On June 10, the first day of the joint school trip for all Garesto Academy students, the students alighted from their planes at Haneda Airport, also officially known as the Tokyo International Airport, so they were currently in Tokyo.
After completing the necessary procedures, they were informed for the
It didn’t matter where they went as long as they made it to their destination at the appointed time, so the students had plenty of freedom.
Despite the short notice, the students still discussed the matter with their group as they moved out.
Trips that required students to find the famous places in the area, the routes to those places, and then requiring them to calculate and plan for everything to make it in time for their appointed time and location was a common thing in Garesto Academy.
They would also be asked to hand in a report once they make it back to the academy, so all the students were serious.
Though of course that seriousness was also partly because they wanted to make the most out of their limited time to enjoy Tokyo’s sights.
Garesto Academy’s field trips covered the whole world, though in no particular order.
This time around, since they would be visiting Tokyo, Japan, first, many students speculated that they would spend the next few days touring Japanese cities and sights before heading back to Garesto; hence, there were already students that have started gathering information about sights outside of Tokyo.
As for why Tokyo was chosen, it was actually because the school administration had to make this trip happen on such short notice, and of the options they had available, Japan’s Tokyo happened to be the closest and most related to the majority of students.
As for Garesto, it was unfortunately completely unprepared to receive the students.
Most of the teachers scattered throughout the city to watch over the students and help out in case of an emergency, but of course, there were some people that moved differently from everyone else, though the reason couldn’t be said to be common at all.
“There’s no way this is something you’re supposed to make a student do! Isn’t this too
Inside one of the single rooms of the hotel Garesto Academy would be staying at was Shinichi.
For some reason, he was already there in the hotel and was sitting on the bed while complaining.
At the same time, he could be seen fiddling with the multiple displays projected on the air.
“I know! But I really need the help!”
The person that answered him without even sparing him a glance was sitting in front of a table in the room, facing multiple monitors while handling her terminal.
This teacher, who had taken off even that tracksuit that she always wore, was none other than Frire.
Having found her tracksuit to be a hindrance in her work, Frire was presently dressed in nothing but a tank top and her panties, an outfit just brimming with a lack for caution.
Yet despite her taut, white skin and the contours on her that would prove poison to any young boy’s eyes, Shinichi found her less se**ually appealing and more reminiscent of a mangaka desperately trying to make her deadline.
If only she wore a headband on her and smoked, then she would complete that old-fashioned stereotypical image.
Regardless, he still kept his back on her out of consideration for her situation. As for not teasing her, that was mostly because he didn’t have the leisure to.
“I did say I’d help, but this is just straight up work now! Even I wanted to help just a little so I could go sightseeing in Tokyo, you know!”
But of course, that was that and this was this.
Complaints ought be given voice to, and work ought be done.
“I am apologetic about that, but… Do you really think I can do all of this by myself?”
“I see you’ve started to get the hang of how to use me!”
Though they weren’t looking at each other, the way she clung to him by speaking anxiously just sounded like abuse to his ears.
After all, her insisting on that meant that Shinichi would have no recourse but to help her.
In the end, that was mostly because he was too nice of a person and too tolerant of the people he was close with.
He also had that older-brother-trait that made him want to help someone relying on him.
Though she had her good points that made her admirable as a teacher and as an adult, she also had her sloppy points that made her appear like a younger sister; hence, as an older brother, Shinichi just couldn’t say no to her.
Especially, since she wasn’t actually trying to appeal to that side of him in the first place.
And besides, if they didn’t finish this, the entire school field trip would end in failure.
“Damn it! Isn’t this supposed to be the job of the teachers left behind!?”
“I said that too, but they said they didn’t know from where the information might leak, so
“Hey, hey, isn’t the school administration being too irresponsible?”
“Well, they don’t care about the hardships of the people on-site, and they’re more worried about who to hold responsible for the last incident.”
“Uwaah, it really is the same everywhere, huh… Should I put on my mask and stand beside their beds when I get back?”
“I actually don’t feel like stopping you… In fact, you know what? Yeah, go for it. Give them hell.”
As they proceeded along their work, before long, their grumbles resonated and they started heading down a dangerous direction.
This situation wasn’t actually all that different from the bombs they had to dismantle this morning, but they were a lot more irritated because they felt like they would lose their minds if they weren’t.
They knew it had to be done, but why was it just them?
Frire had to come to the hotel first because she needed to make the necessary arrangements to receive the students, and prepare a hub for the teachers to monitor the students’ situation and help them share information.
Also, Shinichi needed to be punished because he was the main reason that the flight of the special plane was delayed, so he was supposed to stay at the hotel and help with some minor chores until the other students gathered at their destination at the appointed time.
───That’s how they ended up together.
But of course, there was nothing ‘minor’ about the work Shinichi was doing.
“Alright, I’m done here. You do the final checks,” Shinichi said.
“Y-Yeah… Pass me the data. Shirayuki, check it,” Frire said.
〈Roger that.〉Shirayuki said.
Shirayuki is an AI meant to assist in the movement of the exoskeleton and to provide support during combat, but due to the needless application of technologies by her developer, she is also highly versatile, making her incredibly useful, especially in circumstances so busy one would even welcome the help of a cat.
After all, their work required great speed and precision.
It was also a job that they shouldn’t be doing only during the trip.
Whether it was coming up with an itinerary for the trip or contacting the various parties involved and making arrangements for accommodations… etc, or planning security for the students along the way and conducting a safety survey… etc.
All of these were
The reason for that was partly because of how abrupt the decision to hold the trip was, and partly because this trip was meant to get the students out of Kutoria, so a lot of the things that should’ve been done beforehand were put off for as long as possible.
The higher-ups of the school administration were so afraid of information leaking that not only did they not inform anyone of their plans until right before departure, they also instructed the teachers that would be traveling that they had to coordinate the trip while leading the students.
Most of the teachers had to watch over the students, so since Frire didn’t have to go out except for emergencies, she ended up with the job, and on the way to the hotel, she asked Shinichi to help her, who begrudgingly agreed due partly to feeling remotely responsible and partly because he couldn’t abandon her.
〈Check complete, circumstances of the other party confirmed、
“Thanks, to be honest, I didn’t think I could handle the part I asked you to handle.”
A breath of relief accompanied by a word of praise.
But Shinichi already knew about all of those, so the problem lay elsewhere.
The problem was that this school trip made a perfect target for the people against the cultural exchange with Garesto.
They went out of their way to leave the usually well-defended Kutoria, so there was no way that those people would miss this opportunity.
That was also another reason why even the people going on the trip didn’t where they would be going until just before the trip, and even the arrangements for their accommodation were made just before the trip.
“I know they had contracts signed beforehand, but I think it’s still impressive that they were able to get permission on such short notice.”
To make that possible, Garesto Academy regularly paid contractual fees on the condition that such facilities around the world would always be ready to accommodate them.
There were also similar agreements with other places and facilities that they might visit.
And with that matter regarding the total replacement of the school security system as well, evidently, the school had a lot of cash in hand.
But even then, this trip was just so abrupt that it was bordering on being a breach of contract.
“If it weren’t for me, this whole thing would’ve been impossible! I just barely made it after using all sorts of back doors!”
The circumstances were so bad that Shinichi just had to give voice to his complaints.
He did not think he would be using any of the information or money he had stockpiled for his activities as Masquerade in this manner, though of course, he would later be getting back his money back with interest from the school administration’s higher-ups themselves.
“S-Sorry.”
Though Frire didn’t stop working, she apologized in a somber voice nonetheless.
Her words were so honest that her true feelings could be expressed with just them.
As such, there was no point in pursuing the matter any further.
Though Shinichi indeed loved to tease people, he does his best not to tease people that are seriously reflecting, or at least,
“Don’t apologize, you fool. You’re a victim too. And I’d hate for this trip to go to waste because of something so dumb.”
Shinichi said as he moved on to the next job. Those words were indeed said out of consideration for her, but he meant them as well.
Any delay in their work would naturally lead to their trip being halted. He didn’t want that. And he also wanted to experience a school trip for himself. Of course, above all else, he just didn’t want to be disturbed by such circumstances.
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