On their way back to join the others, Elly walked quietly, lost in thought.
Her silence was noticeable, and Zul couldn’t help but worry.
"Who was the voice talking to me earlier? It seemed to be encouraging me to fight back," Elly wondered about the unknown voice that had spoken inside her head earlier.
"Elly, you've been silent since then. What's wrong?" Zul asked, studying her expression carefully.
"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it," Elly replied with a forced smile.
"By the way, Elly, your swimsuit looks great," Zul said.
"Really? Thanks, Zul. I just bought it with Mizuha and Shimizu yesterday. This was Shimizu's suggestion for me," she responded.
When they finally reached Mizuha and Shimizu, both girls immediately rushed to Elly's side.
"Elly-chan, are you okay? Did something happen to you?" Mizuha asked, her voice filled with concern as she grabbed Elly's hands.
"Yeah, we were really worried about you, you know!" Shimizu added, examining her friend for any signs of distress.
Elly managed a genuine smile this time, touched by her friends' concern. "Don't worry about it. Everything's settled now, thanks to Zul and Hikaru helping me earlier."
"What actually happened?" Mizuha pressed gently, still holding onto Elly's hands.
"Actually..." Elly began, and proceeded to tell them about the incident with the two strangers. As she shared the story, she kept her internal struggle to herself, focusing on how Zul and Hikaru had arrived just in time to save her.
"What? Two strangers tried to drag you away with them?" Mizuha exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.
Shimizu's face contorted with anger. "Where are those guys? Let me beat them up! How dare they try to take my best friend away!"
"No need for that," Hikaru interjected, placing a calming hand on Shimizu's shoulder. "They already ran away. Zul and I gave them a lesson earlier."
Zul, sensing the need to move past the incident, spoke up. "Enough with all that. It's in the past already. Why don't we enjoy our day before it gets late?"
"Yeah, what are we waiting for? Let's go into the river for a swim!" Hikaru added enthusiastically. Both Hikaru and Zul entered the river after that.
As the tension dissipated, Shimizu's attention shifted to Elly's swimsuit. Her eyes lit up with pride. "That's it! The swimsuit I chose for you fits you perfectly!"
Elly blushed slightly, pleased by the compliment. "Yeah, thanks for it, Shimizu-chan. Zul said the same thing before."
Suddenly, Shimizu's gaze became more scrutinizing as she looked from Elly to Mizuha and back again. "Wait a moment," she said, her eyes narrowing as she compared their figures.
"Umm, what are you doing, Shimizu-chan?" Elly asked, growing uncomfortable under the intense stare.
Mizuha sighed, recognizing Shimizu's behavior. "Wait, don't tell me you're comparing our breast sizes again?"
"I can't believe it, they're so huge!" Shimizu exclaimed, her eyes wide. She turned to Elly, curiosity overtaking her sense of propriety. "Elly, what's your cup size?"
Feeling embarrassed, Elly leaned in and whispered her answer to Shimizu and Mizuha. Their jaws dropped as Elly revealed her size was D.
"We lost the comparison," Shimizu said, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"Eh, what happened, Shimizu-chan?" Elly asked curiously. "Just ignore her, Elly-chan. That's not important," Mizuha said, touching Elly's shoulder from behind.
Before the conversation could continue down this awkward path, Hikaru's voice rang out from inside the river as he and Zul were already wading in it. "What are you guys waiting for? Let's get into the river!"
"Ah, we're coming now!" replied Shimizu.
Shimizu and Elly waded into the river. "Oh, this river feels so good," Shimizu said. "You're right," Elly replied, "it takes away the heat from the hot weather."
Mizuha, however, felt a bit scared to enter the water. I'm worried I might drown, she thought to herself.
"Hey, Mizuha, what are you waiting for? Get into the river!" Shimizu called out.
Elly added, "Mizuha-chan, come in quickly! It feels so refreshing in here!"
Shimizu suddenly realized, "Wait, Mizuha, it can't be... You can't swim?"
"Yes, it's embarrassing to admit, but I really can't swim," Mizuha confessed, blushing.
Hikaru waded out of the river and approached Mizuha. "Here, Mizuha, take my hands. I'll help you into the river. Don't worry, it's not too deep," he offered reassuringly.
"Um, thanks, Hikaru. I'll try my best," Mizuha said hesitantly.
"Look at that, the boyfriend is coming to the rescue," Shimizu teased, as usual.
"Ah, shut up, Shimizu. You're so annoying," Hikaru retorted.
Mizuha took Hikaru's hands and slowly moved into the river. "See, I told you it's not too deep. Try to float yourself, but be careful with the rocks in the river. You might slip on them," Hikaru warned.
"Oh, the water feels so cold, but it's refreshing in this hot weather. And the water is so clear! I can see fish swimming around us," Mizuha exclaimed.
Shimizu noticed that Mizuha was still holding Hikaru's hands and teased them, "Oh, how long do you two plan on holding hands?"
Mizuha and Hikaru abruptly pulled their hands apart, realizing they’d been holding them.
They quickly let go, feeling awkward.
"Ah, sorry, I didn't realize," Mizuha said sheepishly.
"Same here, sorry," Hikaru added.
"Ah, Shimizu, why do you always tease me and Mizuha? I was just trying to help!" Hikaru said, splashing water at her.
"Ah, sorry, it's just a habit. Haha," Shimizu apologized with a small chuckle.
"Mizuha, are you okay now?" Hikaru asked.
"I think I'm okay now. Thanks for helping me," Mizuha replied.
"But please be careful. Don't go to the center of the river if you're not used to it. The center is deeper than the sides," Hikaru warned, concerned about Mizuha's safety.
"Understood. Thanks for your concern. I'll be careful about it," Mizuha replied.
Mizuha moved towards Elly and Shimizu while Hikaru found a big rock to sit on.
As Mizuha approached her friends, Shimizu sent a splash towards Mizuha. "Hey, Mizuha! Take this!" Shimizu exclaimed.
Mizuha responded with a soft chuckle and a moderate splash back. "Hey, Shimizu, now you've done it, then take this!" she said, splashing water back at Shimizu. The splash not only hit Shimizu but also Elly.
"Geez, Mizuha-chan, you got me too," Elly complained.
"Sorry, sorry, I did it too strongly. Haha!" Mizuha apologized with a chuckle.
"But this is really fun," Elly agreed. "Take this!" Her splashes matched her friends in enthusiasm.
"That's cold!" Mizuha chuckled as the water hit her body.
"This is the best!" Shimizu declared, sending another wave towards her friends.
"Hey, Elly-chan, look! There's a group of fish swimming around us," Mizuha said excitedly.
"What? Where?" asked Elly.
"Over there, look!" replied Mizuha, pointing.
"You're right, there are many of them!" Elly exclaimed.
As they continued their water play, the three friends laughed and chatted, enjoying the cool river and each other's company on this warm summer day.
Hikaru sat on a rock in the center of the river, smiling as he watched his female friends enjoy themselves. Today's a nice day. It's been a while since I've gone on a picnic like this, he mused to himself.
"By the way, where did Zul go? I haven't seen him since we got into the river," Hikaru wondered aloud.
Suddenly, Zul emerged from the river in front of Hikaru, wearing swimming goggles over his eyes. "You called? Sorry, I was diving deeper in the river," Zul explained.
"Whoa, Zul! Don't just appear like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack," Hikaru exclaimed.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to shock you like that," Zul apologized. He took off his goggles, placed them on top of his head, and sat beside Hikaru.
"Don't you want to dive into the river? It feels so good and cool inside," Zul said.
"Thanks, but I think I'll pass on that," Hikaru replied.
Zul suddenly said, "Today's a nice day, right? It's great we can go on a picnic like this."
"You're right. I'm glad the five of us could come here today. I won't forget a day like this," Hikaru replied, smiling.
Zul chuckled at Hikaru's response.
"What's with that chuckle? It's rare to see you laughing like that," Hikaru asked.
"It's nothing. I just noticed you've been more cheerful and smiling recently compared to last year when we were in middle school," Zul explained.
"You think so? I never noticed," Hikaru said.
"I think since Mizuha transferred to our school, her influence has slowly changed me and helped me forget the past, even though she somewhat resembles that person," Hikaru reflected.
"Oh, that person, you mean... ah, sorry. I know you don't want to talk about it anymore," Zul said.
"It's okay, Zul. That's already in the past," Hikaru reassured him.
"But you're right about Mizuha's influence. I think it's not only changed you but all of us," Zul added.
"All of us? What do you mean?" Hikaru asked.
"You see, if not for Mizuha, we might not be close friends with Shimizu. Shimizu might still isolate herself from others, and we might not be having a day like today as Shimizu planned. Also, thanks to her, Elly looks more cheerful now. I was really worried about Elly after her older twin passed away," Zul explained.
"I was concerned she looked down and sad, and her decision to change herself worried me as she overdid it until she became too timid and shy, unlike her past self," Zul continued.
"But since she's become friends with Mizuha and Shimizu, she's slowly changing and managing to balance herself and looks more cheerful with those two," Zul added.
"You're right. Elly can even talk to me properly now, unlike in middle school before," Hikaru agreed.
"So, Mizuha's influence has really changed all of us, huh?" Hikaru chuckled.
"Also, Zul, you've changed a bit too. You're more talkative recently. Has Mizuha's influence changed you as well?" Hikaru asked.
"You think so? I guess even a little of her influence might have changed me too. Haha," Zul chuckled in response.
"Hey, both of you! What are you chatting about on that rock? Come play with this ball together!" Shimizu called out to Hikaru and Zul.
"Oh, looks like they're calling us. Let's go, Zul," said Hikaru.
"You're right," Zul agreed.
"Ah, we're coming now!" Hikaru replied to the call while starting to move towards Mizuha and the others.
At the same time, Zul and Hikaru glanced at each other, wondering where the ball came from.
By the way, where did they get that ball from? They both thought the same thing.
All of them played with the ball together until they decided to leave the river and change back into their normal clothes.
After changing, the group regrouped at the site. They returned the rented BBQ equipment to the administration office before discussing their day.
"Today was the best!" Shimizu exclaimed.
"You're right. We should do this again next year," Mizuha suggested.
"That's a great idea, Mizuha-chan," Elly agreed enthusiastically.
Zul checked the time. “What should we do? Our train won’t arrive for another hour”.
The group debated their options.
Without hesitation, Mizuha spoke up, "Hey guys, how about we explore the nearest town? I'm sure there are some interesting things we can buy."
"That's a nice idea, Mizuha. It's so rare for you to suggest something like this," Shimizu approved.
"Alright then, let's go explore the town until our train arrives," Hikaru decided.
"Yeah, agreed!" the five of them chimed in unison.
As they were about to start walking, Mizuha suddenly stopped them. "Please wait a moment, you guys."
"Huh? What is it, Mizuha-chan?" Elly asked, curious.
"Before we go, let's take a photo together here. I want to save this memorable day in a picture, and I'd also like to sketch it later as a drawing," Mizuha explained.
"Mizuha..." Shimizu said, touched by the sentiment.
"Alright, let's take it together," Hikaru agreed.
They asked a passerby to take their photo, with the river and mountains as their background.
"Thank you for taking it for us," Mizuha said to the kind stranger.
Checking the photo, Mizuha nodded approvingly. "Nice, this will do."
"I hope you can create a great drawing from this, Mizuha-chan," Elly encouraged.
"Thanks, Elly-chan," Mizuha replied with a smile.
With their memento captured, the five friends started moving away from the riverside, heading towards the town. As they walked, they chatted excitedly about what they might find in the local shops. Mizuha and Elly hoped to find some unique accessories or souvenirs, while Shimizu was more interested in trying local snacks. Zul and Hikaru were content to follow along, enjoying the company of their friends.
Shimizu pointed at a crowded shop. “What’s with that line?”
"What is going on there?" Mizuha asked.
"It's an ice cream shop. Look how popular it is, many people are lined up," Zul explained.
"Then how about we try it ourselves?" Hikaru suggested.
All of them lined up to buy and try that ice cream.
"Mm, this is so delicious," Elly said.
"That's right, this is the best," Shimizu agreed.
"It's so delicious, that's why many people line up to buy it," Mizuha added.
"Hikaru, what's your flavor?" Mizuha asked Hikaru.
"Chocolate. Yours?” Hikaru asked
"Mine is vanilla with a bit of cookies," Mizuha said. "Do you want to taste it a bit? It's delicious, you know." She blushed as she offered.
Wait a moment, what am I doing? This might be an indirect kiss, Hikaru thought.
"Really? Can I taste it?" Hikaru asked.
"What's the matter, Hikaru?" Mizuha asked after Hikaru paused for a moment.
"Oh, it's nothing... then let me taste a bit," Hikaru said, proceeding to taste it without hesitation.
"How about it?" Mizuha asked about the ice cream's taste.
"Ah, you're right. It's so delicious," Hikaru confirmed.
"Then do you want to try my ice cream flavor too?" Hikaru offered.
"Is it okay?" Mizuha asked.
"Sure, go ahead and taste it," Hikaru said.
"Mm, delicious. It's sweeter than mine," Mizuha commented.
Hikaru smiled at Mizuha's happy taste of the ice cream. Both of them enjoyed their conversation about the ice cream.
Mizuha caught Shimizu’s smug grin aimed at her and Hikaru.
"What is it, Shimizu? Your smug smile feels so gross," Mizuha said.
"No, it's nothing. I'm just happy to see you two, hehe," Shimizu said while eating her ice cream.
This girl always makes fun of me when I have a conversation with Hikaru, Mizuha thought, feeling annoyed.
Both Zul and Elly smiled, looking at each other and at Mizuha and Shimizu's funny moment while enjoying their own ice cream.
Time passed after they explored the town, and their train finally arrived. "Oh, it's finally here," said Hikaru.
"Ready to return home?" asked Mizuha.
"No, not yet. Today I played like crazy, I don't want to return yet," said Shimizu. All of them laughed hearing that from Shimizu.
As they boarded the train, Mizuha sat beside the window with Hikaru next to her. In front of Mizuha was Shimizu, with Elly sitting beside her. Zul sat next to Elly.
As the train moved towards their destination, Shimizu, Elly, and Zul fell asleep, exhausted. Only Mizuha and Hikaru remained awake.
"They're all sleeping," Mizuha observed.
"You're right. Maybe they're exhausted from today," Hikaru replied. "How about you, Mizuha? You can sleep too if you want. I'll wake you when we arrive."
"Thanks, but I'm not feeling sleepy at all," Mizuha said.
"Oh, I see," Hikaru responded. "Today was fun, right?"
"That's right. The BBQ, playing in the river, exploring the town, and eating ice cream - it was all fun," Mizuha agreed. "I think it was fun because we all went together. I'm glad I'm friends with you guys."
Mizuha... Hikaru thought, touched by her words. "Me too. I'm also happy that we all became friends. Let's continue our friendship forever."
"Yes, let's make sure that happens," Mizuha replied.
Mizuha and Hikaru chatted about the best moments of the day's picnic while waiting to arrive at their destination.
Shimizu murmured in her sleep, “Don’t leave me, Kita-kun.”
Mizuha and Hikaru exchanged startled glances. "Wait, was she sleep-talking just now?" Hikaru asked.
"Yes, I heard it too. She was calling someone's name," Mizuha confirmed. Who is this Kita-kun? Is this person important to Shimizu? she wondered. Does Shimizu miss this person so much? She seems down when she looks at me with Hikaru and Elly with Zul having fun together earlier.
Mizuha and Hikaru chose not to pry, respecting Shimizu’s privacy and both of them continued chatting about their day until they arrived at the station.
Thirty minutes later, they finally arrived at their station, and they all separated and made their way to their own houses. "See you later, Mizuha," Hikaru said in front of Mizuha's house after walking her home.
"See you too," Mizuha replied. Hikaru then walked to his house.
"I'm home," Mizuha called out as she stepped inside.
"Oh, welcome back, my dear," her mother replied. "So, how was your picnic today? Did you enjoy yourself?"
"Yes, today was so much fun. I have a lot to share with you, Mom," Mizuha said excitedly.
"That's good. I can't wait to hear about it," her mother said.
Mizuha showed her mother the photos and recounted the day’s highlights she had during the day's picnic with her friends, while her mother listened, smiling.
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