Chapter 114 – The summer vacation party on the rooftop is unforgettable

In the end, all the students who participated in the courage test were sitting on the rooftop.

Yukio and Shiina received a call from Ishizaki, saying that everyone had gone through, and they could come up after tidying up. 

Upon opening the door to the rooftop, the first thing that caught their eyes was the high-hanging bright moon, casting a continuous flow of silver light, like a gentle big sister. Even though she knew about the summer heat, she wanted to drape everyone in an extra layer of thin veil to prevent them from catching a cold at night.

People from both classes sat around in various places, some enthusiastically discussing the interesting aspects of the courage test and praising the ingenious design of some sections, making Shiina blush with the compliments she heard next to Yukio.

Some were still frightened, with pale faces, seeking warmth from those around them.

For example, Rika was like this, looking terrified and holding onto Ryuen's hand, refusing to let go no matter what. Despite being such a timid girl, she didn't mind the gazes from both classes at the moment, scared out of her wits.

Although Ryuen seemed impatient, he quietly let her hold his hand without struggling. Seeing this, Yukio couldn't help but smile proudly.

"Ah, Yukio-kun, the courage test your class organized was too scary!" Ichinose greeted Yukio and Shiina, waving them over to an open spot where they could sit. Just as Yukio sat down, Ichinose patted her chest, excitedly recounting the courage test.

Whether it was scary or not, Yukio wasn't sure, but Ichinose's small gesture of patting her chest made his heart flutter, confirming her unmatched appeal.

"I'm still scared just thinking about it!" Ichinose hadn't noticed where Yukio's gaze fell and even glanced at Shiina specially: "Especially Shiina-san, I thought I was safely through the last part."

"But then I was chased up a flight of stairs!"

Shiina nodded as a response but didn't say anything more, which suited her usual character of minimal interaction with strangers.

But only Shiina knew in her heart that she was just outwardly as light as a cloud, but internally, she didn't really like Ichinose.

Unlike Ibuki, who didn't like Ichinose because Ibuki believed no one is perfect and doubted the existence of truly saintly people, suggesting that the brighter someone's surface, the darker their interior might be, Shiina simply felt uncomfortable because Ichinose was getting too close to Yukio, now sitting right beside him. This proximity made her subconsciously unhappy.

During the last deserted island special test, Ichinose Yukio about her period, which made Shiina inexplicably wary and also mention her own dates.

Now, maybe it's time to hint to Ichinose to not get too close, right? Holding this thought, Shiina took the initiative to hold Yukio's hand.

Yukio, without thinking much, let Shiina hold his hand. This was noticed by Ichinose, who thought she had frightened Shiina, leading Shiina to seek comfort from Yukio.

So, she quickly apologized: "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to trouble Shiina-san. Actually, I found that last part especially interesting!"

"And I've heard that Shiina-san doesn't like talking to strangers. I've been talking so much, which was a bit inconsiderate, not taking into account Shiina-san's feelings."

As she spoke, Ichinose even changed her position, directly reaching out, her hands enveloping Shiina's other hand. Under Shiina's stunned gaze, she sincerely requested: "If possible, I'd also like to be friends with you, Shiina-san!"

"...?" Shiina was confused. What was Ichinose thinking?! She, she just wanted to make it clear to Ichinose that she was Yukio's girlfriend! To let Ichinose not get so close!

But, how come Ichinose wants to be friends with her instead? Can't she see the warning at all?

The confused Shiina instinctively looked towards Yukio, hoping her boyfriend would have an idea.

Yukio, oblivious to everything, saw Shiina's puzzled look and gently explained: "It's normal, Ichinose is just like that. Since you don't have many friends, why not..."

After all, Ichinose's gentleness is widely praised, suggesting that Shiina making friends with Ichinose could actually be good for Shiina, allowing her to make more friends. 

Shiina, finding the situation both funny and frustrating, had no choice but to first let go of Yukio and focus on dealing with Ichinose.

Before long, Ishizaki, Ibuki, and other class members responsible for scaring people below also came up, and the final gathering officially began.

Yukio initially thought that with two classes mingling together, it might be awkward, but he underestimated Ichinose's ability and even more so the approachability of Ichinose's class.

They were more proactive and better at warming up the atmosphere than Yukio's class. While Yukio's class students were still idly chatting, eating, and drinking, either saying it was too scary or boasting about how they managed to scare many people.

At Ichinose's class, someone had already borrowed the sound recorder used for scaring people earlier and started playing accompaniment music, beginning to sing in the middle of the rooftop.

The soft music made people involuntarily quiet down and listen intently. Yukio recognized the singer as one of Ichinose's close friends, who seemed to be called Watanabe.

"After the boundless dreams."

"It's this empty world."

Ichinose and her friends cooperated well with their friend, swaying from side to side at the edge in rhythm with the music, as if responding to the beat.

At the end of the song, members from both classes couldn't help but applaud, praising Watanabe's singing. Then, Ichinose also stepped forward.

The applause from Yukio's class grew louder, with many wanting Ichinose to also perform.

Ichinose, generous as always, waved her hand: "I can perform, but someone from your class should go first, right? We can't let our class steal the spotlight all night!"

"Let's do it!" Ishizaki responded instantly. He had spent the summer holidays singing in KTV until he was sick of it, so he wasn't shy. Switching to a song he was confident in, he started singing in front of everyone.

"Before the end of the world, listen to me, please!"

"The blooming flowers, match this tragic ending so well."

His rough voice, though not beautiful, was surprisingly engaging, making many people follow the beat, enhancing the atmosphere.

With Watanabe and Ishizaki leading the charge, the rest of the students couldn't sit still. No one was urging Ichinose to perform anymore; instead, they took turns queuing up, either to sing a song or dance.

With each performance, the students' applause was like waves, genuine cheers under the moonlit rooftop, resonating with a symphony of their youth.

Yukio watched this scene with satisfaction, feeling moved. This is what summer vacation is all about; youth is such a joyous thing.

Years later, many things might be forgotten, like the hand extended behind the door for a shoulder pat, or the experience of having one's ankle grabbed under the table, but they will never forget the joyous rooftop gathering at this moment.

***

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