Chapter 43 - Surprise
After telling my younger sister, Mai, that I was going to visit Mashiro's house, she cheered me on, saying, "Have lots of fun today, big brother!"
As for my mom, it seemed Mashiro had already talked to her, since I got a message on RINE saying, "Give my regards to Mashiro-chan."
With that, I slipped on my raincoat, grabbed the camping gear I had packed, and left the house.
Even with an umbrella, the rain was so heavy that I still got wet. I hurried towards Mashiro’s apartment, moving quickly through the downpour.
I had visited Mashiro’s place many times before, but this was the first time in such terrible weather.
Avoiding puddles on the road and struggling against the rain and wind, I finally reached her apartment.
I rang the doorbell and waited a bit. Soon, I heard the patter of slippers, and Mashiro appeared.
"Ryusuke!"
"Whoa!?"
She was holding a big bath towel, and before I knew it, she spread it out and covered my face with it.
While I was caught off guard, momentarily losing my vision, I heard Mashiro’s worried voice.
"Welcome, Ryusuke. You got soaked in the rain... Thank you for coming, even though I made such an unreasonable request."
"It’s not a big deal. But you startled me by suddenly throwing a towel over me."
"Hehe... Sorry about that. I just thought you'd be drenched. I didn't want you to catch a cold."
"I’m fine. I wore a raincoat, so only my hair got a little wet. My clothes are dry."
She must’ve been waiting for me with the bath towel, worried about me getting soaked.
Grateful for her thoughtfulness, I pulled the towel off my face and saw Mashiro standing there with a soft smile.
"I’ll get the bath ready for you. Oh, or would you prefer a shower?"
"No, that’s not necessary. Just drying off a bit will be enough."
"Got it! When you're done, come to the living room. I have something I want to show you!"
Mashiro flashed a cheerful smile and headed back to the living room.
I tilted my head, wondering what she wanted to show me.
After taking off my raincoat and drying my wet hair, I stepped into the house.
"Excuse me for intruding."
I had gotten used to entering Mashiro’s place. Like a familiar guest, I took off my shoes and walked down the hallway, heading to the living room where she was waiting.
But when I opened the door, I was stunned by the sight before me.
"M-Mashiro... what is this?"
It was supposed to be the living room, but a large tent, the one we’d prepared for camping, was set up inside.
Inside the tent, cushions were laid out on the carpet, and a small table was placed in the center. Sleeping bags were arranged, ready for us to spend the night.
Around the tent were folding chairs, portable cooking tools, and even a cooler filled with drinks. There were also garland flags and plenty of vases as decorations.
It felt like we were at a campsite, not in a living room.
This was clearly not just an ordinary sleepover.
Mashiro had created a special campsite, a place where we could spend a memorable summer together, just the two of us.
As I stood there in amazement, Mashiro peeked out from behind, grinning mischievously.
"So, I did some research to see if we could still go camping somehow. It turns out that indoor camping is really popular right now! My living room is big, so I moved all the furniture out and made it look like a campsite."
"I see. Your living room is spacious enough that even with all this gear, it doesn’t feel cramped."
"Yep! And since my mom’s not coming home tonight, I thought we could go all out. What do you think? Surprised?"
"Yeah, I’m blown away. I never imagined you’d go this far indoors."
"Hehe... I gave it my best. I wanted to do something fun with you, and if we’re going to do it, we might as well make it exciting, right?"
Mashiro giggled playfully.
This must be her surprise. Because of the heavy rain, we couldn’t go camping outside. But determined to make some summer memories with me, she thought long and hard about what we could do instead.
And then, she made it happen.
That meant the world to me, and I couldn’t help but smile at how warm and happy it made me feel.
Feeling overjoyed, I walked over to Mashiro and gently patted her on the head.
"Thank you, Mashiro. I was worrying about what to do too. You not only came up with a solution but made it a reality, and I’m really grateful."
"Hehe, I’m so glad Ryusuke is happy."
As I softly stroked her head, Mashiro's cheeks relaxed into a gentle smile. She nuzzled against me like a cat, and I found her absolutely adorable.
Mashiro really is unbeatable and the best.
Not even a rainstorm can stop the world's most amazing girl. With her natural brightness and creativity, she made such a wonderful space for us.
I wanted to praise her even more, so I kept gently patting her head.
Mashiro, her face all soft and squishy with happiness, pressed her head against my chest.
Then, still with that blissful expression, she looked up at me and locked her gaze onto mine.
"Ryusuke, let’s have lots of fun today. We’re camping indoors!"
"Yeah. Let’s enjoy this amazing campsite you’ve made for us."
"Yep! I’m not letting you sleep tonight, you know?"
"Then, let’s see who falls asleep first!"
"Bring it on!"
Mashiro flashed a cute smile as she said that.
And so, our indoor camping adventure, making the first memories of summer vacation together, began.