Planning of Trip

11:34 AM

"Whatcha' talking about?"

A soft thump near his ear made Orahashi flinch.

"Kawaguchi!" Orahashi's voice slowly rose.

"Did I interrupt your conversation?" The grey haired boy named Kawaguchi leaned closer to his face. Smile widening.

Orahashi's eyes twitched, he pulled back. Orahashi's hand softly pushed away Kawaguchi from the desk.

"He's Nagumo Kawaguchi. My best friend."

Orahashi turned to Keta.

"Oh, you're Keta?"

Kawaguchi's gaze shifted, as he pulled up Keta's fingers.

"Hmm, you exercise right?"

He winked, checking out Keta's index finger.

"How can you tell?" Keta said, gently pulling it away.

"How, you ask..." But in response Kawaguchi trailed off, pressing his finger against his forehead.

It's true, though. You can tell it by looking at the stiffness of my thumb and index finger.

Keta thought, turning towards his right.

"Oh, what were you talking about, anyway?"

Kawaguchi smirked, ducking below.

"Why'd you duck then?" Orahashi sneered below, then with a playful jab on his back, Kawaguchi rose up.

Both are absent today.

Keta looked at the first two empty desks at his far right. Suddenly he heard them laughing but continued observing the students who fearlessly roamed around in the class.

"The presidential Election's coming near, could take place anyday."

"Why should I—"

"I want you to overlook the third candidate, except that I don't care."

An hour ago, after class ended, both Keta and Orahashi walked out as planned to the eastern hallway.

The third candidate, huh?

Keta realled Orahashi's words, the tone he used and the seriousness his gestures radiated.

His eyes moved, slowly, ommitting every other thing that wasn't fruitful for observation. Until..

Could it be her? The third candidate?

Keta's eyes fixed on Miori's unperturbed working figure. As usual her face contained the smile. Holding a pen between her fingers, she wrote on her copy.

Keta could only seen her pen moving in a circular motion or a horizontal and vertical.

The passerby made it extra difficult to discern what she was writing.

"... Keta."

"Hey, Keta!"

Keta's vision suddenly dived towards the ceiling fan.

"What?" He stared at them, upside down.

Orahashi pulled away first, "He asked for it."

He raised his hands as if calling a truce.

Kawaguchi gripped harder, "Should I do it harder?" He bit his lip, daring to unload his grip strength.

"No. I'd rather just get up." Saying that, Keta rolled halfway at the chair's edge, pushed his right arm at the floor and sat upright.

Kawaguchi made a whistle, toning the background noise for a brief moment.

—

12:54 AM.

"You're to bring only five bags at most. And—"

Mr. Tadano raised his finger pointing to each and everyone, "—No phones. The Institution will provide you one."

Two or more faces at the last blinked in surprise, as soon as Tadano completed. Coincidentally they were also bench mates, who'd frequently work together even in the simplest task assigned to them.(if the negligible distance between their desks is not considered.)

"And no smart watches. A watch or not, it's still electronic. I should hear no complaint of frequency disruption, in day one."

A small gasp echoed in the class.

"No cameras, too?" Muttered the girl behind Miori, Okari.

Tadano's brows twitched— he seemed to have caught that.

"Okari-san, Isn't camera a electronic device too?"

He smiled.

Okari froze, trembling she stood up.

"Just keep quiet." Miori whispered, covering her lips.

"And yes— do behave like a civilized class, once you get inside the army base."

Once again Tadano stood up, his tone devoid of any emotion.

"The IDF army in Sector-E is exceptionally known for strict civil standards. Keep that in mind, lest you plan being uncivilized."

He smirked at the boys leaning against their chairs.

"But they don't have guns or any weapons of that sort, right?" One of them put his hands behind his head, relaxed.

"They have their palm, though. That's enough for the likes of you."

Tadano's expression didn't even falter, causing that boy to raise a brow.

"Ow.." he seemed to experience the pain already.

RIIIING—

The bell rang at one O'clock. Tadano's expression faltered.

"That's all from me. The rest, your principal'll explain. The excursion's for three days, that much I can tell you."

Tadano turned to walk. Quickly, he stepped up the podium of his desk and leaned closer, to sign in the daily record.

"Thank you class."

"Thank you sir."

The door closed and slowly the suffocating air of silence settled down.

"Ah.." Someone groaned, spreading their legs.

"How can you be so relaxed, Keta..." Orahashi's face was a bliss as he sluggishly muttered.

Doesn't have weapons... Interesting, maybe.

However Keta didn't respond, something interesting reeled in his mind.

Then as he turned, it looked as if they'd travelled back in time— the same scene from an hour ago.

"Your G.K. is seriously at risk. How can't you know whether Camera is electronic or not...?"

Miori leaned on the wall, her shoulders slumped against Okari's desk, eyeing at mockingly.

"I-I was confused, electronic or digital.."

Okari's lips stammered and gradually her voice fainted.

"Huh.. No wonder, you got a B in the entrance Test."

"Miori!" Okari froze and blushed fiercely.

Miori groaned, tired. Her expression faltered and the wrinkles on her forehead became prominent as she pressed her face sideways against her desk.

Oh.

Their eyes met for a split second. Keta's steady gaze made Miori smile again.

"A-Ah, Miori... I need to use my desk so.."

Miori made little effort, insisting on staying like that, while she hid a smirk.

"... Jeez!"

There was no need to hear anymore, so Keta turned away. The aroma of carrots filled his nostrils.

"Yuck. Vegetables?"

Someone gulped down beside him.

Chomp.

"It has carotene, which's good for eyes and skin." Keta muffled while munching the raw carrot.

"Doesn't it make you handsome?"

Someone jokingly whispered, but the words had a lot of hope in it. Orahashi smiled at the person.

"That's—"

"They can't interact with genes." Keta muffled once again, before picking another one from his tiffin box.

"Finish your fill first.."

Orahashi shrugged at him, watching as Keta took out the carrots one after another.

Chomp. Munch. Munch.