A few days had passed since Mizuha returned from visiting her grandparents in the countryside.
That morning, Mizuha had just finished her summer break homework and was now working on a new drawing.
Many things had happened last week when I visited Grandpa and Grandma, Mizuha thought, recalling her time at their house.
She reminisced about the fun experiences—helping with farming activities at the family orchard, picking mikans from the trees, going fishing with her father and relatives, learning to cook traditional dishes from her grandmother, and playing with her cousins who were also visiting.
She had even explored the countryside, capturing beautiful nature scenes to use as inspiration for her drawings.
As she thought back on those memories, Mizuha remembered a message from Hikaru three days ago. He had texted her, "There's a surprise waiting for you when you get back!"
I wonder what kind of surprise Hikaru has in store for me, Mizuha murmured to herself.
Just then, a notification popped up in their group chat.
Hikaru had sent a message: "Hey, guys! Are you all free now? Let's meet at our usual family restaurant if you are. I've got something to tell you!"
Everyone in the group confirmed they were free and agreed to gather at the restaurant in the afternoon.
As the time to meet approached, Mizuha changed into her casual outdoor outfit. Heading downstairs, she grabbed her bag, ready to leave.
"Going out?" her mom asked as she saw Mizuha coming down the stairs.
"Yes, I'm meeting Hikaru and the others," Mizuha replied with a smile.
"Then, take care of yourself out there."
"Understood! Mom, I'm heading out now," Mizuha said, closing the door behind her as she stepped outside.
As she stepped out of her house, Mizuha began walking toward the family restaurant. After a short while, she suddenly heard the ring of a bicycle bell from behind.
Turning around, she saw Hikaru calling out to her while riding his bicycle down a steep, hilly road.
"Mizuha!" Hikaru shouted, waving his hand enthusiastically.
Mizuha turned around and replied, "Hikaru!
Hikaru waved, lost his balance, and the bike wobbled before shooting downhill.
"Whoa—aaagh!" he yelled before crashing into a wall and tumbling off.
Mizuha immediately ran over to check on him. "Hikaru! Are you okay?"
Hikaru laughed. "I'm fine, thanks. Haha."
"Geez, this isn't funny, you know! You could've really hurt yourself! What about your bike?"
Hikaru inspected the bike briefly. "It's fine—just a little scratched, nothing serious. Maybe I'm just not used to riding it yet," he said, scratching the back of his head.
Hikaru smiled at her. "Oh, by the way, welcome back, Mizuha."
"Yeah, it’s good to be back, Hikaru."
Mizuha eyed the bike. "Since when do you ride a bike? I don't think I've ever seen you riding one before."
"Well, I just bought it yesterday."
"It's faster than walking, and I figured it'd be handy for getting around. I'm even planning to ride it to school after the break. Oh, and I could give you a ride home every day too!"
Mizuha shook her head, laughing softly. "Geez, you don't have to go that far just for me!"
"By the way, Hikaru, is this bike the surprise that you wanted to show me, as you said earlier?"
"Hmm, this? No, not this bike. It's worth less than the surprise I'll show you—and the others—when we arrive at the restaurant soon."
Hikaru steadied the fallen bike. "Then Mizuha, come on, get on! I'll give you a ride to the restaurant."
Mizuha felt hesitant about Hikaru's offer. "Are you sure this is okay? I mean, you just said you're not used to riding it yet."
Hikaru grinned at her. "What are you so scared of? Haha, sorry about that mess earlier."
"Don't worry, that was my fault—I took one hand off the handlebars while riding. This time, I promise not to make the same mistake."
"Well... if you say so," Mizuha said, reluctantly climbing onto the back of the bike.
"Uh, am I making the bike a bit heavy?"
"No, not at all. It feels the same to me."
"Okay, then... Let's go."
"Alright! Hold on tight!" Hikaru said as he started pedaling carefully.
This time, he was extra cautious, ensuring a safe and steady ride to their destination.
"See? Like I said, this is much faster than walking."
"Yes, you're right about that."
"By the way, how was your visit to your grandparents' house last week? Did you enjoy it?"
"It was really nice being there," Mizuha said with a smile. "I did so many activities with my grandparents and my other relatives. There's so much to talk about, I don't even know where to start! But overall, I really enjoyed it."
"I see. I'm glad to hear you had a good time. As for me, well... I didn't go anywhere special last week. I mostly stayed at home, but sometimes I hung out with Zul. It was just the two of us, wandering around town."
"Oh, that sounds fun too."
"Oh yeah, Mizuha," Hikaru said, a bit more animated now. "There's a place I want to stop by before we head to the restaurant. I think you'll like it."
"Huh? What is it?"
"That's a secret, but I bet you'll love the food at this place."
Hikaru didn't mention that he was planning to take Mizuha to a bakery he had discovered last week, a place with treats he knew she would enjoy.
Meanwhile, Takeru, busy with his part-time job, was handling a customer. "Thank you so much, please come again."
Takeru sighed. "So many customers today; I didn't have time to slack off even for a moment."
Suddenly, another customer came inside, and he greeted them. "Welcome," he said.
Takeru was glad to see the person coming was his classmate, Akemi. "Oh, it's you, Akemi-chan! Welcome!"
Akemi flinched seeing Takeru. "Erk?! Why are you here?"
"Why am I here? I work part-time here, of course."
"Then why are you here? Coming to see my face? I'm flattered."
"Oh, come on. No one wants to see your face. The face I want to see is Hikaru-kun's, not yours."
"I'm coming here because I heard this bakery has become famous recently."
"Don't be so mean to me, Akemi-chan. Hey, how about hanging out with me later?"
"Me? Hanging out with you? Oh, come on. I'm not interested in you at all."
"You're really showing your true nature today, huh? It's different from your usual self at school, I see."
"Speaking of Hikaru-kun, he just stopped by here earlier today, before you came."
"Really, he's coming here too? What bread is he buying? Is he with someone today? Where did he go after stopping here?"
"Hey, please calm down. Who are you, a police officer, asking me so many questions like this?"
Akemi gave him a scary glare after he said that. Woah, that glare is scary, thought Takeru.
"Well, he came here with Mizuha to buy his favorite donut and introduce this place to her. I don't know where they went after stopping here."
"Tch, again with that girl," Akemi muttered.
"Hmm, did you say something?"
"It's nothing. Here, ring these up."
"Yes, yes, I know. Why are you so cold to me today?"
Akemi left after paying, and Takeru waved. "Please come again," he called.
You really like him, huh, Akemi? thought Takeru.
Back to Hikaru and Mizuha, they finally arrived in front of the restaurant.
Hikaru parked his bike. "We're a bit late. I bet Shimizu's going to complain about it inside."
Mizuha chuckled. "That might be true. I wonder what she'll ask us to do because of it."
Together, they entered the restaurant.
"They're late. What were they doing?" Shimizu complained, sipping her drink.
"You're right. They're a bit late," Zul said.
Noticing their arrival, Eri waved her hand. "Mizuha-chan, over here!"
Mizuha and Hikaru approached them as they noticed Eri had called. "Oh, here they are."
Shimizu stood up. "You two are late. What were you doing?"
Hikaru scratched the back of his head.
"Ah, sorry, sorry, something happened on the way here."
"Because you two are late, Eri-chan drank three melon sodas waiting! Who pays?" Shimizu pointed to the three empty glasses.
"Wait, Shimizu-chan... what you..."
"As punishment for being late, you need to pay for those," Shimizu added.
"Really? I'm sorry about that. I'll pay for it."
"No need, Hikaru. It wasn't Eri. It was Shimizu. Eri hasn't even finished hers," Zul said, sipping his drink.
"Zul, you traitor! Why'd you have to say that?"
"You're so mean, Shimizu-chan. How could you use my name like that?"
Mizuha put her palm to her forehead. "You're really the worst, Shimizu."
"Shimizu... I knew it was you!" Hikaru said, upset, clenching his fist.
Shimizu giggled. "Haha, you caught me! Just kidding, tee-hee!"
Hikaru gave a light chop to Shimizu's head. "Take this!"
"Ouch, that hurt."
"What are you doing, Hikaru? I thought you didn't hit girls!"
Hikaru gave her a smirk. "Oh yeah, I forgot you were a girl. Sorry about that. Tee-hee."
Woah, he seems really upset, thought Shimizu.
Mizuha leaned in. "Enough, both of you. People are watching. Watch your manners."
"Yes, you're right, sorry about that."
They all sat back down and resumed talking.
Shimizu sipped her drink and said, "Then, what do you want, Hikaru? Why did you suddenly call us here?"
"Hehe, I'm glad you asked. There's something I want to show you guys. Zul, did you bring it?"
Zul handed over the resort vacation pamphlet and the ticket he had won earlier.
"Yeah, I brought it. Here."
"Wait, Hikaru, is this...?"
"Yes, this is a ticket for a vacation at this resort. Zul won it in a lottery last week."
Eri, amazed by her childhood friend, said, "You won it, Zul? Wow, that's so cool."
"It was just luck that day."
"So, what do you want to do with the ticket? You won it, right? Why not go with your family?"
"My family is busy this summer break. They don't have time, so I discussed it with Hikaru. We decided to use the ticket and invite you all. What do you think?"
Eri turned to him. "Wait, do you mean you want to bring all of us to this resort?"
"Yes, that's what I planned with Hikaru. Everyone must be happy to hear it."
"Yahoo!" shouted Shimizu. "Wow, that's nice. Thank you, Zul, for inviting us!"
Mizuha pulled Shimizu’s shirt. "Hey, Shimizu, lower your voice. Everyone is looking at us right now."
"Oh, sorry. I was just too happy."
"Hey, Hikaru, is this the surprise you wanted to show me earlier?"
"Yeah, this is it. Surprise, right?"
"Yes, that really did surprise me."
Zul turned to Eri. "Let's go there together, Eri."
"Yes, I can't wait! Thanks Zul."
As they talked, Mizuha suddenly felt something was off. "You guys, sorry to interrupt, but we actually forgot something."
Eri turned to her, confused. "Huh? What's wrong, Mizuha-chan?"
"Well…when are we planning to go?"
Everyone froze, shocked.
Hikaru facepalmed. "Oh, yeah, we haven't discussed that yet, right, Zul?"
"Yeah, we totally forgot. Sorry," Zul said.
"Then what are you guys waiting for? Let's discuss it now," Shimizu said.
"What date is suitable for us to go?" Hikaru muttered.
"What do you think, Mizuha?"
"I have no idea; I'm leaving it to you guys."
Hikaru got an idea. "I know! How about three days from today? Do you all agree?"
Zul leaned in. "Oh, that's not bad. How about you, Eri?"
"Well, I'm fine with it."
"Three days from today, huh? Let me check my schedule," Shimizu said, checking her smartphone. She was shocked when she saw the conflict.
Damn, I have a meeting with my editor in three days, Shimizu thought.
"What's wrong, Shimizu-chan? Does it clash with your other schedule?"
Shimizu sighed. "Yes, it does."
"Sorry, guys, I'm busy that day. Can we change the date?"
Hikaru smirked at her. "What are you doing that day, Shimizu? Going on a date?"
Shimizu retorted. "Of course not! Have you ever seen me with another guy? I have my reasons."
Ah, she must have a meeting with her editor, Mizuha thought.
Everyone was quiet for a moment.
Hikaru got another idea. "Then how about five days from now? It's the weekend, too. How about that, Shimizu? Does it clash with your schedule?"
"Wait, let me check... umm... okay, it's clear. I'm free that day and four days after."
"Then it's decided. We'll go on Saturday! Everyone okay?"
"Agreed!" they all said.
Hikaru turned to Zul. "Sorry, Zul, I’m taking the role of leader for this discussion. It was supposed to be you since you were the one who won the ticket."
"Don't worry, I don't mind. You're perfect for the role."
Suddenly, Eri leaned in, whispering. "Umm... Mizuha-chan, Shimizu-chan, can you come with me to the restroom? There's something I want to talk about."
"What is it, Eri-chan? Too embarrassing to say here?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"Got it. Let's go then," Shimizu said.
The three girls stood up and headed to the restroom.
Hikaru looked at them curiously. "Huh? Where are you guys going?"
Mizuha turned to him. "Restroom. We need some girl talk."
Shimizu smirked. "What’s the matter, Hikaru? Want to follow us too?"
"No thanks, I’ll pass. Pretty sure I’d get caught if I entered the girls' restroom."
"Haha, glad you understand."
With that, the trio left, leaving Hikaru and Zul alone.
"What's with them? Is it some secret that needs to be discussed in the restroom?"
"Who knows? Maybe they didn't want us to listen to it."
Hikaru stood up suddenly. "Ah, I'm thirsty. I'll order something at the counter. Zul, do you need anything? I can order it for you."
"No, thanks. I think I'm good. My drink from earlier isn't finished yet."
"Okay, I'm going now. You wait here."
Inside the restroom, the girls began talking.
"What's wrong, Eri-chan? Is there something you need to tell us?"
"Yeah, is something on your mind?"
Eri turned hesitantly. "Well... can you guys come with me to town after this?"
"Sure, we can go with you. Where do you want to go?"
Eri’s cheeks reddened. "Well, I want to buy a new swimsuit..."
Shimizu looked confused. "Huh? A new swimsuit? But didn't we just buy swimsuits before our picnic at the river?"
"Yeah, I remember that too."
Eri covered her face, feeling embarrassed. "Well, when I wore it on vacation last week, it felt too tight. I think I gained a little weight."
"I see. That's why you didn't want them to hear."
Shimizu stepped behind her. "Wait, Eri, are you sure?"
Eri looked confused at Shimizu. "What do you mean, Shimizu-chan?"
Without warning, Shimizu hugged Eri from behind and began fondling her chest. "There, there, there," Shimizu muttered.
"Kyaa! Shimizu-chan!" Eri yelped.
Mizuha looked surprised. "Hey, Shimizu, what are you doing? Stop that right now!"
After a moment, Shimizu let go. Flustered, Eri ran to Mizuha and hugged her.
"What's wrong with you? You're acting like a complete pervert!"
"I knew it... they've grown."
"Grown? What grown?"
"Eri, listen, you haven't gained any weight at all, but..."
"But what is it, Shimizu-chan?"
"Your chest has grown a little since last time," Shimizu said bluntly while pointing her finger at Eri's chest.
"Really? Are you sure about that?"
"Yes, I'm sure; that's why your swimsuit felt tight."
"If you don't trust me, you can ask Mizuha to touch and check it."
"Me? No, thanks. I'll pass on touching, but let me look."
Mizuha looked closely at Eri's chest. I know they're always bigger, but I never expected they'd grow again, she thought, unconsciously comparing them to her own.
"How is it, Mizuha-chan?"
"Sorry, but Shimizu was right; they've grown," Mizuha said, feeling a pang of jealousy.
Mizuha and Shimizu glared at Eri's chest, thinking the same thing: they had really grown.
"Alright, we'll accompany you to buy your new swimsuit after this, right, Shimizu?"
"Of course, I'll come too."
"Really? Thank you, Mizuha-chan, Shimizu-chan."
After that, the trio returned to Hikaru and Zul. Hikaru and Zul were talking and eating. Hikaru had a donut from the bakery, while Zul ate French fries he'd just ordered.
Shimizu approached them and said, "Ah, not fair! You guys started eating without waiting for us."
"Well, you guys took a long time talking in the restroom earlier. We got hungry waiting for you, so we started eating first."
Shimizu eyed Zul's fries. Those look good; I'll order some, she thought.
She sat and raised her hand. "Excuse me, French fries, please."
Mizuha and Eri chuckled at Shimizu. "Let's join in, Eri-chan."
"Yes," Eri said, sitting back down.
They enjoyed their food and talked about the vacation plans.
After eating, they gathered outside and split up: the girls went to help Eri buy her swimsuit, leaving Hikaru and Zul behind.
"Okay, see you guys later," Mizuha said, walking off with Eri and Shimizu.
"See you."
Hikaru put his hand on the back of his head. "So, they're hanging out."
"Yeah, looks like that."
Hikaru turned to Zul. "So, what should we do, Zul? It's still early; I don't want to go home yet."
"How about our usual batting center? Let's see if you can beat me this time," Zul suggested.
"Woah, great idea, Zul! Alright, let's go. This time I'll beat your score."
Zul chuckled. "We'll see, then."
After that, the two of them headed to the baseball batting center to enjoy their day, while Mizuha and Shimizu accompanied Eri to buy her new swimsuit.
ns216.73.216.13da2
and then Add to home screen.