A few days had passed since Mizuha, Elly, and the others visited Arisa's grave, and the weekend had arrived.
Finally, the day they had all been waiting for was here—their picnic together at the mountain and river. Shimizu, Elly, and Zul had already arrived at the train station and were waiting for Mizuha and Hikaru, who had not shown up yet.
"Both of them are late. What are they doing?" said Shimizu impatiently.
"Calm down, Shimizu-chan. Maybe they had something to do before coming here. Also, did we arrive too early?" Elly tried to calm Shimizu down.
Looking at Elly, who was feeling uncomfortable because of the hot weather, Zul suddenly put a hat on her head. "You should wear this. It is quite hot today," said Zul.
"Ah, thanks for it, Zul. You are right—today's weather is quite hot," Elly smiled at him.
"I know, I've baked some cookies for all of us today. Do you want to try one?" Elly offered.
"Huh? Your homemade cookies? Yeah!" Shimizu exclaimed, taking one immediately.
"Here, for you too, Zul," said Elly, offering some to Zul.
"Oh, thanks," said Zul, accepting the cookies from Elly.
After five minutes, Mizuha suddenly arrived. "Sorry, you guys, I'm late. It took me a long time to prepare my things," she said as she approached them.
"It's okay, Mizuha-chan. You're right on time; we're the ones who arrived too early," said Elly.
"Now that you're here, we're just waiting for your beloved boyfriend to arrive," Shimizu teased while eating the cookies from earlier.
"What are you saying, Shimizu? He... he is not my boyfriend. We are not going out yet," said Mizuha, blushing.
"But you guys are always together all the time. It could be considered that he is already your boyfriend," Shimizu continued teasing Mizuha.
"You, Shimizu..." said Mizuha, embarrassed.
Elly then offered her cookies to calm Mizuha down. "Please stop teasing her, Shimizu-chan. Here, Mizuha-chan, I made cookies. Please try one."
"Oh, your homemade cookies. Thanks, Elly-chan," said Mizuha. After tasting one, she added, "Delicious! As usual, your cooking never fails to amaze me."
"Thanks, Mizuha-chan. I'm glad you like it," replied Elly.
About ten minutes later, Hikaru finally arrived. He seemed to be rushing as he approached them.
"Hey, you guys," said Hikaru, running towards them.
"You're late. What were you doing? We've been waiting for you in this hot weather," said Shimizu, seeming a bit upset.
"Sorry I'm late. I overslept," said Hikaru, apologizing to them.
"Don't worry, at least you made it here. Here, take this tissue and wipe your sweat," said Mizuha, offering Hikaru a tissue.
"Oh, thanks, Mizuha," said Hikaru. "That is our train. Let's go, you guys," said Zul, pointing at the train that had just arrived.
The five of them immediately got into the train. The girls sat in the same row, with Shimizu beside the window, Elly in the center, and Mizuha beside her. Meanwhile, Zul sat in front of them facing Elly, while Hikaru sat in front facing Mizuha. The train started moving after that.
As the train moved, Shimizu looked outside the window, watching the scene of nature as the train passed through the natural area. Zul happily talked with Elly about something, and Mizuha looked at Hikaru, who was yawning; he somehow seemed sleepy from earlier.
"You seem sleepy, Hikaru. What happened? Did you not get enough sleep last night?" she asked, concerned.
Hikaru chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, you caught it, huh? Well, actually, I was too excited for today and didn't sleep well last night."
"You too?" Mizuha's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought I was the only one!" She laughed, reaching into her bag. "Here, Hikaru, drink this coffee. I'm sure it'll make your sleepiness go away," she said, handing him a can.
"Oh, thanks, Mizuha," Hikaru said gratefully, accepting the drink.
After a twenty-minute journey, they arrived at their destination. The group walked briefly before reaching the mountain and river.
"The river! Finally, we're here!" Shimizu shouted excitedly.
Mizuha stared at the scenery in awe. "Wow, the sight here is so pretty and nice looking."
"You're right," Hikaru agreed, looking into the clear water. "The river is very clean. I can see right to the bottom. Also, so many people are here today."
As the others marveled at the view, Elly glanced at Zul questioningly. "This place feels nostalgic. Wait, Zul, this place... is it...?"
Zul nodded with a gentle smile. "Yes, that's right. We came here before with your late sister, remember? This is where we had a picnic with our families when we were in fourth grade."
"Oh yeah, I suddenly remembered how you climbed that tall tree, fell from it, and got scolded by your mother and sister that day," Zul said with a chuckle.
"Please don't bring that up, Zul. It's so embarrassing—you're making me remember how reckless and dumb I was back then," Elly said, feeling embarrassed.
Suddenly, someone's stomach growled from hunger.
Everyone looking at each other to find out about that growl.
"Oh, that's me! I haven't eaten anything since morning, haha," Shimizu said, laughing.
Then another stomach growled—it was Hikaru's. "Sorry, I haven't eaten anything since morning either because I overslept earlier," Hikaru said, blushing from embarrassment.
"Well, since we're all here, why don't we cook something? What should we make?" Mizuha suggested.
"BBQ!" Hikaru and Shimizu shouted simultaneously.
"Hey, don't copy me, Hikaru! It was my idea," said Shimizu.
"Your idea? No, it was mine! You're the one who copied me," Hikaru replied.
I wonder if these two are starting to argue again, Mizuha thought to herself. "Actually, I was thinking of BBQ too."
"BBQ, huh? That's a great idea, but how will we get the BBQ equipment?" Elly asked.
"I heard we can rent BBQ equipment here. Wait a moment—I'll ask those people who already have their BBQ set up over there," Zul offered.
"Ah, thanks for that, Zul," said Mizuha.
After returning from asking the other people, Zul asked Hikaru and Shimizu to help him get the BBQ equipment rental while Mizuha and Elly stayed behind to prepare the meat and vegetables. After ten minutes, the trio returned with the BBQ equipment set.
"We're back!" called out Shimizu.
"Welcome back, you guys," Mizuha responded.
"How did it go? Were you able to rent the BBQ set?" Mizuha asked the trio.
"Yes, we managed to get it," Hikaru replied.
"Was the rental fee very expensive? I can help with the payment," Elly offered.
"Don't worry about the cost—it's my treat for today. I've already paid for the rental," Hikaru said with a smile.
"That's really kind of you, Hikaru. Thank you," Mizuha said warmly.
"Oh, you've already prepared all the food for grilling? That was quick! I cannot wait to grill it," Shimizu remarked, impressed.
"Hey, Shimizu, don't just stand there—help us set up this BBQ equipment," Hikaru said, struggling with the grill.
"Yes, I know! Just give me a moment, geez," Shimizu replied with a huff.
Soon after, they had the fire going, and the BBQ set was ready for grilling.
As the fire started burning steadily, everyone gathered around the BBQ set with excitement. Shimizu immediately reached for the meat, but Elly gently stopped her.
"Wait, Shimizu-chan! The fire's still too strong. Let's wait a bit for it to calm down," Elly advised, showing her experience with cooking.
"Ehh... but I'm so hungry!" Shimizu pouted, making everyone laugh.
While they waited, Mizuha started organizing the ingredients they brought. "Look, everyone! I marinated some chicken pieces last night. We should grill these first."
"Oh! That looks delicious, Mizuha!" Hikaru peered over her shoulder, making her blush.
Elly pulled out a container from her bag. "I brought some seasoning for the grill," she said.
Zul smiled knowingly. "Is that the same sauce your mom made from our childhood picnic? The one your late sister loved?"
"Yes... that is it. I’m glad you still remember it," Elly said softly.
"She told me to bring this and share it with the others."
"Look, these vegetables are done perfectly. Why don’t you guys try some too?"
As they ate, the sauce Elly’s mother had prepared became the star of the show.
"This sauce is amazing, Elly-chan!" Mizuha had exclaimed after trying it.
“You right, I never taste sauce good like this” Shimizu exclaimed.
"Thanks, Mizuha-chan," Elly replied.
"It tastes just like back then," Zul had commented quietly, making Elly smile warmly.
The aroma of grilling meat attracted curious onlookers, including a friendly stray cat that wandered near their setup.
Shimizu wanted to feed it some meat, but Elly reminded her that it might not be good for the cat.
As the afternoon progressed, they had created a system: Mizuha and Elly managed the vegetable grilling, Hikaru and Zul handled the meat, and Shimizu was put in charge of serving and making sure everyone had enough to eat.
Finally, with all the food grilled to perfection, everyone had settled down to enjoy their meal together.
The aroma of perfectly grilled meat and vegetables had filled the air as they gathered around their picnic setup.
Zul had carefully picked up some of the best-grilled pieces and placed them on Elly's plate. "Here, try these pieces first. I made sure to grill them exactly how you like them."
"Thank you, Zul," Elly had said with a gentle smile, touched by his thoughtfulness. "You still remember how I like my food after all these years."
Everyone had been enjoying their food, exchanging compliments about each other's grilling skills.
"Wow, these vegetables are amazing, Mizuha!" Elly had exclaimed.
"And the meat Hikaru grilled is perfectly done," Zul had added, taking another piece.
Hikaru suddenly placed a freshly cooked piece of meat onto Mizuha’s plate.
“Here, Mizuha. This one’s ready,” he said.
Mizuha blinked in surprise, her cheeks warming. “Thanks, Hikaru. You didn’t need to do that.”
“It’s fine. I wanted to, just accept it okay,” he replied simply, turning back to the grill.
As the cheerful conversation continued, Shimizu Shimizu grew quiet.
She had watched her friends' interactions while absently picking at her food.
Zul was attentively making sure Elly's plate never went empty, while Hikaru and Mizuha kept exchanging shy glances as they shared food with each other.
I feel envious watching them, Shimizu thought to herself, her usual energetic demeanor subdued. It would be nice if I had something like that too...
Mizuha, who noticed the sudden change in Shimizu's expression, approached her.
She had gently touched Shimizu's arm.
"Shimizu, what's wrong? You seem sad all of a sudden."
Caught off guard, Shimizu had tried to brush it off with a small laugh.
"Oh, it's nothing special, really," said Shimizu, acting like nothing had happened.
"It's not like you to look this down. What's wrong? Please tell me," Mizuha said.
"You really like pushing me, Mizuha," Shimizu sighed.
“I just... well, I feel a bit envious looking at you guys and your relationships with each other."
The comment had caused everyone to stop eating and look at Shimizu with concern.
Mizuha, especially, had felt a pang of guilt for not noticing her friend's feelings earlier.
"Shimizu-chan..." Elly had started, her voice gentle.
But before she could continue, Shimizu had quickly waved her hands in front of her, forcing a bright smile.
"No, no! Don't worry about me! I'm just being silly. Besides," she had picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks, "I get to enjoy all this delicious food with my best friends. That's what matters most, right?"
Mizuha wasn’t convinced by her friend’s sudden change in mood. She had exchanged knowing looks with Hikaru and Elly, a silent understanding passing between them. Maybe it was time they helped Shimizu find her own happiness too.
Not wanting her friends to worry about her anymore, Shimizu had quickly bounced back to her usual cheerful self. She had stretched her arms wide and announced, "Ah, I feel so full now! What should we do next?"
Her eyes had sparkled as an idea struck her. "I know! How about going swimming in the river?"
"That's a great idea, Shimizu!" Hikaru had perked up immediately. "I'm feeling pretty hot now, and I'm definitely in the mood for a swim."
A mischievous grin had spread across Shimizu's face as she had leaned closer to Mizuha and Elly. "Hey, you guys," she had whispered excitedly, "let's change into our swimsuits! It's time to show the boys those cute suits you bought earlier!"
"Eh?!" Elly's face had turned bright red. "But... but it's too embarrassing, Shimizu-chan."
"That's right," Mizuha had fidgeted nervously. "I'm not ready to show it yet."
"What are you guys talking about?" Shimizu had put her hands on her hips. "You already bought them! What's the point of buying cute swimsuits if you're not going to wear them today?"
Without waiting for further protests, she grabbed both their hands. "Come on, let's go change!"
"Wait, Shimizu-chan!" Elly had squeaked as she was pulled along.
"Don't pull my hand so hard, Shimizu!" Mizuha had protested, stumbling behind her enthusiastic friend.
The boys watched as Shimizu dragged her friends away toward the changing area, their protests fading into the distance.
"Oh," Zul had said, turning to Hikaru. "I guess we should change too if we're going swimming."
"You're right," Hikaru had replied, standing up. As they had gathered their things, he couldn't help but glance in the direction the girls had gone, particularly where Mizuha had disappeared.
After that, Hikaru and Zul had already changed into their swimwear, both wearing shorts without shirts. Hikaru couldn't help but notice his friend's physique.
"Oh, nice looking body, Zul. Have you been working out?" Hikaru had asked, observing his friend's toned muscles.
Zul shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.
"Yeah, I did a bit... but don't stare so much. You're making me feel uneasy."
"Since when did you become so shy?" Hikaru had chuckled, making Zul laugh along with him.
Their laughter was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Thanks for waiting!" Shimizu had announced as she and Mizuha had approached in their swimsuits.
Both boys had found themselves unconsciously looking at the girls from head to toe.
Shimizu wore a sporty yellow two-piece, while Mizuha had chosen a light blue swimsuit that complemented her perfectly.
"So, how about my swimsuit? Looking nice, right?" Shimizu had struck a confident pose.
"It fits you really well, Shimizu," Zul had commented politely.
"Oh, thanks Zul!" Shimizu had beamed before turning her attention to Hikaru with a mischievous grin. "Hey, hey, Hikaru, don't you have anything to say about Mizuha's swimsuit?" she had said, pulling Mizuha, who had been hiding behind her.
"Not again, Shimizu..." Mizuha had protested, face reddening.
Hikaru's cheeks had turned pink as he had stammered out his compliment. "Mi... Mizuha... your swimsuit is very cute. The color really fits and matches your style."
"You think so?" Mizuha's face had lit up with a shy smile. "Hehe... thanks Hikaru. I just bought it yesterday with Elly and Shimizu."
"See? I told you he'd like it," Shimizu had whispered into Mizuha's ear with a knowing grin.
"Yes, I see now. Thanks for your suggestion earlier, Shimizu," Mizuha had whispered back.
Suddenly, Shimizu's attention had shifted to a different topic entirely. She had moved closer to Mizuha, examining their figures critically.
"By the way, Mizuha, What size is your chest? Yours looks bigger than mine."
"My size?" Mizuha had replied innocently. "I think it's C-cup."
"Really? That's weird - I'm also C-cup. Why do you look bigger than me?" Shimizu had pouted, dissatisfied with this discovery.
"I think it's because you're wearing that sports bra, which makes it look smaller than usual," Mizuha had said.
"By the way, Shimizu," Mizuha had whispered urgently, "talk a bit quieter. I think the boys can hear our conversation!"
"Really? Ah, I didn't notice. Sorry about that," Shimizu had replied.
Both Zul and Hikaru were indeed within earshot, though they were trying their best to look anywhere but at the girls, pretending to be deeply interested in the river's current.
"Hey, you two weren't listening to that, right?" Shimizu had fixed them with a suspicious glare.
"Listening to what? We didn't hear anything, right Zul?" Hikaru had said quickly.
Zul had just nodded in agreement, still avoiding eye contact.
After an awkward moment, Zul had noticed someone was missing from their group. "By the way, it's just you two who came back. Where's Elly?" he had asked, trying to change the subject while genuine concern had crept into his voice.
"Oh, you're right," Mizuha had realized. "She said she'd be a bit late earlier. I wonder what's keeping her."
Without hesitation, Zul had turned toward the changing rooms. "I'll go check on her."
"Zul, wait! I'm going with you," Hikaru had called out, hurrying after his friend.
Meanwhile, near the changing rooms, Elly found herself in an uncomfortable situation.
Two unfamiliar men had cornered her, blocking her path back to her friends.
She clutched her bag tightly, her knuckles white.
"Hey, you look so cute," one of them had said, moving closer.
"How about coming with us? We'll treat you to anything you want," the other had added with a grin that had made Elly's stomach turn.
"Umm, sorry... I... I actually came with my friends," Elly had replied, her voice trembling slightly.
She took a small step back, her heart racing.
"Don't worry, just hang with us for a while. Your friends can wait," they had insisted, closing the distance she had tried to create.
As fear had gripped her, a familiar voice had echoed in her head – one she hadn't heard in a while.
What are you doing? Just beat them up and run back to your friends, the voice had urged.
No, I can't, Elly had argued back in her thoughts. If I do that, I'll break my promise to my late sister.
This is an emergency, you know, the voice had pressed. What if they do something bad to you?
No, I don't want to! Please don't force me to do that, Elly pleaded inwardly, her hands shaking.
The voice faded, leaving her alone with her fear.
Please save me, Zul, she had thought desperately, her body trembling as the two men had moved even closer.
Suddenly, a hand had landed firmly on each of the harassers' shoulders, accompanied by a deceptively friendly voice.
"Hey, brothers, can we talk for a bit?" Hikaru’s tone was casual but carried an unmistakable edge.
The two men had turned around angrily. "What do you want? Who dares to touch us?" Their irritation had quickly faltered as they had faced their challengers.
Zul’s eyes turned cold, his usual gentle demeanor replaced by an intimidating glare.
"Hey, what are you two doing to her, huh?"
"Leave her alone," Hikaru had added, cracking his knuckles menacingly, "or you'll taste a painful experience from us."
"Zul! Takumi-kun!" Elly's voice had been filled with relief as she had quickly run to their side, putting herself behind Zul instinctively.
"Elly, are you okay?" Zul had asked, his voice softening as he had addressed her while keeping his eyes fixed on the harassers.
"I'm fine," Elly had replied, her trembling subsiding now that she had felt safe. "Just a bit scared earlier."
The troublemakers backed away, their earlier confidence evaporating under Zul and Hikaru's intense glares.
They exchanged nervous glances.
"What's up with these guys? They look scary," one had muttered to the other.
"Are these the friends she was waiting for?" the other had wondered aloud, his voice shaking slightly.
"Let's run away. I feel unsafe with them here," the first one had decided, and they had both turned tail and fled, their bravado completely gone.
"Thanks for saving me, Zul, Takumi-kun," Elly’s voice trembled as tears formed in her eyes.
"It was so scary earlier... and I’m sorry for causing you trouble."
Without hesitation, Zul had gently placed his palm on Elly's head, stroking her hair soothingly. The gesture was protective and tender, reflecting their shared history.
"It's okay, Elly. We're just glad nothing bad happened to you."
"Zul's right," Hikaru had added, relief evident in his voice. "Thank goodness we came earlier before they could drag you away with them."
Elly had stood there for a moment, taking comfort in Zul's gentle pat on her head, her tears gradually subsiding.
The gesture calmed both of them.
Zul’s worried expression softened as he felt Elly relax under his touch.
"Let's head back to Mizuha and Shimizu," Hikaru had suggested, breaking the moment gently.
"I'm sure they're worried about us right now."
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCT5xKkFTbG
To be continued………….Part 2
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eHQewvPAn
→ Request update
and then Add to home screen.