Farewell Party, 1-Day Camp!

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. I checked it to find a message from Toko-senpai—even though she was standing less than five meters away. I opened the message.

(Toko): Let me ride back in your car.

(Yu): I don’t mind, but won’t that look unnatural?

(Yu): You came in Kamokura-senpai’s car, right?

(Toko): That’s fine. Kazumi should be able to handle it.

(Toko): Tetsuya is being forceful today. I don’t want to be in his car on the way back!

…In other words, Kamokura is planning to force Toko-senpai to go somewhere with him today…

An inexplicable rage flared up inside me instantly. I wouldn’t let that happen!

(Yu): Understood. Please ride in my car. Should I be the one to call out to you?
If it came down to it, I was prepared to expose everything right then and there just to take her home myself!

(Toko): You don’t have to do that. I’ve arranged for Kazumi to make the call.

I felt uneasy, but there was no point in arguing. Besides, if the two of us spent a long time staring at our phones in front of everyone, someone might get suspicious.

(Yu): Understood. See you later.

With that, I closed the app.

Damn you, Kamokura!

Publicly, however, Kamokura was Toko-senpai’s boyfriend, and I was just an outsider. It was frustrating not being able to act openly in a moment like this.

…But if it comes to it, I’ll protect Toko-senpai no matter what it takes…

I steeled my resolve.

Following the roast chicken and minestrone, the dessert—a mix of yogurt and canned fruit—was also a hit. Thanks to that, I was able to talk with all the girls fairly and evenly. It was a bit annoying how Karen kept trying to “assert her status as the girlfriend” whenever she got dissatisfied, though.

After the barbecue, we played with frisbees and volleyball. The frisbee catch was just for the guys, but it got pretty competitive. Then, a certain intruder jumped in.

“Karen wants to play too~!”

Frisbee catch involved one person throwing and six people sprinting to catch it with one hand. Naturally, Karen didn’t stand a chance against the guys. We gave her a handicap, but since she couldn’t catch at all anyway, it didn’t help. To be blunt, her joining in was a total buzzkill.

“Why don’t we play volleyball so the other girls can join in?” I suggested.

I called out to the girls watching nearby, and we enjoyed some lighthearted mixed-gender volleyball, seeing how many times we could keep the ball in the air.

Eventually, it was time to leave. While keeping an eye on Toko-senpai, I began packing up the barbecue gear when Kazumi-san approached with her.

“Isshiki-kun, your car is a mini-wagon, right?” Kazumi-san asked in an uncharacteristically loud voice.

“Yes, that’s right. Why?”

“Can the back seats fold completely flat?”

“Of course they can.”

At that, Kazumi-san raised her voice even louder so everyone around could hear.

“Then could you give me and Toko a ride back? Apparently, Toko’s back is acting up, and sitting up is painful for her.”

I see. That was the play. My house, Toko-senpai’s, and Kazumi-san’s are all close to each other. And when your back is out, the only thing you can do is lie down. Sitting upright in Kamokura’s sedan for a long drive would be excruciating.

“Understood. I’ll get it ready, so please, both of you get in my car,” I replied loudly.

At that moment, Kamokura’s face changed color and he came sprinting over.

“Hey, what are you talking about? Toko is coming back with me, just like how we got here.”

I glared at him. I wasn’t about to let him have his way forever.

“Toko-senpai says her back hurts. A sedan will only make it worse. My mini-wagon allows the back seats to go full-flat, so she can lie down. It’ll be much easier on her back.”

“She can just recline the passenger seat in my car. That’ll be enough.”

“Kazumi-san is saying that won’t be enough for the pain. That’s why she’s asking for my car, isn’t it?”

People started gathering, wondering what the commotion was about. Kazumi-san stepped forward.

“Kamokura-san, Toko says her back is really hurting. She says she can’t endure a several-hour drive home sitting in a car. That’s why I asked Isshiki-kun.”

But Kamokura wouldn’t back down.

“It’s fine. I’m her boyfriend. I’ll take plenty of care on the way back. If the pain gets bad, we can just stop and rest along the way. That’s exactly why I should be the one to take her.”

This guy… even with her saying her back hurts, is he still planning to drag her off somewhere?

“Toko said her parents told her to be home today. And she has errands tomorrow. Stopping to ‘rest’ somewhere ignores her schedule entirely!”

Then, Senpai Nakazaki, a third-year, joined us. He’s in the Engineering department but a different major—Electrical Engineering. He’s the head of the circle.

“Hey, Kamokura. Toko-san says her back hurts, right? Don’t push it. Let her take Isshiki’s car so she can lie down.”

“But…”

“You might be worried as a boyfriend, but Kazumi-san is going with her. There won’t be any problems.”

Kamokura continued to glare at us for a while. Finally, Nakazaki said:

“If you’re that worried, Kamokura, just drive behind Isshiki’s car. If anything happens, you can just call him.”

“Fine, Nakazaki. It’s not like I’m that worried anyway.”

Kamokura glared at me one last time before storming off.

“I see, so that’s how it was,” Ishida said inside the car on the way back. Ultimately, my car ended up carrying me, Ishida, Toko-senpai, and Kazumi-san.

“Honestly, I didn’t think Kamokura-san would be that persistent,” Kazumi-san said, sounding exasperated but teasing.

“Tetsuya is the type who doesn’t back down once he says something. He tries to force his will through no matter what,” Toko-senpai replied.

“I had no intention of backing down this time either,” I said grimly.

“I saw that, which is why I jumped in. You were showing a rare amount of fighting spirit, Isshiki-kun,” Kazumi-san laughed. I hadn’t intended to let it show that much, but I guess that’s how it looked to everyone else. That might be bad for our future plans.

Finally, Toko-senpai spoke up. “But really, thank you. Tetsuya was being very forceful today. I was actually scared. I was saved thanks to Kazumi and Isshiki-kun.”

She bowed her head slightly. Kazumi-san patted her head lightly. “It’s okay! Leave it to me. I won’t let Toko become prey for that cheater!”

A moment later, while I was gripping the steering wheel, Toko-senpai leaned her face close to mine.

“Isshiki-kun, thank you so much. I was so happy when you stood up for me.”

She whispered it softly right into my ear. Was it just my imagination, or did I feel a subtle warmth in those words?