Chapter 426

This unconventional way of life, in a sense, is exactly what she wanted but couldn't have.

But if you ask her if she has the courage to skip class and travel... she probably doesn't, since she's afraid her parents will cut off her allowance.

"Okay, I'm going to pay the bill."

Seeing that they had almost finished eating, he got up to pay the bill.

"Do you have any money left? Didn't you spend all your cash? Why don't we settle the bill ourselves?"

Tanaka Asuka tentatively spoke.

"It's alright, I kept one just in case, and I also have quite a bit of change."

As he answered, he waved his hand to indicate that it was alright.

A lunch for eight people might cost more than a large bill.

But I used one of the bills while eating breakfast this morning, and thanks to that, I still had a lot of change left in my wallet.

Of course, if it really wasn't enough, he would have no choice but to embarrass himself by borrowing from them.

But that was impossible, because he had glanced at what they had ordered and silently calculated it in his mind before he simply stood up nonchalantly.

Two minutes later, he returned, and as he sat down, he started to grab attention. "By the way, do you have a day off tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"So that means you won't be going to school?"

"That's generally how it is, but it's possible that some serious students might go there. However, I don't think the teacher will go, so it's impossible to borrow the key to open the clubroom door... What's wrong?"

"Hmph~ What a troublesome system, I have to borrow a key to use the classroom."

Can't we be like some schools, where students treat the activity room like their own home and don't care?

"What nonsense are you talking about? This is perfectly normal, isn't it? Or are the schools in Tokyo different from those here?"

"That's not entirely true; most schools are probably like that too."

"Look."

Tanaka Asuka rested her arm on the chair and crossed her legs. "So? Why are you asking this?"

"Nothing much, I'm just curious about the layout of your school, and I'd also like to practice my instrument there. Anyone want to join me?"

He said it half-jokingly.

"Practicing an instrument? You mean the Saxophone?"

This time, it was Ogasawara Haruka, who also plays the Saxophone, who spoke.

Having witnessed his behavior just now, she couldn't help but care about this.

"That's included, but actually, the instrument I majored in wasn't the Saxophone... I only brought it up because it's easy to carry and the sound is more noticeable."

"Huh?"

X 7.

All seven people turned to look at him, their expressions all saying, "What is this guy talking about?"

"... So what did you major in?"

Nakasako Kaori didn't know whether she should speak or not; her eyes held an ambiguous and lonely look.

"Piano - does your school have Piano?"

Although he estimated that there probably wasn't any, he still asked.

"No, no~ Where would a school in such a small place get that kind of thing?"

Tanaka Asuka mercilessly complained about her hometown and alma mater, eliciting wry smiles from those around her.

"Calling it a small place is an exaggeration, considering it's near Kyoto."

He waved his hand, "Then forget it."

"I do have some at home, would you like to try them?"

The sudden voice startled the others, who turned to look at the speaker, who was Kōsaka Reina, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"Huh?"

X N.

Everyone, including Himemiya Chihaya, was quite surprised by her statement.

He wasn't too surprised that her family owned Piano, after all, her father was a musician. What surprised him was that she would invite him to her home—what was wrong with her?

After a moment's thought, he declined. "No, thank you for your suggestion, but I'm really sorry to bother you just for playing the piano."

"Is that so? That makes sense."

Kōsaka Reina frowned, understanding his concerns, and stopped trying to persuade him.

She learned a little Piano when she was young, mainly as an aid to learning music theory, and later began to specialize in the Trumpet.

But after hearing him say that, she always wanted to see just how good his Piano skills really were.

"So, does that mean you want to come to our school tomorrow, Himemiya student?"

Ogasawara Haruka lowered her head and muttered to herself, clenching her fists before mustering the courage to look up.

"Um! Can I do you a favor?"

"I knew it!"

Tanaka Asuka, standing next to her, tapped her forehead with her finger, shook her head, and sighed, as if she had already anticipated that Asuka would say that.

"Please speak."

"Could you please give me some pointers on my Saxophone tomorrow?"

"Guide?"

"Hmm! I want to improve my bass Saxophone skills, and I hope Himemiya student can give me some advice!"

She clenched her fist and placed it on her chest, her expression serious, her eyes sparkling.

To her surprise, he readily agreed.

"That's easy, you can do it."

"Please... eh?"

I said yes.

"That's wonderful, Haruka ~"

"Get out of my way!"

She scoffed at the goofy guy, still a little confused, "Is it really okay?"

"It was nothing, don't mention it."

Thank you so much!

"..."

"Alright, we've finished eating, let's go!"

After resting for a while, Tanaka Asuka stood up and raised her hand, calling out, "Those who want to go home, go home; those who want to be together, be together! I'll be the general guide, let's go!"

"Oh~!"

X N.

"Honestly, you guys have no passion at all! Is it all gone already?"

She pouted, dissatisfied that the combined volume of several people's voices couldn't even match her own.

Final.

The guide team has been confirmed to be led by Tanaka Asuka, with two other third-year students and Kōsaka Reina as subordinates – a truly impressive lineup!

Tanaka Asuka goes without saying, as does Nakasako Kaori... Ogasawara Haruka is probably trying to build relationships in advance for tomorrow's guidance, while Kōsaka Reina's motives are unclear.

Although Kumiko Oumae wanted to follow the others and Kōsaka Reina, she left with them after seeing the tired and pleading looks in her two friends' eyes.

The passenger group consisted of only Himemiya Chihaya... which gave off a strange sense of déjà vu for a certain four-man band.

"Even so, Uji actually quite small, and there aren't many particularly fun places to visit. I think you can see most of the famous attractions in half a day, especially after you've explored the Yamashiro."

"You can see the rest using navigation. By the way, you're not planning to go to the tea plantations, are you?"

As she pushed her bicycle, Tanaka Asuka asked him for confirmation.

"That's probably what the locals would say everywhere... Well, it's all up to you!"

He laughed in response, then remembered something.

"Oh, right! I want to go to the bank to withdraw some money first, otherwise I won't even have money for accommodation tonight."

"Really? Then I'll go with you first. Which bank do you want to go to?"

"..."

She wasn't exaggerating at all. To put it simply, Uji City is small enough to be explored in an afternoon by bicycle.

The Yamashiro Comprehensive Sports Park seemed far away in the mornings, but if it weren't for the students traveling in groups, you could walk there.

Because its straight-line distance to the city center is only about five or six kilometers, and it is closer to Kitauji, although the road distance is farther.

With a total area of less than 80 square kilometers, it's certainly not remote, but it's definitely small. That's Uji City...

Chapter 396: Sightseeing in Uji.

Most interesting attractions are located outside the city center; this is almost an ironclad rule when traveling.

Before starting your tour, it's worth noting that although Uji City's main urban area is a mountain city surrounded by mountains on all sides...

However, the northwest of Kitauji, where they are located, is right outside the mountains and adjacent to Kyoto. There are no hills separating the two, only roads and buildings—meaning that compared to Uji, their area is basically the outer city of Kyoto.

Furthermore, although the city is not large, there are actually more places to see than Tanaka Asuka said.

At least in terms of the number of temples and shrines, Uji has a lot; you definitely can't see them all in one day.

Kyoto, as the ancient Heian-kyō, has a density of ancient-style buildings that is unmatched anywhere else, and Uji, which is attached to it, is no exception.

But when it comes to ancient temples and shrines, you can basically see a few famous ones and you'll be pretty much the same.

Considering the opening hours of public attractions, they did not go to the attractions near Udo, where the school is located, first. Instead, they parked their bicycles nearby and took Himemiya Chihaya's car to the city in the mountains.

"Himemiya student, you really drove here?"

Tanaka Asuka stared at the car's interior with a mixture of silence and curiosity, touching and examining it.

"This car... must be quite expensive, right?"

The other two third-year students were also ashamed.

"..."

Kōsaka Reina remained silent.

Although none of the other people in the car knew anything about cars, not even the car logo, their intuition told them that this car must be very valuable!

"It's borrowed from a friend, don't worry about it."

After saying that, he opened the navigation and began entering the location name.

"Speaking of which, I have a question that's on my mind... it's about the guitar, isn't it?"

Sitting in the back row with two senior Senpai, Kōsaka Reina held the heavy, fiery red Electric Guitar and asked blankly.

Her purpose in following the group was to gain a better understanding of this unusual person's way of life, for reference.

But she never expected that reality would give her a sinus so quickly after she got on the bus.

No, it's one thing to say your main profession isn't Saxophone but Keyboard, but why do you have a guitar in your car?

A stringed instrument, a woodwind instrument, a Keyboard —are these even related?

Wow~ It really is! What a cool color!

Tanaka Asuka, who was acting as the main guide in the front row, turned around and saw the exceptionally cool and trendy musical instrument. Her eyes lit up as she dangled it back and forth.