Chapter 25 – Dinner with a Side of Disaster

There are three things I now fear in this world:

That weird sparkle in Airi’s eyes when she’s too quiet.

Hotel curry that’s labeled “medium” but tastes like lava.

And most of all, eating dinner with my entire class while they stare at me like I’m a dating sim protagonist.

The charm incident was only twenty minutes ago, and yet it already feels like a fever dream.
That moment when Airi leaned against me, warm and silent, like we were the only two people in the world.

Yeah, That moment is now dead, Stomped flat by group seating.

“Tanaka, you’re next to Fujimoto!” Mr. Kumagai calls out.

Of course I am.

The dining room is a big tatami space with long low tables.
Everyone’s already kicking off their shoes, moving around, forming groups.
Daiki high fives Kenta, Mika waves awkwardly at me, and Airi—

Airi gives me a smile that's warm enough to melt noth pole.

I sit beside her without a word.
Across from me is Daiki, Kenta, Mika. Hina is beside Airi, silent as ever, sipping miso soup.

The food is already lined up : rice, curry, pickles, a suspiciously green salad, and something fried that might be squid.

“Yo,” Daiki grins. “What’s with the couple vibe?”

“There’s no vibe, Just mild panic.”

“Mild?” Kenta raises a brow. “Bro, you’re sweating like you just got proposed to.”

“That’s just my body trying to escape this conversation.”

Airi chuckles beside me, then leans in with a half smile and tofu between her chopsticks.

“Want me to feed you, Yuuji? Make it official?”
I nearly choke on my rice.

“No thanks. I’d like to live.”

Meanwhile, under the table, three phones vibrate in sync.

Daiki: LIVE REPORTING: They’re sitting next to each other. It’s happening.

Kenta: She leaned in, He flinched.

Mika: Why is she feeding him tofu what’s happening.

Daiki: I repeat. SHE FED HIM TOFU. I’m calling the priest.

Kenta: This is better than any romcom I've watched.

Mika: Should we do something??

Kenta: Let nature take its weird, chaotic course.

Daiki: Agreed.

Back at the table, I’m struggling to chew something chewy when Airi casually places another piece of fried octopus onto my plate.

“There, You need protein.”

“…You’re giving me a third one.”

“Your face says you love it.”

“My face says I’m dying inside.”

She just smiles gently and softly

Okay, who are you today, and where is the punchline?

Daiki fake coughs across the table. “So, Airi, how’s your curry? Got enough spice in your love life?”

Airi blinks. “It’s not as spicy as yours, Daiki. I saw you spill half of it on your pants.”

Everyone snorts, Daiki chokes on rice, Even Hina cracks the tiniest smile.

Kenta adds, “Maybe if you two stopped flirting for two minutes, we could eat in peace.”

“We’re not—!” I start, but Airi just takes a sip of tea and says,

“Oh, don’t mind us. We’re very peaceful.”

I can feel everyone watching us now, The tension, The glances.
Mika is making some weird expression.
Kenta is trying too hard not to laugh.
And Hina? Still sipping tea.

Mika: omg she just roasted Daiki in like 2 words

Kenta: he’ll never recover

Daiki: Send help, And ice.

Mika: awwww yuuji looks flustered againnnn

Kenta: SHIP STATUS: sailing full speed ahead

After dinner, the teachers make a big show about “lights out at ten” and “no sneaking between rooms,” but the second they’re gone, the hallway turns into a jungle.

Someone’s tossing a slipper like a boomerang.

Someone else is trying to summon a vending machine with psychic powers.

Our room is packed.

Daiki dragged two futons into the middle and declared it the “Game Zone.”
Kenta set up snacks like we were hosting a giveaway.
Mika brought a deck of cards and exactly three packs of Pocky, No one knows where Hina got the candles.

“So,” Daiki says, rubbing his hands together, “we begin with the classic.”

He turns off the light.

Mika gasps.

“Courage test?” I ask.

“Worse,” he says. “Truth or Dare.”

“No,” I say.

“Yes,” Kenta says, already shuffling the cards.

We sit in a circle on the futons, candles flickering like we’re in a ghost story.
Airi somehow ends up next to me again, I try not to make a big deal of it. She makes it a big deal by smirking every time our arms touch.

First up is Mika.

“Truth,” she says.

Kenta grins. “Okayy who do you like in our class?”

Mika turns red so fast it’s impressive. “N-No one!”

Daiki leans in. “No one?”

Mika glances at me for exactly half a second.

Airi notices.

I pretend I don’t.

Next up is Hina.

“Dare,” she says, no expression at all.

“Okay, uh…” Daiki hesitates. “I dare you to… smile like a normal person.”

She blinks. “Impossible.”

“Try.”

She pulls back her lips into what might be the most cursed smile I’ve ever seen.

“Okay, okay... never do that again,” I say, holding up both hands.

Kenta gets dared to drink the soy sauce packet.

He does it.

He regrets it.

Finally, the bottle points to me.

I sigh. “Truth.”

“Have you ever,” Daiki begins, grinning, “had a dream about someone in this room?”

I freeze.

Airi turns to look at me, waiting.

My soul leaves my body.

“...Define dream,” I try.

“Aww, he’s dodging!” Mika says.

“Suspicious,” Kenta coughs.

“Very suspicious,” Airi says, eyes narrowed and smiling.

I want to crawl under the futon.

We keep playing until people start yawning, Someone starts snoring (probably Kenta).
Mika and Hina go back to their room.
Daiki stays behind to “meditate,” which just means lying on the floor dramatically.
Eventually, even he falls asleep.

Now it’s just me and Airi.

The room’s dim, Quiet. A little too quiet.

“Still awake?” she asked.

I nod.

She lies on her side, facing me from the opposite futon.
There’s a peaceful silence for a while, only broken by the soft sounds of the summer bugs outside the window.

Then she says, “This is nice.”

“Yeah,” I reply before thinking. “You’re not... usually like this on school trips.”

Airi raises an eyebrow. “You’ve never been on a school trip with me.”

“Okay, true.”

Another bit of silence.

She hugs her pillow. “But… I like this version of you. The one who doesn’t run away.”

I blink. “Run away from what?”

She smiles not teasing this time. Just… soft?? “From me.”

I want to say something cool or smart or at least functional, but all that comes out is “I wasn’t running, I was just strategically retreating.”

Airi giggles. “Then maybe I’ll chase you again tomorrow.”

She closes her eyes, still smiling, and I lie there watching the ceiling.

Just a little longer, I think.

Let me stay in this moment just a little longer.

Yuuji’s Mental Diary – Night Edition

Airi Status: Soft mode????
My Digestive System: Probably destroyed by curry.
Daiki’s Energy: Infinite until lights out.
Mental State: Confused.
Room Vibes: Sleepover core with a touch of chaos.
Tomorrow Forecast: Ghosts, Love, Regret.