Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 228, Section 3: "Target! The Gunma Empire!"

"...I don't object to traveling, but...why Gunma?"

Asami answered with a smug look:

"The flyer said this place is a summer resort! When it's 31 degrees Celsius in Tokyo, it's only 22.6 degrees Celsius here!"

Wow, such a huge difference even though they're both in the Kanto region.

"But it's cooler in Kobe now."

“Uh.” Mami immediately choked, then thought for a moment and said, “And hot springs! Kusatsu Onsen is quite famous, much more famous than my hometown.”

Even though Asami was attending a vocational school in Kobe, she was still asked at school, "Is Seno from Gunma Prefecture?"

Moreover, because he speaks standard Mandarin well, he has been praised for "learning the Kansai dialect very well."

"Hot springs~ It would be nice to relax together in a leisurely way." Chiai nodded.

"However... if we're talking about the most famous ones in Kansai, it should be Arima Onsen or Kinosaki Onsen, right? Both places are very close to each other..."

"Big mistake!"

Mami interrupted Masumi and retorted decisively.

"If it's within Hyogo Prefecture, there's no need to drive there at all. Besides, when you travel, you definitely go to places that are a bit further away."

"At the very least, they should go outside the county."

Indeed, just as Kuma himself wouldn't consider Aso and Kuju as his primary tourist destinations.

Since it's a trip, people would probably prefer to visit places they've never been before rather than their familiar neighborhood.

Oh no, I'm starting to get convinced.

Masumi quickly conjured up opposing interest groups in her mind: "But Gunma Prefecture is too far away."

The distance alone is enough to end the game; the people of Ueno Province will never be able to reach Kyoto in their entire lives.

Instead of answering the question directly, Mami countered, "Is there anywhere you'd like to go, Masumi-kun?"

"Not really."

Masumi answered subconsciously.

Because the conversation was going on, he was completely unaware that he had somehow started thinking about "definitely going on a road trip".

“…However,” Masumi added.

"As long as I can be with everyone, I'll be happy wherever I go."

"..."

For some reason, his casual remark made several girls smile with satisfaction, their long eyelashes fluttering in the light, their eyes sparkling with the dancing light and shadow.

"Yeah, I think so too."

Chiai nodded in agreement, "Whether it was the last time we went to Miyako Island, or the time we went to Kyoto for the Obon festival, I felt very happy."

Her smile was so radiant that Masumi was momentarily captivated.

Her snow-white skin was revealed, extending along her slender neck to her neckline, and was outlined beautifully by the fluorescent light.

"Okay, with Chia's votes, we have two now." Mami nodded with satisfaction.

Seeing things heading in that direction, Masumi was dumbfounded: "Are you serious?"

Asami seemed even more surprised than him, her pupils widening slightly as she stared in disbelief, "Masumi-kun, are you only just realizing I'm serious?"

"...No, it should be said that I was hoping for the best."

"Mr. Masumi and everyone else, just imagine it: everyone chatting and laughing together in the car, with beautiful autumn leaves and the mountain scenery that Gunma Prefecture is so proud of outside the window."

"Staying up in the hot spring town at night, choosing a room with an open-air hot spring, soaking in the hot spring while sipping sake and enjoying delicious local cuisine—isn't that wonderful!"

Masumi picked up a piece of noodles that had been stewed until soft in the pot, ate a couple of bites, and tried to imagine the scene that Mami was describing.

Sukiyaki is a traditional dish made with udon noodles and konjac, paired with fine local sake.

After a hearty meal, soak in the hot spring to dissolve all the fatigue accumulated during the day. The sulfurous hot water will melt it away completely. The moonlight is beautiful, and the breeze is pleasant.

Looking out from the open-air hot spring, the red leaves in the mountains appear otherworldly in the moonlight.

"...After the bath, we'll have a third round of drinks and chat, then make a ruckus until late at night."

After saying that, Mami happily clasped her hands together in front of her chest.

Why are we already on the third wave of drinks?

"Ah, that sounds really good."

Upon hearing this, Qian Ai immediately showed a delighted expression.

"I love autumn leaves the most! They seem very elegant."

Driving through the mountains to admire the autumn leaves is indeed a wonderful experience. Masumi really enjoys the autumn foliage season in November.

"Soaking in a hot spring... late at night...soaking in a hot spring... late at night..."

Kurokawa Mio muttered this over and over again, as if possessed by a ghost, while displaying an expression that Masumi found very ominous, and also shaking her leg vigorously under the table.

"...bathing together...night raid...bathing together...night raid..."

I wonder when they quietly changed the vocabulary!
Masumi took a breath and cautiously asked:
"Mio? Um... are you alright?"

The table was shaking so badly it felt like a mini-earthquake.

Needless to say, the reason lies with Mio, who was shaking her leg with all her might.

“○○……○○……○○……○○……”

Yes, the vocabulary has been changed to a level that Masumi must mentally mute.

Gazing at that face, one could see beads of sweat, like condensation, that were probably not just from the steaming pot of offal.

Her gaze was radiant, her cheeks flushed, her breathing became rapid, and she unconsciously licked her lips, which had become increasingly dry.

"Aha! Ahahaha! Hehehehehe... Hmm? Masumi!"

Upon finally hearing Masumi's call, Kurokawa Mio's expression suddenly changed, and she covered her face with her hands.

"Sorry, Masumi! Don't look at me! This isn't the usual me!"

"I'm just... really looking forward to the hot spring trip, that's right! I'm simply looking forward to the hot spring trip."

"Oh, oh..."

Masumi accepted the explanation more as a last resort than a willing choice.

Mami crossed her arms and appeared very calm.

"Very good, with Miss Mio included, that's three votes, and we're back to match point."

She really wants to travel!
Furthermore, they adopted the same voting strategy they used on Miyako Island.

In retrospect: When the votes were close, instead of following the principle of majority rule, they forced Masumi to take sides, which was a despicable tactic.

From a certain perspective, does this guy's statement imply some other meaning?
At this point, Mami suddenly became excited.

"You have no idea, I survived those two hellish weeks entirely thanks to this belief!"

"I studied the traffic rules day and night so that I could go on a road trip to Gunma with everyone."

Is it similar to a graduation trip after a university entrance exam?
Masumi was suddenly relieved that the flyer she found was about a vacation in Gunma rather than an overseas trip.

"I also want to go... to see the bears..."

Haiyue, who had been quietly chewing on beef intestines, suddenly tilted her head and murmured softly.

"It's rare to see Xiao Haiyue actually vote voluntarily."

Mami exclaimed in surprise, then nodded smugly, "Very good, very good, that's four votes now, which is an absolute majority."

"But we're talking about 'gunma' (horses), not 'kuma' (bears)."

(Note: The dialect pronunciation of "bear" is similar to "gunma".)
Despite their completely out of sync, the four girls miraculously agreed on their desire to go to Gunma. "...Then let's decide on a road trip through Gunma!"

Asami's lips curved into a joyful smile as she announced this with a cheer.

"Don't rush," Masumi quickly poured cold water on the overly excited Mami. "There are still two problems to solve."

"what is the problem?"

"It's still about distance."

Masumi used her phone's map app to find a self-driving route from Kobe to Gunma.

"If you take the Meishin-Tomei Expressway, it will be at least 500 kilometers, which would be considered driving while fatigued."

Kurokawa Mio unconditionally affirmed: "Masumi is indeed very reliable; she's already considering concrete plans."

“It’s nothing,” Mami shook her head vigorously.

"We have four drivers here, so we can take turns driving, or we can rest in Shizuoka Prefecture along the way and even see Mount Fuji!"

After answering Masumi's difficult question, Mami pressed on further.

"Besides, driving is cheaper than taking the Shinkansen, isn't it? The highway tolls and fuel costs combined are only enough for three people's round-trip tickets at most."

"...That's because the money saved becomes time cost."

"Masumi-kun is wrong again. This is part of the road trip experience, so it should be a bonus!"

Asami crossed her arms and continued to elaborate on her point of view.

Masumi admitted that she was somewhat convinced, and put on a defeated expression.

"Okay, but the five-seater van in the shop can't fit all these people. If we're going to Gunma, we'll have to rent another vehicle."

"Okay, then I've decided to go to Gunma!"

"Does Rinne have any other opinions?"

Mami looked at Rinne, who had been silent since earlier. She sat quietly in a corner of the dining table, her head down, her black hair obscuring her expression.

"...Rinne?"

Seeing that she didn't react, Masumi, who was standing even closer, called her name again.

"Ah, sorry."

The heiress seemed to snap out of her daze, raised her face, and spoke with a hint of apology.

"You just said you were going on a trip to Gunma, right?"

"Hmm, what's wrong? Doesn't Rinne want to go on a trip?"

Mami looked uneasy. Her eyebrows drooped slightly, like a large dog begging for food.

"No, that's not true." Rinne shook her head gently. "If everyone wants to go, of course I won't spoil the fun."

Upon hearing this, Mami's expression immediately brightened.

She picked up a bowl of puffed-up noodles with her chopsticks and said with a sigh of relief, "It passed unanimously this time."

Then she opened her lips, sucked in the noodles, chewed slowly, and mumbled, "I thought Rinne was worried about affecting the shop's business."

After all, I just visited Miyako Island in early October, and it's a bit too frequent to travel again just a month later.

On another note, Mami didn't mention that Rinne had clearly stated that she wouldn't be swayed by this matter.

"No such thing."

Rinne narrowed her eyes and said calmly, "I'm not the kind of devil who expects everyone to work year-round without a break. Besides, the young master has no objections."

For some reason, her words, which seemed to subtly target Masumi, were directed at her.

"Oh, it's that, work-life balance."

Masumi couldn't think of a good explanation for a moment, and said awkwardly.

"Hmm." Rinne nodded expressionlessly, a barely perceptible smile playing on her lips. She looked at Masumi with a meaningful gaze and said:
"After all, it's part of the young master's job to entertain female employees."

"Guuuuu!"

Masumi froze instantly, feeling a chilling aura wash over her.

It's been a long time since I felt any pressure from Rinne. Have I been too complacent lately?

He swallowed hard, anxiously watching the heiress's next move.

"...Gunma Prefecture is quite large. It's best to plan your destination and route in advance."

After finishing speaking, Rinne sighed. Her sigh was deep and long, as if she had exhaled all the air in the world.

"Oh, yeah."

It seems she only gave him a light rebuke and then stopped caring.

"The Mizusawa udon looks delicious! How about making Ikaho one of our destinations?"

Chiai's voice came from the table; she was already searching for tourist attractions in Gunma Prefecture on her phone.

"There's a udon noodle shop here that looks absolutely delicious!"

The childhood sweetheart said she added the website to her favorites.

"Do we want to go to Kusatsu Onsen, Ikaho, and Shiman Onsen?" Masumi asked.

"One should be enough, right? Just how much does Masumi-nii love soaking in hot springs?" Chiai complained.

Kurokawa Mio pondered, "Could it be that Masumi is thinking of..."

"No! Absolutely not!"

"...I haven't said anything yet."

Kurokawa Mio puffed out her cheeks unhappily.

Where is Mount Akina? I want to go to Mount Akina!

“There’s no such place, Asami-nee.” Chiai hadn’t seen Initial D. “Are you talking about Mount Haruna? There are many resorts and guesthouses nearby, and the scenery at Lake Haruna is also very beautiful.”

As they finished off the last of the food in the stew pot, the group enthusiastically made travel plans.

Before this, Masumi had only traveled with friends a handful of times, rarely even when invited, let alone planning it herself.

He wasn't the kind of refined person who would proactively suggest a hot spring trip.

But being a boring person is not his true character; it's just a way he's found to interact with the world in a less strenuous way.

It was because of these girls that Masumi found another way to interact with the world.

My first time visiting a large theme park like Universal Studios, my first time going to Uji to see the fireworks festival during the Obon holiday, my first time taking a plane to an island for a trip...

Now, it's time for my first road trip to another distant county.

Kurokawa Mio smiled sweetly: "It's wonderful to be the subject of Masumi's first experience."

"Don't use strange ways of speaking that are easy to misunderstand."

Masumi sighed helplessly.

During a break in the girls' conversation, he glanced at Rinne discreetly.

On that fair and delicate face, one could see the same indifferent expression as always.

It was no different from usual, but for some reason, I felt a little bothered.

Could this be the sixth sense?

Should she say something to her? Various thoughts flashed through Masumi's mind, but seeing her nonchalant demeanor, she ultimately said nothing.
-
"Starry Sky Employee Group"

Yuyuko: "Aren't the seniors traveling a bit too frequently? (╥﹏╥) My salary..."

(End of this chapter)