Suzuki Yu was already out of breath by the time he arrived at the destination.
He didn’t know why, but he always felt that the moment he stopped, he would be caught and dragged back right away.
Fortunately, seeing that his group of troublemaking friends had already set everything up, he felt relieved.
They were at a standalone wooden cabin in the middle of the woods.
This cabin looked rather old. It was said that the Tanaka family built it back in the last century to escape the summer heat. It was hidden deep in a dense forest, far from the main road at the foot of the mountain—completely out of sight.
Because it was seldom used, the place looked a little neglected, but it really was a perfect secret base.
The cabin wasn’t big, but after a bit of tidying up, it had everything they needed.
Meanwhile, on a small slope outside the cabin, a telescope had already been firmly set up, aimed precisely at the tourist area down the mountain.
“Yo, Suzuki, you finally made it. Just in time,” someone called out.
Suzuki Yu took a deep breath, looked at the group, and asked, “Did you all get out without any trouble?”
“Don’t worry, we already told the teachers. If we disappear for an hour or two, they won’t notice what we’re up to. And you helped alter the list, so the Student Council won’t notice either.”
Other than Suzuki Yu, the boys here were all from well-off families and had received good educations. When they stuck together, with their abilities, unless they deliberately courted disaster, there was basically no way anything dangerous would happen.
Of course, when it came to scheming and mischief, their teamwork was also top-notch.
Seeing these guys so full of energy, Suzuki Yu didn’t say much and simply walked straight into the cabin.
This would be his place to sleep tonight. Although it was a bit shabby, he was very adaptable, so it wasn’t like he couldn’t fall asleep here.
“Suzuki, aren’t you coming to take a look? Sato’s adjusting the angle. There’s about to be something really exciting.”
“You guys go ahead. I’m a bit tired—I’ll rest first.”
Suzuki Yu spoke, feeling a bit interested in their plans, but not exactly enthusiastic.
If he were truly some kind of lecher, he wouldn’t have needed to sneak out tonight at all.
He cared more about his own safety.
At this moment, he kept checking out their accommodations for the night. When he gently tapped the wall and felt it wobble a bit, he got a little worried.
Had it really not been repaired for too long?
Everything around them had only been tidied up temporarily, and they hadn’t put much effort into it. Strictly speaking, Suzuki Yu was the only one concerned about the cabin itself.
To the others, it was just a good spot to mark and a temporary place to crash.
Sure enough, these guys were unreliable.
Suzuki Yu thought to himself, feeling rather helpless, but he could only make do for one night.
His plan was to sleep here until five in the morning, then sneak back quietly. By then, Shiina Chisa should be asleep, and he’d be able to muddle through another day.
As for whether she would take any measures afterward, he’d deal with it then.
“Strange, where did it go wrong?”
At that moment, a strange noise came from outside. Suzuki Yu heard it and stuck his head out.
He saw Tanaka and the others staring at the telescope in frustration.
“Sato, didn’t you calculate it all perfectly? How come we can’t see anything?”
“This obviously isn’t a calculation problem. Is your telescope busted?”
“No way, I took this from my family’s shop. It’s definitely a professional-grade telescope.”
Before long, since everyone’s expertise was being questioned, the originally tight-knit group began to fall apart.
It looked like they wouldn’t be seeing anything tonight.
Watching them about to come to blows, Suzuki Yu shook his head and walked over.
“What’s the point? It’s just a small thing.”
“Suzuki, don’t butt in! This is a matter of a man’s pride!” Sato retorted, looking like he was determined to prove himself.
However, just then, a single line from Suzuki Yu reminded them:
“Everyone, don’t forget what our purpose is.”
As soon as he finished, the others immediately became serious.
Suzuki Yu stepped forward and began checking the telescope. He quickly discovered something strange.
There was something weird stuck over the lens. Peeling it off, he found it was a thin, round film that looked just like a lens.
That struck Suzuki Yu as odd.
“Who put this here?”
Everyone exchanged confused glances. They clearly hadn’t expected something like this.
Suzuki Yu felt it was strange, but didn’t say much. He just readjusted the angle and put his eye to the eyepiece.
“This time it should work…”
“Hurry up, Suzuki!” Tanaka urged from behind, sounding extremely impatient.
Suzuki Yu twisted the focus knob. The blurry scene in front of his eyes quickly sharpened. Sato’s calculations were truly flawless—the telescope’s field of view landed perfectly on the outdoor hot spring area of a high-class inn surrounded by bamboo down below.
And, it wasn’t empty.
Suzuki Yu’s breath caught in his throat.
Through the swirling steam, he could vaguely make out a figure.
“Well? Can you see anything?” Tanaka asked anxiously.
“Y-Yeah, I see something…” Suzuki Yu’s voice was a bit hoarse. He was about to take a closer look—
Just then, the figure in his view gradually came into focus.
And that outline gave Suzuki Yu a bad feeling. He readjusted the telescope.
And then, he saw something that sent chills down his spine.
The figure in his view became clearer and clearer. She was soaking in the hot spring, her beautiful figure barely visible through the steam.
In her hand, she also held a telescope. With a smile on her face, she raised her other hand and waved at him.
“Jingu Amane…” he muttered.
“What? Did you see something good?” Tanaka, unable to hear clearly, assumed Suzuki Yu had caught sight of something stunning.
But at that moment, Suzuki Yu quickly pulled his eyes away, stood up straight, let out a long sigh, and looked around at the others, saying:
“We need to find a way to run.”
“Huh?”
Just then, the lookout came dashing back, shouting:
“Bad news! The Student Council is coming!”
“What?!” everyone shouted in unison.
At that moment, several blinding flashlight beams shot out from the forest behind them, lighting up their little camp as bright as day.
“First-year Class B, Sato Tasuke, Tanaka Ibuki, Yamagaya Shota…
“And Suzuki Yu, come with us.”
The leading member of the Disciplinary Committee spoke.
Soon enough, they were surrounded, with no way to escape.
Seeing this, Suzuki Yu could only leave with them.
And soon, he was taken to the very high-class inn he’d just seen through the telescope.
As he walked in, he soon spotted Jingu Amane in pajamas, holding a steaming cup of milk.