Early Saturday morning, before the sun even showed its face, Yoshino eagerly opened her eyes.
"Ah..."
Letting out a slow yawn, Yoshino got out of bed and slipped the rabbit puppet by her bedside onto her left hand.
"Good morning, Yoshinon."
"...Good morning! Yoshino-chan, today's weather is going to be great too!"
In an instant, the rabbit puppet on her hand seed to gain a soul, greeting Yoshino full of energy.
"Oh my, oh my? Isn't it only 5 AM right now? Waking up this early, are you that looking forward to the camping trip?"
Yoshino nodded and said a bit shyly.
"Mhm... Because it's been a long ti since I went out to play with everyone."
"Well, that's true. The last ti we went out like this was in the sumr, wasn't it?"
While chatting with Yoshinon like this, Yoshino got out of bed and walked toward the balcony.
"Phew..."
Opening the balcony window, the warm breath she exhaled turned into white mist and dissipated. Looking out, the early morning town was still imrsed in slumber. The streetlights illuminated the streets, but there were hardly any pedestrians. It was empty and quiet, as if the town hadn't woken up yet.
"That's great... It has cleared up."
Yoshino breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems the teru teru bozu we hung up yesterday worked. We have to properly thank Yuzuru-chan and Kaguya-chan."
"...Mhm."
Yoshino nodded with a smile and returned to the room to prepare to change out of her pajamas.
"My my~ Are you already getting ready? Seriously, the camping trip isn't going to run away. Can't you take your ti preparing? Yoshino really is a child~"
"Ugh... I am sorry."
Being teased by Yoshinon like this, Yoshino finally snapped out of her heightened excitent and lowered her head in embarrassnt.
"It is fine, it is fine~ Isn't it nice to be like this occasionally? The saying goes 'the early bird gets the worm'. Since you're up early, let's go out and move around, breathe so fresh air. Go! Go!"
Of course, Yoshinon didn't intend to pour cold water on Yoshino's excitent. After saying that, the puppet enthusiastically cheered.
Brushing her teeth and washing her face, putting on a thick sweater, and wrapping herself and Yoshinon in scarves and earmuffs, Yoshino walked out of the Spirit apartnt with brisk steps.
"Phew... It is so cold."
"Well, it is winter morning after all. Christmas is coming soon too."
After sighing like this, the rabbit puppet looked around as if searching for soone.
"Mhm... As expected, there is hardly anyone around at this ti. Ah—There is!"
Following Yoshinon's direction, a beam of light slowly approached through the mist. Soon, a man riding a scooter arrived at the door of the Itsuka residence and dropped a newspaper into the mailbox.
"Yahoo! Delivery-san! Working so early in the morning, thank you for your hard work."
"Oh my, what a cute little girl."
Noticing Yoshino not far away, the delivery man showed a friendly smile.
"M-Good morning."
Although a bit shy, Yoshino still greeted him politely.
"Oh? Did that voice just now co from the puppet? Ventriloquism? That is amazing."
Noticing Yoshinon's voice, the delivery man couldn't help but say in surprise.
"Um, um..."
"My, how rude, Mister! Yoshinon is Yoshinon! It's not ventriloquism!"
"Haha, is that so? Please forgive my rudeness~"
The delivery man laughed and apologized. Who knows whether he really believed Yoshinon's words or just considered this as part of the ventriloquism act.
"You're up really early, little girl. Do you have club activities or sothing?"
"N-No..."
"Yoshinon and Yoshino-chan are going out camping with everyone today! We were so excited that we woke up early—Mmph!"
"S-Stop it, Yoshinon!"
"Haha—I see."
Looking at Yoshino covering the rabbit puppet's mouth with her right hand to stop it from speaking, the delivery man couldn't help but laugh heartily.
"Then, Mister has to get back to work! Bye-bye, little girl, have a fun weekend."
"Bye-bye~ Delivery-san. Good luck with work!"
"Th-Thank you for your hard work."
Waving goodbye to the delivery man, Yoshinon seed to have an idea and whispered in Yoshino's ear.
"Now is the ti, a great opportunity, Yoshino-chan. Use the excuse of delivering the newspaper to go into Shido-kun's house?"
"I-Isn't that bad? It will wake up... Shido-san..."
"It does not matter~ We're just helping Shido-kun bring the paper in. Acting spoiled and being a bad kid once in a while is fine."
Yoshinon chuckled, coaxing Yoshino.
"Who knows~ You might be able to see Shido-kun in his pajamas, all disheveled. You might even see his sleeping face~"
"—!!"
Seemingly able to picture that scene, Yoshino's cheeks flushed completely red.
"Well, besides, it's so cold outside, staying out too long and catching a cold wouldn't be good."
"Y-You are right..."
Seemingly persuaded by Yoshinon, Yoshino stood on her tiptoes, pulled the newspaper out of the mailbox, and carried it to the door of the Itsuka residence.
"Oh my? The door isn't locked?"
Yoshinon tilted its head in surprise.
"Is Shido-san... already awake?"
After hesitating for a mont, Yoshino opened the door and walked into the house sowhat nervously.
"E..Excuse ..."
"The lights aren't even on. Did he forget to lock the door? Shido-kun is really too careless. What if a thief cos in?"
Yoshinon couldn't help but say helplessly.
"But... there seems to be so movent in the living room."
Could it really be a thief? Thinking of this, Yoshino couldn't help but panic.
"Wh-What should we do... Yoshinon..."
"Shh... Be quiet, Yoshino. Anyway, let's observe the situation first. If it really is a thief, we'll find Shido-kun and call the police."
The rabbit puppet made a shushing motion. Yoshino nodded and tiptoed toward the living room.
——I can't crack it. As expected, it is not a defense system that can be easily cracked, huh? You really are sothing, Kotori...
(This voice is...)
Hearing the voice faintly coming from the living room, Yoshino felt it was sowhat familiar.
"Who is there?"
However, Yoshino's stealth was quickly exposed. The mont the other party finished speaking, she arrived in front of Yoshino.
"Yoshino? Yoshinon?"
Hearing the other party call her na, the panicked Yoshino looked up in surprise.
"O-Origami-san..."
"Sorry about that. I thought a thief broke in. Sorry for scaring you, Yoshino."
After clearing up the misunderstanding, Origami and Yoshino returned to the living room.
"N-No. It is fine..."
"Seriously. What are you doing sneaking into Shido-kun's house early in the morning without turning on the lights, Origami-chan?"
"Well, about that..."
Faced with Yoshinon's questioning, Origami, who had reverted to honor student mode, guiltily looked away.
Entering Master mode early in the morning, sneaking into Shido's house, taking several deep breaths in his bathroom, swapping Shido's underwear, trying to crack the safe's defense system, using the Itsuka family seal to stamp a marriage registration form with her and Shido's nas—she would die before saying that out loud.
"Actually, I also received the invitation for the camping trip today. I was a bit too excited to sleep, so I woke up very early. Thinking I had nothing to do, I just ca over directly."
Origami made up a perfect excuse.
"I-I see..."
To this, Yoshino couldn't help but feel a deep sense of empathy.
"Actually... I also woke up too early because I was too excited, so I ca over."
"My~ Seriously, Origami-chan and Yoshino-chan. You are both still children, aren't you?"
"Haha..."
Seeing Yoshino and Yoshinon completely believe her without a doubt, Origami felt a sense of guilt in her heart.
...
"And that's what happened. We just chatted with Origami-chan early in the morning to kill ti."
"Hoh~"
Hearing Yoshinon's words, Yutsuki looked at Origami with a aningful gaze. She definitely wouldn't be as simple-minded as Yoshino to believe Origami's excuse so easily.
Feeling Yutsuki's gaze, Origami felt the embarrassnt of having her inner thoughts seen through, and awkwardly changed the subject.
"U-Um... The weather is pretty good."
"Kuku—You have a good eye! Such a miracle is the great undertaking completed by us, the Yamai. Be grateful to !"
"Praise. As expected of Master Origami, to actually notice this!"
"Y-Yeah... You are welco."
Although she didn't quite understand the aning, Origami still went along with the Yamai sisters's topic.
"Seriously."
Too lazy to expose Origami, Yutsuki sighed, turned her head, and instructed Yoshino.
"Yoshino, rember to take a nap on the car later to catch up on sleep. Otherwise, you might fall asleep from exhaustion when we arrive at the campsite."
"O-Okay..."
Yoshino nodded obediently.
Smiling and patting Yoshino's head, Yutsuki walked toward the other side.
"Tohka, Shido. Is the gear all packed?"
"Umu! Don't worry, Yutsuki. Everything has been put in the trunk."
"But who is in charge of driving?"
Looking at the minibus in front of them, Shido asked curiously.
"The plan... is that I will be in charge..."
Reine slowly raised her hand and said weakly.
"Uh... Um, it is not that I do not trust you, Reine-san. But I feel like if you drive like this, you will be stopped by the traffic police for fatigued driving."
"Then let Kannazuki do it, he has a driver's license too."
Kotori said from the side.
"Although there seems to be no problem with that, if possible, please allow to formally decline."
"You are really picky, Shido." Kotori sighed, looking around at everyone and saying, "In that case, we either contact Fraxinus to send another crew mber who can drive, or... is there anyone here who knows how to drive... eh?"
Despite saying that, Kotori actually didn't hold much expectation. But she didn't expect that the mont she finished speaking, Yutsuki would volunteer and raise her hand.
"Adjusting the rearview mirror, fastening the seatbelt, confirming no approaching vehicles from left and right, turning on the turn signal... Is everyone ready?"
"Yutsuki-nee, let just confirm for a mont. Do you have a driver's license?"
Kotori asked with so unease. If she rembered correctly, when Ratatoskr was preparing papers and docuntations for the Spirits, they didn't prepare driver's licenses along with them.
"Of course I do, don't worry, Kotori-chan."
Yutsuki replied with a smile. She had driving experience in her previous life. During the months she acted alone in this tiline, she had also practiced driving herself. Apart from having to drive on the left side of the road here and needing to pay slight attention to the driver's seat being on the right, there were basically no major problems.
"Although the driver's license is forged!"
"—Ah!?"
"Now then, let's go!"
And just like that, the car carrying the group of Spirits set off toward the campsite.
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