This Holiday Break Might Not Be So Easy

"It's about time. Are you going to get something to eat?"

After losing track of how much time had passed while watching the people around him frolic in the pool, a bored Chiba Yu suddenly realized that it was nearly lunchtime.

He offered a token inquiry to Karuizawa Kei, who had been sitting beside him since the beginning.

He couldn't fathom what was going through her head. If she didn't want to get in the water, wouldn't it have been better to just go hang out with her friends? Didn't she feel bored just sitting here?

"I have a feeling you're thinking about something very rude."

Karuizawa Kei narrowed her eyes, staring at Chiba Yu with a look of annoyance.

"Not at all. So, are you going to eat, or were you planning to go find Hirata and..."

"Let's just go eat. I'm hungry anyway."

As she spoke, Karuizawa Kei stood up from her chair and stretched.

Having sat for so long, she felt a bit stiff. As she moved, she added:

"Also, I think you've misunderstood something. Hirata and I have always just been good friends. We aren't a couple like you think, so don't get the wrong idea!"

Watching her frown as she explained, Chiba Yu looked slightly puzzled, yet he nodded and said, "Mm, I understand. But why did you feel the need to explain that? It doesn't really have anything to do with me, does it?"

"Huh? It's because I don't want you going around spreading lies later. It's easy to start a rumor, but it's a pain to clear it up once it's out there."

Karuizawa Kei's reasoning was perfectly sound, leaving Chiba Yu without a single point to argue.

"Matsushita! Are you guys going to grab lunch?"

Karuizawa Kei waved toward the poolside, her tone brimming with the kind of youthful energy expected of a high school girl, drawing glances from the crowd nearby.

Matsushita noticed them. The group exchanged looks, and upon seeing Chiba Yu standing next to Karuizawa Kei, they all shared a strange, knowing smile.

Sensing their unspoken consensus, Matsushita acted as their representative and replied to Karuizawa Kei, "You two go ahead. We're going to play here a little longer."

"...Fine."

With no other choice, Karuizawa Kei had to leave with Chiba Yu. Chiba Yu couldn't quite wrap his head around the interaction, but he let her lead the way.

Watching their retreating backs, the gossip-hungry Mori Nene and the others could no longer contain themselves. They huddled together, chattering away.

"What do you think is going on between those two?"

"Who knows? But I still find it hard to believe. Karuizawa-san actually passed up someone as excellent as Hirata-kun... well, Chiba-kun is decent too, but still..."

"Actually, I was shocked when I found out Karuizawa wasn't dating Hirata. But do they really look like they have feelings for each other?" Matsushita posed her question.

"I personally don't think Chiba-kun has those kinds of thoughts. He's excellent at his studies, but he's incredibly dense when it comes to everything else," Shinohara Satsuki joined the fray.

"But... isn't that exactly why they're so fun to ship?"

"Exactly!"

"Right!"

They were all friends in the same circle. While they were used to the "dominant" version of Karuizawa Kei, seeing her bicker with Chiba Yu and display that side of a young girl was something they couldn't get enough of.

Besides, wasn't shipping people a perfectly normal thing to do these days?

If Chiba Yu knew, he would surely have retorted:

How can you people be so bored? What are you doing with your lives all day? Can't you do something productive for once!

After walking for a while, Chiba Yu brought Karuizawa Kei to a shop that looked quite fancy.

The atmosphere was quiet, with students peacefully savoring their food and occasionally discussing the delicious flavors with their friends.

The high-end ambiance immediately caught Karuizawa Kei's eye.

Seeing her eyes light up, Chiba Yu knew there would be no other options for lunch.

Keeping a fist's distance between them, they walked into the restaurant.

He had to admit, Karuizawa Kei had good taste. At the very least, the fact that the place was packed with students from various classes suggested the food wasn't half bad.

They picked a table at random, and as soon as they sat down, a waiter handed them the menus.

"Uh... I'll have the filet mignon, medium-rare. What about you?"

After ordering, they sat at the table, and Chiba Yu turned his head slightly to observe the other students.

To his surprise, the students here didn't seem like simple folk.

Katsuragi from Class A, Shiina from Class C, and others—most were quite famous figures. The only ones missing were their own Class D...

Just then, he keenly noticed a few uninvited guests arriving at the entrance.

Looking closely, Chiba Yu felt his world go dark.

They were the very last people he wanted to see right now: Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, accompanied by the "Three Idiots" of Class D.

Chiba Yu covered his face, lamenting his poor luck.

"Hm? What are you acting crazy for now?"

Karuizawa Kei was confused by Chiba Yu's sudden change in demeanor. She followed his gaze, and sure enough, upon seeing Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and the others, a look of disdain appeared on her face as well.

It was evident that she did not like those people; in fact, she felt a certain degree of loathing toward them.

Do not misunderstand—at this moment, Karuizawa Kei held no actual malice toward Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. It was simply that her disgust for the trio had spilled over, causing Ayanokoji to be unfairly labeled with the same brush.

"Sigh, I just hope they don't cause any more trouble," Karuizawa Kei sighed.

Reality, however, always differed from one's expectations. For instance, shortly after sitting down, the trio—led by Sudo—began arguing over what to order. When Yahiko from Class A threw in a few taunts, Sudo's short temper flared, and he was ready to start a scene right then and there.

Before long, Chiba Yu locked eyes with Ayanokoji, who was sitting not far away. Both of them caught the flicker of helplessness in the other's gaze and let out a silent sigh in unison.

This minor interlude eventually came to a relatively peaceful conclusion, thanks to the 'mediation' of Katsuragi from Class A.

For some reason, Chiba Yu couldn't shake the feeling that this vacation might turn out to be exceptionally difficult...