Too Many Losing Heroines! - Volume 6 - Chapter 1.2

"Nukkun, you're more scared than I thought. Look, just touch it?"

"But...it's kind of scary when you're actually about to do it."

I hesitated and stepped back, and Yakishio moved closer with a mischievous expression-

Our date continued, and next, we found ourselves at the touch tank.

Touch tanks are always popular spots for visitors.

"Think about it. Touch tanks usually have hermit crabs or starfish, right? Having a Japanese spider crab here is like having Shohei Ohtani come out as a pinch hitter in a backyard baseball game." [TL: Nickname “Shotime”, a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball.]

That's right. This touch tank unusually features a Japanese spider crab, which easily exceeds a meter in length.

It looks extraordinary, almost like a final boss in a video game.

"I would be totally okay with shaking hands with Ohtani. Look, its shell is all bumpy and cute."

Yakishio grabbed my hand and forcibly dunked it into the water.

As expected, the crab's shell was rough and bumpy.

"I touched it! I touched it, okay?"

I quickly withdrew my hand. Just moments ago, my heart had fluttered a bit, but deep down, she was still the same Yakishio.

“...You still managed to hold my hand naturally, even without looking at that memo.”

"The memo?"

Yakishio, who had been looking puzzled for a while, suddenly turned red.

"You did see it! I told you my mom gave it to-"

She stopped mid-sentence as a childlike smile spread across her lips.

"W-What is it?”

"Look, over there, there's a giant isopod."

Giant isopods are like massive sea woodlice about the size of a child's palm. Why anyone would want to touch them, let alone encourage others to do so, is beyond me.

"We should wash our hands after touching the crab. Come on, let's move on to the next thing."

I tried to escape subtly, but Yakishio firmly grasped my hand.

"Next is the giant isopod, right? Come on, Nukkun, let's go!"

"Wait, hold on! I'm not good with bugs and stuff. Can you let go of my hand for a second?"

"Eh, but I usually just hold hands naturally without thinking!"

She must still be holding a grudge about that memo.

"Yakishio, they're selling limited-edition snacks at the gift shop. Let's go check it out!"

Just as I blurted out in a desperate attempt to change the subject-

"Eh, are they good?"

A familiar young girl’s voice responded.

"That voice just now..."

I turned toward the source of the voice, and someone quickly hid behind a souvenir shop shelf.

"That's Yana-chan, isn't it?"

Yakishio and I looked toward the souvenir shop.

"Did you see who it was?"

"Nope, just the back."

We exchanged a look and silently split up, each heading in a different direction to encircle the shop.

As I quickly circled around, Yakishio appeared from the other side.

"Nobody there, huh?"

"No one was there. Maybe the voice we heard was just our imagination?"

That voice, that remark. Could anyone else but Yanami say such a thing...?

Yakishio stopped after we looked around suspiciously for a while.

She took a keychain from the shelf.

"Look, star sand!"

She picked up one with the aquarium's name on it, which contained tiny star sand in a small glass decoration.

“You like that?”

Yakishio nodded with a childlike smile.

"When I was little, I got a small bottle filled with star sand. I really wanted to touch it, so I opened it and ended up spilling it all in the car."

The chaos that must have ensued in the car flashed through my mind.

Yakishio, seemingly torn, eventually put the keychain back on the rack.

"Aren't you going to buy it?"

"Hmm, I might end up wanting to open it again."

You should resist that urge, girl. We left the souvenir shop with Yakishio looking somewhat wistful.

"I wonder if that was a mistake just now. The voice sounded just like Yana-chan.

Disguised Komari and the mysterious figure resembling Yanami...

I spoke to Yakishio while scanning our surroundings.

"Actually, I ran into Komari earlier."

"Komari-chan? So, the person just now was really-"

"Yeah, it could've been Y

anami-san- ouch!?"

Yakishio suddenly pulled my ear.

"Hey, Nukkun. Did you tell everyone about our date?"

"No! I didn't tell anyone!"

Convinced by my frantic explanation, Yakishio finally let go of my ear.

"I didn't tell anyone either. So why would those two be here?"

I have no idea. But surely, Yakishio would prefer being with everyone rather than just me...

"Should we meet up with them and hang out together if we’ve been found out?"

"I don't really like that idea.” 

Yakishio muttered quietly, starting to walk away.

"Eh? I honestly have no idea how we were found out-"

“I’m not talking about that.”

Yakishio headed alone toward the feeding area with her hands clasped behind her back.

The feeding area featured a pool about the size of 10 tatami mats, filled not only with fish but also sea turtles. This aquarium always seemed to offer close encounters with rare creatures.

"Uh, what did you mean by that?"

Yakishio silently put some coins in the payment box and took two containers of food.

“Here.”

She handed one to me. Inside the container were dried small shrimps. As soon as I held it, a sea turtle slowly swam towards us.

"This one really wants some. Here, Nukkun, you feed it too."

As I sprinkled the dried shrimp, the gathered fish swiftly gobbled them up.

Hey, I wasn't giving it to you guys. You guys aren’t Yanami. Show a bit of restraint, will you?

"Nukkun, you need to sprinkle it closer to their mouths."

Yakishio, laughing heartily, seemed to have emptied her container. I tapped the tank from the opposite direction, and the sea turtle near her swam towards me.

I just let my guard down earlier. Viewing the fish as little Yanamis, I carefully dropped dried shrimps one by one near the sea turtle's mouth.

"See, I can feed a sea turtle when I put my mind to it."

"You're so slow. Here, let me show you."

Yakishio grabbed my hand and dumped the rest of the contents all at once.

"Ah, I was doing so well..."

I lamented. Yakishio continued with a softer voice than usual while still holding my hand.

"It can't be helped that we were found out, but remember, Nukkun, you're on a date with me today."

Her eyes mixed with irritation, teasing, and perhaps other emotions. I swallowed nervously and nodded awkwardly.

"Right, yeah. Even if those two are here, it doesn't change our date."

"Of course. You're still so clueless about these things, Nukkun."

Yakishio returned the empty container with a mischievous smile.

"But...maybe we can have a little fun too."

"Eh, what do you mean?"

"I'm pretty confident in a game of tag, you know."

Yakishio winked and pointed towards the aquarium exit with her thumb.

*

We hid behind parked cars in a corner of the residential area across the street from the aquarium.

Swallowing dryly, I waited for my racing heart to calm down. Glancing over, Yakishio appeared unruffled, her hand to her ear, listening carefully.

"-I thought they went this way. What do you think, Komari-chan?"

This is Yanami's voice. Yakishio crouched down even more.

Their loud voices and the pattering of small footsteps echoed in the neighborhood.

"C-Can't you stop eating at a time like this?"

"But this rice cracker has giant isopod powder in it. Want some, Komari-chan?"

“N-No…! I-I said I don’t want it!”

The two of them were making quite a racket. Go somewhere else, girls.

"...Hey, both of you. How about we head back and take the car to the station to get ahead of them?"

...Wait, that voice was Tsukinoki-senpai. Things always get complicated when she's involved.

"I agree! But Remon-chan is fast. I wonder if we can make it in time."

"W-With Nukumizu, we can d-definitely make it.”

"You’re right. I feel reassured."

Their unwavering trust in me was as usual.

...When their voices faded away, Yakishio stretched and stood up.

"Alright, that worked out well. Let's get away from here quickly."

"But I need to get to the station to catch the train home."

Yakishio suddenly stopped stretching.

"What's wrong?”

"............"

She crossed her arms silently.

"Uh, hey-"

"Nukkun, the date isn't over yet, you know?"

She said it jokingly, but with a hint of shyness.

Near the aquarium is an island named Takeshima.

There’s a long bridge about 400 meters in length that stretches out from the sea park, and it's possible to walk across.

"Hey, hurry up!"

Yakishio turned around and waved while walking ahead of me.

We were only halfway across the bridge, but I already wanted to turn back.

“...Please stop running ahead. I’m about to die…”

Leaning on the bridge's railing, I looked back the way we came. The entrance to the bridge was a grassy park, and I could see families playing from afar.

Yakishio ran back to me and slapped my back. Ouch.

"What's wrong, Nukkun? Let's go."

"We ran so much earlier. I’m tired."

"What are you talking about? The main part is just starting."

Yakishio pointed excitedly at the island.

"See the stairs over there? There's a shrine at the top!"

"Really? Do we have to climb up? Can't the shrine just come down to us?"

"Nope, it won't come down. Let's go!"

Yakishio was relentless.

As she pulled my arm, I glanced at her sideways. She seemed as cheerful as ever, pointing at sea birds and laughing joyfully.

Here I was on a date with the usual Yakishio, yet it still didn't feel quite real.

Crossing the bridge with a light heart, we passed through the torii gate, and I was jolted back to reality by the sight of the steep stairs ahead.

"Is there a café halfway up? Like Doutor?" [TL: A Japanese retail company that specializes in coffee roasting and coffee shop franchising.]

To my dismay, Yakishio shook her head with sparkling eyes.

"Nope. Hey, Nukkun, let's race to the top! Ready, set, go!"

Yakishio was already sprinting up the stairs before I could protest.

*

Reaching the top, I clutched my trembling legs and gasped for air.

I had intended to ascend at my own pace, but Yakishio had pushed me to run.

"I don't...usually exercise...much, you know…?"

"But it feels good to move your body, right?"

Not really. It was exhausting and tough.

But since we are here, I figured we might as well pay our respects at the shrine.

According to the map, besides the main Yaotomi Shrine, there were several other shrines within the precincts.

"Let's see, Daikoku Shrine, Chitose Shrine, Uga Shrine- all of these are for food gods."

"I bet Yanami-san will be overjoyed if we bring her here.”

I mused aloud, and Yakishio started poking my cheek with her fingertip.

"Hey, what? Hold on-

"............"

Yakishio kept poking my cheek, looking slightly annoyed. Wait, it actually hurt a bit.

"Okay, okay, I get it! My bad!"

Finally, her relentless poking ceased.

"Really? Do you really understand?"

"Well, that's, of course…."

Yakishio's pout told me she clearly knew I didn't get it at all.

"Do people usually not talk about other girls during a date?"

Wait, is that a no-no? There's so much to learn.

"Sorry, my bad. I'll only talk about Yakishio today."

"No, that's not quite right either."

That was slightly off. Complicated.

Though I was wrong, it seemed to have improved her mood. We prayed together at Yaotomi Shrine's main hall as Yakishio’s smile returned.

I prayed for family safety and, as an extra, for Tamaki-senpai's exam success.

But then I wondered, is it okay to make two requests after only offering 50 yen?

As I was thinking about adding more to the offering box, Yakishio had already finished praying and was looking at the fluttering banners of the shrine.

"Nukkun, you seemed really devoted in your prayers."

"Yeah, I couldn't decide what to wish for. What about you, Yakishio? What did you wish for?"

"I don't really make wishes at places like this."

Yakishio replied nonchalantly, her hands clasped behind her head.

"Why?”

"I feel like if my wish comes true, it might cancel out someone else's."

She smiled a little sadly.

“So, I won’t wish for anything.”

With that, she started walking again.

I followed, searching for the right words to say.

"Is something bothering you?"

"Why do you ask all of a sudden?"

My generic question was lightly brushed off, and we walked side by side on the cobblestone path leading further into the shrine grounds.

"You suddenly asked me out on a date. I thought maybe you had something on your mind you didn't want anyone else to know."

"Is that so? Hmm, I'm not sure myself."

Yakishio slowed her pace.

"Lately, I haven't been able to be at the Literature Club much. I'm not writing novels or doing anything particularly club-like."

I was about to reassure her it wasn't true, but I stopped myself.

It wasn't my place to deny her feelings and worries.

"Everyone's talking about things I don't know when I do show up at the club after a long time. Yana-chan and Komari-chan are talking about stuff I don’t know as well.”

Yakishio shrugged with a self-deprecating smile.

"Lately, your sister has been in the club room more often than I have."

"Really?"

I knew she had been visiting the student council occasionally, but had she been in the club room that much?

As I mulled over my memories, Yakishio lightly bumped her shoulder against mine.

"That's why today, I wanted to sneak ahead a bit."

"...? Why is going on a date with me sneaking ahead?"

"Want to know?"

"Yeah, tell me- Whoa!"

Suddenly, Yakishio grabbed my hand and started running.

"Wait, we're going to fall!"

"I'm being careful!"

Memories of last summer on the beach flashed through my mind.

Led by Yakishio, we passed through the back of the shrine grounds and came upon a descending stone staircase.

It won’t be a laughing matter if we fall here.

The horizon slowly widened as I walked down the stairs, prepared to die.

Then, suddenly, Yakishio stopped.

"Wow..."

She let out an involuntary exclamation.

We had reached the bottom of the stairs, facing the calm waters of Mikawa Bay.

The path we had taken led to the opposite side of the island. A promenade stretched along the outer perimeter of the island from where we stood.

"Look, Nukkun! Over there!"

Yakishio pointed at an island floating in the sea.

"That's where we went to the beach last year, right? Is that the island?"

"That beach is on the opposite shore of Mikawa Bay, so it's beyond that island."

And we didn't go to an island in the first place.

"Besides, the visible distance to the horizon is only about 5 km, so we can't see the beach from here. Maybe from the shrine if we check the elevation and do some calculations."

As I searched for an altitude app on my smartphone, Yakishio snatched it away.

“Ah, hey-”

"We're on a date, looking at a beautiful sea. Can't you think about the mood for once?"

Yakishio sighed while holding my phone.

"Well, maybe it's hard to get into that mood with me as your date. You prefer feminine girls with long hair, right?"

"...Did I ever tell you that?"

Yakishio gave me a pointed look, showing the wallpaper on my phone.

"Because the wallpaper on your phone always features characters with long hair."

I couldn't deny it, but realizing she had seen my phone's wallpaper was a bit of a shock. Hopefully, she hasn’t seen the latest artwork of Poyotan-sensei...

Returning my phone, Yakishio started walking along the seaside promenade.

Suddenly, she veered off the path, hopping onto the rocks that jutted out into the sea.

"Hey, be careful!"

"It's fine. I saw someone taking pictures over here earlier."

The rocky outcrop extends about 10 meters into the sea, and one could reach the end if daring enough.

While I watched apprehensively, Yakishio reached the tip and turned around.

"Look, the view is amazing! Come on, Nukkun!"

"Uh, no, it's dangerous."

She laughed heartily at my entirely correct response.

"It's okay. I’ll save you if you fall into the sea.

I started crossing the rocks reluctantly, finding the uneven surface challenging to navigate…

"Yeah, it's a nice view. Let's head back now."

"Why do you have to say that from way over there?"

Yakishio complained, standing about 2 meters away on a different rock.

"Because I can't reach you without jumping over these gaps. This is where you lose a life if you mess up in a video game, you know?"

"It's fine if you're careful. Look, totally safe- woah!"

Yakishio wobbled dangerously while playfully balancing on one foot.

Hey! You’re way too carefree, right!?

In a panic, I rushed over and leaped onto the rock she was on, slipping in the process.

"Nukkun, be careful!"

She grabbed my hand as I almost fell, pulling me up with surprising strength.

"Are you okay? You aren’t hurt, right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but that was a close call..."

It was ironic that I ended up needing to be saved while trying to help her.

As always, Yakishio's physical prowess is impressive-

"Wait, did you fake losing your balance just now?"

"Uh..."

Yakishio, still holding my hand, nodded awkwardly, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry..."

Well, I guess it’s fine when nothing bad happened.

I couldn't stay annoyed after seeing Yakishio looking so apologetic.

"But, the view from the very edge is different, isn't it?"

Beyond the unobstructed sea, the Atsumi Peninsula appeared faintly white in the distance.

As I gazed out, a seagull with a red beak skimmed low over the sea.

"Thanks for showing me this view. You wanted me to see it, right?"

"....Yes."

Yakishio tightened her grip slightly on my hand, which she still held.

"We're safe now. You can let go- Yakishio?"

Suddenly, the memo I had found at the aquarium came to mind.

[STEP 1 - Handholding]

Holding hands shouldn't be a big deal for Yakishio.

So her reluctance to let go must just be her concern for me...

But as if to override my justifications, Yakishio intertwined her slender fingers with mine.

"!?"

"....This is step 2."

Yakishio's whisper, scattered by the sea breeze, tickled my ear.

Frozen by the novel sensation of our intertwined fingers, I listened as Yakishio began to speak softly.

"You asked earlier if I had any worries, right?"

"Uh, so, is there something?"

She shook her head.

"It's not exactly like that. At school, my friends and teachers are kind. The track team is also very nice, and everyone is supportive and treats me special-"

She hesitated slightly.

"...But, you know, being on the receiving end of special treatment can be a bit tiring too."

Her voice, laced with a hint of guilt, revealed a rare vulnerability.

Yakishio muttered in a raspy voice as I remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"Hey, Nukkun. Do you want to join the going home club with me?"

...Huh?

The going home club, it’s not some mysterious club about competing ways to go home, right…?

Instead, it’s simply going straight home after school without participating in any club activities.

"No, but we're already in clubs, so joining that isn't really an option, right?"

Yakishio decisively shook her head.

"I'm thinking about quitting the Track and Field and Literature Club. Let's start our own going home club, just the two of us."

Her deep-colored eyes gazed directly into mine. The sunlight, bouncing off the waves, shone through her sun-kissed hair, creating a dazzling effect.

I turned my eyes away as if escaping the brightness.

After a moment of silence, Yakishio released my hand and started making her way back across the rocks to the promenade.

"Hey, you're joking about quitting your clubs, right?"

Yakishio stopped in her tracks.

...I realized too late that my words were cowardly, avoiding a direct confrontation and creating distance.

Did Yakishio know it, too? She turned over her shoulder, her voice serious.

"Think about it. I'm not joking about what I said earlier."