083 – Secret Society BL*NKET Expands

"Man…! Talk about having a nice bath after a great dinner!" Nagi's elation showed in his face upon having his body sunk on the bath water. "Thanks for the food, Jean!"

"Yeah, yeah. You're welcome."

Just so you know, they didn't just up and take bath right after a meal. The MC can put a stand on that.

"This bathhouse is great… I'm so happy that no one uses this place at this time of the night…" Gin mumbled loudly also in happiness as he was free from hiding his scar from other people.

"You sure love being antisocial."

"Anyway, what are we going to do tomorrow?" Akira questioned that was then immediately answered by Gin.

"Stuff you do in camping, or even be laid-back."

"Don't get us started, Gin. The chapter literally just began."

"I'm making a point, though. My body might have leaped two years with a more than capable physique, but I'd still rather stay stagnant than move around. You thought Rin was the only one with books? Even I brought some."

"I thought the only books in your shelf are art books," spoke Jean in slight sarcasm.

"Well, you can always call me out if you find something interesting."

"What're the books that you brought anyway?" Akira's interest was caught.

"See this, I actually got a hold of hard bound S*lo Leveling volumes."

"Waaaahhhh… Is this the first non-Japanese reference that I will be doing?"

"Weh? Since when did you learn how to read Korean?"

"Of course I did not. I bought the volumes after the current events in the comic so I'll continue reading from that point.

I'm actually surprised to find the English translation in a bookstore, though."

※ This is a work fiction. Therefore there is no reassurance that what was stated is actually real and applicable.

"How many chapters are in the novel anyway?"

"Aroung 200? I'm on chapter 132, though. I started at 120."

"You sure you're not speed-reading them, Gin?" Nagi had to make sure.

"Naaah. It's boring if I will just blitz through the whole thing. I'm enjoying reading it since the chapters are quite short."

"I see. It's not like how this story has some insanely long chapters, then."

※ The author took a hit on the gut.

…

The four returned to the grounds seeing that the fire is still gracefully dancing over the woods that have been sitting on a pile of ash. They have clearly recalled that the two girls went out first to a separate bathhouse and yet they saw not a shadow of the two.

A distraction fell to their eyes as they have just realized the openness of the sky meeting the night. Only a handful of stars were seen without a hint of clouds but they found themselves staring deeply to the sky with nonchalant expressions that unconsciously hide their amazement behind it.

Their deep gazes were however halted as their peripheral vision found a projectile landing to the campfire. Only Gin saw that it came from one of the tents, which he then found that its cover was open. The tents were thick enough to fight against the cold, and therefore they did not see that a small lamp has been illuminating inside. Gin took a quick look inside and saw that Shiro is already fast asleep while Rin is still holding a paperback. The lamp that was hanged above them was bright enough to light up the whole tent.

All of them decided not to use a sleeping bag as they have observed themselves to toss and turn as they all slept very comfortably in the Art Room a few months back.

Rin tilted her head with a tiny frown as she finally exchanged a look at Gin who has not moved an eyeball after fifteen seconds.

"What?" but then she giggled.

He only shook his hand as if saying that it was nothing of concern.

"Goodnight," he then said.

"Mhm. Goodnight, Gin."

He stood upright from a slouch and stretched out his back in low groans. No one has even noticed that he had already made his way to another tent and quickly wrapped a blanket around him. At exactly 8:12 at night, he immediately fell asleep bearing the pain on his back and the tiredness from driving.

He got through their first day thinking that the camping trip itself is plenty fun for him.

▪ ▪ ▪

Unfortunately, the sunrise can't be clearly seen from where the campsite is, but seeing that they saw a gorgeous sight of it yesterday, it had greatly sufficed. Notwithstanding, they woke up not earlier than seven.

Gin had felt very victorious. He had slept through eleven hours of the night and is feeling completely recharged, rather than demolished. It was still very cold, but he decided not to start a fire and just waited for the others to wake up while wasting the time on his chair with a cup of coffee, reading the mentioned book.

Akira stepped out of the tent on his weak legs as he saw the profile of the relaxed Gin.

"Yo," he greeted without expecting a response from the comforted. "Ahhh, that's inconvenient. You haven't started a fire yet, Gin?"

"Didn't think I needed to."

Gin placed a bookmark on the book and finally stood up while putting his hands on a sack of firewood beside him. He checked if it was hydrated overnight and started to pile them on the slab seeing that they are dry.

"Grilling something?" he asked seeing that Akira is taking out an iron griddle.

"Just putting some butter on potatoes. Help me cut them."

"Ohhh."

…

"Morning, Potato…" Rin came out.

"The potatoes that are being grilled greeted in pain. Wait, why am I narrating for them, and why are you greeting them?

Morning, Rin."

"*sniff* I smell butter…"

"Did you not drool on your pillow, Rin? Cover your mouth."

"Can't help it. I'm hungry."

As thought the euphoric scent of the butter has been brought by the very light wind throughout a portion of the open space, the three that were still sleeping suddenly poked out their heads from the three tents with gaping eyes staring at us.

"I smell butter…!"

~ ~ ~

The six of them have been adored by a very fine weather for the second day of their camp. Akira and Jean had finally decided to stretch out their stagnated limbs with a frisbee disc and threw vigorously at each other, chasing it to anywhere it leads them. Nagi and Shiro went off and walked around the site in an attempt to find flowers while… perhaps have idle conversations that one needs not know. Rin is still on her chair, well, still reading her books. It appears that the young woman has become a bookworm when she is left on her own.

As to why Gin is not with him, he is… somewhere, trying to take out the biggest one recorded in the decade.

In a great endeavor to take grasp of the disc, Jean leaped a far dive and touched it with the ends of his fingers and palm.

"Throwing harder now, huh? I got this…!"

Rather immaturely, Jean returned the favor by throwing the disc with the same or greater force. They have been playing without a rest for several minutes, as they were visited by great astonishment in seeing how athletic their forms of catching the disc is even though they have no experience of it as a sport.

Upon a dive and catch, Akira managed to throw the disc while still in the air even before his body gets cushioned by the grass. It was a poor throw in some ways of expectations as there was no need for Jean to catch it with vigor.

"And… there."

"That seems fun. May I join in?"

"Oh, sure. Hmm?"

Jean turned around after the catch after hearing a man's voice behind him. There was as though a question mark floating overhead that it took him a few seconds to look at the man. For a long moment of his silence, his brain was processing that the person was a stranger, until a light bulb on his head shorted and broke.

"W-W-What… Martin…?!"

"Woah, you know me? Wait… I've only seen so many people with decently parted hair…

You're Jean?"

"So it's really you! It's been a while isn't it?"

"Really! It feels like forever since I graduated from Blue Ink!

Anyway, I didn't think that we'd meet here!"

"Heeeeyyyyy~!" Akira was seen running towards them with a big smile.

"Who's that cool looking guy, Jean? Do you know him?"

"PFFT…!" Jean's lips burst out. "Can you believe that that's actually Akira? Hahahahahahahaha…!"

"Huh…

Wait, seriously?! That noisy idiot is now this guy?"

"Hey, that hurt! But well, nice meeting you here, Martin!"

"Yeah!" they all shook hands. "So you're also camping here, huh. Are you the only ones?"

Jean explained, "We have some companions. See this, since we four guys remained as the only members of Art Club in our fourth year, we actually managed to recruit two 'active' members. What's more is that they're both girls! We actually have more members now but the six of us are the only ones camping right now."

"I'm not a club member anymore, though," Akira added.

"Ehh? What happened? Also, you look a lot quieter now!"

"Well, stuff happened after graduation and I stopped studying."

"What?!"

"Things are good right now, anyway! I'm doing even better than when I was a student."

"Oh, right. I wasn't caught up with SHS. Are you guys taking art courses?"

"Technically, I guess. I'm studying Culinary Arts and business stuff, though."

"That's unexpected!"

"The others are taking Visual Arts along with their minority course. By the way, Nagi is somewhere but he might come back soon."

"So your old gang is still complete, huh. Where's Gin, anyway?"

Jean and Akira's face suddenly darkened and filled with anguish.

"Wh-What…? Did… something happened to him…?"

"H-He…" Akira managed to gather up words. "He was involved in a vehicular accident back in fourth year… his bones were shattered and now… We're just thankful that he is with us right now in this camp…"

Martin Aston's still artistic imagination ran wild. Imagining, that he had shattered bones, all he could think about is that Gin is not able to walk anymore and that his spirit might have long broken.

He had seen how much enthusiastic Gin had become away from his aloof self. He saw how much Gin developed as a human. And to know that an accident happened to him, he can't swallow that Gin might not be the person he knows anymore.

His face grew pale as he shuddered.

"Aaaahhhh-aaaahhhh-aaahhhh. I just took a dump and you're telling other people scary stories? Man," a person behind Martin placed his arm on his shoulder.

Martin turned around vigorously, trembling, and saw a tall man with a silver hair and true black eyes, looking at him.

"Oh? Hey, look at that! This is actually Martin!

Hey there, Martin-senpai!" the man, or rather, Gin called out.

"Who… are you…?"

On this cold day, sweat poured down on the temples of Martin's head with his voice shaking upon an uttered question.

"Don't take what Jean and Akira said too much. I'm that Gin Sakato—that one gloomy kiddo that learned slowly in drawing.

By the way, congratulations on graduating."

"I… I really thought I'll see you on a wheelchair…! And I didn't know that you have turned into a delinquent! What's with that hair?" finally, he freaked out but not because of a serious reason.

…

Jean and Akira then humbly apologized by lowering their heads for misleading Martin to some rather gruesome information. Gin then invited his senior to their tents and is now making their way when they stumbled upon Nagi who has returned.

"Martin?!"

"Alright, we're through with all the 'it's been a while' crap," Gin continued walking.

"Still, I didn't think that we'd meet you here, Martin. Are you also in a holiday vacation?"

"Yeah."

"Let's exchange stories on our table."

Thus, they made their way near their tents. Rin found that the four guys brought back another person with them. And so she closed her book and went over to them.

"Right, let me introduce her to you. Her name's Ringo Akanami. She's one of the new members of the club."

Rin racked her brain if she can recall who the person is, but was unable to find anything in her memories as her mind dubbed him as a stranger.

"Uhh, Gin?" she ambiguously asked, not knowing what to say.

"This man with us is Martin Aston-"

"Isn't that a car?!" Rin amazingly freaked out within.

"…He's a senpai in the club from when I was a first year. He was a fourth year at that time so he wasn't affected by the senior high system."

"Nice to meet you," she timidly greeted.

"Nice to meet you too."

"By the way, Martin. Don't hit on her otherwise I'll break you arm."

"Wait, no way, Gin. There's just no way.

You better take back the joke that you actually have a girlfriend!"

"He's not joking, though," Rin affirmed with a bright smile.

"Yeah, Gin even got a girlfriend before me," Nagi turned to speak. "The other member is Shiro Kirishima. So yeah, I can't break your arm but don't you dare hit on with her too."

"What's up with you two?! I already have mine, alright?!"

"A pleasure to meet you."

"Ah… Likewise…

Seriously?! Don't tell me that this other two also-"

Akira shook his hand.

"Nope, nope. I'm still single down to the bones while Jean is until the meat."

Somehow, Martin understood it.

…

After a few instances of Martin freaking out, the group has finally calmed down and got down to starting conversations.

"So yeah…" Jean didn't know what to say. "Apart from Akira, we're now second year students trying to graduate this March. All of us pretty much have a major and minor course that we take. It's a system that is exclusive to Blue Ink."

"I heard about the new principal. Taketo Juushiro was on academic articles for doing those things, you know."

"How about you, Martin? It's been almost a year since you graduated, right?"

"That's right. I'm currently- or I was working until I underwent an operation a few months ago. Still, I'm working in a design studio."

"Ah, Martin. Finally found you."

"Something the matter, sir?"

"Not really. I just thought that you disappeared suddenly."

"Ah, I found my juniors from back in high school-"

"Sir Corik?!" at one voice, Nagi and Shiro shrieked and stood up.

"Oh. You two know my boss? What a small world."

"I didn't expect to see you two here. Thanks for the work."

"We're the ones who should be thankful, sir."

"I understand. Wait, aren't you Principal Juushiro's secretary?" Corik pointed.

"Ah, yes. That's me."

"What?! You are what, Akira?!"

"He's also the principal's son, actually," Jean whispered.

"Oh my goodness… Things are so weird these days…"

…

"You're working at Stylo Studios, Martin?" asked Gin.

"Do you also know my boss, Gin?"

"No. I just assumed that based from their reaction. Those two has their work training there."

"I see. He's Corik Sans, by the way."

"Mhm.

So, what happened to you? Seems like you're absent from work. They might have never seen you in the studio by the looks of it."

The boss abruptly left, so as to not disturb their reunion.

"I got a complication in my stomach so I had to undergo an operation. It was hard eating solid foods for a long time, you know. I wasn't able to work for a few months because of that.

What about you? What were those things that they were saying earlier?"

"…

To tell you the truth, what these two told you are all true. I was really involved in an accident and got majority of my bones almost pulverized. That's not the whole story, though. I went insane a few times before I fully recovered. You know how I was a half-baked human, right? It was tied with it.

Oh. Just so you know, my hair is natural. This is how I was born."

"Oh, I see. I don't get it at all."

"Yeah, you didn't. You don't have to.

Well, anyway. I'm fine now for the most part. I now live a life as a chef in Giotto's. Drop by sometimes."

"Surprises after another…"

"Ahahaha. You free for a drink later? I brought a bottle of sake with me that I got from Goci. If your stomach allows, want some?"

"Wait, you're already drinking even though you're just 18?"

"You won't see this moderate drinker suddenly inviting someone every time, y'know. I'm technically and formally 20 now, though."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"You don't need to make a sense out of it."

‹Gin›

What do you know. It was a nice time to be able to catch up to him. I actually wasn't expecting that we will meet again after he graduated from high school, so it was still a surprise for me even when I am expecting already that he will be here.

Then again, we didn't make him stay for long after knowing that it was also his first time meeting his colleagues again. It seems that he just completely healed a few weeks ago and is now about to come back to work in the next week.

Even if I don't have any particular plans on taking a degree as I have a full-time work, I still asked him what to expect when entering an art college. That inquiry was solely for the purpose of sharing my knowledge through my mental world to a certain someone connected in my head. Even if he is aiming for a different college, it would still be a great reference to all of them in general.

But now that I think about it, it will feel like Akira and I will be left behind as the four out of us six will be taking a new step to their lives. But to be honest, even if the two of us change our minds, Tenth will tell us that "we are already fine the way we are now."

I set aside those thoughts and continued on with the camp.

Thus, night came.

~ ~ ~

"3, 2, 1…

Hotpot…!"

The six of them have called a very unnecessary attention from the other campers around them after a cheer in unison and raising their fists up in excitement. Nonetheless, six youthful people were seen beside the campfire's light with an observable dexterity in holding pairs of chopsticks in this country that uses silverware. The sight, for the others that momentarily stared at them, looked somewhat weird yet still astonishing.

If anything, their gazes shifted from the adolescents to the boiling pot that was surrounded by the six. The ingredients were properly placed enough that the thought of shabu-shabu made the far spectators drool.

Once again, the old members of the Art Club feasted upon another great dinner.

…

"Uhh…" Akira's throat vibrated nonsensically. "Why are we wrapped in thick blankets?"

"This is another reference, mister," Gin's muffled voice let out.

Indeed, they are all sitting under a mat over a grass floor with thick blankets wrapping from the toes up to their nose while staring at the randomness of the dancing fire.

Finally, the six of them have relived another anime scene. The country may have accepted it, but their cringe is stronger than the acceptance.

"This feels so comfy and warm, though…"

"And that's the point why the moe blobs do this, Shiro," said Nagi proudly.

"Guess I'll be off. I'll take a bath later so you guys go without me."

Gin went out of his cozy shell and took a bottle with a narrow neck tied with a cloth.

"Ahh. So that's what you meant."

"Bang!" Rin suddenly made a gun gesture pointed at Gin.

"Agh…! I got shot…!

I won't drink much, Rin. I'll let the others empty the bottle."

"Okay."

The others thought that Rin might have been weird in her many ways even before meeting Gin.

…

"Good evening, Mr. Sans. I've got sake with me."

"Ohh. Take a seat. Take a seat."

"Man… I wasn't expecting that I will be sharing a table with Gin as adults."

"I'm not that much of an adult, Martin. I still watch out before landing on screw-ups. I can't be making any crucial mistakes after declaring to my girlfriend's father that I am set to marrying her daughter in the still far future."

Gin then sipped a shot.

"I didn't know you're this crazy… I can't even think of marriage prospects when I was bedridden, you know.

But then again, you just mentioned that you are a chef in Giotto's that has a branch in Japan."

"I stressed that it will be in the far future, so I'm at least safe with that.

Shoo that topic; are you still in Sector 527?"

"Yeah. I still live with my family and the studio is nearby so things still work out for me."

"If TAC is looking for a collaboration, you can contact us," Corik chipped in.

"Yes, thank you very much."

The conversations did not stop for a while.

The chief of Stylo Studios eventually got his face a little flushed and began talking about his wife and their wedding while at the same time teasing the two about it. Later, even Yuuga and Yuki Amagami's name surfaced to the topic for the same reason.

He was saying things cheerfully like "kids are getting ahead of themselves," which landed a hit on Gin's stomach. With that, he put down his glass perpetually for the night and came back rather early with the others still awake and lively.

He was still very fine and sober for the remaining hours of the night.

▪ ▪ ▪

All of them woke up with the snow falling down fairly from up above. The whiteness of the grass was however still being reflected with the hue of the sky as the clouds open up every now and then.

They have had their breakfast, but there were still a few hours remaining before they leave.

Rin closed her book after a few minutes of opening it and grabbed a handful of snow which she then threw right on Shiro's head.

Of course, there was no way that she will not throw back.

~ ~ ~

Akira has just left the reception building after checking out from the grounds, meaning that their time in the camp has come to an end.

The car's engine has been running for at least ten minutes for a cold start. Similarly to how they began, all of their things have been neatly stored on the car's back without a thing forgotten.

Akira had already hopped on the car, but Gin has not yet stepped on the pedal.

He has been reflecting once again now that the camp he had planned long ago is now over.

"Thank you all."

The other five fell to confusion as they heard words of gratitude coming from Gin.

"Now I can move on from what happened last month. I guess this is a payback for that."

They picked up on what Gin was trying to say. For this past three days, they had put Gin's agonizing demeanor on the back of their minds. As such, they even forgot what happened back in Goci for a moment.

"You're welcome!"

"…

Ahahahaha. I'm whining again, aren't I.

Well, back to Cotona!"

Chapter Message:

If camping means moving from house to house and sleeping on a concrete floor almost two weeks, then maybe I have. (That was two years ago on my hiatus. I sound like homeless but fortunately I'm not!)

Thank you for reading!

Next

084: As seniors, it's just right to think about college, right? Right...?