They arrived.
Or rather…
they stopped.
Because the "shortcut" wasn't a path.
It was an absurd slope, covered in grass, loose dirt, crooked trees, and a very strong feeling of:
"this does not look legal."
Silence.
The wind passed.
Someone swallowed hard.
— … — Takeru analyzed the terrain, serious.
— … — Ren too.
— …this is a TRACK. — Sora declared.
And that was it.
Collective sanity: gone.
— LET'S GOOOOOO DOWN!!! — Kenta was already lying face-down on a piece of cardboard that NO ONE KNEW WHERE IT CAME FROM.
— WITH WHAT?? — Aiko snapped immediately.
— With this — Sora raised a styrofoam board like it was a legendary sword.
— THAT IS NOT SAFE!!
— It is, look — he dropped it on the ground and stepped on — science.
— THAT IS NOT SCIENCE!!
Meanwhile…
Takeru was on the ground.
Trying to fix a piece of cardboard.
— STAY. STRAIGHT.
The cardboard:
did not stay.
— I SAID STRAIGHT!!
The cardboard:
folded.
— …I'm going to die because of CARDBOARD.
— Takeru… — Yuu was already behind him, clinging to his own arm — I don't want to do this…
— You're doing it.
— I'M GONNA DIE!!
— You're not going to die.
— I FEEL LIKE I—
— SIT.
Yuu sat.
On the cardboard.
Behind Takeru.
The cardboard made a suspicious noise.
— …this is going to break.
— IT WON'T.
— It will.
— IT WON'T.
— It wi—
CRACK
— …okay, MAYBE IT WILL.
On the other side:
— REN, WHAT'S THE PLAN? — Kenta asked, ready to throw himself down.
Ren was sitting calmly, legs crossed.
Observing.
Calculating.
— …we go down.
— THAT IS NOT A PLAN!!
— It's the only one we've got.
Meanwhile—
CHAOS 2: THE STUFF.
— WE CAN'T TAKE ALL THIS!!! — Aiko was reaching her limit.
— Huh — Kenta replied, completely calm — you just jump from tree to tree, it's easier.
Silence.
Aiko turned slowly.
— …of course. NOT.
— Just carry everything on your backs!!
— How are we supposed to— — Ren started.
— STOP BEING ANNOYING, WOMAN!!! — Sora yelled out of nowhere.
Mistake.
Big mistake.
— SAY THAT AGAIN?!
— I SAID—
— DON'T YOU DARE!
— You can't go down carrying stuff! A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G.
— YES YOU CAN!!
— NO YOU CAN'T!!
— OF COURSE YOU CAN!
— I CAN'T!!
— YES YOU CAN!
— I—
— ENOUGH — Hina stepped in between them, holding a towel and a tambourine for some reason — calm down… breathe…
— I'M NOT BREATHING — Aiko was already wrapping things onto people.
And then…
it happened.
She decided.
— I'M MAKING THIS WORK.
And she started.
Mei and Hina were already tying bundles of stuff with ropes.
And then it went like this:
Bag around Ren's neck.
Another on his back.
Chair on Sora.
Board under his arm.
Net on his shoulder.
Cooler on Takeru.
Bucket.
Worms.
Water.
Float.
Watermelon.
— THIS MAKES NO SENSE — Takeru said.
— YES IT DOES — Aiko replied, pulling another rope tight.
— I CAN'T WALK — Yuu.
— YOU DON'T NEED TO WALK — Mei.
— THAT DOES NOT HELP!!
Final result:
They were…
stacked.
Humans carrying things. MANY things.
Balance:
zero.
Dignity:
negative.
— …this is going to go wrong. — Yuu stated.
— THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME — Sora replied.
Hina took a deep breath.
Raised her hand.
— One…
The wind blew.
— Two…
Yuu closed his eyes.
— THREE!!
AND THEY WENT.
WAY TOO FAST.
— WOOOOOOOOOO!!! — Sora went down like he was in an action movie.
— I'M GONNA DIEEEE!!! — Yuu immediately.
— HOLD ON TO ME!!! — Takeru shouted, dodging a tree.
— I AM HOLDING ON!!
— NOT THAT HARD!!
— I CAN'T!!
Kenta?
Face-down.
On cardboard.
Looking like a turtle.
— I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!!
— YOU DON'T NEED TO SEE THIS!! — someone yelled.
Ren went down sitting.
Fast.
Silent.
Analyzing.
— …this isn't stopping anytime soon.
And it didn't.
Things started shaking.
Bags hitting.
Chair spinning.
Float pulling.
Yuu screaming.
Sora laughing.
Takeru dodging trees like a warrior.
— TREE!!
— I KNOW!!
— ANOTHER!!
— I KNOW!!
— ANOTHER!!
— I—
THUD
— I DIDN'T SEE THAT ONE!!
Meanwhile…
UP THERE.
Silence.
The girls watched.
— …are they going to be okay? — Hina asked, a little worried.
— THEY WILL — Aiko said, already fixing her hat.
— Trust me.
— YOOOCHAA!! LET'S GO DOWN!!
— WOOO!! — Mei adjusted her diving goggles.
Their plan?
Simple.
They climbed a tree.
Walked along the branches—big ones.
LIKE ANCIENT TREES.
They moved to another tree.
Then another.
And another.
Balanced.
Organized.
Calm.
— Hold here — Aiko guided.
— Got it — Hina answered.
— Mei careful—
— I'M FINE!!
Total control.
Elegance.
Coordination.
Meanwhile, in the background:
— I'M GONNA DIEEEEE!!!
— THIS IS AMAZING!!!!
— WE'RE GONNA CRASH!!
— WE ALREADY DID!!
— AAAAA—
PURE.
CHAOS.
And then—
the end.
Of the hill.
Except there was one detail.
A small detail.
— …there's a wall — Ren said.
— THERE'S A WALL?! — Takeru.
— THERE'S A WAAAAALL!!! — Yuu.
Too late.
They slipped because of it.
And went over. And flew. And landed.
FACE FIRST.
Sand.
Rocks.
Life flashing before their eyes.
Silence.
Two seconds.
Three.
— …did we make it? — Kenta asked, still lying there.
And at that EXACT moment—
— AAAAAAA—!!
The girls.
They slipped.
Hina lost balance.
Aiko tried to grab her.
Mei grabbed both of them.
AND THE THREE OF THEM
WENT DOWN
SLIDING
TOGETHER
— WE MADE IIIIIT!!!
THEY LANDED.
ON TOP.
OF THE BOYS.
HUMAN PILE.
Silence.
Breathing.
Someone coughed.
And then—
— WOW THIS PLACE IS BEAUTIFUL!!! — Mei threw her arms open.
— WHAT A PERFECT LAKE!!! — Hina
— I LOVE IT!!! — Aiko
Under them:
— …I can't feel my legs — Takeru.
— …I saw death — Yuu.
— …I liked it — Sora.
Ren just closed his eyes.
Accepted it.
And the lake…
right there.
Shining.
As if nothing had happened.
As if this was normal.
And maybe…
for them…
it already was.