There were two things I learned about this school trip.
First — we're going to Kyoto.
Second — I've been assigned to a group with Suzuki, Yamashita, Kenta, and Mori.
I almost laughed.
Of all the possible combinations, that's what the universe came up with.
Suzuki, who treats every inconvenience like a personal betrayal.
Yamashita, who overplans everything down to bathroom breaks.
Kenta, who will absolutely get distracted by the first shiny thing he sees.
And Mori… well. Mori.
Yeah.
What a group.
Still, if I'm being honest, I'd rather be stuck with Suzuki and Yamashita than almost anyone else.
With them, I can actually breathe.
Suzuki bosses me around like she owns the place — snapping orders, rearranging plans I never asked her to fix, acting like she has every right to pull me in line.
And somehow, it's grounding.
Yamashita is the opposite. So consistently kind to me that it makes my chest ache in a way I can't explain. She thanks me for small things. Checks if I've eaten. Smiles like I actually deserve it.
One keeps me in check.
The other makes me feel like I matter.
I'll take that over awkward silence and fake smiles any day.
Just as the thought crossed my mind, my phone buzzed twice.
Two LINE notifications.
I opened Suzuki's first.
Suzuki:
Told you we'd end up in the same group.
You really should start trusting me more. 😉
Me:
You're enjoying this, aren't you? 🙃
Suzuki:
Maybe a little. 🤭 I'm looking forward to the trip, Shiba-kun~
I typed a "me too" and switched to Yamashita's chat.
Yamashita:
Shiba-kun… um, I just saw the group list.
I'm really glad we're together.
Let's do our best, okay? 🌸
Me:
Same. I'll be in your care, as usual, Prez. You the best, really. 🔥
Yamashita:
Shiba-kun… you don't have to say things like that.
You're going to make me blush… 👉👈
I think you're just too easy to fluster. Honestly, I should thank you for existing.
Both of you.
Even if you want things from me I'm not sure I can give back.
At least you're real.
Suzuki straight-up sparked my underground run.
Yamashita spent half the year quietly trying to steer me somewhere that wasn't the gutter.
If I wasn't this fucked up… I'd be there for you. For both of you. And I'd choose wisely.
The morning of the trip, I might've gotten a little too… excited.
I showered.
Then showered again — just in case.
Sprayed my Comme des Garçons everywhere. Probably too much. The whole room smelled like expensive bad decisions.
I pulled on Bape, black Amiri jeans, Balenciagas.
Topped it off with a Gucci cap I definitely didn't pay for.
I checked myself in the mirror.
Yeah.
I looked fabulous.
When my classmates spotted me, I couldn't even hide it — the most ridiculous grin was plastered across my face.
I shoved my hands into my pockets and strolled past them, leaning back like I had nowhere to be and nothing to prove.
No fucks given.
My classmates stared at me like I'd just landed from another planet.
The girls started whispering.
"Shiba-kun looks… kinda cool today," one of them murmured.
Then Inazuki's voice cut clean through the noise.
"Bape hoodie — that's like, what, ¥40,000? Amiri jeans? Easy $800. And Balenciaga tracks?" She tilted her head, scanning me up and down like I was a runway model. "That's a whole mortgage payment on your legs, Shiba-kun."
A couple of girls blinked, stunned.
She grinned, bright and proud, like she'd styled me herself. "Dark blue on black on black — strong choice. Clean silhouette. Very 'I don't care but actually I do.'"
She stepped closer, adjusting the edge of my hoodie without asking.
"Nice, Shiba-kun~" she chimed, flashing me an exaggerated thumbs up. "You look expensive today."
I shrugged, keeping my face neutral.
"It's just clothes."
She laughed. "No, it's branding."
"Ugh. Thanks, Inazuki. The feedback's much appreciated," I said, dry enough to dehydrate the room.
She beamed anyway, completely unfazed by the stunned silence around us. If anything, she seemed to enjoy it.
Mori clicked his tongue. "Cool, Shiba. Where'd you steal those from?" he asked, condescending.
I didn't even look at him.
"From your mom's closet."
There was a split second of silence — the kind where the air forgets how to move.
Then someone snorted.
Then another.
And suddenly half the class was laughing.
Even Inazuki covered her mouth, shoulders shaking. "Shiba-kun, that's so middle school," she whispered, delighted.
Mori's face went red.
Suzuki and Yamashita flanked me before I could escape.
"Good morning, Shiba-kun," Yamashita said softly, adjusting her glasses. "Um… I saved you a seat. If you'd like to sit there."
Her fingers twisted together, betraying the nerves her calm voice tried to hide.
"Hold it right there, Inchou," Suzuki cut in smoothly, stepping between us with a bright smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Shiba-kun, you can sit next to me." She lowered her voice just a touch. "It'll be more… fun."
Great. Exactly what I needed.
I glanced from the shy class president to the undercover idol.
School trip hadn't even started, and I was already in the middle of it.
"Alright, ladies, let's settle this fair and square, yeah?" I said, lifting a shoulder like I couldn't care less. "Rock–paper–scissors."
"Deal!" Suzuki and Yamashita answered at the exact same time.
They froze.
Then slowly turned to glare at each other.
Yamashita straightened her posture, trying to look composed despite the faint pink creeping up her cheeks. "Best out of three," she added politely.
Suzuki cracked her knuckles with a dramatic grin. "Don't cry if you lose, Inchou."
I stepped back, hands in my pockets.
This was already more entertaining than the trip itself.
The bus engine rumbled in the parking lot, as Suzuki and Yamashita were staring each other down.
Suzuki cracked her knuckles — loud pops. "Ready?"
Yamashita pushed her glasses up, bag strap twisting in her fingers. "Ready."
And... It ended in a tie. One. Two. Five times.
I groaned.
"You know what?" I said, throwing up my hands. "I'm just gonna grab the window seat. You two can fight for the others if you're quick enough."
We boarded the bus, my classmates trailing behind us, all of them staring at our little seating drama like it was some kind of live show.
I turned, climbed the steps, felt the rubber grip under my shoes.
Suzuki moved first — quick footsteps, skirt swish, then the seat beside me creaked as she dropped in with a smug huff. "Mine."
Yamashita was right behind, quieter. She slid into the row in front, turned halfway, gave me that small, shy smile over the headrest.
"I'll… still be close," she said softly.
I leaned my head against the cold window, watched the parking lot slide past as the bus lurched forward.
Suzuki shifted nervously in the seat beside me, leaning a little closer. Her voice dropped to a hush, soft but deliberate.
"Shiba-kun… um, I actually met your sister at a handshake event."
I nodded, not surprised. "Figures… Kaede's a big Ai-chan fan," I whispered back.
Right on cue, my phone buzzed. A LINE notification. Kaede.
Onii-chan… how's the trip going?
Just got on the bus, I typed back.
"Truth is… I met with her during Golden Week. We haven't really made up or anything. I just unblocked her on LINE," I said flatly.
Suzuki shifted nervously beside me, eyes downcast.
"Kaede-chan… she's really sweet. She… grabbed my hands and said, 'I love you, Ai-chan.' It was… really cute," she murmured.
She hesitated, voice dropping softer.
"But… then she asked about Forsaken. Like… she somehow knew it was you."
"I told her it's me," I said flatly. "Don't worry, I haven't mentioned you. She didn't even ask about you."
"Good," Suzuki said, a little too quickly, almost relieved.
Then she tilted her head, eyes softening with concern.
"So… are you two… getting along now?" she asked, voice hesitant, careful.
"Hard to say, honestly," I replied, shrugging. "Time will tell."
I raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you wanted to grab the seat next to me?"
I knew it wasn't the whole reason. Just felt like teasing her a little.
She crossed her arms, eye twitching a lityle. "N-no! Don't get the wrong idea, Shiba-kun. Sitting next to a friend… it's… completely normal. Just… don't overthink it."
I smirked, leaning my head against the window. "Sure, princess."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, cheeks faintly red. "I said, don't overthink it, Shiba-kun! And don't think I'm… doing this for any reason."
I yawned a little.
The rest of the trip blurred by.
Suzuki kept trying to make conversation, talking about the itinerary, the hotel, some random variety show she'd watched. I nodded along like I was fully invested.
I wasn't.
Yamashita would turn around every now and then, soft as ever.
"Shiba-kun… do you want some water?" she'd ask, already holding the bottle out.
Or she'd quietly pass me a piece of gum, smiling like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like taking care of me was just… obvious.
I had to physically resist the urge to ruffle her hair.
Would've ruined the whole calm, dependable class president image she works so hard to maintain.
And besides…
I'm not that soft.
Four hours passed. Before long, we reached our destination.
Kyoto greeted us in muted gold and quiet green. Low wooden houses slipped past the bus windows, tiled roofs curved like they were bowing to the mountains beyond. The air felt softer somehow.
Temple bells echoed faintly in the distance. Even the sky looked calmer here. For a second, nobody spoke.
Even we knew better than to ruin it.
We got off the bus, right at the ryokan where we were gonna be staying. Me, Kenta and Mori made it to our assigned room in the boys dorm.
Teachers barked orders: "Large luggage stays on the bus! Overnight bags only! Boys to the east wing, girls west — no mixing after 9 p.m.!"
Kenta was already groaning, dragging his backpack like it weighed a ton. "They really expect us to carry this up stairs?"
Mori smirked, slinging his own over one shoulder. "Quit whining. You'll survive."
I didn't bother inserting myself in the conversation.
Tatami scent hit me first. The hallways were narrow, lined with sliding doors, name tags taped at eye level.
"Room 204 — Shiba, Kenta, Mori, Yamada, Sato".
We slid the door open.
Six futons already laid out in two neat rows, low table in the center, small TV mounted on the wall, window overlooking a tiny gravel garden and a stone lantern. Vending machine hummed faintly down the hall.
Kenta immediately claimed the futon by the window. "I'm calling dibs on this place. It's got the best view."
Mori flopped onto the one nearest the door, kicked his shoes off without bothering to line them up. "Wake me when food's ready."
Yamada and Sato — quiet guys who barely spoke in class — just nodded, dumped their bags, and started unpacking like they'd practiced it.
I took the corner futon farthest from the door — back to the wall, in clear line of sight to the exit.
And so, my first (and probably last) school trip was about to begin.