Mutsuki had left his home to learn a foreign language
This is a nice place you’ve got here Isn’t this room bigger than your one back home
Yeah It’s not that different though
Hurray Eh heh heh Mutsuki ’s bed is all mine
Sakae and Mutsuki sat on nearby chairs but Lucia jumped onto the bed and buried his face in the pillow
This was a time to hang out with just the guys Having some time without having to think about sex (even if Lucia ruined that somewhat) was an absolute necessity for a teenage boy like Mutsuki
So about the cabin That one isn’t happening It costs more than 3000 a person
I see Yeah spending 3000 yen on just lodging is a bit much
We do have sleeping bags so we could sleep in tents if we had to but I’d rather not
Yeah I’d be afraid of rain
They discussed the camping trip Except for Lucia that is who was relaxing as he sniffed at the sweat soaked into the pillow
So I think this campground will be the best It’s not as popular but that means it’s cheaper
Good point
I’m a little worried about safety though I hear biker gangs sometimes gather there
Ohh But it should be fine The cabin has a lock
His real reason was the presence of an angelic bodyguard who could blow away a biker gang with a million members in a single blow
Then this place looks good
They quickly reached a conclusion so Sakae began gathering the pile of loose leaf paper he had brought
Hi-no-Hoka Valley Campground
Yeah that settles it I’ll get us a reservation later
I’m sure it’ll be fine but call me if you can’t get one I have a second and third candidate in mind too
Mutsuki and Sakae were too excited to notice the change that came over the other person in the room
Hi-no-Hoka Valley you say
With his face buried in the pillow Lucia whispered to himself so the other two could not hear
This should be fun
Adolescent Adam 5 Chapter 4 - Day and Night at the Campground
I am your bodyguard And an incredibly skilled one at that
True
So I will protect you while doing my very best not to violate your freedom That is my job
That’s right’
Hanging out with a FeTUS member and a demon is insane but I will go with you because it is my
job Humans are skilled at playing resting and other forms of self-indulgence so this should help relieve some stress Your stress
Ah ha ha ha
C’mon Mutsuki hurry up
Yes yes The luggage is kind of heavy
God you’re slow Ohh wow This is the campground
Ange had been excited for the entire time on the train and then bus but she sounded most excited now
After a 30 minute walk up a concrete mountain road from the bus stop they arrived at their destination
Hi-no-Hoka Valley Riverside Park
A giant rectangular sign was attached to a large tree trunk
This was the campground at which they had reserved a cabin A tree-lined walking path led to the management lodge and a clear river flowed behind it There were seven cabins on the riverside and four of them appeared to be filled With Mutsuki’s group five would be filled That was a decent number of guests Wahah What a pretty river I never knew the human world had places like this
Ah ha ha Wait Ange I’m going too
Ange and Saya were already running down toward the river
Left behind Mutsuki Sakae Lucia and Machina shrugged and headed toward the cabin Sakae got their key from the management lodge and they searched for their cabin number
When they arrived Ange and Saya returned after enjoying the cool river water
They unlocked the door and stepped inside
Wow
Five voices (everyone but Machina) spoke in impressed unison
It’s so small
Machina nodded in agreement with them all
It was indeed large enough for six just as the advertisement had said and it was clean for a mountain cabin but it was still smaller than they had expected
The bathroom was right inside the front entrance and a small mirror greeted anyone who entered
There was a room on either side and each room had a single small table a bench for three three stacked luggage racks and a triple bunk bed
Students never had much money and you got what you paid for
Hi-no-Hoka City was at the base of the Nomugi Ridge on the Nagano side of the border between the Nagano and Gifu Prefectures
The region had long been known for its silk work but the lights had long since gone out in the factories Recently it was only a little-known spot for the outdoorsy type
The weather there was similar to in Karuizawa a common summer destination on the east end of
Nagano so it was nice and cool during the summer
The city had once tried to model itself after Karuizawa and remake itself as a spot for bourgeois villas but they had lost badly to Karuizawa which had inns along the Nakasendo However they had still earned more tax money thank to some people with strange tastes buying land there so they had moved on to building new campgrounds All of the campgrounds were very cheap because the area was only being whispered of between outdoorsy people
It was the perfect spot for some students who simply wanted to go camping
At first Sakae had invited only Mutsuki because he had wanted to have some fun over summer break but Lucia and Saya had leaped at the chance and then Machina and Ange had been invited too In the end they had a total of six That was the perfect number of people It made finding a cabin easier and it allowed them to divide up the luggage better
It was also a good number for deepening friendships between people who did not often speak together
It’s coldthe water’s so cold
C’mon in Ange
Uuh This river isn’t very deep is it
They first needed to get the beds in order and make sure they had brought everything with them but children were not going to act like adults when they went to the mountains alone
They set their luggage down and were out in the river almost immediately
Saya had been unable to resist the flowing stream and took her shoes off She tugged Ange over and the naturally terrible swimmer nervously stepped in
Ange wore a simple but stylish outfit of a pink camisole and hot pants Her arms and legs did not normally stand out much because of how short she was but one’s eye was drawn to how slender they were and how long her legs looked sticking out from the jeans shorts She was only interested in functionality so it was unusual seeing her choosing anything besides her shirt and spats
The stylishness was a sign of how much she had been looking forward to this camping trip so
Mutsuki smiled as he watched her enter the river
The air here is so nice It’s been so long since I’ve breathed air this wonderful
Lucia seemed to be enjoying himself even if he was calmer than those two girls He climbed up onto a truck-sized rock (the biggest in the river) and took deep breaths
The behavior was not that odd for the otherworldly boy but it was true the mountain air was nice and fresh
Now then It looks like you all want to goof off but as the man of responsibility I’ll catch enough food for all of us
Sakae walked upstream with some fishing equipment
When they had been trying to decide between a mountain camping trip or a beach trip that angler had chosen the mountains because it was easier to catch fish in a river
The others smiled bitterly and Mutsuki walked over to Machina who was kneeling on the riverside
He only ever saw her in her uniform but she too was wearing a stylish outfit It was primarily a sleeveless blouse and a skirt but knee socks hid her legs and she had a tie around her neck
Had she also chosen a special outfit because she had been looking forward to the trip
I’m glad you could come too Ibekusa Is the water too cold
Machina was playing with the water
The water drops on her fingertips spread across her entire palm and the chill of the water was dulled by her body heat
She was acting like a baby feeling the waves when first seeing the ocean