My Stepsister in Kyoto

"A-Aquarium?" 

"Yup." 

"We come so far away to Kanazawa because you want to look at the aquarium?" 

"Well, we can also have another fun there, though. You don't want to?" 

"I-I don't mind." Yuu blushed and somehow felt quite excited about their trip to Kanazawa.

It was a story right before the summer break finished. 

At that time, after Mizuto had returned from his hometown, he took Yuu on a trip to Kanazawa. 

While Yuu was speechless, she agreed that, with the help of her older sisters and friends, she could take a trip with Mizuto. However, while her father didn't notice anything, she was sure that her mother and grandmother noticed what she had planned, but since they agreed, then it didn't matter, and she could only do her best to give them a good souvenir. 

"By the way, what's a good souvenir in Kanazawa?" Yuu asked. 

"There are a lot of locally baked cookies and sweets there. We can get them when we are about to go home." 

"Okay." Yuu nodded, then asked, "But why an aquarium? Isn't there something interesting other than an aquarium?" 

"You don't want to go to the aquarium?" 

"No, no, but it's just that I thought it was related to your job." 

After all, Yuu thought that Mizuto brought her to Kanazawa partly because it was also his job. Still, it didn't matter since it was all good that she could be with him. 

"No, I just want to stay with you in Kanazawa. While it is true that I want to buy an aquarium, I just want to go with you there, and it isn't like we will only stay in the aquarium since it's a rare chance for us to go to Kanazawa, and I want to visit many places." 

"Okay." Yuu nodded, but then she said, "But I think that your eyes are a bit evil somehow..." 

"No, no. My eyes are pure! They are clearly the eyes of someone in love!" 

Yuu rolled her eyes at Mizuto's words. Love? This guy never thought such a sentimental thing at all. All on his head was just to get into a girl's pants, but she didn't hate this part of him since even if it was a lie, it was comfortable to hear. 

"I want to be at the top tonight."

"Are you sure? It isn't easy to ride on me, you know?" 

"...I will do my best!" 

Watching how this girl wished to do her best to ride on him, Mizuto wondered whether he should open a stallion riding course in the near future, helping those poor young women with their balance when they rode on such a fierce creature. 

Nevertheless, there wasn't much of a reason why he brought Yuu to Kanazawa, but there was a huge reason why he brought her to the aquarium. 

What was the most special place in the story of "Bloom Into You"?

If Mizuto had to say, it would be an aquarium since it was the last place where Yuu and the original heroine took a date. 

However, unlike in the original, Yuu wasn't a lesbian anymore, and she was with him. 

Holding each other's hands, they entered the Notojima Aquarium, the largest public aquarium facility on the Sea of Japan side. 

"Is that a kelp?" 

"Yeah." Mizuto nodded. "The one that we usually use on our miso soup." 

"Why is there a kelp there?" 

"Probably, to mimic the natural ecology of the sea, but is it weird to have a kelp in the aquarium?" 

"...you don't think it is weird?" 

"I don't." 

"...." Yuu.

"Don't think too much. By the way, the dolphin show is about to start. Let's go there." 

"Isn't it going to be wet?" 

"Let's get a poncho." 

"I will get it for you." 

"Thanks." 

Watching Yuu, who went to buy a poncho for the two, Mizuto wondered what was happening to Yuu's original heroine. As Yuu was with him, that heroine should be alone, so he felt like he needed to help her. 

Ah, it definitely had nothing to do with the fact that he thought the original heroine was cute, and he wanted to do something to her. 

It definitely had nothing to do with that. 

Still, he quickly threw this thought away since Yuu had returned with the poncho. 

Wearing their yellow poncho, the two sat in the front seats, watching the dolphin show that moved excitedly and splashed the water toward them. 

'Ah... I love it.' 

Watching him, smiling, and sitting by his side, Yuu felt that her heart was beating so fast, and she felt excited about their future. 

Yes, this guy was a scumbag, but even so, she didn't mind and wished to be with him forever. 

Mizuto also had fun, trying to replicate all the scenes that Yuu should have done with the original heroine as if rewriting something. Yet, while it was bad, he had to say, it was kind of fun. 

After playing around the aquarium and buying some souvenirs for the two, they went out, ate local food, visited a market, and enjoyed the scenery of Kanazawa. 

"This place is like Kyoto." 

"I think so." 

"Why?" 

"...you ask me that? Do you think I am Wikipedia?" 

"You don't know?" 

"Well, this is the second largest city during World War II and one of the most important granaries of this country before. You are also not wrong since this city is quite similar to Kyoto to a certain extent, especially when the economy of this city is also stagnant and becomes nothing but a tourism city." 

Yes, like Kyoto, Kanazawa was a tourism-based city, relying on tourists to get money. 

"...there is no need to be so pessimistic, right?" 

"Well, because of that, the scenery is beautiful, right?" 

Yuu blinked her eyes, then nodded. 

The two had been moving around the city and stopped at the Noto Peninsula as they watched the sunset. 

Watching the crimson sunset over the fierce Sea of Japan, the two felt something incredible in the beauty of nature. It was wild, something that could destroy everything, yet such a power brought a certain charm that made them unable to look away. 

If Yuu was alone, she might not dare to watch all of this, but she was no longer alone. His hands were gently wrapped around her thin waist, and she held those hands tightly. 

"I love you." 

Those words came out naturally. 

Unlike before, Yuu understood the meaning of love, and Mizuto was the one who gave her that understanding, the feeling of care, warmth, fuzzy, enjoyment, happiness, and also a certain bitterness that often made her unable to sleep due to how bastard he was. 

Yet, it didn't change her feelings as it was a feeling that she treasured forever. 

"Let's go together again in the future." 

"Um." 

He might not say love, but those words told her that they would be together from now on. 

"By the way, you don't plan to do anything to my older sister, right?" 

"....." 

Ah, what a good way to ruin everything. 

Mizuto was speechless, so he just brought Yuu to their hotel, letting her taste the feeling of becoming a sailor on the fierce Sea of Japan. 

"Oh~!"