Chapter 1: Let’s Go on a Trip

“Actually… I got my hands on a pair of tickets for a one-night, two-day resort hotel stay, with a dinner course included!”

Clapping her own hands lightly, Yuka declared it with a beaming smile.

“Oh, that’s nice for you. Have fun,”
Misaki said without much interest, tilting her glass and taking a sip.
The cold, clear liquor slid smoothly down her throat.

“Hey, Misaki-san. Want to come with me?”

“I’m not going.”

It was an immediate answer.
Sensing that Yuka was about to say something, Misaki pressed on further.

“I’m not going.”

“Wh—what!? Why!?”
She grabbed Misaki’s arm as she sat right beside her and shook it.

“Hey, stop that. You’re going to spill the sake!”

“Come on, let’s go. Why don’t you want to?”

Letting out a single sigh, Misaki answered as she traced her finger along the rim of her glass.

“Resort hotels are far away, right? Which means the travel time is long. And I can’t drink sake while I’m traveling. And it’s a round trip, you know?”

Yuka froze with a stunned look on her face.
“Huh… that kind of reason…?”

“That kind of reason.”
Misaki snapped back, sounding half exasperated, and Yuka hurriedly pulled out her smartphone.

“Look at this!”
On the screen she held out, the names of the sake served with the dinner course were lined up in a neat row.
“See, this one—Blue Bottle! That’s amazing, right?”

Misaki’s gaze stopped on the name of a particular label.
Quietly—but unmistakably—something in her eyes changed.

Not missing that change, Yuka pressed on.

“They say the food is amazing, too, and I’ll cover the transportation costs! Come on, please!”
Her innocent voice came flying in.

Misaki stayed silent for a while.
She gave her glass a light swirl, drained the remaining sake, and set the now-empty vessel down on the table.

And then—

“…If you’re going to say that much, I’ll go with you.”

“Yay!”
Yuka threw both hands into the air and did a little hop.
Her blonde ponytail bounced as if showing her joy.

But at that giddy voice, Misaki calmly added,
“But I’ll cover at least the transportation costs. I’d feel bad letting someone younger than me pay for everything.”

“Yeah! Yeah!”
She nodded so hard it looked like her neck might come off.

Tapping the glass lightly with her finger, she thought to herself, quietly.
—For that sake, a little bit of endurance can’t be helped.
—I’m looking forward to Blue Bottle.