General 49

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Chapter 49. Landing In Okinawa

"We're here~! Okinawa~!"

Exiting through the front entrance of the airport, we were greeted by the blue sky and the sunshine.

Today, it's sunny.

According to the weekly weather forecast, it's supposed to be clear skies throughout the trip, so there's really nothing to complain about for our Okinawa trip.

"Sigh..."

"Come on, Kohou-senpai. Instead of sighing, let's enjoy Okinawa since we're here."

With full energy, Marin cheered up Mina.

"Marin-chan, you're full of energy as always~. Being in middle school and all~. How many years ago was it when I was in middle school?"

"Don't act like a sulky college student, Kohou. Switch gears."

Dragging both her and Marin's suitcases along, Suo advised Mina.

"Ugh... Fine. I don't even have the energy to deal with you right now."

"You're in bad shape."

Normally, Mina would retort back at Suo, but right now, she had zero spirits.

Seeing her like this, Suo shrugged.

It seems Suo deliberately made sarcastic remarks to cheer Mina up.

"First, we need to find the car rental place we reserved and inform them of the change in plans."

While reading the camp trip itinerary created by Mina, Kotomi shared the immediate goal.

Near the front entrance of the airport, there are many car rental shops with employees wearing aloha shirts and kariyushi wear, and holding boards with the company name and the name of the reservation holder.

"Um... The reservation name is 'Kohou-sama', right? It's a rare surname, so it should stand out..."

Kotomi looked around the area where the group's board should be displayed, but couldn't find the car rental shop.

"Oh! Kohou-senpai, look over there!"

Excitedly, Marin pulled Mina towards something she found.

"What now? I'm not feeling so energetic..."

As Mina was lethargically pulled by Marin.

"Mensore! Sorry for missing the flight, everyone."

A person was standing in front of the parked white van, who shouldn't have been there.

"Yuu-kun?! Why?! How?!"

In an unexpected turn of events, Mina exclaimed in astonishment while shaking Yuu's hand vigorously.

Unable to believe what was happening, she seemed to be confirming it by touching.

"I was late, so I came early to wait."

"It feels like there's a contradiction in Japanese..."

Coming over, Suo also had a puzzled look on his face, wondering what was going on.

"How did you get here, Yuu? Did you cancel your flight and take another one?"

"Just used my position for personal misuse for a bit."

"I see... Well, okay."

Seemingly understanding the situation without asking further questions, Kotomi and the others decided not to delve deeper.

"I arrived earlier than everyone else, so I picked up the car at the rental shop and also bought this at the airport souvenir shop."

Saying so, Yuu showed off the aloha shirt with the hibiscus flowers he was wearing.

"You seem excited, Kamiya-senpai."

"Well, it's summer vacation after all!"

Yuu's words were filled with enthusiasm.

Although there's a month-long summer vacation for students, Yuu has been busier than usual with work lately, making his life busier than usual school days.

In a sense, it felt similar to how working adults enjoy a few days of summer vacation.

"So, where's Hayami-sensei?"

"Hmm? Hayami-sensei is in the driver's seat."

When Suo asked about the driver, Hayami-sensei, who hadn't shown himself despite everyone gathering, Yuu nodded towards the driver's seat.

"Good morning, Professor Hayami. Today, we're... whoa! Are you okay?! Professor Hayami!"

At Suo's surprised voice, everyone except Yuu gathered around the driver's seat.

"You look as wilted as melted ice cream."

There, seated with his face buried in the steering wheel, was Professor Hayami, slumped over and looking drained.

"A-Are you okay?! Are you feeling unwell, Professor Hayami?!"

"You're busy with work, yet you pushed yourself to accompany us on this trip..."

Kotomi and Suo expressed concern for Professor Hayami.

"No... I'm fine. Just threw away more than half of my summer bonus, that's all..."

"That doesn't sound fine at all!"

Worriedly, Kotomi looked at the pale-faced and wobbly Hayami.

While they were distracted,

"Hey, Professor Hayami."

Mina approached with a smirk.

".What is it, Kohou-san?"

With a weary voice, Hayami, lifting his face from the steering wheel, looked at Mina.

"Gotcha."

"This brat..."

Having received the same message she sent earlier, Hayami, who usually had a sharp retort, was unusually subdued.

It was a swift and unexpected turn of events.

Mina seemed satisfied as if she finally got her payback.

"Hey, Kamiya. What just happened?"

"Hmm? Well, it's Hayami-sensei's own fault, so don't worry about it. I just gave him a little taste of his own medicine."

"Oh dear. Did something happen to Hayami-sensei due to his reckless actions?"

Suo, who quietly inquired about the inside story, received a fake apologetic smile from Yuu, which surprised Marin when she noticed it.

In the end, under further questioning from Yuu, Hayami admitted that he intentionally neglected time management during the mission, planning to spend the vacation alone with Yuu.

Except for cancellations due to bad weather or other reasons, there are cancellation fees for canceling flights or hotel bookings for personal reasons.

As a result, while the airplane ticket only incurred half the cancellation fee due to cancellation the day before, the hotel reservation incurred the full fee for same-day cancellation.

Especially since they had reserved a good hotel and even business class seats on the flight, the cancellation fees amounted to a significant burden, despite yielding no results.

"But can we let Hayami-sensei, in this condition, drive?"

With a concerned look at the lifeless Hayami from Suo, who was serious, the driver's condition was naturally a concern, as it also affected the safety of the passengers.

"Don't worry, I'll give her some Camphor tablets now."

"...Is that some dangerous military medication?"

"It's not that. Well, in a way, it's dangerous."

Ignoring Suo's suspicious gaze, Yuu approached the lifeless Hayami in the driver's seat.

"Here you go, Hayami-san. This should perk you up."

Saying so, Yuu handed something to Hayami.

Moreover, Yuu, who had been scolded by Hayami and felt awkward about talking to him, hadn't engaged in meaningful conversation until everyone gathered.

"What's this?!"

What Yuu gave Hayami was a single photograph that caused a dramatic change in Hayami.

Hayami's hand holding the photograph trembled, and his eyes widened as if they would pop out of their sockets as he stared at the photo with an intense gaze.

"That's just a token of appreciation for Professor Hayami, who would bear the burden of being the driver during the trip."

"Eh... After causing such trouble, and yet. Does Kamiya-kun not only forgive me but also bestow such a precious gift upon me?"

"Lost trust can be rebuilt through subsequent actions, sensei."

With a loving smile, Yuu nodded encouragingly, lifting Hayami's spirits with great compassion.

"Y-Yes! I'll do my best! Alright, everyone, let's get going. Get in!"

Hayami-sensei had successfully recovered.

"What was that photo all about?"

As they boarded the van, Mina asked Yuu.

"It's from Toshi-nii; a photo from right after I got conscripted. Back when I was wearing a loose military uniform, all innocent."

"Give me that, too."

"Sure, sure. Mina worked hard on planning the trip, after all."

Saying so, I finally boarded the van.

Despite the chaos at departure, our Okinawa camp trip had finally begun.