"A farm?" The group questioned their R.A. in unison.
"That's right. One of our own has moved out to America with his family to a farm and they have begged our help to get started. Since our chairman thought it was such a marvelous idea, each dorm has been given a sign-up board for volunteers. If no one signs up, the 'most eligible' will be assigned. Also, each dorm has an individual time span to spend working before returning, but since each sentence overlaps, you will be required to cooperate with members from the other dorms for three or four days." Namba Minami smirked slightly at the idea of all the chaos- and he wouldn't be there.
"Three or four days?" Nakatsu straightened from a careless slouch, "How long are we gonna be there?"
"Half a semester each. In order, we will be the second group to leave."
"When?" Mizuki Ashiya seemed a tad too excited for the comfort of her friends.
"You will be on your way at the conclusion of your Thanksgiving festivities."
A collection of the boys moaned in despair.
"Dorm 1 is already in preparations to leave in a few days. We will be entreating them farewells at exactly 5 A.M Saturday morning."
Izumi Sano sighed. So much for sleeping in a little… Mizuki looks really happy about this… I wonder if she's planning to sign up…
The rest of the students groaned and murmured in protest as the meeting came to a professional close and they were dismissed to their dorms for the night.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Hey Sano!" Mizuki greeted him warmly as usual.
She made it back before me… she really is excited. Sano tossed her a peach juice and plopped down on his bed. "Are you going to volunteer?"
"I want to! Or at least I'd like to… I remember my dad took me to a farm once on a vet call. I loved it there… We didn't stay long, but it was so much fun, riding horses, swimming in the pond… Watching the sunset on the roof just before dessert…"
Sano sat straight and blinked a couple times, "Sunset before dessert?"
"The foothills hid the sun faster than I had expected!" Mizuki grinned, "It was also late fall… We played in the leaves a lot too!"
"We? Your dad played with you?" Sano continued his interrogation with increasing curiosity.
"Actually, there was another boy there. He was shy so we didn't do much together, but when we did I remember it was loads of fun!" Mizuki's smile weakened despite the fondness of the memory.
"Did something happen?"
"When we were riding horses one last time before I left, he got bucked off and trampled… It broke his lower back… The doctors said it was permanent paralysis. So he was put in a wheel chair from then on…"
"Oh…" Sano looked down at his knees then back up at his friend with a timid gaze filled by sympathy and jealousy for the time she spent with that boy. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay! I mean, at least he lived, right? Some people don't live through a back break, so I say he was lucky!" She sipped at her peach juice for a second, "I think I'm gonna take a quick bath."
Sano nodded and held his eyes on the bathroom door after she closed it. If she really wants to go, I should probably go with her to protect her… I definitely don't want her breaking her back… Besides, it could be fun…
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Pleeeeeeease Nakatsu! Sign up with me! It'll be fun!" Mizuki held up her delicate clasped hands around his rougher palm by her chin with pleading eyes.
"Come on, Nakatsu, I signed up to." Sano nodded toward the board.
Nakatsu chanced a glance to his friends' names written on the second and third lines. "Who signed there?" He pointed at the top of the list.
The trio looked, "Namba?"
Just as soon as they spoke his name, Namba pushed past them and picked up the pen hanging on the string to cross it out. "I don't know who did that, but they better not do it again." He walked calmly away and there was an awkward silence for a beat.
Gradually Mizuki turned her attention back to the initial topic, "Uh… So… Please come? It wouldn't be the same without you!"
Sano nodded halfheartedly in agreement.
"Weeeeeell…" Nakatsu scratched the back of his neck.
"You could work more on your English then."
Mizuki gasped and whipped around, "Kayashima! You scared me… are you signing up too?"
"Of course. Animals have spirits too which I find very interesting to read."
A stunned stillness followed that was barely filled with the scratch of the pen as Kayashima scribbled his name on the fourth line. "Five spots left… I wonder who else will come…"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"BYE!" "GOOD LUCK!" "WORK HARD!" "HAVE FUN!"
The crowd cheered for the departing eight workers from dorm 1.
Mizuki took special care to cheer loud despite the early hour since she noticed Kadoma leaving too. "BE SAFE!" She waved excitedly and Kadoma grinned and waved back before boarding the bus.
Behind him, Kujo paused just outside the doors of the vehicle, "To the airport!" He pointed humorously to the sky and the rest of dorm 1 cheered louder as he disappeared into the bus.
"Idiot…" Nakatsu's eye twitched in disturbance to Kujo's immaturity.
"That was definitely an awkward display." Nakao crossed his arms and turned his back.
Mizuki braked from waving at the departing bus. "He was just trying to be funny."
"Well it didn't work." Nakatsu mirrored Nakao's movement to shun the, now speck on the horizon. "That was really dumb."
Mizuki didn't know what to say; Sano simply walked away with the two grumps following in toe. It took Mizuki a moment to collect herself before chasing after them heading back to the dorms.
"I'm going back to bed." Nakatsu yawned and stretched when Mizuki caught up. "Would any of you like to join me?" He looked over at Mizuki with a mischievously 'innocent' grin.
"I don't think so." Sano put his hand between Mizuki's shoulder blades guiding her toward their dorm door.
Nakatsu pouted and drifted into his room for his nap.
Once inside he flopped his back against the door. "Damn it! I was so close! Sano didn't even let him speak! How does he know Mizuki's happy with that?"
Kayashima shook his head. This was just one of Nakatsu's pointless rants he didn't have to say anything about to get his opinion across; he remained silent as Nakatsu glared at him for lack of advice or sarcasm… or something.
Nakatsu sighed, "I don't get why Izumi's always clinging to him. I mean, I know he likes him and I can relate and all… but he doesn't have to be so protective twenty-four/seven."
Kayashima smirked, "I guess I don't need to tell you the color of your aura."
Nakatsu plopped down on the bed. "So what? I just want Mizuki to be close to me once in a while. Even if we only stay friends… You know what I mean?"
His roommate shook his head. "Not really."
He sighed. "Yeah, well… I hope I get the chance on this trip…"