Love

The bus drove at a steady pace along the countryside road as a group of ten students and four chaperones made their way towards the Ryokan they’d scheduled for their school trip. 

Making her way down the center aisle was a girl with light-brown hair falling to just above her shoulder blades, and matching light brown eyes. In her hands was a tray of cookies. She offered them one by one to her classmates, but paused as she reached a certain boy.

“Um, hello, Wataru. I made some sugar cookies this morning. Would you like some?” she asked tentatively. The boy looked up at her with a surprised expression.

“Huh? What’d you go and do something like this for, Yuuna? Your birthday’s not for another month, right?”

“Y-Yes, well… I thought that everyone might like to have a snack during the trip. My mom showed me how to make them high in nutrients while still maintaining the flavor.” After a moment of pause, she shrunk back slightly. “...Did you not want any?”

“Ah, no! I mean, yes, I want some!” The boy cleared his throat after his outburst, then offered her an awkward yet kind smile. “I’ll definitely take some, thanks.”

She handed him the tray, and he picked three of the cookies off of it before quickly stuffing one in his mouth.

“H-How is it?”

“It’s delicious!”

“Really?” She focused her gaze on the cookies, brows furrowed as if she didn’t quite believe him. “Aren’t they just average…?”

“No way! These are great! I can tell you worked hard on them, so that makes it a million times better.” he responded.

“Ah…” Feeling her face getting hot, the girl faced downwards and mumbled a quick ‘thank you’ while turning her face away.

This was Asano Yuuna and Tanehara Wataru. The two of them had been neighbors since they were children, and considered each other very close childhood friends. With Wataru’s parents away for most of the time due to work, Yuuna had taken it upon herself to come over every so often to cook for him and his younger brother, as well as help out with chores.

Her skill in cooking comes from her parents and the family restaurant they operate out of their own home. Yuuna learned a lot from them in the hopes of one day taking over the family business, and her parents were more than happy to have her utilize her talents for the family that had helped them out so much in the past when they first moved there.

Of course, with how close they are, the two of them are often subjected to no small amount of teasing from their classmates.

As Wataru continued enjoying the cookies, a voice shouted from one of the front seats.

“Ehhhhhh~ Why does Wattan get three of 'em? I only got one!” called a girl facing backwards in her bus seat.

The voice belonged to Koime Cho, one of the more energetic students in their class. With short, blonde hair and bright blue eyes always filled with curiosity, Cho was always one to find new ways for her and her friends to have fun. Often saying things that take those around her by surprise, Cho is known by only a select few to have a cowardly side that only makes itself known when she is faced with truly terrifying situations.

Sitting next to her was a giant of a man, who nodded in agreement as his shoulders slumped.

“Ryu too. Ryu’s wents away quick…”

Cho glanced over at her whimpering classmate and laid a hand on his shoulder. “A-Aw… It’s okay, big guy.” The comforting sentiment was enough to draw a shrill hum from him.

This was Masuta Ryu, another student of their class. Often made fun of for his large size and speech impediment, Ryu still carries a big heart and often seeks his classmates’ happiness over his own after they accepted him despite his flaws.

His kindness is recognized universally among the students, and he is eternally grateful to them for calling him their friend. This goes double for Cho, the type to treat anyone and everyone like a close friend without a second thought, and to whom he holds a particular fondness for.

“Thank you…”

Sitting nearby in a seat by herself was another girl who looked at the exchange between Yuuna and Wataru with contempt. “Seriously… Figures you’d give your b-boyfriend more than the rest of us.

““B-Boyfriend?!”” Both Wataru and Yuuna went beet red as they replied in a fluster.

The venomous comment from Okeda Kaho was perhaps something to be expected. With dark hair, thick glasses, and a near-constant frown on her face, Kaho (known universally as ‘Okeda’, as she stalwartly refuses anyone the right to use her first name) was the epitome of negativity.

While her natural stutter may suggest a shy or hesitant disposition, that couldn’t be further from the truth, as Kaho takes any and all opportunities to put others down with her words without hesitation. This includes (and often encompasses) her classmates, who she would never openly admit to being her friends despite their general acceptance of her harsh attitude.

From the spot next to Wataru, another boy let out a laugh as the two of them tried to deny the accusation.

“Hahaha, I’m getting a feeling she didn’t make these for everyone originally. Just a hunch, ya know?” said Sato Takeshi.

Ever the class clown, Takeshi was a natural jokester and often kept his classes’ spirits up with his light-hearted nature. Unfortunately, that nature also happened to immortalize him as a natural pervert and idiot, often peeping on his female classmates and taking the fall for many bad situations - particularly when he isn’t actually at fault.

“Dude, can you not?” Wataru shot him an annoyed glare. “I’m trying to enjoy these here.”

Takeshi waved him off casually. “Right, right. By the way, where’s my co-” Glancing towards Yuuna as he spoke, Takeshi shot up in his seat when he realized she had already moved on. “H-Hey!”

Yuuna arrived next at the seat across and a row behind them. Once there, she offered the tray of cookies to the two girls sitting there.

“Hello, Akemi, Tsuruya. Would you like one?”

“‘One’, huh…” Kaho’s muttered jab did nothing to faze Yuuna’s polite smile. She instead gestured for the two girls to take their pick from the tray.

The closest girl, Akemi Miu, gave her a big smile as she approached. “Hi, Asano! Sure, we’d both like one, right Ryuko?”

Her medium-length black hair fluttered slightly as she turned to the girl next to her, Tsuruya Ryuko, who threw her hands behind her head as she leaned back in her seat with an easy-going grin on her face.

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“Yeah, I don’t mind. But should you really be eatin’ sweets before we get there? You know how your stomach gets, Emi.” she warned.

“Well, you’re right, but… Asano took the time to make them for us, so the least i could do is eat one.”

“Jeez…” Ryuko let out an exasperated sigh. “What would your mom say in this situation…?”

“It should be okay,” Yuuna answered.” They’re not high in calories or anything. I know Akemi has trouble with sweets, so I made sure to make them edible for her too.”

“Well…” Ryuko murmured before biting into her cookie. “Ihf yhou shay sho.”

Similar to Wataru and Yuuna, Ryuko and Emi (her real name is Miu, but she prefers to go by the nickname “Emi”, derived from her last name) are childhood friends, along with Takeshi. The three of them grew up in a rural countryside village, where they hung out almost every day until it was eventually destroyed in a flood incident that forced the residents of the village to migrate towards the cities.

Emi lost her mother in the flood, but was luckily adopted by her current foster parents, who were among the many city-folk who offered their homes to refugees. Her friendship with both Ryuko and Takeshi hadn’t waned in the slightest despite the hard times they’d fallen on, and it didn’t take long for them to adjust to life in the city.

Although Emi was taught by her parents to speak in a more formal Japanese dialect, Ryuko’s dialect remained the same as it was in the past, and sometimes even Takeshi let snippets of his slip into his speech.

“Thanks a lot Asano!” Emi said before cheerfully biting into her own cookie. Her eyes lit up a moment later, and she exclaimed, “Wow, this is delicious!!!”

Yuuna was clearly humbled by the praise, and smiled brightly in response. “Thank you very much. I’m glad you like it.”

As she moved on to the back seats, Ryuko raised an eyebrow at her friend. “‘Delicious’? It just tastes like a cookie to me,” she said.

In response, Emi hit her lightly on the shoulder, eliciting a small laugh from her. “Oh shush, you.”

After passing two of the teachers that politely refused her offer on her way to the back, she finally approached the two students sitting farthest from everyone else. Before she could even speak, however, one of the two spoke as she examined her nails.

“I’ll pass, thanks,” she said curtly.

“Ah…” Yuuna paused in her tracks, then slowly backed away as she lowered the tray. “O-Okay..”

Bringing it down to her side with a slightly-sullen expression, Yuuna turned and headed back to her seat next to Kaho. The melancholic aura she emitted as she did so, as well as the glare sent her way by Wataru made the girl roll her eyes, only to nearly fall off of her seat as it was suddenly kicked from behind.

“Why did you turn her away? I wanted a cookie,” said the boy behind her.

The girl sent him a glare before fixing up her outfit. “Don’t kick me. And I turned her away because I didn’t want any, simple as that. I’m on a diet, remember?” To bring the point home, she placed a delicate hand on her stomach.

The boyi's only response was to cross his arms and lean back with a sigh. “You’re exaggerating. And you didn’t have to speak for me.”

She crossed her own arms and glanced away haughtily. “Oh, is that so? For someone who sticks so closely to me, I’m surprised you’re raising complaints.”

“People do dumb things all the time. It's a fact of life.”

“I guess you're right about that. I am tolerating a delinquent like you, after all.”

Her comment caused him to stand and lean over her seat to stare down at her, with her only response being to match his gaze while glaring upwards.

Yoshida Taitchi and Fukuoka Reina also had a history together, although “friends” would hardly be the first word one would use to describe their relationship. Hailing from a junior high located in a different prefecture than the others, the two of them met as a result of Reina being bullied by her classmates for being in poor financial standing.

At the same time, Taitchi was feared as an infamous delinquent at the school, with a reputation of violence that frightened students and teachers alike. A rumored incident where he fought and injured over 80 students is still talked about today in some parts.

The two would meet by chance when Taitchi witnessed Reina’s harassment and scared off the offending students. The subsequent lecture about fighting back against those that look down on her is what ultimately prompted Reina to strive to change herself, starting with her image.

By the time the two of them moved prefectures and enrolled in the same highschool; with Taitchi wanting to reform his delinquent past and Reina wanting to adopt a new, more confident image of herself by becoming a fashionista, the two were nearly unrecognizable from their previous selves.

The regrets of their shared past brought them close together, nigh inseparable in some cases, and like Wataru and Yuuna, the two are often judged by others as being romantically involved. And while Taitchi never explicitly denies his interest in Reina (sometimes even going as far as to flirt with her), Reina is much more closed off about her feelings, though they tend to leak out anyway despite her attempts to remain indifferent.

It’s mostly due to Reina’s dishonest nature that the two end up butting heads every so often, like the situation they were currently engaged in. The intensity of their gazes was enough to draw the attention of the rest of their classmates.

“Wh-What's this feeling of malice coming from the back of the bus...?” Ryuko asked nervously.

“Malice? I'm sensing the exact o-opposite from here.” Kaho quipped.

“Yeah, yeah! Kiss! DO IT!” Cho cupped her hands over her mouth, cheering them on.

“Ryu’s cookie…”

“I didn’t even get one…”

Wataru turned to Takeshi in response to his comment. “Look, if it’s bothering you so much, just take this one.” He handed him his final cookie, causing Takeshi to instantly perk up as he accepted it.

“Thanks man! You’re a lifesaver!” Takeshi smiled cheerfully and opened his mouth to take a bit. However, just before his lips wrapped around the cookie, he suddenly paused. “...Gah! What...is this feeling of imminent danger...?” Glancing over, he spotted Ryu glaring at him with nothing but death in his eyes. “O-On second thought, would you like to have it, Masuta? Ahaha…”

“If Sato doesn't want it, then Ryu will takes it.”

“Well actually-”

Not allowing him to make a choice, Ryu snatched the cookie and stuffed it in his mouth. He chewed happily for all of three seconds before he swallowed, a sudden wave of depression overtaking him.

“Now this one wents away too…”

“A-Aw… It’s okay big guy…” Cho said as she laid another hand on his shoulder.

“Wh-Where's my comfort here...?”

Noting Yuuna's murderous expression, Takeshi realized that he was better off having not eaten the cookie.

“...and I don't understand why you have to be so high maintenance all the time.” Meanwhile, Taitchi and Reina were still in the midst of their argument.

“Of course you don't understand, that's not why you're here. Save the thinking for the professionals.”

Taitchi sighed as he reclaimed his seat. “One day that attitude's gonna bite you. Hard.”

“Trust me, dealing with you is causing me enough pain. I doubt it can get much worse than this.”

“Really? How about we call up some of your old ‘friends’ and see if it can?”

Reina’s gaze suddenly snapped to him. “Listen here-”

“Fukuoka, Yoshida, knock it off back there! No more arguing or I'll stop the bus!”

“Gah! Teacher’s mad!” Cho quickly righted herself in her seat and covered her head in fear. From the seat closest to the driver's, a young woman waved her hand lightly.

“Now, now. Their arguing isn't anything out of the ordinary, is it? I think it's great that everyone's enjoying themselves in their own way. That means this trip was worth it.”

“S-Sakurai…”

Unfortunately, as the man tried to put up a defense, the woman’s beaming smile offered no room for argument, and he instead focused back on driving.

Such was the relationship between Hagakure Takagi and Yamamuro Sakurai, their teacher and assistant teacher respectively. Though he was often composed and could take charge if the situation called for it, Takagi was near-powerless when it came to refusing Sakurai. This pseudo-subservient relationship brought about no end of teasing from his students, particularly concerning the feelings that they perceive the two of them to have for each other.

Having heard the various conversations around the bus, Emi turned to Ryuko and said, “I have to agree with Miss Sakurai. Things are really lively here.”

“Yep,” the tomboyish girl responded. “Can't help but wonder if that's really a good thing, though. Is this trip gonna be okay?”

Emi clenched her fists and leaned forward determinedly. “Of course! The teachers will look out for us. What are you even worried about anyway? It's not like anything serious will happen.”

“Hey, don't say such death-flag-y stuff. You make it sound like someone's gonna die or something.”

“No way!”

The two shared a small laugh at their joking exchange as the bus continued on its way, completely oblivious to the violent and bloody path that lay in their future.