— — — — — —
Out in the mountains, it really was possible to quiet a restless mind.
The rich scent of grass hung in the air, so thick it felt like being submerged in a sea of green.
"Man, this feels amazing."
Oikawa never felt this way before.
"This is so nice… I feel like I've been reborn!"
As soon as the van stopped, Yui hopped out, stretching her arms wide.
Oikawa noticed the faint creases on her face from sleeping and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. After that long nap, of course she felt great.
"Whoa, mountains! I'm here!"
Komachi ran off like a horse that had just been let loose.
Kawasaki and Hachiman followed, each stepping out with their own mix of excitement.
"The air really is nice."
Shizuka said that while casually smoking, which made Oikawa itch to comment.
"We've still got a bit of walking to do. Don't just stand around."
Following her lead, Oikawa picked up his backpack. That was when he noticed something.
Everyone else seemed to have brought quite a lot of stuff, like they'd come prepared.
Wait…
Hachiman looked just as confused.
But at least he had Komachi packing for him.
Oikawa, on the other hand, was completely on his own.
This felt targeted.
He was convinced his dear Sensei was getting back at him for not answering her calls, which was why she hadn't mentioned they'd be staying here for three days and two nights.
Whatever. At least he'd brought a change of clothes.
The thought of wearing the same outfit for three days in the middle of August was horrifying.
And somehow, he had a bad feeling this trip would involve plenty of physical labor.
Just as he was wondering what exactly awaited them—
Another van pulled up nearby.
Four people stepped out.
Oikawa blinked in surprise.
"Oikawa? What are you doing here?"
Hayato Hayama called out first, leaving Oikawa momentarily stunned. Shouldn't that have been his line?
"And you guys are… sightseeing?"
Besides Hayato, there was Yumiko Miura, the "tough-looking but actually delicate girl," Kakeru Tobe, the "sports idiot," and Hina Ebina, the "scheming otaku."
The class's popular quartet had arrived in full force.
"Of course not. And honestly, there's not much here worth sightseeing anyway."
Hayato's tone was gentle, but Oikawa could tell there was a hint of pride underneath it. More than that, he kept sensing a faint, inexplicable hostility.
It was strange.
They barely had any interaction, so where was that coming from?
Still, it didn't feel like his imagination.
"Kawasaki, you came too."
Hayato greeted her, but Kawasaki only gave a simple nod in response.
And with the arrival of the popular group, the previously relaxed atmosphere of Class 2-F subtly split into two camps.
Yui drifted over to Yumiko and Hina.
Being kind didn't always make things easier, after all.
"Looks like everyone's here."
Shizuka crushed out her cigarette and stepped to the center.
"I brought you all here because I heard Chiba Village is holding a volunteer program. So you're here to help."
Oikawa's bad feeling came true.
He wore the expression of someone who had just lost the will to live. Of course there was no escaping manual labor.
"I thought this was camping? I was told it was a club activity."
"And I... I got dragged here without even knowing what was going on. Didn't even get a chance to refuse." Hachiman looked just as miserable.
"I heard volunteer work helps with college applications…"
Hayato, on the other hand, didn't seem surprised at all.
"I came because I heard there was free camping."
Yumiko flicked her hair as she spoke, clearly trying to show herself off, while occasionally sneaking glances at Yukino.
Seriously.
That jealous look was painfully obvious.
A single class really was like a miniature society. Every kind of personality was on display.
"I just came along for fun."
"Same."
Hina and Tobe chimed in.
"Either way, the more people, the better."
Shizuka adjusted her glasses and continued. "You could call this camping."
"But you'll actually be staff for an elementary school camping event, helping the village workers, teachers, and kids."
"To put it simply, you'll be doing odd jobs. To put it bluntly… you're slaves."
"..."
"Don't look at me like that. I was forced into this by that idiot principal too. You think I wanted to come here and work? I'd rather be on vacation."
Oikawa believed that was exactly how she felt.
Still, calling the principal an idiot in front of everyone… was that really okay?
"Like Hayato said, this counts as volunteer work. If you perform well, I might even write you a nice note for your school records."
"And during your breaks, you can enjoy the scenery. I've been here before. It's not bad."
With that, Shizuka clapped her hands. "Now grab your things and get moving."
"There's work waiting for you once we get there."
"Okay!" / "Got it." / "Let's go!"
The responses came out unevenly.
Oikawa glanced at Kawasaki's white dress and lowered his voice.
"Don't tell me you only brought that one outfit."
"I'm not as dumb as you," she replied flatly. "I knew what we'd be doing since last night."
Oikawa blinked.
If she already knew they'd be here working like slaves… then why wear something so impractical?.
.
.
.