CH#245
#245
Among the crowd of people at the airport, there was a group that stood out and didnāt quite seem to belong in this place.
They were the students of Sakuranaoka Academy, about to embark on their school trip starting today.
Dressed in their blazers, these students, though still in their uniforms, seemed to be paying a little more attention to their appearance than usual, all wearing expressions of anticipation.
Following Yuuto, Shizuku, and Kirasaka, as I entered the airport, the first thing that caught my eye was the group of students.
Even the gazes of the people passing by seemed warm, and it looked like they were reminiscing about their own school trip days.
Whether those memories were sweet or bitter was a matter of curiosity.
Regardless of their classes, Yuuto and Shizuku, who were well-liked throughout their grade, not to mention Kirasaka, received greetings from the students as they walked by.
The former two responded with smiles, while the latter never stopped walking.
A little away from the group of students, I made my way to the designated area, and two students who noticed my presence, approached me.
They were Koizumi and Miura, the student council duo.
They were wearing their student council armbands on top of their uniforms, even though this was an extracurricular activity outside the school. For a moment, I wondered why they were wearing armbands. Then it struck me that maybe I should have brought my own.
In those two seconds of contemplation, Koizumi, noticing the uncertainty in my expression, let out a wry smile.
āDonāt worry about the armbands, we just brought them along in case theyāre needed for student guidance at the airport.ā
āā¦I see, then I feel relieved.ā
After letting out a sigh of relief, I placed the luggage at my feet.
When I lifted my gaze and turned my attention to the two of them, I exchanged greetings.
āGood morning. You two are matching again today, I see.ā
āShinra-kun, you donāt need to say anything extra.ā
Miura shot me a cold glance, but I was already used to it.
I just added those extra words as part of casual conversation and then glanced around.
It seemed like many students had been eagerly waiting for this day. They were waiting for the instructions from the teachers.
After Yuuto and Shizuku greeted their classmates and joined their groups, Kirasaka also took a seat on a nearby bench that had been set up.
Nakayama, Miyashita, and the male students in Shizukuās group were chatting nearby.
Nakayama, noticing that I was looking her way, gives me a mocking look for a moment, but then quickly turns her attention to Yuutoās direction again.
I guess I am just an unnecessary intruder.
During the school trip, people didnāt even care enough so I doubted if my existence would be acknowledged.
We were picked up and dropped off by car, so we should have relatively more time, but even so, most of the students were waiting at the designated place.
Koizumi and Miura who were the only ones who seemed to have come to speak to me, immediately returned to the teachers.
For a moment, I thought it would be better if I could help with something, but as the president was already there, I thought it would be better if I did nothing.
Having made that decision, I approached the bench where Kirasaka was sitting.
I didnāt sit in the seat next to her but leaned against the wall, and Kirasaka, who had already opened a book, asked a question.
āHave you finished your business?ā
āJust some greetingsā¦ Shizuku and the others will be here when theyāre done.ā
āI donāt mind if those two didnāt come.ā
ā¦Still as cold as ever.
Despite the bustling atmosphere at the airport, the sound of her flipping the pages of her book was still audible.
No, it might be more accurate to say that Iāve become accustomed to the sound of her flipping pages from our daily life. Even in this different environment, my mind was replaying that familiar sound.
In this unfamiliar situation, Kirasaka remained calm and composed, almost as if she had transcended it. I couldnāt help but feel a sense of respect for her.
Kirasaka lowered her gaze to her book, and I turned my attention to the students in front of us.
Same as always.
It was enough to dispel any anxiety about visiting an unfamiliar place.
The last thing my gaze fell upon was Nakayama and Miyashita, who were walking beside Yuuto and the others.
What do they want from this school trip?
How do you feel about this event?
It was clear to anyone that Nakayama had feelings for Yuuto.
Of course, Yuuto was aware of the affection directed towards him.
Ā
She hadnāt put her feelings into words yet, but once she did, their relationship would change.
The school trip was undoubtedly a great opportunity for that.
As long as I didnāt get stuck with troublesome roles or situations, I wondered how to spend the free time.
āHave you been to Okinawa before, Kirasaka?ā
Finally, I found myself in a conversation with the cool and composed Kirasaka, who stands at the top of the school.
Please, Minato-kun is bored.
Kirasaka didnāt seem bothered by it and turned her clear blue eyes toward me.
āI visit Okinawa once a year because we have a villa there. This year, Iām thinking of going to one of our houses in Hokkaido or Kyoto since we have this school tripā¦ā
āā¦ā
The response was unexpected, and she casually mentioned the wealth factor, to which I replied with a slightly withdrawn look.
A villa and more than one house?
I mean, I knew she was an heiress, but hearing about multiple properties, especially casually like this, left me with complex feelings.
Seeing that I had noticed her gaze, Kirasaka just smiled in a somewhat mischievous manner, not offering any further explanation.
However, when I deliberately shifted my gaze away, she added a few more words, seemingly dissatisfied.
āMy father will also be working from the villa in Okinawa during this trip.ā
āā¦Is that so?ā
āThe school asked my father to arrange for accommodation.ā
ā¦Wait, does that mean weāll be staying at one of the Kirasaka Groupās hotels?
I displayed on my phone the materials I had captured earlier, which included information about the hotels, so that I could easily confirm it.
Sure enough, the name āKirasakaā was clearly written in the corporate section.
āā¦Perhaps Iāll give you a discount as a favor.ā
āIām already aware of what the school has planned, we have asked already asked for the reservation of certain number of rooms in advance.ā
I donāt want to hear any bad rumors about me being treated differently by the young lady later on.
Kirasaka, who dismissed such problems without a trace, turned her gaze to the side of her.
ā¦Is that person even in Okinawa?
Even if heās the chairman, heās not obliged to sit in some expensive-looking chair in his office.
Ā
Well, in this day and age, itās possible to work from home, or in this case, from a villa.
If his daughter is coming to Okinawa, then off to the Okinawan villa he goes.
What a sense of wealth, I canāt even begin to comprehend it.
Ā
While focusing on the conversation with Kirasaka, I noticed that the teachers, along with Koizumi and the others, had started guiding the students.
Following their instructions I made my way to the departure gate for domestic flights.
I handed over my luggage and the issued boarding pass to the airline staff, then took my seat on the plane, as designated.
Kirasaka and Shizuku were sitting next to each other, and Yuuto and I were in adjacent seats.
This was my first time experiencing a flight.
A lump of iron flying through the sky, what a romantic sight.
Ā
Until the moment of takeoff, the boys and girls had their eyes gleaming with anticipation, eagerly awaiting the flight.
I was no exception.
Ā
As Minato, the cool guy who always kept his emotions in check, I couldnāt show any excitement on my face, but deep inside, I was just as eager.
In order to calm the excitement stirring within me, I leaned back in the not-so-comfortable seat.
I took a deep breath and remembered the scene before we took off from the window.
If you do that, the feeling you get when you see a sea of clouds from the sky will become even more impressive.
Taking a deep breath again,I adjusted my posture, and closed my eyes as I waited for the moment to take off.
I tuned out the voices around me, treating them as nothing more than background noiseā¦
Ā
Ā
Ā
āHey, Minato, arenāt you getting off?ā
āā¦ā
With my eyes still closed, I had apparently fallen asleep and only just realized that we had arrived at Naha Airport.
I hadnāt seen the clouds or experienced the thrill of takeoff, and I hadnāt even been able to utter the manga-style line about G-forces.
Without being able to remember even the slightest of what I mentioned earlier, we, the second-year students of Sakuranaoka Academy, disembarked in Okinawa.