Seraphim is a Bystander

School Trip Day 1: Departure

 
“Aoi-kun! Good morning!”
I turn at the cheerful voice behind me and see Runa-chan, waving as she struggles to walk with a large bag in her arms.

“Good morning, Runa-chan.”
Runa-chan runs up to me with a bright smile, clearly excited for the trip—but—
“Ah!”

—she trips right in front of me on a step. I quickly let go of my suitcase and catch both her and her luggage.
“Whoa… Are you okay? You didn’t twist your ankle, did you?”
“I-I’m fine! Sorry…!”

Held in my arms, Runa-chan seems confused about what just happened, but when I speak, she finally realizes the situation. Maybe because I had to touch her to catch her, she pulls away, looking embarrassed.
“As long as you’re not hurt, that’s good. You wouldn’t enjoy the trip if you got injured right at the start, right?”
“Y-Yeah… ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Thank you, Aoi-kun.”

Smiling gently at the apologetic Runa-chan, I pick up the suitcase that had rolled away and sling her bag over my shoulder, starting to walk. Runa-chan hurriedly protests.
“W-Wait, Aoi-kun! I can’t let you carry my stuff for me!”
“Haha, don’t worry. I’m actually pretty strong, you know? I could even carry you too, if you’d like?”

“…~! G-Geez!”
I tease the now-red-faced Runa-chan as we head toward the school. A lot of students have already gathered in the schoolyard. Among them, surprisingly, was Ken.
“Yo, Aoi! Took ya long enough! …Oh, and hey, Saizono!”

“You’re here before me, Ken? I guess we’re getting rain tomorrow.”
“Katsura… Don’t tell me you didn’t sleep again?”
“You guys are so mean!”
Ken really comes alive at times like these… As I watch him banter with Runa-chan, I realize something—her tone with Ken is rougher than when she talks to me. It’s nostalgic—she used to act like that around me too. I guess she’s more comfortable being herself around Ken.

“You two sure get along.”
““No, we don’t!””
“See? You’re totally in sync.”

““…””
They both glare at each other with the same annoyed expression, which makes me laugh. I tell them I’m going to drop off the luggage and walk away. The school had arranged to send our overnight bags ahead to the destination, and the teachers had already started collecting them, so I handed over Runa-chan’s luggage too.
“Oh, good morning, Sasaki-kun.”

“F-Futaba-kun… G-Good morning…”
While I was dropping off the bags, I ran into Sasaki-kun. He glanced nervously at me while returning the greeting. After handing the luggage to the teacher, I glanced back while returning to Ken and Runa-chan—and saw Sasaki-kun still watching me. Our eyes met.
“Ah! U-Um… have the others… arrived yet…?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure. I already met up with Ken and Runa-chan, but I haven’t seen Saotome-san or Tsubaki-san yet.”
“O-Oh, I see…”
I was surprised Sasaki-kun initiated a conversation, but after my response, he quickly went quiet again, lowering his gaze. He’s been like this since the groups were formed—but he’s really trying to talk, and that makes me want to try harder too!

“Did you get enough sleep last night, Sasaki-kun?”
“! …U-Uh, not really…”
“Are you okay? Were you too excited to sleep? If you get sleepy during the trip, it’s totally fine to take a nap, okay?”

“O-Okay… Thanks, Futaba-kun.”
We exchanged a few short sentences and headed back to Ken and Runa-chan. By then, the remaining members of our group, Saotome-san and Tsubaki-san, had also arrived. They’re friends of Runa-chan and don’t seem like bad people—but for some reason, I can’t talk to them smoothly. Maybe I’m just not good at conversation…
“Good morning, Saotome-san, Tsubaki-san.”

“Ah, good morning, Aoi-kun!”
“Morning, Aoi-kun!”
For some reason, they both sound like they’re putting in extra effort when talking to me… Despite those thoughts, I confirm that everyone is here and head off to report to the teacher. Why me? Well, during the planning meeting, I somehow ended up being the group leader. I really thought Ken, who can talk to anyone easily, would be better suited…
As I’m talking with everyone and thinking about that, the teacher calls out loudly—it’s time.

“Alright, everyone! Line up!”
Everyone nervously lines up and listens to the teachers. As expected for school trips and overnight events, the principal gives the usual speech. But even then, no one can sit still from excitement.
“…So let’s make sure we behave properly and don’t do anything disrespectful in front of the gods. Act like responsible sixth graders!”

The principal finishes his speech, and it’s finally time to depart. Waved off by the teachers and parents not joining the trip, we set out.
Our destination: the ancient capital of Kyoto-Kate—a place where, even now, gods are said to reside.