New Chitose Airport was calmer this year compared to the usual bustling crowds before Christmas.
The moment she stepped off the gangway onto the connecting bridge, the cold air of Hokkaido, tinged with the scent of snow, seeped into her bones, instantly banishing the last traces of sleepiness from Jiang Jian Yue as she left the warm cabin.
Jiang Jian Yue hurriedly buttoned up her chest.
“So cold!”
Kaori Onishi shrank her neck and exclaimed, a puff of white breath escaping her mouth and spreading quickly in the cold air, reflected on the screen of the phone attached to her selfie stick.
It’s December now, not even the coldest time yet.
Yamanoi Yayoi pulled her scarf up higher, exposing only her eyes as she curiously scanned her surroundings, a mix of wonder and nervousness in her gaze.
Saori Saiyonji removed his sunglasses and mask, apparently thinking that away from Tokyo, no one would recognize him.
Koji Hattori quickly checked the baggage claim information and gestured, “Everyone, please follow me. The luggage is over there.”
The group wandered through the airport hall with their luggage, taking turns snapping commemorative photos with the Doraemon statue, then Kaori Onishi bought an ice cream.
Good morning, Japan. Now I have ice cream.
Are you crazy, eating ice cream in December—wait, why is ice cream even being sold in December?
The first day’s itinerary didn’t include a stop in Sapporo; instead, they headed straight to Otaru.
So, the travel group didn’t leave the airport but took the elevator to the basement level and boarded the JR Line.
Because Jiang Jian Yue kept to the back of the group, she was separated by the crowd.
As she waited to board, she saw five people already filling a row of seats.
Koji Hattori looked at her, the meaning clear in his eyes: Want to switch seats?
No need for that!
Jiang Jian Yue shook her head lightly, scanned the empty seat opposite, and walked over to sit, putting a whole aisle between herself and her lively companions.
Kaori Onishi seemed like a travel vlogger, holding up a selfie stick the whole way, with a handheld gimbal camera tucked into her chest bag—making her already ample chest even heavier, causing Jiang Jian Yue to worry about her posture.
Her camera captured the scenery flashing by outside the window—first, a city shrouded in dark clouds, then, suddenly, an endless gray sea appeared.
Traveling along the snow-covered coastal tracks, even an ordinary commuter train carried a unique, chilly vibe, its cold hues evoking a familiar melancholy.
Waves crashed against exposed black rocks, raising fine white foam.
The sea breeze seemed to penetrate the glass, bringing with it a salty tang.
“Look! Look! The sea!”
Isn’t Japan an island nation? Is it that exciting to see the sea?
Kaori Onishi excitedly turned her camera toward Yuki Asahi beside her.
“What’s wrong, Yuki-kun? You look troubled ever since we got off the plane. Cheer up, we’re here to have fun!”
The selfie stick nearly poked Yuki Asahi in the face.
Yuki Asahi leaned back slightly to avoid the overly enthusiastic lens, looking a bit troubled.
“No, it’s nothing serious… Just thinking about the lodging arrangements.”
He’d booked two double rooms and one single, but since it was a homestay, space was limited.
According to the original plan, he and Saori Saiyonji would share a room, and the remaining three girls would draw lots for the single.
But with a sudden addition to the group, now…
Plus, most of the hotels booked for the rest of the trip needed room reassignments because of Koji Hattori joining.
That’s why these things should be discussed earlier! Jiang-senpai!
Koji Hattori, laden with bags, sat on the other side, knowing what Yuki was worrying about, and waved his hand dismissively.
“Don’t worry about adult stuff, just have fun.”
This trip, Morita Butler had given him unlimited funds.
When the Ojou-sama traveled, she just needed to eat, drink, and have fun.
The one swiping the card—Koji Hattori—had more to consider.
Yamanoi Yayoi noticed the bandaged hand of Koji Hattori and spoke a little apologetically.
“Sorry… Hattori-san, my Self-Healing Ability is gone.”
“Oh? Yamanoi, you’re amazing to have Chantui-ed before an old man like me.”
He flexed his injured wrist to show he was fine.
Jiang Jian Yue sat alone across the aisle, feeling the warmth from the hand warmer Morita Butler had given her at her fingertips.
The gentle sway of the train and the low chatter of her companions gave Jiang Jian Yue an unprecedented sense of relaxation.
She lowered her gaze to her phone screen, unlocked it, and opened the camera app.
The lens silently captured the vivid scene across the aisle:
On the far left, Saori Saiyonji nodded off, her head bobbing with the train’s rhythm.
Kaori Onishi held a selfie stick, sneakily framing herself and Yuki Asahi in the middle, then struck a series of poses.
Yuki Asahi turned his head slightly, seemingly listening intently to Koji Hattori, the cold-toned atmosphere restoring some of the melancholy he’d lost with his new hairstyle.
Koji Hattori wore a relaxed smile, his injured hand resting casually on the suitcase, gesturing with the other.
Yamanoi Yayoi lowered her head shyly, a faint blush on her cheeks from the praise.
Behind them, the train window showed the gray-blue waves of the Japan Sea, fine droplets from the spray leaving trails on the glass and blurring the horizon and the gloomy sky.
A fingertip tap, and the image was frozen.
This photo stayed in the album.
So nice…
The lower half of Jiang Jian Yue’s face, buried in her scarf, slowly curved into a faint smile.
Eh?
Clearly feeling herself smile, Jiang Jian Yue quickly memorized this state for future use.
The train ride lasted over an hour before finally reaching the first official stop of the trip—Otaru.
This port city of 170,000 people was once called the “Norther Wall Street”—though Jiang Jian Yue didn’t think such a small city could compare to Wall Street.
The homestay was some distance from the Otaru station on the JR Line.
But since everyone was an esper, their physical strength was slightly enhanced, so walking this distance was nothing.
Winter was Hokkaido’s tourism peak, and although the number of tourists had decreased compared to before, travel groups could still be seen.
Koji Hattori encountered a Chinese-speaking tour group along the way, naturally stepping forward to practice his Chinese, leading to a conversation so awkward that Jiang Jian Yue wanted to curl her toes.
So embarrassing!
The five kids lowered their heads and sped past Koji Hattori, pretending not to know him.
Koji Hattori quickly caught up with his bags, walking at the front with Yuki Asahi—adults should lead from the front.
Jiang Jian Yue noticed Kaori Onishi looked a bit uncomfortable and had stopped filming, so she walked over and asked softly.
“What’s wrong?”
“My… stomach hurts…”
Kaori Onishi’s face twisted in pain.
Who told you to eat ice cream in the dead of winter?
She thought about asking Yamanoi Yayoi to heal her, but remembered she had already Chantui-ed, so she just comforted her helplessly.
“Hang in there, we’re almost there.”
Kaori Onishi looked like she was about to cry, clutching Jiang Jian Yue’s sleeve and gritting her teeth.
Jiang Jian Yue sighed, took Kaori Onishi’s hand in hers, and led her forward.
Because she moved to the middle of the group, Saori Saiyonji ended up at the back.
When he saw the two girls holding hands in front of him, his lips parted slightly, and his pupils shook.
Eh?
Seriously?
Saori Saiyonji felt as if he’d discovered a shocking secret.
A relationship chart of the former Supernatural Club flashed through his mind, and his scalp tingled.
Suddenly, Koji Hattori, walking at the front beside Yuki Asahi, called out loudly.
“Let’s drop off our luggage at the homestay, then head back toward the JR Line to Sankaku Market for seafood!”
That’s it—the triangle!
Jiang Jian Yue didn’t have mind-reading powers, so she had no idea that in Saori Saiyonji’s mind behind her, “Jiang-sama” had become a yuri protagonist.
The homestay was nestled between two residential buildings, its low, square entrance extremely compact.
Koji Hattori and Yuki Asahi quickly handled check-in—it was still the same rooms Yuki had reserved.
Yuki Asahi was about to ask how to divide up the rooms, with everyone crowding the entryway, when Kaori Onishi suddenly shoved past him, grabbed a key, and dashed upstairs, abandoning her suitcase.
“What’s with Kaori?”
Yuki Asahi steadied himself against the wall, full of question marks.
Probably eager to eat.
Jiang Jian Yue shook her head gently.
She definitely wouldn’t share such an embarrassing story with others.
She helped bring up Kaori Onishi’s suitcase, entered an open room on the second floor, pushed the suitcase to the bed, then leaped onto the mattress.
Thud!
So soft, so comfortable, I want to sleep…
Room assignments naturally fell into place: two for the boys, two for the girls, and Yamanoi Yayoi in the single room.
Koji Hattori, after checking with the front desk, somehow produced another room key.
Clearly, if the power of money fails, it’s just a matter of value—if the value is high enough, anything can be solved.
Kaori Onishi staggered out of the bathroom, then collapsed onto another double bed.
“I’ll never eat ice cream again…”
After a while, Yuki Asahi knocked on the door, cracked it open, and poked his head inside.
“Let’s go. We’re heading to Sankaku Market.”
“Heh… Hehehe…”
Kaori Onishi let out a hollow laugh, her voice weak.
“I can’t do it. I just can’t. My legs… move!”
She flopped on the bed like a fish, struggled a few times, and finally gave up, closing her eyes heavily.
“I’ll pass.”
“What about you, Jiang-senpai?”
Yuki Asahi looked at Jiang Jian Yue, lying on the other bed like a corpse.
“Not going.”
Jiang Jian Yue replied coldly with her eyes closed.
She didn’t like seafood much; seafood markets held no appeal.
But would such an answer kill the mood?
Jiang Jian Yue rolled over, glanced at Kaori Onishi, then typed in her memo app.
“I’ll stay and take care of Kaori-chan. She’s not feeling well. Leaving a high school girl alone in the homestay isn’t right.”
Yuki Asahi nodded, looking a little disappointed.
“Then I’ll…”
Just as he spoke, a hand reached out from the hallway and hooked his neck, dragging him outside.
Saori Saiyonji’s voice came from beyond the door.
“Let’s go!”
Saori really has low standards for romance huh, pretty sure it’s the first time he has even seen them being close
Couldn’t help it, He grew up in a place where platonic relationships is almost to non existence