Chapter 18: I want some alone time with my boyfriend

Thursday 8 May, 20XX - Part 3

Yui was on top, her hands planted on each side of my head. Her long black hair spilled over her shoulders, like a waterfall, her deep dark eyes shining with worry.

“Yui? What’s wrong?”

“Haruto, we need to leave, right now.”

“I don’t understand.”

We were doing our tasks, the camp was quiet. All we had to do was wait for the Murakami brothers to come back after the long night without electricity.

“Wait a moment.”

Yui got up and checked the tent entrance to make sure that no one was eavesdropping.

What was she so worried about? There is no one here except us and the two Kobayashi sisters.

Yui came back. She sat in front of me with her knees pressed together.

“While you were gathering firewood, it felt like the two Kobayashi sisters were giving me strange looks. They were whispering among themselves. It felt like they were hiding something from us. So I hid behind their tent to eavesdrop on them.”

“Okay?”

Yui closed her eyes and took a breath.

“The elder one, what was her name? Kobayashi…erm…”

“Kobayashi Fumi.”

“Mh. While they were washing laundry next to the lake, Kobayashi Fumi said that it’s strange for two high schoolers like us to be driving a car and camping like this without our parents. Especially because Golden Week is already over. She said she asked her boyfriend, Kota, to talk to the police when they arrived in the city to see if we were runaways.”

The cold hand of fear reached deep into my stomach.

I looked at my watch. It has been three hours since the two brothers left the camp. By now they will have arrived in the city. They might have already spoken to the police.

It has also been several days since Yui tricked the police officer into letting us go. It is highly possible that they have realized that we tricked them. In that case, they will be on the lookout for us or anyone who might have information.

Two runaway high schoolers. A boy and a girl, driving a red Kei car.

The Murakami brothers will realize that we are a perfect match.

“They might bring the police with them even before the electricity goes out,” I said.

Yui nodded.

“How are we supposed to flee? We can’t just take down our tent without them noticing.”

“We can just leave it behind. It should be easy to buy a new tent.” I scratched my chin. “But it would still be suspicious if we just drove off without a warning. We still have a 2G signal out here. If they suspect that we have fled, they can still call their boyfriends, and they might rush back and search for us with the police.”

The two of us were silent for a while.

“Ah – “ Yui blinked. “I have an idea! Yuki said it’s difficult to make their own coffee out here without a water cooker, and they are out of canned coffee. She said she keeps getting headaches because she isn’t getting her caffeine.”

“Oh! We can say we are going to the convenience store to get drinks; we will buy some canned coffee if they want.”

Making a quick trip to the convenience store won’t raise any suspicions. A roundtrip will take just under an hour, which gives us enough time to go into hiding.

Their need for coffee will also make it less likely for them to object to us leaving the camp for a little while.

Yui and I emerged from the tent. We approached the two sisters. They were hanging up their laundry on some rope they tied between two trees.

“Uhm…is there anything you’d like from the convenience store?” I asked.

““Huh?”” they sounded at the same time.

“Do you need coffee or something like that?”

My heart beat fast. This was a delicate situation. The two sisters didn’t know that Yui had overheard them. I had to ask them in a natural way or else they would suspect that we were trying to run away.

“You’re going to the convenience store?” Yuki asked.

“Y-Yeah.”

Yuki and Fumi exchanged looks. They communicated silently in the way only close siblings could.

“We already asked our boyfriends to get some things from the city,” Yuki said. “We can call and ask them to bring things for you two as well. There is no need for you to drive all the way to the convenience store. It’d be a waste of fuel.”

They were trying to keep us here. How could I win this silent battle?

Yui hugged my arm. I could feel her chest press against me. Her warmth was soft and gentle.

Why was she –

Ah, right. I almost forgot that we introduced ourselves as a couple.

“Uhm…” She reached down and intertwined our fingers. “I’m out of some essentials…there is a specific brand I like, you know, it’s a bit awkward to ask Murakami to bring it, so…it might be better if my boyfriend drives me there.”

Essentials? What was she talking about?

…

Ah…

I think I knew what she was talking about.

As a guy, I decided to stay silent lest I step on a hidden mine.

Understanding spread across the sisters’ faces.

“Of course, that kind of thing is better if you get it yourself,” Yuki said.

“Men are useless if you ask them to buy those,” Fumi concurred.

They shot me a look, almost as if accusing me of being useless.

“Haruto, drive Yui safely to the convenience store, got it?” Fumi said.

“Y-Yes…”

“Make sure to get some painkillers, too.”

“Understood.”

“You need to be more reliable, got it?”

“Yes…”

Yuki added, “If it’s not too much of an inconvenience, please get some coffee. Big Boss, black coffee. Uhm…do high schoolers know what that looks like? Can you drink coffee?”

“I think I know what that looks like,” I said.

“In any case, if they don’t have Big Boss, please get any kind of black coffee.”

“G-Got it.”

Yui and I got into the car and drove off. I could see them waving. “Take care! Drive safely!” Fumi called out.

We lost sight of them after we made the turn onto the twisty mountain roads.

“Harghhhhh.” I stopped the car by the roadside and rested my forehead against the steering wheel. “I thought my heart was going to explode.”

Yui stuck out her tongue and made the peace sign.

“Heh-heh~ What do you think? I’m pretty good at acting, hm?”

“You’re the best.”

“Mh!” The expression on her face said, ‘Praise me more!’

“You’re incredibly smart!”

“That’s right.”

“You’re the Queen of Deception.”

“Hey! You’re making me sound like a bad guy!”

She frowned in an adorable way.

We looked at each other and laughed.

“How did you think of that? When you told them that you had to go get essentials.”

Yui sat back in her seat and crossed her arms.

“I thought they were just going to let us go if we said we wanted to go to the convenience store. I was a bit surprised by how insistent they were on keeping us there.”

Yui fidgeted with her fingers in her lap.

“Actually, when I grabbed your arm, my initial idea was to tell them that I wanted some alone time with my boyfriend. They couldn’t have refused if I said that.”

“A-Alone time?”

“Mh…”

She cast me half a glance, then quickly looked away. Both of our faces were red.

“Yui…”

“I-I know how outrageous that is, so I didn’t say it. That’s why I came up with a different e-e-excuse. It’s really embarrassing, okay?”

She was stuttering so hard she was almost shaking in her seat.

“O-Okay, sorry…”

I wanted some alone time with my boyfriend…

Those words echoed in my mind.

We continued to drive down the road and parked next to the convenience store. Yui went in and bought some snacks and drinks.

“I got us some coffee too, the Big Boss brand that they like. It’s going to be a long night.”

“That’s a good idea.”

We left the convenience store and drove towards the city.

“Where should we hide?” Yui asked.

I smiled. For once, it was me who had a clever scheme.

“I have an idea.”