After I Picked up a Notebook Filled With Intense Emotions, the Girls Started Acting Strange - Chapter 40

Clear skies today.

The rain that had been falling until dawn had finally stopped. At first, it seemed the school trip might be canceled, but fortunately, the weather held.

Today was perfect for a school trip.

Although it had been hotter than usual until around Golden Week, the continuous rain had cooled things down a bit, making the morning slightly chilly.

Still, the students gathered at school didn’t seem to care about the temperature. They chatted cheerfully and were full of energy.

For students finally free after their tests, this probably felt like a reward.

Well, not everyone likes school trips, but from what I heard, most of our class seemed excited.

It was also the first class event of our second year, a good chance to get closer to classmates I hadn’t talked to much before.

But while the rest of the class seemed happy, my heart was cloudy. It was more cloudy with occasional rain.

Why?

Because…

“Yuu-kun, I’m so excited for the trip!”

“Yeah! I even made your lunch today! A special trip version!”

As usual, some strange force seemed to be at work. Sena-san and Yukina ended up in the same group.

Well, that’s fine. I guess it’s a little flattering when the other boys in class feel jealous, but…

But it wasn’t just that.

“…Why am I stuck with her…”

“Hehe. This should be fun.”

Does this even happen? It felt like some cruel twist of fate. Recently, my group has always seemed to include people I somehow get involved with.

The rest of our five-person group? Shindou and Kuroe-san.

This is supposed to be a school trip to get closer to everyone, right? I want to get to know other classmates, too.

That’s why I was feeling so heavy inside.

Shindou probably learned his lesson from our last test competition, as he hadn’t been annoying so far today. At most, he just glared at me, nothing more.

Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that trouble was inevitable, being in the same group. Feeling uneasy about it was only natural.

“I’m sitting next to Yuu-kun.”

“No way! I’m sitting next to Yuu-sama. That’s decided.”

Couldn’t they just stop fighting so early in the morning? They were already bickering while waiting for the bus. I really started to wonder if this group was going to work out at all.

After the teacher finished taking attendance, it was finally time to board the bus. And still, the two of them were fighting fiercely over who would sit next to me.

Shindou muttered quietly, watching me and the two girls.

“Tch. Getting all full of themselves.”

“Shindou-kun, don’t worry about them. This is the start of a fun school trip.”

Did that sound strangely meaningful?

Her mysterious smile was beautiful, but at the same time, it carried a kind of determined and scary edge.

But my worries didn’t end there. Just before we were about to leave, the teacher said something outrageous.

─Alright, let’s draw lots to decide the bus seats~!

The class groaned loudly. Everyone had expected to sit with their friends, and now they started complaining to the teacher one after another.

Despite his bear-like figure, he was actually a bit timid. Still, he stood his ground.

─B-because this is to get everyone closer! If you only sit with your friends, the point of the trip is lost!

He had a point, I guess.

So, everyone reluctantly drew lots. Seats were separated by boys and girls, with two seats on each side of the aisle, four seats per row.

Please, don’t let me end up with Shindou.

That’s what I silently wished but…

“Why does this always happen…”

“Hehe, nice to meet you, Shiomi-kun.”

Rei-san was sitting next to me.

There was a reason for this. Our class had 38 students. 19 boys and 19 girls.

That meant one boy and one girl were left over by some miracle. It was me and Kuroe-san.

All the boys had been hoping and fighting for that extra spot, and somehow I ended up with it. By sheer coincidence, the girl paired with me was Kuroe-san.

And then─.

“…Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Daaaaamn it!!!”

“Now, calm down, Arata…”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

“Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why.”

It was complete chaos.

Shindou glared at me with bloodshot eyes because Kuroe-san was sitting next to me. Imaoka tried to calm him down.

Meanwhile, two girls in the row ahead peeked at me with wide eyes while muttering curses, and their eyes were completely blank.

I want to curse the way the gods run things. Did I do something wrong?

Getting closer, my foot.

The bus was full of excitement, except for our little corner.

Everyone else seemed so happy… I envy them… (staring into the distance).

Our class was going to a national nature park for the trip. Other classes went to the zoo, the aquarium, or sometimes museums or historical sites. Opinions were mixed.

But our park was big, with plenty of things to do, so nobody seemed to complain much.

“Here, Yuu-kun. Pocky. Ahh~”

“Yuki-chan, no. Yuu-sama should get more. Give him the whole bag.”

A few minutes after we left, the two girls switched tactics. From the seats in front, they started putting constant pressure on us. I wasn’t trying to do anything, but maybe they wanted to stop me and Kuroe-san from getting close. They kept stretching Pocky sticks at us through the gaps between seats.

I was basically facing backwards the whole time. Please, look forward. This is dangerous.

“Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”

From the seat next to me across the aisle, Shindou completely lost it. What the hell is going on?

“Shindou-kun, could you calm down a little?”

“─Gasp.”

He shut up. He surprisingly seemed really obedient to Kuroe-san.

“I’m sorry. My boyfriend is so noisy. I’ve been telling him off since then, but sometimes he still doesn’t listen.”

“Y-yeah…”

“Yes. If I tell him to shake hands, he actually does it.”

“R-really…”

Was this supposed to be a display of affection? He was like a well-trained pet. It seemed she had fully tamed him. An effect of that whole carrot and stick thing we talked about before.

“Yuu-kun, you’re always with Kuroe-san…”

“Yuu-sama… I want you to talk to me too…”

“……Uuuuuuu.”

“Hahaha…”

All I could do was give a dry laugh.

The bus continued rocking as it carried us toward our destination.

Please just get there already.

I couldn’t help but wish for that.