#252
First night of the school trip.
After finishing the dinner, the students were enjoying their last free time of the day.
Some students gathered in the lounge for conversations, while others rested in their rooms.
I received an invitation from Shizuku to participate in Shisa-making in the small hall on the first floor.
There were about thirty students participating in total.
Students from one class were reminiscing about their childhood as they molded clay with their hands.
When I reflexively sat down near the end of the room, Shizuku and Kirasaka sat down on either side of me.
Yuuto took a seat opposite me, and next to him was a student who hadn’t been part of the original plan.
“I didn’t know you were participating in the Shisa-making, Miyashita-san.”
“Well, it’s a free experience, and it’s a nice way to make memories.”
Yuuto said to Miyashita who was sitting next to him.
After finishing the discussion with Miyashita and returning to the room, I told him that she wanted to participate in the hands-on workshop, so I agreed.
Yuuto probably understood that it wasn’t the essence of our conversation, but I also knew he wouldn’t pry further, which is why I phrased it like that.
The workshop began, and the instructor gave a verbose lecture on how to make Shisa.
After quietly listening and learning the basics, we were given free time to create.
Initially, I thought we would work silently in the room, but surprisingly, the room was filled with energy, and it seemed that talking wouldn’t attract much attention.
However, the Shisa-making had just begun.
It wasn’t the right time to bring up strange topics out of the blue, so all five of us focused on our clay creations.
…Shisa, huh.
As sample materials, various Shisa pictures were placed on each table, all of them having common elements but different forms.
Cloud-like or lion-like manes, sharp fangs, but the eyes ranged from cute to majestic like those of an ancient bronze statue.
In essence, it seemed that we were free to create based on our own personalities.
About thirty minutes had passed since it began.
As I began shaping what I imagined as a four-legged creature, I felt gazes from both sides.
Shizuku’s work was like a large version of the sample at the top of the reference materials. The pose resembled a sitting dog, and the positioning of the eyes and angles seemed calculated for a clean overall appearance.
On the other hand, Kirasaka’s creation bore no resemblance to the reference materials. However, it exuded a sense of dynamism, with its front legs raised as if it were racing through the earth and fierce, intense eyes that would leave no room for the instructor to criticize.
The way these two approached the task reflected their personalities: perfect imitation and perfect individuality.
Being sandwiched between them felt like some kind of torture.
It was awkward, and at the same time, I felt embarrassed by the lack of precision in my Shisa.
…I need to clear my mind.
Once they were satisfied with their creations, both of them stopped and observed my work in progress.
“Is that a Shiba Inu?”
“In terms of size …a puppy? Or is it a miniature Shiba?”
“…It’s a Shisa. It’s not finished yet, so could you two wait a bit?”
Our working speeds were different, so it was natural that they would be idle for a while, but I hoped they wouldn’t start an impromptu evaluation.
Or rather, it’s not a Shiba Inu.
Desperately focusing on creating the mane, I hoped they would eagerly await its completion.
As expected, since I’m a guy, I’m more excited about docking parts than making it at once.
Well, to be honest, it’s easier to create individual parts than an integrated one.
Coupled with the liveliness in the room, it wasn’t a bad timing for a conversation.
Without pausing my hands, I redirected my gaze forward with an upward glance.
Yuuto had made significant progress on his Shisa, resembling a lion, with only minor discrepancies.
Miyashita, on the other hand, was working on fine details, and the concentration of everyone at the table had somewhat relaxed.
“Yuuto.”
“Yeah?”
While continuing to knead the clay without halting my hands, I engaged my thoughts to their fullest extent.
Miyashita’s shoulders beside Yuuto shook. It was likely due to the proposal I had shared with her before we gathered in this small hall.
“If you genuinely want Yuuto to take you seriously, you should tell him how you feel first.”
For Miyashita, this might seem like an untimely and unwelcome suggestion.
It might be hard for her to understand why she should disclose her affection openly before capturing Yuuto’s attention.
However, in some cases, this approach could be more effective.
Given Yuuto’s overly kind nature, he was susceptible to taking others’ words at face value. If she conveyed her interest clearly from the start, it would be less likely for him to treat her as just another friend, like those around him.
When I presented this idea, Miyashita reluctantly agreed, understanding that she had her own tendencies of being overly kind.
“It seems like you’ve caught her interest, Yuuto.”
“Yeah?”
As I completed the final section of the Shisa’s mane, I attached it around the neck.
Finally, I had a Shisa that somewhat resembled the real thing, evoking a slight sense of accomplishment.
As expected of Minato-kun, it was neither impressive nor unimpressive – just an ordinary, somewhat bland Shisa-like creature.
“What’s this all of a sudden, Minato… And Miyashita-san too—”
“…I appreciate your concern, but it’s a bit overwhelming. Also, you should pay more attention to your surroundings.”
For someone like me, it was an uncharacteristic remark.
As evidence, Shizuku narrowed her eyes, as if suspecting that something was going on.
As for Kirasaka, she either had no interest or was simply ignoring us. Instead, she placed my Shisa-kun Mark-1 and her own creation side by side, taking photos of them with her smartphone.
Taking a moment to breathe, I turned my gaze back to Yuuto and Miyashita, who were seated next to each other.
They exchanged glances, with Yuuto looking slightly awkward and Miyashita blushing.
“What’s going on between the two of them?”
“…Nothing, really.”
I responded in a hushed tone to Shizuku, who had discreetly leaned in to speak beside me.
She was curious because she knew that I had never facilitated any assistance from female students for Yuuto before. Her voice carried a hint of suspicion.
“I don’t know if she’s serious or joking. You’ll have to figure it out.”
I said seriously to Yuuto, bypassing any attempts at humor.
Reading people’s minds completely was impossible, as long as you were human. If only there were some magic like those in a fantasy world…
This might not have been the assistance she had in mind when she approached me, but you’ll have to give me a break.
If you have any regrets, you should convince yourself that you consulted the wrong person.
This was the only way I knew how to handle it.
I wasn’t fond of straightforward methods though…
“Well then… I’m tired. I’m going to bed.”
I said, picking up the plate with Shisa-kun Mark-1 and placing it on the shelf.
It is scheduled to be sent to my home once it dries and can be mailed.
Let’s have him become the guardian of our home.
After all, I worked at a black company that operated seven days a week.
With that thought in my heart, I turned around and spoke just one last thing to the two who would likely be the turning point of this school trip.
“Good night, you two.”
“You couldn’t think of anything else to say, huh?”
“Noisy.”
When I thought about it carefully, I didn’t have anything to say to them at all.
Unexpectedly, the consequences of not enjoying a typical high school student’s life were catching up to me.
For now, I should return to the hotel room before Yuuto starts lecturing me.
His lectures tend to be quite lengthy.
BrutalBot Tl 