Vol 4 Chapter 6 (1/2)
#6: Traveling in a Window Seat is Mayhem
File:Oreshura v04 109.jpg
”It's definitely not green.”
8:02 A.M.; At the departure of the special express train 'Wing Number' this happened to be the first line that was said by Hime.
”No, Hime. Just because the car is referred to as green, it doesn't have to actually be green[1].”
”Is it wrong? Then, what is it?”
”Uh...”
Strange, now that I thought about it, I didn't know either.
”You don't know? Then, as a punishment, can you hold me?”
”No, I don't understand your logic.”
”How about a green hold?”
”I don't understand the green on that.”
Ah— This was so relaxing, these interactions with Hime that didn't make much sense.
Behind me Masuzu gave a loud 'cough' and cleared her throat.
”Please don't stand in the entrance. You're blocking the pa.s.sengers behind us.”
”Oh, sorry.”
I poked at Hime's back to urge her forward, and then followed behind her. Our seats were in the innermost compartment of the carriage number eight.
”The inside of the green car is really empty, perhaps this car was reserved for us?”
”There are still a lot of people lined up on the platform—”
Said Masuzu, Fuyuumi and Chiwa who looked back outside the car.
Even though this was my first time taking a green car, I never expected it to be this empty.
I really had to thank Saeko-san later. She said, 'everything will be a company expenditure', so she handled the booking of our five tickets.
And because she had a s.h.i.+ft today, she arranged to meet us on the spot tomorrow by noon.
The train was expected to arrive at Funase station at 9:05 A.M., and for a party of four women and one man, there were still a few minutes before departure.
So—
Our seats were in the last row, A to E. Counting in order from the window, there were three seats, A, B, and C. Across that were two seats, D and E. All the other rows were two-seaters, and only the last row was designed for groups of five members.
As expected of Saeko-san, she had considered our number while booking tickets.
”—So, who will be sitting next to Ei-kun?”
Chiwa fired the first shot and thus opened the game to fight over the seats.
”Why don't we just sit according to what's printed on the ticket?”
Incidentally, I got the ticket for seat D, and the person sitting next to me who had the ticket for seat E was Masuzu.
”But wouldn't it be boring that way?”
When Chiwa made that remark, Fuyuumi and Hime unanimously agreed, 'Yeah—'. What's with these girls? They are in total synchro.
Masuzu tilted her head with an 'Eh?'.
”I so happen to be his girlfriend. Isn't it obvious that we'll take human relations.h.i.+ps into account when a.s.signing the seats?”
”There's no such thing. My house is next door to his, so I'm equally qualified.”
”In my past life, we were also neighbors, so I'm also eligible.”
Well, there's nothing to say about Chiwa, but this is the first time I hear this setting from Hime. This is definitely something she just made up!
”I sat next to him in Star Cla.s.s in kindergarten, so I'm also qualified.”
Fuyuumi casually added. Was what she said true? I honestly couldn't remember anything about it.
”Hey, forget whether it's a matter of where you live, or past lives, or Star Cla.s.s, I don't think this has anything to do with train seats.”
The three of them turned a deaf ear to my complaints, and all of them placed their glares on Masuzu.
Amazingly, this situation seemed to be Masuzu VS. the rest of the world. Why was it like that? If they wanted to fight over the seats, shouldn't it be a battle royale?
Because I couldn't just let them stand there, I took all the tickets, shuffled them, and had the four of them draw the tickets like cards.
In order from the A seat, Fuyuumi, Hime, Chiwa —
”In the end,I am Girlfriend is justicejustice.”
Masuzu drew the E seat next to mine, and she held the ticket with an air of victory and pride. In contrast, the other three had a displeased look on their faces.
Things that are meant to be, seemed to just turn out the same.
If we take our objective of demonstrating the 'boyfriend and girlfriend relations.h.i.+p' into account, Masuzu sitting next to me was a great result.
I communicated to Masuzu after we sat down with a few glances.
——Do you understand? Eita.
——Leave it to me, I'll make these lovestruck people feel inferior.
With maximum power output, I put on a s.h.i.+ning smile.
”Hey, honey. Let me help you to get your luggage up on the rack—”
”Thank you very much♪ You're always so sweet to me.”
”This is the least I can do for you—”
Even though it felt a little bit like a forced dialogue in a script, I had to dance to the tunes of being her boyfriend.
”Eita-kun, after we arrive, want to go for a walk on the beach?”
”Sure— And then let's watch the sunset together afterwards— That's just like something lovers would do—”
”Fufufu, that's a given, right? After all, we are a lovers.”
”Yeah, that's right— Hahahaha—”
As if it wanted to overlap with the laughter, the bell tone of the train sounded.
The car swayed slightly and began to travel forward.
At this moment—
”Kya— I-It's shaking—♪”
Across the aisle, Chiwa slid into my knees like a landslide as if her body was wildly thrown.
”Sorry! Ei-kun, I was thrown a little out of balance!”
”O-Oh, are you okay?”
I helped the 'hehehe' laughing Chiwa back to her seat.
Did, at any point, the car shake so dramatically that it would cause people to fall from their seats?
I revived the mood that was going on and turned back to Masuzu.
”If not that, then we could go to the beach and look for sh.e.l.ls. That's also very romantic. If you happen to find a pink sh.e.l.l, then I'll have a little present for you—”
”Kya— the earth is shaking~”
This time it was Hime.
Hime swayed back and forth like a willow tree and snuggled against me, hugging my neck.
Why did she change seats with Chiwa?
”What's wrong, Hime? Did something happen?”
”Mother EarthGaia was wounded by the Evil Dragon ClanWyvern's attack, so why don't you hold me?”
I refuse!
”That being said, the car isn't actually shaking much. Aren't we traveling quite smoothly?”
”I disagree. The Evil Dragon ClanWyvern's Darkness Green TechniqueTestament is crus.h.i.+ng the earth's vibrations. My sensors have detected this.”
”Aaah— Enough, I get it!”
I tore the hugging Hime off of me and returned her to her seat like Chiwa earlier.
Masuzu could not help but frown.
”Just what kind of ruckus have they been making for a while?”
”I want to know that too!”
At this point, I sensed 'something' moving.
I immediately turned around, and was surprised to find Fuyuumi had already s.h.i.+fted to where Hime was sitting earlier. Even though she was casually looking away, her body was slightly leaning towards my side.
”Hey, why did you change your seat?”
”Because Hime-chan said she wanted to check the view from the window.”
Even though she replied like this, she didn't look me in the eyes.
”I see…”