The morning at Kinosaki Onsen came early. Normally, sleeping until well past noon was nothing unusual for us college students, but the strange magic of being on a trip is a frightening thing. By seven in the morning, we were already awake without even trying.

“Mm… fwaaah…”

I was the first to wake up, stretching my body wide. When I glanced to the side, I saw Noa curled up asleep, facing my way. Her sleeping face was completely unguarded. Normally, Noa had a slightly aloof, dependable air about her, but seeing her like this, she felt like an ordinary girl her age.

…Huh?

Looking closer, I noticed Noa’s hand gripping the edge of my futon, as if pleading with me not to go anywhere. I remembered her saying last night that she wanted to sleep next to me. What did she mean by that? Was she just feeling lonely, or was it a sign that she trusted me? Either way, being cherished by a friend didn’t feel bad. Making sure not to pull the futon from her grasp, I quietly slipped out from the futon and headed to the washroom. After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I returned to the room to find Yukina and Nagisa already sitting up.

“Morning, Ren. You’re up early.”

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

Both of them looked freshly awake, their hair sticking out in all directions and their yukata slightly disheveled. I averted my gaze a little as I replied,

“Morning, you two. Go get yourselves ready first.”

“Okaaay…”

“Alright…”

The two of them stood up sleepily, rubbing the drowsiness from their eyes, and headed for the washroom as if trading places with me. After a little while, Noa woke up as well, and once she finished getting ready, we spent the time before breakfast relaxing at our own pace. Breakfast wasn’t a buffet, but a Japanese set meal served in the room. Grilled fish, a hot spring egg, and yudofu—gentle, comforting dishes lined the table. Despite having eaten so much the night before, I was surprisingly hungry, and we ended up finishing everything while asking for seconds of rice.

“Alright. What should we do today?”

After checking out and leaving the inn, we held a strategy meeting inside the rental car.

“I want to go to Kinosaki Marine World!”

The one who eagerly raised her hand was Noa.

“An aquarium, huh? That sounds good.”

“I’m in too. Apparently you can catch horse mackerel and have it fried as tempura right on the spot.”

“Oh, they have something like that? That sounds fun.”

And so, our destination for the second day was decided: Kinosaki Marine World. It took about ten minutes of driving to get there. The aquarium sat atop seaside cliffs facing the Sea of Japan, offering a spectacular view. As soon as we entered, a massive tank greeted us.

“Whoa, it’s huge! There are so many fish!”

“Ren, look, look! There’s a ray over there!”

Nagisa reacted in surprise while Noa bounced around in excitement. Tugging on my sleeve, Noa happily pointed at the tanks one after another. The awkwardness left behind after yesterday’s delinquent incident had completely vanished. If anything, it felt like the distance between us had grown closer than before, physically as well. As we walked, she stayed close enough that our shoulders brushed.

“Noa, you’re pretty fired up today,”

I said, half teasing. Noa blushed slightly, but she looked straight up at me and replied,

“It’s fun because I’m with you, Ren.”

“Huh?”

“It’s fun because I’m going around the aquarium with you, Ren.”

As she said that, her eyes looked faintly moist.

“I see… Well, I’m glad you’re having fun. Guess that makes me feel like a good friend,”

I said with a wry smile. In response, Noa happily leaned in even closer. Our arms were touching. I could feel a soft warmth through the contact. Behind us, I could hear Yukina and Nagisa whispering about something, but not knowing how I was supposed to react, I pretended to focus on reading the fish descriptions to play it off.

After that, we watched the dolphin show and had fun with the famous horse mackerel fishing. I took charge of baiting the hooks while the three of them lowered their lines into the water.

“I got one! Ren, I caught one!”

“Oh, nice going, Nagisa! Hand it over, I’ll take the hook off for you.”

Since the girls couldn’t bring themselves to touch the fish, I took care of unhooking them and dropping them into the bucket instead, earning myself teasing cheers like, “Ren, you really are dependable!” and “So manly!” delivered in those playful, high-pitched voices. It was obviously meant as a joke, but even so, I couldn’t say I didn’t enjoy it. I really am a simple guy. We had the horse mackerel we caught turned into tempura and ate it while it was still hot and crispy. The fish you catch yourself just tastes better.

After spending the day having fun until evening, we headed back toward Kounotori Tajima Airport to make our way home. It was a short, one-night, two-day trip, but it had been so packed it felt almost overwhelming. Once we boarded the plane and took our seats, the three of them promptly fell asleep, worn out from all the fun.

As I gazed out the window at the sunset sky spreading before us, I reflected on the trip.

Good food. Great hot springs. Enjoyable sightseeing.

And more than anything else, it felt like the distance between me and my friends had closed just a little.

Noa’s change stood out in particular. She seemed brighter somehow, as if something had finally been lifted from her shoulders.

Yukina and Nagisa, too, seemed subtly different. The expressions they showed now and then felt a little different than before.

Eighteen years had passed since I’d been reincarnated into a reversed chastity world. I’d spent all that time keeping my guard up around women, but with these three, maybe I really could build a genuinely good friendship.

“Mmm… Ren…”

Noa, asleep beside me, murmured my name in her sleep. Then she leaned her head against my shoulder. Smiling wryly, I gently supported her head so it wouldn’t slip. A sweet scent from the inn’s shampoo drifted from her hair.

Summer vacation had only just begun.

There were surely even more fun times waiting ahead.

Holding onto that feeling, I let drowsiness gently take over.