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As summer finally arrived, the temperature had reached 36 degrees Celsius, and the cicadas were singing their song. M.A. High students had already changed from their winter uniforms to their summer uniforms.
The boys wore short-sleeved shirts, with or without the summer vest, and their normal light grey pants. The girls wore the same, except they had bows and light grey skirts instead of neckties and pants.
That day, Mizuha and her usual group were eating in the cafeteria for the first time because they couldn't eat at their usual place on the rooftop -- it was too hot for them there.
Earlier, as they had reached their usual spot on the rooftop, Mizuha had questioned, "Hey, is it just me, or do I see a desert right now?"
"It's not just you, Mizuha. We can see it too," Hikaru had confirmed.
"Why has our favorite place turned into a hot desert?" Shimizu had shouted.
"Well, it is summer, you know," Zul had pointed out.
"Shut up, Shimizu. Your shouting makes it feel even hotter," Hikaru had grumbled.
"Elly-chan, you've been quiet since earlier. What's wrong?" Mizuha had inquired, concern evident in her voice.
"Sorry, Mizuha-chan. I can't handle this heat. Ah, it's so hot..." Elly had mumbled, seeming about to collapse.
"Hang on, Elly-chan. Here, drink this water," Mizuha had urged, offering her bottle.
"Thanks, Mizuha-chan," Elly had murmured gratefully.
"This is bad. Anyway, I think we'd better find another place to eat besides this one, before we completely dry out here," Mizuha had suggested.
"How about the cafeteria? It's been a while since I ate there," Shimizu had proposed.
"That's a good idea. Let's go, everyone," Hikaru had agreed.
"Oh, this is our cafeteria eating space. It's my first time here since I transferred to this school," Mizuha had marveled. "This area is so large."
"Oh, that's right, you've never been here before. You used to eat with just the two of us in the classroom, and then we moved to our usual rooftop spot after you introduced it to us," Hikaru had recalled.
"Hehe, you guys should thank me and Mizuha because we're the ones who found it first," Shimizu had boasted with a proud face.
"Yes, yes, thank you for that," Hikaru had replied dryly. "There's nothing to be proud about though."
"What's up, Hikaru? You've been cold to me since earlier. Are you having your period or what?" Shimizu had teased.
"P... period, you say? I'm a man, you know!" Hikaru had sputtered, blushing and upset with Shimizu.
All of them had laughed at Hikaru after Shimizu's teasing. "That's a nice joke, Shimizu," Mizuha had chuckled.
"Are you okay, Elly? Still feeling hot?" Zul had inquired, worry evident in his voice.
"I'm fine. I'm starting to feel a bit cooler than before," Elly had reassured him.
"Here, drink this water. You need to stay hydrated, especially in hot weather like today," Zul had advised, offering his bottle.
"You're right. Thanks, Zul," Elly had replied gratefully.
"So, it begins, a romance story between these two childhood friends," Shimizu had narrated, referring to them.
"Hey, why are you suddenly turning into the narrator of this story?" Mizuha had quipped.
"Shimizu-chan!" Elly had exclaimed, upset with a bright red face.
"Oh, you guys! It's rare to see you eating here," Takeru had remarked, approaching them while holding a ramen bowl he had just bought.
"Oh, Takeru-kun, hi," Mizuha had greeted.
"Hi Mizuha, you look more cheerful than before," Takeru had observed.
"Can I join you guys eating here?" Takeru had requested.
"Sure, go ahead. It's nice to have you here too," Mizuha had welcomed.
This guy again, when did he become so friendly with Mizuha, Hikaru had thought to himself, glaring at Takeru.
Takeru had then noticed Hikaru's glare. "What's up with that glare, Hikaru-kun? Perhaps you're jealous seeing me being friendly with Mizuha? Don't worry, I won't take Mizuha from you," Takeru had teased.
"What!?" Hikaru had exclaimed, blushing. This guy, Hikaru had thought to himself, upset.
"Takeru, what are you saying?" Mizuha had stammered, blushing too.
"It's not like that, Takeru-kun. Hikaru actually has his period today, that's why he's in a bad mood," Shimizu had added, teasing Hikaru further.
"Period? Hikaru-kun, are you probably a girl?" Takeru had joked.
"Enough with all that, you guys!" Hikaru had snapped angrily, his face turning bright red after being teased by Takeru and Shimizu.
All of them had laughed again at Hikaru after that. Hikaru had then noticed that Mizuha looked cheerful again after seeming a bit down when she had been sick a week ago.
Mizuha... I'm glad to see you smile like this again, Hikaru had thought to himself, smiling inwardly.
Back in class after that, Mizuha had been thinking of drawing something but was a bit interrupted because the weather was too hot. "It's no use; the weather is too hot, and I have no idea what to draw right now. In weather like this, going to the mountains and rivers should be fun," Mizuha had mused, smiling while looking outside.
"Then why don't we go there this weekend?" Shimizu had suggested, suddenly appearing in front of her.
"Wargh, Shimizu?" Mizuha had yelped, shocked by Shimizu's sudden presence while ducking in front of Mizuha's table.
"Mountains and rivers? That's a great idea, Mizuha," Shimizu had enthused.
"How do you know what I was thinking about?" Mizuha had demanded.
"Hehe, I just obtained telepathic powers. Now kneel before me, YukiYuki-san!" Shimizu had boasted while striking a strange pose.
"What's with that strange pose? Also, don't say my name like you're singing in a musical. My name is Yuki Mizuha," Mizuha had said.
"I'm sorry, I bit my tongue," Shimizu had said.
"No, that was on purpose," Mizuha had replied.
"I bwit my tongue..." Shimizu had said, playing around to amuse Mizuha.
"It wasn't on purpose?" Mizuha had asked.
"Ah, enough, I'm so tired of playing along with you in this heat. Can we stop talking about it?" Mizuha had sighed.
"But it was a great idea, right? Going to the mountain and river during this heat. Let's ask others about their opinion," Shimizu had said.
"Hey, Shimizu, wait...geez this girl..." Mizuha had said.
"Hey Elly, please come here for a moment," Shimizu had called to Elly.
"Yes, what is it, Shimizu-chan?" Elly had inquired, approaching Mizuha's seat.
"You see, Mizuha suggested we go for a picnic this weekend, at the mountain and river. What do you think?" Shimizu had proposed.
"Hey, it was you who suggested it, not me!" Mizuha had protested, chopping Shimizu's head.
"That's a nice idea, count me in too. It's been a while since I went to the mountains and the river. I miss the natural environment there," Elly had agreed enthusiastically.
"How about you, Zul? Do you want to join us too?" Elly had asked Zul, who sat behind Mizuha.
"Well, if you go, I'll go too," Zul had concurred.
"So, it's decided. Let's tell Hikaru about this," Shimizu had declared, sending a chat to Hikaru.
"Hey don't decide it for me suddenly, I wasn't thinking about it yet," Mizuha had complained, upset with Shimizu.
Meanwhile in class 1B, Hikaru's classroom, Hikaru had been seated at his place, fanning himself with a book because of the hot weather. "Ah, today's weather is so hot. Going to the mountain and river must be great in this weather," Hikaru had mused.
Suddenly, Takeru had turned back from his seat in front of Hikaru. "Umm, Hikaru-kun, can I talk to you?" Takeru had requested.
"Huh, what is it?" Hikaru had responded, curiosity piqued.
"I'm sorry about earlier at the cafeteria. I didn't mean to tease you like that," Takeru had apologized.
"Oh, about that, don't worry. I'm not upset at all. Thanks to that joke, I was able to see Mizuha laughing and smiling cheerfully today," Hikaru had reassured him.
"Oh, you noticed that too?" Takeru had observed.
"There's one more thing I want to ask you," Takeru had continued. "Do you like Mizuha, Hikaru-kun?" Takeru had inquired, asking an unexpected question suddenly.
"Huh, why are you bringing this up suddenly?" Hikaru had exclaimed, shocked by the question.
"You can answer if you want, or you can answer it later," Takeru had offered.
This guy, what is he planning? Asking something like this, Hikaru had wondered to himself.
Hikaru had slowly taken a breath and released it slowly before responding, "Yes, I like her. Are you satisfied now, or do you have a problem with it?" Hikaru had admitted, blushing a bit.
"No, I'm fine with it. I just wanted to know," Takeru had assured him.
"Then, what's the reason you like her?" Takeru had probed further.
"Reason? I've never thought about that. Maybe it's because she's similar to someone I knew from the past, or maybe because she's kind, cheerful, and friendly to everyone without judging them by cover, I guess," Hikaru had pondered aloud.
"Oh, I see," Takeru had nodded. "This is my last question," he had added.
"How many questions do you want to ask me? Are you a police officer or what?" Hikaru had retorted.
"Are you going to betray her once you're done with her?" Takeru had questioned seriously.
"Betray the person I like? Of course not. I'm not that type of person. That type of person is someone I hate very much," Hikaru had declared firmly.
"I see. As her old childhood friend, then I don't need to worry about Mizuha when she's with you. Thanks for telling me that. From now on, please take care of Mizuha for me, Hikaru-kun," Takeru had requested, extending his hand to Hikaru.
"That was always my intention, to take care of her," Hikaru had assured, shaking Takeru's hand.
"Are you angry that I like her?" Hikaru had inquired.
"Angry!? For what!? I'm just her childhood friend, not her former boyfriend or someone with romantic feelings for her."
"I know that she no longer remembers me or that we grew up together in the past, but as long as I can see her being happy and cheerful, that's enough for me. But if you make her cry or plan to betray her, I will make you pay for it and take her back without any hesitation," Takeru had warned.
"I see, you're really a tough guy, Takeru. I should not underestimate you after all," Hikaru had remarked, smirking at Takeru.
"Huh!? You just noticed it, hahaha," Takeru had chuckled before turning his chair back to face the front.
Suddenly, Hikaru had received a message in the group chat consisting of Mizuha, Elly, Shimizu, Zul, and himself. The message had been sent by Shimizu: "Hey, you guys, Mizuha suggested we go on a picnic this weekend. What do you all think?"
"Hey, that was your suggestion, not mine," Mizuha had replied.
"Sorry, everyone, this tomboyish woman suddenly said that! I don't know how she managed to read my mind. I was just imagining the mountain and river when she came to me with this suggestion," Mizuha had explained.
"Who are you calling a tomboyish woman?" Shimizu had retorted in the group chat, sending an angry emoji.
Mizuha is thinking the same as me, imagining the mountain and river, Hikaru had thought, blushing at the idea that she had imagined the same thing as him at the same time.
"It's a good suggestion, Mizuha. So, why not all go this weekend?" Hikaru had written.
"Okay, if Hikaru agrees, I, of course, agree and want to go. How about you guys?" Shimizu had asked.
"Count me in too," Elly had replied.
"Because Elly is going, I'm going with her," Zul had written.
"How about you, Mizuha?" Hikaru had asked.
"Since you're all going, then I'm going too," Mizuha had responded.
"Wait, didn't you just say you hadn't decided yet? Did Hikaru make you change your mind?" Shimizu had teased.
"Ah, shut up, Shimizu, you're so annoying," Mizuha had written, sending an angry emoji.
Hikaru had chuckled as he looked at their group chat conversation. A picnic, huh? It's been a while since I've gone to the mountain and river, Hikaru had thought while looking at outside of window.
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