64 - It's surprisingly difficult to get marshmallows to roast just right

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The three of them, Haruto, Ayaka, and Ryota, were walking through the forest adjacent to the campsite, picking up fallen twigs from the ground.

“Just like Ryota said, there are so many branches here,” Ayaka remarked.

“Big brother! Look at this huge branch!” Ryota ran up to Haruto with a giant stick in his hands, a wide grin on his face.

“Wow, that’s really big! But it might be a bit too big. Let’s gather smaller branches instead, okay?” Haruto suggested gently.

The branch Ryota was dragging over was more of a small tree trunk than a twig. Although they had already bought firewood for the campfire, they needed thinner sticks for kindling.

Haruto picked up a branch near his feet and showed it to Ryota.

“Let’s gather branches about this size, okay, Ryota?”

“Okay! Got it!” Ryota nodded enthusiastically, tossing aside the large branch with a loud thud before darting off to collect smaller sticks.

“Ryota, make sure to pick dry branches,” Ayaka called out with a smile as she watched Ryota scurry around the forest.

“Okay!”

The forest, managed by the campsite, was well-maintained. The trees were neatly aligned, and the ground was leveled with minimal overgrowth, making it easy to walk around.

“Ryota’s probably going to gather an impressive amount all on his own,” Ayaka said as she slowly gathered twigs nearby. Haruto chuckled as he also picked up branches beside her.

“I kind of envy that energy of his,” Haruto admitted.

Ryota had been sprinting full speed, crouching to pick up branches, then darting off again repeatedly like he was in some sort of training drill.

“But I bet by evening or tonight, he’ll suddenly crash and fall asleep as if his battery ran out,” Ayaka guessed.

“That’d be adorable,” Haruto replied with a laugh.

“My prediction is he’s going to be super cranky and sleepy after the hot spring,” Ayaka added.

“In that case, I’ll carry him back,” Haruto offered confidently.

“Carrying a sleeping kid is heavier than you think,” Ayaka teased with a playful tone, almost testing him.

“It’s fine,” Haruto replied with a smile. “Ryota isn’t that heavy, and it’s not like it’s a long walk.”

The campsite they were staying at had a hot spring facility about ten minutes away on foot. After enjoying their campfire dinner that evening, they planned to head there together.

“If it comes down to it, I could even carry you back, Ayaka,” Haruto said half-jokingly, his confidence stemming from years of karate training and a solid sense of stamina.

Blushing faintly, Ayaka glanced at him shyly. “If you say things like that, I might actually take you up on the offer,” she replied, looking up at him with a hint of sincerity.

Haruto’s heart skipped a beat as he noticed her earnest gaze. “Ah, um… if you’re really too tired to move, I’ll carry you,” he stammered, trying to sound composed.

“Haha, that might be a bit embarrassing,” Ayaka said, her tone softening.

“I mean, after the hot spring, you might feel so relaxed you’d fall asleep,” she continued. “Having Haruto as a personal ride sounds kind of tempting,” she teased.

“Don’t treat me like a taxi,” Haruto said with a small laugh, which made Ayaka smile as well.

“Hey, Haruto,” Ayaka said after a pause.

“Yeah?”

“When you have a real girlfriend, would you prefer doing outdoor activities like this together or just relaxing at home?”

“Hmm, that’s a tough one,” Haruto replied, picking up a nicely sized branch as he thought about her question.

Both sounded appealing to him, and memories of the summer break with Ayaka floated through his mind. Whether it was studying together in her room or enjoying a date at the mall, both had been incredibly enjoyable.

“Honestly, I’d like a girlfriend I could do both with—someone I can enjoy indoor and outdoor moments with. Is that too much to ask?” Haruto admitted with a slight smile.

“Not at all. I feel the same,” Ayaka replied, her cheeks slightly red as she looked at him.

“I’ve been thinking,” she continued, “that whether it’s spending time together at home, going out on a date, or doing something like this, it’s all so much fun when it’s with the right person. I’d love to have someone like that as my boyfriend someday.”

“R-really?” Haruto’s hand froze mid-reach for a twig, his voice slightly wavering.

“Yeah…” Ayaka nodded bashfully, avoiding his gaze.

“Well… I think you could easily find someone like that, Ayaka,” Haruto said hesitantly.

“Really?” she asked, looking up at him with sparkling, almost tearful eyes.

Haruto quickly looked away, overwhelmed by the emotions reflected in her gaze. “Of course. You’re… cute, after all.”

“Thanks,” Ayaka replied softly, a shy smile gracing her lips.

Haruto, now blushing himself, managed only a brief, flustered response. At that moment, Ryota came bounding over, his arms overflowing with sticks.

“Big brother! Look at all these! Can we make a magnificent campfire with this?”

“Ah, yeah. That’s amazing, Ryota. You did a great job collecting so many,” Haruto praised, grateful for the distraction.

“Ehehe,” Ryota beamed proudly.

“All right, let’s head back and start the campfire,” Haruto said, following after the ecstatic Ryota. Even as they walked, Ayaka’s words lingered in his mind.

---

When the three of them returned to the campsite, they immediately began preparing the campfire.

“You picked up a lot, didn’t you?”

Saki looked at the pile of branches stacked like a small mountain next to the firewood they had bought and gave a mixed expression of admiration and exasperation.

“I gathered the most!”

Ryota puffed out his chest proudly, standing beside the pile of branches.

“Really? Ayaka and Otsuki, losing to Ryota is just embarrassing!”

“I couldn’t match Ryota-kun’s stamina,” Haruto replied, shrugging as if to excuse himself.

Saki raised an eyebrow, placing her hand on her chin as she looked back and forth between Ayaka and Haruto.

“Are we sure it’s just a stamina issue? Or were you two too busy flirting to focus on gathering branches?”

“That’s not true at all!” Ayaka hastily denied the accusation.

“Really? Then why does it look like your face is a little red, Ayaka? Am I imagining it?”

“It’s just your imagination! Right, Haruto-kun? We were seriously collecting branches!”

“Yeah, we focused on quality over quantity, picking only the best branches,” Haruto answered playfully when Ayaka turned to him for support.

Saki smirked as she observed the pair.

“Alright, I’ll let it slide this time.”

“It’s the truth! We were just talking normally, nothing more!” Ayaka protested.

“Well, Ayaka’s ‘normal’ isn’t always so normal, you know.”

“That’s not true! I’m always reasonable and level-headed!”

“Oh? Is that so? Then can I share one of your ‘natural airhead’ stories with Otsuki-kun?”

“W-wait! Let me hear what you’re going to say first!” Ayaka hurriedly responded, flustered.

“Eh? That wouldn’t be fun at all.”

“I don’t care about fun!”

Despite her embarrassment and panic, Ayaka seemed to be enjoying the banter with Saki.

While the two girls were chatting animatedly, Haruto noticed Ryota impatiently tugging on his sleeve.

“Big brother, isn’t it time for the campfire?”

“Alright, let’s get started,” Haruto said with a smile, turning to Shuichi, who had been arranging chairs and tables under the tarp.

“Shuichi-san, where’s the fire pit?”

“Let’s see… Mom, where did we put the fire pit?” Shuichi called out.

“I think it’s in the gray box over there. Could you check inside?” Ikue replied, pointing at a plastic storage box while setting dishes on the table Shuichi had set up.

“Got it. Thank you,” Haruto said, peeking into the indicated box.

Inside, he found the compactly folded fire pit. Without hesitation, he began setting it up and preparing for the fire.

Ikue brought over a bundle of bamboo skewers and a bag of marshmallows.

“When the fire’s ready, enjoy these,” she said with a warm smile.

“Roasted marshmallows! Ikue-mama, you’re the best!” Saki exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the bag of marshmallows.

“And here’s something to go with them,” Ikue added, handing Saki a box of crackers.

“Oh! S’mores!” Saki beamed, thrilled at the idea of the easy-to-make sweet treat.

“Otsuki-kun, we need to get this fire going, stat!”

“Big brother, let’s have a grand campfire!”

“Alright, Ryota, could you place the fire starter in the middle of the fire pit?”

“Here?”

“Perfect. Now let’s stack some small branches on top,” Haruto instructed as he and Ryota arranged the branches into a pyramid over the fire starter.

Once everything was set, Haruto lit the fire starter. A small, flickering flame began to lick at the branches.

“Big brother, should I fan it now?”

“Not yet. Let’s wait until the branches catch fire properly. Then you can fan it gently from a distance.”

“Okay!”

Ryota watched the fire with focused eyes. Eventually, the fire starter’s flame spread to the thin branches, growing stronger. Haruto added thicker branches and nodded to Ryota.

“Alright, now you can fan it. Stay back a bit and start slowly.”

“Got it!”

Taking a fan from Haruto, Ryota carefully fanned the flames, a big smile spreading across his face when Haruto praised his efforts.

As the fire grew stronger and the purchased firewood caught flame, Saki was ready with the bag of marshmallows.

“Otsuki-kun, is the fire ready?”

“Yeah, we’re good to go.”

“Big brother, I helped too!” Ryota chimed in.

“Great job, Ryota! Here, this is for you.”

Saki patted Ryota’s head and handed him a marshmallow from the bag. Ayaka walked over with bamboo skewers in hand.

“Ryota, put the marshmallow on the skewer like this.”

“Like this?”

“Yep, now hold it near the fire.”

Following her instructions, Ryota enthusiastically thrust the skewer into the flames. The marshmallow immediately caught fire, turning from white to black in seconds.

“Ah! My marshmallow turned all black!”

Seeing his dismay, Haruto skewered a marshmallow himself to demonstrate.

“Ryota, you need to hold it away from the flames and turn it slowly like this.”

By keeping it over indirect heat, the marshmallow turned a perfect golden brown. Haruto removed it, placed it between crackers, and handed the s’more to Ryota.

“Wow, it’s sweet and delicious!” Ryota exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy.

Meanwhile, Ayaka had also burned her marshmallow.

“Oh no… I messed it up,” she said with a forlorn expression, glancing at Haruto for help.

Haruto chuckled and prepared a marshmallow for her, carefully roasting it to perfection.

“Thank you, Haruto-kun,” Ayaka said with a radiant smile, making Haruto blush slightly as he remembered their earlier conversation in the woods.

Saki, munching on a s’more she made herself, suddenly had an idea.

“I think I just came up with the ultimate combination!” she declared, rummaging through her bag to pull out a packet of chocolate-covered biscuits.

“If we use these for the s’mores, it’ll be amazing!”

“That’s definitely going to be delicious!” Ayaka agreed enthusiastically.

“Praise me more!” Saki said, striking a triumphant pose as Ayaka playfully bowed.

“You’re a genius, Saki-sama!” Ayaka laughed.

Satisfied, Saki began handing out the biscuits to everyone. Ayaka looked at Haruto expectantly.

“Haruto-kun…”

“Got it. I’ll start roasting right away.”

“Big brother, me too!”

Smiling at their eager faces, Haruto skewered three marshmallows and got to work.