After Umi and I returned to our houses, modified from our uniform to our informal garments, we went out collectively.

Normally, we’d board the practice at any time when we’d be happening a date, however this time, it appeared like we’d be boarding a bus.

A whole lot of college students in our college commuted by bus since their locations had been shut sufficient from college, however it wasn’t the case for the 2 of us because the college was inside a strolling distance from our locations. This might be the primary time shortly we’d be boarding a bus, so we each felt a little bit nervous.

“Maki, do you’ve got an IC card app in your cellphone— Nevermind, fake I didn’t ask that.” (T/N: You realize, Japanese individuals normally would scan a card at any time when they board a practice or bus or no matter? Yeah, that’s an IC card.)

“…I imply, it isn’t like I’d have loads of possibilities to make use of it.”

Nicely, I ought to think about putting in it on my cellphone since there needs to be extra alternatives for me to exit with Umi sooner or later.

After taking the numbered ticket from the bus’ entrance, we boarded the bus collectively. Though round this time needs to be the dashing hour, the bus was comparatively empty. We may freely select the place we wished to sit down.

“The place do you need to sit, Maki?”

“Anyplace we may sit collectively… How about on the again?”

“Hehe, you’re such a toddler~”

“Shut it. Simply hurry up and sit down.”

“Positive~”

We sat down on the very again, on a five-seater. I selected to sit down subsequent to the window. After we had been seated, the bus slowly departed in direction of the following bus station.

Actually, I felt anxious as a result of I are likely to get carsick simply, particularly once I may faintly scent the bus’ exhaust whereas having to expertise its slight shakings. Nonetheless, since we wouldn’t be right here for too lengthy, it ought to most likely be okay…

“Are you able to inform me the place we’re going now, Umi? I would like to arrange the cash and all…”

“You’ll solely want 290 yen for the journey.”

“…I suppose you received’t be telling me something then? Effective, I’ll discover out once we get off anyway.”

“Sure, simply belief me on this, okay~?”n/.OVelBIn

Since I made a decision to take up on her phrases, I leaned again to my seat and tried to benefit from the window view—

“Umi.”

“Sure~?”

“Cease poking me on the perimeters. On the cheeks too. It tickles.”

“I can’t hear you~”

“Cease it…”

I simply wished to spend my time in peace, however I couldn’t due to the (reasonably frequent) assaults by Umi.

My hand was nonetheless holding hers, clearly. We additionally had sufficient enjoyable flirting whereas ready for the bus to return. However it appeared like she thought I hadn’t fawned on her sufficient.

Who was it that known as me a ‘baby’ once more?

In any case, I couldn’t hold letting her do one thing like this.

“By the best way, Umi, have you ever submitted your profession decisions to your homeroom instructor but?”

“Now, that’s actually out of nowhere. Nicely, it isn’t like I had many decisions, so I wrote that I need to go to school and submitted it. Based mostly on the mock examination the opposite day, I ought to be capable of go to my third college alternative.”

“I see. You probably did it fairly early, huh?”

With the summer season trip ending, our subject of dialog inevitably went in that path. Subsequent month, the college might be holding a parent-teacher convention, so these amongst us who had been having poor grades like Amami-san, Nitta-san and Nozomu, wouldn’t have it as simple as Umi and myself.

“You haven’t submitted yours but? Nicely, I do know I’m your first alternative.”

“That’s one hell of a option to put it, however yeah, I’ve written my first alternative at the least.”

Clearly, I didn’t write ‘Asanagi Umi’ as my first alternative. What I wrote down was the identical college that she picked as her first alternative. What stumped me had been the second and third decisions, and the truth that I nonetheless didn’t know what sort of work I wished to have sooner or later.

I had been speaking with my mother about this and she or he agreed to let me go to the identical college as Umi so long as I really managed to get there. However the factor with the entire profession alternative was that I additionally wished to write down some practical choices in it.

“In case you needed to get a job, what sort of job do you need to do, Maki? Do you need to work for a corporation? Or do you need to work as a freelancer whereas attempting numerous issues?”

“Probably the most practical possibility is the primary one since that’s what my dad and mom are doing to earn their cash…”

I by no means even had a part-time job, so I didn’t actually have the appropriate to say something about this, however… Seeing my dad and mom up shut, working appeared like a tough factor to do regardless of it being one thing that different individuals generally did…

My father labored for a widely known firm that everybody ought to have heard its title at the least as soon as of their lives, and managed to have a financially secure life. However in trade, he needed to sacrifice his time together with his household. The identical factor occurred with my mom, who was working arduous to earn cash for each of us.

I couldn’t give my thanks sufficient for them, however… Ought to I actually comply with their life decisions and stay similar to them?

“I do know issues like a job, cash and so forth are vital… However, there’s one thing that I worth greater than all of that…”

“One thing that you just worth extra…? May or not it’s…?”

“That goes with out saying, isn’t it?”

Saying this, I squeezed her hand tightly.

Even when sooner or later, I discovered a job that I actually wished to do, I wouldn’t prioritize it greater than Umi. So long as my objective, ‘to stay a cheerful life with Umi,’ was fulfilled, I wouldn’t take care of the rest.

“To summarize, you need to work in ‘a office that will make you come up with the money for for a dwelling whereas having as little additional time as potential.’ Hm… The one factor I may consider is both you’re employed in a extremely, actually white firm otherwise you work as a civil servant.” (T/N: White firm is the alternative of black firm principally. An organization with cheap working hours, good working circumstances, wholesome work tradition and all these stuffs. Nicely, that’s just about a fantasy.)

“Fairly a slender alternative, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. So far as I do know, solely Hayato-san— Yuu’s dad, who’s working in that form of atmosphere. Even so, he normally will get again house late.”

Amami Hayato-san. I haven’t met him but, however I heard he was working on the prefectural workplace.

I’ve seen how he regarded when Amami-san confirmed me an image of her household on a visit earlier than. He wore glasses and he gave me the impression that he was a severe man. From what I’ve seen, it appeared like they had been similar to the Asanagis, a really harmonious household. Nonetheless, I’m wondering what sort of individual he was?

It roused my curiosity a little bit.

“Anyway, let’s take into consideration that later. Why don’t we get pleasure from our little date as we speak? It could be a waste if we had been to spend it speaking about one thing like that.”

“True.”

There could be extra alternatives to speak about it, sure. Like she stated, I ought to give attention to spending my candy time along with my candy girlfriend in the intervening time.

‘The following cease is the shrine. Subsequent cease, the shrine. Passengers getting off at this cease, please put together to disembark.’

“Oh, we’ve arrived. Press the button, Maki, we’re getting off.”

“Ah, okay.”

I did what Umi informed me, urgent the button, paying the fare and getting off the bus. The following bus station was nonetheless a distance away, however it appeared like most different passengers of the bus had been additionally getting off right here.

“Over there, Maki. We’ll be having our date there.”

“Huh? Actually…?”

Similar to what the announcer stated, we stopped proper in entrance of a torii. However, despite the fact that it was nighttime, the trail to the shrine on prime of the hill was brightly lit. The rationale was due to the assorted floating lanterns on the best way. There have been additionally numerous stalls alongside the best way.

“…Um, so does this imply that we’ll be having a date at this pageant?”

“Mhm! We’ll additionally get to see a preview of tomorrow’s Fireworks Competition! C’mon, cease dawdling, we’ll get left behind by everybody~”

“Okay, okay…”

Truly, the Fireworks Competition was speculated to be held on the riverbank, fairly a distance away from right here— You realize what? I’ll simply comply with her in the intervening time.