"Miss Ota is so pitiful…" Kishin Eri watched Ota Yuuka being led into the police car, her eyes filled with sympathy. "If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to accept it either."
"It's her fault for cheating first," Hayashi Shuichi shook his head slightly. "Although Nakajima Ryosuke is dead, his revenge was somewhat successful. This painful memory will follow Ota Yuuka like a shadow for the rest of her life."
"If cheating means getting revenge," Kishin Eri narrowed her eyes slightly, giving Hayashi Shuichi a sidelong glance, "do you think Nakajima Ryosuke's method of revenge was better, or like Abe Sada?"
Her words clearly had an ulterior meaning, and Hayashi Shuichi dared not respond. He quickly pretended to be sleepy, stretching. "Ah, what did you just say? I'm too tired, I didn't hear…"
Kishin Eri snorted coldly, not bothering to pay him any mind.
…
On a Saturday morning, the soft sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, falling upon Hayashi Shuichi's face.
Reiko had been picked up by her parents to stay at home last night. Hayashi Shuichi, once again living alone, was sleeping soundly when he was woken by the urgent ringing of the phone in the living room.
He groggily answered the phone, and Kishin Eri's excited voice came through the receiver. "Shuichi, are you ready?"
"Ready for what?" Hayashi Shuichi's mind was still a muddled mess, completely disoriented.
"Moonlight Island, of course! You didn't forget, did you?" Kishin Eri's voice rose a few octaves, tinged with anxiety and dissatisfaction.
Hayashi Shuichi reluctantly lifted his head, sleepily glancing at the wall clock. There were still two or three hours before their departure time for Moonlight Island.
"Eri, it's still early. No need to rush, is there?"
Kishin Eri on the other end of the line was clearly brimming with excitement for this trip to Moonlight Island, a world for just her and Hayashi Shuichi. Her voice carried an undisguised joy. "I'm packing now. I'm afraid I'll be in a hurry later and forget to bring something."
"Besides a change of clothes, I also brought my camera. Oh, and a dress Ruri gave me. I plan to take it to the island for photos, and a sun hat…"
At this, Hayashi Shuichi couldn't hold back any longer. "Eri, we're only staying one night at most. You don't need to bring anything. Simple is fine. The environment on the island doesn't require too much fuss."
Kishin Eri mumbled a few words unwillingly, then hung up the phone.
Hayashi Shuichi stretched, then went back to bed for a little more sleep before slowly getting up to pack.
When the time was almost right, he picked up his keys and backpack and headed to the agreed meeting point to wait for Kishin Eri.
As Hayashi Shuichi arrived at the designated intersection, he saw Kishin Eri from afar, carrying a large leather suitcase and walking with light steps.
Hayashi Shuichi could only groan in frustration as he went to meet her. "Eri, didn't I say not to bring too many things? Why did you bring such a big suitcase?"
Kishin Eri blinked, stating self-righteously, "Even if it's just one night, there are many things I need to bring. For example, my pajamas, slippers, and a towel, toothpaste…"
Hayashi Shuichi shook his head helplessly, not knowing what else to say. He could only take the suitcase from Kishin Eri's hand, and the two walked towards the station together.
…
The two took a train to the pier. The sea breeze gently blew, carrying a faint salty, fishy scent.
Hayashi Shuichi and Kishin Eri lined up at the ticket counter and bought tickets for Moonlight Island.
Hayashi Shuichi had expected there to be very few people, but to his surprise, after boarding the ship, he found that there were an unexpectedly large number of passengers.
Passengers stood or sat on the deck, their conversations and laughter rising and falling.
The passenger ship slowly sailed out of the harbor. Hayashi Shuichi sat beside Kishin Eri, giving her a general overview of Moonlight Island. "Moonlight Island is a small island in the Izu Islands. Most of the islanders make a living from fishing, and their lives are very simple. There aren't many bustling facilities on the island, but I hear the scenery is quite good. In summer, many people specifically go there to visit."
Kishin Eri listened with great interest, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "That sounds very interesting! I've never been to such a small island before, Shuichi, when you investigate…"
"Shh!" Hayashi Shuichi quickly covered the girl's mouth, indicating that there were Moonlight Island residents nearby.
Kishin Eri nodded. After Hayashi Shuichi released her hand, she eagerly asked again, "What about the hotel? Did you call to reserve a hotel for tonight?"
"It's not tourist season for Moonlight Island right now," Hayashi Shuichi scratched his head. "We probably don't need to book a room. We can figure it out once we get to the island."
"Are the two of you going to Moonlight Island to play?"
A dark-skinned, squinty-eyed middle-aged man overheard their conversation and approached with a friendly smile.
"If you haven't booked a hotel in advance, you probably won't have anywhere to stay once you get to the island."
"No way?" Kishin Eri exclaimed in surprise. "Are there no hotels on the island? How could there be no place to stay?"
"Moonlight Island isn't very big. There's only one small hotel on the island. Normally, the hotel has almost no guests, but these past two days, Aso Keiji is holding a piano concert on the island," the middle-aged man pointed at the people on the passenger ship. "They are all going to listen to Aso's performance, and the rooms at the island hotel are already fully booked."
Hearing this, Kishin Eri immediately shot Hayashi Shuichi a glare. "If there's nowhere to stay, are we supposed to sleep on the beach tonight?"
"I didn't expect Mr. Aso's concert to attract so many guests," Hayashi Shuichi said, somewhat annoyed. "When I checked the information earlier, it clearly said there weren't many tourists going to Moonlight Island. I should have booked a room in advance."
"Haha, if you two don't have a place to stay, why don't you stay at my place for now?" the squinty-eyed man offered with a warm smile. "My house happens to have a spare room."
"This…" Kishin Eri turned to look at her childhood friend.
"Then we'll trouble you," Hayashi Shuichi quickly thanked him. "We will certainly pay for the accommodation."
"My house isn't a hotel, you don't need to pay," the squinty-eyed man said. "The island is usually very quiet. It's rare for it to be lively for a few days, and it makes me happy."
The two sides chatted, and Hayashi Shuichi soon learned that the squinty-eyed man's name was Shimizu Masato, a fisherman on Moonlight Island.
"Listening to you two just now, it doesn't sound like you're going to Aso's piano concert," Shimizu Masato said curiously. "But besides that, there doesn't seem to be anything else interesting on Moonlight Island."
"We're just high school students," Hayashi Shuichi explained. "It's rare to have a weekend, and we wanted to go somewhere far away to play, but we didn't have enough money, so we naturally had to pick somewhere closer."
"I see," Shimizu Masato nodded in understanding. "Our island is quiet, it really suits young couples like you for a romantic getaway…"
(End of Chapter)
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