1

It was noontime, and students moved back and forth the very spacious inn lobby. Some chattered as they looked at small charms from the inn's gift shop, while others were busy taking pictures at the scenic indoor gardens filled with lush plants of all sizes and shapes.

Students have been encouraged to intermingle among year levels, and Kazuki already saw some effects of that, as some students that he recognized were from different levels have grouped together in their free time activities.

In particular, he looked at the group of girls several meters away from him who were engaged in playing some sort of truth or dare with playing cards.

Meanwhile, he looked to his far left and saw all three of his roommates seated in silence, the shock from last night probably still fresh in their minds. For him, he managed to avoid the blunt of it by being the farthest away from the peeping hole when shit hit the fan.

"One hell of a night, huh?"

It was Tomoda who broke the silence, shaking his head.

"Hey, you're the ones who agreed to it. You could have just stopped me if you knew things were gonna end up that way!"Shiki quickly interjected. "Everyone here knows you wanted to try taking a peek as well, so stop playing innocent, Tomoda!"

"Unbelievable...." was all Yamada can say. His usual composed tone has given way to a more dreary tone that Kazuki barely heard through the bickering of the other two roommates.

Instead, he turned his attention to the gift shop at the end of the lobby to his right. He saw some boys and girls from his class as well as a couple of upperclassmen crowding around a section of the gift shop. However, just exiting the shop was a more notable figure who also approached him.

"Say, what was it that I heard about last night?"

Kazuki did not know what to answer as Sayaka Uehara drew closer. She had spoken those words in an almost sarcastic tone, and Kazuki can see that every bit of her body language stated that she meant business: from the quick, straight walk to her eyes that seemingly stared through him.

Holding on to a freshly brought stuff toy of a bear did not make her any less intimidating, especially with how she kept her eyes fixed on him.

"For the record, it was not my idea."

"Still, that was really bold of you, not that it surprises me anymore. Unfortunately, it had to be Bloomenfled in there."

"Well, Amagi saved our ass. It was thanks to her intervention that nothing much came out of it. We'll probably be dead to Mr. Tsuda if anything got out to the teachers."

"You know, if I were in there and you tried to pull that stunt on me, I would make sure to put you through more than what Bloomenfled could ever have in store. Mr. Tsuda would be the last of your worries."

Kazuki chuckled. "Yeah, I know. No need to say it."

"What would Hikari do when she hears about that, I wonder? Her bumbling big brother being caught doing degenerate acts like that," she looked at the distance while tapping her chin with a finger. "Oh wait, she already knows you're a pervert."

"Hey, how do you know that?"

Uehara laughed. "I just guessed. Come on, you know I have yet to meet her and all. What? Do you think that I would have somehow been talking to her in secret or something?"

"It's a possibility, you know..."

Suddenly remembering his sister, Kazuki did a double take as he felt his heart pound briefly. He hurriedly reached into his pocket.

"Oh crap! I forgot to buy something for Hikari yesterday!" said Kazuki, his lazy demeanor vanishing in an instant.

He sighed and scratched his head, disappointed in himself for being caught up with Shiki's shenanigans that he forgot to get a souvenir for his responsible little sister.

He felt like the guilt would kill him if he went back empty-handed.

"Why not just go get one at the shop?" suggested Uehara, placing her stuffed toy in front of him. "Wouldn't she want another plushie of this adorable inn mascot?"

"No, she specifically requested Tenka Peak specialty food. I'd have to go to that food street past the forest trail."

"Then, let's get moving," suggested the smiling Uehara without a second thought. "We're free until nighttime, right?"

She was right. The teachers had given them basically free time this entire afternoon. In fact, instead of staying around like the students that he just saw, a lot of other students from his class had gone out in groups.

The whole compound of this inn actually stretches all the way past the nearby forest and its river. It was a big area with all sorts of activities for people, including shopping, delicacies, and sceneries for picture taking.

Still, he felt that Uehara's invitation was a bit too sudden.

"Wait, what brought this about, Uehara?"

"Anything wrong?" She put on a pout while leaning closer to Kazuki. "You don't want me accompanying you?"

"N-no, it's not that, Uehara!" answered the boy in a voice lacking composure. He shook his hands wildly for added effect.

"That settles it, then. How about waiting for me there for the meantime?"

Uehara pointed at the large sculpture of a dragon that can be seen from the lobby. She then began walking back as Kazuki was left to wonder about what gifts he will be bringing home to Hikari.

2

"Thanks for the help, Uehara. I wouldn't have been done as fast if it were just me running around and doing all the last-minute shopping for Hikari."

Kazuki leaned back against his seat.

He was seated in front of one of the many carts that lined up the food street. The many carts, along with the scattered tables and chairs, gave him the impression of a classic temple road where festivals are traditionally held.

He placed his plastic bag of souvenirs on top of the table before taking his first sip out of his fruit shake.

As he drank, he looked at the bright sky and began thinking of how he will be giving those souvenirs to Hikari. He was not sure whether surprising her with them would be better than just nonchalantly handing them over the moment he gets home.

Meanwhile, the long-haired classmate sat opposite him and continued putting spoonful after spoonful of shaved ice into her mouth.

"I could tell that you were super bothered about it. Consider it a sister's intuition." She said with a wink. "You're so predictable, you know? You're really no different from him."

Kazuki cannot help but smile at the girl in front of him despite being teased. After all, he knew very well about the burden that this girl once, and still, carried.

He knew that she had not let go of her hatred towards the Nullities that took her brother away from her.

Still, seeing her being able to open up and be more casual about her brother towards this simple classmate and partner of his pleased him. Whether if this was due to their sworn promise after the battle against Dr. Kagami or simply her projecting her brother onto him, it didn't matter.

"Also, I came here with you because won't be satisfied with a trip all the way here if I do not get to try out Tenka Peak's specialty shaved ice," she happily continued. "Ms. Sadohara kept telling me about it, and I won't let this chance pass."

Well, you could have gone here anytime by yourself, so...

"Your expression tells me that you're thinking of something strange in response to what I said. But I think that I will not like it if you were to tell me, so I won't ask."

"W-was I that obvious?" asked Kazuki, all of a sudden being conscious of himself. He was still about to ask her for the reason why she waited until the two of them had the chance to spend an afternoon together before heading here, but after she said that, he just relented.

He only got a "hmph!" as a reply as his partner went back to finishing up her dessert.

Despite that awkward exchange, the tranquil surroundings that came into view lightened up his heart. The fact that he was able to spend time with his classmate without Fragments and Nullities being on the back of his mind is a nice change of pace from the past few weeks.

Surely, there is also a way to access Mu from this place far away from the city. Still, given how the recent disappearances in Shiroki City were mostly tied to one man's intervention, as long as nothing of the sort happens in Tenka Peak, he would likely not have to enter that world with the maddening red sky.

His felt his skin crawl for a moment, and he was unsure if it was his worries or something else.

"I do have a question, Uehara."

"Hmm?"

"Hypothetically speaking, this place is also connected to Mu, right? It's just that given the absence of a Dr. Kagami's tampering, the Fragments would not be strong enough to materialize or suck people in, whatever we do."

It won't hurt to ask.

"Hypothetically speaking, yes. There should be nothing to worry about. If you remember what Ms. Sadohara told us, Mu has always been around us, but unless there is some large-scale emotional response, the Fragments should not materialize, nor would the more dangerous Nullities spawn."

"In fact," she twirled her spoon. "We have not sensed any small-scale Fragments, right? Not even the minor ones like the ones we've been preemptively dealing with in the city."

Kazuki cannot describe how relieved he felt at that answer.

"Do not worry about it, Arata. Even after your deviant behavior with the boys last night, the student council girls in that kind of emotional distress should not be able to manifest a Fragment under Tenka Peak's conditions."

"Well, that's a relief," Kazuki relaxed his shoulders, oblivious to the indirect shot taken at him again.

"Hehe, even if it were to happen, I'll... I mean, we'll deal with those Nullities in no time, right, Arata?"

Uehara offered her hand.

Looking at her, he felt assured of her smile along with a warm sensation from within his heart. The smile of a girl that had changed, and what he saw was a confident smile of a reliable partner in battle. Whichever way he interpreted that smile, it brought him happiness.

However, he abruptly pulled his sight away from the girl in front of him.

His head swung to the side in a snappy motion, but all the saw was the candy store across the street. That, and its empty outdoor seats.

All this time, he had been growing uneasy.

He had concluded that he was being watched, and following his gut feel on where it was coming from, he instinctively turned to the candy store across the street.

However, he saw no one, and even after squinting in order to look through the tinted windows, no one inside stood out in particular.

Am I being watched?

"What's the matter, Arata?" asked Uehara, who had just finished her shaved ice and was looking at Kazuki with a look of concern.

"Nothing. Just sensed something, that's all."

There was a brief pause before his reply as his eyes did not stray from the windows of the candy store. He still did not make out anyone that he did not know, so he decided to give it a rest.

3

As the late afternoon rolled around, Kazuki found himself among the crowd of students have gathered in groups. He stretched his arms and yawned as he looked at the people around him and the large dragon sculpture that marked the entrance to the inn.

It was a mixture of excitement and anticipation that he felt from the people around him, and he cannot help but feel the influence of such emotions. Likewise, he looked at the mini-stage that has been set up with some sense of eager curiosity.

"What are we gonna do again?" he asked the person beside him.

The smugfaced Shiki smirked. "Hehe, it's the mandatory activity for school trips to mountain resorts, the test of courage!"

"Test of courage? Aren't we a bit too old for that?"

"Hey, I heard from Yamada that they'll put a twist to it. He said it's something involving the girls that we would all be looking forward to," Shiki said with renewed energy.

"After what we had gone through last night, I have full confidence in whatever Yamada says now. If there's anyone who knows what guys truly want and desire, it's our class rep."

Kazuki gave a funny look at his friend. He half-expected this already. The experience last night would have scared anyone to pull back on perverted tendencies, but if there was one person dense enough to keep trying, it was Shiki.

"And here I was wondering why you ended up being Fuyusato's Rejection King."

"Attention, everyone! Attention, everyone!"

Standing on top of the small stage that looked hurriedly set up was Sayori Misawa. The diminutive spitfire of the student council was one of the unfortunate girls involved in last night's mishaps, and Kazuki had been praying that she had personally let that incident slide.

Fat chance, considering her tendency of taking random incidents and making the juiciest headlines out of it on her blog, no matter how fake the actual rumors were. If there's anyone he did not want to cross, it was this sly and manipulative girl.

To be fair, her voice and overall demeanor exuded charisma. Kazuki did not wonder one bit why she had a lot of people wrapped around her finger. On her blog, she had her way with words, and on the stage, she had a presence that nearly rivaled the lower-tier idols.

"Everyone enjoyed their free time this afternoon? Yes? Good!" She then pointed at two boxes that have been prepared on top of the stage. "Now, it's time for our special closing activity prepared by everyone's favorite student council. Yaaay!"

The group of students standing in wait clapped along with her as she stepped back and introduced the rest of the student council members one by one.

"Without further ado, it's time to present the activity for the night. It would be called..."

The murmurs from the students grew as she held it off in order to build anticipation.

"Please Escort Me, My Prince!"

A mixed reaction of applauses and more talking followed.

"Now, we let our adviser, Ms. Ichika go over the rules."

People quieted down as the teacher took to the stage.

Tall, refined, and looking every bit of a gracious woman with an adult charm, Ms. Reo Ichika held the mic as the student body all stood in wait.

"Please Escort Me, My Prince is similar to the classic Test of Courage that you would probably have done when you were younger. This time, we added a bit of a twist to it. You will take on the challenge in pairs of randomly-grouped boys and girls."

A smile surfaced on the face of the teacher with a half-ponytail.

"Now, before you all get too excited, let me tell you that the partners will be decided via drawing lots," she pointed at the two boxes placed in front of the student council members.

"Then, the partners will work their way through the treacherous forest trail in order to find the Seven Treasures of Tenka Peak. Hints will be given to those that survive the trials, and each hint can lead to one of the seven items carefully hidden. The first seven pairs to show me one of the seven seals will be declared winners."

She spoke with passion and energy, and Kazuki noticed that all students have been caught up in her presence.

"And here's the kicker. I wanted to give extra credit only to those who helped set things up and would not be able to join, but I changed my mind. In addition, the seven winning pairs will get 50% bonus grade in my social studies exam next week!"

Kazuki felt as if his eardrums would break. He pressed his hands against his ears and looked around in half-amusement at everyone's reaction. The reveal of a partner system heated things quite a bit, and the announcement of bonus credit easily made the whole student body erupt in excitement.

"Are you up to the challenge?" shouted the teacher, who immediately got a loud and raucous response of approval.

4

"One... Two... Three! RNG bless me!"

Right after putting on a praying motion and some strange hand signs that involve moving his arms in very deliberate movements, Tomoda reached into the ballot box and came out with a sealed capsule. It was green, and it was exactly like those capsule toys obtained from machines.

"You know, I'm surprised that he did not do some more elaborate rituals. That's nothing compared to what he does when rolling for his waifu."

"You all keep quiet, okay? You'll jinx me!" pleaded Tomoda to the few boys snickering behind him. He handed the ball over to the one recording the partner assignments for the male students.

Jun Yamada, wearing an armband that identifies volunteers, carefully cracked the capsule open before nodding his head.

"What number did I get? Who am I with?" asked the bowl cut student in a very tense voice.

After giving the capsule back to Tomoda, Yamada called out to Misawa, who was the one doing the partner assignments for the female students.

"Hey, has anyone drawn number 5 yet?"

"Can't you wait?" snapped Misawa, who was busy recording some draw results. "You can just find your partner back on the field. Try mingling with other people for a change!"

Tomoda seemed to look on with his breath held in, and he quickly entered a praying motion once more when the younger student council member resumed what she was doing before shaking her head.

"Whew, this whole thing is a lot tenser than it should have been," commented Shiki, who used his tiny piece of paper with a 24 written on it as a fan.

"I still find that hard to believe what Ms. Ichika said, but here we are."

Standing beside his friend, Kazuki looked over at the commotion near the ballot box as the next student after Tomoda began taking his turn.

"Looks like no one's drawn our numbers yet," he said in a nonchalant manner while looking at the piece of paper with a 20 on his hand.

He remembered being first in line due to pressuring from Misawa. The girl that he has long found quite irritating refused to disclose her reasons, but he still went ahead in order to avoid any commotion and came out with the number 20.

Somehow, this scenario brought him memories of the time at Imperial Tracks.

It was a memory that he would rather tuck deep into the abyss of his memory, but he also cannot do so due to the sheer amount of luck he had that day. It was a night to remember, for both good things and bad things.

He gazed off to where the girls were drawing lots, and despite seeing the tense excitement that the girls radiated from their faces, he felt none of that.

"Let's just get this night over with."

Kazuki did not have too strong of a reservation with the activity itself. However, the chances of him landing into a partnership with someone he did not know very well was astronomically high. He dreaded that scenario, and he was sure that the girl would also find it uncomfortable.

"Number 8! I got number 8!"

Fujiwara's excited shouts registered into Kazuki's ears, and he watched as Tomoda fell to his knees.

Poor guy. RNG's not on his side today.

"Excuse me, but has anyone drawn the number 24?"

Hearing Sayaka Uehara's voice, both guys turned around. Standing in front of them was their classmate, holding the piece of paper with the number 24 written on it.

"Yes! Yes!"

Both Kazuki and Uehara were taken aback by the person who shouted and jumped in place. Shiki beat his chest with one hand while waving the number 24 paper with another.

Uehara's eyes widened at this gesture, and she recoiled a bit in shock.

"We'll be unstoppable! The beautiful and mysterious transfer student, as well as the strongest member of Class 2-C... We'll get those items in no time at all!"

At that moment, Kazuki tried to stifle a chuckle as he looked at his friend on cloud nine and the equally confused transfer student who kept her look of disbelief.

"Good things come to people who wait, and I cannot believe that I would finally get some intimate time after you denied me for so long. Hah! The master has finally gotten a one up over the apprentice!"

A swift hand motion stopped Shiki's celebration in its tracks. The number 24 paper got swatted away by the swift and iron hand of the transfer student. Her look of anxiety and surprise had been replaced by a sinister glare.

Despite not being the target of her ire, Kazuki could feel the heat from those eyes a distance away.

"You know, you treating me like some kind of prize you just won over's pissing me off. Maybe you'd want some really intimate time after this whole thing's done with, Shiki..."

She was barely taller than Shiki, but to Kazuki, he could feel the aura of the long-haired girl towering over his doofus classmate who proceeded to go down his knees in order to apologize.

Kazuki wanted to leave the scene, but in the moment that he was about to walk away...

"Arata?"

He turned back and came face-to-face with a person that he had not seen since early morning.

"Y-y-you're number 20, right?"

Amagi meekly held the number 20 paper over her face. The paper trembled along with the hands of the holder, and Kazuki can see some semblance of blushing as the last orange rays of the Sun shone on them.

He felt the firm grip on his heart loosen.

Lady Luck was on his side again. He did not have to deal with a random girl, and the fact relieved him more than he would have liked. Before this, he had made up his mind that he only really had two good choices for his partner. Uehara's out, but at least Amagi came through.

Kazuki hid all those feelings and responded with a nod.

"T-that's great, Arata! Let's win this thing and get that extra credit for our exam!"

Amagi put on a smile and a confident pose with her knees bent and her right finger pointed forward, straight into the distance— a pose that Kazuki felt that he had seen before.

EternalSunset0

Just dropping by and wishing you all a Happy New Year! Despite this year not being what we would have probably wanted, I hope that we'll all have a great 2021.