IEULBERW 09

Chapter 9 

The Happy Couple

“Ahhh, this feels so good!”

We had come to Lake Haruna.
Takasaki City doesn’t have much nature, so it must be a bit uncomfortable for an elf to live there.
The lake wasn’t exactly clean, but it was still refreshing to get out of the city.
It was a place I’d promised to take Ami to for a while, so the three of us came here together to hang out.

After riding the bus from Takasaki Station, we finally arrived at the lake.
The breeze gliding across the water felt pleasantly cool.

“So Japan does have nature after all.”
“Well, Gunma’s basically countryside.”
“I want a car.”

Can’t wait until I turn eighteen.
Once I get my license, I want to drive all over the place—maybe buy a cheap used car and take trips up to Kusatsu and beyond.

Beside me…
Without realizing it, I pictured Chamomile’s face.

“Yuya, what about a motorcycle? Wouldn’t that look cool?”
“No way. Too dangerous.”

If I ever got into an accident, I’d probably die.
As I admired the peaceful scenery, a horse-drawn carriage clopped past us.
Chamomile pointed at it.

“What’s that?”
“It’s for tourists. Wanna try riding it?”

“Ehh, it’s too hot. I want ice cream.”
“Yeah, it is hot. Alright, let’s get some.”

We were supposed to be in a cool lakeside area, but it was still scorching.
Didn’t they say it was supposed to hit nearly forty degrees in Takasaki today?

“Ice cream? What is that?”
“It’s a kind of dessert. You’ll see when you taste it.”

We stopped by a nearby souvenir shop and bought the classic vanilla soft-serve.
They also sold little snacks and local treats.
The place had a retro, Showa-era vibe to it—like time had stopped here.

“It’s cold! And sweet! So delicious…”
“It’s… alright, I guess,” Ami said.

Chamomile was clearly delighted by her first taste of ice cream, while Ami ate a grape-flavored cone.

They even had bicycles for rent.
Cycling around the lake might be fun…
Ah, but Chamomile can’t ride one, can she?

“They’ve got bikes! You and Camo-chan should ride a tandem one together. I’ll take a regular one.”
“They’ve got paddle boats too.”

This might turn out to be more fun than I expected.

Perspective: Yuya Matsunaga’s Classmates

“Hey, isn’t that Matsunaga? Look at him—out with two girls! Cocky bastard.”
“For real? No way…”
“Wait, isn’t one of them Nakajima from the next class? The cute short-haired one everyone talks about?”

We spotted Matsunaga from the car.
We’d come to Lake Haruna today too, riding in my older brother’s car.
The girl with him was that tomboyish but adorable one—a popular girl even in my class.

“She your friend, Naoki? Wanna go say hi?”
“Nah, forget it. Just drive, bro.”

We headed home, the three of us laughing and talking.

“When school starts after summer break, I’m totally gonna ask him about this.”
“You think one of them’s his girlfriend?”
“Who knows?”
“Still, hanging out with two girls… lucky guy. I’d hate driving around with my little brother’s friends. Man, I wish I had a girlfriend…”

My brother grumbled from the driver’s seat.

“Didn’t you used to have one in college?”
“I broke up with Kanon. If I still had a girlfriend, I wouldn’t be spending my day here with you guys.”

Unlike me, my brother’s popular at university.
He’s one to talk.

Perspective: Kotoko Nakajima (Ami’s younger sister)

“I’m home!”

By evening, my sister was back.
Apparently, she’d gone to Lake Haruna with our next-door neighbor, Yuya.
A date? That’s what it sounded like to me—but she denied it.
So which is it?

“Yuya turned me down…”

She got rejected—and then went out with him again just a few days later?
Unbelievable.
From what she said, they weren’t alone—someone else came too.

Well, that makes it a bit more understandable, I guess.
If it was just hanging out with friends—Yuya, my sister, and one more person—then maybe it’s fine.

“Did you have fun?”
“…Yeah, I guess.”

The way she said it was loaded with meaning.
She said she’d been rejected, but maybe she still hadn’t given up.

“He says I’m like a little sister to him.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? ‘I don’t love you, but let’s stay close forever’? That’s awful!”
“I knew it already… but it still hurts.”

So she’s not okay at all.
Wasn’t she forcing herself to go just to stay near him?

“I didn’t want Yuya to be stolen away by some random girl… but maybe if it’s Camo-chan, I can accept it…”

I really wanted to give Yuya a piece of my mind, but my sister would probably stop me.

“Wait, who’s Camo-chan?”
That was the first time I’d heard that name.

“Chamomile. She’s an elf from another world.”
“Wh–what!? That sounds amazing!”

And just like that, my anger at Yuya shifted into pure curiosity about this mysterious “Chamomile.”