Chapter 15:
Chapter 15: The Student Tour — First Romantic Trip
Replay Again
The whole school seemed to explode the moment the announcement came.A two–day trip to a quiet mountain town with a lake so still it looked like a mirror.
Ren had forgotten how excited teenagers could get over class trips.Yuki had forgotten how loud they got.
Neither forgot how awkward things had become between them.
---
Seat assignments were taped to the wall.
Ren scanned the list.His face stayed calm, but his shoulders definitely dropped.
Yuki stood beside him, staring at the same names.
They spoke at the same time.
“…You’ve got to be kidding.”
Ren Aoki — Seat 12AYuki Harada — Seat 12B
Right next to each other.
Before either could react, Sena Aikawa swooped in like a shiny bird.
“Oh! Ren, do you want to switch seats? I don’t mind sitting with you.”
She was already leaning forward when Mina Hasegawa stepped in front of her like a brick wall.
“No switching.”
Sena blinked. “Why not?”
“Because rules are rules,” Mina replied with a smile that wasn’t actually a smile.
Sena’s eye twitched.Yuki looked away, pretending she wasn’t relieved.
Meanwhile, Haru Natsuhara boarded the bus and spotted Mina taking a window seat.A boy tried to sit next to her.
Haru grabbed the boy by the sleeve.
“That’s my seat.”
“It says you’re in 14C.”
“Not anymore.”
The boy backed away like Haru was contagious.Mina sighed, though a faint blush crept up her cheeks.
---
On the Bus —
Ren sat stiffly.Yuki sat even stiffer.
They weren’t touching, but the air between them felt charged.
Yuki kept her eyes on the passing scenery.Ren kept his on the floor.
“You can relax,” Yuki said quietly.
“I am relaxed.” He was absolutely not relaxed.
Yuki glanced at him. “You’re holding your bag like you’re about to interrogate it.”
Ren dropped it immediately.“…Right.”
Behind them, Haru whispered to Mina:
“Look at them. They’re like divorced parents forced into the same taxi.”
Mina whispered back, “Stop narrating their life like it’s a documentary.”
---
The mountain trail was beautiful.Fresh air. Clear sky. Birds. Everything peaceful.
Until Yuki tripped on a root.
She slipped forward with a startled gasp.
Ren reacted without thinking.His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist, pulling her against him before she fell.
They froze.
Yuki’s face hovered close to his chest.Ren’s grip stayed firm a moment too long.
“You… reacted fast,” she said, cheeks warming.
“It’s muscle memory.”
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Both went still.
“…From the old timeline,” Yuki murmured.
She stepped back, pretending she wasn’t shaken.Ren didn’t say anything, unsure what he was allowed to feel.
Mina watched from a short distance. “This is better than any romantic drama.”
Haru grumbled, “Why is every guy on this trip staring at Mina?”
---
By noon the sun beat down harder.
Yuki noticed Ren slowing, his face flushed.
“Ren… are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
He was not fine.He wobbled and nearly stumbled.
Yuki pressed a cold towel to his forehead, forcing him to sit.
“Stop talking and breathe.”
Ren didn’t argue.Somewhere inside, the familiar warmth of being cared for crept in.
Mina nudged Haru. “See how she worries?”
Haru crossed his arms. “Whatever. A boy from 2-D just asked if you were single.”
Mina blinked. “…And what did you say?”
“I told him no.”
“You WHAT?!”
--
The lake was quiet and blue, the kind of blue that looked like it held secrets.
Ren and Yuki ended up sitting together on a wooden bench, a little apart from the rest of the group.
They said nothing.But the silence was comfortable.
This was where they used to come with their children in the old timeline.Before things fell apart.
“…We liked this place,” Yuki said softly.
Ren nodded. “Yeah. We did.”
She turned to him.He turned to her.
Something flickered between them.
A breath.A pull.The beginnings of something they weren’t ready to name.
Then Haru yelled across the field, and the moment shattered.
-
Night settled over the inn.
Haru lay on his futon, staring at the ceiling.
“Ren.”
“Hm?”
“You still love Yuki.”
Ren’s back stiffened.
He turned away.He didn’t say a word.
He didn’t need to.His silence was answer enough.
---
Mina brushed her hair while glancing at Yuki, who stared at the wall like it had wronged her.
“You’re jealous.”
“No.”
“That was fast.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“You glared at Sena every time she breathed near Ren.”
Yuki frowned. “I was… observing.”
“We were inside. There was nothing to observe.”
Yuki pulled the blanket over her head.“Going to sleep.”
Mina smiled.“Oh yeah. She’s so in love it’s painful.”
Ren had forgotten how excited teenagers could get over class trips.Yuki had forgotten how loud they got.
Neither forgot how awkward things had become between them.
---
Seat assignments were taped to the wall.
Ren scanned the list.His face stayed calm, but his shoulders definitely dropped.
Yuki stood beside him, staring at the same names.
They spoke at the same time.
“…You’ve got to be kidding.”
Ren Aoki — Seat 12AYuki Harada — Seat 12B
Right next to each other.
Before either could react, Sena Aikawa swooped in like a shiny bird.
“Oh! Ren, do you want to switch seats? I don’t mind sitting with you.”
She was already leaning forward when Mina Hasegawa stepped in front of her like a brick wall.
“No switching.”
Sena blinked. “Why not?”
“Because rules are rules,” Mina replied with a smile that wasn’t actually a smile.
Sena’s eye twitched.Yuki looked away, pretending she wasn’t relieved.
Meanwhile, Haru Natsuhara boarded the bus and spotted Mina taking a window seat.A boy tried to sit next to her.
Haru grabbed the boy by the sleeve.
“That’s my seat.”
“It says you’re in 14C.”
“Not anymore.”
The boy backed away like Haru was contagious.Mina sighed, though a faint blush crept up her cheeks.
---
On the Bus —
Ren sat stiffly.Yuki sat even stiffer.
They weren’t touching, but the air between them felt charged.
Yuki kept her eyes on the passing scenery.Ren kept his on the floor.
“You can relax,” Yuki said quietly.
“I am relaxed.” He was absolutely not relaxed.
Yuki glanced at him. “You’re holding your bag like you’re about to interrogate it.”
Ren dropped it immediately.“…Right.”
Behind them, Haru whispered to Mina:
“Look at them. They’re like divorced parents forced into the same taxi.”
Mina whispered back, “Stop narrating their life like it’s a documentary.”
---
The mountain trail was beautiful.Fresh air. Clear sky. Birds. Everything peaceful.
Until Yuki tripped on a root.
She slipped forward with a startled gasp.
Ren reacted without thinking.His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist, pulling her against him before she fell.
They froze.
Yuki’s face hovered close to his chest.Ren’s grip stayed firm a moment too long.
“You… reacted fast,” she said, cheeks warming.
“It’s muscle memory.”
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Both went still.
“…From the old timeline,” Yuki murmured.
She stepped back, pretending she wasn’t shaken.Ren didn’t say anything, unsure what he was allowed to feel.
Mina watched from a short distance. “This is better than any romantic drama.”
Haru grumbled, “Why is every guy on this trip staring at Mina?”
---
By noon the sun beat down harder.
Yuki noticed Ren slowing, his face flushed.
“Ren… are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
He was not fine.He wobbled and nearly stumbled.
Yuki pressed a cold towel to his forehead, forcing him to sit.
“Stop talking and breathe.”
Ren didn’t argue.Somewhere inside, the familiar warmth of being cared for crept in.
Mina nudged Haru. “See how she worries?”
Haru crossed his arms. “Whatever. A boy from 2-D just asked if you were single.”
Mina blinked. “…And what did you say?”
“I told him no.”
“You WHAT?!”
--
The lake was quiet and blue, the kind of blue that looked like it held secrets.
Ren and Yuki ended up sitting together on a wooden bench, a little apart from the rest of the group.
They said nothing.But the silence was comfortable.
This was where they used to come with their children in the old timeline.Before things fell apart.
“…We liked this place,” Yuki said softly.
Ren nodded. “Yeah. We did.”
She turned to him.He turned to her.
Something flickered between them.
A breath.A pull.The beginnings of something they weren’t ready to name.
Then Haru yelled across the field, and the moment shattered.
-
Night settled over the inn.
Haru lay on his futon, staring at the ceiling.
“Ren.”
“Hm?”
“You still love Yuki.”
Ren’s back stiffened.
He turned away.He didn’t say a word.
He didn’t need to.His silence was answer enough.
---
Mina brushed her hair while glancing at Yuki, who stared at the wall like it had wronged her.
“You’re jealous.”
“No.”
“That was fast.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“You glared at Sena every time she breathed near Ren.”
Yuki frowned. “I was… observing.”
“We were inside. There was nothing to observe.”
Yuki pulled the blanket over her head.“Going to sleep.”
Mina smiled.“Oh yeah. She’s so in love it’s painful.”
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