Yotsuba& a school trip
Monday. The start of a new week, the weekend over. The longest point until the weekend begun again. Suzuki sighed as he sat at his desk, wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Kensuke stepped into the room and looked at the man, about to say something before he stopped.
"That's right, you have to go with the new first years on a trip don't you?" he asked. "Allowing students within a class to further get to know one another" he recited aloud.
"Yeah that's right. Over twenty students going to a park for a day" groaned Suzuki.
"Well, good luck with that" said Kensuke, waving as he stepped outside.
"'Suke" called out Suzuki, "I spoke with the Principal- you're coming along because we need two teachers."
"What?" asked Kensuke, his jaw dropping slightly.
---
Yotsuba stood waiting as the gigantic bus roared up towards the assembly of six years olds and two annoyed looking adults. A boy just behind Yotsuba looked across at the large noisy vehicle with faint fear. Yotsuba didn't care though- she'd tamed and ridden the mighty bus! She turned to Kameko.
"I've been on one of those" she said cheerfully.
"Me too" she whispered. "I managed to escape before it ate everyone on board."
"What?!" asked a shocked Yotsuba. She guessed she was lucky. No wonder Fuka had chased after her. She'd have to thank her later. But she'd have to get on again. Perhaps that was why teacher had brought the annoyed looking man.
"Ok everyone on board" called out Suzuki as the bus doors screeched open.
Slowly the class began to board the bus. Yotsuba handed Kensuke a small flower she'd found in the grass. "Thank you for protecting us from the bus."
Suzuki looked confused as Kensuke took hold of the flower. "Why thank you. Don't worry; they don't call me the school's strongest teacher for no reason."
"Thank you" said Yotsuba and Kameko in unison, bowing to the teacher before climbing onto the bus. Kensuke turned to Suzuki.
"You're lucky. You've got a few years before they start seriously talking back to you."
Yotsuba slowly followed Kameko along the narrow carpeted path. She spotted Isamu sitting with Masumi and quickly waved, before sitting in a chair two rows back. She called out to Kameko who looked slightly worried about to sit.
"Hey Kameko! Come here you can sit next to me!"
Kameko nodded and quickly joined Yotsuba, the girl sitting down and resting back into her chair. She suddenly turned to Yotsuba.
"We'd better be quiet. I don't think anyone else knows about the danger, so it'd be good not to cause a panic."
"You're right" said Yotsuba. "We'll trust Mr Suzuki!"
"Just remember- in life sometimes you have to do things you don't want to" said Kameko, using a quote from a TV program shown the night before.
"Huh?"
"We'll have to stay close together and keep a watch."
"Right!"
Suzuki and Kensuke finally stepped onto the bus. The driver turned to face them.
"You all fine to go?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Then off to an adventure we go!" cried the driver flamboyantly. He put his foot down and shot off- at the safely designated speed of five miles an hour within school grounds. Driving out into the road, the bus began to speed up.
"It begins" muttered Yotsuba.
"The…horror" stuttered Kameko.
---
All twenty four students and two adults had managed to escape from the bus with their lives. The driver waved to the children before slowly driving away.
"Fool" muttered Kameko, "Doesn't he know?"
"We should warn him" said Yotsuba, starting to run after the bus.
"Woah, don't do that" said Kensuke, "It's dangerous" he added as a car suddenly zoomed back. Yotsuba, in shock, turned to the man and nodded.
With a quick registration, Suzuki led the small group into the park. Yotsuba looked across the park in disbelief. The town could be seen, large buildings mixing with smaller residential areas. A vast green field wit numerous faint rises, trees surrounded them, a small play area to one side, a large pond lazily reflecting the sunlight. She turned wide eyes to Kameko as Masumi and Isamu joined them.
"It's amazing!" she observed.
With the teachers keeping a close watch, the class split up. Some began rolling on the grass playing, while others diverged some moving to the pond, others to the empty play area. Yotsuba, in awe, slowly walked towards the gigantic twirling slide, built around a metal staircase that led a long way up (surrounded by coloured railings to prevent accidents).
She walked to the slide when someone stepped in front of her. The boy suddenly turned and saw the distraught girl. He was one of her classmates.
"Erm…were you about to go on this?" he asked.
Yotsuba nodded dejectedly.
"Sorry, I didn't see anyone going on there. I didn't mean to block you. I'm Yasuo" said the boy.
"Yotsuba!" said the girl, cheery again.
"Do you want to go first?" he asked.
"Sure! Thanks! I think you can still climb up it."
"I'll wait till you come down. I…don't like heights."
Yotsuba sprinted up the stairway, small trainers banging against metal. Final she reached the top and approached the plastic slide. She peeked out. It was even higher then she thought. Fear momentarily gripped her, but then she sat down and pushed away from the platform, shrieking in delight as she shot down the slide, sliding around the support, before sliding off the end at the bottom and landing perfectly on two feet.
Wobbling slightly she stepped forward, where Naoko stood, adjusting his glasses as he looked up towards the top of the slide.
"Areyougoingtotryit?" asked Yotsuba, still on edge after the slide. Naoko nodded and sprinted towards the slide. He may have been less then carefree, but part of him really enjoyed scares like the slide- just like when he watched that Alien film.
---
Their numbers were dwindling. Commander Yotsuba sat crouched behind a bush, the few remaining members of her team close by. Masumi, speed demon, stood waiting, as Point man Naoko stood scouting the area. Yasuo was the final member. Yotsuba shook her head. How had it come to this? Kameko had been the last one to go. A faint disturbance caught her attention, and she turned as Naoko yelled out. An undead person rushed through the bush and grabbed Naoko's hand. He looked down in horror as it spoke the dreaded words.
"Manhunt 1-2-3"
"Go!" called out Yasuo.
"But Naoko!" replied Masumi.
"He's done for! Run!" cried Yasuo as more of the foul creatures surrounded them. He paused. "Get out of here."
"What?" asked Yotsuba.
"I'll hold them up for you" said Yasuo. "You'll have enough time to escape."
"Good work soldier" said Yotsuba saluting.
"Thank you Commander Yotsuba" said Yasuo returning the salute before rushing towards the enemy, Yotsuba imagining a freeze frame of the boy, shortly before running into the enemy in a blaze of glory.
"Lets go Masumi" said Yotsuba, "It's just the two of us."
The two sprinted away as Yasuo was defeated. He looked out at them. "Run…fools."
Running together, they suddenly stopped as Isamu appeared and began walking towards them. Yotsuba shook her head.
"No…not you too…not you!" she cried dramatically. The girl nodded, almost sadly, and reached out grabbing Masumi.
"Noooo!" yelled out Yotsuba.
"And the winner of this manhunt round is Yotsuba!" called out Kensuke, he and Suzuki watching the game while sitting on a faint hill.