July 20th, the first official day of summer vacation. Inside the Yukinoshita household.
"Yukino's cat food is under that closet over there."
"There are still plenty of ingredients we bought earlier in the fridge. If you have time after feeding Yukino, feel free to cook something for yourself before you leave."
"Otherwise, even with the fridge, things will spoil and expire if just left there."
"Here is the spare key. I've already greeted the building manager."
"Also, the entrance code is *."
After Yukinoshita Shizuku entrusted every single detail without omission, she handed the key she was holding to Shimizu Nayotake and smiled.
"I'm counting on you to take care of Yukino for this period."
"I will take good care of Yukino."
Shimizu Nayotake nodded earnestly.
Shinjuku Ward, inside Shinjuku Station.
Tsushima Kagami was dressed simply today in jeans and a short-sleeved light blue shirt. He carried a bulging backpack on his back and wore a sun hat on his head.
Beside him, dragging a small suitcase, Yukinoshita Shizuku wore a light yellow striped T-shirt paired with beige wide-leg pants. She had swapped her usual sandals for sneakers.
Her shoulder-length hair was meticulously woven into a scorpion braid, and like Tsushima Kagami, she wore a straw sun hat decorated with a long, water-colored lace ribbon.
After buying their tickets at the counter, the Shonan-Shinjuku Line train they were to take slowly pulled into the platform. Following the flow of boarding passengers, the two walked into the carriage side by side.
They deliberately found a carriage with fewer people and sat down. Yukinoshita Shizuku opened the tourist map she had been holding and began studying it carefully.
At this moment, Tsushima Kagami took out a pre-prepared Sony DV camera that used cassette storage and sat down opposite Yukinoshita Shizuku.
"Shizuku, I'm going to record."
Before Yukinoshita Shizuku could react, Tsushima Kagami turned on the DV power.
REC.
13:15:36
20.07.1998
"Where does Shizuku-chan plan to go dressed like that today?"
On the screen, Yukinoshita Shizuku replied without lifting her head.
"Kamakura."
"Is it a trip?"
"Yes, it is."
"Wow, I'm so envious."
"But a girl traveling alone must be careful~"
On the screen, Yukinoshita Shizuku looked up and rolled her eyes at Tsushima Kagami before lowering her head to continue studying the map.
"Is that the route map in Shizuku-chan's hands?"
"Yes, it is."
"Can you tell us the specific plan?"
"Let me see."
With that, the Yukinoshita Shizuku on the screen fully unfolded the map pamphlet, placed it on her lap, and traced the route with her finger.
"We are currently taking the Shonan-Shinjuku Line and plan to get off at Ofuna Station in Kamakura."
"The whole journey takes about an hour."
"Then, at Ofuna Station, we'll take the Shonan Monorail to go play at Enoshima."
"After that, we'll head to Kamakura High School before sunset to take photos."
"Finally, we'll take the electric railway to Shichirigahama to watch the sunset."
"That will count as the end of today."
"On the morning of the second day, we'll visit Hasedera and the Great Buddha of Kamakura."
"After finishing and having lunch, we'll take the train from Kamakura Station to Kurihama Port in Yokosuka City, and then take a ferry from there to Hamakanaya on the opposite shore."
"Finally, from Hamakanaya, we'll take the train directly back to Chiba."
Yukinoshita Shizuku's finger traced a path from Shinjuku Station all the way around, finally stopping at Chiba on the map.
Then, she looked up at Tsushima Kagami.
"Eh? Planning it so meticulously... it looks like Shizuku-chan is really looking forward to this trip."
"Alright, stop filming."
"Oho oho, is Shizuku-chan shy?"
"As expected of a high school girl, so full of youth."
Seeing Tsushima Kagami holding the DV and striking a pose like a great director, Yukinoshita Shizuku's eyes suddenly lit up. She took out her own Polaroid camera.
The Yukinoshita Shizuku on the screen aimed the Polaroid this way and pressed the shutter.
Click.
The screen went dark.
Watching the photo paper slowly eject from the Polaroid in Yukinoshita Shizuku's hands, Tsushima Kagami took the DV and sat back next to her, leaning in to look at himself in the photo.
Ofuna Station.
Yukinoshita Shizuku and Tsushima Kagami stood closely together. Yukinoshita Shizuku extended her right hand, and Tsushima Kagami extended his left hand, each making a peace sign. Above their heads was the clear blue sky and the Shonan Monorail of the Enoshima Line approaching at a steady speed.
"Hurry, hurry."
"It's coming."
"Don't rush, don't rush."
Tsushima Kagami's right hand held Yukinoshita's Polaroid, stretching his arm out as far as possible to find a good angle aimed at themselves.
3.
2.
1.
Just as the Enoshima Line train passed overhead, the airflow from the train combined with a gust of sea breeze blew up the sun hat on Yukinoshita Shizuku's head.
Yukinoshita Shizuku narrowed her eyes and instinctively lowered her head, raising her left hand to press down on the brim to prevent it from blowing away, while the decorative water-colored lace ribbon fluttered upward.
Tsushima Kagami also got a grain of sand in his eye from the wind, causing him to involuntarily turn his head and grimace.
Click.
With the sound of the Polaroid shutter, followed by a mechanical whirring, the photo paper slowly ejected.
A clear blue sky, the suspended monorail passing overhead, the accidental ugly states of the two... and...
The peace signs their left and right hands had maintained slightly deformed, their fingertips touching to form a shape resembling a heart.
On the Enoshima Line, inside the first carriage.
"Kagami, look quickly."
"It really looks like we're flying at low altitude."
Yukinoshita Shizuku pressed herself against the door of the conductor's cab, watching the scenery retreating continuously outside.
"You're a former Tokyo young lady, after all."
"Don't act like a country bumpkin entering the city."
"Besides, doesn't Chiba have one too?"
"But I've never ridden the suspended monorail in Chiba either."
Hearing Tsushima Kagami say this about her, she finally turned back to look at him.
She saw Tsushima Kagami sitting against the very edge, his hands gripping the handrail beside him tightly.
His body was trembling slightly.
Yukinoshita Shizuku took out the DV from before and turned the power on, aiming it at Tsushima Kagami.
REC.
14:19:21
20.07.1998
"Is Kagami-kun also trembling all over from excitement because it's his first time riding a suspended train?"
On the screen, Tsushima Kagami gave an embarrassed smile to the camera.
"Yes, yes, exactly like that."
"? So it's not because Kagami-kun has acrophobia?"
"W-what acrophobia? There's no acrophobia!"
"Then why is Kagami-kun's face red?"
"Spirited and radiant!"
"Eh, why is it yellow again?"
"Wax applied to protect from the cold!"
"What cold are you protecting against on such a hot day?"
"Ah~ how much longer do we have to ride?"
"About another ten minutes."
"I want to get off."
Enoshima Station.
"Honestly. You clearly have acrophobia. I said we could just take a photo and not ride, that taking another train would be the same."
"But you insisted on saying 'since we're here,' and that not riding would mean we came for nothing."
Yukinoshita Shizuku wiped the cold sweat from Tsushima Kagami's forehead with a tissue while teasing him as he sat on the side catching his breath.
"Aren't you clearly quite happy?"
Tsushima Kagami took out a photo and handed it to Yukinoshita Shizuku.
Yukinoshita Shizuku took it and looked. It was her, pressing against the glass of the train door, looking at the conductor's cab with a face full of curiosity.
"When was this taken?"
"See, you were so happy you didn't even know I secretly took a picture of you."
"Your safety awareness is a bit thin, Shizuku-chan."
____
👻🔥The Director is back! But with a brand new look, heheh...🔥👻
New Story: Classroom of the Elite: Black Sphere Academia
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead on every series!
✅ Unlock supporter-only perks and news!
Let's reach these milestones together:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 free chapter for all readers
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 bonus chapters for all series!
👻 Walnut-chan on P...