Let's do it again, Yukino.

"You think I wanted them to come along... but the die is cast, and I still have my eye on the student council president after the school trip. So, knowing all this, Hiratsuka-sensei told me to get along better with Nagato and Asakura. If I disobey Hiratsuka-sensei's request, you know the consequences, right, Hikigaya?"

Haruhi made a neck-grabbing gesture and slightly pursed his lips, letting the two girls from the Service Club touch the two girls from his class, while he chatted nicely with Hachiman on the side.

After all, the Service Club was Yukinoshita's club, and Kasuga was an unofficial member.

"Besides, if I really wanted to have a harem, I would have already taken your Yui and Komachi by now. Why would I be here complaining that I have a harem?"

"Yuihama isn't mine, and you're not exactly Yuihama's type, are you? Also, don't even think about hitting on my sister."

"So, you two aren't dating yet? We'll be third graders next semester, Hachiman, can't you feel a little threatened?"

"I already said we're not dating! Also, Qingjun, you should worry about yourself. I don't want to say too much, just keep it to yourself. After all, the more you know, the closer you get to danger."

"I haven't done anything wrong, so what am I afraid of! Hachiman, don't be so ambiguous, okay? What do you mean I know what I'm doing?"

Seeing the obvious hidden meaning in Hikigaya's words, Kasuga answered loudly.

"hehe"

Hachiman couldn't help but roll his dead fish eyes upwards.

Perhaps the only one who hasn't realized it yet is that innocent-hearted Tuanzi.

Thinking about it this way, everything that happened in the club since last semester, revolving around Kasuga and the club president Yukinoshita, makes perfect sense.

Hey, at least show some self-awareness, you two!

……

…………

"Let's go to Fushimi Inari Shrine first."

Yukinoshita and the other girls, including Asakura, discussed the matter together, while Kasuga and Hikigaya made no attempt to interrupt.

"Is that a thousand torii gates?"

"People know about it; they've seen it on TV before."

Looking at Yuihama, who was happily raising her hand, Yukinoshita nodded as well.

The place Yukinoshita mentioned is also very famous, with its magnificent layers of vermilion torii gates, which are quite popular among girls.

"I'm fine, Yuki, what do you think?"

Asakura nodded in agreement, then asked Nagato, who had remained silent.

"Can……"

Seeing that everyone agreed, Yukinoshita then mentioned where they were going next.

"If there are no problems, then the next one is Tofukuji Temple, since we can stop by on the way back from Fushimi Inari Temple, and then Kitano Tenmangu Shrine."

"I'm fine with that too, I'll do whatever you say."

Haruhi, carrying a travel bag, walked beside Hachiman and answered lazily.

Hikigaya: "Same as above."

……

…………

Because the weather had been relatively sunny during the school trip, when they arrived at a crossroads in Fushimi Inari and looked out over Kyoto under the blue sky and white clouds, Haruhi and her group still inadvertently enjoyed a refreshing feeling.

"This view is wonderful."

Yuihama, gazing at all this, couldn't help but sigh. The girl opened her arms, as if to laugh at this beautiful, ethereal scene.

"It really is beautiful."

Asakura, the squad leader who was with them, also laughed.

"rest……"

However, compared to the energetic and vigorous Dango girl and the well-rounded Asakura class president, Nagato, who looked much weaker, sat on the bench next to them and said two words to Haruhi and Asakura in a low voice.

It's not incomprehensible. As the Fushimi Inari Orochi passes through the sniper cage, it climbs upwards little by little. Although the steps are stone steps, the height difference and amount of exercise are honestly not much different from a normal mountain climbing trip.

Not to mention Yukinoshita, who was already quite exhausted during this special period.

Spring looked at Light Snow and asked, "Are you alright?"

The place where Kasuga and his companions are now is only the beginning of the game, with several sniper rifles located there. However, if you're just here for a relaxing visit, there's no need to go any further at night.

Springtime is alright, after all, his physique makes it easy for him to climb to the highest point.

Let's rest here for a bit.

Not trying to be strong, Yukinoshita sat down by Nagato and let out a weary sigh, accepting the water that Haruhi quietly handed her.

"It's insulated, and I prepared it especially for you, Xiaoxue, this early in the morning."

The group of six sat down on two benches and quietly began to drink their tea.

The body, which had been feeling hot from excessive exercise, gradually calmed down as the cool autumn breeze blew.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, my previously rapid breathing gradually calmed down.

……

"It might be a very long time before I can come here with everyone again."

In quiet and serene moments,

The tranquility was broken by the laughter of Squad Leader Asakura.

She gazed at the beautiful scenery of Kyoto in the distance, then turned to look at everyone.

"Maybe. Perhaps we'll never have this kind of gathering again. Once we graduate from university, we'll all go to the cities where our universities are located, and then we'll each have our own lives. Maybe we'll forget each other without even realizing it."

Springtime evokes a deep sense of the passage of time and the changes in people and things.

Just as Asakura said, if we were to come again, it would be a very, very long time from now.

No, it was even colder than she described. If they weren't very close friends, this trip might have been the only time this group of people would ever have such a gathering in their lives.

"Being able to gather together like this is, in a sense, a kind of fate."

"Perhaps, sometimes a tragic relationship can also be considered a destiny."

After glancing at Xiaoxue, who was glaring at him, Chunri also turned his gaze to the scenery.

"A tragic fate..."

At the very edge of the crowd, Nagato heard Haruhi utter two words.

I couldn't help but repeat it.

Maybe.

The short-haired girl thought to herself...

Chapter Seventy-Four: A Great Enlightenment

Nagato Yuki is twenty-five years old this year.

Evening

Having just finished get off work at a pharmaceutical company, she was driving her own car with her best friend and colleague, Asakura Ryo, on their way back to their apartment.

Amidst the bustling traffic,

Amidst the bright lights and bustling nightlife,

Aside from the group of office workers who toil from nine to five while waiting for the subway, the rest are teenagers who have just finished school from classrooms or clubs.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Ryoko Asakura, dressed in a white lab coat, leaned against the window, watching the group of students brimming with youthful energy, a smile playing on her lips.

"I really miss our student days. We were just like them back then, living carefree every day. As long as we managed our studies and relationships with our classmates well, we could look forward to a fulfilling tomorrow. Don't you think so, Yuki?"

The woman sitting next to her, her hands on the steering wheel, had long, silver-gray hair cascading down her shoulders. Her delicate face was devoid of complex expressions; her eyes, as still as an ancient well, peered through her gold-rimmed glasses, gazing wistfully at the bustling scene on the street. Inadvertently, as the woman beside her spoke, a hint of tenderness flickered in her eyes.

"Ah."

Nagato nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed ahead.

"Oh, by the way, do you remember that bully in our high school class? I heard something about him recently."

"Are you talking about that Kasuga-san?"

Nagato certainly remembered the boy who had sat behind her for all three years of high school, but they hadn't interacted much during those years. She remembered the boy's name, but she had long forgotten his face.

"Yeah, it's that guy. You probably won't believe it, but not long ago, we had a class reunion in Class B, right? That night, I heard from one of our former teachers that Kasuga-kun is dating Yukino Yukinoshita, who used to be known as Soubu Takayukihime. They got into the same university and it seems like they're almost at the point of discussing marriage."

"……real?"

Yuki Nagato couldn't immediately picture the scene her best friend had described. In her memory, on the day she graduated from high school, her classmate who sat behind her said thank you for the first time. At the time, she thought he had dropped out of school.

Asakura nodded and said calmly, "Of course it's true. Although Kasuga-kun didn't come to the class reunion not long ago, it wasn't because he didn't want to come, but because he was busy having a family dinner with the Yukinoshita family and couldn't find the time to come."

"You're probably surprised, aren't you? Two people with completely different personalities actually ended up together without even realizing it."

"A little bit."

Although she expressed surprise, the silver-gray-haired woman remained expressionless.

"Haha, even that bully classmate has found his stable life, leaving only Yuki and me still all alone. Well, I feel like women with personalities like Yuki and me probably won't find any men. How about we live together? What do you say?"

"..."

Asakura watched as her best friend fell into a deep silence after her half-joking, half-serious remark. She had originally intended to continue telling jokes...

A piercing screech of brakes suddenly filled my ears, followed by a violent crash.

Ryoko Asakura's smile froze on her lips for a moment.

"The car ahead seems to be moving too fast, be careful!!!"

"Is it out of control...?"

Nagato frowned slightly.

A rumbling sound,