"Hm? Nakano, I didn't expect you to come to the test of courage."
Hayama Hayato, who organized the participants, noticed Nakano Yu and Nino coming toward him and couldn't hide his surprise.
As the third-ranked student of Sobu High School, Hayama was not unfamiliar with Nakano Yu, the top-ranked student. Nakano Yu was an extremely popular figure who mostly kept to himself at school, and at the beginning of the school year, he was even more popular than Hayama. If he hadn't been so cold toward the love letters from girls, he wouldn't have been in a situation where many girls dared to look at him only from afar.
"I'm a little curious. Is this the route map?"
Nakano Yu nodded, then looked at the bulletin board next to Hayama Hayato. On it was a detailed map of Nejimeyama, with a winding red line centered around the inn, which was obviously the route for this test of courage.
"Yes, just follow this trail. Please, take this satellite phone; you can call for help if something goes wrong or if you get lost."
Hayama Hayato smiled and handed the satellite phone to Nakano Yu, explaining it to him.
Nodding, the young man took the phone and then left together with Nino.
Watching the two of them leave, Tobe Kakeru scratched his cheek and said:
"I didn't expect Nakano to be obsessed with sisters! He refused so many confessions before, I thought he didn't like girls at all."
"Don't make such jokes without thinking."
Hayama Hayato shook his head and said this while tapping Tobe Kakeru on the head.
Nakano Yu, on the other hand, soon after leaving the starting point, felt the mountain night breeze blowing on his face, and it was surprisingly pleasant.
"Hey, Yu, are you scared?"
Holding Nakano Yu's hand, Nino glanced at him, and seeing his relaxed expression, she inexplicably asked.
"Ha? Nino, do you perhaps want to rethink what you're saying?"
Hearing that, Nakano Yu looked at Nino in confusion. Had this girl forgotten that just two days ago she had cut down an evil spirit with two swords? How could she even ask such a question?
"No! No, no, it's not that… It's just, at that moment, I didn't know what to talk about with Yu."
Only then did Nino realize and quickly waved her hands, explaining.
Her mind had simply blanked. For Nakano Yu, what was there to be afraid of in some small mountain monsters? On the contrary, she, who was already afraid of the dark and had experienced the events of the past few days, was even more terrified of this night trail in the wilderness. If she hadn't been alone with Nakano Yu, she wouldn't have even come if someone had forced her!
Seeing the girl's expression, Nakano Yu couldn't help but smile.
Seeing Nakano Yu suddenly smile, Nino's cheeks flushed. She raised her hand and hit Nakano Yu on the shoulder, but the blow looked more like a playful gesture:
"Yu, idiot! Really, you even dare to laugh at me!"
"Nino really hasn't changed. She's the same as when she was little."
Rubbing Nino's head, Nakano Yu said with a smile.
When she was little, Nino had been very… straightforward? That was her character; she often argued with her four sisters over disagreements. At that time, Nakano Yu would always watch from the side with a glass of juice in hand, and then, after they returned to their rooms, he would calm them down one by one and explain.
After all, with Nino's character, trying to persuade her while she was angry would only make her feel even more hurt.
"Hm~ Yu is pretty much the same as before too."
Nino snorted, obviously unconvinced, and retorted.
"Of course, no matter how much you all change, I will remain the same."
Nakano Yu nodded, saying it as something completely natural.
Hearing that, Nino froze for a moment, and her expression unconsciously stopped.
"By the way, Nino, what do you plan to do when you grow up? With your current grades, you might not be able to get into college."
Nakano Yu looked up at the stars in the sky. In the endless night sky, countless stars twinkled, reflecting in the young man's sparkling violet eyes. At that moment, his eyes looked like a galaxy.
Looking at his profile, Nino couldn't help but stare, and subconsciously, she stammered her answer:
"I… I want to be with Yu forever."
As soon as she said it, Nino realized her words were out of place. Just when she wanted to explain, the young man turned his head. Their eyes met, and before Nino could react, Nakano Yu spoke:
"Of course, given Nino's bad temper, she surely won't be able to get married."
"Ha?! I'm still a beautiful girl! How did I suddenly become someone who can't get married with Yu?!"
Hearing that, Nino's face immediately turned red, of course from anger, and she retorted in the most unconvinced way.
"Wow!"
At that moment, behind Nino, a student dressed in a white robe, with pale makeup on his face and a flashlight placed under his chin, suddenly jumped out of the bush, scaring her so much that her expression changed and she threw herself into Nakano Yu's arms.
"Yu! T-there's a ghost!"
Holding onto the young man, Nino shouted loudly.
The student, seeing that he had finally managed to scare someone, smiled sincerely, waved at Nakano Yu, and turned to dive back into the bush.
Seeing this, Nakano Yu twitched the corner of his mouth. He waved to the student playing the ghost, then began to comfort Nino:
"It's okay, that's a Sobu High School student."
Stroking Nino's hair, Nakano Yu spoke softly, gradually calming her down.
Whether it was a hallucination or not, Nino had become more timid; she wouldn't have been scared so easily before.
"A student?"
Hearing that, Nino peeked and looked behind her, only to see a girl with a made-up face peeking and giving her a thumbs-up.
For a moment, Nino wished she could find a hole and crawl into it.
She had been completely absorbed in talking with Yu, when suddenly someone jumped out with a flashlight. Nino didn't even clearly see what was happening before throwing herself into Nakano Yu's hug.
"Cough, cough, come on, let's hurry, it's already late."
Nino coughed twice uncomfortably, then pulled the young man to continue.
"Nino still hasn't answered my question, what do you want to do when you grow up?"
Walking along the night trail, Nakano Yu chatted with Nino. At that moment, although her cheeks were still red, she didn't feel anything strange while with Nakano Yu. Hearing his question, Nino thought for a moment, then answered:
"In the future, I might open a pastry shop or a café? That would count as starting my own business!"
"That's good."
Nakano Yu nodded. Such an answer was expected, but who cares? As long as Nino was happy.
"And Yu?"
Nino looked at the young man beside her. She had rarely heard Nakano Yu talk about the future; it seemed her beloved Yu's gaze was always focused on the present.
"Me? In the future, I'll marry multiple women!"
Hearing Nino speak, Nakano Yu raised an eyebrow, then waved his hand, taking a pose as if hugging two people on both sides, and spoke extremely arrogantly.
As soon as he said that, Nino's face instantly darkened. She lifted her leg and slammed it onto Nakano Yu's foot.
"Hiss~"
Although it didn't hurt, the young man still let out a collaborative sigh, looking at Nino with a shocked expression.
"Yu, don't have such unrealistic fantasies, that's impossible."
Nino crossed her arms and glanced at Nakano Yu, who was holding his foot.
"Ck, who can say such things for sure? Maybe I'm an exception in this world."
Seeing Nino like that, Nakano Yu said jokingly.
Hearing that, Nino froze.
Yes, she had always looked at Yu with ordinary eyes, but for Yu… could human laws even restrict him? Or, rather, for such an extraordinary person, even if Yu didn't want it, countless beautiful girls would gather around him, right?
Thinking about that, Nino's face became gloomy, but only for a moment. For Nino, no one could take her beloved away from her!
She would let Nakano Yu know that she loved him more than anyone else!
"Hey, Yu, if… if I like you, what would Yu do?"
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