Chapter 32

The next round of competition will be archery to be held in Ambala Cant, inside the military base. We contestants were training in the field with their trainers and after the training, we all hopped into the crew bus to go back to the villa which was booked by the show organizers. I was sitting on the last row to take some rest when August also came to sit beside me.

August in low voice asked, "Sukhi, why you came back to the show after proving your point already."

I replied in a sleepy voice, "The organizers bribed me to come back."

Then I narrated all the events of the past few days how the director and Diljit came to convince me and how Diljit made my kitchen messier. When August interrupted, "You didn't run after him with the rolling pin when he messed up your kitchen" Then I wished I shouldn't have said anything.

And again August continued, "The amount they are paying is not much, and if you really wanted to invest in some project we also have enough amount in our joint account."'Then I reminded him the money is his not mine, for a regular professor this amount is not that bad."

But again I felt bad seeing August face as if I have stabbed him, he clearly didn't like the money part. Then he was silent till we reached the villa. I then thought about how to make him a little happy but I didn't realize he was actually fell asleep on my shoulder until Kento started shouting 'Let's go we reached the destination.'

Seeing Kento so excited and still shouting, August asked in an irritated voice."What happened to you?". Kento then apologized to everyone and told us that he had become overwhelmed seeing those military men.

We then realized that for a hikikomori it was too much. After all, Kento was already out of his comfort zone. I and Keiko went to speak with him to cheer him up. When Keiko was busy talking with him in Japanese I intervened to ask him "If you have ever thought of a place where you can have some adventure or it was your dream to go with someone or alone."And Kento blurted out, "Kabukicho" and I could hear Keiko laugh and after controlling herself she said, "Nice place" As I know August was irritated because of me and not Kento, I thought it would be a good place for vacation. When I was still thinking, August came to apologize to Kento for his rude behavior.

As August was about to leave I grabbed his hand and asked, "Can we go to Kabukicho"

August gave a surprised look and for a while, he stared at Keiko and asked me, "You thought Las Vegas was too wild for you and now you want to go to Kabukicho"

I was taken aback and looked at everyone's face they all were controlling their facial expressions. So I know something went wrong.