At five o’clock in the morning, Haruka wakes up. Since he went to bed early last night, he woke up early.

After gazing at the slightly bluish world, Haruka slowly gets out of bed.

The school building and the school ground seen from the window of the infirmary were shrouded in a deep fog.

Stretching out, he heads for the hot springs to get ready for the day.

It seems that only two groups reached this base, and they are not allowed to prepare themselves except in the changing rooms of the hot springs.

Haruka walk along the deserted and battered corridor, admiring the view of the mountains in the window.

The first day was still gentle, but after the second day, they would have to walk through tougher environments. Since he has been placed under house arrest, it’s someone else’s problem as far as he’s concerned.

However, it is a recreational activity, so Haruka doesn’t think that the contents are too severe. If the group consists of members who do not have a good relationship with each other, it would be hell, but in most cases, it would be an opportunity for people who have not talked much with each other to get to know each other.

On the way between the school building and the gymnasium, there was a path to the hot springs.

It’s strange to have a hot spring right next to the school building, but as it’s not used as a regular school building anymore, it does not look so strange from the outside.

Entering the changing room, Haruka takes off his clothes and puts them in a basket.

He opens the door and enters the bathroom. He did not go to the bath immediately, but went to the washing area.

He applied warm water to his body thoroughly to wash off the sweat that accumulated throughout the night. He washed his whole body with body soap and rinsed off the lather in the shower.

After cleaning himself thoroughly, Haruka soaked himself in the hot spring water. Breathing out heavily, he warms himself with the forty-two degree water.

After a short, relaxing time in the hot spring, Haruka leaves the bathhouse.

Wiping the water off his body with a towel, he changes into the school jersey.

As he dries his hair with a hair dryer, he looks at the washstand and notices that there is no hair conditioner. Naturally, there was no skin care kit either.

“Of course not.”

Perhaps to concentrate on the recreational activities, they were not allowed to bring in their belongings. The girls must have been grumbling last night because they were not allowed to bring in cosmetics and skin care items as well.

Since Haruka had assumed that there would be no hairdressing materials, he used the hairpins he had in his pockets to clip his bangs in a left-right parting.

He brushes his teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste provided in the changing room.

After getting ready, Haruka went back to the infirmary where spent the night, and passed the time by stretching and doing muscle training on the ground.

He’s glad now that he’s been stretching his body on a regular basis. He was able to reach the tall Akito’s head with his legs because of his flexible body.

Haruka has been reviewing the forms of Hakkyoku-ken only when he felt like it, but it may be necessary in the future when the environment changes, so he thought that he should need to make it a routine.

While Haruka was killing time like this, there was a knock at the door at 6:30. When he went to the door and opened it, he found his homeroom teacher, Kanna, standing there.

“Are you awake?”

“Yes.”

“Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, sort of.”

When Haruka nodded, Kanna told him to follow her and started walking ahead.

Haruka wanted to say a few words to Ria and Yunika, but he didn’t have any opportunities to do so. Besides, they were probably tired from walking in an unfamiliar environment and were probably sleeping. He couldn’t wake them up.

Along with Kanna, they left the school and walked for about five minutes until they reached a paved road.

It was a road wide enough for a car to pass through, not the narrow road for people that Haruka and the others had passed through yesterday.

There was a car parked on the road.

No steering wheel, no gas pedal, no brakes, no driver, it was a fully automatic car.

“I’ve set a route to your house. It’s still thirty minutes early, but get in the car and go home.”

“Okay.”

Haruka got into the backseat and fastens his seatbelt. He rolled down the window and glanced at Kanna’s face.

“The next time I see you will be the Monday after the next. Don’t you get into any more trouble, okay?”

“Aye aye-“

“See you later.”

With Kanna’s parting words, the car starts to drive slowly.

Haruka closed the window and saw off Kanna who was looking away with a sideways glance.

The school building is moving away.

Haruka was a little sad to leave Ria.

As the car rocks quietly, the memories of the day before surfaced from his mind one after another.

Ria’s cloudy face.

The passionate kiss that he shared with Ria.

Yunika who was angry for Ria.

And then, the girl he grew up with…

“…. Miyako.”

Haruka remembered Miyako crying and calling Haruka’s name desperately.

A pain ran through his chest.

He thought that his love for her had already burnt out. But now, it is as if a fire has slowly begun to erupt again from the depths of the ashes.

A lingering ember burns throughly inside Haruka’s heart.

“…… Ugh, I’m so pathetic.”

He clutched his chest, looking forlornly.

“Destination change, Watchtower area, CZF38O.”

[Destination change. Watchtower area, CZF380]

Haruka changes the destination to the Watchtown area, because there is nothing to do at home anyway.

Haruka arrvied at CZF380. He bought a bento box at a nearby convenience store.

It was a small world created by a man named Kazane. The area of the plateau covers sixty-four square kilometers.

Windmills dot the landscape and telephone poles growing along the road. A small river and a residential area with wooden structures nearby. In the distance, terraced rice paddies filled with golden rice fill the view.

Although it seemed to cost a lot of money, the entrance fee to the area was free of charge, so Haruka sometimes came to visit on his days off to take a nap or enjoy the sun while having fun.

Because of the weather and climate control Sorcery, there was always warm spring sunshine and a moderate breeze, making the place very comfortable.

The golden rice plants that fill the field of view are for ornamental purposes only, and will not be harvested or wither, but will remain in the terraced fields all year round, blowing in the wind and making waves.

He placed his bento box on his side and lie down randomly on the weeds.

Haruka activated his Talisman, watched a video on LAIN, or read an e-book to kill time, and he felt sleepy even though he had slept so much the day before.

He lets out a big sigh and stared at the blue sky. As usual, the wind is strong in the area, and the clouds are moving fast.

Haruka gently narrowed his eyelids as he watches the clouds.

Haruka sleeps with the wind, the warm sunlight, and the smell of the weeds and the soil.

★

“I’m home!ー”

It was after 3:00PM that Haruka returned home.

Haruka had been checking around the works of art at the spacious Watchtown area since earlier, and before he knew it, a long time had passed.

(Come to think of it, what should I tell to Nee-san?)

Haruka thought of an excuse for a moment, but he came to the conclusion that he should tell Yuzurika the truth.

As he took off his shoes at the entrance, he notices a pair of shoes that should be owned by an unfamilliar woman.

Yuzirika might have invited some friends over for a sleepover, since Haruka has gone away for forest school.

Haruka heared a noise comingfrom the living room, so he opened the sliding door to at least say hello.

“Eh?”

On the sofa, Sumireko and Yuzurika were intertwining their bodies and kissing each other deeply.

Yuzurika was dressed in a red hoodie and black lounge pants.

Sumireko was dressed in her exclusive school uniform. A pure white lab coat and a black shirt and skirt, and last but not least, the exact opposite of the white lab coat. Black socks.

Sumireko’s wrinkled and disheveled white robe and the glimpse of her navel aroused Haruka’s lust.

Her inorganic green eyes noticed Haruka. She was not currently wearing glasses, so her sclera looked black.

“O-oh, I’m tired”

Haruka hurriedly closed the door and fled the living room.

Pretending that he did not see anything, he quickly went upstairs to his room.

With a clang, the door to the living room opened.

Haruka was startled, and his shoulders shook.

There was no way Sumireko could reach the entrance of the living room so quickly from that position. Besides, no footsteps could be heard or any other noises.

When Haruka turned around, the tip of Sumireko’s tail was right in front of him, just a little distance from his nose.

“Uwaa?!”

Reflexively, he closed his eyes and protected his face with his arms.

However, the tail changed its trajectory and caught Haruka’s leg.

“W-waiー?! Aaahhh!”

The tail pulls his legs strongly, and he fell down to the floor.

Dragged by Sumireko’s tail, Haruka was swallowed into the living room.

Then, the door of the living room closed again.