Chapter 196: To be on top, this is the first step

Ayase Kotone's sudden words made Shimizu Ken feel as if a string in his head was gently plucked.

"Why did the president say that?"

"This... I'm not really sure, but I just feel like I know Shimizu-san, and... I have an indescribable feeling."

Ayase Kotone stared at Shimizumi again and again, as if she was determined to figure out what was going on, but she didn't seem to remember anything.

And Shimizu Mi was looking at the two lines of small words above Ayase Kotone's head.

[Name of the heroine: Ayase Kotone]

[Ayase Kotone's current abnormality value: 0/100. ]

The above shows that Ayase Kotone's current abnormal value is 0.

It seemed that such information had never appeared before, so Shimizu Mi couldn't quite understand it, but since the abnormality was shown as 0, it meant that there was nothing abnormal with Ayase Kotone.

Although I was a little worried before that Ayase Kotone would also become a yandere, but as of now, everything seems to be normal.

There should be no problem.

"I think the president has confused me with someone else?"

"Is that so... But Shimizu-san seems to be very caring, just now in the car was also like that, although it may be that I am overthinking, but I always feel that Shimizu-san seems to know me very well, so I wonder if I have seen him somewhere before."

"That's probably just because I have a common face."

"If Shimizu-san is considered a common face, then there are probably not many people like him left in this world."

"Does the president mean to compliment me on how handsome I am?"

Qing Shuijian did not feel complacent about this, but just answered calmly.

"...So be it."

Ayase Kotone took one last look at Shimizumi, then turned and walked towards the bus.

……

It is now eleven o'clock in the morning, and the five-day and four-night study tour will officially begin from now on.

“Ah—it’s so hot!”

Shinichi Ishikawa, who got off the bus, fanned himself with his hands and shouted.

Although people usually joke that Tokyo is not that hot, Kyoto today is indeed much hotter than Tokyo, at least hotter than when we left school.

However, a scene appeared before my eyes that made me forget the heat for a moment.

"Wow!? What's going on here? This isn't an ordinary hotel..."

After getting off the bus, there is a wide area like a playground in front of you. In the depths are two quaint houses. Because they have to accommodate all the students, the scale is quite impressive.

Boys and girls were separated and went to their respective houses. The boys went to the one that looked slightly larger.

It seems that this time there is no mixed accommodation, but rather the class groups are ignored and men and women are accommodated in two separate hotels.

As you step into the building, you are greeted by a nostalgic scent of wood.

It feels like a nostalgic wooden house that appears in storybooks. Although the house seems to be very old, it is kept in a very beautiful state because of the thorough management and maintenance.

Although the exterior gives people a sense of history, the interior decoration of the lobby and other places has been carefully arranged and feels very clean.

Moreover, the air here is much fresher than that in big cities, which makes people want to live in seclusion in such a place in the future.

After placing their luggage in the rooms assigned to them by the school, Shimizu and the others went to the large cafeteria attached to the school to enjoy lunch.

The spacious restaurant seemed to be able to accommodate quite a large number of people. One could overlook the first floor by walking up the stairs. According to the hotel information given by Hoshinomiya Mizuki that I had browsed before, this place seemed to be able to accommodate about 500 people, and it was crowded with quite a lot of students.

Shimizumi sat down alone with the food tray.

Then Ayase Kotone, Kikuchi Megumi, and Kondo Yuichi also came over.

According to the school's arrangement, the first and second days of the school trip were for group activities according to the sightseeing itinerary given by the school, so it was inevitable that this would happen.

From the third day onwards, members of each group can act freely and independently.

Because only the first and second days have fixed itineraries, and everyone is free to visit after that, all the students in the cafeteria are discussing what to do after the third day.

"Shimizu-san, can I sit here?"

"of course."

The cafeteria is a public place, so you can sit anywhere you want.

Since Ayase Kotone had already sat down next to Shimizumi, Kikuchi Megumi and Kondo Yuichi sat opposite them.

However, Kondo Yuichi looked a little listless, and even with the tray in his hand, he looked absent-minded.

It seems that his mother's infidelity has had a much greater impact on him than he imagined.

"Hahu——"

A cute voice came from nearby, as if fatigue was surging all at once.

Immediately after Ayase Kotone, Amemiya Iori sat down on the other side of Shimizumi.

Following them were Rena Shimizu, Shinichi Ishikawa, and Rin Onodera.

Kondo Yuichi came back to his senses a little after seeing Amamiya Iori sitting down, but eventually he lowered his head listlessly and just kept shoveling food into his mouth.

Shinichi Ishikawa and Rin Onodera were sitting face to face. Because he would blush easily when he saw Rin Onodera, he was almost in the same state as Yuichi Kondo, just focusing on eating with his head down.

"My dear, is this all you're going to eat?"

"Well, I'm not very hungry yet."

At this time, Reina Shimizu, who was sitting next to Amemiya Iori, couldn't help but yawn.

"Reina, how was your sleep on the way?"

In fact, Shimizu Reina also fell asleep in the second half, and she used Amamiya Iori's shoulder as a pillow and fell asleep on it, so she looked like she was sleeping very comfortably.

"I'm sorry, Sister Iori..."

"It's okay, it's okay. Reina-sister's body is very soft anyway, so it's okay if she comes a little closer."

Amemiya Iori took Shimizu Reina's hand and asked her to sit closer.

The two girls seemed to have a much weaker understanding of public spaces than most people, and their close and intimate interactions made many boys nearby blush.

"Oh, dear, except for the first two days, the rest is free time. Where do you want to go?"

To be honest, apart from buying souvenirs for Hoshino Akiko, Shimizu Mi had no plans at all.

After telling this to Amamiya Iori, she spread out the tourist guides and travel magazines she had prepared in advance in a row and placed them on the table.

"Then let's think about it together."

Amemiya Iori first asked Ayase Kotone if the two groups could act together when the group was operating tomorrow.

Although the school stipulates that we should act in groups according to the arrangement in the first two days, it does not prohibit multiple groups from acting at the same time, so there is no problem for two groups to communicate and act together like this.

Ayase Kotone first asked for the opinions of each team member. Shimizu naturally didn't care. Kikuchi Megumi agreed immediately and said there was no problem, while Kondo Yuu just kept his head down and said nothing.

Therefore, the two groups will quickly reach a consensus if they act together.

“What kind of scenic spot is better…”

Amamiya Iori murmured this, but did not study the content in particular detail and continued to turn the pages.

She read travel magazines in a completely sensory way, focusing mainly on the photos of scenic spots published on them. This is in line with her style, and is exactly the opposite of Ayase Kotone, who reads carefully word by word as if reading a text book. "Where did you get so many books?"

"Some of them belong to Reina, some I borrowed from the school library, and some were given to me by Hoshinomiya-sensei."

It seems that Amamiya Iori has done a lot of homework in advance. Is she looking forward to this school trip?
Although it looks like this on the surface, I always feel that it has something to do with Reina Shimizu's abnormality.

But to be honest, Shimizu himself was also looking forward to this trip to Kyoto.

Although I’m not as excited as some students who can’t sleep, it’s a rare opportunity to travel, so it would be better if I could leave some unforgettable experiences.

Anyway, after finishing most of the meal, Shimizu Miyabi picked up a magazine and flipped through it, quickly browsing some well-known attractions and more famous local foods and snacks.

"Well... at this time of year, it would be ideal to go to Tofukuji Temple. However, if we walk to Tofukuji Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine is not far away."

"Even the geographical location is so clear, has President Ayase been there before?"

Hearing Amemiya Iori's question, Ayase Kotone looked puzzled.

"No, this is my first time in Kyoto."

"Have you checked it specifically?"

"nor."

"Then how does President Ayase know so much?"

"This...I don't know either."

Ayase Kotone shook her head, revealing a confused expression that she herself couldn't understand.

However, the two did not dwell on it too much, thinking that they might have seen Ayase Kotone on a travel program before.

In short, the schedule that was originally empty for the next few days was suddenly filled up during the short lunch period.

……

After lunch, all groups gathered outside the hotel.

According to the itinerary given by the school today, we will visit Kiyomizu Temple next.

Because the name of the temple is the same as Shimizumi's last name, Amamiya Iori said that maybe he would have good luck there.

Each group of students boarded their respective tour buses one after another.

The seats on the tour bus are similar to those on the bus.

Shimizu Miki was still sitting with Ayase Kotone and Ishikawa Shinichi, and on his right were Amamiya Iori and Shimizu Rena.

The distance from the hotel to Kiyomizu Temple is very short. If you are willing to spend a little more time, you can even walk directly there. Of course, it will be faster if you take a tour bus.

The car was driving in the city, and after turning a corner, a ramp appeared in front of us.

The parking lot here covers a large area and is filled with tour buses from other tour groups.

The school bus joined them, and then they got off and climbed up to Kiyomizu Temple on foot.

After all, the Kiyomizu-dera Temple area is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kyoto, so the number of tourists has always remained at an extremely high level and there is an endless stream of tourists all year round.

First, everyone takes a group photo in front of Nioumon.

It’s a pity that because the itineraries and activities are compulsory for the school, even if some people don’t want to take pictures, there is no way to avoid it.

Under the guidance of Ayase Kotone, the four-member group of Shimizu completed their first group photo.

In the photo, except for Kikuchi Megumi, the other three have no smiles on their faces, as if they had to do it just to complete the school task. Kondo Yuichi even kept his eyes down to the ground and did not look at the camera at all.

At this time, Amemiya Iori walked to Shimizumi. There was a rope around her neck, and the camera hanging below swayed with her steps. The pink body matched her very well.

"Honey, let's take a picture together."

Before Shimizu could answer, Amemiya Iori came over, hooked his arm and led him under the shade of a tree.

The light here is good and there is no problem of being exposed to the sun, making it a great place for taking photos.

Although it didn't matter to Shimizumi to take a photo, Amamiya Iori didn't rush to open the camera, but gently waved to someone not far away:
"Reina, this is a rare opportunity, why don't you come over and take a photo with us?"

Amamiya Iori waved gently, and Shimizu Reina, who was staring at the mountains in a daze not far away, walked over in small steps.

"Sister Iori..."

"Alright, Alright, don't just stand there, Reina, hurry up and take a picture. Didn't you also say that you wanted to take a picture with your dear?"

"No, I...I didn't mean that."

Shimizu Reina secretly glanced at Shimizu Ken, then quickly looked away.

"But since Reina said she wants to get there, this first step is indispensable."

What first step? On top of what?

Seeing that Shimizu was confused, Amamiya Iori pulled him and Shimizu Reina to stand on his left and right sides.

She skillfully adjusted the camera hanging around her neck to selfie mode and pressed the shutter button.

The camera shutter made a "beeping" sound, freezing the appearance of the three people in the lens.

"Strange, I always feel like something is wrong..."

Amemiya Iori stared at the photo on the screen and frowned unnaturally.

"Ah, I get it! Reina, let me take another photo of the two of you."

"Two-person photo..."

After saying this, Shimizu Mi suddenly remembered that he seemed to have never taken a photo with Shimizu Reina.

To be precise, I don't even have a photo of her.

Perhaps this is really a dereliction of duty on the part of the brother.

While reflecting on his negligence, Shimizu decided to make up for this regret.

Amemiya Iori walked out of the shade of the trees and raised her camera to point it at Shimizu and Mitsuko from about ten meters away.

"Reina, can you come a little closer? If you stand so far away, people will think you are a couple having a quarrel."

"Little couple?!"

Reina Shimizu's cheeks suddenly turned red, and seemed to emit wisps of white smoke under the scorching sun.

Reina Shimizu lowered her head shyly. From Shimizu Jian's perspective, he could only see the pink hair on her head swaying gently in the breeze.

"Reina."

Hearing Shimizu Ken's soft call, Shimizu Reina raised her head.

Then, Shimizumi's arms went around her back and hugged her shoulders.

"……elder brother."

Shimizu Reina looked at Shimizu Miki's profile looking ahead and couldn't help but call out.

“When taking pictures, you have to look forward.”

"……Um."

Shimizu Reina nodded obediently, turned her face slightly, followed Shimizu Jian's embrace, and gently rested her cheek on his chest.

At this moment, the shadows under the shade of the tree became longer in the sunlight, but the hearts of the two seemed to be closer.

(End of this chapter)