I Was Hired As A Tutor By A Cute Little Devilish Junior - Chapter 26 Travel
One week after the midterm exams were over.
The daily tutoring seemed to have helped a lot, and Shiina got a very high score.
I, too, got my all-time best so far, thanks to the review I had while tutoring Shiina.
Today was the first day off after all the test results came back.
The members of the study group I had held just a couple of weeks ago were all gathered in front of my house again: Satsuki, Shiina, Kanade and me.
In addition, my mother was also there.
If you were to ask why we were all gathered in front of the house on a day off,
“Thank you, Shiina-chan. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a hot spring. I’m so excited.”
“You’re welcome. It’s a prize from a lucky draw, I’m glad you like it.”
So, the girls here and I are going to a hot spring inn today.
It all started about two weeks ago when Shiina said something on the way home from a study session.
It seems that “my pay” she was referring to was the hot spring inn we were going to.
Apparently, she had won the special prize of a ticket for four to a hot spring inn at a lucky draw in the shopping district just before the study session. What a stroke of luck.
She also proposed a trip to the hot spring inn as a gift to me, which she had promised to give me a little before…
Shiina said that she really would have preferred a pair of tickets for just the two of us, but I guess there was no way she wouldn’t use them for the four of us.
That was how the four of us ended up taking a small trip together.
“Come on, come on, get in the car.”
Mom’s voice called from the driver’s seat of the car parked in the parking lot.
Today, mom was more like a bus driver.
We could have taken public transportation, but when I told her about this trip, she gladly accepted.
So, this little trip was actually free.
What a plan that was kind to a student’s wallet. I have to thank Shiina and my mother.
With that thought in mind, I started to the car immediately after I heard my mom…
“Senpai, stop for a moment.”
I was about to reach for the door when Shiina’s hand stopped me.
“What’s the matter, Shiina? Aren’t we going to get in?”
“No, Senpai’s mother has agreed to give us a ride, so I’ll take it.”
“What’s the matter then?”
“I don’t suppose you can tell what’s going on at all, Senpai. The battle of the women has already begun.”
Shiina looked back at her. At the other end of her gaze, she saw Satsuki and Kanade who were full of motivation.
In the tense atmosphere of a game’s last boss battle, Satsuki opened her mouth.
“Alright then, let’s get started.”
“”Yes!””
The two answered cheerfully to Satsuki’s words.
Eh? What is this? What’s starting?
“Well, this is out of the blue. After all, I think I should sit next to Riku here, since we’re childhood friends.”
Hmm?
“I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t think it’s possible for me, a kouhai, to sit anywhere other than next to Senpai.”
Hm-Hmm?
“I’m sorry to either Shiina-san or Satsuki Nee-san, but I, the younger sister, will sit next to my brother. This is something that has already been confirmed.”
Okay?
“Fufu, I really didn’t want to fight, but it can’t be helped.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t go easy on Imai or Kanade.”
“Sitting next to my brother is absolutely non-negotiable. Satsuki Nee-san, Shiina-san, I’m sorry.”
With the sound effect of “gogogogo” (EDN: Jojo reference), the three girls started to buzz and spark.
Ah, yes. I understand the situation now. I don’t know what to do, so I’ll just leave them to it.
“I guess we’ll have to settle it that way.”
“That’s right. It’s the only way.”
“I’ll do my best.”
The three of them grasped their dominant hands and set up low on their hips.
In the fighting pose, the three of them shake their fists vigorously at the same time as if someone had signaled them to do so—
“””Rock-Paper-Scissors!”””
After shouting out the most peaceful solution in history.
“”””Shoot!”””
After shouting out the most peaceful solution ever, the three palms were mercilessly taken out by a single pair of scissors.
＊ ＊ ＊
“FuFu. I’ve always been strong at rock-paper-scissors…”
“””………”””
My mom smiled happily while holding the steering wheel, and the losers remained silent in the back seat.
As I sat in the passenger seat, I couldn’t help but laugh at the three disgruntled girls in the rearview mirror.
“Mom, in a way you saved me, but you didn’t seem very mature.”
“You all looked like you were having fun, so I joined in.”
She took her hands off the steering wheel, struck a pose, and stuck out her tongue. Hey, don’t let go of the wheel.
However, it really helped that I was able to sit in the passenger seat, my resting place.
“I don’t understand…”
“I don’t understand…”
“Mom is cheating…”
It couldn’t be helped, but the three girls didn’t seem to agree with her words.
Mom saw the scene and smiled happily again.
“Goodness, I didn’t know when Riku became popular with girls.”
“I don’t think that was the point.”
I think it was because all three of them have some sort of possessiveness or a strange sense of pride.
It wasn’t about me being popular or not, it was just a game of pride in one’s position.
“Don’t say that again. Which girl are you going to choose, Riku?”
“I told you it’s not like that.”
“You don’t have to be shy. You should be more confident.”
My mom grinned and poked me on the shoulder. Concentrate on driving, please.
As if she couldn’t see us in our conversation, Satsuki started talking to Mom and diverted the conversation.
“Aunty, thank you so much for giving me a ride. You saved me a lot of trouble.”
“It’s okay. Riku and Kanade are both indebted to you, Satsuki. There’s no need for a young girl to be shy.”
Satsuki and her mother were talking very friendly.
The two moms in my house and Satsuki’s house were particularly close. When they were little, they used to rely on each other, I heard.
Maybe it was because of this distance, but for me and Satsuki, our respective mothers were like second mothers to us.
“By the way, Satsuki-chan, you’ve grown up so much while I haven’t seen you for a while. I was so surprised.”
“Mou, Aunty. You’re still as beautiful as you used to be.”
“Ara, ara, thank you. You’re really a good girl, Satsuki-chan. I can’t wait for you to take Riku.”
‘Fueh? That’s, umm. I-It’s still too early to tell…”
Satsuki was caught off guard by my mom’s outrageous comment and was flustered.
I guess I don’t have to say this, but Satsuki and I have come to a difficult age, and my mother was too inconsiderate.
“Mom, Satsuki is troubled. Please leave it at that.”
“What is it, Riku? I haven’t had a chance to talk to Satsuki-chan lately, so a little bit is fine.”
“That’s fine, but think about your choice of topic. She’s a high school girl, for the time being.”
“What do you mean, ‘for the time being?’ I’m a high school girl!”
“You’re the one who should not be rude to Satsuki-chan.”
The two girls…one of whom is a bit old to be considered a maiden, are both accusing me.
I couldn’t be bothered to deal with them properly, so I looked out the window and let the voices in my ears drift away as well.
After a while, the topic of conversation turns to the old days rather than me, and the two of them start getting excited.
They talked about how I and Satsuki used to do this kind of thing together, or where the three of us used to go together.
There was nothing particularly interesting about the past between me and Satsuki, but the two of them seem to be having a lot of fun reminiscing.
As I was looking at the scenery with such laughter as background music, my seat suddenly shook more and more.
It wasn’t that Mom was driving excessively rough, but it was clearly a direct attack from behind.
When I peeked back between the window and the seat, I saw Shiina-sama’s face, looking very unhappy.
“W-What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing, nothing at all.”
Shiina kicked the seat again just as I was about to finish my sentence. You know, this is my mom’s car.
You were so dissatisfied that you couldn’t sit next to me? You’ve always sat next to me and studied with me…
As I put my body back together in dismay, Kanade was the next to call out to me.
“Nii-san, Nii-san.”
“What’s up, Kanade?”
“What hot spring are we going to today?”
“Aah, I don’t know much about it, but I heard it’s pretty famous.”
“Is that so?”
“I heard it’s one of the most expensive hot spring inns in the area. They say the food and hot springs are second to none.”
“Wow, that sounds wonderful. Kanade is looking forward to it.”
“Right. It wouldn’t be wrong to relax once in a while.”
“Yes.”
Kanade replied in a cute way, leaning forward in a relaxed manner.
I reached out to her and lightly stroked her head, then turned my body back to face forward.
It has been a while since I’ve been to a hot spring. It was also my first time going out with three girls.
Surprising even myself, I was more excited about this trip than I thought I would be.
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Leeber
Mom sounds like she made her choice, eh? That made Shiina’s job a bit harder…