Ajitani's emotions came and went quickly; she instantly put the matter behind her and focused on explaining the missed plot points to Shouko , doing so with remarkable clarity.
Takagi and Nishikata listened quietly, only interjecting occasionally.
Tsuna, on the other hand, endured for a while, probably getting sleepy, and simply leaned his head back against the porch pillar, closing his eyes for a nap.
By the time Shouko woke him up, it was already time to disperse.
He was still groggy when Shouko quickly ambushed him with a peck, and by the time he reacted, she had already pulled Ajitani and run off.
Takagi caught Nishikata's dazed gaze, and the smile on her lips deepened; she tilted her head, resting her chin slightly, and looked at him:
"Why are you staring at me? I wouldn't do something as 'childish' as a sneak kiss…"
The deliberately drawn-out trailing sound was like a small feather, tickling Nishikata's heart.
Before his flushed face could respond, Takagi cheerfully waved towards Tsuna:
"See you tomorrow."
Before her words had even faded, she had already turned around smoothly, her steps quietly quickening as she went to catch up with the two figures ahead, arm-in-arm and laughing together.
Only Nishikata remained in place, the word "sneak kiss" still echoing in his ears, his heart beating a little too loudly.
Tsuna also stood up, glanced at Nishikata, who was standing still with flushed cheeks, and silently curled his lips into a smile, shaking his head.
He had no intention of calling out. It was good to let him be here, letting the night breeze blow and clear his head.
Thinking this, he slipped his hands into his yukata and ambled towards the boys' dormitory, his silhouette quickly melting into the night on the other side of the courtyard.
...
...
...
Tsuna woke Shouko and the others at dawn, and along with the heavy, cumbersome souvenir luggage, he called for a home delivery service on his phone to send them back.
He had already calculated the time; they would return to school at noon, and the luggage would be delivered to their respective doorsteps in the afternoon.
Once everything was settled, the five-day, four-night school trip concluded after a lively breakfast.
Nanase-sensei and Ajitani were busy helping the students pack their luggage and board the bus for the Shinkansen one by one.
The bus door hissed shut, and the familiar engine sound started up again.
The scenery outside the window slowly receded, just as long as it had been on the way there.
--------
"We're here, we're here! I'm so dizzy, I'm so dizzy!"
Nishikata squirmed irritably in his seat.
Suddenly, half of Ajitani's smiling face "popped" out from above the seat in front, wagging her index finger:
"Nishikata, didn't you already say that on the way there…?"
Ajitani was still gesticulating and talking when Takagi, from the adjacent seat, pulled her back into her seat:
"Ajitani-chan, sit down quickly! It's dangerous like that!"
The bus finally swayed into the campus and stopped. As soon as it came to a halt, there was a soft hiss of air, and the door opened.
Several impatient students who had already packed and were waiting in the aisle with their bags immediately scrambled off the bus, eager to be first.
Standing by the bus, they couldn't wait to stretch their backs and arms, taking deep breaths of the fresh air outside, as if they had finally come alive.
Students, dragging luggage of all sizes, successively disembarked, each looking relieved, with aching shoulders and backs.
Nanase-sensei stood at the bus door, her gaze sweeping over each of the "weather-beaten" children in her class.
Their backpacks were bulging, some still clutching wrinkled travel bags. After confirming that no one was missing and nothing was left behind, she smiled and waved her hand:
"Alright, you've all worked hard! Hurry home and rest, no classes today…"
She paused, then added the golden phrase the students most wanted to hear at that moment, "Tomorrow is a holiday!"
"Yay!!"
Watching these little rascals instantly revive and burst with energy because of that last half-sentence, Nanase-sensei's smile deepened a few shades, tinged with a helpless fondness for them.
She gently shook her head, said no more, straightened her wind-blown teacher's ID, and turned with light steps towards the faculty office building.
Five figures ambled side by side to the school gate. As soon as they stepped out and walked less than ten paces, a clear, loud whistle pierced the air from an oblique angle ahead.
Everyone turned their heads in unison, puzzled, only to see Shizuka, wearing sunglasses, leaning against a gleaming car, waving and smiling broadly at them.
"…"
"Miyamura A…auntie?"
As soon as Takagi's address left her lips, Ajitani sprang out, her eyes instantly shining:
"What auntie! It's older sister! So…cool…!"
Before her words finished, she was already like a small cannonball, about to pounce with her little backpack.
But midway, she let out an "ouch," as a large hand suddenly intervened, holding her securely by her backpack strap like a little chick.
"Ajitani, what are you doing? Are you just going to ignore Dad right in front of you?"
The four others reacted quickly, greeting in unison: "Hello, Ajitani Uncle!"
Ajitani then clearly saw it was her own father, and her mouth rounded in surprise: "Dad?! Didn't you say you had to work overtime today and couldn't pick me up?"
Her eyes darted around, and she immediately leaned in with a grin, reaching out to poke her dad's arm:
"Confess honestly! Sneaking over to pick me up, are you secretly planning a big surprise for me?"
Ajitani Uncle completely ignored his daughter's mischievous little paws on his arm, first smiling warmly and greeting Tsuna and the others, exchanging a few polite words:
"Ajitani has been a bother to you these past few days, thank you for taking care of her!"
Finally, he didn't forget to wave vigorously towards Shizuka, who was waiting by the car not far away.
Then, as if he didn't feel his daughter's struggles, he easily "transported" the flailing Ajitani into the passenger seat of their car with a simple arm clamp and lift.
With a muffled thud of the door closing and the sound of the engine starting, the car smoothly merged into the traffic, leaving only a silhouette in the rearview mirror, still waving a protesting little fist.
From junior high until now, over several years, the parents had met countless times and had a good understanding of each other's family situations.
As soon as Tsuna saw the car drive off, he led the three others to continue walking towards Shizuka.
Regardless of anything else, Shizuka standing there alone was a sight to behold at the school gate.
"Hello, Auntie!"
"Mom."
"Mom, you…—"
"Stop, stop, stop," Shizuka raised her hand to interrupt him, wagging her index finger: "I'm here to pick up Shouko ."
"Heh heh…"
Tsuna shook his head speechlessly, already accustomed to his Mom's words, and gestured for Shouko and the others to get in the car first.
Shizuka just smiled silently, watching them. Only after they were all seated in the car did she slowly return to the driver's seat.
"Going to eat?"
"No need, Auntie, my Mom has prepared lunch and is waiting for me to come back," Takagi politely declined.
Shizuka looked at Nishikata, who also shook his head in refusal. She had no choice but to stop insisting and drove Takagi and the others home first.