Chapter XLVII: Trippy Turvy, Part 3
The air around the strawberry farm still feels charged, like the echo of thunder refuses to leave the place. Nothing is broken. No shattered glass. No bent railings. No scorched seats inside the bus. It almost feels unreal.
Ryujin stands beside the bus, his fingers still faintly tingling as if lightning remembers him. Hageshi steps down after him, brushing imaginary dust off his jacket, glancing around like the world might suddenly accuse them of something.
"Bro," Hageshi mutters, squinting at the bus. "We didn't... break anything, right?"
Ryujin scans the vehicle and it would seem that windows are intact, tires normal, engine humming softly.
"Nope. What a clean fight, I must say."
Hageshi exhales in relief. "Good. Explaining that to Shinse-sensei would've been my villain origin story."
"Yeah, tell me about it, something like that kid in the anime", Ryujin says.
They move away from the bus, eyes searching the wide farm grounds. The view railing stretches ahead, overlooking rows upon rows of strawberry plants glowing red beneath the morning sun. The air smells sweet, earthy, alive. But the class is gone.
"...Okay," Ryujin says slowly. "So either everyone evaporated, or—"
His phone vibrates.
Hageshi freezes. "That better not be a 'where are you guys?' message."
Ryujin opens the class group chat. Arita has sent a photo. The screen fills with smiling faces, teachers included. Shinse stands in front. Mrs. Sato flashes a peace sign. Dr. Aoshima looks politely confused as usual. A class photo. A complete one.
Except of course, the two of them.
"Man, what the f-", cuts as a vehicle honks
"Are you kidding me?" Hageshi groans.
Ryujin zooms in. "They took another class picture."
"...Without us."
Hageshi drops onto the bus steps dramatically.
"I fought a hooded lightning-proof weirdo for this?"
Ryujin snorts despite himself. "Looks like it."
They exchange a look, then wordlessly head back inside the bus. The seats feel oddly peaceful now, like nothing dangerous ever happened here. They sit. They wait. Minutes pass.
"One Eternity Later"
Then voices rise outside with laughter, footsteps, the unmistakable chaos of classmates returning. The bus doors slide open. Haruto climbs in first, followed by Inoshiro. Both of them freeze when they see Ryujin and Hageshi already seated.
"...Why are you two here?" Haruto asks.
Inoshiro tilts his head. "Yeah. We thought you guys were still up there."
Hageshi answers smoothly. "Toilet issue. We went ahead."
Inoshiro nods, then stops. Haruto slowly turns toward him. Their eyes meet.
"...The toilets," Inoshiro says carefully, "were downstairs."
Silence. Hageshi stares forward. Ryujin coughs.
"...Oh," Haruto says.
Inoshiro blinks. "Oh."
Neither of them presses further. Teachers board the bus next, conversations blending together. Shinse claps his hands once.
"Alright, everyone! Next stop will be Kyoto Municipal Science Center for Youth!"
A ripple of excitement moves through the bus. The engine roars.
The Science Center rises like a quiet monument to curiosity albeit modern, wide, and calm. The moment they step off the bus, staff members greet them with practiced smiles.
A woman gestures forward. "Welcome! You'll be exploring our fourteen stations of evolution."
She chuckles. "We like to joke that it's similar to the fourteen stations of the cross, but with fewer tears."
The students laugh politely.
An old woman steps forward, thin but upright, her eyes sharp. "I'll be your guide."
As the group follows her inside, Hageshi leans close to Ryujin.
"Hey," Ryujin whispers. "What are you trying not to laugh at?"
Hageshi bites his lip. "Oh, don't burst out laughing when I tell you this."
"What?"
"Look at the old woman's mouth."
Ryujin glances. Instant regret. Thin strands of saliva stretch from both corners of the guide's mouth as she speaks, shimmering under the lights like starch glue.
Ryujin clamps a hand over his mouth. Hageshi shakes silently, shoulders trembling. They force their eyes away.
The stations unfold one by one; fossils, diagrams, interactive displays explaining life's slow climb from single cells to thinking beings. The class moves together, absorbing knowledge, whispering jokes under their breath.
Then comes the hanging bridge. Cables stretch overhead. Wooden planks sway gently. Students cross with ease. Then Mrs. Sato steps onto it.
"Oh my God!" she screams. "I'M GONNA DIE—"
The bridge barely moves.
"I CAN FEEL IT SWAYING—"
Inoshiro bursts into laughter. Ryujin doubles over. Hageshi grips the railing, laughing so hard his knees weaken. Mrs. Sato reaches the other side unharmed, glaring back at them.
They continue on, to the replica Neolithic houses, smoke-stained and simple. Then a modern structure built entirely of recyclable materials, sleek and hopeful.
Outside, a circular path reveals a sundial as massive stones arranged like Stonehenge. Another spiral sundial waits nearby, minimal and elegant. Finally, another class photo. This time, everyone is present. No one missing. The day softens into joy. They move on to a massive park, sunlight glinting off an artificial lake. Boats drift lazily. Bicycles line a path along the water.
Takeshi, Aoto, Okaki, and Kuebiko hop into a boat, immediately arguing over who rows.
Aoto: "Dude, quit messing up my shot! The angles all line up now, especially the lightning!"
Okaki: "C'mon, scooch over there, I can't breathe!"
Kuebiko: "Shut up! You're already like a walking stick dude"
Takeshi looks at the serene waters of the lake, thinking, "Waters do come in ripple. But through the thinking of one's thought, and the paradoxicality of one self, seen from above and below the water. Serenity gives it a dead calm, but a ripple can make it lose peace."
Okaki: "C'mon, move over there!"
Kuebiko: "No you move over there"
Aoto: "HEY! Can you guys shut up now"
Takeshi: "If we all keep this shenanigan again, then it's either the boat will sink, or I'll freeze this goddamn lake"
Then, they all go silent after this.
Hageshi and Ryujin take bicycles instead, riding side by side. Inoshiro and Haruto rides along them also. Wind rushes past them. Laughter echoes across the lake.
Ryujin pedals faster, smiling. "You know..."
Hageshi grins. "Yeah?"
"For a trip that started with lightning and hooded creeps..."
"...This is kinda perfect."
They ride on, already excited for whatever waits at the final stop,
before the road leads them back to Kaigan. And neither of them notices the shadow that lingers just a little too long at the edge of the park.