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Mizuha was sitting in her seat, listening to the usual chatter of her classmates. She wondered what they were going to do today. She hoped it would be something interesting and fun.
Suddenly, her homeroom teacher, Mr. Akihiko, walked into the room with a serious expression on his face. He cleared his throat and announced in a loud voice, “Class, I have an important announcement to make.”
The class went silent and one of Mizuha’s classmates whispered, “What could it be?” Mr. Akihiko smiled and spoke, “We’re going on a field trip to Kyoto next week.” The class erupted in cheers and applause. Mizuha felt her heart skip a beat as she thought to herself, “This is amazing! I’ve always wanted to visit Kyoto.”
Mr. Akihiko continued, “You’ll need to form groups of six people and choose a leader for each group. The leader will be in charge of the itinerary and the safety of the group members.” Another classmate asked, “When is the trip, Mr. Akihiko?” Mr. Akihiko replied, “The trip will last for three days and two nights, from Monday to Wednesday next week. We’ll stay at a traditional ryokan near the Kiyomizu Temple and follow a schedule of activities that we prepared for you.”
Mizuha didn’t have any trouble finding a group. She had five friends in her class: Shimizu, Hikaru, Elly, Zul, and Kitamura. Shimizu was the first one to approach Mizuha and invite her to form a group. “Hey, Mizuha. Do you want to form a group with us?” she asked. Mizuha nodded and smiled.
Shimizu then called Zul, Elly, Hikaru, and Kitamura to come to Mizuha’s table to join her and Mizuha’s group. “Hey, guys. Let’s form a group together,” she suggested. Zul, Elly, Hikaru, and Kitamura agreed and came over to Mizuha’s table. They all sat down and started to chat.
Mizuha felt a warm blush on her cheeks as she glanced at Hikaru, who smiled at her and said “Let’s enjoy this trip together.” Mizuha nodded and replied “Yeah, let’s enjoy it.” She secretly hoped that this trip would bring them closer together.
Kitamura was excited to go on a trip with Shimizu. He jumped up and down and shouted “Shimizu, you’re awesome! I can’t wait to go on this trip with you!” Shimizu then replied “Me too, let’s have fun together.”
Mizuha’s group decided to appoint Hikaru as their leader. They thought he was reliable and smart enough to handle the responsibility. They wrote his name on a piece of paper and gave it to Mr. Akihiko along with their group name. Mr. Akihiko collected the names of the groups and leaders from each classmate. He told all the leaders to stay after school for the meeting with him and the other teachers. He then dismissed the class.
After homeroom session finished, Shimizu was excited for this trip. She said it was her first time going to Kyoto as she walked with Mizuha and Elly in the corridor. “I can’t believe we’re going to Kyoto next week. It’s going to be so amazing. I’ve never been there before,” she said.
Mizuha and Elly said it was their first time too. “Me neither. I’ve always wanted to see the historical sites and the cultural attractions,” Mizuha said. “Me too. I’ve heard that Kyoto is very beautiful and peaceful. I’m looking forward to it,” Elly said.
Shimizu remembered that Mr. Akihiko had said that they would have to stay together as a group for the whole trip, except in the hotel where they would be separated by gender. She teased Mizuha by saying “We will all be together for three days and two nights, including Hikaru.” She showed a smug face at Mizuha and then laughed.
Mizuha felt embarrassed and tried to hide her blush. She said “Shimizu, stop it. You’re making me nervous.”
Shimizu then asked Elly “How about you? Is Zul excited to be with you too?” Elly smiled and said “Yeah, he is.”
As they were walking, Shimizu accidentally bumped into another student who was passing by. They both fell to the ground. Shimizu apologized to the student for not looking where she was going. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” she said. The student got up and left and smiled at them. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” he said.
After school ended, Mizuha asked Shimizu and Elly to hang out with her in town. They agreed and decided to buy some things for the trip. They went to a shopping mall where they found a variety of shops selling clothes, snacks, and other items. They browsed through different stores and picked out some things that they liked or needed.
Mizuha bought a new backpack that was spacious enough to fit all her belongings. She also bought a guidebook that had detailed information about Kyoto and its attractions. She wanted to learn more about the city and its culture.
Elly bought some food and drinks to share with her friends. She also bought a pair of pajamas that had a cute print on them. She wanted to look adorable and sweet during the night.
Shimizu bought a guidebook that had detailed information about Kyoto and its attractions. She also bought a nightgown that had a lace trim on it. She wanted to look elegant and classy during the night.
They also bought some snacks and drinks to share with each other. They sat down at a cafe and chatted about their expectations and plans for the trip. They were all looking forward to having a great time in Kyoto.
The day of the field trip arrived. In the morning, Mizuha packed a suitcase meticulously. She checked her list of items and made sure she had everything she needed. She finished her preparations and left her room. She said goodbye to her mother, who was waiting for her in the living room.
“Have a good time, Mizuha. And be careful during the trip.” Her mother said with a smile.
“Thank you, Mom. I’ll call you when I get there.” Mizuha said and hugged her mother.
“Goodbye, Mom.” Mizuha said and grabbed her suitcase. She headed to the door and waved to her mother before leaving.
Later that day, Mizuha, Hikaru, Shimizu, Elly, Zul, Kitamura and all the other students from the 3rd year were sitting inside a Shinkansen on its way to Kyōto, the destination of their school field trip. Mizuha was sitting by the window, with her best friend Elly and Shimizu beside her, while in front of them were Hikaru, Zul and Kitamura. They were seated together because they were in the same group.
“Hey, Mizuha. Want some chips?” Hikaru asked and offered a bag of potato chips to her.
“Sure, thanks.” Mizuha said and took some chips.
Elly opened a sandwich and offered it to the group.
“Anyone want a bite?” She asked.
They all took turns eating the sandwich and chatted.
On the way to its destination, the Shinkansen eventually passed Japan’s largest mountain, Mount Fuji. Mizuha’s eyes widened as she saw the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji rising above the clouds. She felt a surge of excitement and reached for her phone to capture the moment. She snapped a photo and smiled.
“Wow! It’s Mount Fuji!” She exclaimed.
Elly and Shimizu heard her and turned to see what she was looking at. They saw the magnificent mountain and gasped.
“It’s so beautiful!” Elly said.
“It’s amazing!” Shimizu said.
They quickly got up and joined Mizuha at the window. They pressed their faces against the glass and admired the view. Kitamura also joined them behind them. Then Shimizu pushed Kitamura back.
“Kitamura, why are you here? This is for girls’ excitement. Go back to your seat.” Shimizu said.
Kitamura said back to Shimizu “Not fair, I also want to see it too.” Then Kitamura suddenly hugged Shimizu from behind. Shimizu was shocked and blushed.
“What are you doing? Everyone is watching us.” Shimizu said.
“Okay, fine. I’ll let you see it too, but release your hands from my body.” Shimizu said.
Zul and Hikaru watched them from their seats. They saw their expressions and laughed while watching their reaction and Kitamura’s reaction. They smiled at each other and shook their heads.
“Look at them. They’re so happy.” Zul said.
“They’re like tourists in a new place.” Hikaru said.
They chuckled and leaned back in their seats. They enjoyed the sight of their friends having fun.
Then their homeroom teacher Mr. Akihiko came to warn and tell them to lower their voice because he was afraid, they would disturb the other people in the Shinkansen. He looked at them sternly and cleared his throat.
“Excuse me, students. I know you’re excited, but please be mindful of your surroundings. This is a public transport, not a playground. You don’t want to cause trouble for the other passengers, do you?” He spoke.
They turned their gazes towards him with a hint of sheepishness, expressing their remorse directly. "Sorry, Mr. Akihiko," Kitamura's voice held sincerity as he took responsibility, followed by Shimizu who concurred, "We realize we let the excitement get the best of us. Please accept our apologies; we'll ensure our noise level is reduced."
The rest of the group joined in with nods and their own apologies. Meeting their regretful gestures, Mr. Akihiko responded with a nod and a small, understanding smile.
“That’s good. I’m glad you understand. Now, enjoy the rest of the ride. We’ll be arriving soon.” He spoke. He walked away and returned to his seat. They lowered their voice and continued to talk among themselves.
Akemi watched Mizuha's group's reactions from afar, a small smile escaping her lips and a chuckle bubbling up. Takeru noticed her amusement and asked what was so funny. "Oh, nothing," Akemi replied.
One of her friends shook their head. "I can't believe that Mizuha, who used to be such a perfect student, can be friends with Shimizu and fit in with that group," they said.
Akemi shrugged and said, "If you were friends with Mizuha, you would understand her better. She's not what she seems."
Takeru asked, "Wait, did Mizuha used to be a perfect student?" Akemi replied regretfully, "Yes, she was, but her reputation took a hit because of me. I spread bad rumors about her to separate her from Hikaru. After that, Mizuha decided she didn't want to be the perfect student for a while. She didn't want to be hated or envied by people around her again." Takeru nodded understandingly and said, "Oh, I see."
Another friend raised their eyebrows. "Oh, by the way, we've seen you guys hanging out with Mizuha's gang sometimes. Is something going on between you two after you apologized?"
Akemi smiled softly and replied, "A lot of things have happened, but I'm happy with how everything turned out."
As their chatter died down, Mizuha settled back in her seat. She watched the landscape speed by outside in a blur. Lush green forests and crystal rivers flowed past the windows of the speeding train.
Hikaru turned to her and said, "Hard to believe we'll be in Kyoto soon. I can't wait to see the temples and shrines. I'm sure they will be just as magnificent as Mt. Fuji."
Mizuha nodded. "Yes, it's going to be an amazing trip. Getting to experience it all with you and our friends makes it even more special." She hoped the wisps of pink on her cheeks weren't too obvious. Hikaru gave her a warm smile. Mizuha's heart soared.
Finally, they reached Kyoto, a city steeped in history and renowned for its cultural treasures.
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