Clovel - Premium Web Novels

Chapter 38: BONUS Chapter: Honestly, Just skip this. Honestly, Just skip this. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖 The meeting from yesterday? A complete disaster. If someone were to write a history book about it, the title would probably be, uh... (A/N: Just think a good title on your own) So now, after the yelling, the betrayals, and aunt Marika almost committing a war crime by trying to rig the room arrangements, we’re all left picking up the pieces of our sanity. It’s morning. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and I’m still questioning my life choices as I drag myself out of bed. I barely got any sleep last night, mostly because I was haunted by nightmares of sharing a hot spring with my mom and aunt. Speaking of which, when I walk into the living room, I find my mother sitting on the couch, casually sipping her morning coffee like she didn’t single-handedly try to ruin my dignity last night. "Good morning, Haru~" she greets me sweetly. Too sweetly. That’s suspicious. I narrow my eyes. "...Morning." Just as I plop down onto the couch, the doorbell rings. "Oh, that must be Shiori," Mom says, standing up to answer the door. Wait. Shiori-san? Sure enough, when the door opens, in walks Shiori-san, looking way too energetic for someone who was also part of yesterday’s chaos. "Good morning, Haru-kun~!" she greets, smiling brightly. "...Morning," I mumble. Something about her mood feels off. Like she’s too happy. Mom, looking amused, takes a sip of her coffee before casually saying, "Shiori-chan, why don’t you tell Haru the good news?" Shiori claps her hands together. "We’re going shopping today!" I blink. "...Huh?" "For the training camp!" Oh no. I feel a shiver run down my spine. Shopping? With these people? That sounds more dangerous than the actual training camp. An hour later, I find myself regretting every decision that led to this moment. We’re at the mall. Me, Mom, Marika, Shiori, and Shino. Nishi insisted to stay at home. Which is a smart choice. And let me tell you—this is NOT a simple shopping trip. First, we lost Shino. I don’t even know how it happened. One second, she was beside me, mumbling about how unnecessary this was, and the next, she had vanished into the depths of the mall like a ninja. "Eh, she’ll be fine," Marika says, completely unconcerned. "Let’s focus on getting our supplies!" Supplies, my ass. These people aren’t buying ’training camp essentials.’ They’re buying anything but training camp essentials. Shiori-san, for example, is currently holding up a suspiciously fancy lingerie set. "What do you think, Haru-kun?~" she asks, flashing a teasing smile. "I THINK I’M GOING TO THE NEXT AISLE," I say, turning 180 degrees and walking away immediately. Nope. Not dealing with this. There’s no way I can make her wear that super lewd underwear. Meanwhile, Marika and Mom are having a battle in the sports section. "I’m buying Haru these high-performance sneakers!" Mom insists, holding up a very expensive-looking pair. "No way! These are way better for training!" Marika counters, holding up another, equally expensive pair. "mom, Marika nee-san, I don’t need new shoes," Neither of them listens. They’re just standing there, locked in a deadly stare-down, holding sneakers like they’re weapons in a duel. I sigh. This is my life now. I’m already exhausted. "I’m not even going to use these for anything that involves running," I say, half-heartedly trying to end this madness. Neither of them listens. Meanwhile, in Another Part of the Mall... Shino’s POV I, Shino, after escaping from the group, is enjoying a peaceful time alone in a bookstore. Until I gets a text from Haru. Haru: WHERE DID YOU GO?! Shino: Not dealing with whatever nonsense you’re suffering through. Haru: TAKE ME WITH YOU. Shino: Nope. I smirk, puts my phone away, and continues browsing. There’s something about getting away from the chaos that feels oddly satisfying. Here, surrounded by shelves of books, I don’t have to worry about being pulled into a never-ending battle of consumerism. I pull out a book, skimming the first few pages, and lets myself get lost in the words Haru’s POV After what feels like an eternity, we finally finish shopping. My arms are full of bags, none of which contain anything useful for actual training. At this point, I’m just praying we actually survive this so-called ’training camp.’ As we head home, I can’t shake the feeling that things are only going to get worse from here. And I hate that I’m probably right. The ride home feels like the final stretch of a marathon, only with more bags and significantly less satisfaction. I’m sitting in the back seat, arms aching from carrying everything, and wondering how I’ve ended up here. It’s as if the universe is conspiring to turn my life into a sitcom, and I’m just the punchline. I glance at Mom, who’s still humming happily, probably feeling good about her sneaker choices. Marika is sitting next to her, equally proud of the fact that she won this battle, and Shiori-san, sitting across from me, looks like she’s plotting the next great adventure. I don’t even want to know what that could possibly be. I let out a sigh. "I don’t even know how this is going to work. I just wanted to go to training camp, not... whatever this was." "I think it was pretty fun," Marika says cheerfully, poking my side with her elbow. "You should be grateful for the memories." "Right," I mumble. "Memories..." I’ll probably need therapy to recover from this day. As we drive, I can’t help but reflect on how this is my reality now. Nothing is ever simple. Every situation spirals into something absurd, but somehow, I find myself in the middle of it all. Maybe that’s just what life with these people is like—chaos with a side of humor, and I’m pretty sure there’s no escape. And honestly? I think I’m okay with it. (A/N: Next is the hot springs arc. I just made this Chapter for a transition, that’s all. If you read it, then thanks lol)