go again?"
The little girl immediately shook her head like a rattle drum, "No no, the Ferris wheel kind of ride, once is enough. Too much becomes boring."
She didn't want to be stuck in the sky for ten minutes with Mutsumi again, especially when the latter was a total introvert. Riding the Ferris wheel with her felt like being in prison.
"I see," Kaito thought for a moment, "Seeing how much you liked the Ferris wheel, I was thinking of riding it again with you… but if you're not interested, that's fine. Does Mutsumi want to try again?"
'Such a good thing?'
Mutsumi was stunned for a moment.
She subconsciously looked at Mortis, like a confused believer gazing at a selfless saint.
'Thank you for the gift, dear bestie.'
Then, she solemnly nodded, "I do."
"Then let's go."
This amusement park had a one-ticket system. Once you bought a ticket and entered, all facilities could be played freely, no need to buy extra tickets. So Kaito casually rubbed the girl's little head and, before the Ferris wheel started again, took Mutsumi's hand and entered the small cabin.
"Eh?"
"Eh eh eh eh eh?"
Only the cocooned Mortis was left behind, suddenly widening her eyes and letting out a futile cry.
———
Riding the Ferris wheel really was a unique experience.
Kaito decided to take back what he said earlier about it being "boring."
Although the pace was indeed slower, not as thrilling as a roller coaster with its adrenaline-pumping excitement, but sitting calmly like this, a hundred meters in the air, quietly enjoying the scenery outside the window, truly gave people a kind of "the world is vast" refreshing feeling, as if even the body and mind had been baptized.
If there was only one flaw in the experience… it would probably be that the cabin was too small.
Mortis and Mutsumi were both petite types, and neither was chubby, so sitting together didn't feel cramped. But replacing them with Kaito made it not so easy.
When he and Mutsumi sat side by side, it was basically arm against arm, leg against leg. Saying "not even a needle could fit between" might be an exaggeration, but there really wasn't much space left between them, fully demonstrating the inhuman cabin design.
However, considering that most people who ride the Ferris wheel are couples… maybe this design was intentional?
Ten minutes wasn't too long, nor too short.
When with someone you dislike, it naturally feels like years. But with someone you like, it passes so fast, it feels like just a blink.
Clearly, just a moment ago, the Ferris wheel had risen to its highest point, and just when Mutsumi was hesitating whether to take this opportunity to do something, the slowly rotating cabin already came to a stop.
The girl let out a breath of relief, a little regretful. Such a rare chance, and it was just missed like that.
But…
She looked toward a certain idiot whose resentment was so thick it could practically materialize, Mortis. For some reason, the previously disappointed mood wasn't so disappointed anymore.
Now it was regret. Deep, deep regret.
What was sadder than sadness in this world? False joy.
And what was sadder than false joy? Gaining something only to lose it again.
No, maybe it wasn't even a loss.
It was clearly she who stupidly handed the opportunity that rightfully belonged to her, to Mutsumi.
Just thinking of this made Mortis so frustrated she wished she could time travel ten minutes back to knock some sense into that naive, foolish self.
Especially after personally seeing her brother and Mutsumi come down from the Ferris wheel together, her gloom became even worse.
Yet the tone she used just now had been too resolute, making it awkward to change her mind now.
The little girl pouted, but still tried hard to comfort herself.
'It's fine, it's fine.'
'Just think of it as giving Onii-chan some experience.'
With this time as a precedent, the next time she makes a similar request, it will feel more natural.
Anyway, she's already several laps ahead of Mutsumi. Even if she gives her a few hundred meters now, so what?
'The advantage, always lies with me!'
———
After finishing the amusement park trip, Kaito took his little sisters for a simple lunch, and then headed straight for the next highlight.
The aquarium.
The aquarium he chose wasn't far from the amusement park, about four or five train stops away, and they arrived at the destination very quickly.
Although it was the weekend, there weren't many tourists today. In front of the ticket gate were only a couple of sparse lines.
Before getting closer, Kaito suddenly stopped.
Among the crowd, a somewhat slender figure stood not far away.
Short gray hair, dark sweatshirt.
He thought for a moment, and a familiar name quickly surfaced in his mind.
'That is… Takamatsu Tomori?'
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