Cataclysm

It was one of those usual days at the academy; groups of friends gathered together. The conservative group had a serious discussion. The gals relaxedly wasted their time on the most trivial things; among them, Ria Morisaki. And other groups, which were composed of all females, were neither conformed to either. But a few more students have decided to respect the teacher, Ryuu, Ito, and their friends, and a few more, in addition, sitting at their respective seats.

But, this wasn’t that typical usual day. There was something different. I sat at the farthest seat of the circle’s spoke, and yet it felt fuller and more crowded. That was because everyone sat, in attention or disattention, at their seats. But, everyone’s ear pricked up for the teacher’s words.

I wasn’t the same. I thought it would be the same homeroom, but I was uninformed about something.

“I’m here to announce that there’ll be a field trip this ye—” before Teacher Jitan could finish his sentence, the class burst into joy——most of them at least.

Amongst the throng of elated classmates, two people unsightly stood out; Eriki Miyazono who had a frown, and Ren Kaneshiro who looked nonchalant——something I cannot confirm since I couldn’t see his face. In any case, they didn’t squirm around like the others in excitement.

Then, Teacher Jitan went to the nearest spoke (there were five seats in a spoke/radius in this circle; eight spokes in total) of the circular class, giving them a small stack of papers. “Pass these clockwise, to your left.” Then, the first spoke began. The stack of paper went around the circle, decreasing in height until it provided only one person.

“All of the details of the field trip, FieldCamp, are on those printouts. Read those carefully. I’ll give you three minutes to read before I end homeroom.”

The chatter remained while he spoke, but it gradually died down. Their faces twisted into dismay and confusion. The field trip they excitedly expected disappointed them in some way. Perhaps the field trip they highly desired had become a different thing.

I observed Eriki Miyazono again; her bothered face hasn’t changed; it hasn’t worsened or bettered. She probably had a lousy experience with these field trips. I’ll have to ask Ryuu and Ito later what this was all about.

To reduce the number of unneeded questions, I began reading the printout. It all seemed like the usual field trips I encountered in junior high, but I haven’t joined any of them. So, I didn’t know exactly what was wrong, but my eyes lingered on one sentence, ‘Some portions of the event will be subject to academic evaluation. There will be no reference as to which of those are and their resulting consequences.’

Maybe, that was what has changed.

Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, and enjoyable, but when someone has their eyes on you at all times, you’ll find yourself limited to engaging in activities. That was their stance about the field trip.

“It shouldn’t be graded!” Ito whined. We were eating at the usual lunch table. “And all the worse to be joined into a randomized group! What if I get paired with a Rhodium student? You know what the worse could happen!”

Ryuu waited for Ito’s groans to die down before he added his opinion, “I agree with you but…” Perhaps Ryuu will be the mediating force. “This field trip is higher-class biased! Think about it! They’re trying to make us ‘harmonize’ with the other class; do you think that’s possible!? Hell says no! Expect discrimination, my friends.” Never mind, Ryuu has aroused all of his friends against the solidified rules.

The course for this field trip has been firmly established. Whoever was behind this idea had full control. I must now be careful of their ulterior motives.

“But, you know what’s weird,” Ryuu restarted, glancing at me, “in all my years in junior high school, all our field trips weren’t graded.” His friends looked at each other, muttered, and nodded in agreement. “Do you think someone had a hand in this?”

“There must be!” exclaimed Ito, but not contributing any ideas.

Then, Ryuu looked at me, “How ‘bout you, Amahiko?”

In an instance, I thought that he suspected me, but I reconsidered, thinking that he depended on my mind for ideas instead. At first, I hesitated to speak, weakly shrugging, because I didn’t know anything that would bring about this disaster. So, stated what would be the most reasonable, “It’s evident, someone wants to humiliate us once more, having witnessed our recent victory,” though, I wasn’t sure. “You know who’s that someone.” I wasn’t sure, but I must be wary.

Then Ryuu addressed the group, “Be careful everyone. For now, we must play along.”

Around 5:00 in the morning, everyone boarded the buses and began the trip. Should I mention the lavishness of the bus? The academy spared no budget even on a utility that required no decoration.

From what I’ve heard from our resident car expert, Doi Kuruma, the busses were equipped with electromagnetic suspension, making the already smooth ride of the buses even smoother. Besides that, the buses featured leather, captain seats with generous legroom and spacious, retractable tables, In-Bus Entertainment, a water-recycling shower, an accessible roof deck, and catering services.

Due to the wasted space that could have been utilized, instead of four buses that could accommodate forty passengers, eight custom buses were needed.

Apart from the extravagance of the trip, which my classmates considered to be normal, nothing worth mentioning happened. You could hear the lively chatter die down as time passed on. Few opted to take a quick nap; some took advantage of the catering; some watched movies on the screens; many enjoyed the trip. But the person beside me disliked my presence.

Since we sat beside each other, we were assigned to sit beside the bus as well. The already grumpy Miyazono was displeased at the situation; she was disappointed enough that she complained to me.

“Why’d it have to be you?” she didn’t spare a look, staring outside the window.

“You want me to change? I can ask someone.”

She quickly looked at me, glared at me, and returned to her sightseeing. She sighed, “I guess I’ll have to put up with you.”

She seemed to have no other choice. Being an unsociable brat, she has failed to befriend at least one, not even a friendly acquaintance. It would have helped if she was at least agreeable, but unfortunately, she wasn’t, causing many to be hostile to her. I might be the next one to turn hostile if she retained her attitude.

The bus has stopped momentarily, lining behind the bus convoy. It was at an intersection. A bus attendant took the opportunity to move before the momentum speeds again, though, the suspension was very stable one could stand still during an abrupt halt.

The catering cart reached our two-seat row. She first catered to her left, then to the right, where Miyazono and I sat.

“What would you like? We have bacon and eggs, a mayonnaise cheese sandwich, and French toast for breakfast. We have beverages too, hot or cold.” She presented the drinks on top of the cart.

Scanning the selection, I deliberated on a meal, but I asked Miyazono first, “What would you like? I’ll pass it on.”

She won’t listen to me, let alone the attendant, so I went ahead and picked my selection.

“I’ll have the sandwich and water.”

She gave those to me, then asked the snobby passenger. “How about the miss over there?” No response.

“She’s probably not hungry,” I said, trying to comfort the attendant. She went on her way.

I pulled down the table tray in front of me and started to eat the sandwich. When I broke the seal of the glass water bottle, Miyazono weakly spoke, “Water…”

I thought I heard her, but I didn’t want to presume lest she berates me, so I ignored my likely imagination.

“Water,” she spoke in a more stern voice.

I glanced at her, but I only saw her annoyed face in the reflection. She probably was speaking to herself——something I thought was quirky. Even the sharp, mute, and snobbish student talked to themselves. But if anyone else heard her, they’d think she was crazy.

I twisted the cap, about to kiss the mouth of the bottle with mine when suddenly she snatched the bottle from me. I shook in surprise. Coincidentally, the bus accelerated.

When I saw her, she pulled the bottle to herself in reflex, trying not to spill the water from an expensive water brand. As a result, she bathed her torso with the pricey water.

“Ah,” I reacted, my hand stopping midair. I wanted to reprimand her, ‘If you wanted water, you could have told me,’ but I might anger her more since she was upset about her mishap. I called for the attendant, “May I have some tissue?” She provided it, and I offered it to Miyazono. “Here, wipe yourself with this.”

She snatched in the same manner, but more aggressive than before. Her head was bowed, so I couldn’t see her expressions, but it was evident that she was frustrated. I couldn’t speak to her in that mood. It was my turn to be snobbish to her.

For the rest of the trip, I played around the IBE in front of me, occasionally conversing with Ryuu, who was seated seats ahead, making it difficult to talk. We had to raise our voices, but halfway through the trip, we decided to stop because we sensed annoyance from our neighbors.

Fortunately, the column of seats I was in was mostly Ryuu’s friends. Therefore, we began the genius idea of passing letters to and fro. It would have been easier to text via phone, but this was more interesting. Gradually, it turned into a group conversation.

After two hours of knifing through the traffic, we arrived at our destination, a summer resort untimely for the incoming winter. But what made this resort special was because of its seasonal pools that can be warmed using the hot springs. So, it wasn’t ‘untimely’ after all.

For many, it was one of the multiple times they have visited, but it was a first for me. They cycled through four resorts, decided by the vote of the academic board and the opinion of the student council. This resort was the first choice and the resort the first batch of MONO Academy visited.

Stepping down the expanding stairs of the bus, we were warmly greeted by a grand reception with genial smiles and polite faces. I noticed the baggage carriers transferring our luggage onto luggage carts. I would worry if I had heavy luggage stored, but I carried the bare minimum of clothes and necessities. In contrast, my classmates were unconcerned about their things, placing full faith and trust in the employees, which was rational to an extent. If they attempted to steal anything, their life would be ruined by their parents’ powers.

We filed in line, waiting for a late bus that was ridden by half of the Class Rhodium. Based on whispers, they took a long stopover at their expense; that was why they were delayed.

Summer has begun; all of us waited in the dawning summer sun. It was spring when I first entered this academy, and I was sweating at that time. It was only 7:30 in the morning, and I sweated as much as that time.

And it wasn’t I who only suffered; my classmates too along with Class Palladium. Since we somehow arrived first, we left our buses first; our buses has already left, and Class Iridium’s bus awaited onboarding. When Class Palladium’s teacher informed Class Iridium’s teacher about the situation, Class Iridium stayed on the bus to avoid hell.

This was all because of a series of unfortunate events. Class Iridium’s driver was relaxed, driving at slower speeds, while our drivers were a little reckless, barely legal, driving as fast as they can. In a way, we should be thankful. They masterfully navigated the roads, taking shortcuts, to avoid the heavy traffic, but it was all for naught. I can’t say anything for Class Palladium's buses, however.

We protested to our teacher, and Teacher Jitan relayed our suffering to the other teachers but returned defeated. It seemed that he couldn’t do anything to their strong contradiction——Teacher Jitan wouldn’t tell us the reason, infuriating us more.

Not even the staff did anything. Some of them were concerned but restrained by their superiors. Not a shade of an umbrella or a breeze of a fan they provided to us.

It has been an hour; we opted to soil our clothes to rest on the warming concrete, like refugees——my classmates were humiliated in disguise. We were now behind schedule, based on the printouts they gave us.

We’ve lost all passion and excitement for the field trip ahead of us——mere meters away. All had tired eyes, staring at the ground, conversing only in the language of complaints. Fortunately, I had another expensive water before I left the bus which provided me relief from the heat. I have been drinking much that I felt full. It still had a fourth of its original content.

I decided to stand up and roam around; nothing was wrong with that, surely. I went over to Ryuu who seemed tired, as well as Ito, offered my water, which they refused, and moved on. I searched and found Miyazono; her clothes that were once soaked with water now were wet with sweat. She looked a little pale, and her countenance and exhausted. Her mouth was open as if she were panting. It was only a little. Though her blouse was wet, she wasn’t sweating. Maybe she wasn’t sweating for a while. I went to her and kneeled.

“Here, drink this,” I said, “or you’ll die.”

She hesitated at first, but she couldn’t verbally refuse. She reluctantly accepted my offer and gulped the water in a second. A person like her, spoiled by the abundance of the cold, must be suffering from the intense heat. Noting the trip, she seemed very thirsty. Maybe trips made her stomach uncomfortable, making her drink much water.

I held her clammy hand; she started sweating again——a good sign. Even though it was only 8:30 in the morning, she avoided heat stroke.

Finally, the lone bus arrived. The first bus of Class Rhodium arrived minutes after Class Iridium, and the lone bus carried most of the ‘Camping Council’ members.

Teacher Jitan and Class Palladium’s teacher ordered us to stand up and reorganize our lines. The Class Iridium unboarded their buses and fell in line. Waiting, we spectated the Class Rhodium’s privileged arrival, with the Camping Council leader on the lead. There should be no surprise to who he was.

“Thanks for waiting!” Yoshimura loftily spoke, flaunting his elegance. He has succeeded in captivating everyone’s eyes, hater, or lover. He wore conspicuous clothes: a black trench coat, a top hat, a plain white shirt adorned with gold emblems and necklace, and white leather shoes paired with a white leather belt. To top it off, he had a golden watch on his wrist.

His grand presence justified his appearance. Though his background was mysterious, that same mysteriousness and undisputed authority amplified his presence, overwhelming all.

The previously whining students have now been silenced, willing but afraid to voice out their complaints.

Ignoring the plight of those he made to wait, he lined up in front accordingly, apart from his classmates. He and his members were welcome especially by the resort employees, giving them the privilege to enter the lobby first.

Ryuu was incidentally taller than me, thus he was behind me. He nudged me and whispered, “Yoshimura being the Camping Council and arriving late is normal, but today is extraordinary. He had never made us wait on a field trip before, rather, he would be on the leave. I wonder if the power has gone through his head.”

I whispered without looking back, “Maybe he thinks ‘maturity’ is meant like this, being inconsiderate of others.”

He laughed and stepped back. I uplifted his mood a little using sarcasm, but more was yet to come.

It was time for breakfast. Those who decided to not eat the catered food became hungry. Now, they ate the cold food that was waiting for them since 8:00 AM. But at Yoshimura’s special request, Class Rhodium and Iridium were served newly-cooked food, spiting Class Palladium and Gold into protest.

“Hey, what’s the meaning of this?” a brave heart approached the council’s dining table, glaring at Yoshimura.

“Meaning of what?”

“Meaning of that!” he pointed at his steaming hot plate of food. “Why don’t you request the same thing for us?”

“Isn’t that a waste of food, Mukamari? You’d better eat your share in the slight chance of being graded.”

“Graded?”

“Who knows? Your class teacher might be grading you right now, complaining about what you’ve been given and requesting to replace it, making the food go to waste. Now return, your food’s waiting. You don’t want it colder, do you?”

Mukamari had a disgusted look. To use such an excuse when he did essentially the same was indeed appalling. Considering the chance that it could be graded, Mukamari dejectedly conceded, returning in front of his dish of cold food.

So it was you, Yoshimura, who was behind all this?

Though, I wouldn’t mind eating cold food. I’ve eaten distasteful and undesirable food before because of financial constraints, but since living and eating on higher standards, my mind and tongue have been trained to subconsciously reject such food. In any case, I wasn’t hungry, all thanks to the unexpectedly fulfilling sandwich.

I talked with Ryuu’s friends while they reluctantly ate. They have exhausted all their complaints and were bored with whining. There were no ungrateful words uttered from their mouths. They made fun conversations as they usually did, and I mostly spectated like usual, but we all knew this kind of group bonding wouldn’t last, because, after our free time of two hours, we would be separated and randomly assigned into unfamiliar groups. Thus, we made most of the two hours exploring and hanging out together.

It was lunchtime at 11:00 AM. An hour earlier than the usual academic schedule, and this was the last time we would talk freely with each other. Then, Ryuu proposed something surprising.

“Hey, what if we make a secret code since we can’t use our phones except for free time?”

“Code?” Ito jumped into enthusiasm. “As in a secret bro-code?”

“Yeah! Something like that.”

“What are we gonna use, Morse Code? Binary?” one asked.

“No, we’ll create our own.”

“Eh,” he repulsed back, “that’s impossible, you know?”

“Yajima!” Ryuu pounded my shoulder, “can you create a code?”

“Ryuu,” I sighed, “I know you consider me smart, but I can’t make something to that extent. It might take me years to make one. We should have a professional cryptographer nearby.”

Ryuu sighed, “There goes my idea, but what will we do when someone from a higher class makes a cunning move?”

Everyone became silent, probably pondering, worrying, or thinking about what to do. I stared at my empty plate. Its utensils have gone unused and remained on top of the folded tissue. My eyes wandered to the nearby plates which have been nearly finished. The utensils have been placed on the plate, angled at four o’clock, then an idea came to me.

“Ryuu, I have an idea.”

We were ordered to assemble at the event hall of the resort. We filed in line according to class, height, and gender. According to Ryuu’s guesses, we should expect a draw lot for the groupings, and he was wrong.

On the elevated platform stood the glorious leader, Yoshimura, behind a lectern with a sheet of paper on top. He held the microphone tightly, not in nervousness, but like someone who was about to make a great performance. He quickly scanned the paper and spoke, “Thank you for coming here today. As you know, this is the most anticipated event before the first semester ends, and I—we, the Camping Council will see to it that you’ll enjoy it to the fullest!

With that in mind, we went back to the drawing board, developing a concept in mind. This concept we named ‘the Metallic Bond.’ This is aimed to promote harmony across all the classes. As you know, some people are superior and those who are inferior, when distinguished causes division, as history has taught us. We’re here to avoid that. We wouldn’t want to harbor bitter feelings against each other, do we? So, we completely revamped the FieldCamp, not only for this but for other events in the foreseeable future.

We wish that you would enjoy our new and improved FieldCamp this year! After all, this is an investment, not just any expenditure.

Without any further ado, I will now post the groupings on the projector screen behind me. Feel free to take photos, and if you couldn’t see them for some reason, don’t worry. We’ll provide colored bands that indicate your groups! Thank you and good luck!” He stepped down, unblocking the remaining portion of the screen.

Then I saw my name listed under the group name ‘Orange.’ Right under my name was a name that agitated me.

I muttered, “Why, you, Chi—” I was interrupted by a soft feeling on my right arm. It was enveloped in what I could describe were two, plush pillows. I looked beside them. There was a head that matched my shoulder’s height. I realized the height difference when she wasn’t wearing heels. That familiar short, brown hair, and this smell I couldn’t avoid sniffing.

“Hello, ‘Akko!’” greeted the always cheerful Kana Chinatsu.

‘Akko’? Why did she call me that? Feelings intermingled in me; confusion, excitement, and disappointment.

“You went through three phases of faces there, but why are you now frowning?”

“Who wouldn’t be?”

“Hey, that hurts…” she pouted, cheeks blushed. Admittedly, she looked a little precious. Then, she pushed herself onto my arm, reminding me of the non-existent space between us.

“Could you,” I attempted to glare at her, but she was too close for my liking, so I averted away, “let go of me?”

“I don’t wanna!”

So, I sliced my hand between our bodies and gently pushed her away, but somehow, this action made her squeak a little.

“Ah!” For some reason, her eyes were wide, and her cheeks wore a deeper shade of red. She stood frozen in place after I pushed her. Her reactions were unexpected.

I wanted to ask ‘What’s the matter?’ but, whatever I did had made her silent, I should keep it that way. Her mouth was better shut.

“Y—you…” she spoke weakly. I paid no attention to her further.

Returning to an objective mind, I raised my hand and called out, “Group Orange! Group Orange, assemble here please!” Eyes looked in my way; a moment of silence followed. They were surprised at my initiative. I waved my hand signaling any other groupmates to assemble. Then, one arrived.

He looked rather thin and meek——such people I expected to be in my class, though there were few of them. I haven’t seen this student before. When he stood in front of me, I introduced myself.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Amahiko Yajima. What’s yours?” I have to keep it short to not feel too familiar, and there wasn’t much time. I’ve counted the members on the screen; it amounted to twenty, which was half a class.

“H—hi,” he had a high-pitched voice. Based on his demeanor, he wasn’t used to much social activity. He could be a problem, later on, considering the theme of Yoshimura’s illogical concept. “M—my name’s…”

“Excuse me, but I couldn’t hear you. Could you say it again?”

“M—my name is…” he spoke in a slightly higher tone and a much higher pitch, but he was still inaudible.

I could say, ‘Could you speak a little louder?’ but he might be too intimidated, so I came close to him instead. “I’m sorry, I’m kind of deaf, especially with this loud atmosphere,” it was indeed loud. “Could you please tell me your name again?”

“Oh, Kai Doi.”

“Hokkaido?”

“No, Kai… Doi.”

What a short name; it saved me the trouble of memorizing it.

No one came again for a few moments. I looked around and to the screen. Waving my hand, I wondered about my low chance of meeting someone in my class. Having twenty members in my group might give me a chance of encountering someone in my class, even if they weren’t my classmates. I couldn’t believe it at first when I saw that I had no classmates in my group.

If this was the case, then the power balance in my group would be very skewed since I was the only one from such a low class. I worried about it, and reconsidered my bold initiative, thinking if I should make someone else take the lead.

If I didn’t, they might end up abusing and discriminating against me——I was tired of that. I should create a vacation from myself from those things. I had my tolerable share of those problems in the academy. On this field trip, I must prove to myself that my class should be a force to be respected with.

So, I steeled upon my decision——I resolved to become the leader of this group to counteract Yoshimura’s hold, at least for this short duration.

Another came; she introduced herself as Rin Endo, yet another short name, if not shorter.

Then another; then another. Some came in groups; most came singly. Finally, it totaled nineteen. We were missing one.

“Could we wait for the last one before we settle at our table?”

Thankfully, they were a little patient with me, despite being ‘lower’ than them.

Finally, the last one arrived.

“You sure took your time,” I said. Unlike my peers, I had an impatient mood. Not because she was late, but because she was—

“The weather’s too good to be rushing,” she smiled.

—Azuki Miyazono.

Our group members were as follows:

Ai Yoshioka                   Miyu Miyashiro

Nanami Yoshioka        Natsumi Masuda

Amahiko Yajima           Riku Aoki

Ayane Morikawa          Ryouta Yokoyama

Azuki Miyazono            Shiori Taniguchi

Kaeda Morimano         Shou Saito

Kai Doi                           Souta Kawamura

Kana Chinatsu              Yuu Inouye

Kento Onda                  Yuuto Onfukeno

Kotone Habane            Yuudai Matsuda

Mayu Ikeda                   Zakari Gonichirou

Watching on the sidelines, I couldn’t say I was confident with my social skills. I could converse well with Ryuu, Ito, and their friends because I was a little familiar with them, but in this group, I had little to no connection at all, save my luck for Chinatsu and Miyazono.

But, I had to take the lead lest someone else in a higher class (guaranteed) take over and declare themselves the leader of this group. Then, I would lose my autonomy. Oddly enough though, they seemed to be unwilling to do so, keeping to themselves.

This was another problem——essentially the same problem I have yet to solve at Class Gold, division.

Therefore, I must be the thread that sews them together.

First I should start with the strongest connection I knew. Unfortunately, it was the last person I wanted to turn to.

“Chinatsu,” I spoke beside me, “why don’t you start and introduce yourself?”

“Sure!” She agreed without hesitation, beaming with enthusiasm. She stood up and placed her hand on her chest, “My name’s Kana Chinatsu from Class Iridium! Nice to meet you! Let’s work together as a group!” She may have picked up on my intentions; if that were so, then color me impressed.

“Let’s make this a little more fun,” I said, looking at Chinatsu. “Why don’t you pick who would introduce next?”

That she did; she pointed at Kaeda Morimano across the table. Then, she picked another. Then he picked another. The cycle continued, and noticeably they saved me for last or left me out. Finally, it was my turn.

There were two outcomes: Either they mock my low-class position and strip me of my ‘power’ or they politely respect my position outward, become uncooperative, and betray me later.

I took a deep breath. I sensed two stares that were more intense than the rest. Those stares expected my actions while the others expected my answer. Will I, the initiator fall, or will I fall later? Those were all my thoughts in my momentary breath.

“As many of you now know, I’m Amahiko Yajima.” I paused, deciding on what to say next. It would be finished if I straight up say, ‘Class Gold.’ What I should say should utilize the rumors and mysteries around me to strike a greater impact.

The rumors around me as of now were: the mysteries surrounding Chinatsu and me, the unfounded suspicion of Takeuchi’s death, the boldness a rebellious student displayed against Yoshimura’s penalty, and the scholar who has somehow enrolled in this school.

And I was that mere scholar.

With all of that realized and confirmed, I affirmed, “The scholar of Class Gold, is I.”

I have astounded them——a success in my plan. My impact has been felt, and it was time to follow through.

“Now, I should take my time to state my wishes. First, you must understand something.” Some were getting eager; some were getting a little impatient. Nevertheless, I had their full attention, confirming the success of my plan.

“I don’t intend to take control. Following President Yoshimura’s concept, I only wish us to harmonize, to get along. But to do that, we must settle our differences. I see that most of you are from Class Palladium, but there are some of you from Iridium and Rhodium. In a usual situation, we would begin to compete with each other, holding a pen in one hand and fighting with the other.

There is no doubt such rankings of the class exist for the betterment of the students, and that’s only in an academic sense. Though this specific field trip may be graded, we should treat it as a social event where everything is subjective. Don’t you think if we threw away our sharp pens——our social and classic difference, our abilities, our sour and bitter feelings, the feelings of superiority and inferiority——we would work better as one? I’m not calling for equality; I’m calling for unity.

So, please, just this once, shall we hold hands peacefully?” I held out my hands to both sides, beckoning them to connect, and Chinatsu, as expected, seized my hand and held it. She in turn convinced the other to hold her hand. Kai Doi meekly took her hand. He had a weak and nervous grip prompting Chinatsu to grip herself. Because of Kai Doi’s shy nature, it took him a while to courageously offer his hand to another.

Meanwhile, my other hand was now occupied, and the domino effect of connecting hands started.

It ended at Miyazono’s hand joining the connected circle.

“Thank you, everyone,” I bowed.

Then, Chinatsu did something unexpected. She began wooing and celebrating aloud. Slowly, everyone joined in the elation, shouting joyfully albeit a little forced. I couldn’t help but smile. Chinatsu again did something unexpected. She has aroused the group with her newly-invented chant for the group.

“Orange Courage! Orange Courage!”

Frankly, I cringed, but if it helps the morale of the group, then it shall be.

All joined in without shame or hesitation, “Orange Courage!”

“Orange Courage!”