Novel Our Friendversary (Yama no Susume Fanfiction)

Discussion in 'Community Fictions' started by ContemplateGrapefruit, Jul 25, 2021.

  1. ContemplateGrapefruit

    ContemplateGrapefruit Active Member

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    Last year I wrote a fanfic for one of my favorite anime Yama no Susume/Encouragement of Climb and couples Aoi x Hinata. I am currently slightly rewriting the story and hope to share it with more readers as I finish each chapter. It's a sweet story that I real am proud of, and hope people will give it a chance. :)

    The story takes place after Season 3 of the anime, so for context I highly recommend watching it before reading the story, it's comfy and sweet.

    Our Friendversary
    [​IMG]


    Synopsis:
    After a year since they reconciled their friendship, Aoi and Hinata decide to revisit Mount Tsukuba for a Hanami date.
    Aoi x Hinata pairing.

    Genre:

    Adventure, Mountaineering, Slice of Life, Hanami, Romance, Yuri, Fanfiction

    Table of Content:
    Chapter 1: It's our Friendversary?
    Chapter 2: Hiking the rugged Miyukigahara Route
    Chapter 3: Tasty meal and the blossoming trees
    Chapter 4: City Lights
    Chapter 5: Fluorescent Stars
    Epilogue

    I hope you enjoy reading, and if you have any feedback or thoughts about the story I would love to hear it. Thanks.
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2021
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  2. ContemplateGrapefruit

    ContemplateGrapefruit Active Member

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    Chapter 1: It's our Friendversary?

    "Aoi, it's lunchtime. You promised to try the bento I made this morning!"

    "But I am almost finished - I've been knitting the hat for a few days and I am so late!"

    "Oooooh… for who are you knitting a hat this time?" Cheerfully, Hinata leaned on Aoi's desk staring at her.

    "It's for Kaede. I bought some wool from the market a few weeks ago and I wanted to give her a gift before she went to Osaka."

    For Aoi, April always meant a fresh start to the school year and enjoying the lovely spring days that followed the month. The streets of her hometown Hannō were decorated with the wonderful blossoming sakura trees and the happy laughter of students filled up the warm spring atmosphere as they started with the new school year. The past years Aoi's start of her semesters meant a peaceful stroll through the school year, along with her yarn and knitting equipment by her side. As a reclusive teenager, all she wanted to do was just have a calm relaxing time at home involved with her hobby. Ever since the day of her accident that left her with a broken leg, it seemed like staying at home was the safest way for her to spend the days. After she lost touch with her closest childhood friend, she had trouble making new friends all through primary school, therefore she decided that she would rather prefer the company of herself than go through the inconvenience of making new friends all over again.

    But her plans changed a year ago when Hinata walked through the door of her classroom and after years apart, they finally reconciled their lost friendship.

    At first, she thought that Hinata would just bring her trouble just like she used to do in the past, and in a way maybe she was right. During the year she seemed to have been so much more 'trouble' than she initially thought, but that hyperactive extroverted girl helped her open up to new adventures in life and helped her meet new friends like Kokona, Kaede, and Honoka. That 'troublesome' girl encouraged her to create wonderful new memories that she would always cherish, and rediscover her love for an old hobby that she has completely forgotten all about.

    During the past year, Aoi and Hinata would find themselves and their friends go on all kinds of hiking adventures. Most of these adventures involved hiking through the majestic mountains of Japan and observing the magnificent scenery that left them in awe each time they ascended towards the final peak. Aoi felt that with every mountain she climbed, she got much stronger than before and it was all worth that sense of accomplishment after struggling through exhaustion, pain, and sweat. For this year she wanted to train hard so she could conquer Mount Fuji once again after her last year's try left her halfway through with altitude sickness. Most of all she wanted to conquer every obstacle and mountain together with her friends and with the most important person in her life, Hinata.

    "By the way, how do you plan on giving her the hat?" Hinata curiously asked her. "She's already left."

    "Well, she said that she would come to visit for a weekend and she promised we would climb Fuji-san this summer," Aoi replied as she kept on carefully knitting the wool hat. "I was so busy with my part-time job at the pastry shop during spring vacation, that I didn't finish it in time."

    "You can always mail it to her, or we can go visit her and stay at her place. She sent us some pictures yesterday from her new high school, and from her visit to Osaka Castle too. Did you see them? It looks so awesome!"

    "I doubt I will have the cash to spare. I worked all that time during spring break so we can go hiking this spring and Fuji-san in summer." Aoi replied still focusing on her work. "I still have to finish the hat in the meantime."

    "I am sure you'll finish it soon Aoi, for now, you can take a break and try my bento box!" Hinata insistently placed the box in front of Aoi's desk. "I am hungry, and we have to go over those math equations later."

    For this semester, Hinata was sitting at the desk right in front of Aoi as she wanted to tutor her in various subjects during recess. For her playful personality, Hinata was quite smart with her school studies and she enjoyed tutoring students and kids as a part-time job. It was enough to pay for her mountaineering hobby. Before each exam, she always helped tutor Aoi so she could get better grades and eventually get into a good university with her.

    "If you are going to go again about me not getting a good job or a husband if I don't study just like yesterday, I'll just go to the outside and continue my knitting there... you are gradually turning into Yuuka!"

    "Naaah... we have time for that later. The reason I am making you try my bento box is that I decided for this semester that I will finally try cooking and make my own food so my dad doesn't have to make them every morning. Check it out..." Hinata already had her bento box unpacked and boastfully presented in front of Aoi.

    "Hmmm… looks neatly packed." Aoi replied with a vague expression, as she just wanted to get on with her knitting. "I wonder if what's inside is neatly prepared too, knowing what kind of a klutz you are cooking food that's not freeze-dried."

    "Haha no no, this time it's perfect." With a smirk, she started presenting her cooking. "It's a secret recipe passed through many generations of my family ever since the late Edo period! My great great great great great great great grandmother came up with this recipe and that's why my family is so strong and sexy looking throughout the ages! You've already noticed that I am such a prime example of sexiness, intelligence, and strength and it's all from eating our famous family recipes!" she proudly announced.

    "It's just messy scrambled eggs and rice." Aoi responded with her vague expression, she was still annoyed that she was separated from knitting Kaede's winter hat.

    "… and now you Aoi! Yes, you! You are the first person outside our family to try this enchanting recipe that will make you so much sexier, smarter, and you will finally be popular, make more friends and eventually find a boyfriend!"

    "You put sugar in the eggs, and the rice is extra soggy," Aoi replied after hesitantly taking a bite. She couldn't help but chuckle at yet another of Hinata's failed efforts at cooking. "I bet you put too much water in the rice cooker again, right?"

    "Hmph - That's why only us Kuarue eat this magical food that makes us super sexy and slim." Smugly Hinata replied. " - and you were totally not my guinea pig."

    "Hinata, you goof!" Aoi couldn't stop giggling. "I keep telling you I'll teach you to cook properly. You can't survive alone on freeze-dried food all your life! Let's make a deal, you'll keep tutoring me in math and I'll teach you how to cook."

    "Deal! But it's not like my cooking is that bad you know, also you can't blame me for enjoying freeze-dried food. It's the best!" Hinata said as she helped herself to a scrambled egg with rice before secretly spitting the food in a paper napkin. "mmph…. nothing wrong here, it's only well-prepared food that Jiro Ono would be proud of!"

    With a smile, she paused for a second and gently exhaled as she had something else on her mind as well. "So, hey - Aoi. Do you know it's kinda our anniversary since we met again last year?"

    "You are right. " Aoi replied. "That would be our 'friendversary' - But wasn't that tomorrow?"

    "Pfff - again she forgets something important like our friendversary and leaves me to remember stuff like these!" Hinata said with a smirk. "Our friendversary is... was yesterday? Or was it today?"

    "Hahaha… look who is talking. Our friendversary is ... it was… errrr..." Aoi also kept trying to remember what date their fateful encounter was last year. It was the first day in high school, but after so much stuff that happened since last year, she also seemed to have forgotten the correct date.

    "Never mind that - we should celebrate!" Hinata responded as she placed both her hands on the table. "I know! A hanami!"

    "A hanami?" Aoi curiously asked. "What do you mean a hanami?"

    "We never went for a hanami last year and this weekend people are going for one at the park. But instead of the park, let's climb a mountain with sakura trees and we can have a hanami there. We can bring bento boxes, snacks and I can bring stuff to prepare sakura tea. We can also invite Kokona and Honoka and if we catch the train early we can stay at the mountain the whole day." Hinata replied in her enthusiastic tone. "It will be really fun!"

    "But the weekend is tomorrow Hinata. It's so sudden and Honoka told me she is going to an exhibition at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum. Also, Kokona told me yesterday that she was going to Enoshima with her mother."

    "Let's just go the two of us then!" Hinata replied and blushed. "We haven't been somewhere together just the two of us in a month. Besides, I checked the weather app and it's going to be a nice sunny day tomorrow and Sunday will rain all day. And it's our friendversary, shouldn't we just celebrate it the two of us?"

    "Well - where do you wanna go?" Aoi asked.

    "I'll come up with some ideas during the day, but first let's go buy some sandwiches, I am starving!" Gently she grabbed Aoi's hand and pointed towards the door of the classroom. "Quick, let's go to the market!"

    "Wait aren't you gonna eat your bento box?" Aoi asked but in all that excitement, it seems like Hinata completely forgot about the food that she prepared so carefully that morning.

    "What bento box?"

    * * *

    After school was over for the day, Aoi, Kokona, and Hinata were enjoying an afternoon snack sitting down in front of their usual hang-out spot at the white elephant statue in Kannon-ji temple.

    "So, did you decide where you will go for your friendversary?" Kokona asked, as Hinata already enthusiastically explained her weekend plans with Aoi. Kokona was just starting her third year in primary school and was also sharing the excitement with them for the new semester in school. The next year she was starting in High School too.

    "Oh! I thought of a place we can go to earlier - Mount Tsukuba." Hinata replied. "Last time Aoi took me there to see the sunset so we didn't see much of the mountain at night. I think it's perfect to revisit it during the daytime and see the sunset and the city lights again. My dad said it was beautiful up there in spring too!"

    "Ah, that's sweet. I've never been on that mountain." Kokona replied while facing Hinata. "I would have joined you, but I am going with my mom tomorrow to Enoshima. Sadly she doesn't get that many days off from work during the weekend, so we don't get to go somewhere together that often."

    "Ooh... we should go to Enoshima sometime too Aoi!" Hinata suggested. "Maybe we can all go this summer with Kaede, and bring our swimsuits too."

    "I wonder if you are gonna make us buy another 'sexy' swimsuit as you tricked us to do last year, Hinata!" Aoi replied in a slightly annoyed tone. The previous summer she spent some of her allowances on a new swimsuit for a pool party as Hinata told her to buy a 'sexy' swimsuit. But after all that trouble, Hinata just showed up in her school swimsuit. "You'll probably just spend your allowance on a new water pistol to spray me with instead."

    "Well, I think it's time you get another sexy pair because you've made such a nice body from climbing all those mountains with us. But then summer break is so far away and I keep wondering if you'll lay off the mochi until then." Hinata responded with a smirk and playfully eyed Aoi's belly. Her remark only made Aoi even more annoyed as she covered herself and blushed.

    "I'll show you who will lay off the mochi this summer when I'll win by 100 times with my 'sexy' swimsuit you dum dum!" Aoi furiously replied. "Besides I bet you'll just show up in your school swimsuit again, no doubt we'll be much more 'sexier' than you!"

    "Ha...ha! I'll bring my secret weapon this time... It's another school swimsuit I've been saving for such an occasion." Through a smile she replied.

    "So, what do you two plan to do on Mount Tsukuba tomorrow?" Kokona asked curiously as she wanted to get back on the original discussion.

    "We are going for hanami and Aoi will make a hanami bento box. I'll bring some things to make sakura tea and snacks and we can watch the flowers and the sunset from the peak. At night you can also see the city come alive with all kinds of sparkling lights. I remember it was such a pretty sight and I was hoping for a long time to see it again."

    "Wait - I am making the hanami bento box? But I've never made one before and it was always my mom who did!" Aoi's concern grew bigger as she never prepared a meal for a hanami before. She knew there were old traditions involved in preparing food for hanami, but she had until tomorrow to gather all the ingredients and actually find out how to prepare a hanami bento box for both of them.

    "I think it's just like a regular bento box Aoi. I bet the internet will save you again. How else are you gonna prepare hanami bento boxes for your future husband? Or should I prepare the bento box?"

    "Geeze Hinata, stop with the husbands already and no I am not letting you come close to a kitchen again!" Crossing her arms Aoi slightly frowned annoyed by Hinata's usual teasing. "You better bring some tasty snacks and you better not be late at the train station tomorrow! Remember last month when we missed the train and then got soaked by the rain because you were late?"

    "No worries Aoi, I'll be there tomorrow right on time!" Slowly Hinata stood up and brushed herself off and turned to look at Aoi with a smile. "Well I think it's time to go - I have to go to the supermarket to buy us some snacks. I'll see you at the train station tomorrow Aoi, and have fun at Enoshima Kokona!" she waved back at the girls and walked off in the other direction.

    "Thanks, Hinata!" Kokona waved back at her as well. "Oh Aoi, I just remembered - wasn't that the mountain that you told me about with all the couples?"

    After climbing so many mountains the previous year, Aoi did not always remember the names of them all but she started remembering which one Mount Tsukuba was. It was a mountain in Ibaraki that her co-worker Hikari from the pastry shop suggested where she went with her boyfriend after sunset to see Tokyo at night. She remembered that it was the place with all the lights and the young couples at the ropeway station.

    "EEEEEEEHHHHH?! Hinataaaa!" she shouted after her in an embarrassed tone. "Mount Tsukuba was the couples one!"

    "Oh yeah, it is!" Hinata replied back to her from the distance. " I guess it's another date then Aoi!"

    "A DATE!?" Aoi couldn't have become more embarrassed even if she tried. "HINATAAAAAAAAA YOU NUMBNUT!"

    Kokona couldn't help but let out a soft giggle in her sweet calm voice. "Well - kind of a good thing only you two are going then 'lovebirds'." She always enjoyed the antics these two prepared on a daily basis.


    * * *

    "Arggghhh that stupid girl!"

    After taking a bath, Aoi in an annoyed mood laid on her bed scouring the internet to find suggestions for a Hanami bento meal. As her parents were gone for the weekend on a business trip to Hokkaido, she was left home alone to prepare for her picnic with Hinata tomorrow.

    "Again, Hinata suggests a thing like this out of nowhere! That crazy girl!"

    She kept pouting while scouring the internet for recipes. Even if she was still moderately annoyed with Hinata by her sudden suggestion and teasing her about a 'date' in front of Kokona, she always enjoyed seeing her smile whenever she tried one of her delicious meals. Besides they haven't gone somewhere only the two of them in a month, ever since their revisit together to Ikebukuro for pancakes and a shopping date.

    "Alright, seems straightforward... I can make pink dyed salmon onigiri and I hope they have fresh strawberries at the supermarket tomorrow, it was so sudden that I hope I'll have time to prepare tomorrow morning. I have to wake up at 6am, then go to the supermarket when they open... then back home to prepare the meal and get dressed cause it might be cold up there, then to the train station at 10am... Arghhhh Hinataaaaa... what did you even mean by a 'date', you dummy? If it wasn't for that girl I would have slept until late tomorrow and just kept knitting Kaede's hat..." Still in an annoyed tone, Aoi loudly kept speaking to herself while staring at the bright screen of her laptop.

    "But then... if it wasn't for that girl... I wouldn't have had to knit that hat at all for Kaede because I never would have met her... and all those memories... meeting Kaede, Kokona, and Honoka... I would have just... stayed at home... and be alone... just like the years before."

    Laying some time on her bed in silence, Aoi kept her gaze over to her side and just above her desk was the board where she hung up most of her photographs with her friends. The board was filled with wonderful memories that she shared together with Hinata and their friends, and even though her friend Kaede had to move to Osaka, she wished that this year she would keep making more wonderful memories like these.

    Unfortunately, Kaede had to move for her third year to a high school in Osaka as her family had to relocate for work. All that hard work and studying with her friend Yuuka must have paid off for her as she managed to get into a good high school for her last year.

    That day at the train station when Kaede had to leave, her memories of Hinata leaving with her in elementary school kept replaying in her head like a broken tape. Just like with Hinata, she felt that her friendship with Kaede would eventually drift apart as years go by due to the distance if eventually she never returns to Hannō. This summer break they planned to conquer Fuji-san once again and Aoi had been training for almost a year, but she felt sad and depressed that she was not going to see her mountaineering friend until then. The day they said their goodbyes at the train station, she couldn't stop crying her eyes out.

    After that day, she kept wondering what if Hinata was going to leave her one day in the future as well? Would she revert back to her old ways of being a shut-in again? She was afraid of experiencing the loneliness of her past years again without Hinata by her side.

    "What if Hinata leaves and we never see each other again?" Aoi kept asking herself the same questions over and over. "What if she leaves and - what if I never get to tell her..."

    After a year together, Aoi seemed to have developed a necessity for Hinata's presence in her life. She felt it was sort of a feeling that she would be really embarrassed to speak to her about. When Hinata was gone from her life in elementary school, she never thought that she was going to find friends and happiness in being with others once again.

    But that day a year ago, Hinata came back into her life. Even if Hinata would tease her sometimes, or they would occasionally get angry at each other for silly reasons, she loved to spend every minute with her going on all kinds of adventures. Hinata seemed to be living in her head almost every waking moment for the past year. Aoi would even feel annoyed by her remarks about finding a husband or a boyfriend when in reality she didn't want one or the other but to spend all the remaining time she had left with her.

    "But - she is a girl... it's not like she can be my boyfriend... And if I talk to her about this, she would just tease me. Arghhh Hinata! Why do I keep thinking about you all the time?!"

    Unlike Aoi, Hinata seemed to be popular in her class and she felt that one day she would eventually find a boyfriend and they wouldn't spend so much time together. Aoi knew that one day she would have to gather her courage and speak to her about what they would do in the future - and maybe even about all these odd feelings about her that plague her mind day and night.

    "I just wish it was simple, that you wouldn't hate me for these feelings - Hinata..." Brushing her tears off she snuggled her pillow tightly as she lay across the bed.

    She kept imagining Hinata's smiling face laying next to hers almost every night before she went to sleep. In her imagination, they would hold hands throughout the night and talk about all those wonderful memories that they shared together as they drifted away to sleep. She indeed wished it was that simple and Hinata was there by her side every night and morning, not only through the screen of her mobile device or the photographs of the captured memories they shared together.

    (Continued in Chapter 2)
     
  3. ContemplateGrapefruit

    ContemplateGrapefruit Active Member

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    The next morning, Aoi's alarm clock blared exactly at 6am. Struggling to get out of bed, with pure determination she set on her task to prepare the bento boxes for her hanami date with Hinata. Lacking some of the ingredients meant that she had to go for an early trip to the supermarket so she could make the perfect meal for their date.

    Just as she finished preparing the bento boxes, she noticed that she was going to run late to meet Hinata at the train station. "Oh no, I am gonna be so late!" She exclaimed and hastily packed the bento boxes in her backpack, along with water bottles and trail mix. Locking the door behind, she set off running towards the train station.

    Arriving at the entrance of the station, Hinata was already there waiting for her. She was dressed up in her usual hiking attire, carrying her larger backpack, no doubt packed with snacks and her tea-making equipment. Waving, she called out to Aoi. ""Aoi! Over here! You are late, we are gonna miss the train!"

    "Hhhhhh... I am so sorry - I was preparing the meal and..." Huffing and puffing, Aoi stood still for a second to catch her breath. "I almost forgot the time... ahhhh..."

    "Haha Aoi, you look like you broke several triathlon records. You should keep some of that stamina for our climb or you will collapse midway again. Now let's go catch the train!" Gently she grabbed Aoi's hand and briskly started walking through the crowded terminal. As it was the weekend, the station was already crowded with passengers. Just before the doors closed, the girls found themselves inside the train right on time.

    "Phew, in the nick of time. And you were the one that told me not to be late, Aoi!" Hinata playfully scolded her.

    "Ahhh...." Still holding Hinata's hand, Aoi was already exhausted from running. "I'm so sorry but - I was preparing the meal and... hnnngg"

    "Aww and here I thought I was gonna go on a hanami date all by myself with all these snacks I bought. Come, let us grab a seat, It's a long ride and we need to save our stamina for the climb later!"

    Walking through the passenger car, the girls managed to find two empty seats just close to the window. Placing their backpacks on the rack above, they sat opposite each other just as the train gained momentum and left the station.

    "Sooo - what kind of meal did you make?" Hinata asked her after she made herself comfortable on the seat.

    "Hhhh... ahhh... well... you'll see it later. It's a secret." Aoi replied, still panting and trying to catch her breath. " I spent all this morning preparing the meal and even had to go to the supermarket as I was lacking some ingredients... What did you bring in your large backpack?"

    "Just some snacks and the usual stuff I bring to boil tea." Hinata answered. "Oooh, and I brought something perfect that's for hanami!"

    "What did you bring?" Aoi curiously asked.

    "It's a secret!" She replied and smiled.



    ***



    A train and bus ride later, the girls found themselves at the entrance of an ancient picturesque shrine just at the bottom of Mount Tsukuba, the starting point of their trek towards the peak of the mountain. This time they decided to take a different route from the one they did the year before.

    "Tsukubasan Shrine." Reading the sign aloud just above the entrance, Aoi turned to face Hinata. "Hinata, are you sure you want to climb from this route? Last time we went up the path on the other side." She asked while Hinata curiously kept glancing around the shrine, taking in the beautiful scenery. Illuminated by the sun rays, the ancient shrine appeared almost lifelike, the colors of spring adding to its beauty.

    "Yeah - We haven't climbed this route before and we missed this wonderful shrine the last time!" Hinata replied as she took photographs with her phone of the beautiful scenery. Hence it was the weekend, the elegant shrine was crowded by visitors and hikers who've come to pay their respects and bask in its beauty before they were on their route to the top of the mountain.

    "There's more written down here." Aoi said as she resumed reading the information sign. "The legend states that the shrine has over 3000 years of history and has a power spot in the form of a large cedar tree. Oh, and it also says that praying at this shrine is also known to bring luck for .... errr.... romantic relationships..." She lightly blushed reading the last part quietly.

    "This shrine looks so lovely and calm! And look at all those cute couples hehe... I think some of them might be newlyweds too! Maybe they are here to bring luck to their romantic relationships?" Hinata said with a wide smile.

    "Ummm... maybe...." Aoi replied and let out a sigh. Still blushed, she held out her hand to Hinata's and gently grabbed it. "Come, let's go up the stairs to pay our respects to the shrine."

    Walking up the steps of the shrine, they reached the saisenbako just close to the main hall. Withstanding the test of time, the masterfully crafted hall resembled a beautiful artwork frozen in time. Throwing an offering of a coin inside the saisenbako the girls in unison clapped their hands and after a short prayer, they went on a short stroll through the shrine.

    "Oh, and did you hear me say that there is a power spot nearby too?"

    "Ahhh... so that's why I feel so powerful Aoi! I am already recharged and so powerful!!!" Hinata snickered and flexed her arm. "Feel the power of Hinata!"

    "Nah, too much of your 'power' would be fatal to me." Aoi jokingly replied. "Save some of your energy for the climb."

    "Sure sure, but I probably will recharge again later with all the snacks I bought and your bento box. That's why you should take some of my power now before you dissipate from accidentally touching me later on Aoi!"

    Close to the shrine, the cable car station operated frequently taking visitors up to the mountain. Aoi found out that close by, there is a popular hiking route that led up to the peak, and seemed to be used by hikers all year round. Passing the station, and walking up to another flight of stairs, the girls found a sign with an arrow pointing to the trail.

    "This one is called the 'Miyukigahara route'." Aoi said. "Maybe it will be similar to the route we took last year."

    "Haha, look Aoi! It's the return of Mount Nyotai!" Hinata pointed to the sign underneath and chuckled. "Maybe climbing the mountain the second time is a lucky charm, and will really give us a nicer figure Aoi. But then you probably packed mochi in that bento box again."

    "Ahh geez, Hinata!" Aoi pouted. Naturally, Aoi seemed to have a slight mochi obsession and couldn't hear the end of it from Hinata. "My mochi season was this winter and since then I lost a little bit of the winter weight I got, which is not much I can say for you packing so many snacks! I swear I'll stop overindulging on mochi and snacks!"

    "Mmmmmmmm? You won't even try the snacks I bought yesterday at the supermarket?" Hinata smiled and gently nudged her.

    "Pfff... I'll stop overindulging on snacks from tomorrow then!"



    ***



    Walking up the rocky trail together with Hinata, the mountain path was quite lively with hikers who've come to witness the beautiful scenery of Mount Tsukuba. Carefully Aoi traversed through the rugged terrain, overflown by the unstoppable force of nature.

    "Phew... I feel so tired... Careful Hinata, this area is especially rough!"

    "Don't worry, I got my best hiking shoes on." Hinata replied following Aoi's pace. She was captivated by the beautiful trees and nature surrounding the hiking trail. "I'm so glad we chose this path Aoi, it feels like we are walking in a fairy tale!" She happily stated. "I really missed the fresh mountain air too, we haven't hiked in weeks."

    "I missed it too. I only went for a short stroll, on Tenranzan that day in March... when you were gone for the weekend with your dad... Didn't you both go to... Mount Mitake?"

    "We did, it was beautiful up there too. But my dad is more of an experienced hiker so I can't always follow his pace. I was pretty much waiting for you to be free from work... so we can go again." Hinata replied. However, she noticed that Aoi was panting more than usual. "By the way... have you been doing those leg exercises we found on the internet?" She asked. "We need to stay in shape... if we are to climb Mount-Fuji again remember?"

    "Well... I was busy so... haven't really been doing... them every day. But unlike last year... I believe I have more endurance to climb... routes like these" Aoi replied in between her breathing before she stopped to the side of the trail for a short break.

    Standing close to the iron fence on the side of the trail, it separated the path from the steel tracks used by the cable cars. "Ah, Hinata.. check it out. The cable cars are passing by!" Aoi pointed to the cars that were about to pass them. It was packed with visitors that waved back at them from inside.

    "Hellooooo!" With a smile, both of them waved at the passengers inside the cars.

    "It must be so easy for them going up to the mountain like that. Maybe we can take the cable car later if it gets too dark." Aoi suggested before taking a sip from her water bottle.

    "But they are taking the easy way up and missing out on the beauty of the forest and the hiking trail." Hinata replied as she also sipped from a water bottle. "Besides we have to think of our Nyotai and our physical condition, Aoi! There's no Nyotai with all that mochi." she snickered replacing the bottle in her large backpack.

    "Pfff... It's not like we didn't climb any mountains or didn't train during January and February! It was only in March that I was busier than usual. I believe my 'Nyotai' is cleansed from all that winter mochi since!" Aoi replied, and slowly moved back to the trail to continue their climb.

    "But you kinda seem out of shape today. Did you get enough sleep last night?" Worriedly she asked her following Aoi back on the trail. "I knew you had to wake up early, but you shouldn't have run to the station Aoi. I wouldn't have minded if we boarded a different train if we missed that one."

    "Well, I kinda went to bed late last night and couldn't really sleep... And I haven't eaten much besides some trail mix earlier." Aoi stated. "I didn't want you to be mad at me for being late... so that's why I was running."

    "Ahhh Aoi... I always keep telling you that going to bed early is really important before a hike and you should eat more beside a trail mix." Hinata sighed. "I wouldn't have been mad at you, these thing happens. You worked so hard for our picnic and It's just a short leisurely climb today."

    "I know, but still... feels a bit difficult today. However, I'll manage!" Aoi smiled and brushed off her sweat. "I am fueled on trail mix and pure determination to try the bento box! There is a hanami waiting for us up there."

    "Of course, I can't wait to try your meal!" Hinata excitedly stated. "Hey Aoi, do you think if we eat all this food on Mt. Nyotai it will cancel out the calories? You know because of the blessing of 'Nyotai'?"

    "There is only one way to see and you have all those snacks with you for the experiment." Aoi answered. "We can later ask your weight scale what he thinks about it. Oh, you should tell it that you went to Mount Nyotai for scientific data."

    "Hahaha Aoi... Nyotai!" Hinata kept snickering at the mention of the word. "Oh... Aoi Aoi... What do mountains wear to keep warm? Snowcaps!"

    "That was so lame Hinata." Aoi remarked and chuckled. "You should have prayed at the shrine for better jokes instead."

    "Haha what do you know Aoi, that's Peak humor right here... OOOH I got another one, once I started falling down the mountain, It all went downhill from there. DOWNHILL, Aoi!"


    ***


    The last stretch of the hiking trail was packed with dense vegetation, rocks, and crudely arranged wooden stairs. At a careful pace, the girls continued their hike up the rugged path, as it was congested with hikers traversing the route.

    "I can see something up there!" Exhausted and covered with sweat, Aoi noticed the first building at the end of the climb. "I think we are close."

    "Ah, that's wonderful!" Hinata replied as she stepped behind Aoi following her pace. Moving closer, the girls saw the power lines leading up to the cable car station and the last flight of stairs.

    "We've made it!" Aoi announced as they ascended the last stretch towards the open paved area of the mountain peak. Hinata passed her by to check out the surroundings.

    "Phew... uhhh... Why am I so exhausted this time?" Aoi thought to herself as sweat dripped from her tired face. She held down to her knees trying to catch her breath, exhaling in and out. "Hinata was right, I should really go to bed early before we go hiking. I thought she would be angry at me again..."

    "Aoi, over here!" Hinata called out to her pointing towards the cylindrical building just close to the trail. "Let's go up on the terrace, I think we can see the city from up there."

    Still exhausted Aoi managed to push through and climb the stairs up to the viewing terrace together with Hinata. Walking to the railing, she looked out at the far distance as the panoramic view of the world beneath them opened up right in front of her eyes. She always felt these sights were a reward for every difficult climb they have done so far.

    "Wow, Aoi!" Hinata exclaimed as she looked around. "It's awesome!"

    "Ahh indeed... it's so refreshing up here...." Aoi replied staring into the wide horizon, as the wind gently brushed through her short sweaty hair. The last time they climbed this mountain the scenery looked significantly different at night. She couldn't help but smile.

    "Aoi look, last year we were sitting over on that side when we saw the city at night!" Hinata pointed towards the left, just above the trees was a small shrine and rock formation. "We can go again there before sunset if you want, it's a short walk from the rest area.

    "Sure but let's go to the Shinto Shrine on the summit first. I saw on the map that it's over there!" Aoi pointed to the right side close to the antenna tower. "Afterwards we can go eat."

    "Sure..." Hinata replied and smiled. "We made it, Aoi!" she said and gently grabbed Aoi's hand.

    Glancing at Hinata, Aoi slightly blushed and also smiled. "It makes me so happy to see her so cheerful." She thought to herself. "She has such a beautiful smile."


    (Continued in Chapter 3)
     
  4. ContemplateGrapefruit

    ContemplateGrapefruit Active Member

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    Next on the girl's agenda was a short visit up to the old wooden Shinto shrine on Mount Nantai's summit. The route leading to the shrine was close to the cable car station. Following Aoi's pace, they quickly reached the Shrine to pay their respects and check out the sights from the summit.

    "Hey Aoi, what kind of talisman did you buy?" Hinata cheerfully asked her as they were carefully descending down the path. Both of them were hungry and wanted to get on with the hanami at the rest area in between the peaks of Mount Tsukuba, so their visit to the shrine was cut short by Hinata's growling stomach.

    "Oh, it's one for good fortune." Aoi took the talisman out of her pocket and showed it to her. "Mountain climbing is not a cheap hobby. I still want to buy some equipment and all those train tickets, bus tickets, and mountain huts are so expensive. Who knows, maybe the talisman will bring me luck in that department?"

    "Hehe, maybe you'll win the lottery and get rich this year? But before you turn into a multi-billionaire, it's a good idea that you kept your part-time job at the pastry shop. I got a talisman too when you were praying at the shrine!" Hinata also took her talisman out of her pocket showing it to Aoi.

    "A 'Good Health' charm?" Aoi asked.

    "Well... I've been aiming for a perfect 'nyotai' beside my 'overachieving' academic success." She replied and smiled before returning the talisman back in her pocket. "Having a perfect 'nyotai' along with a perfect academic score is bound to make you popular in school."

    "I think you bought it just so you can say 'nyotai'. Besides those snacks in your bag won't help it that much."

    "If we continue to indulge in mochi and snacks we'll just be fat together!" Gently, Hinata squeezed the sides of her own stomach. "Look Aoi, this all has to go somewhere one day!"

    "It won't go anyway if you keep indulging in snacks every day, Hinata!" Aoi replied. She also recalled that Hinata bought a different talisman too. "Didn't you also buy another talisman?" She asked.

    "Well..." Shyly she averted her look away from Aoi and faced the path down the trail. "It's just a gift ... let's go eat I am starving!"

    "Oh - yeah... I am hungry too!" Aoi replied just as Hinata picked up the pace down the steps. She was puzzled as to why Hinata seems to be secretive about the other talisman that she bought.

    "Huh... I could have sworn that was a love talisman..."


    ***



    The girls quickly arrived at the secluded rest area between the mountain peaks. Covered by the blossoming trees, the open space is furnished with wooden tables and benches, and crowded by visitors who've come for a rest or the hanami.

    "Oooh... I remember this spot from last time!" Hinata happily announced as she checked the area for a free spot. "I wasn't really sure that there were any sakura trees up here, but I am so happy there are! Let's take this table over there." She pointed to an unoccupied table just close to the edge with a nice panoramic view of the forest below.

    "Huh? If you weren't sure there were sakura trees then why suggest a hanami up here?"

    "Aoi, where is your adventurous spirit? The wonder of adventures is when you expect the unexpected, and this place is perfect for a hanami!" Hinata replied with a guilty smile as she walked over to the bench and sat down. "We wouldn't have found out without our adventurous spirit.

    Sitting across from her Aoi let out a sigh. "You silly girl..."

    "Now let's see what you've prepared." Hinata eagerly wanted to dig into the food. "I am super hungry!"

    Still sighing, Aoi unpacked her backpack and took out two large bento boxes carefully wrapped in cloth, and placed them on the wooden table. "Well, I didn't have much time to prepare anything special so..."

    "Hmmmmm........ looks neatly packed... I wonder if what's inside is neatly prepared too..." Chuckling, Hinata was imitating Aoi just like when she was criticizing her 'ancient Edo period egg recipe that made girls sexier' the day before.

    "Oh shush 'sugar instead of salt', if this was a bento-making contest I would have won a gold medal by a mile!" Of course, Aoi pridefully would boast about her bento-making skills in front of Hinata and being fairly proficient in cooking she always enjoyed learning new recipes. She always enjoyed herself whenever she cooked for her family or friends.

    "Wait - before you open the boxes let's not forget the most important thing." Opening her large backpack, Hinata took out a small portable gas stove, an unopened water bottle, a packet of sakura tea, and two camping cups. "I bought sweet sakura tea at the supermarket yesterday, I'll make some for both of us and then we can eat."

    "Ah nice, sweet sakura tea! It would go great with the food. And those camping cups with Fuji-chan are so cute!" Aoi happily remarked, just as Hinata started preparing the tea. Besides freeze-dried foods, Hinata also knew how to properly prepare tea and coffee.

    "I know right? I bought a bunch of stuff at a cheap camping store with my dad last month and these cups are perfect to boil tea or coffee in as they are made of stainless steel. My dad has a lot of campings cups, but I just wanted some for myself with the cash I earned from tutoring. I also got two for Kokona with Gunma-chan on them."

    After Hinata finished preparing the sweet sakura tea and set up the table, Aoi carefully unpacked the two large bento boxes to reveal what she prepared for their picnic.

    "Hey for not having so much time to prepare, this looks amazing!" Hinata's eyes widely opened with happiness, it really did seem like Aoi's cooking always made her happy. "You've outdone yourself this time Aoi!"

    "Well - as I said I didn't have much time to prepare, it's just really simple stuff." Aoi blushed and shyly smiled. "I read on the internet that it's traditional to celebrate the coming of spring with three colors - pink, orange, and red, so I started with pink dyed onigiri with smoked salmon and sakuradai sushi. Afterward, I made the egg rolls and stir-fried chicken with vegetables. In the other box I just put some stuff I bought from the supermarket, I found fresh organic strawberries, sakura cookies and.... Fine! I also go sakura mochi with red bean paste so sue me!" Shyly she finished presenting today's meal to Hinata who seemed to be drooling all this time and ready to dig in.

    "It looks so delicious!" Hinata with a smile reached across the table and gave Aoi a big hug. "Thank you Aoi, this is so amazing!"

    "Geez Hinata, it's really nothing special. I cook for you all the time, it's just like the bento boxes I always make for us to eat at school... besides you are just gonna tease me about the sakura mochi later..."

    "I'll let it slide this time Aoi because I am sooo hungry." Hinata with a blush broke off from the hug, eager to dig into the food. "Thanks for the food!" she announced after grabbing a pair of disposable chopsticks and stuffed her mouth with the stir-fried chicken.

    Smiling, Aoi let out a sigh and also grabbed a pair of chopsticks. Seeing Hinata this happy always brought joy to Aoi, especially when she enjoyed eating her homemade food.

    "Let's eat."



    ***


    "Aoi, that was so delicious. The crispy chicken and the onigiri were my favorites so far." With a full stomach, Hinata let out a satisfied sigh after finishing the whole bento box together with Aoi. "You are such an excellent cook Aoi. I bet husbands would battle in a boxing ring for your hand in marriage."

    "Thanks." Smiling, Aoi carefully packed the empty boxes and the trash in her backpack to dispose of it later. "I am so glad you enjoyed the meal... and ughhh... I wish they wouldn't ever do that..."

    "But I have to admit, the mochi your mom and dad made on new years eve were so much better than store-bought."

    "Of course, they've been pounding mochi almost every year on new year's eve after their first visit to the shrine. It's kind of my mom and dad's thing I guess." Aoi replied setting aside her backpack on the bench beside her. "They got the hammer from my grandma because she used to do that on new year's eve too with grandpa when she was younger. My mom and dad seem to be continuing their tradition. They are so amusing to watch and she almost smashed my dad's hand this year. Geeze... that would have been so bad."

    "Yes - your mom should teach us how to make our own mochi for this winter too!" Hinata suggested. "My mom and dad loved them too."

    "I wouldn't trust you with that hammer at all knowing what kind of a klutz you are." Aoi chuckled imagining the horrors of Hinata carrying a mochi hammer around, ready to pound rice into mochi. "You'd probably smash both my hands into mochi paste."

    "Awwww... I would never do that! I'll protect your precious hands with all my might from the bad mochi hammer." Hinata replied before she scoured through her backpack and took out a whole bag full of snacks that she bought at the supermarket and spread them across the whole table. "Anyway, it's time for the mandatory sakura snacks - Look what I got!"

    "Sakura pocky, sakura KitKat, sakura chocolate, sakura mint... did you rob the supermarket out of sakura-themed stuff?" Aoi asked as Hinata was already gluttonously digging into a bar of Sakura KitKat.

    "Mmmhmm... it's tasty! Take anything you want Aoi, I bought so much already."

    "Nah, I am completely full of strawberries and mochi. Also, the warm tea really filled me up too." Aoi gently rubbed her stomach, before she stared at Hinata's smile as she dug into her snacks.

    "She seems so happy to be up here." she thought to herself and blushed. "I am still kinda curious about the other talisman that she bought... I thought she was hiding it from me. What was that all about? Does she has someone she likes?"

    Finding out Hinata's answer terrified her a little bit and she couldn't understand why. "I mean we are best friends so... I guess I should be happy if she has a boyfriend?" She has never discussed with Hinata if she ever had any love interests and Aoi was kind of anxious to speak to her about her feelings. If they were to go on adventures like this in the future, maybe she had to talk to her about it. "Ughh... why do I keep having these thoughts every day?" worriedly she glanced at Hinata who was enjoying eating the snacks she bought at the supermarket the day before. "Maybe... I have to talk to her about it... but... I am kinda afraid... Ughhh fine... i'll do it.... I'll do it!!!"

    "Umm..." Hesitantly she softly started speaking. "Hinata..."

    "Hey Aoi, do you remember this morning I told you that I have something perfect for sakura viewing?"

    "Umm... yeah, I remember."

    "Well check this out." Hinata started scouring her backpack and carefully pulled something out of it. "Tadaaa... do you what this is? It's a hammock!"

    "Ummm... Where did you get that?" Forgetting about her questions earlier, Aoi's curiosity sparked again as to what Hinata was up to this time.

    "Remember earlier when I told you about the cheap store I bought those cups from? Well, I also bought this hammock there and I tested it Mount Mitake. For a cheap hammock, it's really cool and sturdy."

    "Do you know how to set it up? Is it even safe?" She asked while Hinata took the hammock to one of the large cedar trees and started tying it up on one end. "Do you need any help?"

    "Nah I'll be fine, you did all the work with the tasty meal this morning - so this is my thanks to you. I bet no one has thought of viewing sakura trees inside a hammock." Hinata said as she got back to work, tying the one end carefully before moving on to the other. "Oh, and it's totally safe. My dad fell asleep inside it for 2 hours and he is much heavier than both of us combined."


    ***


    It took Hinata a few minutes of work to put up the hammock and testing the knots to see if they are safe. "There - now to test it out." Taking out her shoes she carefully sat on the side of the hammock.

    "Woaaa it's like a swingset hahaha..." playfully Hinata made herself comfortable inside and spread her legs across the hammock trying to stabilize herself so she didn't flip over. "It's so relaxing, Aoi come join me!"

    "Err... I don't know - isn't that for one person?" Aoi worriedly stepped towards the hammock so she could catch her careless friend if she really flipped over. "What if it snaps and we fall down?"

    "Haha it's fine, it's fine... this one has a maximum load of 130 kilograms. So, unless you put on weight we are perfectly safe." She kept giggling from inside the hammock as it gently swung around.

    "Arghh Hinata, my weight is totally ok! You are the one who ate all those snacks earlier... you'd probably destroy the hammock with all that food inside you if you are not careful. Besides, I'll have to carry you to the cable car if you hurt yourself and we are really far away from Hannō..."

    "Oh shush you worrywart!" Gently she reached out her hand and grabbed Aoi pulling her closer to the hammock. "Take off your shoes already and get in! We are so late to look at the flowers."

    "Pfff - fine, but if we fall and hurt ourselves, I am so gonna be mad!" Carefully she took off her shoes and sat on the hammock trying to stabilize herself "Eeeppp... it's kinda scary!"

    "Haha... it's not scary. It's almost like a swingset." Quickly she pulled Aoi inside the hammock and playfully embraced her.

    "Eeeppp..." Aoi let out another worrisome sound as she found herself lying next to Hinata inside the hammock. Meeting Hinata's eyes so close to hers she couldn't help but blush again.

    "And now she does something like this it's so embarrassing..." she thought to herself with her eyes closed and squeezing her own hands tightly.

    "See, we are perfectly fine." Hinata kept trying to assure her. "It didn't snap at all, and if it does then your plump 'nyotai' will probably soften my land."

    "Shut uuuuppp..." Aoi still held her eyes tightly shut and kept squirming inside the hammock.


    ***

    Gradually Aoi started getting used to being inside the hammock after Hinata kept assuring her everything will be alright. Making themselves comfortable, she opened her eyes and stared at the blossoming trees above. It indeed felt like they were both floating on a comfortable cloud, just as Hinata described. The small sakura flowers appeared like pink fluffy clouds gently swimming across the sky, the gentle spring breeze making them dance.

    "Oh... this was a nice surprise." Aoi's worries seemed to have gone away from the ultimate power of the hammock. "Also, I doubt we were the first ones to observe sakura trees inside a hammock."

    "Haha, I told you this is awesome, and you were like HINATAAA WE ARE GONNA DIEEEE!"

    "Oh, shush... I didn't say that."

    "But, you gotta admit it's so comfortable and peaceful, I could stay like this all day." Hinata replied as she gazed up in the sky with her blushed cheeks.

    "Hey, Aoi... thanks for today." Letting out a soft sigh, she turned to face Aoi inside the hammock and smiled. "I really enjoy spending the day up here with you and your meal. I've wanted to suggest we go for a hanami for a while and we climb up Mount Tsukuba again, but we were so busy with work, studying and all that... I feel bad that I put you through all that trouble of preparing the meal this morning."

    "It's alright Hinata, I kinda realized yesterday that you were planning this for some time." Aoi let out a soft sigh, still transfixed on the beautiful flowers above her. "Besides, I felt a bit depressed the past week when Kaede left for Osaka and that I didn't finish knitting her hat on time, so coming here with you made me happy. I kept reminding myself of the day when you left with your mom and dad, and I wanted to make something for her to remember me by - just like you made that hair clip with the acorn for me."

    "Don't worry Aoi," Hinata spoke and gently held Aoi's hand. "You'll finish it soon and you can always give her the hat when she visits us again."

    "But, what if she stays in Osaka and we eventually lose contact? Just like we did when we got separated."

    "Aoi... even if she is far away in Osaka I know that we will stay friends, look." Taking out her phone from the pocket, she unlocked it to show Aoi the photographs she took all day of them together on the mountain.

    "These photographs are all memories that I want to remember, and if one day we are separated for some reason, we can always look back on these precious memories that we made together. And look!" She opened the messaging application on her phone showing that she sent some of the photographs to Kaede earlier. "Kaede says hi and tells you to check your phone once in a while, she sent some pictures. Even if she is far away we can still stay in touch like this."

    "Oh hehe... I completely forgot I need to check my phone. Maybe my mom called too..." Aoi replied as she looked up at Hinata's phone and indeed, there were photographs of her and her family standing in front of a large red pagoda.

    "She wrote to me earlier that she went on the pilgrimage route in Koyasan with her family and sent me pictures. I sent her pictures of us up here too. In a way, it's like she is also on a hanami here with us and we are there with her at Koyasan too." Hinata replied holding her phone up showing the pictures to Aoi. "Even if she is living in a city so far away, she will always be our friend and we can always go somewhere together through the screens of our phones. One day when we meet again, we can talk about our adventures and make new ones with her and the others, Aoi."

    "Oh wow - it looks so beautiful up there! Isn't Koyasan on our list to visit one day too?"

    "Of course," Hinata said and smiled. "I think our list of places to visit together gets bigger and bigger every day and I hope we can scratch a place of it anytime we can. Oh and look - Kokona sent a selfie with her mom and the fishies in the back. I bet she is having a wonderful time in Enoshima. Oh, I have an idea..." she turned on the camera on her phone. "Let's take a selfie of us in the hammock and send it to them. I'll name the photograph 'Hinata and Aoi reinvent sakura viewing'."

    "Ahh... nooo it's kinda embarrassing!" Aoi said and covered her face with her hands, as Hinata embraced her and extended her arm for a selfie.

    "Aoi, say cheese!" she grinned and gently tickled her.

    "Hahaha... Noooooo Hinataaaa..."

    Snapping a picture, Hinata got to keep yet another precious memory of them together.

    (Continued in Chapter 4)
     
  5. ContemplateGrapefruit

    ContemplateGrapefruit Active Member

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    "Hey, Aoi wake up... it's almost time to see the sunset."

    "...Uhhhhh... where are we?"

    "Still on Mount Tsukuba, sleepyhead."

    "Huh...I must have fallen asleep..." Aoi said as she stretched her arms. She must have dozed off inside the hammock from exhaustion as daylight appeared to be coming to an end. Besides themselves, only a few hikers and visitors remained at the rest area.

    "I told you the hammock with the fresh mountain air is a powerful melatonin." Hinata said as she helped Aoi step out of the hammock.

    "Ah, I'm sorry Hinata... I fell asleep..." Carefully with Hinata's help, she stepped out of the hammock. When she stood on the ground, it felt like the whole world was swaying left to right. "Oooh... that's a strange feeling. I feel like I'm on a boat."

    "Haha yeah - that also happens to me too," Hinata let out chuckled as she got to work carefully packing up the hammock, first untying the knot on one side of the tree. "Whenever I can't sleep, I just use the hammock in my room and it works instantaneously. However the next day I feel like I've been sleeping on a boat."

    Sitting down on the wooden bench, Aoi kept rubbing her eyes trying to properly wake up and take in her surroundings. She felt quite refreshed after her nap. "So what you've been up to while I was asleep?" She asked.

    "I was just looking at the scenery and pretty much daydreaming, and then these two girls approached me. " Hinata answered after she finished packing up and sat across the other side from Aoi. "They wanted to ask me if I had any food, and then we started talking about camping, and stuff. They told me they frequently go camping around different spots in Japan, even in winter. This afternoon they arrived at a camping spot on the other side of the mountain, and they hiked up here to check out the sights. Apparently, that pink-haired girl forgot to bring snacks for their hike and both of them were starving, so I gave them some of my snacks."

    "Huh - So I wasn't dreaming when I saw you talk to someone earlier." Aoi said. "Aren't you sad that you gave away your snacks though?"

    "Nah, I'll be fine beside you gotta help out your fellow hikers if they are hungry. I gotta take care of my 'nyotai' too." She replied and chuckled. "I was gonna give them all of the snacks I had left but they refused. Also, the girls said you looked cute sleeping inside the hammock. If I wasn't here they would have probably kidnapped you together with the hammock for their secret comfy society."

    "Ah... geez..." Aoi blushed while still trying to properly wake up. "You should have woken me up so I can say hi... I feel kinda embarrassed now."

    "Aww don't worry about it, you were exhausted and you looked cute napping in that hammock. They didn't want to wake you up. I told them that you woke up early this morning and you were preparing a really delicious meal for us both." Hinata cheerfully replied. "Also they invited us to go camping sometime with them near Lake Motosu, apparently there is a wonderful view of Mount Fuji from there at night. I told them we went camping a few times before, so we are pretty much set."

    "Look at you making even more new friends!" Aoi smiled. "And that's awesome, we haven't gone camping in a while now and we can also invite Kokona and Honoka if they want to come too. I hope you got their phone numbers."

    "The more the merrier and yup - saved their numbers on my phone. They told me if we go camping with them I should bring my hammock, and they really want to try your cooking too. Then we can officially be initiated into the new secret society 'hammock'!"

    "Secret society 'hammock'?" Aoi curiously asked.

    "Haha yes... it will be a secret society for comfy girls who like to relax in a hammock and you'll be the appointed president!" Hinata answered and stoop up from the bench all ready for their hike towards the peak where they could observe the sunset from. "But yeah, let's go or we will miss the sunset."

    "Wait what? I'll be the president?"

    ***

    Carefully stepping through the rocky surface, the girls quickly reached the peak of 'Mount Nyotai'. Walking past the small shrine close to the cliff, the familiar sight from last year once again opened up across the horizon.

    "Look, Aoi!" Hinata gazed in awe as the sunset changed the landscape in all kinds of vibrant colors. "It looks amazing!"

    Carefully they sat down on the edge of the cold rocky surface staring out in the distant horizon. "I remember this spot from last year." Aoi said. "But the scenery in spring looks different."

    "Yeah - I have to admit spring is my favorite season for hiking. Spring's always so full of colors and I love seeing the sunset from up here!" Hinata replied, while her gaze was transfixed out in the distant horizon. "I also read in a guide book that on a clear day you can see Fuji-san from up here too."

    "Ah... kind of a shame it's cloudy in the distance." Aoi remarked. She loved that she could see Fuji-san from all kinds of spots around Tokyo and the outskirts, it was indeed a magnificent mountain and a national treasure. "I remember last year I could also see it from the Maruhiro store if you go on the levels above."

    Sitting together in stillness, they kept staring out on the horizon as the colors of the city gradually shifted. The city beneath increasingly became alive with the tiny blinking lights from buildings and street lights. The evening sky slowly laid out its carpet of stars above as the cold gentle wind brushed through the girl's hair.

    "Hey, Aoi" Hinata broke the silence. "Thank you... for everything." Feeling a bit cold, she got closer to Aoi and gently embraced her from the side for warmth. The weather started getting colder and she softly shivered. "I am really glad that you decided to go mountaineering with me last year... and be my friend again. In middle school, I usually went with my dad - but going with you and our friends feels very special to me."

    Feeling the warmth of her friend's embrace made Aoi's heart slightly race. "Hinata...." she softly spoke. "I am really glad that you gave me a push to go hiking with you, otherwise I would have just stayed at home for the whole year... thank you as well, Hinata... for being my friend..."

    "Hehe - its no trouble. That's what besties are for." Still embraced to her, Hinata smiled and continued speaking. "We saw so many beautiful sights and we met new friends too, so it was quite a wonderful year. I am really happy that we reconciled last year Aoi, and - I can't ever forgive myself that I left you alone all those years before."

    "It wasn't your fault Hinata, you don't have to feel bad..." Aoi replied. "Your dad had to move away for work so, I suppose these things happen in life. Just like with Kaede's family having to move to Osaka."

    "But I feel bad that you didn't make any friends in middle school Aoi, and I feel bad that you were lonely all that time!" Hinata replied still embraced into her. "Even though I am glad that we hang out most of the time, it makes me so happy that you opened up and made new friends too. You also got to hang out with Kasumi and the others from our class too. If one day we are separated again - I don't ever want you to be lonely Aoi..."

    "Hinata, you don't have to feel bad. I was fine back then too - I enjoyed doing activities at home and hanging out with my mom and dad. I also learned to knit by myself and I enjoy doing crafts too. Besides if you were to leave again, we have the internet as you said." Aoi assuredly replied, but in reality, she was terrified if that day would ever come. "We will always stay in touch, just like we are going to stay in touch with Kaede and our friends."

    "Hehe, of course, we will stay in touch Aoi!" Hinata replied and grinned "We are bff's, and bff's climb so many mountains together, go on all kinds of adventures and always stay in touch no matter what happens in life! After Fuji-san, we will aim for Mount Everest, K2, and perhaps one day we will go to Europe to climb the Alps!"

    "Well... let's focus on Mount Fuji for now." Thinking of those dangerous mountains only made Aoi feel anxious if she ought to climb them one day. For now, she just wanted to climb mountains that were easily accessible and safe, and she was always worrying about Kaede who usually went hiking through dangerous routes. She didn't also want to worry about Hinata getting stranded somewhere without help, or herself for that matter. However Aoi had a lot on her mind today, the fact that she struggled a bit to climb Mount Tsukuba today seemed to bother her.

    "Besides, after today I am not sure if I can climb Fuji-san again the whole way..." she said worriedly.

    "Huh? Why do you think that Aoi?"

    "Remember that last year it was at this same spot that I told you that I want to try climbing Mount Fuji again. But after practicing all that time, today I struggled to climb Mount Tsukuba, and then I was exhausted and fell asleep earlier in the hammock. I am still concerned that I am too weak to conquer Fuji-san again this summer." Aoi replied as she looked out thoughtfully in the distance. "The past year I do feel like I've gotten a bit stronger and I can climb Tenranzan with ease - but today I struggled so I am really scared that I will fail again, and I thought you would get angry at me again for going to bed late..."

    "Oh - you shouldn't be worried Aoi, these things happen even to the most experienced hikers." Hinata assuredly replied. "This is why I told you that conserving your energy before a climb is important, and there will always be days when you feel weak and tired. Yesterday we decided on a whim that we are going to do a short climb and a hanami, but when we make plans for a difficult hike we also prepare for it. Today you woke up early and you went through the trouble of preparing the meal and going to the supermarket and back. And then you ran all the way to the train station so you lost a bit of your energy. When we go to Fuji-san this summer we will make a plan together to prepare properly, and before the day arrives we can go to bed early to conserve our energy. We can also do those strength exercises together if you want, so you will be fine. I am sure you will be ready to climb Fuji-san this summer again Aoi."

    "But what if I get altitude sickness again?" Aoi was still worried even after Hinata tried to assure her that everything will be alright. It was in her nature to be worried after her last year's try left her in the middle of the trail with altitude sickness. "I don't want you to keep you all from reaching the summit again... and Kaede will come all that way from Osaka to go climbing with us and I'll just get sick again... Last year Kaede stayed behind with me so she didn't see the sunrise on top of Fuji-san and it was all my fault." gently she brushed her eyes from tears. "I don't deserve to be your friend if I do that to you all again..."

    "Aoi! Don't say that ever again you dummy!" Hinata snapped at her in an angry tone. "If we don't reach the peak again this summer then we will keep trying again, and again, and again for the rest of our lives - Until you finally do and we see the sunrise from up there together! We are your mountaineering buddies, and mountaineering buddies never leave one of their own behind! We will keep trying every year if we have to until we are old and frail!" she kept staring at Aoi intently as tears also formed in her eyes, but she couldn't ever stay angry at her. All she could ever do was keep smiling just so she can see Aoi's smile too. "And I will always be there to help you conquer Fuji-san! And when we reach the peak and look at the sunrise together, we will laugh because we did it together Aoi... Because I love seeing you happy and... smile... Aoi I..."

    Hearing her words of reassurance made Aoi's heart race even faster. Aoi always knew that Hinata cared strongly for her and always wanted to see her happy. Even if they would tease each other or seldom they would argue, she knew that they cared profoundly for each other no matter what circumstances life had in store for them. Embraced so close to her she didn't feel cold anymore. She was slowly realizing that her strong feelings for Hinata were those of love, and there was nothing she could do to make those feelings go away.

    "Hinata..." Aoi softly spoke as she looked her deep in the eyes. For the first time, she had such a strong urge to kiss her sweet lips, and stay embraced like this forever.

    However, something at that moment snapped inside her, she just couldn't find the courage to do that.

    Completely flustered Aoi stood up and let out a strange sound. "EEP! It's so cold!"

    On the other side, Hinata with a blushed and confused expression kept staring at Aoi. "Aoi... what - happened?" she asked.

    Realizing how embarrassingly she acted, Aoi turned an even deeper shade of red. "Hahaha... nothing, nothing!" trying to come up with an excuse for her behavior she fidgeted for a bit. "I think my butt got cold... I mean... No!"

    Completely dumbstruck and flushed, Hinata kept staring back at Aoi who was suddenly acting so strangely. Unable to help herself any longer, she burst into laughter holding to her sides.

    "Just... shut up Hinata! Don't laugh!"

    "Hahahaha Aoi!" Hinata kept nervously laughing and laughing. "Your butt got cold? Hahahahaha - Did you know getting your butt cold is extremely dangerous in a situation like this Aoi?"

    Still completely flustered, Aoi started pacing away from Hinata towards the Shinto shrine. "Let's go... it's getting dark and I didn't bring my headlamp!"

    "Hahaha! Aoi, Aoi... did you know people's butts can get stuck to cold surfaces on mountains? Then they have to call rescue services and they come with this device that encases their butt and unfreezes..."

    "Hinataaaa! Shut up!"

    ***

    "...and that was the famous story of Hayami Takaishi whose butt got stuck on Mount Akaishi one day in winter many years ago! The legend says on a sunny day you can see an outline of a butt in one of the stones..."

    "Hinata, just... you are making things up!" Annoyed and still flustered, Aoi nervously marched through the dark forest following the path towards the railway station. Even though she managed to calm down a bit, she was still flustered and kept trying to hide the real reason behind her embarrassment. Following her pace, Hinata passionately ranted on about 'frozen butts'.

    "What on earth was I thinking!" Involved in an internal monologue, Aoi wanted to scream internally. "I almost kissed her! Aaaaaahhhh... what the hell is wrong with me? That's it... she has used witchcraft on me! Earlier she probably prayed at the shrine that I embarrass myself again just so she can find something to tease me about... but this is the worst thing that happened so far me..."

    "Aoi?"

    "No no no... it's not just any magic... it's her delinquent magic! YES! that girl is such a pain in the butt... argh HINATA!" Marching forward, Aoi almost tripped over from a tree branch.

    "Aoi?"

    "EVIL... I mean what!?" Turning back she stared restlessly at Hinata who was following her.

    "We are here... geez Aoi! Did that butt freeze of yours manifest into a mind freeze?"

    "No it didn't and shut up!"

    Following a short walk from the peak, they reached the area around the railway station from where they climbed earlier. At night this spot was also decorated in shimmering lights, just like the area around the ropeway station. The spot was yet again crowded with visitors who've come to observe the stars and the city lights beneath.

    "Ooooh, this looks festive!" Hinata exclaimed as she stared into the lights. "And look it's crowded again even at night!"

    "But Hinata... it's all couples again - just like last time..." Aoi shyly said.

    "Hahaha.. indeed!" Hinata replied with a wide smile and kept staring at the lights and the crowd. "Look there is a ramen restaurant that's still open." she pointed towards one of the shacks with the restaurant sign on top. "and I am hungry again!"

    "Geez Hinata... wasn't the meal and the snacks enough. I thought you were gonna think of your 'nyotai'?"

    "But I am so hungry!" Hinata complained. "Want to go eat some ramen then check out the lights before we head home?"

    "But it's all couples over there again - It's so embarrassing if we go just us two..."

    "Who cares!" Hinata interrupted her. "Besides, aren't we kind of a couple?"

    "You said that last year too, you dummy!" Aoi nervously replied and turned red-faced again. To be seen as a couple after what she almost tried to do earlier was extraordinarily embarrassing for her. Eventually, she gave up and let out a sigh, again Hinata's smile won the motion by several miles. "Ughh... Fine... I guess we can go..."

    "Yay! but first, let's eat some mountain ramen!" Hinata cheerfully said. Before she started walking towards the restaurant, Aoi gently tugged her jacket from behind and got closer to her.

    "Ummm... Hinata..." she shyly spoke. "I don't mind if you want to hold my hand... well... only so so we don't get lost in the crowd."

    "Sure..." Hinata agreed and gently took Aoi's hand. "We can pretend we are like one of those dumb old romantic couples who mix up their clothes and play shogi all day!"

    "Hinataaa..." Aoi almost wanted to cry from embarrassment as Hinata led her to the restaurant.

    After a helpful serving of delicious mountain ramen, the girls wandered around the area to check out the lights and the views of the city from this side of the mountain. Holding her hand close to hers, Aoi didn't feel so embarrassed anymore as she stood together with Hinata among all the couples who've come to bask in the beauty of the city below.

    "Even if we are pretending, I guess this feels really nice..." Aoi thought to herself as they stared at the city lights again.

    "...Maybe... I kinda wish we weren't pretending... though..."

    ***

    Passing through the nocturnal city of Tokyo, the lights from thousands of homes flashed by in an instant as Aoi gazed thoughtfully out the window. Taking the last train home, the gentle sound of the engine was enough to put Hinata to sleep as she laid her head down on Aoi's shoulder. She kept staring out the window as the city passed by and had every moment of their wonderful day replaying in her head.

    "Maybe I'll figure it out someday." Aoi thought. "I don't fully understand why I have these feelings for Hinata or why I wanted to kiss her earlier. I mean she can be annoying at times and such a pain in the butt, however... when I looked into her eyes earlier, I just... I felt so warm and happy inside... and her beautiful smile, she is the most gorgeous girl in the world."

    Closing her eyes, she enjoyed listening to the soft train engine as it passed through the city. Going on all kinds of adventures, she lost count of how many train rides they took the past year together with their friends. She wished these train rides would never end, so she could always look out the window as the world passed by together with Hinata.

    "I guess one day, these train rides will stop and I'll be back to my old self..." With sadness in her eyes, she thought about a time when she would be lonely again and unlike the years before, she felt terrified of it. "Just like Kaede, maybe one day Hinata will be gone from my life again... eventually she will go to university, find a job and get married to someone... in the end, we would just go our own way in life, only our memories and photographs will stay behind..."

    Gently squeezing Hinata's hands she looked back at her and smiled. She was still sleeping peacefully perched on her shoulder, there was still some time left until they reached the station in Hannō. "Hinata must be exhausted too... well we will be home soon so... guess that's the end of the day... but I kinda wish... these days would never end."

    ***

    "Hinata." Aoi nudged her sleeping friend gently to wake her up.

    "Uhh... hey? Did we arrive?"

    "We did but I have some bad news..." Aoi announced just as the train pulled up at their destination.

    It was sometime before midnight as the girls stood outside the gates of the train station. On the other side, it seemed like all hell broke loose. The clouds poured all of its rain over the city of Hannō and thunder raged on in the far distance.

    "Errr... Hinata... didn't you check the weather yesterday?" Aoi asked as she turned and looked at Hinata with murderous intentions.

    "Hehe... well... I only looked for Tsukuba but - it kinda said it's gonna rain tomorrow... heheheeee" With a guilty expression, she glanced back at Aoi who was probably plotting how to assassinate her. "Do you have an umbrella?" she asked. "I... kinda left mine at home..."

    "Well, I didn't bring one because you said the weather was gonna be fine and that I shouldn't bring an umbrella you absolute DODO!" Aoi screamed angrily. "And my mom and dad are still in Hokkaido so there's no one to pick us up, and we wasted all our money on Mount Tsukuba so we can't call a taxi!"

    "And my phone battery is dead so I can't call my dad!" Hinata said after she checked her phone. "And I don't really remember his number because he lost his phone and changed it recently..."

    "Arghhh HINATA! What the heck are we gonna do?"

    "Hey, Aoi remember that triathlon you did this morning?"

    "What on earth are you talking about Hinata? This is not the time for jokes!" Aoi appeared to be in her usual panic mode. Hinata on the other hand must have come up with an idea.

    "Well, want to break your record from this morning?" Hinata asked as she grabbed Aoi's hand and started pulling her out on the street. "Cmon we are running to your house!"

    "NO! What are you doing, you crazy idiot?! We are gonna be soaked! It's a 15-minute run!" Aoi protested but it was too late, Hinata already pulled her out and together they started to run.

    "Haha... it will be fine! It's the start of our exercises for Fuji-san Aoi! WOOOHOOO!" she yelled out in laughter, running through the drenched streets of Hannō with Aoi by her side. It only took them a few seconds to be completely soaked from head to toes.

    "Hinataaa!" Running beside her Aoi kept squirming, carefully stepping through the wet asphalt as to not slip and fall. "Kindly remind me to kick your ass later!"

    (Continued in Chapter 5)
     
  6. ContemplateGrapefruit

    ContemplateGrapefruit Active Member

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    "Ummm Hinata... how did we end up like this again?"

    "Well, we decided to run from the train station through the rain, and you wouldn't let me go home after I got soaked. And then you invited me to spend the night here..."

    "...I know that part, and again, you were the one that decided to run through the rain!" Aoi frowned. "However, I said you should go take a bath first so you wouldn't get sick!"

    "You did, and then I told you to go take a bath first so you wouldn't get sick..." Hinata replied. "I guess in the end, we were in a bit of a standstill, and decided to compromise and take a bath together."

    Sprinting through the rain, both of them got their clothes and bags completely drenched from head to toes. Aoi wouldn't let Hinata go home during the storm outside, so she invited her to spend the night at her house. After a short debate on who would go in the bath first, Hinata decided it was best to take a bath together so they wouldn't get sick the next day.

    "...no, we didn't compromise! You wanted to get in together or you wouldn't have gone in otherwise!"

    "Of course Aoi, it's an emergency isn't it?" Completely relaxed, Hinata sat opposite of Aoi in the bath enjoying the warm water. "It would have been completely selfish of me to just go in alone when you would freeze waiting for me. We don't want you to get sick tomorrow now, do we? You would worry your mom and dad and they are gone all the way to Hokkaido, and then I'll have to take care of you. And then your mom would never let you go hiking with me ever again."

    "Maybe uhh...I... I guess..." Aoi replied nervously fidgetting in the bath. "But it's really embarrassing to go in the bath together like this!"

    "You don't have to be embarrassed, Aoi," Hinata spoke. "This is like going to a sento, besides I've already seen everything before."

    "This is nothing like a sento!" Aoi blurted out. "And what do you mean you've seen 'everything'? We are girls... so it doesn't matter if you've seen me..."

    "Hehehe - still embarrassed Aoi?" She smirked and curiously stared at her. "And here I thought you were an adult who wouldn't get embarrassed bathing with other girls. You should be proud of showing off that firm body of yours that you got from mountain climbing with me."

    "Just... shut up Hinata!" Aoi blurted out again. "... It's embarrassing enough without you staring at me!"

    "Argh, that girl." Aoi thought to herself. They've been together in a public bath many times before, but this is the first time they took a bath together in her home, even after the few sleepovers they've had before. "But I guess today was an emergency so we had to go in together... Geez, why does this girl like to embarrass me all the time?".

    "Ahh Aoi, your bath is so amazing and big..." Hinata on the other side seemed to be without care enjoying the warm bath. "It's so refreshing to take a bath after being on the mountain all day, and it smells so nice with the bath bomb you used."

    "Uhh... I guess..." Shyly, Aoi still kept covering herself even after the bath bomb coated most of the water with bubbles. "But it's nothing special... it's just like an ordinary bath..."

    "It's quite spacious and looks so futuristic with all those buttons on the sides. Mine is just an ordinary one and doesn't have all these sci-fi buttons."

    "Well, my mom and dad had the bathroom renovated a few months ago. Also, this one has jets so it can turn into a jacuzzi. But yours is nice too, feels like bathing in a mountain hut." Aoi answered as Hinata curiously kept checking out the panel on the side that controlled most of the functions of the bath.

    "Oooh, I really wanna try out the jets now!" She pressed one of the buttons on the panel that turned them on. Instantaneously the jets came to life. "Haha... what is this?!" Hinata exclaimed in a surprised tone. "This is awesome!"

    "Geez, don't just press buttons without asking Hinata!" Aoi complained. "The bubbles get even denser from the jets!"

    "Hahaha... no way!" She giggled and in a short while, the bath started bubbling up a lot more with the mix of soap and air. Eventually, both of them got lost inside a mountain of soapy bubbles that kept rising up higher. "There are so many bubbles Aoi, it looks like a foamy Fuji-san now!"

    "I told you so." Aoi sighed. "You are so cleaning this mess up!"

    "Haha, we don't have to clean it Aoi. We can just live inside the bubbly Mt.Fuji!" Joyfully she kept playing around with the bubbles, even making a foamy beard and mustache on her face. "Aoi look, I am Santa Claus! I've heard you've been a bad girl from eating all of my winter mochi. Your punishment is an exile to bubble mountain."

    "Hinata... you are such a child! You are still going about the mochi after all the junk food you ate today. Don't forget the mountain ramen too..." Aoi let out a soft sigh. Even if she was a bit annoyed by Hinata's childish antics, she couldn't help but start giggling. She felt that there was no point in being uptight with Hinata as she was just going to go on doing stuff like this. "If more you should be the one punished for eating all that food earlier."

    "Hehe, Aoi, seems like we both got exiled to bubble mountain for eating too much junk food. Besides don't forget that on a picnic you should indulge yourself."

    "Keep making excuses." Aoi replied, "If you continue like that you are not gonna have a firm 'nyotai' to show off in an onsen anytime soon."

    "Well, you'll just have to help me exercise then Aoi. After all that food you feed me, I am not sure I'll have a firm and sexy 'nyotai' once again."

    With a smile, Aoi kept staring at her as Hinata enjoyed herself in her usual childish ways. "She acts like such a kid sometimes." she thought to herself, and couldn't help but get flustered once again as she stared at her body covered by the foam. "All that food she eats and she still has such a beautiful body, and - her chest's grown a bit since the last time I saw her in the onsen - and whenever she lets her hair down she is just so gorgeous... I... I want to kiss her... Wait! we are both naked and I am thinking of kissing her..."

    Suddenly Aoi jumped out of the bath, embarrassingly covering herself with the towel from the rack nearby.

    "Aoi? Are you alright?"

    "Y... yes I am fine... I felt a bit overheated from the bath." She fidgeted just like when she had that awkward moment on the mountain, but she was quick to come up with an excuse this time. "You enjoy yourself and I'll go make us some tea downstairs. I also left you a spare toothbrush and pajamas on the counter outside..."

    "Sure Aoi, I'll be out soon."

    * * *

    Dressed up for bed, Aoi stood up above the kitchen sink preparing chamomile tea for herself and Hinata. The moments when she wanted to kiss Hinata on the mountain kept replaying in her head.

    "What the hell is wrong with me today?" She asked herself. "Why do I act so weird with her today? Even seeing her naked in the bath too..." her heart pulsated wildly from all those wild thoughts that kept bothering her most of the day. "...and then I was thinking of kissing her again in the bath..."

    "I guess... I have to talk to her later... I just have to do it... I can't even stop thinking about that stupid love charm she bought earlier... who did she buy it for?"

    Carefully she took the whistling kettle out of the stove while hands kept trembling. Trying to stay calm, her mind became oversaturated with thoughts about what she could say to Hinata. What if her words would forever ruin the friendship with the person she cared most about in the world?

    "Ok calm down... calm down... maybe I won't talk to her about it today... it's ok there's so much time... Oh no... what if she noticed me earlier on the mountain? What the heck do I do?." She felt like she was on the edge of yet another panic attack.

    "Or she would just tease me again... ugh I just... I just don't know what to do..." She tried her best to stay calm, and doing breathing exercises seemed to help her feel calmer.

    "...I guess I have to go up to my room and tidy up before we go to bed... she must not see me like this... Maybe I am panicking about nothing... it will be fine... I don't have to talk to her about this today... there's always next time... there's always... next time... I guess."



    * * *


    Walking up the stairs with the tray in her hands, Aoi found herself standing in front of her bedroom door. Taking a deep breath she opened it and found Hinata already inside sitting on her desk using the hairdryer. The rain outside kept lingering on as the raindrops gently tapped the roof in an inconsistent rhythm. Unlike earlier, the weather seemed to be calming down.

    "Hey, you finished with your bath?" Aoi asked her. "I thought you would still be in it after you discovered it turns into a jacuzzi."

    "Yeah - I was kinda bored after you left, so I got off the bath and rinsed." Hinata answered while she continued drying her long silky hair. "I used one of your chargers to charge my phone and text my dad to let him know I am staying the night here. I hope you don't mind."

    "Of course I don't mind, make yourself at home." With a smile, she set the tray on the table close to her bed. "Here, I made us some warm chamomile tea."

    "Mmm... thanks, I love chamomile tea." Turning off the hairdryer, she turned to face Aoi and smiled. "By the way, your pajamas are so comfy. I think I can fit in all your clothes if we ever do another triathlon through the rain in the future."

    "Well yeah... you can brag about your bust size all you want, but we are pretty much the same height and size." Aoi spoke and couldn't help but blush again after seeing Hinata wearing her pajamas.

    "Errr... she looks is so cute wearing my pajamas... and... I had to lend her my underwear too cause she got really soaked from the rain..." Thinking she could overheat again at any moment, she decided it was important to clean her strange thoughts of Hinata. "Ughh... no... calm thoughts only..."

    "Hey, your photo collection is coming up along nicely! We did so much stuff during the year." Curiously she examined the board on top of Aoi's desk with all the photo memories that she put up. "And looks like you are almost finished with Kaede's hat. So, when are you gonna finish knitting my hat?

    "You ruined it last year remember? You are not getting a hat."

    "Aww, that's not fair..." She complained crossing her arms. "I knit you a coaster with Kokona so I want an Aoi hat too, and I wanna wear it everywhere! You are not fair."

    "Nope!" Aoi replied smugly. "You had a chance to get one last year and you totally ruined it."

    "You are such a meanie!" Hinata exclaimed before she sat across the table from Aoi and took a sip of warm tea. "By the way, where did your kotatsu go?

    "It's spring, and the room is warm enough without the kotatsu."

    "Aww, but it would have been nice to warm ourselves up after our exercise outside and our bath."

    "That wasn't an exercise as much as it was your crazy idea to run through the rain," Aoi exclaimed. "I just hope we won't catch a cold tomorrow or you are totally staying here all day and nursing me to health."

    "Well, the alternative was we could put the hammock up at the station and sleep there instead." Hinata giggled. "And then for sure someone's gonna kidnap a cute girl like you along with my hammock. Lots of pink-haired weirdos out there belonging to a comfy society."

    "So, what would you do if I got kidnapped?" Aoi curiously asked her.

    "Do you remember that silly movie we watched where they kidnap this guy's daughter?" Hinata asked. "I would have called them and told them that I have a 'very particular set of skills'. No one kidnaps my hammock and lives to tell the story!"

    Imagining Hinata as an aged badass vigilante was enough to make Aoi chuckle. "And is annoying them to death one of your 'particular set of skills'?" she asked.

    "Oh, you bet I would annoy them Aoi! I'd go to the end of the earth to save my hammock! Or as far as Yokohama because I forgot to fill up my train card again."

    "Pffff... I now know that you'll just go after the hammock first instead of your bestie." Aoi replied in a disappointed voice. "And then you'll probably let them take me away to be a president of their secret society. You meanie!"

    "Well - I could save you, but it's gonna cost you. Let's say, a wool hat knitted by Aoi?" She winked.

    "Pfff... fine. I know you'll never stop pestering me about it." Aoi let out a sigh holding the warm mug close to her lips. "I'll start knitting it right after I finish Kaede's, but you gotta make a promise to never touch my knitting stuff ever!"

    "Yay! It's a deal! And if you ever get kidnapped I'll totally come to rescue my princess in another castle!"

    "Hinataaaa..." Aoi muttered and slightly blushed by Hinata's remark. "I can probably fend for myself too you know."

    "Of course, I believe in you, princess Aoi! With all that raw mountain power you'll crush anyone that stands in your way!" She let out a chuckle. Oh hey... I forgot to ask. Why did your parents have to go to Hokkaido?"

    "Well, my dad had to attend a work conference in Sapporo, and my mom wanted to go with him to see the city. I heard it's wonderful to visit in spring, even though it's cold." Aoi answered. "I wanted to go with them but I couldn't because we just started school. Besides, I swear my mom wanted to see how responsible I am when they leave me alone for the weekend."

    "Well, you didn't burn the house down yet and you got to have an enjoyable day with your bestie on Mount Tsukuba. I'd bet she would think you are responsible to be left alone. And don't worry, we can travel to Hokkaido one day and climb Mount Asahi just the two of us." Hinata suggested. "I saw in the mountaineering guidebook that it looks really beautiful and my dad told me that he climbed it while he was in University. He also went with my mom a few years ago to Sapporo."

    "Did you go with them?" Aoi asked.

    "Naaah... My dad rarely gets to travel somewhere with my mom and I stayed with my grandma because I had school too." She replied. "He is happy whenever they have a chance to go traveling together."

    "Oh... why does he rarely travel with your mom?"

    "I think I told you once that it's because of her job. She is a sales representative and has to travel abroad frequently for her company, so they rarely get to travel somewhere together." Hinata explained. "She has a responsibility to meet with clients abroad and she's been to so many places in Europe and America. She even went to Cape Town in South Africa a few weeks ago. It must be so amazing to travel and see all these wonderful places around the world. She always sends us photographs from her travels and I am so proud of her."

    "Maybe one day you can travel like her as well Hinata," Aoi said. "There is so much to see out there in the world."

    "Yeah, I guess but - I think it's lonely to travel by yourself Aoi." She replied in a sad tone. "She told me that she gets lonely without us and whenever she can she always calls us to hear our voices. In primary school, I usually hang out with my dad because we would both get lonely without mom. Besides you, they are my best friends too and I love them."

    "Of course Hinata, I know that you love them and you always speak highly of your mom and dad. And I realized some time ago why you always keep going about me to try to be more open and meet new friends because you don't want me to be lonely." Aoi said through her smile. "You helped me make so many new friends Hinata and be open to new things more, so whenever we are together I never feel lonely."

    "Hehe, I am glad I helped. I will always be there for you no matter what." Hinata said and let out a sigh. "Hey Aoi... can I tell you something I never told you before? It's something I was kinda embarrassed to talk about."

    "Umm - sure."

    "Well it's just that... before we moved back here with my dad, you know that we lived in Otake close to my grandmother. Back in primary school, I didn't really have friends and my only friend had to emigrate to America with her family." Hinata spoke. "Before she moved away, we were planning to have hanami at the park, but she moved away before spring came, so I went alone and - I felt so sad and lonely. My dad was busy with work, my mom was traveling and my grandmother is old and couldn't come with me and I didn't have anyone else to ask. That day at the park I found myself thinking about the day when we got separated and I kept wondering what you were up to, we didn't write to each other so I thought you must have forgotten me. But even if my dad knew your address, I never could find the right words to put on paper." She said and gently brushed her eyes. "I didn't really make new friends because I was afraid they would leave me again and forget me."

    "But you are so open and friendly with everyone," Aoi said. "I figured you must have had a lot of friends that you left back in Otake?"

    "Besides her no. I didn't have other friends." She admitted. "At times I felt that I was closed too, and I thought that I couldn't make friends again because they weren't interested in mountain climbing. I always went hiking with my dad and hanged out with him whenever he wasn't busy. As I said we were lonely sometimes when mom had to travel, and we always kept each other company."

    "Hinata..." Gently Aoi held Hinata's hand. "I guess we both have similar stories to tell from primary school. Perhaps in some way, we both changed in high school and opened up more?"

    "Well, we both kinda helped each other open up and smile a lot more, Aoi." Hinata said and even though she felt sad about her past, she always managed to smile just for her. "I was so wrong that I thought that I couldn't make friends again. I realized that if you want to make friends you have to change something about yourself and be more open to new experiences. Not everyone will want to do the same things as yourself, but in the end, you'll always find something you have in common. Even if you didn't want to go hiking with me I would have been happy to be your friend again. Besides, we do other stuff together, just like when we were kids. We can always make up for all that time we lost when we were separated Aoi no matter how much time it takes."

    Aoi gently leaned and hugged her. "Even though I didn't remember you last year that moment when you walked into the classroom, I hope you know that I really missed you when you left. I am so glad you came back... Hinata..."

    Hugging her back, Hinata fought back her tears and kept smiling. It seemed like only Aoi could make her smile this way and she never felt lonely when she was with her.

    Breaking from the hug both of them smiled at each other and blushed. Talking all this time Aoi forgot that it was way past midnight and suggested for them to go to sleep. Making themselves comfortable on her bed, Aoi turned off the lights and got under the blanket together with Hinata.

    "Don't you have a futon, Aoi?" Hinata asked. "I don't wanna wake you up if I have to go to the toilet in the middle of the night."

    "Nah, I don't mind. My bed is large and comfortable so you don't need to sleep on a futon. Besides, Kaede is a much worse sleeper than you are, she keeps waking me up when we shared a tent."

    "Haha I agree, she keeps waking me up too." She let out a chuckle. "But I'll pick Kokona again to share a tent over all of you because she hardly ever snores or moves around."

    "Hey, I am sharing a tent with Kokona next time! She is the quietest sleeper of us all."

    "Or we can all just snuggle under a big tent with Kokona, Aoi." Hinata suggested and chuckled. Closing her eyes she laid to her side. "But seriously, now it's bed time - Goodnight Aoi."

    "Goodnight Hinata." Aoi said and smiling she closed her eyes as well.


    * * *



    Throughout the hour, Aoi kept tossing and turning on her bed unable to fall asleep. She couldn't be bothered to check the time as her mind was racing with all those thoughts from earlier that came to plague her back.

    "She is sleeping next to me..." she thought to herself focusing on Hinata's gentle breathing. "We've had so many sleepovers before, but I don't understand why tonight feels so different. I am still anxious if she noticed that I was acting kinda strange on the mountain." Turning to Hinata's side, she stared deeply into her closed eyes. The soft lights from outside gently illuminated the shape of her gentle sleeping face. "She looks so beautiful even when she is sleeping. I think she is the most beautiful girl ever and... I wish I had the strength to tell her everything... and kiss - her..."

    "Hey - Aoi..." To Aoi's surprise, Hinata suddenly spoke and opened her eyes. "Can't sleep?" she asked and gently yawned.

    "Umm... yeah... I, guess" Aoi replied trying to hide the fact that she was feeling a bit nervous. She didn't manage to sleep even for a minute.

    "Me too. I've had a lot going on my mind and couldn't fall asleep." Hinata spoke before she turned to face the ceiling. Aoi felt it was obvious that Hinata was also feeling a bit apprehensive about something but trying to hide it. "Hey, I didn't notice you put those glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling."

    "Oh.. yeah - I put them up last month," Aoi said. "I arranged them in the form of the Aquila and Cygnus constellations. Whenever I have a bad dream I look up to them and they keep me company. They remind me of all the times we could see the stars and the milky way when we were out of the city."

    "Ahh, they look so pretty!" Hinata spoke as both of them gazed up at the little glowing stars on the ceiling. "Whenever I look up at the night sky it makes me feel like I am drifting in a sea of twinkling lights and I never feel alone. I sometimes imagine how life is out there among the stars, wondering if someone out there is also looking back at us. Maybe, they also wonder about the same things as us." she said and smiled.

    "I guess the fluorescent stars aren't really a replacement for the real ones outside," Aoi said and sighted. "But I know that I can always look up to them whenever I feel alone and reminisce about all the wonderful times we've had together."

    "Oh." Hinata let out a sad sigh and turned to face her. "Do you also feel lonely at times too, Aoi?" she asked.

    "I... I guess it's just - I realized that after Kaede left, that in the future we will all get separated and go our own way in life. I can't help but feel this is all temporary. Just like the shine of the stars above is temporary." Aoi explained. "I know that you think of your future with your studies and you even bought that love charm too so maybe you like someone. Perhaps one day you'll find a husband and a job and maybe you'll move out of Hannō again to pursue your dreams. It would probably be the same with Kokona, Kaede, Honoka, and anyone else I meet in my life. I don't know what the future will hold for us, but I don't think we can always see the stars together Hinata... This way they are always here with me in my room, keeping me company - if perhaps one day you leave again."

    "Aoi..." Hinata softly spoke her name and gently reached out to hold her hand under the blanket. "I didn't know you felt that way - I can't say anything about the future, but here in the present I'll be always here for you and the stars are always out there waiting for us. We have to make up for losing 7 years of our lives apart, don't we?"

    "...Maybe, but I know that the future will come soon..." With her free hand, she gently brushed the tears forming in her eyes. She wasn't as tough as Hinata to fight back her tears and always smile. "Those times when we could see the milky way and the stars together always made me feel so happy, and the fact that I won't see them with you in the distant future makes me feel sad and lonely."

    "Aoi... then I'll do my best to always see you smile! In the present and the distant future!" Hinata said with a smile while she kept holding Aoi's hand. "...and about that love charm... I have something to tell you Aoi..." she hesitantly spoke.

    "Huh... what do you want to tell me?" She asked with a sudden concern on her face.

    "Well, it's... how do I say this..." Hinata fidgeted for a bit but she was determined to tell her and there was no backing out. "You do remember Naoki from our class?"

    "Naoki? Umm... why? Isn't that the boy that constantly gawks at you?" Aoi asked.

    With some hesitation, Hinata continued talking. "Well... You know, a few days ago when we started with the semester - I found a love letter from him in my shoe locker confessing that he likes me. I guess I was a bit flattered and confused because it was the first time I've ever gotten a love letter in my life and I didn't know what to do."

    "Oh... I didn't know that" Aoi said, she could feel her heart starting to beat even faster. "But... did you give him an answer?" she asked but was so afraid of hearing what the answer would b.

    "I did," Hinata answered to Aoi's surprise. "Two days ago he asked me to meet him behind the school so I could give him an answer... but I already knew what my answer was even before he gave me that letter and..." nervously she paused for a second to gather her thoughts. "I told him that my heart will always belong to someone else... even if this person refuses me..."

    Aoi felt like she wanted to cry again. "She likes someone... already." she thought to herself. "I should be happy for her but... she likes someone... and... I am not... happy... I am..." Her mind felt so heavy, but she couldn't show Hinata she was distraught. She just had to know who it was that she liked.

    "Who?" Hesitantly, Aoi asked her.

    "Aoi... you dummy!" Leaning her head towards Aoi's chest, she closed her eyes and with difficulty started speaking. "I bought that love charm because I am hoping that - I, I just - can't..." Hinata's voice fluttered. "I can't lie to you and myself anymore... I was so sad and disappointed that the letter - wasn't from you... I was hoping for a long time to find your letter in the mailbox at Otake and I was hoping to find it in my shoebox too... but it never arrived - Aoi..." through an onset of tears she continued speaking. "... I am so afraid - to be separated from you again that I keep daydreaming every day - of a future where we are always together..."

    Aoi was left speechless, and she couldn't stop her heart from beating so furiously. She couldn't gather her thoughts, let alone say anything to her at this moment as she listened intently.

    "I thought I was crazy for a long time - I thought something was wrong with me because of these feelings... Aoi... I... I kept thinking that I was insane and that girls can't love other girls like this but... I figured it some time ago. Why does it have to matter if that person you love makes you happy every day?" Hinata spoke through the tears as she kept holding Aoi's hands never wanting to let go. "Earlier on Mount Tsukuba - when you told me to hold hands - and pretend we are a couple, I was the happiest girl on that mountain. The cold mountain air felt like a gentle embrace whenever you are so close to me. ...I... I could never ever feel that with anyone else... and with you Aoi... I just - I can't imagine a future where we are apart again! I just... can't... and I don't want ever want to feel lonely anymore Aoi ... "

    Hinata couldn't stop her tears no matter how much she tried. "I was so - afraid to tell you Aoi... I don't - want to lose you!" She must have harbored these feelings for what felt like an eternity since they got separated and reunited again. She had to tell Aoi her feelings, even if it meant jeopardizing their friendship.

    Still perplexed, Aoi laid her head close to Hinata and gently embraced her closer. It was her time to finally tell her everything she wanted from her heart.

    "... Hinata ..." she finally gathered her courage. "...when you left that day many years ago - I felt like my little heart shattered in thousand pieces and I thought I would never see you again..." her voice fluttered and she started crying. "It took a long time for my heart to mend and come to terms with my loneliness... but when you came back and even if I didn't remember you for that brief moment... I was so happy that we could finally fulfill that promise we made... I was so happy to have my friend back..." Closing her eyes, she couldn't stop her own tears as well. " - Hinata, there's not a single day that I don't think about you since you came back... there's not a single night that I don't wish you were here next to me on this bed... If you think it's insane for us to be together, then I wish we can always be insane together. Hinata... I don't think my heart can mend again if you ever leave me again... I don't..."

    The pain of all those lonely years they spent apart finally caught up with them. Embraced together in silence they kept crying in each other's arms, and crying was all they could do at this moment. And that night they finally realized their true feelings of pure love for each other, for they couldn't continue living on without one another.


    * * *

    "Look at us ruining a precious moment with our crying." Sniffling and brushing her nose and eyes with her hand, Hinata chuckled. "We are such crybabies Aoi."

    "We are not crybabies." Aoi said as she sniffled as well. "It's just that we... kinda decided to share something... that we've felt fo each other for so long and..." She covered herself underneath the blanket. "I am so embarrassed!"

    "Hahaha, Aoi!" Letting out another chuckle Hinata got under the blanket and lovingly stared at her. "I never told you before how adorable you are when you get embarrassed like that!"

    "Is that why you like teasing me Hinata?" Aoi shyly said. "Also... before you never told me that - I was adorable..."

    "Hey, Aoi... I wish you didn't back out earlier - on the mountain when we were watching the city."

    "Huh! What?" Aoi asked. "What do you mean?" she felt like she was going to be in big trouble right now.

    "I know you wanted to kiss me, but you were like 'EEEEEEEEEP MY BUTT FROZE!'." Hinata lightly chuckled and blushed a deep shade of red. "C'mon... I didn't even believe you for a moment that your 'butt' froze!"

    "No! I didn't want to errr... kiss... I - just my butt was really frozen and then we talked about the dangers of frozen butts! Remember?" Aoi nervously twitched under the blanket.

    "Well... I am partial to blame too because I wanted to kiss you too, but I chickened out as well..." she admitted "But then I kept thinking, maybe if our first kiss was on the mountain it would have been perfect. You know with the stars above and the city lights below. But we are both to blame and totally ruined that moment!" Hinata spoke still blushed with a deep shade of red. "Mostly your 'frozen' butt is to blame, sheesh! If only you were 'butt-freeze smart' this wouldn't have happened. 'Butt-freeze' is a serious condition Aoi, I would have had to call the emergency services..."

    "You are going on about 'butts' again..." Aoi stopped her. "But errr... well maybe we can go there the next time... and... ummm... oh gosh what the heck am I even saying! Just shut up!"

    "Hey, do you think those two girls I met on the mountain had a perfect kiss too?"

    "Wait! They are a couple?" Aoi for a brief second appeared surprised. "Geeze... why am I even surprised, there's a lot of things today that make no sense! Wait I must be dreaming or something!" She pinched herself, but nope, it wasn't a dream at all.

    "Hahaha yeah!" Hinata grinned. "They told me that they met 2 years ago while one of them was camping at Lake Mototsu to see Fuji-san at night. The other just showed up out of nowhere completely lost because she also wanted to see Fuji-san but fell asleep on a bench at a rest stop and before she woke up it was already night. I guess in a way we have something in common with them, it was a mountain that got them close. If we go camping with them we should totally tell..."

    "NO!" Aoi interrupted her. "We must not tell anyone, not even Kokona, Honoka, or Kaede... they will freak out! Oh crap, what will my parents or your parents or even our classmates think?"

    "Aoi, calm down! Who cares?" Hinata replied assuring her that everything will be alright. "We can keep it a secret for now but people will find out eventually! So I guess... that makes us girlfriends now?"

    "But... we are besties!" Aoi blurted out. "Can we be girlfriends too?"

    "Hahahaha, Aoi! Of course!" Hinata replied and smiled with her pretty flushed face. "Oh and..." playfully she uncovered Aoi who was still covering herself from embarrassment and sat on the bed. "You know - we still have the fluorescent stars above us. It's perfect here too!"

    "Err... what are you suggesting now?" Aoi curiously stared at her.

    "... Aoi... say something that you like about me! It's my first kiss ever so... I want it to be special!"

    "Well..." Aoi sat up on the bed as Hinata gently held her hands. "Let's see for starters... you constantly tease me and embarrass me, then last year you totally made me go mountain climbing even if my legs hurt so bad at the beginning for days. You are a complete klutz and you pulled my skirt down in public, twice! You eat too many snacks and you are constantly hyperactive... Your mountain jokes earlier were sooo bad..."

    "...Oh cmon... that's all my best qualities Aoi!" Hinata let out a chuckle while she intently stared at Aoi's eyes. "... you dealt with me all this time so there's bound to be more."

    "Fine!" Aoi couldn't have gotten even more embarrassed at this point so she continued on. She felt there was nothing else to lose but her dignity. "...you ruined the hat I was knitting for you the same day you pulled my skirt out in public... you teased me about my body and the winter mochi since January... you constantly shoot me with your water gun every chance you get... But then - Hinata... you always see the best in people and try your best to make them happy and smile. You are the kindest and genuinely the most warm-hearted girl I ever met. I think you are probably the smartest person in the world and - and you helped me so much, not only with my studies, you helped me when I felt so lonely... you helped me overcome my fear of height... you helped me make new friends and you helped me remember my love for mountain climbing. Every moment we are together I am the happiest girl ever. You made me realize there isn't a future I want that's without your smile and I want to do so much stuff with you and keep climbing all of the mountains in the world together with you. When I look into your eyes I keep thinking that they are so pretty and you are the most beautiful girl in the world - and every time I hold your hand - I wish the time would stop so we can always stay together just frozen in time and we will never let go... and... also... you look so sexy when you let your hair down..."

    "Aoi..." Hinata's eyes were getting teary-eyed again while she intently listened to her. She couldn't keep waiting for what felt like an eternity anymore as she leaned closer to her. Tenderly she placed her warm hand next to her cheek and before she closed her eyes, she softly whispered to her lips. "I love you... Aoi..." and her sweet lips met with hers.

    With tears in her eyes, her first kiss was how she always dreamed it to be with the one she loved more than the whole world itself. Her first kiss was with the girl she lost, but once again found as if fate has brought them together again. Embraced, she never wanted to leave Aoi's side ever again. Their warm and kind hearts started beating only for each other as they kissed in the safety of Aoi's warm home. The fluorescent stars above were just temporary as they had the whole world outside waiting for them, and they were determined to conquer all the obstacles in life together, no matter what kind of hardships the future might throw at them.

    "I... love you too... Hinata..."

    (Continued in the Epilogue)
     
  7. ContemplateGrapefruit

    ContemplateGrapefruit Active Member

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    "Aoi, Aoi... wake up! It's a lovely day outside."

    "....Ughh - Hinata... Can't you just let me sleep for a little bit? It's the weekend after all..."

    "Don't you remember what day it is or have you grown so old that you forgot again?" Dressed in her nightgown, Hinata smilingly glanced out the window of their bedroom taking in the early morning sunlight. "It's our friendversary!"

    "I'm only 21, and go away! I wanna sleep - I gotta go back to work on Monday."

    "Nonsense! I have a whole day planned for us. We are hiking Mount Tenranzan and Mount Tounosu for our annual hanami this year and I made sandwiches earlier while you were still sleeping. Besides, we have to be in Hannō for our dinner with everyone, so why not spend the day there?" Hinata suggested.

    "Mount Tenranzan? But that's an easy hike. And we just arrived yesterday from Hokkaido - you know where we went to actually celebrate our anniversary?" Aoi lazily spoke as she made herself even more comfortable under the blanket. "Besides we haven't even unpacked our bags yet."

    "That was to celebrate our 5th anniversary since we started dating. This is different Aoi, it's our 6th 'friendversary'." Moving to the bed, she gently grabbed the blanket and with a swift motion, she uncovered her sleepy girlfriend. "Time to get up sleepyhead."

    Five years have passed since that night Aoi and Hinata confessed their love for each other, and in those five years, a lot has happened in their lives as a couple. After they graduated from High School, they successfully managed to enroll in a university close to Shinjuku City. For an easier commute, they managed to find a modest one-bedroom apartment that they shared together. Even if their studies kept them busy, Aoi and Hinata never forgot about their mutual love for mountaineering. Whenever there was a chance to go hiking somewhere together or with their friends, they always managed to take it. No obstacle felt high enough if they were to overcome it together, even climbing Mount Fuji for the 4th time, and seeing the sunrise together felt like an easy enough task for Aoi.

    "Ughhh Hinata... isn't that on the same day?" Aoi lazily groaned and brushed her eyes. "...If you weren't my girlfriend, I would have locked you outside the room and went back to sleep."

    "But I am your girlfriend so you have to deal with it, even this early in the morning..." She chuckled and playfully grabbed Aoi's legs pulling her off the bed. "Time to get up Aoiiii, or we'll be late at the train station!"

    "Hinataaaaa... Stop that!" She growled at her who playfully clutched her legs and dragged her to the front of the bed.

    "Aoi..." With an innocent smile, she looked up at Aoi from underneath her legs. "Did you know that you are extremely cute in the morning too?

    "Yeah, and you are extremely annoying in the morning too!" Aoi gave her an answer and gently swatted her on the head. "..Now let go of my legs so I can go make us some coffee."

    Even in her twenties, Aoi was never a morning person as she lazily dragged herself to the kitchen to prepare coffee. Their apartment was in an untidy state and their bags were scattered around the whole living room along with their clothes. The night before they had just returned from their short trip to Hokkaido to climb Mount Asahi and celebrate their anniversary. However, that didn't seem to hinder Hinata who once again wanted to go out and explore the world together with Aoi. This time her destination in mind was the mountain they visited so many times in the past close to their childhood home.

    "Hey, Aoi! Don't forget to pack up your helmet, headlight, survival rations, and your most reliable mountain shoes!" With a smirk, she suggested to Aoi as she packed up the trusty old yellow backpack she had since high school.

    "Huh? What are you on about?"

    "It's so we don't get stranded. It's extremely dangerous where we are going!"

    "Again what the heck are you on about?" Aoi asked her again.

    "Don't you remember back in high school the first time we climbed Mount Tenranzan? You dressed up like going on an expedition to the alps and kept panicking that we were gonna die." Hinata recalled and chuckled. "You were like 'but you are gonna get us stranded Hinataaaaa...!' "

    "Sheesh..." Aoi rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. "That was 'Aoi' from a long time ago! Even Mount Asahi wasn't that dangerous, and we've climbed Mount Fuji so many times already so I am sure we'll survive somehow. Unless you do get us 'stranded' like that time in that fancy mountain cabin."

    "I wouldn't mind getting us 'stranded' in that mountain cabin again Aoi. It was so warm and cozy."

    "Yeah and then you decided it was a good idea to throw me on the bed and you broke it after you jumped on me!" Aoi recalled and frowned. "Just thinking about how much we paid for the damages still burns a hole in my wallet and we are lucky we didn't get banned from there. We have to think about the rent and utilities if we are to stay here for the time being and my part-time job's not paying enough to keep indulging ourselves, also there was that used car I was looking into buying so we don't have to travel by train all the time..."

    "Yeah yeah yeah, I know - adult things!" Hinata interrupted her. "If I do get a good job I am sure we can afford to indulge ourselves, besides there are so many cozy beds in Japan we have to break with ..."

    "Shut up!" Aoi blurted out and threw a sofa pillow at her. "If you ever tell anyone how we broke the bed, I'm so gonna be mad at..."

    "Hahaha, Aoi!" Hinata couldn't contain her laughter anymore as she playfully threw the sofa pillow back at Aoi's face mid-sentence. "Don't worry, don't worry I won't tell anyone! It's only between us - and maybe the staff after we left..."

    After she threw all the pillows she could grab at Hinata, Aoi got up from the couch all ready with her backpack. "So are we going or do you want to stay home and have a pillow fight instead?"

    "Yeah let's go Aoi, we have a mountain to climb!" Hinata spoke from underneath all the pillows. Likewise, she was also all dressed up and ready to go even before Aoi made coffee. "Besides, this is not over Aoi! We are gonna settle this with the pillows from our bedroom later tonight!"

    "You wish! I am so much stronger and agile with the pillows Hinata!" Aoi chuckled. "You'll probably just give up before we even..."

    "...since you are stronger and more agile you are locking the door Aoiiii!" Hinata blurted out and ran out through the front door. "Last one to the ground floor is a rotten egg!"

    "Sheeshh..." Aoi let out a long sight. "She still acts like such a dingus! I am still curious how she got the best grades in her class with that personality." Locking the door of their apartment, she couldn't help herself but start giggling at Hinata's early morning antics. "I guess in a way that's also what I love that about her... she never manages to make our mornings together dull."

    Stepping out of the apartment building, the weather outside was quite pleasant for a spring day in April. The bustling streets of Shinjuku were lively during the early morning weekend with tourists and locals who were out and about enjoying the day. For the girls, life here felt quite dynamic from what they were used to in Hannō, but they felt that it was all part of a big adventure. Sadly the city wasn't close to the mountains, but they always had the train station to go anywhere they wanted and meet up with their friends.

    The train station was about a half-hour walk from their apartment, and walking through the crowded terminal, they finally managed to reach the station's platform. Boarding the train the girls once again were on their way to another adventure.


    ***



    It was already the afternoon when Aoi and Hinata arrived at the start of the familiar hiking trail up to Mount Tenranzan. The peaceful trail is a popular hiking spot for locals who want a pleasant stroll through the beautiful nature of Saitama and to see the panoramic sight of the city from above. Compared to the difficulty of the mountains the girls visited in the past years, this trail felt like a relaxing stroll through the park.

    In a short time, they quickly arrived at the viewing area overlooking the city of Hanno.

    "Ah... sweet!" Aoi happily spoke, and together they walked towards the safety railing to see the panoramic view of the city they grew up in. "It's been forever since we've hiked up here. I'll never get bored of this view."

    "Yeah, almost 3 years now. It's where all our journeys started together Aoi!" Hinata smilingly said as she reminisced of all the beautiful memories and moments she shared up here together with Aoi and the rest of their friends. "I really missed this view, last time we hiked up here was the day before we moved to Shinjuku."

    "We should have asked Kokona, Honoka, Koharu, and Kaede to join us too," Aoi suggested. "Last time we saw everyone was last month and afterward we were so busy with our exams and the thesis."

    "Nah, this is kinda like our thing, besides we are meeting everyone later, and don't forget we have to pay for the food and drinks."

    "I know, I know... graduation comes with a price too." Aoi sighed and chuckled. She was delighted to be back up here overlooking the city where she grew up. "I can't wait to see them all! I wonder if Kaede's enjoying her new job as a mountain guide and curious to hear all about Honoka's trip to Europe."

    "Hey Aoi, remember when we practiced kissing on that bench there?" Hinata asked and pointed to the stone bench just close to the railing.

    "Haha, yeah. It's where we also sat down to rest the first time we hiked up here too." Aoi chuckled and gently blushed. "I guess it was that day when I had that fight with my mom after I told her about us - and I stormed out of the house so we climbed up here and stayed until sunset. There was nobody around too. Sheesh, I still feel so bad about that fight, but maybe it was inevitable, we couldn't keep it a secret anymore."

    "Aww... I guess those things happen Aoi. I've had countless fights with my mom and dad too, and when I told them about us I guess they were startled at first." Hinata said and blushed as well. "I am kinda glad they accepted us and realized we wouldn't ever be apart no matter what. Besides you were so angry and I wanted to cheer you up, so I suggested that we practice kissing so we can get better at it for when we first - did it..."

    "Hahaha yeah... and then someone saw us!" Aoi replied and blushed again. " Yeesh, it felt sooo awkward! It's just that kissing is stuff we do in private, so it feels so weird when someone sees us..."

    "Aoi, I doubt anyone cares if they see two girls kissing," Hinata said as she gently dragged Aoi to the stone bench and sat down with her. "Besides we've had the practice to last us a lifetime. And you are still so cute when you get flustered like that."

    "Oh, shush... I know that you still love to see me embarrassed... you mischievous girl." Aoi replied and gently embraced her. "Hey, you look even cuter when you let your hair down."

    "I know!" Hinata replied and gently trailed her fingers through her long dark and silky hair. "A cute girl a long time ago said I looked sexy with my hair down, so I love wearing it like that on special occasions."

    Making herself comfortable on the bench, Hinata reached for her backpack and pulled out her lunchbox with the sandwiches that she prepared earlier at home.

    "Here, you must be hungry," she said and handed a sandwich to Aoi. "I remember 6 years ago you made sandwiches for our climb and they were so delicious."

    "Mmm... I thought for a hanami you would bring more food, I am actually starving." Aoi said before she took a large bite. Hinata's surprising request for the hike up Mount Tenranzan left her without breakfast and she was famished from their long trip the day before. They were in a hurry to catch the train so she forgot to stop at the bakery shop close to the station.

    "We are gonna have that dinner party later so I only brought sandwiches and a trail mix," Hinata said as she also took a bite. "And we gotta watch what we eat or we'll get fat again, we ate so much food in Hokkaido."

    "You are just making excuses again because you are too lazy to cook," Aoi returned with her mouth full and chuckled. "And you said yourself we should indulge ourselves in Hokkaido and try the local cuisine - so, no making excuses for your weight."

    "Hey, I let the master chef do the cooking in the household. I keep telling you you should open a restaurant Aoi, you'll be famous one day just like Jiro Ono!"

    After they finished the sandwiches, the girls sat together in silence as they stared out on the wide horizon. The city below them hasn't changed that much since the day they left, and even though they were gone for a few years it still felt like their home.

    "Hey Aoi," Breaking the silence, Hinata abruptly spoke. "What do we do next?" she asked.

    "Well, aren't we going to Mount Tounosu afterward?"

    "No, I mean. What do we do next in our lives?" She asked and turn to face Aoi. "We just graduated and we are no longer students. I guess in a way, our adult lives just started?"

    "Well, what do you want us to do next Hinata?" Aoi asked her back. Without a doubt, they've had these concerns play out in their head for a long while before they graduated. Aoi felt that it was only natural to be worried about the future and what they were going to do after graduation.

    "I mean, I am really happy where we are right now, even if I sometimes miss Hannō and everyone else here," Hinata said and gently held Aoi's hand. "And what's most important to me is that we are in it together no matter where we are. But I feel that we have to think about our own future as well."

    "Of course Hinata, our future will come in its own time and no matter what we decide we are still gonna support each other's decisions," Aoi replied back and smiled. "And I think with your academic degree, I am sure you will find an excellent job and the mountains are always there waiting for us even if we are busy with our adult lives."

    "I know, that's why I wanted to tell you something," Hinata let out a sigh. "Yesterday while we were riding the shinkansen to Tokyo, I got an e-mail from the principal at our old high school here in Hannō and he wants me to come Monday for a job interview. I think Yuuka referred me to him and he heard from her that I graduated top of my class at the University. The math teacher is moving to Hiroshima in the summer and they are looking to fill the position for September. I can always look for a job in Shinjuku, but as you said we are in this together and I want to know what you think Aoi. I want to see what my possibilities are if we move back to Hannō."

    "Hey, that's amazing!" Aoi cheerfully replied. "You should definitely accept it and I know you love to teach maths, it's basically your dream job! And Yuuka can always help you out at the beginning."

    "Yeah but, it means that if I get the job that we will have to move back here because it's a lengthy commute from Shinjuku," Hinata said. "I'll only accept the position if you are also ok with it."

    "Didn't we plan to eventually move back to Hannō after we graduate and eventually buy that house we liked?" Aoi asked her. "Shinjuku City is also great, but it can be so busy and expensive to live there. Here we can be close to our families and friends and if I quit my part-time job I'll have time to get back to my knitting again."

    "Sheesh, you should probably use that time to look for a full-time job instead of knitting Aoi! I don't want you to become a 'hikikomori' again!" Hinata jokingly replied and chuckled. "Remember the utilities, that used car you wanted, and our dream house? Also the other mountains on our list we still have to climb?"

    "Haha of course. But still, it would be wonderful to get back into knitting again, I can additionally do freelance work until I find a job. Remember when I told you that I've had people ask me to knit handmade clothes for them and wanted to pay me for it?"

    "Well, there's a business idea for you!" Hinata replied. "With my intellect and your skills, we can also open a small shop to sell your handmade stuff and prepare your delicious bento boxes. We'll be billionaires Aoi!"

    "Oh yeah, and you'll just let me do all the work?" Aoi asked and chuckled. "You'll just want to go climb mountains during the day and play with your Switch Hinata!"

    Letting out a chuckle Hinata looked back at Aoi with her loving eyes. She loved that every moment these past 6 years with Aoi were always filled with laughter and happiness. They've been through a lot and she felt that Aoi was always understanding and patient with her even if they would sometimes playfully tease each other or argue about mundane stuff. She knew that they could come up with any kind of responsible decision together for their future together.

    Scouring her backpack, Hinata felt that her next question was of huge importance to her. "Hey, Aoi - There's something else too." She said.

    "Hinata, this kind of feels like we are having a family meeting or something." Aoi said as she looked at her still scouring through her backpack. "We should probably get going to Mount Tounosu if we are to meet up with everyone later at the restaurant."

    "Aoi," Hinata swiftly pulled a small beige box out of her backpack. "I have something to ask you."

    Aoi's eyes opened wide with curiousity. "Umm -what's that?" she asked.

    "I saved some cash, and last month my mom helped me a bit when she visited us in Shinjuku." she said and opened the box. Inside it was a beautiful ring with a gorgeous little diamond that she spent a long time saving to buy for Aoi. "It was all I could afford with a little help from my mom. I hope you know that even this small ring doesn't express just how much you mean to me Aoi."

    "Hinata..." in a momentary shock Aoi only managed to say her name as she intently listened to Hinata.

    "Aoi, if we are to go forward in our lives as adults, there's nothing else that I want in my life but to always be there by your side and see your beautiful smile. I want to be there for you through all the good and bad things and through all our wonderful adventures in the future - Aoi, you are the most wonderful girl in the whole world, and I want to spend the rest of eternity with you and your precious smile."

    With tears in her eyes, she affectionately kept looking up at Aoi. But through all the tears and emotions, all she could do was only smile for her. Aoi was her most precious treasure and nothing in life could ever change that.

    "We will never regain the years when we were separated and I don't know how my life would have gone if we never met again. But I am so happy that you've been here with me for the past 6 years. Aoi, you make me the happiest girl on this planet, and there isn't a day that I want to spend without seeing your beautiful precious smile." Gently she took Aoi's hand and held it close.

    "Aoi... I want nothing else but to wake up every morning next to you and see your beautiful smile. I want nothing else but to see your beautiful smile even when we do all kinds of mundane things in our lives together... I - I don't see a future without you by my side... Aoi, you are my most precious and beautiful treasure."

    Getting down on her knee, she looked up at her and smiled. "Will you marry me?" she asked.

    Aoi's gentle little heart pounded sp fast, and just like always it only beats for Hinata. She couldn't manage to contain her happiness and with teary eyes, she embraced Hinata and hugged her so tightly. "Hinata... of course my sweetest flower!" She replied and started crying. "Hinataa.... I can't ever tell you with words how precious you are... to me and... how much I love you!"

    Slowly, she met Hinata's sweet lips and kissed her on that same bench where they made so many precious memories all those years ago. She didn't care anymore if anyone saw them kissing again. She wanted the whole world to know that she loved Hinata more than anything else in her life, and no one was ever going to stop them to be happy together. No matter what the future held for them, her decision was that she was gonna be there by Hinata's side, through all the wonderful adventures life had in store for them.

    "Aoi... we are such crybabies!" Hinata felt like she was the happiest girl on the planet after she placed the ring on Aoi's finger. Embracing her once again, she closed her eyes and whispered. "I love you so much Aoi. I will always love you - my beautiful mountain girl."



    ***



    Holding her hand up to the sun, the little ring sparkled on Aoi's ring finger. "Hinata, it's so beautiful!" she said with the happiest smile.

    "I am so happy Aoi. When I saw it the first time I wanted to buy it for you and I was so short on cash. My mom helped me and I kinda felt like such a screwup that I couldn't afford it at first Aoi..." Hinata spoke in a sad tone. "You do all the work in our apartment and you are such a mature and beautiful girl that I only wanted to give you the best ring in the world just to show how much you mean to me Aoi... and it took me so long to even do that..."

    "Hinata, you've never been a screwup, please don't ever say that again..." Aoi replied and hugged her tight. "You are the smartest girl ever and you are such a sweetheart and wonderful person. Even if you never bought me a ring, my love for you is worth more than all the rings in this world."

    "Aoi..." With tears in her eyes, Hinata gently hugged her back. "...Thank you so much. I was so worried..."

    "Hey, we have another reason to celebrate later!" Aoi spoke and gently brushed Hinata's eyes with a tissue. "Wait till they hear about our engagement!"

    "Haha, they will flip out Aoi!" Hinata replied. "You should totally just wave your hand around and wait if someone asks you about the ring. I seriously can't wait to see their reaction!"

    "I doubt they will flip out Hinata," Aoi said. "Remember when we told them that we started dating and that we are a couple? Besides my mom freaking out for a day or two, no one else was even remotely surprised. They all said it was bound to happen, even our dads and your mom said the same thing. Are we that predictable?"

    "Hey, being predictable's not a bad thing!" Hinata stated. "Even being predictable is awesome too. People will know what to expect from you and it's reliable in certain situations."

    "Hinata, I just realized I didn't get you a ring at all because we rarely ever wear jewelry! And you went through all the trouble to give me one!" Aoi said and sulked. "I feel so horrible! And what if I lose it? Oh crap, we go mountain hiking all the time and I am bound to lose it Hinata! I don't ever wanna lose this ring!"

    "Aoi... it's ok!" Hinata assured her. "You don't have to wear it all the time and when we go hiking you can just keep the ring safely in the box at home. Even if you happen to lose it I won't be angry. I'd rather prefer that you lose the ring than ever lose you in the wild. Besides I don't need a ring to know that you love me."

    "That's what I also said Hinata! You shouldn't have gone through all that trouble arghhh... I feel so horrible." She leaned and hugged her again. "I don't deserve a precious girl like you! I am so buying you an engagement ring just as gorgeous as this one..."

    "If you want you can always share the ring with me." Hinata suggested and chuckled. "We keep mixing up our clothes too, so what's sharing a ring or two? We still need to learn to play shogi so we can be a boring old couple."

    "Sure, I don't mind we can do that until I buy a ring for you too!" Aoi said and let out a chuckle as well. "Thank you so much... Hinata." she hugged her again.

    Sitting together embraced like that, they forgot about the time. They still had so much to do ahead of them, besides they were going to be late for their dinner with the girls if they didn't move on.

    "Hey Aoi, we should continue to Mount Tounosu or we'll be sooo late!" Hinata suggested as she stood up from the bench and grabbed her backpack. "I brought my hammock too!"

    "Do you think we have time to set up the hammock?" Aoi asked as she stood up from the bench as well. "We'll just fall asleep again and the girls will wait for us at the restaurant."

    "If you fall asleep I'll wake you up again Aoi. You always fall asleep in the hammock anyway." Hinata said as she held out her hand to Aoi. "Besides Rin and Nadeshiko still haven't kidnapped you with my hammock yet!"

    "Perhaps just a little nap won't hurt..." Aoi replied and took her hand. "Hey, did you get the idea about the ring from those two?"

    "Maybeeee... just a tiny bit." Hinata admitted as she dragged Aoi off to the route. "Anyway, let's go Aoi! We have sooo much stuff to see!"

    The hiking trail to Mount Tounosu was just close to the platform. It was another beautiful route the girls used to frequently take when they lived in Hannō. The route was completely transformed in the beautiful colors of spring. And just like the seasons changed, the vibrant colors of the mountains perpetually did as well.



    The End.