Reina Saeki never thought she would find herself in this position.
She had always imagined her weekends filled with calculations, experiments, and quiet tea in her private lab. She lived in formulas, in data, in her dreams of the cosmos. Shopping malls, crowds, neon signs, and chaotic laughter were worlds she avoided at all cost.
Yet here she was.
Standing in the middle of the largest mall in town.
"…Why am I here," Reina muttered flatly, her voice carrying the weight of a thousand sighs.
"Because!" Sei, her self-appointed partner in chaos, grinned as he waved his arms dramatically. "We're going camping, Saeki! Camping means tents, lanterns, bug spray, food, stoves, pots, pans, ropes, and—"
"And snacks," Himari added softly, her tone gentle but her eyes sparkling as she pointed to a row of convenience stores.
"EXACTLY!" Sei clapped his hands, nodding vigorously. "Snacks! Can't survive without snacks!"
Reina pressed her fingers to her temple. "…We're going to be gone for three days. Not three months."
"Doesn't matter," Arisa interrupted calmly, standing tall beside her. She adjusted her glasses and surveyed the mall like a general about to conquer foreign territory. "Preparation is key. Efficiency is survival. If we're leading first-years, we need to prepare for every possible scenario."
"That doesn't mean—" Reina tried to protest, but Arisa had already marched toward the nearest outdoor equipment store.
"Onward!" Sei shouted, charging after her like an overeager soldier.
Himari smiled apologetically, tugging Reina's sleeve. "Let's go, Reina-chan…"
Reina sighed deeply, resigned to her fate. "…I don't want to."
But she followed anyway.
The Outdoor Store Incident
The first store was enormous. Rows upon rows of colorful tents, backpacks, lanterns, sleeping bags, and survival kits stretched endlessly before them. The moment they entered, Sei gasped dramatically.
"BEHOLD! THE HOLY TEMPLE OF CAMPING!"
Shoppers turned to look. Some chuckled. Others raised their brows. A group of high school girls near the entrance whispered, their eyes lingering on Reina.
"Isn't that… Saeki-san from Class 2-A? She's so pretty…""Her hair, look… it's white, like snow.""She's like an anime character…"
Reina caught the whispers but ignored them, walking stiffly past as if the floor itself might swallow her whole.
Sei, meanwhile, was already stuffing items into a cart. "Tents! Sleeping bags! Water filters! Ooooh, a portable stove!"
"That stove is for professional hikers," Reina pointed out flatly. "We're not climbing Mount Everest."
"But it's COOL," Sei countered.
Arisa sighed, walking behind him with her own cart. "Ignore him. Focus on essentials. Two tents, one for girls, one for boys. Ropes, spare batteries, lanterns, emergency med kits."
Himari followed quietly, placing items neatly into her basket. "Snacks… drinks… wet tissues… oh, bug repellent."
Reina dragged herself along like a ghost, her arms crossed. Every few minutes she muttered, "…This is unnecessary."
But her protests fell on deaf ears.
By the time they left the store, they had purchased enough supplies to support an army platoon.
The Clothing Store Disaster
"Next stop—clothes!" Sei announced with shining eyes.
"Clothes?" Reina's voice cracked.
"Camping clothes! You can't wear your lab coat in the forest, Reina," he teased, winking exaggeratedly.
Reina deadpanned. "…i-"
"That's right!"
They dragged her into a sports clothing store, filled with racks of jackets, boots, and outdoor wear.
"Try this on!" Sei shoved a bright neon-green jacket at her.
"…No."
"This one!" Himari offered a soft pastel-blue hoodie.
"…No."
"Reina," Arisa said, holding up a sleek, practical black jacket. "This would suit you."
Reina paused, reluctantly taking the jacket. She glanced at it, then sighed. "…Fine."
When she emerged from the changing room, Rei—beautiful, silver-white hair cascading over the black jacket—caught the attention of nearly everyone in the store.
"Whoa…" Sei whispered, stunned. "You look like some… camping goddess."
Reina's cheeks twitched faintly. "…I'm taking it off."
"No, no, no!" Himari hurriedly waved her hands. "You look so cool, Reina-chan! Perfect for the trip!"
Even Arisa gave a small nod of approval. "It fits. Practical and elegant."
Reina groaned, disappearing back into the changing room.
The Food Shopping Saga
Next came the supermarket. If the outdoor store had been chaotic, this was pure disaster.
"RAMEN!" Sei shouted, tossing instant noodle packs into the cart."Rice balls, rice packs, canned curry," Arisa recited, filling another basket."Snacks… candy… juice boxes," Himari murmured, stacking carefully.
Reina followed behind, holding a single pack of crackers. "…This is too much."
But no one listened.
By the time they reached the cashier, the mountain of food threatened to topple over. Shoppers stared, some whispering again when they recognized Reina.
"Isn't that Saeki-san? What is she doing here…?""She looks so serious… even while buying instant ramen…""She's so pretty up close…"
Reina lowered her head, wishing she could disappear.
At the Mall Entrance
Hours later, they stood outside the mall surrounded by towers of bags, boxes, and bundles.
"…This… is ridiculous," Reina muttered, her arms crossed.
Sei puffed his chest. "No! This is preparation!"
"But how do we carry all this?" Himari asked nervously, glancing at the piles.
Arisa calmly pulled out her phone. "I've already arranged transport."
Moments later, a sleek car pulled up. The window rolled down to reveal a refined-looking woman with the same sharp eyes as Arisa.
"Mom, we're ready," Arisa said simply.
Her mother blinked at the mountain of supplies. "…All of this?"
"Yes," Arisa replied firmly.
The woman sighed but stepped out to help load. "You're just like your father…."
Reina muttered under her breath, "At least one of us has reliable connections."
It took nearly thirty minutes to load everything into the car. Sei nearly got trapped under a pile of sleeping bags. Himari tried her best to organize, while Reina simply stood with her arms crossed, sighing every few minutes.
When the last box was shoved inside, Arisa brushed her hands together. "Done."
"Finally," Reina exhaled.
Sei stretched his arms above his head, grinning. "That was fun!"
"Fun?" Reina repeated flatly.
"Yes! And tomorrow will be even better—packing the gear at the clubroom!"
"…I regret everything."
Back at the School
By evening, they returned to the school with all the supplies. Of course, Reina refused to allow the mountain of equipment into her precious lab.
"Over my dead body," she declared.
"Fair enough," Arisa replied calmly. "We'll use my clubroom."
The clubroom, larger and sturdier than most, quickly became their storage warehouse. Boxes and bags stacked to the ceiling, filling the air with the scent of fresh outdoor gear.
Sei sprawled on top of a sleeping bag, laughing. "We're ready for war!"
Himari quietly poured tea for everyone, her cheeks flushed with satisfaction.
Reina sat at the table, sipping her tea silently. Her sharp eyes wandered over the chaos of supplies, her companions' laughter, and the lingering whispers of strangers at the mall.
She sighed again.
"…I still hate camping," she muttered.
But for the first time that day, a faint smile tugged at her lips.