The morning of departure was chaos incarnate.
Students swarmed the school gates, lugging suitcases, bento boxes, and enough snacks to supply an army. Teachers shouted for order, but their voices were drowned out by the buzz of excitement.
Ren, duffel strap digging into his shoulder, already wanted to die.
Because the girls were circling.
"Ren sits next to me. End of discussion," Yui declared, gripping his sleeve like a lifeline.
"No way, I called dibs days ago," Rika argued, shoving her suitcase between them like a barrier.
"…Why would you fight over him? It's pathetic," Haruka muttered, though the way she hovered near his other side betrayed her intent.
Emi sighed, holding neatly wrapped sandwiches. "We could just rotate, you know? Everyone gets a turn."
"Democracy is dead," Rika said flatly.
Mei, quiet as always, simply touched Ren's arm and whispered, "Come sit by me."
He almost fainted on the spot.
And then, of course—
"Make room for the Queen!" Asuka declared, dragging her carry-on with a dramatic flair. "Obviously, I'll sit by Ren. The rest of you can form a harem in the back row."
The teacher's whistle shrieked. "Board the bus, already!"
The war began.
In the end, Ren ended up crammed into the window seat, Yui plastered firmly to his right.
"Victory," she whispered smugly.
But the victory was short-lived.
Five minutes into the ride, Rika leaned over the seat from behind, poking his cheek with a pocky stick. Haruka sat diagonally across, glaring like she wanted the seat to burst into flames. Emi offered him a sandwich over Yui's head, while Mei—sitting one row ahead—turned back every so often just to silently stare.
Asuka? She occupied the aisle seat across from him, loudly narrating the "battlefield tension" to nearby classmates like a sportscaster.
The bus roared onto the highway.
The girls bickered, the scenery blurred, and Ren wondered if dying quietly in his seat would be less painful than surviving two more hours of this.
Then—brakes screeched.
The driver swore. The bus jolted.
Ren lurched forward—straight into Yui's chest.
"WHATTTTTTTTTTTT?!"
Every head turned.
Ren, face buried, muffled, "I'm so sorry—"
Yui, red as a fire hydrant, shoved him back. "P-PERVERT! In broad daylight?!"
Rika howled with laughter. Haruka's glare grew colder than Siberia. Emi covered her mouth with both hands, torn between shock and sympathy. Mei blinked once, unreadable.
And Asuka, of course, clapped like a maniac.
"This trip is going to be the best."
Ren wanted to jump out of the emergency exit.