Sekaiichi Hatsukoi – Yoshino Chiaki no Baai - Volume 1 - Chapter 9

「CHAPTER 9」
Today, he spent his time unusually peacefully at home. He finished this month's
manuscript before the deadline because he learned his lesson the last time. Now that the
storyboard for the upcoming issue was complete, he had a few days to spare.
It sure has been a while since I could just chill like this.
“Chiaki, how much longer are you going to read that?”
“Hold on, I'm not quite done yet.”
He woke up late and finished his days reading manga; it was a really blissful time.
Today Yoshino spent the afternoon with Yanase reading their shared collection of books
(although one might say it was only manga) as if they were elementary students. Yanase
wasn't the only one here today, though; Hatori had also come by to discuss the future
schedule.
“..........Yoshino. Clean up your desk. I can't lay out the food.”
“Oh, sorry! I'll clean it up right now.”
“Yoshino!”
Hatori raised his voice when Yoshino kept reading the manga while apologizing.
When Yoshino looked up, he saw that Hatori – who was wearing an unflattering
apron – was frowning angrily. He quickly cleared away the top of the dining table,
transferring the pile of manga onto the sofa.
“Hey Chiaki, what's up with this stack of pamphlets?”
“Hm? Oh, I'm thinking of going on a trip somewhere again.”
Last time, Yoshino had gone on a trip with Yanase and became captivated by the
allure of the hot springs, so when he had gone shopping, he had picked up pamphlets
from the travel agency. Yanase picked up the pamphlet that was lying on the coffee table
and opened it up at the folded page.
“So turbid hot springs are the next on the list, huh?” Yanase muttered
absentmindedly as he stared at the glamorous photo of the hot springs.
“When are you planning on going?”
“I think I can afford to go around this time next month. If I finish the manuscript
ahead of time, I can go for 3 days and 2 nights, don't you think?”
“You really think that?” Hatori quietly questioned.
“It- it'll be fine! I can do it if I set goals. From now on, if I make a plan, I will
make sure to keep to it so that it won't end up like last time.”
“I don't care if you go as long as you finish the manuscript, but if things turn out
like last month......”
“If he himself says that it'll be fine then it'll be fine. Anyways, I want to go to the
hot springs too. We can make it if I set up the date ahead of time. The weekdays are the
days when it's not crowded.”
Yanase interrupted Hatori's nagging and continued talking about the trip.
“That's true! What to do then......? Oh yeah, umm...do you want to come too,
Tori?”
Yoshino looked at the calendar while thinking about the day of the trip, but then
he remembered yesterday's events when he met Hatori's glare. When he nervously tried
to invite him, Hatori retorted, looking sullen.
“Did you forget that I'm a salary man?”
“Ah......oh, right......”
He forgot because Hatori came over whenever he called for him, even on
weekdays, but an editor is an ordinary salary man and basically, their vacations are
scheduled with the vacations on the calendar.

Then maybe weekends are better? But Yuu says that weekdays are better......But
then he will definitely sulk again.
Yoshino wouldn't be able to stand it if Hatori became all sulky like last time.
“Anyway, you're caught up in your work on weekends as well. If you don't go on
the trip when you can, you'll end up regretting it later on, Chiaki.”
“Yeah...that's true.”
“..........”
“Ah, no, maybe the holidays are better......”
Having agreed with what Yanase had said, earned him a glare from Hatori, so he
disregarded it. As he worried over what the matter was, Yanase dismissed Yoshino's idea.
“He's a workaholic so it can't be helped. The poor guy.”
“I don't see any reason for you to sympathize with me.”
“I'm not sympathizing with you. Just pitying you. Your seasoning is too strong,
after all. Too much salt causes high blood pressure. That's why you're always SO angry,
right?”
Yanase picked at the side dishes arranged on the table and gave his honest
opinion. Yoshino, unable to interrupt the grim atmosphere between the two, just watched
them in suspense. Why did Yanase only lash out at Hatori? He had no idea as to why he
would do this, since now he knew that Yanase wasn't pretending to act mean to Hatori
because he liked him.
“I didn't cook this food for y-”
“That reminds me, have you heard a funny story?”
Yanase interrupted Hatori and selfishly began talking. Just when Yoshino felt
relieved that Yanase had stopped arguing, Yanase blurted out an outrageous thing.
“The other day at the party, Chiaki suddenly says to me: 'You like Tori too, don't
you, Yuu?' It really surprised me.”
“BAH! Yu- Yuu! What are you talking about?!!”
At this announcement, Yoshino let out a guffaw while choking, despite himself,
but Hatori looked awfully disgusted.
“What the hell is that all about?”
“Well, he looked so serious when he asked so it really surprised me. Chiaki, your
eyes don't lie.”
“Well...that's cause......”
He was on a verge of making up an excuse, but because Yanase, grinning from
ear to ear, might get witty, Yoshino chose his next words wisely.
“If you say you don't like him, then do you like someone else!?”
“Yep.”
“Oh......HUHHH!?”
It surprised him when Yanase gave such a blunt answer since Yoshino had
thought that he was teasing him. His desire to fight back vanished and now only his
genuine interest grew.
“WHO? Do I know her?”
When he pressed him for an answer with interest, Yanase laughed, after pausing
briefly.
“Hatori knows this person very well.”
“What? Tori knows her? Who is it? Tell me!”
“..........”
“Why are you both quiet!?”
He switched between them, pressing them for an answer, but they wouldn't tell
him no matter how much he pestered them. Hatori just silently glared at Yanase, his
eyebrows coming closer and closer together.