"Freedom! Freedom! Three days of vacation, I want to enjoy them thoroughly!"
Getting off the dedicated bus, Koji stretched and sighed contentedly.
Although he had been enjoying his vacation since he returned, he had spent the past few days accompanying these people to Chiba to watch a race, which inevitably involved some travel fatigue.
But these were actually secondary. The main reason was that Yoshida had ordered him to go, so he felt somewhat uncomfortable.
However, the events of the past few days could actually be considered worth the price of admission. Having a good talk with the old man helped to dissipate much of his pent-up frustration. Although it would still take a long time to fully recover, at least things were moving in a positive direction.
And another point was that his relationship with Ahua had also relatively eased a bit. Even though the two of them had only been silently drinking that night, now that they clearly understood each other's difficulties, they could both be a little more understanding of the other.
Life is not easy for anyone, and even two ace Trainers have such troubles.
Of course, for Koji now, forgetting troubles, escaping troubles, living in the present, and enjoying the moment were the most important things.
"Are you trying to sneak away already?"
Yoshida got out of the car and immediately spotted Koji, who was just about to make his escape.
"Tsk."
He clicked his tongue lightly, but Koji immediately forced a smile and said, "Hahaha... The competition is over anyway, and everyone is tired from traveling back and forth. They need to rest and all. You see, I don't need to attend the celebration party, do I? If I show up, how embarrassing would it be to see all those old colleagues? Don't you agree, old man? So, I won't bother you all. I want to go relax by myself."
"Hmph..."
Yoshida snorted softly, glancing at the young man. "I think you had this planned all along, didn't you? You booked a train ticket for noon today to go camping at Lake Motosu, right?"
"Uh--"
As Koji was speechless, Yoshida held up a train ticket in his hand and grunted, "You're too careless with your walking, aren't you? Or do you plan to take a taxi there?"
"Do I look like someone with money to spare? Taking a taxi from here would cost at least thirty thousand yen, wouldn't it?"
Koji chuckled awkwardly. Just as he was about to reach for the ticket, he grabbed nothing but air.
"Wait a minute... Let me see, Lake Motosu... Is it the Koan Campsite? This weather, you want to see Mount Fuji reflected upside down... You're living quite comfortably, aren't you?"
"You're really joking, old man. What tourist destination haven't you been to? I just want to relax properly, so--"
He grabbed air again. Yoshida shook the ticket in his hand and said,
"This is a special ticket that includes a campervan lodge, isn't it? Going alone, isn't that a bit too luxurious?"
"This is something I won when I bought an Uma Musume magazine, so I wanted to use it while I had the chance!"
"And... what are you saying, old man... You're not thinking of... Don't be silly, old man, aren't you going to Symboli Rudolf's celebration party?"
Koji's face twitched. He suddenly realized something was amiss.
"Heh, do you think I'm the type who enjoys attending those formal banquets now? Besides, I've already retired. Frequently showing up at gatherings of executives makes it easy for people to gossip behind your back..."
"Then you still used your privilege to bring that kid Kazuo in..."
Koji muttered softly, clearly unconvinced.
"What did you say?"
Yoshida stared at him with a smile, but it was the kind of smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Koji immediately cowered, shaking his head like a rattle drum: "Uh-huh... Nothing, just talking to myself."
"Hmm... Besides, while Symboli Rudolf gives off an air of invincibility on the racetrack, who would have imagined that the president of Tracen Academy is actually a very low-key person? The president herself suggested not holding these formal events anymore, and of course, I don't like going either."
"Plus, the high-level gatherings are truly hypocritical events where everyone wears social masks. Compared to such formalism, I actually really like your lifestyle."
At this point, the old fox's tail finally showed.
Koji could easily guess what he meant.
He also wanted to go camping and enjoy himself with Koji.
"How about we, master and disciple, catch up properly?"
The young fox had now met the old fox. Koji choked for a long time before finally forcing out a sentence: "What did you say?"
"Anyway, I'm free, so why don't we continue to travel and play together this holiday, sitting around a campfire, camping outdoors?"
The scene Yoshida described--
He briefly imagined it, that bittersweet feeling--
No, no, no... He didn't want an old man taking up a large part of his memories, not even if they were master and disciple!
But just as he was about to speak, Yoshida seemed to have him perfectly figured out and said, "Let's call Akikawa, Tojo, and Hayakawa to join us then. After all, camping is more lively with more people."
Well, Yoshida's plan was clear as day. So that's where he was waiting for him.
How could this be?
Even familiar people need some personal space--
Especially Ahua... Although they were silently drinking that day, meeting now would be incredibly awkward.
Little did they know, they had been avoiding each other since yesterday.
If he really let these people come, his private camping trip would completely turn into a primary school spring outing--
This wouldn't do. This was his only hope for the past few days, and he didn't want it ruined by others.
Just as he was about to politely decline, Yoshida seemed to remember something and mumbled, "Well, if you go, I'll cover the main expenses. After all, it's camping. Since we choose to enjoy ourselves, let's go all out."
Including food and lodging... What good food could there be while camping? At most, it would be instant noodles and bento boxes.
While Koji was still secretly grumbling, Yoshida thought of something else and added,
"Oh, right, I've already contacted Akikawa in advance to prepare 5A-grade wagyu beef for camping sukiyaki, and we're also planning to do charcoal BBQ. By the way, is it allowed to collect firewood at that campsite?"
Trying to bribe him with ingredients? This was too much--
He should ask for more money, right?
However, while Koji was still debating, the old man thought again and said,
"I heard there are also open-air hot springs around the campsite. I wonder who I should invite...?"
"Teacher! Of course, it's me, the one most willing to stay by your side!! Let us, master and disciple, sit around the campfire, drinking and talking freely!"
Koji's speed of changing his expression was unmatched. He was practically about to hug the old man's leg.
No choice, being rich allowed for such capriciousness.
"Then it's settled. Let's call Ahua to come with us later, okay? I've already informed Akikawa, and she'll handle contacting Hayakawa."
"But half of this holiday is already over, so there are only two days left to enjoy..."
However, if it could alleviate physical and mental fatigue, then it didn't matter.
"Speaking of which, how is that kid Asama doing now?"
"Oh… yeah, what's he doing now?"
When his roommate was mentioned, Koji looked equally bewildered. This thoughtless fellow was truly one of a kind.