Hokkaido Restaurant.
As it approached 12:30 PM, Hikigaya and the others were quickly finishing lunch.
Within the whole group.
Hikigaya and the others naturally talked and laughed as they pleased. Tokito Yuya and the others seemed to have no dissatisfaction, quietly enjoying their loner lives.
Only Machida Koji's face was inevitably a bit gloomy.
He vaguely felt that he was being excluded.
These few days.
Besides observing Hikigaya, he naturally observed the others.
Response.
It might be a bit difficult for the girls, but there was no problem for the boys.
Whenever Hikigaya left the room.
Machida Koji would more or less strike up a conversation with Tokito Yuya.
Although Tokito Yuya seemed cold and didn't talk much, as long as someone took the initiative to talk, the other party would basically reply politely.
As for Sotomura Hideo.
To be honest.
Although he knew what Class D had done.
From the surface.
Sotomura Hideo was somewhat introverted when facing strangers and didn't seem bad.
Just.
Such a guy without much calculation could be seen through at a glance.
Whether good or bad.
There was no necessity for observation.
However, now.
When talking to Tokito Yuya, although the other party would still reply, it gave Machida Koji a feeling of being ignored.
Machida Koji also knew.
It was likely that the speech just 12 now which disregarded the team made Tokito Yuya a bit repulsed.
Although he didn't say it.
No one knew what was in his heart.
More importantly.
Throughout the morning, they visited the five nearest attractions.
Clock Tower, TV Tower, Art Museum, Nakajima Park, Hokkaido Shrine. Of course, it was just a check-in style quick tour with no sense of experience to speak of.
As long as they visited one more attraction.
They could ensure free movement time for tomorrow.
However.
The accumulated points were only 7 points. To reach 20 points and get the 50,000 personal points, they needed to go to several high-value attractions at least.
There were several combinations of plans.
But the more attractions they needed to visit, the more times they had to transfer, and the more time would be wasted in between.
The best plan.
Was undoubtedly Mount Moiwa for five points and Lake Utonai for eight points.
However.
The requirement was to return to the hotel before 5:00 PM.
The map showed that reaching Lake Utonai, which was far away, took 45 minutes. Considering traffic jams and other situations, one hour would be a better estimate.
A round trip would take two hours.
Adding the trip to Mount Moiwa, they could get a total of 13 points, which added to the current 7 points would be enough.
This was not impossible to achieve.
But Machida Koji himself also knew very well that the risk of doing so was extremely high.
Before.
He still had a reasonable excuse.
But now.
If he continued to insist on the points.
It would undoubtedly seem like he was specifically causing trouble.
During this period.
Machida Koji was observing Hikigaya and the people around him. Was Hikigaya not also observing him?
This guy was indeed causing trouble for the group.
But Machida Koji clearly didn't have a firm will like Ryuen.
He couldn't be as willful as Ryuen, completely disregarding the people around him.
Although Machida Koji's thoughts hadn't changed.
With the movement of time and space, his state of mind had undergone a change.
Since Machida Koji wanted to see his way of handling it.
Then let him see.
Of course.
That alone was clearly not enough.
"Next, let's go to Mount Moiwa,"
Hikigaya proposed: "After that, we'll see if we can go to Lake Shikotsu or Lake Utonai based on the situation. That should be the most likely way to gather 20 points."
"However, we are only short of one attraction now to meet the condition of visiting six attractions. Next, we can relax a bit and enjoy the scenery of Hokkaido a little."
"What does everyone think?"
"I have no objection, let's go."
For Ibuki who wanted to go to Mount Moiwa, it was naturally a good proposal, and the others had no objections either.
Yesterday's communication was indeed effective.
At least today, it seems Kushida Kikyo has stood on his side.
Just.
Not only Hikigaya, but Tokito Yuya and the others also looked at Machida Koji in unison.
There was no special reason.
It was just that in this group.
The only person who wanted those 50,000 personal points the most was Machida Koji.
"I have no problem either."
Machida Koji nodded with a slightly complex expression.
Summit of Mount Moiwa.
"Ibuki, do you want me to help you take a photo?"
Looking at Ibuki who was a bit excited while overlooking the entire city of Sapporo, Hikigaya proposed with a smile.
"Ha?"
Ibuki was a bit dumbfounded, yet she was somewhat hesitant.
As a loner, she least wanted to trouble others.
Selfies weren't impossible.
But they certainly wouldn't be as good as the effect of Sakura's specialized camera.
It was just that Ibuki Mio really wanted to take one.
"Are there any conditions?"
"Hmm... then just trouble you to take a few photos for all of us later? That should be no problem, right."
"Deal!"
Dealing with such a loner.
As expected, one still had to talk about conditions to avoid owing favors.
After taking photos.
It was already 3:00 PM.
Machida Koji's face became even more unsightly.
As long as they went to Lake Utonai, there was still a possibility of gathering 20 points, but it was very likely they wouldn't be able to rush back to the hotel before 5:00.
Besides not getting the 50,000 personal points.
Tomorrow's free time would also be canceled.
All of today's efforts will have been in vain.
To be honest.
How can one know if something will succeed just at a glance? If you don't try, how will you know? There was some truth to what Ibuki Mio said.
But even in Machida Koji's view.
The possibility of failure was extremely high!
"What do we do next?"
Hikigaya held the camera and looked at Machida Koji in front of him:
"I think the probability of failure is higher if we go to Lake Utonai now. It's better to visit the zoo or museum on the way back."
"Machida-kun, what do you think?"
Hikigaya's tone was slightly troubled.
Feeling the gazes of Tokito Yuya, Kushida Kikyo, and the others, Machida Koji's face didn't look good.
Only by being there.
Could one understand the predicament he faced.
Position.
Although it was a group in name and the group seemed to have been led by Hikigaya, there was no detailed regulation on the group leader.
So what.
Any one person could bear the responsibility.
Shelving the problem.
And dragging it to this point.
It was as if everyone around was accommodating Machida Koji.
Most importantly.
Machida Koji himself also knew he was in the wrong.
This feeling was extremely uncomfortable, as if he were a despicable jerk, constantly suffering the condemnation of his conscience.
This wasn't some major event.
After all, it was just a small matter. Even if there was condemnation of conscience, it was fine; just making up an excuse would get it over with.
The problem was.
Going to Lake Utonai now.
If it failed.
Then.
All the responsibility would be entirely on Machida Koji alone.
The people around wouldn't think Hikigaya had any problem; after any he wasn't any group leader.
Instead, it was Machida Koji who was being unreasonable.
Doing as he pleased and acting willfully, intentionally causing trouble for the group.
The purpose of shelving the problem, maneuvering, and being indirect was here.
Shifting the blame.
Forcefully pinning the blame on Machida Koji.
Of course.
Machida Koji could still persist in his own opinion, but there would be corresponding disadvantages.
The problem was.
Did he want to become someone as hated as Ryuen or Class D?
Was he willing to sacrifice his personal reputation for the sake of the class.
Since Katsuragi stepped down.
Judging from Machida Koji's move to switch to Sakayanagi Arisu's faction.
He clearly did not have such a resolution.
Really.
Constantly creating trouble for the group.
He was given too much face.
Hikigaya was forcing this guy to swallow back what he himself had said.