Chapter 332

Liang glanced at Ikuyo then spoke up very decisively.

"Okay, you two go have some fun."

Nijika breathed a sigh of relief.

Liang then said, "There's a TV in the hotel, Bocchi, did you bring your game console?"

Hitori was dumbfounded. "But... but, I..."

"Bring your own game console if you want to play games! Besides, why bring a game console when you're going out to play?"

Nijika resumed her usual sarcastic tone, then glanced at the luggage. "Bocchi-chan, why did you bring a guitar on the trip?"

"You can practice when you have nothing to do at the hotel..." Ichiri explained weakly in Hitori low voice, "And... if you lose money, you can..."

"Don't overthink it, just bring it if you want."

Ishikawa Hayato chuckled, then waved his hand and said, "It's time, let's go."

"Um."

The five people left home and began their journey.

Inside the station, Ishikawa Hayato and Nijika were taking care of everything, while Ikuyo was taking pictures everywhere with her phone, documenting their trip. Ryo and Hitori sat on the waiting chairs, one playing a Switch and the other following Ishikawa Hayato's every move.

Meanwhile, the Ishikawa family was already on the bullet train, getting further and further away from them.

As for Seika, she was still trying to get rid of Hiroi Kikuri while heading this way.

More than half an hour later, she finally gave in and agreed to Hiroi Kikuri's request to go with her.

"Let's get this straight, I don't have the money to get you a room."

Seika reminded him repeatedly.

Hiroi Kikuri smiled and held onto Seika's arm tightly, saying, "Senpai is so kind. It's alright, I'll just sleep next to you."

This person really doesn't care about the hotel's rules at all.

Seika pressed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

She could only hope the hotel wouldn't be too strict; she couldn't afford to pay for just one more person.

In many parts of Japan, things are quite rigid; hotels don't charge per room, but per guest.

Getting caught would be a very troublesome situation.

And this seemed to be just the beginning; Seika's encounter with Hiroi Kikuri was the start of her misfortune.

When Seika dragged Hiroi Kikuri the station in a hurry, without even having time to buy clothes, they saw the bullet train slowly leaving.

The next bullet train won't arrive for another hour.

Her luck seemed to have run out.

On the bullet train, there were five seats, and five people sat side by side in one row.

This is the benefit of booking in advance.

However, they were still divided into two groups: one with three people and the other with two people.

When they boarded the train, Ishikawa Hayato was pulled by Ikuyo to the three-seater area, along with Nijika.

Ryo and Hitori didn't say anything about it and obediently sat down on the side where the two were.

Nijika was sitting by the window on the side where the three of them were.

To her right were buildings and mountains, and to her left was her boyfriend.

Nijika was quite surprised that Ikuyo would give up this position to her.

She glanced at the snow-white scenery outside, then turned to Ishikawa Hayato and said.

"It's been so long since I've gone out to play; I've almost forgotten when was the last time I traveled this far."

Ishikawa Hayato looked away from the travel brochure in his hand, glanced at Nijika, and then reached out and took her small hand that was resting on the armrest.

"That's perfect, I'll definitely have to experience it properly this time."

He chuckled after saying that, "I haven't been out and about for a long time either. It feels quite strange to be sent to such a faraway place like this."

Discovering that Ishikawa Hayato felt the same way as her, Nijika, and they exchanged their thoughts with mixed feelings.

"Yes, the scenery around me is all unfamiliar. I feel like I can't get enough of looking at it. I'm tempted to just go down and explore, but I'm also a little scared about where I'll end up."

Ishikawa Hayato gently rubbed her hands, which were gripping the armrest tightly in tension.

He knew Nijika had too many worries, which doubled her nervousness for the first time.

The scenery outside flashed by, many wonderful views disappearing in an instant.

"There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Next time, just relax and explore each town one by one."

"I would never go there if it's that cold."

Nijika seemed to have imagined that scene and laughed.

Ishikawa Hayato glanced to the side and saw that Ikuyo and Hitori were also having a lively conversation across the aisle. The two were talking about how it was possible to bring a guitar on a bullet train and how Hitori practiced the guitar.

Liang leaned against the car window, wearing headphones and quietly looking out.

Before they noticed, Ishikawa Hayato looked away and whispered in Nijika's ear.

"Once I get my driver's license, we can just have fun along the way when we go on tour."

Helpless, Nijika also lowered her voice to reprimand him.

"Hayato-kun's head is really full of these wicked thoughts."

"Nijika can just stop me."

"How could I stop him? Hasn't Hayato-kun been bullying me from the very beginning?"

Nijika stared at Ishikawa Hayato for a moment, then glanced at the next room before looking back and affectionately placing her hand on his face.

Ishikawa Hayato smiled smugly.

"Fine, then I won't stop you. I'll loosen my grip a bit."

Nijika could only smile helplessly.

"Then I'll keep a closer eye on you."

A journey of more than seven hours is not that fast.

Nijika didn't even know when she fell asleep, but when she woke up, she checked the time and found that only three hours had passed.

However, she also noticed that Ishikawa Hayato was not nearby.

"Ikuyo-chan, Hayato-kun is gone..."

Nijika stopped speaking halfway through because she noticed that Ikuyo wasn't in her seat either.

The situation is quite obvious.

She glanced at the two empty seats next to her and figured those two had probably gone to unlock a new scene.

"It really is..."

Nijika grumbled softly, her mind drifting back to the feeling she had experienced for the first time the night before last.

She said shyly in a very low voice.

"But it seems quite comfortable..."

230. Overflowing with nutrition

Although Japan's total land area is not very large, its north-south length is quite astonishing, at approximately 3,500 kilometers.

It can be said that the landmass is entirely elongated.

Tokyo is roughly in the middle of this long strip, while Kyushu, where Ishikawa Hayato and his group are heading, is at the very end of Japan, excluding the smaller islands, of course.

The long journey did not make them feel bored.

The scenery flowing by and the casual conversations made time seem to fly by.

5 PM.

Ikuyo ate the high-speed rail meal she had just bought and said something to Ishikawa Hayato next to her.

"The train food in Fukuoka is delicious. The chicken flavor infuses the rice, making it even better than just chicken legs."

Ishikawa Hayato put down his chopsticks and moved his lunchbox toward her.

"If it's not enough, I have more here."

But before Ikuyo could speak, Nijika reminded her.

"Ikuyo-chan, don't be fooled. The hotel has already prepared dinner for us. We won't be able to eat it later."

"I know..." Ikuyo looked at Ishikawa Hayato with disdain. "I'm not going to give up the hot spring cuisine over there to Hayato-kun."

"Eat more, it's okay."

Ishikawa Hayato grinned mischievously, but Ikuyo nudged him with her elbow. However, with the girl's coquettish expression, he happily ate a couple more bites of rice.

When Liang and the others paused briefly in their conversation, Liang spoke up to them.

"I'd like to try the chicken rice."

Ikuyo, thinking the conversation was directed at her, picked up the bento box without a second thought, "Then, Ryo-senpai, let's swap."

"I want to trade with the falcon."

Hearing Ryo say this, Ishikawa Hayato was slightly puzzled, but immediately agreed to her request.

Ikuyo didn't think much of it and helped the two exchange their bento boxes. She first handed over Ishikawa Hayato's chicken rice, and then took the slightly chilled oyster bento.

However, upon seeing the contents of the bento box, she made a strange expression and, suppressing a laugh, handed it to Ishikawa Hayato.

Ishikawa Hayato noticed Ikuyo's expression and looked at the bento box.

All that remained in the bento box were oysters and rice; all the other side dishes had disappeared.

And that's not all the problem; what's with those four completely untouched oysters in the bento box?

Liang then said, "Let's finish it beforehand."

Nijika also looked at the bento box in front of Ishikawa Hayato, and felt both amused and angry when she heard Ryo's words.

What do you mean by "adding in advance"? Does this mean you're going to mess things up a few days after making the reservation?

These seemingly sarcastic remarks amused Ishikawa Hayato.

"Okay, I've got it."

After the meal, Nijika listened to Ishikawa Hayato and Ikuyo chatting about must-see places while looking out the window.

Gradually, the snow outside the window became more intense.

Because of Japan's small land area, many sections of the high-speed rail pass through residential areas. Although this causes inconvenience to the surrounding residents, it also makes the surrounding areas feel incredibly "close" when viewed from there.

It felt like sitting in a sightseeing bus.

The roadside trees, which appear to be less than fifty meters apart, stand along the roadside. Further away are rows of buildings, and you can even see pedestrians on the town streets.

All of this was covered by thick white snow, resembling a frozen snow country.

Before you've had your fill of the scenery, new landscapes keep appearing, stimulating your mind and making you feel refreshed and happy.

"It's beautiful..."

After looking at it for a while, Nijika couldn't help but sigh.

As soon as she finished speaking, people squeezed past her.

Where?

Ikuyo was the only one who had to squeeze through to get a better view of the scenery outside; she was excitedly looking out with her phone in hand.

"The places that Nijika mentioned as beautiful are definitely all gone now, and taking photos through glass is just too awful."