Date Her Instead Vol. 4

Chapter Eleven: Seeing The Sights

For the entirety of the ride to Sapporo, the buses were abuzz with excited conversation. Students kept talking about everything they were hoping to do and see, planning to take advantage of the plentiful amount of free time they'd have. So many were looking forward to this trip. A couple of hours ago, Kanako had been among them, but now her mind and ears were preoccupied with trying to listen in on the conversation happening in front of her.

One seat in front of Kanako was Haruna, and with her was a girl claiming to be her fan. It was a girl that Kanako didn't remember ever seeing before, but that was understandable, considering that this particular girl never stood out. She practically blended into the scenery around her and hardly spoke unless spoken to. Even her name was one Kanako didn't recognize, having no memory of seeing it on any posted lists or boards.

"Hinami Yamane..." she repeated in her head for what felt like the hundredth time. Throughout the bus ride, Kanako had been trying to listen to what she and Haruna were talking about. While it was hard to hear, Kanako occasionally caught snippets. The topics seemed to range anywhere from snowboarding to academics to likes and dislikes. But, there was one thing Kanako noticed: somehow, every topic connected to Haruna. What it was like snowboarding in competitions. How her grades were and classes she struggled with. Foods she liked and didn't like. All of this information was flowing openly from her. It wasn't as if Haruna was a closed person, but to Kanako, seeing her tell someone she just met so much personal stuff was a bit of a shock.

"What's so special about her anyways?" Kanako muttered. "I think Haru-chi's just a little excited," Chiyo said. "After all, it's not every day you get a new fan." "I guess so..." Kanako mumbled. She understood what Chiyo meant. If someone told Kanako that they were her fan, she might act the same way. And yet, even knowing that didn't stop Kanako from feeling a little annoyed about the situation.

When the buses arrived at the hotel they'd be staying at, they pulled to a stop and let the students out. "Whoa, this is where we're staying?" one person remarked. "This looks... not as nice as I hoped," another commented.

The building they were all standing in front of was on the smaller side of what one would expect of an inn thanks to its tucked-away position in downtown. The outside wasn't necessarily bad, but it was clear that it could use some touching up. Facing the front, the right side of the building stood about four stories tall, with it following the pattern of a thick, brick layer, then panes of glass, then more brick. On the left side, two parts of the building stood high in the sky. At first glance, it was hard to tell what exactly was supposed to be in them. One part seemed like it might have rooms, considering its white structure combined with thin bars, but the other part looked like nothing more than a brick tower. Although, perhaps the thing that stuck out most of all was the front entrance, which was done with wood. On the wooden overhang was a sign that read "Sapporo Comfort Hot Spring Inn."

"A hot spring huh?" Haruna commented. "D-Do you like h-hot springs Endo-san?" Hinami asked. "Hmm. I don't dislike them, but I don't think I'd be the one to decide to go to one either," Haruna answered. "But, honestly, I'm having a hard time believing there's a hot spring in there." The building itself didn't go back very far, so aside from the parts that towered into the sky, the inn appeared to be too small to have something luxurious like a hot spring.

As the students stood outside staring at their home for the next couple of days, the teachers approached and encouraged them to go inside. When they entered, their reaction was much different compared to a moment ago.

"Whoa, this is nice," one student commented. "It's a lot nicer than the outside," another mentioned. On the outside, the inn seemed perhaps a little shabby and run down, but as soon as you made it to the lobby, a completely different impression was given. The floors were a mix of cool gray tile in the walkways and laminated, light brown wood in the sitting areas. Along the walls were various sorts of designs. One wall had grayish-brown rock placed together in a random assortment. Another wall had chunks of woods formed in a wall that almost looked like brick at first glance. Yet another wall was simply just striped brown paint of several different shades. It all seemed like a mashing of different design ideas, but they all came together in a way that made the entire lobby feel soft, warm and inviting.