They went in.Into the trail.
Or… what they decided to call a trail.
Because that was basically:bushes.dirt.branches.mosquitoes.And a faint feeling of:"we probably shouldn't be here."
— …are you sure this is a path? — Yuu asked, already regretting everything.
— OF COURSE IT IS — Mei replied, way too excited for logic.
— Who said that?
— I saw this somewhere far away.
— THAT IS NOT RELIABLE!!
And off they went.
First step:uphill.
Second step:more uphill.
Third step:— WHY DOES IT KEEP GOING UP?! — Kenta
— Because trails go up — Ren replied.
— NOT THIS MUCH!!
The sun?RUTHLESS.No mercy.No pity.No sunscreen.
Mei was already:— THUMP THUMP THUMP — fanning herself with a tambourine.
— Does that help?
— NO BUT IT GIVES ME HOPE!!
Aiko?Opened.An umbrella.
— … — Ren looked.— … — Takeru too.
— Aiko.
— Yeah?
— This is a tiny trail.
— I know.
— You opened a sun umbrella.
— I know.
— It's in the way.
— I know.
— So—
— I'M NOT CLOSING IT.
End of discussion.
Meanwhile—
Sora was behind them.Silent.Dangerous.
— …BOO!!
— AAAAHHHH!!! — Yuu almost had a breakdown.
— STOP DOING THAT!!
— I didn't do anything — Sora said, smiling.
Five steps later—
— BOO!!
— SORAAAA!!!
— My bad, my bad.
It wasn't.It never is.
And then—
Ren stopped.Looked at the ground.Picked something up.
A spider.REAL.ALIVE.
He looked at Sora.
Silence.
And then—
THREW IT.
— …?— …?
— AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Sora jumped.ACTUALLY jumped.
Straight—onto Hina.
— AHH—!!
She almost fell.Almost took three others down with her.
— REN!!!
— What.
— THAT'S NOT NORMAL!!!
— It worked.
It worked.
Meanwhile—
— …I'm hungry — Kenta
— You just ate — Takeru
— That was a long time ago.
He opened a snack bag.
Silence.
— …it's just crumbs.
— WHAT DO YOU MEAN JUST CRUMBS?!
— I DON'T KNOW!!
He flipped the bag.Crumbs fell.The wind took them.
— …I lost it.
Tragedy.
Mosquitoes?A LOT.
— GUYS THERE ARE SO MANY MOSQUITOES!!
— I HAVE A SOLUTION — Yuu pulled out bug spray.
He sprayed it.A lot.
— …this burns.
— This SMELLS.
— This is KILLING ME.
— YUU THAT'S NOT BUG SPRAY THAT'S A CHEMICAL WEAPON!!
— AT LEAST IT WORKS!!
It did work.Killed the mosquitoes.And almost the group.
Meanwhile—
— HOLD THIS PROPERLY!!
— I AM!!
— THE ROD IS STUCK!!
— I KNOW!!
The fishing rod:stuck.in a branch.in a tree.in life.
— IT'S GONNA BREAK!!
— IT'S NOT!!
— IT IS!!
SNAP—
Silence.
— …it didn't break.
— A miracle.
And so…
going up.going down.up again.down worse.heat.sweat.exhaustion.drama.
And then—
— …I SEE WATER — Mei said.
Silence.
No one believed her.
— I'm serious!!
They looked.
And…
there it was.
Water.Beautiful.Shining.Perfect.
— WE MADE IIIIIIT!!!
And they ran.
No thinking.No brakes.No dignity.
They dropped everything.Balls.Bags.Towels.Rod.Life.
And—
PLOFTPLOFTPLOFT
Everyone.In.
— IT'S FREEZING!!!
— I LOVE IT!!
— SAME!!
— I'M ALIVE!!
Silence.
Peace.
For two seconds.
Takeru, still in the water, looked around.Observed.Thought.
"…if they had just walked a few meters along the lake…"
they would've gotten there.
Much faster.
He stayed quiet.Looked at the group.
Sora laughing.Kenta already trying to fish.Mei playing.Yuu breathing like he survived a war.
"…it was worth it."
— …this was more fun — he murmured.
And it was.
After a while—
survival mode turned into leisure mode.
Kenta and Takeru were on the rocks.
— Catch anything?
— Nope.
— Me neither.
— Perfect then.
Aiko?Lying down.On Mei's float.Drinking juice.Living her best life.
— I deserve this.
Mei and Yuu?
— This is a castle!!
— This is a pile of sand!!
— IT'S A CASTLE!!
— Fine!!
Hina, Sora, and Kenta?
Built.A net.Improvised.
— THIS IS VOLLEYBALL NOW!!
— THAT'S NOT HOW—
— NOW IT IS!!
Game started.Chaos started.
— PASS IT!!
— I AM!!
— THAT WAS OUT!!
— NO IT WASN'T!!
— YES IT WAS!!
— NO IT WASN'T!!
— IT WAS!!
— NO—
SMACK
Ball to Sora's face.
Silence.
— …that was a foul.
— NO IT WASN'T — Aiko shouted.
— YES IT WAS!!
— YOU'RE CHEATING!!
Final result:
Sora walked away.Bruised.
— This is unfair.
— This is justice — Aiko replied.
The sun was setting.The exhaustion hit.
But no one wanted to stop.
They swam.Laughed.Played.Stayed.
Until they couldn't anymore.
And when they finally realized—
— …we have to go back — Ren said.
Silence.
— …I don't want to — Mei
— Me neither — Yuu
— Me neither — everyone
But they went.
No strength.No energy.No dignity (again).
Dragging their feet.Carrying what was left.Going back.
Slow.Very slow.
But happy.
Because in the end…
it was just a day.
A chaotic day.A tiring day.A senseless day.
But perfect.
And when they got back to Harumi's house—
silence.
The door opened.They walked in.
And…
— …no one talk to me — Takeru dropped to the floor.
— I've become sand — Mei
— I can't feel my body — Yuu
— I played volleyball — Sora
— You got hit — Aiko corrected.
— It was strategic.
No one responded.
Because they were all already:
dead.
But smiling.