Chapter 23: School Trip (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: School Trip (3)
Whew.
Early morning. The sky was a deep, dusky indigo, the final veil before dawn. The biting morning chill seeped right through my jacket.
“Yawn…”
I shook off the lingering grogginess and headed toward the school. Even though it was far too early for normal classes, the campus was my destination today. It was finally time for the school trip.
Ding.
A notification popped up on my phone.
— Shin A-young: Where r u?
— Lee Seung-ho: Just arrived.
“Sigh…”
I sent a quick reply and shoved my hands back into my pockets. I’d only taken them out for a second, but they were already freezing.
“Ah, you’re here.”
Standing by the school gate, Shin A-young gave me a small wave.
“Hey.”
I blinked slowly as I returned her greeting. It felt strange seeing her in casual clothes instead of her usual school uniform. She looked… different. Her outfit was completely unexpected.
“…”
I’d expected her to wear something innocent, like a frilly blouse, but she was rocking a surprisingly hip look. She had a headset around her neck, a slightly tilted cap, and a checkered jacket. Underneath was a crop top that showed a bit of skin, paired with casual wide-leg pants.
It looked more like something Ji Nuri would wear than Shin A-young… Did they go shopping together or something?
— “Hehe. He’s a guy after all, isn't he? I guess I look a bit different to him today.”
As if noticing my gaze, Shin A-young’s Mini-Me stood with its nose turned up proudly.
…That’s kind of annoying.
“That outfit really suits you.”
“Oh, uh, really?!”
Shin A-young stammered, clearly flustered by the sudden compliment.
“No, really. It looks great on you.”
Seeing her reaction, I doubled down on the praise. I wanted to see just how embarrassed she could get. Call it punishment by compliment.
I’d say that was a pretty clean hit.
I glanced around and asked, “Where are the others?”
“…They’re waiting inside.”
Realizing I was teasing her, she pouted. This was a face she only showed when it was just the two of us. If anyone else were around, she’d immediately revert to her "perfect student" persona.
“Let’s go. Follow me.”
I followed her through the main gate but came to a sudden halt.
Whoa.
Shin A-young had mentioned she was waiting outside because the field was crowded, but I hadn't realized it would be this bad.
Buzz, buzz—
The school field was packed with more kids than I’d imagined. Since the school had chartered buses and parked them right on the field, the space felt even more cramped than usual.
“Where did you say they were?”
“Just stay close.”
I followed faithfully behind her.
“…”
After weaving through the crowd for a while…
“Yawn…”
Ji Nuri, who was in the middle of a massive yawn, locked eyes with me. Her eyebrows shot up. She immediately turned around to alert the other.
“Sol, Lee Seung-ho is here.”
At that, Lee Sol peeked her head out from behind Ji Nuri.
“…You’re here?”
Lee Sol stepped forward hesitantly, looking somewhat bashful.
“?”
I narrowed my eyes.
What the… who are you?
The thought popped into my head automatically. She was wearing a square-neck blouse and a skirt, topped with an oversized leather jacket. She’d even finished the look with platform boots to add a bit of height. The coordination was flawless.
Come to think of it…
“…She was a model, wasn’t she?”
I’d forgotten for a while, but the sight reminded me. She definitely knew how to dress.
“…”
Perhaps because my reaction was so blank, Lee Sol’s expression shifted subtly.
— “His reaction is a bit different from what I expected.”
She nervously smoothed down her collar and asked, “…Why? Do I look weird dressed like this?”
Did my silence come across as negative? It wasn't that at all.
“You should dress like that more often.”
Looking at her now, it was the truth. Out of everyone I knew, she was the one wasting her natural looks the most.
“…”
Lee Sol’s lips pressed into a thin line. Then, she nodded silently and plopped back down in her seat with a complicated expression.
— “…Does that mean it suits me??”
Her Mini-Me crossed its arms, lost in thought.
Yes, it means it suits you.
“…”
That aside, I’d been feeling a constant weight of gazes for a while now. When I turned my head, I saw groups of boys gathered together, chatting. On the surface, they looked like they were just talking amongst themselves.
— “Whoa… she’s seriously pretty.”
— “She really dolled herself up today.”
— “Should I ask her to hang out later?”
But their Mini-Mes were stealing glances over here. Every single one of them was staring.
“…”
At least the Mini-Mes were cute. If they had been realistic, the sight would have been terrifying.
— “Damn… Lee Seung-ho, you lucky bastard.”
There were even some thinking things like that.
“…Whew.”
I let out a breath and moved away. I could feel the stinging glares of the guys in real-time. Having to listen to these inner thoughts for the whole trip… it was going to be an ordeal.
“…”
In the spot I moved to, Ji Nuri was leaning against a chair, nodding off.
“Yawn…”
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she yawned again.
“Didn’t you sleep early?”
“I tried… but I guess since it wasn’t my usual bedtime, I couldn’t really fall asleep…”
— “I was too excited to sleep…”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me tottered unsteadily. She was clearly exhausted.
“…”
I gave a bitter smile. Well, I figured as much. Since the departure time was so early, we’d all had to wake up at the crack of dawn.
“We’re leaving in thirty minutes, so check if anyone in your group is missing!”
At the teacher’s voice, Lee Sol stood up.
“Thirty minutes.”
— “Time to take my motion sickness medicine.”
She’d mentioned she suffered from bad motion sickness; she must have planned out exactly when to take her meds. Lee Sol pulled her backpack onto her lap and started rummaging through it.
Rummage, rummage.
Rummage…
Her hand suddenly stopped.
“…Oh.”
A small bead of sweat formed on Lee Sol’s forehead. Her movements became frantic.
— “Uh-oh? Where’s my motion sickness medicine??”
Lee Sol began pulling things out of her bag one by one, lining them up on the chair.
“…”
It wasn't there. Among the items she’d pulled out, there was no sign of the medicine box. To forget that of all things… it was a very "her" situation.
“Um, uh…”
Lee Sol tried her best to stay calm, but her internal chaos was plain to see.
— “My medicine…!”
Her Mini-Me wailed, hopping up and down on top of the bag. It looked like it was about to burst into tears.
“…”
Ji Nuri slunk up behind Lee Sol, blinking her sleepy eyes.
“Don’t tell me you forgot to pack it?”
“…”
There was no answer. Lee Sol just gave a small, embarrassed nod. Ji Nuri let out a deep sigh.
“Good grief—I knew you’d do that. Wait a sec, I’ll give you mine.”
Ji Nuri rummaged through her own bag and pulled out a bottle. As expected, Ji Nuri was the one who looked after Lee Sol.
“Here.”
“Than—”
Lee Sol’s face brightened, then froze again. “…This isn’t motion sickness medicine.”
“Huh?”
Ji Nuri took it back. “…Oh… you’re right. I must have grabbed the wrong thing.”
Since it was in a bottle, she must have assumed it was her usual medicine and packed it without looking. Normally, Ji Nuri wouldn't make a mistake like this, but she wasn't exactly in top form today.
“Hold on, I’ll go ask the teacher if there’s any spare—”
“Here.”
Before Ji Nuri could move, I held out a box of medicine. Oh, right. I should take one too before I give it away.
“I have plenty, so take some if you guys need it.”
Lee Sol took a dose and immediately popped it into her mouth.
“…”
Then, she just stared at me.
What? What is it?
— “…If I ever have to be a model, maybe I should ask him to be my manager.”
That was the thought she was mumbling.
…Sorry, but I’m not doing that.
*
After the bus ride, we arrived at the airport.
“Alright everyone, check-in is done, so let’s head to the gate. Group 1, start boarding.”
At the teacher’s command, students began moving toward the gate. Through the window, the massive silhouette of a plane was visible.
“Oh…”
It was my first time seeing one this close. A small exclamation escaped me.
“Is this your first time traveling abroad?”
At Shin A-young’s question, I nodded. Actually…
“It’s my first time even being on a plane.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah.”
My family never went on overseas trips. Usually, we just visited places nearby within the country. That was why going abroad for my graduation trip had been one of my main goals.
“Welcome aboard. Have a pleasant flight.”
After having my ticket checked by the flight attendant, I headed down the aisle. Seating was in order. From the window: Shin A-young, then Ji Nuri, and then me. Across the aisle was Lee Sol. Since the seats were assigned, this was how we ended up.
“…”
…But man, it’s narrower than I thought. Are planes always like this?
“How long did you say it takes?”
Shin A-young answered as she buckled her seatbelt. “I don’t know, maybe… two hours?”
That’s shorter than I expected. It really hit home how close Japan actually was.
Vrooooom…!
“…Oh.”
We were moving. After the safety briefing and a few announcements, the plane slowly began to taxi forward. I was actually a little nervous.
“Whoa.”
I felt the plane, which had been speeding down the runway, lift off the ground. My stomach did a little flip. It felt like the first time I’d ever ridden a pirate ship ride at an amusement park. It wasn't as scary as I’d thought.
But…
“…My ears feel weird.”
They felt muffled, like something was stuck inside my eardrums.
“It gets better if you yawn,” Shin A-young offered.
“Yawn?”
“Haaa-ahm.”
Lee Sol, who had been listening, leaned over and gave a demonstration. She covered her mouth and gestured, Like this.
Haaa-ahm—
I forced a yawn, following her lead.
“…Oh.”
It actually worked. I’d learned something useful. As my nerves settled, I started to feel a bit hungry.
“…Do we get an in-flight meal?”
“Probably not. It’s a short distance, and we’re on a budget airline.”
“Really?”
I felt a pang of disappointment at Shin A-young’s answer. I’d wanted to try one. Oh well. I guess I’ll try it next time. I’m sure I’ll fly again at least once more in my life.
As I was lost in thought…
Thump—
“…?”
Something pressed down on my shoulder. The sudden sensation startled me. When I glanced sideways, I saw Ji Nuri’s head leaning against me.
“Zzzzz…”
The sound of shallow breathing.
— “………”
Her Mini-Me was unresponsive too, fast asleep on Ji Nuri’s lap. She’d been nodding off since the bus; she was really out.
— “…Huh?”
Lee Sol’s Mini-Me spotted us and gave a little shiver.
— “…Is Nuri… asleep?”
Lee Sol looked at Ji Nuri, then quietly asked me, “…Are you okay with that?”
“I’ll just leave her be for a bit.”
She seemed exhausted; I figured I’d let her sleep while we were traveling. I’d probably be getting a lot of help from her over the next few days anyway. I could just think of this as paying her back in advance.
“Ah, okay.”
Lee Sol’s tone became strangely stiff. Then, she slowly turned her gaze the other way.
— “I mean, well… sure, that can happen. She said she was tired.”
“…?”
I blinked slowly. Her inner thoughts said she was fine with it, but…
“…”
For some reason, Lee Sol’s expression was incredibly subtle. It wasn't that she looked upset, but she didn't look happy either.
It was just… a very complicated look.