Chapter 111: Taking a Little Boat Out

On Saturday noon, after a simple lunch at a soba noodle shop in Asakusa, they boarded the Tobu Nikko Line at 1:30 PM. After a transfer at Shimo-Imaichi, they arrived at Tobu Nikko Station about two hours later.

There is a famous saying in Japan: “Until you visit Nikko, you don’t know true beauty.” It refers to Nikko National Park, located in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture. The park lies northwest of the city, mostly within Tochigi but also extending into parts of Gunma and Fukushima Prefectures. Surrounded by towering mountains and breathtaking scenery, its high elevation makes the temperature noticeably cooler than Tokyo. Since the Edo period, it has been a favored summer retreat for shoguns and aristocrats. Many ancient temples and shrines there have been designated as World Cultural Heritage sites.

The journey had been bright and clear, but as they neared the station, a light drizzle began to fall. Stepping off the platform, the rain was too fine to warrant umbrellas. The cool droplets felt refreshing on their faces. Glancing up, despite the rain, the sun still shone brilliantly in the sky.

“Looks like the rain will stop soon,” said Yuki Nakama.

“Mm,” she nodded. “But sometimes, a little rain like this is quite pleasant.”

About a week earlier, while dining at a Chinese restaurant in Ikebukuro, Zhao Ye had mentioned to Yuki Nakama that part of his TV drama filming had wrapped up. “Thanks to your ‘intense training mode,’ the shoot went smoothly. I didn’t hold back Tomosaka-san at all.”

Recalling the phrase “intense training mode” brought a shy smile to Yuki Nakama’s face as she lowered her gaze and sipped her iced tea. “That’s because you really worked hard, Ye-san.”

“Well, if it weren’t for your help, progress wouldn’t have been so quick. So, as thanks, you can make a request—I’ll try my best to fulfill it.”

“Anything I want?”

“As long as it’s not something like dancing the Komanecchi dance dressed as a girl in public or storming a dessert shop to grab doughnuts, which is out of the question.”

“…No one would make such an outrageous request!” Yuki Nakama muttered softly, then thought for a moment. “If it doesn’t cause you any trouble, I’d like to go on a short trip somewhere with fewer people.”

“Places with fewer people, huh… that means somewhere a bit farther from the city center.” But a popular singer traveling with a charming young lady to a remote place alone? That would be hard to justify from any angle.

So, a week later on Saturday, Zhao Ye and Yuki Nakama, joined by Yuki Tamura and Yuki Kamimura—two men and two women—boarded the train bound for Nikko City.

The night before departure, Zhao Ye asked her, “Do you want to make a day trip, or stay overnight? If we do a day trip, we’ll leave earlier and have a tighter schedule. If you don’t mind staying overnight, we can depart around noon, enjoy a leisurely tour, and return to Tokyo the following afternoon.”

It was obvious she chose the overnight stay.

Zhao Ye wore an off-white wide-brimmed sun hat and sunglasses perched on his nose. His blue-and-white pinstriped shirt had loosely rolled-up sleeves to the elbows, paired with loose dark cropped jeans.

Yuki Nakama sported a khaki checkered baseball cap and a white T-shirt printed with “Inspiration Message.” Perhaps ready for a carefree day, her outfit was simple and relaxed, leaning a bit toward tomboyish. Together, they looked like ordinary students on a trip.

Yuki Kamimura wore his usual casual attire, while Yuki Tamura stood out in a stylish black floral dress with impeccable makeup, becoming the most eye-catching among them.

Upon exiting the station, Yuki Tamura put on pink-rimmed sunglasses and said with a contented tone, “Finally, the boss is willing to take me traveling. Last time, when you and Takeda-san and Kamimura-san went north, I was totally left out.”

“We weren’t there for sightseeing but genuinely doing promotions,” Kamimura retorted.

“But what about the local specialty packages that kept arriving at the agency every few days?”

Kamimura was left speechless, silently glancing at Zhao Ye beside him with eyes that seemed to say, “This has nothing to do with me—it’s all Zhao Ye’s idea of fun.”

“*Ahem!*” Zhao Ye cleared his throat and turned to Yuki Nakama. “Time is precious, let’s get going.”

Nikko City, a small town with a sparse population, is a famous resort destination yet free from the usual tourist crowds. The streets were surprisingly empty, likely because it wasn’t the peak season for autumn foliage or hot spring visits. Coming from the bustling Tokyo, the slowing pace of time here felt almost magical.

The four of them skipped the bus from Tobu Nikko Station to Lake Chuzenji and instead took a taxi. Along the winding Iroha mountain road, they headed toward Lake Chuzenji.

“Why is it called the ‘Iroha mountain road’?” asked Yuki Nakama.

“Well, I remember it has forty-eight hairpin turns, matching the forty-eight kana characters in classical Japanese. So it’s named following the order I, Ro, Ha,” explained Zhao Ye.

He knew this from *Initial D*, whose Akina mountain was inspired by this road. The lake where Takumi took his girlfriend on a date is the very Lake Chuzenji they were bound for. This mountain road, almost entirely composed of 180-degree hairpin turns, is considered one of Japan’s most challenging to drive, attracting countless expert drivers eager to test their skills.

“I see~,” Yuki Nakama nodded, leaning against the window to gaze at the towering peaks outside.

By the time they reached Lake Chuzenji, the drizzle had ceased. The lakeside was quiet with few visitors. They arrived a bit late; the sightseeing boat had already left, and only a few solitary rowboats remained docked.

Upon learning the next sightseeing boat wouldn’t depart until 4:30 PM, Zhao Ye pointed to the rowboats and asked the attendant, “Are those available for use?”

“Yes,” came the reply.

“Ye-san, are you going to row the boat yourself?” Kamimura asked with concern.

Zhao Ye donned a life jacket and asked, “Will you two come with us? There are staff to help row here. If you don’t trust my skills, you can rent another boat.”

“We…” Kamimura began to answer, but Tamura interrupted, “We’ll have the staff row for us.”

“Alright then.” Zhao Ye nodded, putting on his rented life jacket and boarding first, extending his hands to assist Yuki Nakama. Being born and raised in Okinawa, with a father who was a sailor and who had taken her to sea before, she showed no sign of fear or hesitation about the trembling little boat.

Together, they prepared to set off on their serene journey across Lake Chuzenji.