31 2.8- TheTrip

Exam results had been announced! All the anticipation and patience of all students had been fruitful. Not one failed or did badly in any of the subjects and almost everyone scored 75% marks and above. The class whooped on joy as the looked at the results for every single subject that they sat. It was a chaotic event, I tell you...

A teacher came in and the rowdiness subsided as the students clamoured back to their respective seats. They stood and greeted the Senpai and the teacher adjusted his spectacles before announcing another anticipated event of the school.

"We are going for a wilderness adventure on next Thursday and will last throughout Sunday. All students are to prepare their camping equipment and any other additional gear for this trip.

The school bus would come and pick up all of you by 9 am on Thursday. We won't be able to let you know where we are going but it's going to be a surprise adventure! "the teacher announced the trip and emphasis on the last few words to work up the adrenaline of the students.

A round of applause and whoops resonances around the classroom as the anticipated school trip had finally come!" Kenzo, we going to visit the place you work, do you think you could give us some discount?" inquired Genji who came from a not too well off family.

"Sure thing, we got a 20% discount for all students of Shimizu Higashi!" I answered loudly so that everyone would be soon heading there and looking for me to complete the sales and eventually I would be getting yet another bonus this time.

As for myself, I do not own any camping gear at all; so I might as well purchase some. With added discounts like staff purchases, I would approximately get another 10-15% off on top of the 20% discount for student purchases. Since Friday was my actual off day at the Sports Shop, I announced to the class to come at midday on either Saturday or Sunday to pick their gear up.

So I was then working at the Sports Shop arranging the items that were marked down to welcome the holidays that had approached. There were fishing gears and tackles that had been marked down 50% as well as other running sports gear that had been marked down between 40—70%. Even with the marked down prices, the store would still be able to earn a marginal profit from it.

A few familiar faces appeared at the entrance and I greeted them in Japanese that simply translated as "Welcome to our store!" and bowed to them. Even if they are classmates but once they stepped inside the store they are considered as potential customers.

After entertaining to their needs and with the discounts for their purchases, the left the store with wide smiles on their faces. As the Store Manager was generous enough, he even gave my friends a free gift as well.

Since I myself do not own any set of equipment, I chose a two men popup automatic tent, a pair of mess tin for cooking and boiling water, a folding stove, a collapsible 5 liter water container, a small hunting knife with a clean blade on both sides, some blocks of firestarters and waterproof matches, a paracord bracelet with a small compass and a flint and magnesium for striking and starting fires, a small foldable spade cum hoe and a portable water purifier.

As I am a staff there, I enjoyed a total of35% discount on top of the purchases that had been marked further down by the Store due to the holidays. I checked out with the items and carried them back home after work. Needing no purchase of a haversack since I have a stowaway bag at home which I think should suffice.

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As the date reaches for the time for the school trip, Kagome and I left the house by 8 am to school after a light breakfast prepared by Mrs Kuwahara. We then bade farewell and headed to school together. We attempted to assemble with the rest of our classmates beforehand.

Both of us were wearing jogging track pants, low hiking shoes, a thin sports tee-shirt, and a light windbreaker. We looked quite a matching pair walking together to school with our cumbersome camping gear in tow.

As for Kagome, she was pulling a small luggage trolley and instead of a tent, she had bought a hammock and a tarpaulin that could be used to cover the top of the hammock in case the weather turns bad. I joked to her saying that if it rains, she could join me in my 2 men tent instead.

"Don't harbour such thoughts ok? You know I am not that kind of girl. Furthermore, we do not stay together in the camp with the boys, so there's a separate section for us girls." retorted Kagome as she punched me in the shoulder lightly.

Well, a relationship takes time to bloom especially the pinches and kicks would soon follow by hugs and kisses later.

When we reached our school's yard, there were quite a number of students from my class waiting for the rest to arrive and assemble. The yellow school bus had already been there and teachers were ushering them to go up into the bus at the same time to maintain orderly with the students.

Since it's now the start of a long break for us, definitely everyone was excited to go on an adventure trip as well spend time with nature there were a few red coloured igloo boxes on the ground and were being loaded into the baggage area of the bus. It would contain food and other beverages to sustain us for the 4 days and 3 nights into the wilderness.

Seeing the familiar faces within the group they clamoured into the bus and took the most rear seats as possible. "Kenzo, I've reserved a seat for you here!" bellowed Itaru through the open windows at the back of the bus. "Hurry up, we still got a few minutes to go before we leave!" said Einosuke as he shouted at my direction and immediately closed the window. Since it's a fully aircon bus, the windows were optional to be open or closed, most probably for the students who wished to sneak a smoke.

" Oi...coming you guys! "I shouted back and subconsciously pulled Kagome's hand towards boarding the bus. Kagome didn't let go of her hand and she sheepishly followed and boarded the bus with me. Our baggage was brought up into the bus as well as there was ample space between the legs to place our bags.

Teachers made a final headcount and everyone was present. After all the students had boarded the bus, a teacher excitedly announces that we are going to move out in a few minutes. Roars of applause erupted in the bus and were told by the announcer that the trip would take between 5 hours and 30 minutes to 6 hours if we were to travel non stop.

However, the teacher announced that they are going to make intermittent stops so our journey most probably takes up more than 6 hours. The teacher checked the time and announced that it's time to move out at exactly 9 am.

Throughout the journey, all the students were very happy and took out their smartphones to take selfies or the sceneries around them. We made the following stops at Satsu Satta Pass Observatory for a short break of 30 minutes as well as to learn the history behind the outcrop that faces the sea.

Next stop we arrived at "Shizuoka-shi Tokaido Hiroshige Museum" where we took an hour off to have a quickened lunch after we had made a short tour inside the museum. There was a river inside it and several tortoises can be seen sunning themselves on the flat rocks in the river.

The whole place was like a jump back into the past where samurai once used to be common. The beautiful archway, the single-storey buildings, and the serene surroundings were indeed pleasing to us as well as our cameras as we clicked away endlessly.

We later made another pit stop at the Yuikitada District for a short meal trip at Soba Noodle Shop. The sight of the students made the little quaint shop to be overcrowded and the proprietor was busy whipping up small bowls of ramen of their speciality. It took us 3 turns before the proprietor managed to feed us all.

The rest of the journey continued without many stops except for stopping at some R&R areas to freshen up. We were too full and too comfortable to leave our seats so most of us remained on the bus and snoozed instead.

After travelling for more than 6 hours, we had reached our destination and the time showed its already 6 in the evening. Since there was not much to do, we unloaded our baggage and assembled in the parking area. The place was very well maintained.

There were several Barbeque pits with wooden benches and tables, some dining area, numerous single-story dainty houses, a few large ponds with man-made fountains controlled by pumps, the ground was clean and not a speck of litter could be found and above all, there weren't much visitors except for us. I guess you would be able to imagine the whole camping ground. There was also a clearing for those who want to rough it out and pitched tents outdoors.

After our guide teachers assigned us our accommodation and explain about the do's and dont's of the campground, students were divided into 2 sections; the boys and the girls. As there we no planned Barbeque at this time, the teachers allowed us to mingle and around and explore the campsite. There was even a small convenience store in the middle of the campground! So hunger is not a question for those who stay in the campground.

We stayed outside till about 10 pm before we all headed towards our respective cottages. Mine was 0012 and was close to the main dining hall with several Barbeque pots around it. There were several water basins provided around the Barbeque area.

I unpacked my bag and arranged the items neatly in my footlocker at the end of the bed. My partner was Chikashi and he did the same to his items and placed them in his own footlocker. It was already close to 11 pm after we had arranged our things when one of our teachers poked her head inside the door and announced us to rest early for the night. She then switched off the lights near the door and left.

Since we had finished packing the things we went straight to our individual single bunk beds. Soon the lull of cicadas and other insects outside accompanied us as we fell asleep into a deep slumber.

Little that we realized a group of unknown persons with ill intent was prowling around the campground in the silhouette of the darkness...