Chapter 12 - Colleague
The school trip day. Was unfortunately a clear day.
I arrived too early and there is still time before buses depart.
Naturally, I was sitting alone at the rear part of the bus.
Rather, there was never anyone that would sit next to me at times like this.
It hurt my feelings when I was little, but I am used to it now. If you arrive late and have to sit next to someone, it will feel strange… and now that I consider the risks, it's still better as it is than giving a shot to coming late.
Sometimes loners have to stay positive, I need a break.
By the way, school trip with self-catering is an incomprehensible event.
Checking very carefully, it is a sloppy event in everything starting from the schedule.
It seems that after we cook our food, we will have perfectly free time.
However, you can't be deceived by what is written.
Although it may say free time, there are only two types of free for loners, so you should be on your guard! If it was the participation free, I would've been really happy, but with activity free you absolutely cannot return during free time, so it's like a torture to me. What am I supposed to do?
"Let's feign a terrible illness and skip it altogether!". You right there, the one who thought of it, you're my comrade.
You are my fellow colleague, let us get along together in the future.
Well, of course I want to skip too, but… In my case, it is more complicated than that.
My guardian aunt Arika will firmly not allow it and see through any simple act. On the contrary, she is one of those who checks all of the details on the printout I bring from school and reads it until she grasps full understanding of the schedule.
"Jun-kun. You do remember how to start a fire, right?"
"Ah, yes."
Haa…
Apparently, my aunt wanted to make something like a highly sociable guy out of me, so since elementary school days she took me and Keyaki all around to different places calling it a rehearsal. How should I say it, that completely deviant person… she hammered the camping knowledge into my head until I got to a maniac level. To an otaku level. The fact that I'm a saddening guy is probably because of the influence of an even more sad family. No doubts.
Fire, ugh. Anyone can start a fire.
I was idly looking out the bus window. Eventually people started gathering and it became cheerful and noisy. I can see boys with baseball gloves and footballs, they are showing off outside the bus. Seems like they are going to play during free time.
Yaaawn…
Present season is what they call interval between spring and summer. I'm sleepy. Seriously.
Behaving like this in a place like this, at times it can backbite you with people saying "He's a cynic". But even with all of that, I still try my best. To not stand out and feel invisible. At least, I won't prevent others from having fun.
– Ichijou-kun… Can I sit next to you?
Being called so suddenly, startled, I turned around.
Standing in front of the seat was boy having childish face with freckles.
I do remember, it was… Komatsu-kun. For sure!
Happy that I haven't forgotten his name, I pointed at the seat.
– Here, you can sit.
– E-, Excuse me…
That being said, if we could start a conversation, both of us wouldn't be loners in the first place.
Still, being fellow loners doesn't mean being friends. Even after our classmates finished getting on the bus, we were still sitting in silence.
Nothing changed when the bus departed.
It was noisy inside the bus, as if all the hustle and bustle of the usual lunch break classroom was squeezed inside a tiny can.
With the noise getting more loud, our silence was getting proportionately more awkward.
Still… Well, if it's like this, I guess its study time, just as usual.
I was about to take the vocabulary flashcards ring from my bag when,
– Ichijou-kun… You are always studying, aren't you?
– Eh, yeah…
What, so you're planning to speak today? I was bewildered a little.
Also, the one who started talking, Komatsu-kun, is bewildered too. Somewhat embarrassed he wants to say something, but it seems that second line isn't coming out of him.
Haha… You don't really have to push yourself.
Well, I'm not about to behave strangely in front of a weak guy.
If it is like this, maintaining a conversation should not be difficult.
– If you're a loner, you should have lots of free time. I just use it effectively.
– Eh?
– That way, being a loner becomes your strength. Don't you think so?
For some reason, Komatsu-kun lowered his head apologetically.
Apparently there are various types of loners. Interestingly enough, each person has his own circumstances. In my case root of the problem is having saddening thoughts, being negative and too nonchalant.
His problem is probably absence of self-confidence. Not that I know of it.
– I am always sleeping… no, I am only pretending to sleep. I am at a loss as to what to do.
– Well then, studying is just perfect for Komatsu-kun. This is a serious recommendation. All your trifle thoughts will vanish.
– I… have no talents for studying.
– Even if you fail, it doesn't take money. Besides, you don't know unless you try.
– Haha… I-, Isn't that so? Then, next lunch break, I'll give it a go… probably.
Thus continued our intermittent conversation.
I concentrated on the vocabulary flashcards during the silence intervals, but Komatsu-kun finished this conversation with his next words:
– He-, Hey? Um… Together, let's do our best together, on the school trip.
– Whoa, whoa, is it something you would need to do your best for?
– What are you saying? Don't we… have to get through the group activities?
– If something happens, just quietly stand behind me. There were some things happening lately, and my nerves are getting tempered or something. What is happening, I wonder. Hahaha…
With everybody around being so noisy, just how pessimistic are we?
This event conducted right after class shuffle is designed with students getting accustomed to each other in mind. The teachers likely haven't even imagined that there are such pessimistic guys like us.
Leaving behind urban area, our bus headed to the mountainous region.
Seriously, school trip is an incomprehensible event.