Chapter 323 Trial of Courage Conference
After leaving the campsite, Qingshuijian walked down the mountain along the trail behind with a flashlight in we arrived at the square at the foot of the mountain, many students were already lined up in groups.
After waiting for a few minutes and confirming that all students who were interested in participating had arrived, the female teacher announced into the microphone that an activity of this camping trip, the Test of Courage, had officially begun.
The route of the test of courage competition is different from the mountain road that entered the forest this afternoon. It is a small trail that branches off from that road.
Just walking on this trail in the dark is exciting enough, but there seem to be traps set by the teachers along the way.
"Everyone, listen up. Now, each student will step forward and draw your partner from the lottery box. Once you are ready, today's test of courage will begin."
After the female teacher finished speaking, all the students followed the order and came forward one by one to draw lots.
This test of courage is for groups of two, and everyone has the potential to become a partner. There is no restriction on class or grade, but the gender is determined randomly.
Although Shimizu Ken was somewhat curious about who he would be paired with, Amamiya Iori and the others did not participate in this test of courage, so he knew very well the result of the draw and it would definitely not be one of them.
"The next one is Shimizumi-san."
When his name was called, Shimizu stepped forward to draw the lot.
"Draw lots from the box. There are numbers on the lots. People who draw the same number will form a group. Do you understand?"
"understood."
Since they were just here to kill time, it didn't matter who they drew, so Shimizu drew the lot quickly.
After walking back to the line with the lottery ticket he had drawn, Qingshuijian opened it and took a look at his number, which read "eight".
In other words, he would form a team with others who also drew the number eight to participate in the test of courage competition.
Just as Qing Shuijian was holding the note in one hand and preparing to turn around to look for his partner——
"Um, did you draw number 8 as well?"
Hearing a slightly familiar voice, Qingshuijian turned around and responded.
After seeing the other person's face clearly under the bright moonlight, I couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
"I also drew number eight...it seems we are in the same group tonight."
The person holding the same number 8 lottery ticket as Shimizu Mi was Hoshinomiya Mitsuki who appeared in front of him at this moment.
What exactly is going on?
"Mizuki, what on earth is this..."
“Because I was a little interested, I came to participate.”
It's really strange for a teacher to participate in students' activities.
Seeing the expression on Shimizumi's face, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction:
"..."
"No, that's not what I meant..."
If you look closely, you can see that there are indeed several teachers from other classes among the people attending.
After hesitating for a while, Qing Shuijian finally sighed and said, "Please give me your guidance."
"Uh, well, this side too, please give me your guidance tonight."
After some searching, the students around them confirmed their partners, and then the test of courage officially began.
The students were divided into two rows and entered the secluded path in the order determined by the draw.
Since Shimizu Mi and Hoshinomiya Mizuki drew number 8, it was soon their turn.
"Okay, the next group is about to leave, come over here."
Shimizu Mi and Hoshinomiya Mitsuki followed the female teacher's instructions and approached the entrance.
"Okay, now you have to go straight ahead on the path in front of you. There will be some forks along the way, but we have set up signboards in advance, so please be sure to follow the instructions on them."
After a brief explanation, Shimizu Mi and Hoshinomiya Mizuki were gently pushed on the back by the female teacher and walked into the path.
"Then let's go."
"Ah."
Shimizu Mi and Hoshinomiya Mizuki walked along the dark and narrow mountain road.
The two walked on the mountain road for about ten minutes.
At first, Shimizu thought that this kind of test of courage held by the school would only take about ten minutes to end, but until now he hasn't seen any forks in the road, it feels like it will take longer than he thought.
"Shimizu-san, please walk a little slower."
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki quickened her pace to catch up with Shimizumi and walked side by side with him.
"Speaking of which, wasn't that trap just now a bit too scary? Would making such a weird face have an impact on the students' mental health..."
On the way here, Qingshui and the others encountered ghost traps set by several teachers and the organizing committee of the Test of Courage.
Sometimes a person in white would suddenly appear in front of me, and sometimes strange laughter would come from behind me.
"Shimizu-san, did you see that just now? The costume model of that ghost is too realistic, and that laughter, is it really okay to let students participate in such an event?"
This was clearly a test of courage based on terror, but Hoshinomiya Mitsuki was inexplicably worried about this kind of thing.
"That level of impact should only affect those who are more timid."
"……what?"
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki was a beat slow to react.
"Shimizu-san, first of all, let me make this clear... I'm not a coward."
"But people with more courage would not even bother to participate in such activities."
"If that's the case, isn't Shimizu-san the same?"
To be honest, compared to the horror movie I watched with Amemiya Midori some time ago, this level of ghost traps is nothing. Shimizu Mi came to participate just to pass the time, that's all.
However, it was indeed a bit surprising for Shimizu to form a team with Hoshinomiya Mizuki in such an event.
By the way, how could this strange development happen when I was walking on the mountain road at night with Hoshinomiya Mizuki to participate in the test of courage competition?
Isn't it a bit too coincidental?
Shimizu didn't realize this until now.
Although not all students attended, the number was definitely not small.
Even so, Shimizu Mi was still drawn to be on the same team with Hoshinomiya Mizuki.
If it was just a coincidence, then the probability would be too low, and Shimizu happened to encounter it, which made him feel bad.
Just as Shimizu was thinking this as she and Hoshinomiya Mizuki continued to move forward, she suddenly stopped.
"Mizuki, what's wrong?"
Because he was thinking about something, Shimizu took two more steps forward before coming to his senses. He stopped and turned to look at Hoshinomiya Mizuki.
"There's a fork in the road ahead."
Hoshinomiya Mizuki was right. There was a fork in the road not far ahead, and there were two signboards with instructions.
One of them said "Please go to the right during the test of courage competition."
Then, just do as the female teacher says and follow the instructions on the sign.
Shimizu originally planned to move to the right, but for some reason, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki did not follow.
"what happened?"
Qingshuijian stopped again and looked back.
"Shimizu-san, why don't we go to the right... let's go to the left and see?"
"left?"
"Well, before the Test of Courage began, I looked at the guide board. This road will lead to the same place if you take the left, but it will take a little longer." "But isn't it better to take the right?"
Even if both roads can reach the destination, according to the signs, only the road on the right should have traps.
"We still have time, let's go to the left, and..."
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki suddenly looked away and whispered:
"And I have something I want to tell you, so if possible, I hope we can be alone together for a while."
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki's tone and facial expression made Shimizu's premonition even stronger.
After some thought, Qingshuijian gave in.
So, the two of them followed Hoshinomiya Mizuki's suggestion and took the path on the left.
Naturally, there were no traps on the left road, so it was extremely quiet.
In the past, we would encounter people wearing ghost costumes to scare people, but now there is no one in sight on the road we are taking. At most, we can only hear the screams of other groups that set out later and the eerie cries of wild birds.
In this extremely quiet space, there are only two people, Shimizu Mi and Hoshinomiya Mizuki.
At first, Shimizu was a little nervous, and the reason was probably because of what Hoshinomiya Mitsuki had just said.
【I have something to tell you.】
Moreover, she deliberately chose to take this path where no one would disturb them, creating an opportunity for the two of them to be alone.
If you think about it carefully, this situation seems quite bad.
If it was other girls from the same school, it would probably turn into a scene where they confessed their love to each other.
However, the person walking next to Shimizu at this time was Hoshinomiya Mizuki.
"Um...Shimizu-san, can I tell you something?"
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki, who was originally walking quietly, took the initiative to start a conversation.
"Well, of course."
After Shimizu nodded, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki was silent for a moment, showing a sad expression, and then continued:
"Have we... met somewhere before?"
"..."
The words that Hoshinomiya Mitsuki suddenly said made Shimizu Ken feel confused.
Where have you seen it before?
Do you mean in school? Or somewhere else?
Seeing Shimizumi's confused expression, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki quickly said:
"Ah, sorry for saying something strange all of a sudden. Don't worry about it, Shimizu-kun. I guess I was just overthinking it."
How could Shimizu Mi not care when Hoshinomiya Mitsuki said such a thing?
"Mizuki, do you mean you've seen me somewhere before?"
Hearing this, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki seemed to have hit the nail on the head and involuntarily opened her eyes wide and looked at Shimizu Mi.
After the two looked at each other for a few seconds, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki lowered her head slightly and nodded gently.
Seeing this, Shimizu was also extremely surprised, so he asked Hoshinomiya Mizuki where he had seen her before.
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki seemed a little hesitant at first, but after struggling for a while, she slowly opened her mouth.
"Actually, Shimizu-san looks a bit like someone I knew before."
"Someone you know? Is he your friend?"
Qing Shuijian asked doubtfully.
"Friends... You could say that, but we've never met each other."
Never met before?
This made Shimizu even more confused. Since Hoshinomiya Mitsuki had never met him before, how did she know that he looked like him?
Shimizu looked at Hoshinomiya Mizuki, quietly waiting for her to continue.
"Actually, I've only seen him in my dreams..."
"In a dream?"
"Well... I think Shimizu-san might find it hard to believe, but I really met him in a dream."
"You mean the guy who looks like me?"
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki looked at Shimizu Ken's face with a complicated expression, nodded, and then began to tell him her story.
Looking back, the first time Hoshinomiya Mitsuki dreamed of someone who looked very similar to Shimizu Min was on her first day of elementary school.
To her at that time, the other person was just a stranger.
And at first, she herself thought it was just an ordinary dream.
However, the next day, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki dreamed of that person again.
In fact, from that day on, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki would dream about that person every night.
And it's not just the same dream over and over again, it has a sequel...
When she first encountered this situation, Hoshinomiya Mizuki felt very scared, but the boy in her dream would always smile and hold her hand.
Gradually, Hoshinomiya Mizuki got to know this unknown boy in her dream.
And this acquaintance lasted for twenty years.
In her dream, Hoshinomiya Mizuki grew up with that boy, ate together, and slept together...
During this period, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki also tried to see many psychologists, including some experts with certain authority, and of course, her best friend Tachibana Haruna.
But everyone said it was just a dream and not to take it too seriously.
But asking her not to care? Is that really possible?
The boy in her dream could be said to have been with her every night for almost twenty years, and he was more handsome than most of the boys she had met in the past twenty years.
As the saying goes, there is no girl who does not have spring in her heart. For a long time, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki has always regarded the other party as the prince charming in her mind.
Of course, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki is definitely not a superficial person, and what she wants is not the other person's appearance.
To be honest, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki's appearance is no worse than Amamiya Iori and the others, and she is also pretty good in all aspects. Her family has arranged many blind dates for her over the years, and there are also some men pursuing her outside of school.
Among them are some handsome ones, some rich ones, and some talented ones.
However, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki found that her gaze could not stay on them for even a second.
A seed had been planted in Hoshinomiya Mizuki's heart as early as the first time she dreamed of that boy.
The twenty-year-long relationship that had begun to germinate in elementary school had taken too deep a root for her.
Let me ask you, how many twenty years does a person have in his life?
Because of this, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki has never fallen in love with anyone over the years, and her feelings have always been deeply placed on the man in her dreams.
However, Hoshinomiya Mizuki also knew very well that it was impossible, it was just a dream.
For an adult woman who is almost 25 years old, she knows that this is ridiculous and childish.
But she just couldn't forget that person.
Just when she was hesitating and tossing her mind, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki finally met that person.
More than a year ago, at the freshman opening ceremony, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki saw him in person.
Not in a dream, but in real life, the living him appeared before Hoshinomiya Mizuki.
The moment she saw that face, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki felt a little bit unbelievable, because the boy seemed to have run out of her dream and into reality. Not only his appearance, but also his speech and behavior, and the way he called her name later were exactly the same.
It was then that she realized that she might be in love.
However, for the woman named Hoshinomiya Mizuki, this love, which had just begun for the first time in 25 years, died away sadly at the very beginning.
because,
(End of this chapter)
After leaving the campsite, Qingshuijian walked down the mountain along the trail behind with a flashlight in we arrived at the square at the foot of the mountain, many students were already lined up in groups.
After waiting for a few minutes and confirming that all students who were interested in participating had arrived, the female teacher announced into the microphone that an activity of this camping trip, the Test of Courage, had officially begun.
The route of the test of courage competition is different from the mountain road that entered the forest this afternoon. It is a small trail that branches off from that road.
Just walking on this trail in the dark is exciting enough, but there seem to be traps set by the teachers along the way.
"Everyone, listen up. Now, each student will step forward and draw your partner from the lottery box. Once you are ready, today's test of courage will begin."
After the female teacher finished speaking, all the students followed the order and came forward one by one to draw lots.
This test of courage is for groups of two, and everyone has the potential to become a partner. There is no restriction on class or grade, but the gender is determined randomly.
Although Shimizu Ken was somewhat curious about who he would be paired with, Amamiya Iori and the others did not participate in this test of courage, so he knew very well the result of the draw and it would definitely not be one of them.
"The next one is Shimizumi-san."
When his name was called, Shimizu stepped forward to draw the lot.
"Draw lots from the box. There are numbers on the lots. People who draw the same number will form a group. Do you understand?"
"understood."
Since they were just here to kill time, it didn't matter who they drew, so Shimizu drew the lot quickly.
After walking back to the line with the lottery ticket he had drawn, Qingshuijian opened it and took a look at his number, which read "eight".
In other words, he would form a team with others who also drew the number eight to participate in the test of courage competition.
Just as Qing Shuijian was holding the note in one hand and preparing to turn around to look for his partner——
"Um, did you draw number 8 as well?"
Hearing a slightly familiar voice, Qingshuijian turned around and responded.
After seeing the other person's face clearly under the bright moonlight, I couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
"I also drew number eight...it seems we are in the same group tonight."
The person holding the same number 8 lottery ticket as Shimizu Mi was Hoshinomiya Mitsuki who appeared in front of him at this moment.
What exactly is going on?
"Mizuki, what on earth is this..."
“Because I was a little interested, I came to participate.”
It's really strange for a teacher to participate in students' activities.
Seeing the expression on Shimizumi's face, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction:
"..."
"No, that's not what I meant..."
If you look closely, you can see that there are indeed several teachers from other classes among the people attending.
After hesitating for a while, Qing Shuijian finally sighed and said, "Please give me your guidance."
"Uh, well, this side too, please give me your guidance tonight."
After some searching, the students around them confirmed their partners, and then the test of courage officially began.
The students were divided into two rows and entered the secluded path in the order determined by the draw.
Since Shimizu Mi and Hoshinomiya Mizuki drew number 8, it was soon their turn.
"Okay, the next group is about to leave, come over here."
Shimizu Mi and Hoshinomiya Mitsuki followed the female teacher's instructions and approached the entrance.
"Okay, now you have to go straight ahead on the path in front of you. There will be some forks along the way, but we have set up signboards in advance, so please be sure to follow the instructions on them."
After a brief explanation, Shimizu Mi and Hoshinomiya Mizuki were gently pushed on the back by the female teacher and walked into the path.
"Then let's go."
"Ah."
Shimizu Mi and Hoshinomiya Mizuki walked along the dark and narrow mountain road.
The two walked on the mountain road for about ten minutes.
At first, Shimizu thought that this kind of test of courage held by the school would only take about ten minutes to end, but until now he hasn't seen any forks in the road, it feels like it will take longer than he thought.
"Shimizu-san, please walk a little slower."
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki quickened her pace to catch up with Shimizumi and walked side by side with him.
"Speaking of which, wasn't that trap just now a bit too scary? Would making such a weird face have an impact on the students' mental health..."
On the way here, Qingshui and the others encountered ghost traps set by several teachers and the organizing committee of the Test of Courage.
Sometimes a person in white would suddenly appear in front of me, and sometimes strange laughter would come from behind me.
"Shimizu-san, did you see that just now? The costume model of that ghost is too realistic, and that laughter, is it really okay to let students participate in such an event?"
This was clearly a test of courage based on terror, but Hoshinomiya Mitsuki was inexplicably worried about this kind of thing.
"That level of impact should only affect those who are more timid."
"……what?"
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki was a beat slow to react.
"Shimizu-san, first of all, let me make this clear... I'm not a coward."
"But people with more courage would not even bother to participate in such activities."
"If that's the case, isn't Shimizu-san the same?"
To be honest, compared to the horror movie I watched with Amemiya Midori some time ago, this level of ghost traps is nothing. Shimizu Mi came to participate just to pass the time, that's all.
However, it was indeed a bit surprising for Shimizu to form a team with Hoshinomiya Mizuki in such an event.
By the way, how could this strange development happen when I was walking on the mountain road at night with Hoshinomiya Mizuki to participate in the test of courage competition?
Isn't it a bit too coincidental?
Shimizu didn't realize this until now.
Although not all students attended, the number was definitely not small.
Even so, Shimizu Mi was still drawn to be on the same team with Hoshinomiya Mizuki.
If it was just a coincidence, then the probability would be too low, and Shimizu happened to encounter it, which made him feel bad.
Just as Shimizu was thinking this as she and Hoshinomiya Mizuki continued to move forward, she suddenly stopped.
"Mizuki, what's wrong?"
Because he was thinking about something, Shimizu took two more steps forward before coming to his senses. He stopped and turned to look at Hoshinomiya Mizuki.
"There's a fork in the road ahead."
Hoshinomiya Mizuki was right. There was a fork in the road not far ahead, and there were two signboards with instructions.
One of them said "Please go to the right during the test of courage competition."
Then, just do as the female teacher says and follow the instructions on the sign.
Shimizu originally planned to move to the right, but for some reason, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki did not follow.
"what happened?"
Qingshuijian stopped again and looked back.
"Shimizu-san, why don't we go to the right... let's go to the left and see?"
"left?"
"Well, before the Test of Courage began, I looked at the guide board. This road will lead to the same place if you take the left, but it will take a little longer." "But isn't it better to take the right?"
Even if both roads can reach the destination, according to the signs, only the road on the right should have traps.
"We still have time, let's go to the left, and..."
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki suddenly looked away and whispered:
"And I have something I want to tell you, so if possible, I hope we can be alone together for a while."
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki's tone and facial expression made Shimizu's premonition even stronger.
After some thought, Qingshuijian gave in.
So, the two of them followed Hoshinomiya Mizuki's suggestion and took the path on the left.
Naturally, there were no traps on the left road, so it was extremely quiet.
In the past, we would encounter people wearing ghost costumes to scare people, but now there is no one in sight on the road we are taking. At most, we can only hear the screams of other groups that set out later and the eerie cries of wild birds.
In this extremely quiet space, there are only two people, Shimizu Mi and Hoshinomiya Mizuki.
At first, Shimizu was a little nervous, and the reason was probably because of what Hoshinomiya Mitsuki had just said.
【I have something to tell you.】
Moreover, she deliberately chose to take this path where no one would disturb them, creating an opportunity for the two of them to be alone.
If you think about it carefully, this situation seems quite bad.
If it was other girls from the same school, it would probably turn into a scene where they confessed their love to each other.
However, the person walking next to Shimizu at this time was Hoshinomiya Mizuki.
"Um...Shimizu-san, can I tell you something?"
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki, who was originally walking quietly, took the initiative to start a conversation.
"Well, of course."
After Shimizu nodded, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki was silent for a moment, showing a sad expression, and then continued:
"Have we... met somewhere before?"
"..."
The words that Hoshinomiya Mitsuki suddenly said made Shimizu Ken feel confused.
Where have you seen it before?
Do you mean in school? Or somewhere else?
Seeing Shimizumi's confused expression, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki quickly said:
"Ah, sorry for saying something strange all of a sudden. Don't worry about it, Shimizu-kun. I guess I was just overthinking it."
How could Shimizu Mi not care when Hoshinomiya Mitsuki said such a thing?
"Mizuki, do you mean you've seen me somewhere before?"
Hearing this, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki seemed to have hit the nail on the head and involuntarily opened her eyes wide and looked at Shimizu Mi.
After the two looked at each other for a few seconds, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki lowered her head slightly and nodded gently.
Seeing this, Shimizu was also extremely surprised, so he asked Hoshinomiya Mizuki where he had seen her before.
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki seemed a little hesitant at first, but after struggling for a while, she slowly opened her mouth.
"Actually, Shimizu-san looks a bit like someone I knew before."
"Someone you know? Is he your friend?"
Qing Shuijian asked doubtfully.
"Friends... You could say that, but we've never met each other."
Never met before?
This made Shimizu even more confused. Since Hoshinomiya Mitsuki had never met him before, how did she know that he looked like him?
Shimizu looked at Hoshinomiya Mizuki, quietly waiting for her to continue.
"Actually, I've only seen him in my dreams..."
"In a dream?"
"Well... I think Shimizu-san might find it hard to believe, but I really met him in a dream."
"You mean the guy who looks like me?"
Hoshinomiya Mitsuki looked at Shimizu Ken's face with a complicated expression, nodded, and then began to tell him her story.
Looking back, the first time Hoshinomiya Mitsuki dreamed of someone who looked very similar to Shimizu Min was on her first day of elementary school.
To her at that time, the other person was just a stranger.
And at first, she herself thought it was just an ordinary dream.
However, the next day, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki dreamed of that person again.
In fact, from that day on, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki would dream about that person every night.
And it's not just the same dream over and over again, it has a sequel...
When she first encountered this situation, Hoshinomiya Mizuki felt very scared, but the boy in her dream would always smile and hold her hand.
Gradually, Hoshinomiya Mizuki got to know this unknown boy in her dream.
And this acquaintance lasted for twenty years.
In her dream, Hoshinomiya Mizuki grew up with that boy, ate together, and slept together...
During this period, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki also tried to see many psychologists, including some experts with certain authority, and of course, her best friend Tachibana Haruna.
But everyone said it was just a dream and not to take it too seriously.
But asking her not to care? Is that really possible?
The boy in her dream could be said to have been with her every night for almost twenty years, and he was more handsome than most of the boys she had met in the past twenty years.
As the saying goes, there is no girl who does not have spring in her heart. For a long time, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki has always regarded the other party as the prince charming in her mind.
Of course, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki is definitely not a superficial person, and what she wants is not the other person's appearance.
To be honest, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki's appearance is no worse than Amamiya Iori and the others, and she is also pretty good in all aspects. Her family has arranged many blind dates for her over the years, and there are also some men pursuing her outside of school.
Among them are some handsome ones, some rich ones, and some talented ones.
However, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki found that her gaze could not stay on them for even a second.
A seed had been planted in Hoshinomiya Mizuki's heart as early as the first time she dreamed of that boy.
The twenty-year-long relationship that had begun to germinate in elementary school had taken too deep a root for her.
Let me ask you, how many twenty years does a person have in his life?
Because of this, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki has never fallen in love with anyone over the years, and her feelings have always been deeply placed on the man in her dreams.
However, Hoshinomiya Mizuki also knew very well that it was impossible, it was just a dream.
For an adult woman who is almost 25 years old, she knows that this is ridiculous and childish.
But she just couldn't forget that person.
Just when she was hesitating and tossing her mind, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki finally met that person.
More than a year ago, at the freshman opening ceremony, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki saw him in person.
Not in a dream, but in real life, the living him appeared before Hoshinomiya Mizuki.
The moment she saw that face, Hoshinomiya Mitsuki felt a little bit unbelievable, because the boy seemed to have run out of her dream and into reality. Not only his appearance, but also his speech and behavior, and the way he called her name later were exactly the same.
It was then that she realized that she might be in love.
However, for the woman named Hoshinomiya Mizuki, this love, which had just begun for the first time in 25 years, died away sadly at the very beginning.
because,
(End of this chapter)
