ALL NOVEL chapter 42
42. Heavy Rain
Before I knew it, summer vacation had arrived in the blink of an eye.
“Where should we go if we go to the beach? What do we need for camping?” Masaki and I discussed these things almost every day at school. Sometimes our opinions clashed, but that too was a source of joy.
Our anticipation for summer vacation grew stronger, and my steps to school became lighter. It seemed Masaki was also looking forward to spending the summer with me, and as the end of term approached, her smile grew brighter each day.
Yet, when summer vacation finally came――.
“Rain, huh…?”
I let out a big sigh while gazing out the living room window.
It was pouring. The rain was so heavy and the wind so strong that my vision was blurred by the downpour.
Just yesterday, when I checked the weather forecast on my smartphone app, the chance of rain was 0%.
It seemed that sunny weather would continue for a while after the start of summer vacation, with temperatures and humidity just right—perfect for going out. But when the lid was lifted, it turned out to be an unexpected deluge.
According to the forecaster, a rapidly developing low-pressure system was causing all sorts of trouble, and in any case, the weather forecast was completely unreliable.
Today, I had planned to go camping with Masaki.
This was Masaki’s request, and we had decided to go from the very first day of summer vacation.
We were supposed to set up a tent at a forest park campsite, cook curry together, and gaze at the night sky. Then, we would sleep in the same tent, planning for the perfect night, and we had made all the necessary preparations.
And then came the morning.
Waking up in high spirits, I found large raindrops hitting the window.
Moreover, the intensity was quite strong, making it impossible to go outside.
Since we were supposed to head out in the afternoon, I had been hoping all morning for the rain to stop… but instead of improving, the weather worsened, with the wind picking up and becoming even more chaotic.
Around the time we were scheduled to leave at 1 PM, I called Masaki to inform her that today’s camping trip was canceled.
Masaki responded with a disappointed voice. I could tell through the phone just how down she was feeling, and it weighed heavily on my heart.
Still, I couldn’t go against the weather. It would be a disaster if something happened to Masaki while we were out in such bad conditions. So, I had no choice but to give up on this camping trip.
“Big brother, you seem down…”
As I sat on the living room sofa, staring outside, my younger sister Mai suddenly spoke up.
Due to the rain, Mai’s track and field practice had also been canceled, and she had been stuck inside the house all morning.
She peered at my face with a worried expression.
Mai knew that Masaki and I had been making various plans for summer vacation.
“I can’t believe the usually blunt big brother, who never did anything summery, is finally going to spend a summer like a couple with Masaki-san!”
With that, Mai had been genuinely happy for me and Masaki spending summer vacation together, as if it were her own affair. It was probably because of this that she couldn’t just leave me alone in my current state.
Not wanting to sadden my sister, I forced a cheerful response.
“Don’t worry, Mai. The camp is postponed; we can just reschedule for another sunny day. It’s not like I’m bothered by it or anything.”
“Even if you say that with a face that looks like you’re about to cry, it’s completely unconvincing, you know? You really wanted to go, didn’t you?”
“…Well, yeah. It seems like Mashiro is disappointed too, and I was looking forward to it as well. But there’s nothing we can do about the weather; it’s just one of those things.”
“Right… We can’t do anything about the weather. Ugh, God can be so cruel. It’s supposed to be summer vacation, and we get this heavy rain…”
Absolutely.
God really is mean. Why does it seem like He’s trying to tear apart the bond between Mashiro and me? The timing couldn’t be worse.
Maybe this weather is the result of the god of this world trying to prevent Mashiro and me from enjoying our camp together.
If that’s the case, then this sudden change in weather makes sense.
‘As the villain, you are absolutely forbidden from camping alone with the strongest beautiful girl, Mashiro.’
‘Villains should act like villains and spend their summer vacation lonely at home.’
It felt like there was a message hidden in all of this.
It felt like there was a malicious intent behind not allowing Mashiro and me to have fun together.
If my guess is correct, then the situation is quite serious.
I had a lot of outdoor activities planned for this summer vacation. There were plans for beach outings, summer festivals, and even fireworks displays.
The original story didn’t depict how Shindo Ryusuke and Amanatsu Mashiro spent their summer vacation at all. The focus of the narrative was on the summer vacation of the protagonist and the heroine, leaving no room for the villainous characters like us.
Even if it’s not depicted in the original, I wish villains could enjoy their time freely.
However, the story is likely still barreling straight toward the predetermined ending of destruction set for us. The narrative expects us villains to live our villainous lives and ultimately be judged by the protagonists, just as it was written.
If this kind of interference continues, there’s a possibility that we won’t have good weather throughout the summer vacation, and all our planned events could be canceled.
It seems like the intention is to crush every aspect of our summer vacation plans, as if to say that a villain like me and Mashiro don’t deserve the youthful romance that the protagonists experience.
But I can’t give up; I don’t want to give up.
Even villains want to experience youth.
No matter what obstacles may arise, I will spend the best summer vacation with Mashiro.
I took out my smartphone and began brainstorming solutions. I desperately turned my thoughts to find an alternative plan for spending time with Mashiro—just then.
The ringtone echoed from the smartphone’s speaker.
A cute cat icon appeared on the screen, and I quickly pressed the call button, bringing the phone to my ear.
Then, from the other end of the line, I heard a familiar, sweet voice.
“Hello, Ryusuke. Sorry for calling out of the blue!”
The caller was Mashiro.
Her bright, bouncy voice was crisp and cheerful, yet it was gentle on the ears and comforting.
Mashiro’s voice truly is soothing.
Her voice is incredibly cute, even through the phone.
Just hearing her voice made the heavy feelings I had moments ago lift away like a lie.
“What’s wrong, Mashiro? Didn’t you call to say today’s camp was canceled about an hour ago?”
“Yeah, I remember. So, I was thinking all day about what good alternatives we could come up with.”
“Alternatives?”
“I just can’t give up on camping with Ryusuke. I was really looking forward to today, so I was hoping we could figure something out.”
Hearing those words made my heart warm.
Mashiro felt the same way.
She had been looking forward to today, and when it got canceled due to the rain, she felt down. Yet, she was still thinking about how she wanted to spend time with me, how she wanted to make it work.
And then, when I heard the alternative she proposed, I was taken aback.
“Hey, Ryusuke. I thought of something. Since we can’t camp outside, how about we do something camp-like at home?”
“Huh…? Something camp-like inside the house…?”
Isn’t that basically just a sleepover? I thought, but Mashiro’s voice over the speaker had a playful, cheerful tone that hinted at something definitely fun happening.
“Anyway, come over to my house now. I know it’s tough in the rain, but… please!”
“I don’t mind, but how should I explain it to my family? It’s pretty obvious that camping is impossible with this weather…”
“You can just say you’re staying over at my house. I’ll convince your mom, so you just take care of Mai-chan.”
“Got it. I’ll tell my sister that. Is there anything else?”
“Nope, that should be fine for now. We’ll talk about the details when you get here! And be careful on your way; I’m sorry for asking you to do this.”
“No, don’t worry about it at all. I’m actually happy you invited me.”
“Hehe… I’ll be waiting, Ryusuke. Talk to you later!”
After the call ended, I put my phone in my pocket.
She’s still as stormy as ever.
But thanks to her, I felt completely revitalized.
Mashiro is always like this, and I’m reminded once again.
No matter how this world tries to interfere, it can’t stop the bright, energetic Mashiro.
In ways even the gods couldn’t imagine, she’s determined to have a fun summer vacation with me.
Since I reincarnated into this world, I’ve drawn strength from Mashiro’s lively spirit countless times.
This time, I’ll trust in her again. With her by my side, I know we can handle anything, and we’ll overcome any difficulties with joy.
With that conviction in mind, I hurriedly began preparing to head to Mashiro’s house.