[TSSIM] Chapter 444: Planning a Trip

"Let's aim for about a week for the trip, maybe starting at the end of July or early August?"

Homura stroked his chin as he considered the timing.

"Eh? Can't we have a few more days?" Elf complained, feeling that a week might be a bit short.

"If we're going on a trip, a week should be just about right. If we take longer, everyone's families will start to worry, y'know."

Homura shook his head.

"If we want to play more, we can always find any day to spare, right? No need to pack it all into one trip."

After saying this, Homura glanced at Elf, who still didn't seem too excited.

"Besides… didn't you forget something?"

"Forget something? What?" Elf raised her brows.

"Nanami."

Nanami quickly gazed at Homura, feeling a little touched to hear her name mentioned by him. While she knew he wouldn't forget her problem, she didn't expect him to bring it up so soon.

"Nanami? Oh, right!" Elf thought for a moment before remembering. "During summer break, Nanami's going back to her hometown in Kansai to get her parents' understanding and support!"

"Homura-kun… I can go back by myself, you guys should just have fun…"

Nanami suggested while rubbing her fingers together, her mood was clearly not as calm as it sounded.

"Don't be silly." Homura shook his head. "What kind of fun would it be if we all left you behind?"

"But... I'll have to go back anyway… I plan to spend about two weeks convincing my parents, and that's a long time…"

Indeed.

Accompanying Nanami in her hometown for two weeks was unrealistic, especially considering the time everyone would spend on the trip—it would add up to nearly a month.

With such a long time, they couldn't just play all day, could they?

Given this, Nanami clearly would have to go back by herself.

Seeing Nanami looking downcast, Homura thought for a moment before suggesting an idea.

"How about this, you'll have fun with us first, then when it's time for you to go back to your hometown to convince your parents, we'll all start working on the new work. By the time it wraps up, you'll be back just in time for the voice recording."

"Sounds good, right? If we spent the whole summer playing around, the fans would probably revolt."

Homura joked, shrugging with a grin.

Nanami felt a little conflicted, but Homura's arrangement definitely made her feel a lot better. At the very least, it meant that everyone's plans wouldn't be thrown off because of her.

"Okay then... thanks, Homura-kun... everyone..." Nanami bowed her head slightly.

"What's there to thank me for?" Homura gently patted her head. "If your home were any closer, I'd want to go with you to convince your parents myself."

Nanami's face turned bright red in an instant.

'W-Why did Homura-kun's words sound like he wanted to meet my parents for 'that'?!' Nanami thought, feeling embarrassed. 'But… I'm not ready for that kind of thing yet...'

She quickly covered her flushed face with her hands.

"Nanami, you're definitely thinking something weird…"

Mashiro suddenly quipped, making Nanami's already flushed face feel even hotter.

"W-What do you mean by something weird?!" Nanami hurriedly retorted. "I'm not thinking about anything weird, okay?!"

Not responding, Mashiro merely smirked mischievously.

Everyone else just watched, speechless.

They had to admit that teasing Nanami was definitely fun.

She blushed easily, had a vivid imagination, and her expressions were incredibly entertaining.

In fact, not only Mashiro, but even Homura and Sagiri teased Nanami in the beginning for the same reason.

"Is it just me, or is the holiday this year starting a bit early?"

Eriri suddenly switched the topic, not wanting Nanami to be teased too much.

"It used to be around July 20th, right?"

"Yeah, but it's because summers have been getting hotter in recent years." Homura joined in, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess the schools added an extra week to help students avoid the heat."

"I didn't expect Homura-kun to care about stuff like this."

Utaha remarked and shot Homura a surprised glance.

"Duh, even an otaku like me is still a student. What's weird about being interested in holiday schedules?" Homura rolled his eyes.

Utaha rolled her eyes, putting an end to the topic.

"Wait?! Did I hear you right, Homuhomu-senpai?! You said you're having a trip?!"

Everyone looked at Yui, astonished.

Wasn't her reaction too slow?

"Yeah, that's what he said…" Mio nodded, a bit exasperated.

"I wanna go too!" Yui excitedly raised her hand.

Seeing her like this, Homura couldn't help but chuckle.

"When did I say I wouldn't take you guys? Elf just said we might as well all go since everyone is around, right?"

"Yatta!" Yui cheered.

"Anoo…"

Mya-nee suddenly raised her hand, signaling she had something to say.

"I think I'll pas—"

"Hoshino-senpai should come along too!"

Kotori quickly jumped in, cutting off Mya-nee's words.

"Ehhh?!" Mya-nee exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, you should totally join us, Mya-nee." Homura smiled. "It'll be a good chance to see if we can pull you into Another Dimension."

"Um… sorry, I'm still not sure..." Mya-nee felt a bit embarrassed. "And please, don't call me Mya-nee."

"No worries, take your time to think it over. As long as you haven't said no, there's still a chance, right? So, no need to rush." Homura shrugged. "Even if you really don't want to join, you could still help Kotori brainstorm some costume designs."

"Uh-huh..." Mya-nee nodded hesitantly. "So, um… about Mya-nee…"

"Yeah, I get it." Homura nodded, looking serious. "Your nickname is a bit infectious, after all… I always try to stop myself, but whenever I see you, it just slips out."

"…"

Mya-nee was speechless, then sighed resignedly.

'Oh well, Mya-nee it is...'

"By the way, Homuhomu-senpai, can I bring my little sister, Ui, along?"

Yui, who had been giggling to herself, suddenly remembered her sister and switched the topic right away.

"If I go out, there'll only be her at home since my parents aren't around."

"Of course. Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I'd remind you." Homura nodded, then glanced at everyone. "Anyone whose family wants to come can definitely join."

"My dad would definitely want to go…" Rizu said seriously. "But there's no way I'm letting him!"

Fumino: "…"

Uruka: "…"

"I guess I might bring Hinata and Tamaki along?" Kuroneko muttered and wasn't sure if she would be taking her little sisters this time.

"Hinata?" Mya-nee murmured, looking surprised.

"Speaking of which, both Hoshino-san and Kuroneko's little sister are named Hinata, right?" Utaha chuckled. "What a coincidence."

"Oh…" Mya-nee nodded in understanding. "Hinata is a pretty common name, so running into someone else with the same name isn't that surprising."

"Two Hinatas together, huh…" Homura rubbed his chin. "You know what, that could actually be fun."

"Senpai, we've talked a lot, but have we even decided where we're going?"

Nayuta, who was comparing her hair to Sagiri's, suddenly chimed in, asking the most important question.

"…"

Homura was speechless, tapping his forehead.

"Alright, let's figure it out!"