Chapter 6: School Trip Day Four

Chapter 6: School Trip Day Four

Chapter 6:

School Trip Day Four

I T WAS THE MORNING of the fourth day of the school trip. Tomorrow, it would already be time to go back to school. Since this was the second time we were going to have complete freedom, I wanted to make it a day with no regrets.

The results of yesterday’s sightseeing tour showed that ten groups, meaning half of the twenty total groups, had managed to score twenty points or more, and so all those people had earned 30,000 Private Points. On the other hand, group fifteen, which Mii-chan and Miyamoto were in, hadn’t finished the tour in time and was thus disqualified, so they were unfortunately spending today in study hall at the ryokan.

I felt a little sorry for them, but that’s just how things were. I hoped that once their study hall was over, they could take a nice, long soak in the hot springs and enjoy the trip as much as possible, even if it was only a little.

The large bathhouse was being cleaned right now, so I quickly got changed. I was thinking that maybe I’d watch some TV or something, like yesterday, but Kitou had apparently gotten to it before I did, and was staring at the screen with rapt attention. I didn’t know what it was exactly, but it looked to be some kind of special feature on fashion that had caught Kitou’s interest.

“Hey, Ayanokouji,” Watanabe said. “Sounds like they’re having a snowball fight outside!”

“Snowball fight?” I repeated.

Watanabe, who had also finished changing, showed me his phone. From the looks of things, some people were going to have a snowball fight starting now, and everyone was free to join in.

“That sounds interesting,” I said. “Think I’ll go check it out.”

“Ryuuen, Kitou, what about you guys?” asked Watanabe.

Kitou was too absorbed in his TV program to answer, but Ryuuen quickly headed for his usual spot in the room, making a clear statement that he was going to pass.

“Okay, guess it’s just you and me then. Let’s go,” said Watanabe.

“Yeah,” I replied. The two people we had left behind were like water and oil, but I’d just place my trust in their consciences.

When Watanabe and I exited the ryokan together, I saw that a considerable number of students had already gathered.

“Good morning, Kiyotaka-kun, Watanabe-kun,” Yousuke called out to us. He had been standing near the entrance, his phone in his hand.

“There really are a lot of people here,” I remarked. “Is everyone that interested in a snowball fight?”

“I don’t think it’s that simple. This is a snowball fight where contestants gamble Private Points,” Yousuke explained. “Well, though I say gamble, you only have to pay a thousand points to qualify. The winning team basically takes points from the losing team.”

I see. Even if you lost, you wouldn’t lose that much. If you won, you’d receive enough money to get a souvenir or two. With how casual this was, it was no wonder that people were so excited.

“But still, is it okay for people to do this?” I asked. “Even though it is a wide-open space, we’re still on the premises of the ryokan.”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Yousuke said. “I asked just to be safe, and the staff said that they don’t mind as long as we do it early in the day. I think that the fact that there isn’t anyone staying at the ryokan other than us students, who are here for a school trip, was probably a crucial factor, too.”

The rules were unquestionably plain and simple. You weren’t allowed to catch snowballs; you could only dodge them. Students who were hit with a snowball had to leave the field. However, snowballs needed to be a certain size. For example, if you just tossed snow that was like powder, making it spread out in the air like a shotgun blast, it wouldn’t count, even if you did happen to hit someone. It seemed like whether a hit was official was determined by both student self-reporting and referee judgment. Well, I supposed that only a couple people would intentionally cheat just for a few Private Points.

“How many people are planning to participate?” I asked.

“About thirty right now, I think,” said Yousuke. “Are you going to play too, Ayanokouji-kun?”

“Well, I…” I trailed off. I was thinking that I should probably decline, but still, I had to wonder. A snowball fight. If I chose to sit this one out, then I might not ever get a chance to try it again. “I want to try, but I don’t have a team.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll assign you to a team that’s short on numbers. Just wait a little bit,” said Yousuke.

He seemed to be the one taking care of the bothersome matters, for which I was immensely grateful. I supposed that was probably why he was hanging out near the entrance. Taking care of everything on your own could come with a lot of difficulties, but knowing Yousuke, he might feel more relaxed if he could manage everything on his own. As I was waiting, for what I anticipated to be roughly ten minutes or so until the cutoff for signing up, Horikita showed up. She must also have come after hearing about the snowball fight.

“I’ve already heard as much, but wow, there really are a lot of people here,” she said.

“Are you thinking of joining too, by any chance?” I asked.

“Yes, actually… It is a school trip, after all. If there’s an open spot, I think I’ll enter.”

It sounded like she hadn’t originally planned to join in, but she changed her mind after seeing that the snowball fight was more popular than she had expected.

“In that case, you’re on, Horikita!” Ibuki emerged from the crowd to challenge Horikita, as though she had been waiting for her.

“…So, you’re here too, Ibuki-san,” said Horikita. “Seriously, you always seem to just show up out of thin air everywhere I go. But whatever. It’s just a simple game anyway, but if you want, I don’t mind taking you on.”

The instant that Horikita responded, Ibuki clenched her fist tight. “Sure, it may just be a game or whatever, but a loss is a loss. Don’t whine and make excuses like a little kid afterward, ’kay?”

“I should say the exact same thing back to you,” Horikita replied.

Yousuke must have been watching those two closely. When I snuck a glance at his phone, I could tell he took their situation into account, because he had assigned them to different teams. It likely wouldn’t have been overly exciting if they were on the same team. Since I was sneaking a peek at his phone anyway, I whispered into Yousuke’s ear and asked him for a small favor.

Just then, Kushida appeared with Yamamura, Nishino, and Amikura in tow.

“Good morning, everyone,” she said.

“Oh, Kushida, I was wondering where you were. Looks like you invited Yamamura and the others, too, eh?” I remarked.

“Huh? …Oh, uh, yeah, I did.” I expected her to respond with her usual smile, but Kushida averted her eyes, mumbling. Then she quickly looked back with a smile. “Nishino-san and Yamamura-san said that they’d just wait in their room until it was time to go, but I told them that’d be a waste.”

“That was the right decision,” I agreed.

We had been spending time as a group, and our relationship had been improving, little by little. It was more worthwhile for us to spend our time together, whether we were actually participating in the event or just spectating.

“You doin’ this too?” Ibuki asked Kushida.

“Hm? The snowball fight?” Kushida replied.

“Yeah. It’s been decided that me and Horikita are gonna battle it out,” said Ibuki.

“I see,” said Kushida. “But I think I’ll pass, actually. I’d feel bad if I hit someone with a snowball. I don’t think I could do it—I’d feel sorry for them.”

“Huh?” Ibuki gestured like she was grossed out, as though Kushida’s behavior was thoroughly disgusting to her. Seeing that, Horikita thrust her hand into Ibuki’s side with a quick chop.

“Ow! The hell was that for?!”

“I’m your opponent, remember?” Horikita said. “If you think about unnecessary things, you’ll lose in no time.”

“No way am I gonna lose. I am definitely gonna make you cry!” shouted Ibuki.

I see. I had thought that the sense of distance between Horikita and Kushida had changed recently, and it looked like Ibuki was involved, too. The three of them were twisted, for sure, but strangely enough, they might have been doing a decent job of straightening themselves out.

Lit: “Those crooked three, but strangely enough they might be purifying themselves well” Ayanokouji is basically saying that they might be helping each other become better people, in a way, in his view.

The number of students participating continued to increase bit by bit. In the end, there were forty-two people spread across six teams. There were four teams of seven people that had formed on their own, without any assistance. And the two other teams were made up of the odd ones out, like me. The snowball fight wasn’t conducted in anything like a tournament setting. It would just be single rounds.

Perhaps Yousuke had done this because he thought it would be more exciting, but he decided to have the Horikita-Ibuki grudge match as the third and final game. For the first game, there was a team of seven boys led by Ishizaki and Albert, and then another team of seven boys, led by Sudou. It truly was a clash between men. Right from the start of the game, snowballs flew with incredible force from both the left and right side.

There were a total of fourteen people throwing snowballs at each other, after all, so it would be difficult for everyone to avoid them all. Within about ten seconds or so, six players from both teams were gone already. Incidentally, the incredibly enthusiastic Ishizaki was one of the players who had left the game in those ten seconds. As for Sudou, he seemed to be putting his frustration over being rejected by Horikita into his snowballs, because he was taking out opponents on the opposing team one after another.

However, Ishizaki’s team still had Albert in play, and, demonstrating a level of nimble maneuverability you wouldn’t expect considering his massive frame, he avoided being hit. He was putting up a good fight, having taken out two people himself.

Yamamura was quietly spectating the impressive battle, so I decided to try getting a little closer to her.

“It’s getting exciting, isn’t it?” she said, after noticing my presence. Her facial expression was pretty much the same as usual, with just some slight variation, but she did seem to be enjoying herself somewhat.

“Yeah, it looks that way,” I agreed.

Yamamura exhaled deeply, breathing into her palms. I noticed that she wasn’t wearing gloves, even though she was supposed to buy another pair at the ski resort.

“Did you forget your gloves again or something?” I asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

I went to take off my gloves, but Yamamura stopped me.

“I’m sorry. That was a joke. I did bring them with me,” she said, taking a pair of gloves out of her pocket. She wore a faint smile.

“So, you make jokes too, eh, Yamamura?” I said.

“… I certainly don’t look the type, it’s true,” said Yamamura. Her smile had instantly disappeared; she must have been regretting what she said, feeling like it was an unnecessary comment.

“No, no, it’s good,” I said. “I kind of feel like we’ve bonded a little bit as a group.”

That was a change that would have been unthinkable on the first day of the trip.

“Me too… I’ve felt that, too,” said Yamamura. “I’ve always just stayed in the background, so people rarely ever noticed me, no matter what I did, but… Kushida-san, Nishino-san, Amikura-san… Everyone has actually been looking at me, and they included me, like a friend. That’s thanks to our being a group.”

If the school trip hadn’t happened, Yamamura likely wouldn’t have made much of an impression on anyone before graduation. I was sure that for Yamamura and the other girls, especially, this was going to be an enduringly memorable school trip. In the other groups, too, there must have been a lot of students who were becoming closer to one another in a similar fashion.

After Yamamura finished putting on her gloves, she showed me her hands and held them open.

“Not just the girls, but the boys too,” she added. “It’s a little different from what I’ve always imagined.”

There was a softness in Yamamura’s demeanor now, too, that had been absent on the first day we had come together as a group. Of course, compared to other students, it was only a fraction, but you could still say that there was a clear change.

“At first, I thought this school trip was going to be long, but it’s going to end after today,” she mused.

“Yeah,” I replied.

If you were on a school trip together with people who you didn’t like, then I’m sure that it’d seem like time was passing very slowly, that everything was taking forever. However, just by seeing other people in your group as people who you didn’t feel uncomfortable being around, a change would be brought about, and you’d hardly imagine the trip was the same span of time.

“I’m sure it’s not just you who changed, Yamamura,” I said. “Kitou, Watanabe, Amikura, and Nishino must have changed through this experience, too, to a greater or lesser extent.”

Our group had been through never-ending troubles, but on the other hand, I suppose those troubles spiced things up.

“I feel that, while only slightly, Kitou-kun says bad things about Ryuuen-kun less often now,” said Yamamura.

“Yeah?” That in itself was huge.

“When we first got together as a group, he was always saying things like ‘I’m going to kill him’ or ‘I’m going to send him to hell,’” said.

Still, rather than feeling that those two had become friends, I felt like it was just that they were growing numb to each other after clashing so much. However, that being said, the image I had of Kitou in my mind had changed quite a lot. I originally thought he was the type of person who didn’t talk at all, but after we’d become closer, he talked more than I had expected. Though…there might still be problems with some of the things he said.

Students from Sakayanagi’s class and Ryuuen’s class in particular had been wary of each other in many ways. There had been almost no opportunities whatsoever for them to see one another’s good sides.

“It seems like Tokitou’s been sticking to Sakayanagi like glue lately,” I remarked.

“Yes, now that you mention it… It seems like they’re always talking with each other, ever since they were put together in a group,” said Yamamura.

Even now, as we spoke, Tokitou and Sakayanagi seemed to be happily engaged in conversation about a great many things, standing side by side as they watched the snowball fight. When I suddenly looked over at Yamamura’s side profile, I saw that the joyful look that had been on her face just moments ago had faded away. Perhaps the best way I could describe the look on her face right now was like she was looking at something she found unpleasant. Was she fond of Tokitou herself? Or was she thinking about Sakayanagi? I got the sense that it could be either.

“What do you think about Sakayanagi, Yamamura?” I asked.

It wasn’t like I was trying to probe her. I had asked simply because I was genuinely curious about what kind of relationship they had.

“What do I think…about her?” she repeated. She seemed somewhat startled when I spoke to her, as her attention was focused elsewhere.

“I was just wondering how you feel about the capable leader of Class A, speaking from the perspective of a peer,” I said.

“I don’t really know,” she replied. “I’m not close with anyone in particular to begin with, and I’ve hardly ever spoken with Sakayanagi-san.” Yamamura gave a soft, self-deprecating chuckle. She was saying that, because she was so lacking in presence, she had no friendships. So, did that mean that Yamamura was simply experiencing some feeling of yearning, like she was jealous of Tokitou for being able to strike up conversation with Sakayanagi so easily?

“In that case, why don’t you take this opportunity to talk to her?” I suggested. “You might be surprised. She could end up becoming a good friend to you.”

“I really don’t have the courage to do something like that.”

“Okay, then what about Kitou? Don’t you think that being together as a group on this trip has brought you two closer together?” I asked.

“Um… Well, talking to a boy, that’s kind of…”

It was intended as a light joke, but Yamamura was even more taken aback than I had expected.

“Sorry,” I said. “Guess I went a little too far with that suggestion.”

It was only natural for girls to be more sensitive about the idea of interacting, even if they didn’t feel anything for each other.

“I don’t mind,” said Yamamura. “You said it because you were thinking about me, after all. Thank you.”

I looked at Yamamura, and then my eyes scanned over the students in the area. New encounters, new friendships. Then, truth and lies; those who could see through others, and those who would be seen through. This school trip was one where students had tried to find out what others were really thinking and feeling, what their intentions were, through reciprocal investigations into each other. Which class would become the winner in the future?

“It’s impossible for me right now, but… I’ll try giving it some thought,” said Yamamura, amending her previous statement.

“That’s good,” I replied.

Yamamura and I stopped conversing there and focused our attention on the game. Although Albert had a powerful throwing arm, he didn’t appear to have a high rate of accuracy, and ultimately, it was Sudou’s agility and precise attacks that determined the winner of the competition. I expected nothing less from Sudou, who had demonstrated that he was a top-rate athlete under any circumstances. Horikita, too, gave Sudou a hearty round of applause. Standing some distance away, Onodera also seemed to be innocently cheering Sudou on.

Now we were on to the second game. This was going to be a mixed-gender battle, but since there were no students with outstanding ability like Sudou or Albert in play, it was more like an extension of casual play than a serious competition, and the game ended up being a lively, playful affair. The match was decided shortly afterward, with both sides congratulating one another on a good fight and saying how much fun they all had.

“I suppose it’s about time for you to play now,” Yamamura said to me. “Do your best.”

At last, the third game. The battle of Ibuki and me against Horikita’s team was about to begin.

“Let’s do our best together, Yamamura,” I replied.

She looked back at me blankly. “Huh…?”

“I asked Yousuke to sign you up too.”

“Wh-what?! I-I can’t. Forget about me being able to contribute! I’ll only be a burden,” she wailed.

“If you cost us points, I’ll make up for them. So, you don’t have to worry.”

“That’s not really the issue here, though…!”

“Just you being there to give us the right number of people is help enough. Okay, shall we?”

“I…”

After I started walking away, Yamamura followed, though she showed some hesitation at first. She understood that a lot of people would likely end up staring at her when they saw that she was standing there alone, and she wanted to avoid that, which was why she followed me.

“I-I’m telling you, I really don’t know how to do this, okay?” she insisted.

“It’s okay. You saw the game before. It’s just for fun,” I told her.

“But…it’s not like that for some people here, though.”

“I am absolutely gonna win this!” shouted Ibuki.

Ibuki, her fighting spirit burning bright, had begun hyping herself up for the battle by going through a series of motions, practicing scooping up snow, packing it tight, and throwing it.

“You can just forget about her,” I said firmly, and then told Yamamura to go ahead and move to the far back.

Since the other team would be targeting the students in front, I asked Yamamura to stand back to avoid her being in their sights. I wanted her to focus on having fun for as long as possible, rather than get hit by a snowball and fall down.

When the game started, just like in the previous two matches, a lot of students fighting on the front lines were hit by snowballs. Still, there were snowballs that missed their targets and flew toward the back, and those that were thrown there on purpose too. So, if you weren’t careful, you’d get hit even if you were standing far back.

“W-wah!”

Yamamura didn’t have the composure to gather up and throw snowballs herself; she was frantically trying to avoid getting hit. However, one of the several snowballs that came sailing by flew in at an angle, about to hit Yamamura’s left hip.

“Oh—”

To save Yamamura, forcefully, and without permission, I tugged on her right arm and pulled her out of harm’s way.

“I-I’m sorry. Thank you,” she said breathlessly.

“We’re starting to lose people, and the fighting on the front lines is getting intense,” I said. “Let’s try making some snowballs while we can.”

“O-oh, um, o-okay,” she stammered.

Flustered, she hastily shoveled up some snow and made a snowball, though it was larger than I had expected. It didn’t look like she’d reach her target at all with it, but that in itself was part of the fun, so I decided not to say anything.

“Hah…” With Yamamura’s rather timid whimper, far from what I could call an actual battle cry, the large snowball went sailing through the air. Then, it landed with a splat in our own area.

“Oh…” said Yamamura.

“Don’t worry about it,” I told her. “Next time, make a smaller one, and try throwing that.”

“O-okay.”

Yamamura, still panicking, started gathering up snow. In the meantime, the game was still ramping up more and more, and more students were getting eliminated, one after another. I wanted to get Yamamura to take out at least one person somehow, but… Well, Yamamura successfully managed to make a second snowball, but she overthought her throw, putting too much oomph into it and causing the snowball to fly an even shorter distance than the first, practically throwing it straight down to the ground.

“O-oh,” she said, downcast.

Now that three of our vanguards had been taken out, Yamamura started attracting the eyes of the enemy team. I moved away from her in order to draw their attention, and then pressed forward. I quickly gathered up snow and threw a snowball at Nakanishi, who had taken aim at Yamamura and me. I landed a hit, but my plan backfired. Yamamura was frantically trying to gather up snow, so she was looking straight down by her feet, and forgot all about dodging snowballs. Yamamura got hit in the head without warning with a snowball thrown by Yano, bringing her playtime to an abrupt end.

“Ah…!”

The snowball that Yamamura had been clutching in her hands now served no purpose, and she hurried out of the arena with her hands up in the air. I could tell from the look on her face that she was crestfallen, but I could tell she was also feeling frustrated. Still, in any case, I hoped that she had been able to experience at least a little bit of the tension and fun of a snowball fight. Afterward, people on both teams got pelted with snowballs one after another, players getting taken out of the game in succession, until eventually, the only one left standing on Horikita’s team was Horikita herself. As for my team, though, there were two of us: myself and Ibuki. Naturally, the situation was in our favor. Ibuki stood behind me, legs spread wide in an imposing stance, arms crossed.

“Yer in the way,” she barked.

“I know,” I replied.

I deliberately chose not to avoid the snowball that Horikita threw my way, instead catching it in my hands. Of course, catching a snowball meant you were out.

“What do you think you’re doing?” asked Horikita.

“Ibuki wants this to be one-on-one,” I replied. “My team leader says that she’ll win, so I just figured I should do as she wishes.”

I had only played for a short while, but I actually enjoyed the snowball fight, so I didn’t need to stay in any longer. Forcefully defeating Horikita wasn’t interesting to me anyway. On the other hand, though, I was genuinely interested in a showdown between Ibuki and Horikita, whose abilities didn’t differ by much.

“I don’t think I like this, but whatever,” said Horikita. “At any rate, this means that now I can focus solely on Ibuki-san.”

“The rest is up to you, Ibuki,” I said. “I’m betting my souvenir on you.”

“Shut up and get outta here already,” she snapped. “There’s no way I’d lose to Horikita.”

As the crowd watched, the battle between Horikita and Ibuki was just about to begin. The rules stated that there would be no draws in this battle. Even if, hypothetically, a referee determined that they had both landed a hit on each other at the exact same time, that would mean that they’d have to keep playing. It was only a snowball fight, but even so, for both of them, this was a battle they couldn’t lose.

“It’s kinda awesome that we get to have this decisive match, huh?” said Ibuki.

She had been wearing gloves throughout the snowball fight, but at this point, she took them off and clutched a snowball tightly in her right hand. It must have been a strategy on her part, sacrificing cold resistance to increase the accuracy of her throw. Horikita must have feared losing control of her fingertips due to the cold, so she kept her gloves on. I supposed that meant that Ibuki would have the advantage if this were going to be a short battle, but Horikita would have the advantage if it ended up being a long one.

“I’m sorry,” murmured Yamamura. “I was completely useless.” She must have been a little out of breath still, because her shoulders rose and fell with heaving breaths.

“It’s okay. Did you have at least a little fun?” I asked.

“Yes… Though I wanted to land a hit, if possible.” With that, the corners of Yamamura’s mouth curved upward into an ever-so-slight smile.

Even if it was impossible for her to have another snowball fight with the exact same people, there would probably be another opportunity for her to fight in some kind of competition one day. I hoped that she’d hold on to the frustration she felt now until that time came, and then take another shot.

Yamamura and I now went back to spectating, focusing our attention on the two girls who were facing each other one-on-one.

“So, it’s a proper, serious competition…is it?” said Horikita.

“Sure is,” replied Ibuki.

Ibuki wanted to settle the fight in the short term, but Horikita saw through her strategy and prioritized dodging over attacking.

“No stopping!” shouted Ibuki. She was starting to visibly grow impatient as she became increasingly frustrated and the cold started to seep into her fingers. As the battle began to drag on, though, the mighty snowball that Ibuki launched at Horikita happened to just barely graze her face, near her cheek.

“Come on, already! Give me the win!” yelled Ibuki.

“Not happening,” Horikita shouted back.

Even though Ibuki was starting to show signs of fatigue, she gathered up snow once again and chucked another blazing fastball at Horikita. Horikita evaded it, and at the same time, she counterattacked, throwing a snowball that she had been holding on to for a while back at Ibuki. However, Ibuki was skilled. She was worn out, but she didn’t drop her guard, and though she lost her footing, she managed to dodge Horikita’s attack.

“It seems like you’re at your limit,” Horikita said, “so why don’t we end this here and now?”

It sounded like Horikita didn’t want this fight to go on any longer either, so she shifted her priorities toward attacking. Now, both of them were prepared to put themselves on the line, betting everything on one last shot. A prolonged one-on-one battle. Horikita threw a snowball that broke apart and scattered in the air before it could reach Ibuki. It looked like it had lost its shape, perhaps because she had packed it too loosely. As a result, while it technically hit Ibuki, it did so as scattered powder.

Horikita tried to dodge the snowball that Ibuki threw back at her right in the nick of time, but she was unable to avoid it completely, and it grazed the sleeve of her left arm. If someone asked whether it was a hit, you would’ve said yes, but you could also say that Horikita had dodged it, too. It was a fine line to judge. However, Yousuke, who didn’t welcome the idea of dragging this out any longer, made the call.

“Horikita-san’s been hit! Ibuki-san wins!” he announced.

“Hell yeah!” Ibuki pumped her fist with intensity, a broad smile on her face. Horikita was trying to play it cool, acting as though it was “just” a snowball fight, but she seemed to exude frustration.

“Okay, loser!” Ibuki crowed. “Come on, fork over those thousand points!”

Paying no attention to even how her hands were trembling due to the cold, she took out her phone and thrust it at Horikita.

“You’re being extremely annoying… You don’t need to hound me that badly over it. I’ll give you the points,” said Horikita.

“Come on, come on!” said Ibuki. “Come on, I said! Come on! Come on, come on, come on!”

Were they friends? Or were things bad between them? Ibuki continued to whoop and holler around Horikita in circles for a while, in high spirits.

6.1

W E ENJOYED SKIING one last time on this final day. We didn’t go our separate ways this time; instead, all eight of us went on the gentle course meant for beginners. Ryuuen seemed bored the whole time, but I was glad that he didn’t selfishly go out on his own, at least. Afterward, I made sure to buy some souvenirs for first-year students during the time I had left. Now, all that we had left on such a fun fourth day of our school trip was tonight.

After I got back from taking a soak in the large bath, I received a message from Sakayanagi. She said that she wanted to see me, and I responded to her request, heading toward the lobby where we had arranged to meet. It was still only around eight o’clock at night now, but there seemed to be much fewer students out and about today.

I figured that students must have a mountain of things to talk about tonight, whether they were at the buffet or in their rooms, since it was the last night of our trip. Perhaps the other students had realized that as well, since I hardly saw anyone in the lobby. That made it a rather convenient location for us.

Sakayanagi was sitting in a chair, quietly waiting for me.

“Did I keep you waiting long?” I asked.

“Not at all,” she replied. “Thank you for going to the trouble of meeting me here.”

Even though there weren’t many people around, me and Sakayanagi being together would certainly attract a fair amount of attention. With that in mind, I would have preferred to make this short, but…

“I know it only lasted a short time, but did you enjoy the school trip?” asked Sakayanagi.

“Yeah, I did,” I said. “I’ve learned a lot about many things I hadn’t ever experienced before. More importantly, though, it was a genuinely valuable experience for me to be able to interact with students from the other classes. I feel like I even know Yamamura and Kitou a little now.”

I decided to specifically mention those two by name, but Sakayanagi’s expression remained the same as always.

“I see,” she said. “I’m not particularly surprised, Ayanokouji-kun, considering you have an insatiable appetite for knowledge.”

I decided to try pressing her a little further. “Are you close with those two?” I asked.

“None of my classmates are given special consideration. I think of them all as equals. If you were to ask if we get along, then yes, we do. But if you were to say we aren’t that close, I’d have to agree with that, too.”

Was that vague answer a lie? Or the truth? Singling someone out for special treatment would likely cause jealousy or similar feelings to stir amongst the other students. Sakayanagi might really have been telling the truth when she said she looked at everyone equally as their leader.

“Can I ask why you called me?” I asked.

“So, that means we’re already finished with the small talk? Are you in a rush, by any chance? I suppose if Karuizawa Kei-san were to see us here like this, she would have some suspicions about our relationship,” said Sakayanagi, with a devilish little chuckle.

“I’m not keen on the idea of being seen meeting with the representative of Class A one-on-one. You know?”

“Hee hee! I’m only joking. I understand.” Sakayanagi took a moment to suppress an amused smile. Then she said, “I’ve come to understand many things during this school trip. I thought that, before we return to campus, I would talk to you about the person who contacted you during the Sports Festival, Ayanokouji-kun.”

She was referring to the time she and I had both been absent from the Sports Festival, when we talked in my room. So…she wanted to talk to me about the identity of the person who’d spoken to me from the other side of my door, hmm?

“I see. I am interested in hearing that,” I replied.

“I’m glad. So, you’re also interested in knowing whose voice that was, Ayanokouji-kun.”

“I’ve been thinking about it more than a little.”

Including what I had sensed in Nanase, it remained unclear whether the person who had spoken to me then was an enemy or not.

“First, though, allow me to ask you something,” said Sakayanagi. “What kind of person do you think he is, Ayanokouji-kun? Is it possible that he shares your origins, like Amasawa Ichika-san and Yagami Takuya-kun?”

“No, I don’t think so,” I replied. “If it was just that you and this other person recognized each other, Sakayanagi, then sure, I wouldn’t be able to rule that idea out. But this person called my father ‘Ayanokouji-sensei.’ That makes an enormous difference.”

“Meaning what?”

“If this person were a White Room student, he wouldn’t have called him ‘Ayanokouji-sensei,’ I mean.”

That was a common thread shared amongst all of those who were raised in the White Room.

“But that’s not ironclad proof, is it?” she said. “If he were from a different generation from you, Ayanokouji-kun, then there might be significantly different policies in place, no?”

“It’s true that I can’t say it with one hundred percent certainty,” I admitted. “It’s just my own subjective feelings here, at best. But considering the major fact that this person came to speak with me last year, when that man was… I mean, when my father was visiting the school, I can guess that he’s on my father’s side. And there’s the fact that you yourself said he sounded familiar. That could mean that he’s someone close to the political or financial world, right, Sakayanagi?”

It went back to the fact that this person had deliberately called him “sensei.”

Though she was a little surprised, Sakayanagi closed her eyes and nodded happily. “Exactly correct. I suppose it might have been unnecessary for me to think about providing hints or advice after all, then. Yes, I already have an idea as to the person’s identity, but I have not yet confirmed who it is at this time. I wanted to clarify that here and now, which is why I called you.”

I turned my attention to the cell phone that Sakayanagi had placed in her lap.

“But before we make everything clear, I’m calling someone who should know him,” she said. “They said that they would be here shortly.”

“So, you’re saying that there’s someone in our grade who has some connection with our visitor?” I asked.

“It sounds as though no one is coming to mind as a possible candidate, Ayanokouji-kun,” she said. “Is that correct?”

It was. I had absolutely no idea who in the world she was referring to. Of course, whoever it was who’d come to talk to me then, he was spending his days at school as a first-year student, so it wouldn’t be strange if he was close with someone from my grade. But I didn’t think that was what was going on here. There was no reason for Sakayanagi to call this person here unless they at least knew more about the situation than I did. Who else aside from Sakayanagi would know about the White Room, the identity of my father, or both those things?

“In the meantime, let’s continue our idle chitchat, shall we?” said Sakayanagi.

“That sounds like a good idea,” I agreed. You couldn’t say that passing the time in silence was a wise way to do things on a school trip.

“How did you feel about the group assignments this time, Ayanokouji-kun?”

“The effect of the assessments we filled out in our individual charts must have been significant,” I said. “I got the sense that the group assignments weren’t reflected in just our own groups; it seemed like the school matched up students who had given one another extreme assessments, from what I could tell.”

“I feel the same way. There were the students who were rated the best, and the students who weren’t. And there was a middle group that didn’t fall into either category. I’m sure that it might not have been applicable to every group, but I think that bias was most certainly in effect. I’m sure that they made combinations that were likely to have an impact on the future.”

“Now, on that note, there’s something I’d like to ask you,” I said.

“That makes me happy to hear. Please go ahead and ask me anything you wish.”

“What’s your take on the final exam?”

I was sure that the formations of each group for the school trip would surely have an impact later on.

Sakayanagi, looking pleased, closed her eyes and nodded contently a few times. “It truly is quite fun talking with you, Ayanokouji-kun. You and I always seem to be thinking the same thing. I’m sure the final exam this year will be more arduous than last year.”

Sakayanagi was predicting that it wouldn’t be a surprise if one or two people got expelled.

“You’ve got a Protect Point, Sakayanagi, so you’re safe and secure, but the fact remains that if you lose, you’re still going to lose Class Points,” I said. “Aren’t you worried that the commanding lead you’ve held until now will fall apart?”

“Do you think that I’ll lose in a direct confrontation with Ryuuen-kun? It’s already a foregone conclusion that I will win.”

So, like Ryuuen, Sakayanagi never even imagined that she could be defeated, huh?

“It’s true that he makes some interesting moves,” she admitted. “There is an expression that comes to mind: giant killer. And it certainly seems like he has the ability to take down strong opponents at times. However, that is not going to happen in a confrontation with me. At the very least, next year, I will be the one competing with your class, Ayanokouji-kun.”

Unshakeable confidence. There were cases where things could end in a draw, but those could be seen as exceptions. It was unlikely that the school would make rules that would allow for a draw to happen easily in a final exam setting. That’s what I’d observed from last year’s battle with Class A.

“Or, perhaps… Do you think that I will lose?” asked Sakayanagi.

“Who can say?” I replied.

I couldn’t say anything right now, when I couldn’t see what was going to be on the test. But if I told Sakayanagi that, she’d likely feel all the more disappointed. It would be nothing more than a suggestion on my part that Sakayanagi might lose, depending on the nature of the exam. Besides, no matter who won and who lost—

“From your perspective, Ayanokouji-kun, whether he falls, or I do, it won’t interfere with your plans either way,” she said. “Isn’t that right?”

It was precisely because our thoughts were aligned that Sakayanagi understood what I was thinking here, too.

“However, Ayanokouji-kun, the future will not always necessarily go as you expect.”

“What do you mean?”

Just as I asked her that question, though, she brought her index finger up to her lips. Apparently, the visitor she had been expecting had arrived.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting,” said Kanzaki.

He must not have heard that I was going to be here, because he seemed somewhat surprised as he came over to stand next to me. Still, though—Kanzaki? In all the times I’d been in contact with him up until this point, I’d never once gotten the impression that he had any special connection with my past.

“Now that we have all the necessary players assembled, let’s get started, shall we?” said Sakayanagi. “Oh, first, though, would you mind coming over this way, Kanzaki-kun?” She beckoned him over to her with a broad smile.

“What in the world is going on here, Sakayanagi?” Kanzaki didn’t appear to understand the situation. He crossed his arms in suspicion, seemingly unable to wrap his mind around what was happening here. I felt the same way, as I wondered if there was any particular meaning behind having Kanzaki positioned next to her.

“First, Ayanokouji-kun, what do you think when you see Kanzaki-kun and me together like this?” asked Sakayanagi.

“What do I think?”

“Please tell me your honest opinion,” she said.

“All I can say is that something feels off , ” I replied, “because I’ve never seen the two of you interact before today.”

That fact became even more apparent when they stood side by side like they were doing right now.

“Yes, I’m sure it would feel that way. From the perspective of the students at our school, there is no point of connection between Kanzaki-kun and me. We don’t hold the same position in our respective classes, and I don’t believe that anyone in school has seen anything resembling a personal friendship. In fact, I’ve hardly spoken to Kanzaki-kun at all since enrolling in this school.”

It sounded like she was trying to say that they had spoken with one another before coming to this school.

“How many years has it been since I’ve spoken to you like this?” asked Sakayanagi, turning to Kanzaki.

“It’s hard to recall, exactly,” he replied. “If we’re not counting speaking through an intermediary, then it must have been at least three or four years.”

From the sounds of it, not even they clearly remembered when they spoke last.

“May I ask how you two know each other?” I asked.

“We’re connected through our parents,” said Sakayanagi. “Though, that being said, it’s not as if there is a direct connection between the Sakayanagi and Kanzaki families. When you have parents who are rather well-known in their own right, you are often invited to parties and the like.”

Considering that Sakayanagi’s father was chairperson of this school, and also that he knew about the White Room, I had no doubt that the Sakayanagi family was one of some renown.

“Kanzaki-kun’s father is the head of a corporation known as Kanzaki Engineering,” added Sakayanagi.

So, what they shared was the fact that their respective families were business leaders. That would explain why I’d had no suspicions about Kanzaki.

“What in the world is the meaning of this conversation?” Kanzaki demanded. “What’s the point of allowing Ayanokouji to hear something like this? Wait, before getting to that, I’d like to hear the reason why you called me here.”

“The conversation we’re having right now is related to the reason I called you here,” said Sakayanagi.

“I don’t understand what you mean,” he said.

“I was wondering if you might be so kind as to tell us about Ishigami-kun, who is also enrolled at our school,” said Sakayanagi.

With that, Kanzaki’s expression stiffened more. “You…want to know about Ishigami?”

Ishigami? No one who had that surname came to mind among the second-years. The only student who did was a first-year.

“…I see. So, that’s it,” Kanzaki said. “You’re also interested in Ishigami, then?”

“I don’t mind you interpreting it that way,” replied Sakayanagi.

“But still, why Ayanokouji? He shouldn’t have any point of contact with Ishigami. I can’t imagine that he would interact with people from other grade levels for no reason. Or, if he did, it would be because there’s some kind of trouble. It’s hard to imagine even Ryuuen, or better yet, Ayanokouji, would waste his time with something so pointless,” said Kanzaki, simplifying and explaining the situation as he saw it.

“Not right now, but in the past,” said Sakayanagi.

“What…?”

“Do you still not understand? You should have deep feelings for the name Ayanokouji as well,” said Sakayanagi.

“What do y—wait, you couldn’t mean…” Kanzaki, as though he had just realized something, alternated looking at Sakayanagi and me, back and forth.

“You were quite slow in noticing,” Sakayanagi remarked. “Well, that is understandable, I suppose.”

“…So, that’s what this is.” It sounded as though Kanzaki grasped what Sakayanagi was saying. He looked up at the ceiling for a moment, seemingly exasperated, before turning back to look at me.

“Ayanokouji… Hm. I can’t believe that you’re that person’s child,” he said.

There was one thing I could understand from what Kanzaki just said. Namely, that Kanzaki happened to know of a person with the name Ayanokouji, or he was acquainted with that person. And it was no longer necessary to even guess that the person in question was my father. That man had strong connections to business leaders. It was an inevitability.

“Does this shake off the feeling of discomfort you had from seeing me sitting next to Ayanokouji-kun just now?” asked Sakayanagi.

“Yes,” Kanzaki replied. “I had thought that you were simply interested in Ayanokouji’s abilities, but now I see that’s not it. When did you know that he was Ayanokouji-sensei’s child?”

“I knew from the moment I laid eyes on him here at this school, of course. Besides, unlike you, Kanzaki-kun, I’d seen Ayanokouji-kun before, when he was a little boy. Right?” Sakayanagi didn’t say anything about the White Room, instead answering in a way that made it sound like she was pretending we were childhood friends.

“Meaning he’s not just your average nobody. If he’s that person’s child, then…he must be exceptional.” Kanzaki must have understood something, because he turned to look straight at me. “My father idolizes Ayanokouji-sensei,” he said, “and I have had the honor of meeting him several times at parties and other events. However, I have only ever spoken to him on one occasion.”

This was a good example of the kind of thing that could happen as long as there was only an indirect connection, through Chairman Sakayanagi. Even so, it sounded like Kanzaki had a lot of respect for that man. Since I didn’t know anything at all about his private life, I couldn’t imagine what kind of response my father had given Kanzaki, but I couldn’t deny that there was a difference in perception.

“My assessment of you has changed over and over in my head, but now, it’s finally settled,” Kanzaki said. “If there’s a child of Ayanokouji-sensei in Horikita’s class, then they must be formidable.”

He sounded happily convinced. He must have had a high opinion of my father.

“Now then,” said Sakayanagi. “Now that we’ve managed to correct that misunderstanding, let’s continue with the conversation, shall we? Ayanokouji-kun, you do not know of Ishigami-kun, correct?”

“It’s the first I’ve ever heard of him,” I replied.

Apparently, the person who had approached Sakayanagi and me back then was this Ishigami character.

“He is a young man who idolizes your father, Ayanokouji-kun. Kanzaki-kun, you know him quite well, don’t you?” asked Sakayanagi, turning to Kanzaki.

“…Yes. He certainly seems devoted to Ayanokouji-sensei. I didn’t have the courage to go up and speak to Ayanokouji-sensei, but Ishigami was different. At some point, he just went over and started talking to him. He was very proactive in doing so.”

“Ishigami-kun is one year younger than we are, and is currently a first-year student at our school,” Sakayanagi added.

So, someone who idolized that man had enrolled at this school, and, for some reason, had contacted me several times. He even indirectly helped eliminate Yagami during the Cultural Festival. The goal of this young man named Ishigami was yet to be seen.

“I’m sure you’ve had opportunities to interact with first-year students, but when exactly did you take notice of Ishigami?” I asked.

“I recognized him immediately when I looked at OAA,” Sakayanagi replied. “But he’s not the type of person to come out in public, so I haven’t had the chance to speak with him. I have communicated with Class 1-A through Takahashi-kun, but it seemed as though Ishigami-kun intentionally avoided contact with me.”

It sounded like Sakayanagi herself didn’t want to forcefully get in contact with him either, then.

“Is he an exceptional student?” I asked.

“I am sure that Kanzaki-kun, who is much closer to him than I, would know much more about that, yes?”

Kanzaki was entrusted with providing an explanation, but he didn’t look pleased at all. In fact, he looked the exact opposite. “It’s not as though we’re close,” he said. “I just happened to go to the same cram school as him, is all. But Ayanokouji, to give you an honest answer: yes, he is, without question, a genius. He came up with ideas that I could never even have dreamed of, and speaking from experience, after seeing him up close, he’s exceptional.”

While it sounded like he didn’t like Ishigami, Kanzaki accepted the truth about him.

“There you have it,” said Sakayanagi. “Now, what you’ve heard reflects Kanzaki-kun’s thoughts and viewpoint, but I think it might serve as reference.”

“But still, I have to ask: so what? Can’t you just leave Ishigami alone?” asked Kanzaki.

“Can’t you imagine what might be going on, though? He’s someone who respects Ayanokouji-kun’s father. If that’s true, then it would not be surprising if he had enrolled at this school to see the son’s abilities for himself.” Sakayanagi still kept information about the White Room hidden as she skillfully guided the conversation forward.

“Ishigami came to see Ayanokouji’s abilities…? Well, yes, I suppose I can’t say that’s impossible.” It sounded like Kanzaki was somewhat convinced that could be true, after applying what he had heard and comparing it with the Ishigami that he knew in his mind.

“We are competing with one another in our grade level,” Sakayanagi continued. “Kanzaki-kun, though your class is a step behind, it is still unclear who will emerge victorious. Under such circumstances, don’t you think it would be unfair if Ishigami-kun were to launch some unnecessary trap for Ayanokouji-kun sometime in the future, in order to find out his abilities?”

“I do understand what you’re trying to say. But still, why are you supporting Ayanokouji? It shouldn’t matter to you what happens to a student in a rival class.”

Ishigami, if left alone, could go ahead and sabotage a student from a rival class. It was obvious to anyone that that would be an inherent positive for Sakayanagi under normal circumstances.

“I just genuinely want to have fun,” Sakayanagi replied. “It is my role to bury Horikita-san’s class, Ayanokouji-kun included. Don’t you think it would be frustrating if someone were to suddenly come in from out of nowhere and snatch your goal away from you?” After letting out a brief chuckle, Sakayanagi offered her gratitude to Kanzaki. “You have my thanks, Kanzaki-kun. From here forward, I think that Ayanokouji-kun and I will devise countermeasures to deal with Ishigami-kun, just the two of us,” she said.

She had expressed her thanks, yes…but she was also strongly implying that anyone not involved in the rest of the discussion should leave immediately.

“I have no intention of getting involved with Ishigami, so I appreciate that,” replied Kanzaki without hesitation. “Let’s chat again in the near future, Ayanokouji. I’d like to ask you all sorts of questions about your father.”

Kanzaki had a burning desire to talk about my father, but unfortunately, I didn’t know anything. At any rate, I figured that it was fine to just respond with a gentle nod right now. With that, Kanzaki walked away.

“Now then, Ayanokouji-kun. Let’s find out if Ishigami-kun really is the correct answer,” said Sakayanagi.

“What are you planning to do?” I asked.

“We’ll try asking the person in question directly, of course,” she said. “That would be the quickest method, no?”

Cell phone in hand, Sakayanagi’s fingers moved smoothly across the screen as she entered the eleven-digit number. Apparently, she had done her research, and she had already obtained Ishigami’s phone number. She put the phone on speaker, and, after she hit call, the person on the other end of the line picked up the phone in just a couple rings.

“I’ve been thinking it was about time I ought to be getting a call from you, Sakayanagi.”

His tone also seemed to suggest that he had anticipated a call. The voice I heard was unmistakably the same as the one I’d heard last year, when I had been called on the phone, and when I had been contacted in my room during the Sports Festival.

“You are very quick on the uptake, it seems,” said Sakayanagi.

“ I asked that if anyone other than a first-year requested my number, it be reported to me ahead of time.”

“I suppose I should say that I expected nothing less from you. I’ve heard talk of you both within and outside,” replied Sakayanagi. She had been constantly collecting information, like a spider tracking the ripples in its web. “Couldn’t you have approached me earlier, then?”

“ I was purposefully avoiding contacting you. You don’t need to get involved with me either, do you?”

“Let’s not be hasty, now,” Sakayanagi said. “I was just thinking that I needed to confirm whether you will stand in Ayanokouji-kun’s way in the future.”

“In that case, I have to ask, what do you plan to do if I do get in his way?” asked Ishigami.

“I do not believe that Ayanokouji-kun will be defeated by anyone other than me, but I would still feel uncomfortable if someone were to butt in. If you do intend to intervene, then I might have no other choice but to stop you.”

“You, stop me? You should ignore me rather than try to do something as pointless as that. I chose this school because Ayanokouji-sensei recommended it to me. So that I could spend my time here as a normal student.”

So, Ishigami had come to this school with similar intentions to my own.

“It’s safe for you to assume that there’s no possibility of Ayanokouji being removed from this school at this time,” he added.

“‘At this time,’ hm? That choice of words bothers me,” said Sakayanagi.

“It means that, in the unlikely event that Ayanokouji-sensei gives me instructions to eliminate him, I will do so. That’s all.” Ishigami spoke in a calm manner throughout. I couldn’t imagine that he was lying about anything.

“It sounds as though you have become quite loyal to him in no time at all,” Sakayanagi observed.

“Don’t go any further with this, Sakayanagi. Especially if you wish to stay by Ayanokouji’s side.”

The only thing that was clear was that Ishigami was warning her very strongly that she wouldn’t make it through that situation unscathed.

“I’m not going to tell you to keep my identity hidden. Sooner or later, Ayanokouji will find out about me. So, you warn him for me. Ask him, what’s the best option to protect his life here at this school? Well, actually, I suppose if he’s listening in on this conversation now, then you won’t have to.”

He likely had no proof, but he was taking into consideration the possibility that I was eavesdropping right now.

“I will be sure to tell him if I feel so inclined,” said Sakayanagi. “I would be incredibly happy if you would permit me to say hello to you at school sometime.”

Sakayanagi must have decided that was enough, because she went ahead and ended the call right there.

“So, it is him, after all,” she said. “Well, it sounds as if he wasn’t really trying to hide it in the first place.”

“That’s what it sounds like, yeah,” I said. “If he came to this school to enjoy student life to the fullest, then, for my part, I have no intention of getting involved with him in the future.”

At the very least, I hadn’t sensed any danger from Ishigami in the interactions that we’d had up until this point, that phone call included. Now that there was a possibility that my father hadn’t been trying to get me expelled in the first place, there was no need to panic.

“I see. If that’s what you choose, Ayanokouji-kun, I will respect your wishes,” said Sakayanagi.

“I’m grateful to you. Thanks to you, I was able to find out about Ishigami,” I replied.

“Well then, now that we have some degree of perspective on the matter, I wouldn’t want to trouble you much longer. However, as one last thing, may I continue from where we left off before, and finish what I was about to say earlier?”

“About how the future might not always go the way I think, right?”

It was certainly true that I was curious about the way Sakayanagi had phrased that. However, just as we were about to continue the conversation, someone called my name at the worst time.

“A-Ayanokouji-kun!”

It was Amikura who was calling out to me. She walked quickly through the hallway toward me, seeming a little flustered.

“Um, have you seen Honami-chan?” she asked.

“No, I haven’t. Is something the matter with Ichinose?” I asked.

“Well, it’s just, the school trip is already almost over, right? So, we were thinking that we’d try to get everyone in class together and chat until lights out, but we couldn’t find Honami-chan.”

There must have been a fair number of people searching for her, because even as I was speaking with Amikura, other girls from Class D hurriedly walked up to her.

“People have already checked the baths and her room,” said one of the girls.

“I heard that she looked like she was really down this evening, like she had a lot on her mind, and…I’m a little worried,” said Amikura.

Then, a girl from her same class came up to the anxious Amikura to tell her the news. “Mako-chan, I just checked right now, and it looks like Honami-chan’s yukata is here. So, she might still be outside.”

“Wait, outside?” said Amikura. “But it’s already almost nine, right? Besides, the people in her group are inside, right?”

While we were allowed to be outside until nine o’clock at night, if you were going off and doing things on your own outside the ryokan, that would be a problem.

“I’ll check the big bathhouse and stuff one more time!” Amikura, not wanting to waste any more time standing around and talking, ended the conversation there and started walking. Ichinose’s absence at this hour was certainly worrying.

“Let’s continue this conversation another time,” Sakayanagi said. “Please search for Ichinose-san. I’m sure that for you, Ayanokouji-kun, Ichinose-san is still someone indispensable, after all.”

“Sorry,” I said.

After saying goodbye to Sakayanagi, I exited the lobby. We weren’t allowed to go out and do things on our own without the rest of our groups, and Ichinose was not the sort of student who would break the school’s established rules for no reason. Her fundamental stance on that likely wouldn’t change even if she were in some kind of trouble. When I looked outside from the hallway in the ryokan, I saw that snow was falling heavily. If she really was outside, then…there were only so many places she could go.

After returning to my room and putting on my casual attire, I slipped outside via the rear garden of the ryokan. There was an elevated deck just ahead that offered an illuminated view of the landscape. This was precisely one of the locations that got locked down at nine o’clock at night, which was our curfew. Technically, since the rear garden was within the confines of the ryokan proper, that meant that the area wasn’t subject to the group activity requirements, so you didn’t have to worry about being with your group there.

Even though the ground underfoot was well-lit, it was still dangerous because of the accumulated snow. Many students had come up here on the day we had arrived at the ryokan or on the second day. For that reason, few students were likely going to come back to check it out again in the cold, snowy weather. Not to mention the fact that it was our last day. I imagined that most would want to spend their time relaxing in the ryokan.