The School Trip Bus to Poppo and Marie's Disappearance
The bus rattled along on the school trip to Poppo and Marie's Disappearance. Waves of red autumn leaves flowed past the windows. The lively buzz inside showed no signs of dying down. Everyone was chattering away noisily.
"So, what do we do at night?"
"Truth or dare?"
"Oh, truth or dare! We have to do that."
"Let's do it on the last night."
It was a trip, after all, so mouths never stopped flapping nonstop.
Shasha, who'd been chatting with the kids in the back seats, turned to Bianca.
"You're playing too, right, Bianca?"
"Uh, yeah...?!"
Bianca was a little flustered.
"You mean... me?"
She pointed at herself and glanced back at Shasha, who tilted her head.
"Of course you, who else?"
It was the usual talk about how truth or dare on the last night of a school trip was an unwritten rule.
"Right, guys?"
"Totally, totally."
Her seatmate Shasha was the overly energetic type. She whispered to the boys so the teacher wouldn't hear.
"Hey, boys. You're coming too, obviously?"
"Y-yeah."
"Of course!"
The girls squealed and high-fived each other, while the boys gulped in anticipation. Amid all this, Bianca was still a bit thrown off.
Uh, um...
The truth was, Bianca wasn't the type with an innate extrovert personality. Honestly, she'd never done stuff like this before. Truth or dare, especially.
Am I... finally becoming one of the cool kids?!
She felt a twinge of tension.
What had she been doing back then? Probably just chilling alone in her room, watching anime. But even then, she'd had her principles.
Screw you guys, cool kids.
Once you're at the academy, you study quietly! Boys and girls together after age seven—especially at night? Ridiculous.
Or at least, that's how Bianca had seen it back then.
Yeah, that's right...
But even so, she'd felt a little envious. Just a little. Really, tiny bit. Maybe she was just shy, lacked the guts, a bit uptight.
"So, you in, Bianca...?"
"Y-yeah!"
Bianca hesitated for a second but finally answered. Things were definitely different now. Lately, she'd noticed her mindset shifting a lot. Especially after becoming a girl. After meeting Carlyle, it felt even more pronounced.
"Big shot's joining the fray—!"
"Nice one, Shasha!"
"Hey, boys. I can see right through you pervs."
"When did we...?"
Bianca let out a hollow laugh at her friends' reactions. It was just a game on the last night of a four-day trip—why was everyone making such a fuss? It felt a bit childish, but she wondered why she'd never done this before.
...Maybe this isn't so bad.
So Bianca found herself smiling a little. It was her last school trip. A touch of goofy youthful energy wouldn’t hurt.
The bus bounced along the autumn roads. As the rowdy mood finally quieted, they stopped at a rest area, then drove on for quite a while.
"Attention, everyone—!"
The teacher up front suddenly called for focus.
"The guide's about to explain the destination. Everyone ready to listen?"
"Yes, teacher~!"
Then, a woman in unique attire stood from the seat next to the teacher.
"Hello, everyone! I'm your guide, Neneko."
Bianca's eyes widened.
No way...
"Oh, Neneko's not my real name, by the way. It's more like a guide nickname?"
Clap clap—everyone applauded and cheered.
"Whoa, she's pretty!"
"That outfit's so unique."
Bianca was stunned.
That's definitely...?!
Traditional foreign garb she'd only seen in anime! A yukata, she thought.
She hadn't expected this. Sure, she'd heard the destination was exotic, but a yukata out of nowhere?
Seeing that rare outfit from anime made Bianca oddly happy.
"Alright, let's get into the explanation."
The kids cheered in response.
"Great energy. You can probably guess from the outfit, but..."
The guide began her spiel.
Poppo and Marie's Disappearance. A rare anime that had exploded in popularity even among the general public!
"I doubt there's anyone who hasn't heard of this movie."
"We know it!"
"Super famous."
Naturally, the reactions were still strong. Listening along, Bianca learned the school trip destination was a resort themed around Poppo and Marie's Disappearance.
No, really...?!
Bianca was thrilled inside.
"Whoa, awesome..."
It was rare to see her so excited, so Shasha tilted her head.
"You didn't know, Bianca? I mentioned it in chat a few times."
"Oh, right...?"
Honestly, Shasha talked so much, mostly girl talk. Bianca had muted notifications at some point, so she'd probably missed it. But that's what made it better—like getting a surprise gift. Some friends had known already, but Bianca wasn't the type to spoil the trip by researching ahead.
Come to think of it, yesterday...
Bianca suddenly remembered. Carlyle had said something weird. So that's what he meant.
They'd been watching anime together, and he'd said that. What a coincidence. They'd watched Poppo and Marie's Disappearance just yesterday—the same movie being discussed now. Of course, she'd gotten distracted midway and hadn't finished.
But we didn't go all the way...
It was the night before the trip, and her mind had been a mess lately.
"Ahem."
Anyway, Bianca cleared her throat and shook off the stray thoughts. Time to listen to the guide.
"To sum up the plot briefly: One day, the girl Poppo..."
On the way to move with her parents, 10-year-old Poppo gets lost and passes through a strange tunnel with them.
"But that tunnel led to the spirit world—a suspicious one. When Poppo comes to, her parents have turned into pigs...!"
"Ooh..."
"Ah..."
The friends sighed in unison.
"You're really good at explaining this."
"Yeah, totally."
Bianca nodded slightly at Shasha's comment, recalling the movie's setup. After that, Poppo ends up at a weird hot spring inn. She takes a job there to save her pig-parents, getting the name "Marie" instead of her real one.
The hot spring's concept is kinda complicated, though.
Spirit world or whatever—not the human realm. A separate one.
The guide kept going.
"At the hot spring inn, Poppo meets a boy. Together, they embark on an adventure to save her parents and return home. Mind taking a quick look at the screen?"
Fwoosh—the screen at the front of the bus lit up.
"Whoa—!"
The kids gasped.
[Welcome to the Hot Spring Inn, everyone!]
"Allow me to introduce myself properly. Hello, everyone! I'm your guide Neneko, here to lead you into the magical world of Poppo and Marie's Disappearance."
Just then, a massive building passed by the bus window. They'd started the guide right before arrival.
"Perfect timing. That place you see is exactly where Poppo worked in the movie."
A huge hot spring inn. Its architecture felt totally different from the city—exotic. Red lanterns lined the alleys, unique wooden buildings clustered nearby. Silver bells swayed in the wind amid the autumn leaves. A serene village vibe. Souvenir shops, even a cable car.
"You can rent costumes at the souvenir shops and take photos. At night, lanterns light up everywhere—super dreamy."
Meanwhile, the bus entered a tunnel.
"Just through this tunnel, and we're there?"
"Yeah, probably."
As Bianca and Shasha chatted, the bus plunged into darkness, then burst into bright light.
"Alright! For the next three nights and four days, let's make this your unforgettable last school trip!"
Everyone clapped; some cheered. The students finally arrived at their destination in the late afternoon.
Truly serene. The surroundings gave off that vibe.
"This is called a torii."
Two red wooden pillars stood like sacred gates at the entrance—straight out of anime, those foreign shrine symbols.
Beyond them, a path of gravel and trees.
"Whoa..."
Everyone reacted with wonder. Bianca too.
Is this the famous...?
The guide smiled, explaining the exotic shrine.
"It's called a shrine."
Gravel crunched underfoot with every step.
"Hearing that sound wakes the hot spring inn's spirits for dinner!"
"Eek—!"
"Hii!"
The kids laughed in surprise. In the shrine courtyard stood a massive tree, surrounded like a well, red leaves drifting in a tranquil scene.
Splash—a coin from the guide.
"Toss a coin, clap twice, then pray."
"Like wishing?!"
"Kinda?"
Splash splash—kids flung coins eagerly.
Wish and it's granted...?
Bianca pondered, then tossed one. Doing anime stuff for real. Her wish was set, of course.
She unwittingly glanced at Carlyle, who smirked knowingly. Bianca whipped her head away.
Yeah, right.
Please let me beat that guy! Anything...!
Turning male again was a done deal. Beating him was her only wish. It pissed her off to no end.
After wishing, she bought a souvenir.
"Total tourist trap!"
"Then why'd you buy one?"
"It's a souvenir, duh."
Shasha called it a trap but bought a bracelet anyway. Bianca hesitated to leave, but...
Tap—Carlyle was suddenly there, handing her something while patting her shoulder and looking away casually. A ring, up close.
What the... suddenly?
Bianca pouted briefly.
Saved some cash, though...
Free gift? No reason to refuse. Souvenirs were expected anyway—to brag to her parents later.
She cleared her throat and took it. Carlyle had already blended back into the group, playing innocent.
Then everyone headed to the lodging. After touring the shrine in the late afternoon, it was dinnertime.
"Lodging's lodging."
"The... hot spring inn?"
"Kinda creepy, right?"
"Sounds fun."
Chatting like that, they arrived.
Red lanterns—the hot spring inn's symbol—lit the place.
"This is tatami."
Worn yet stylish wooden floors and ceilings, exotic wall paintings everywhere. Total awe.
"Feels just like the movie."
"We're staying here?"
Dinner was a buffet. Insanely lavish spread.
"That's the bread from the movie."
"What was it called? Steamed buns?"
"Something like that?"
Exotic dishes, uniquely shaped meats.
"Cartoon meat for real?!"
Just like in comics. Shasha grabbed a hunk bone-and-all, tearing in. Bianca laughed in disbelief.
"You'll turn into a pig."
"No way~..."
The school trip vibe wasn't bad. But day one fatigue hit—long travel.
Post-dinner was fixed: free time.
"Rest if you want. Evening's free. Hot springs for those who want 'em. But always prioritize safety."
The homeroom teacher spoke; excitement bubbled.
"Oh, and boys! Men's bath and women's are separate. No funny business?"
"Right, got it!"
Girls laughed; boys booed. Hot spring inn, after all.
Hot springs, hot springs...
Bianca had dilemmas. Her in the women's bath? Sounded good. But a guilty twinge.
Emily's... naked skin!
Thinking of her crush made her tense.
...But am I okay with this? I was originally a guy.
If you're a guy, you have to look. Dumbass, Bianca?
As she internally wrestled...
"You're doing it, right, Bianca? We're at a hot spring."
"Uh, yeah."
Shasha's sudden question flustered her into agreeing.
"Let's go!"
"Wait, hold on...!"
Half-dragged by Shasha's hand. Next thing, she was in the changing room.
Bianca panicked hard!
Wh-what...?!
Her face burned. For good reason.
"What's up, Bianca?"
She had no idea where to look. A whole new world sprawled before her eyes!