Despite how many times that I had visited this specific park already, I hadn't actually been inside of it until now. Upon arriving in the park's square, there was one thing that stood out from everything else around me. A large statue right smack dab in the center of the area depicting a man riding a horse surrounded by a tiger and a large serpent on both sides. Needless to say, it stuck out like a sore thumb.
Huh... Now that I took the time to take a look around, the vegetation in the park itself definitely didn't look like anything a tropical paradise would have naturally. Maybe it was intended to be that way? As in the trees were moved here from somewhere else? Well, I haven't really been to many tropical places in the first place, so I guess I shouldn't be the judge of what's natural for one and what wasn't.
So... Where was Usami? She wanted us to gather here for some reason, but she wasn't necessarily visible...
Pop!
Speak of the devil. The very plush bunny popped out from the top of the statue and floated to the ground in front of us the moment I had thought of her. Was she psychic or something? It would explain the fantastical powers she had.
"Thanks fow coming evewyone!" she greeted happily as she jumped with glee, "I'm happy that all of you made it! Now we can begin doing what was intended!"
"What was intended?" I heard Hajime repeat questioningly from beside me, which was returned with a nod from the rabbit.
"The whole instance with Ginevwa has weally set us back a few days, but we still need to get to work with evewyone love-loving each other! Until Nagito gets back, Ginevwa's gonna have to take his place and pawticipate in the heart-thwobbing school twip's activities! Now I shall now explain your time on this long-awaited school twip!"
... Wait, what? What exactly was I participating in exactly? Apparently Kazuichi wasn't too thrilled to hear about having to do something productive, as his response said it all, "What the heck does that mean?! We can't just spend time playing around?!"
Well, I'm guessing he doesn't know that not all field trips are devoid of academics.
Togami's reaction was different, as his stern reply dripped with both incisiveness and intrigue rather than disappointment, "So, we're finally getting to the point... As I recall, you said we had to survive here... What does that mean?"
Survive? Nothing really screamed 'survive' from what I had witnessed regarding fully furnished cabins and a restaurant as our means of shelter. I guess everyone has different interpretations of survival? If that's the case, Usami's is very 'wide-ranging' so to speak. Maybe it's a psychological kind of term. Like a Gloria Gaynor kind of interpretation of how I will survive. Hey hey. "That's right, you have to survive," Usami confirmed with a nod, "Evewyone's goal is to collect all the Hope Fwagments."
"Um... What exactly are 'Hope Fragments?" I couldn't help but ask, the confusion on my face now growing more prominent as the information I was given was processed.
Fortunately, I was given an explanation. "Oh, that's wight! You don't know! Hope Fwagments are little cwystals of fwiendship you obtain fwom getting to know your fellow classmates. Since you're hewe for the time being, I decided to tempowawily have you fill in. After all, gathewing Hope Fwagments for the school twip is super duper impowtant! Take a look at the e-Handbook when you get the chance!"
E-Handbook? Wasn't that the thing that looked like a cellphone? I never really had the time to mess around with it because of the whole chaos surrounding my predicament. In fact, I completely disregarded it due to the panic. If it's actually something I needed, then taking it with me would probably be for the best.
"Sooooo, fwom this point on, evewyone on this island will coopewate and live together for fowty-eight days!"
Did.
Did she just say forty-eight days?
... FORTY-EIGHT?! THAT WAS OVER A MONTH AND A HALF!
I was really close to breaking out of my thoughts to rightfully exclaim my surprise, but Ibuki managed to project both mine and everyone else's astonishment well. "Forty-eight DAYS?! That's a super long time!"
"Tch... That long..?"
That could have only come from Fuyuhiko. It amazed me that he managed to keep calm in this situation. It seemed like he seriously wanted to keep devoted to being a tough guy regardless of hearing this ridiculous amount of time we had to spend here. Upon looking to him, however, I could sense a sort of unease that he couldn't manage to hide under the moxie he gave off.
Togami followed up as he continued his interrogation. "Who cares about the length? More importantly, what do you mean by 'cooperate'?" he demanded as he began to grow slightly agitated.
Usami's short response came with a happy singsong voice, "I mean the class goal!"
The rest of us looked to each other, exchanging confused looks as we did. By the looks of it, none of the teens knew what the rabbit was talking about. And so, Akane piped up, "Class goal?"
"In order to make evewyone get along even more, I'll wegularly ask you to work together to make things," Usami explained, "Simply put, you guys will work together to cweate the item I ask for!"
Does this mean we're going to be going through child labor or something? If that's the case, then this just took a turn for the dark. And it seems like I wasn't the only one that thought of this as child labor, because everyone's uncomfortable expressions were a telltale sign of the relatively same idea. "Ngh... I don't want any trouble..." I could hear Nekomaru mumble (while picking his nose, I might add, which made me mentally note to both throw my parka into the laundry hamper and take a shower when I got back from my cottage).
"U-um... If we can't do it, a-are we going to...um... Get p-punished?" Mikan stammered, which was honestly a valid question. If this WAS a child labor camp or something, then not meeting a quota would definitely get you some 'bad experiences'.
Her suggestion caused Usami to gasp in horror.
"D-Don't be absurd! There's no penalty for failing to make the item!" she replied with her own stammer, "In fact, if you achieve your goal, I'll give you something nice!"
Well, that's a relief. At least that magic want won't be used as an impromptu paddle or some shit. But what does she mean by 'something nice'? "Alwight! Let's twy making an item now!" Usami announced, waving her wand while doing a little spin as sparkles began to appear all around the front of the statue. As the sparkles gathered together into two separate piles, I could see that they were now taking specific shapes...
"Now then, the fiwst goal I need you to make is..."
In a puff of smoke, both a sign and a table had materialized with the sign having four words written onto the front:
'Flower Pin x1'.
"... Wight here!"
Upon seeing that a 'flower pin' was needed, it was Hajime's turn to ask a question that was on everyone's mind. "A flower pin..? What's that?"
"It's a haiwpin made of pwetty flowers! It's vewy lovely! Love! Love!" Usami answered with a little dance, "Pwease make one!"
She says that, but I don't think I've ever made anything like a hairpin in my entire life. And to be honest, I doubt Nagito has either. I mean, I've made a few trinkets here and there back in elementary school, but I don't really remember hairpins being one of them.
"You say that, but... What do we have to do?" Mahiru asked Usami, equally as confused as I was. Oh. Wait. Everyone was as confused as I was. Well, at least I'm not alone with the whole thing.
... Actually, I don't think many of these kids have done any crafts in general.
Sonia agreed with Mahiru, following up with her earlier statement, "You are right... We do not have any sort of materials..."
Now that I looked around the table, she was correct. There was no sign of anything set out for us. No scissors, no glue, no nothing. I mean, it wasn't impossible to do it without such things, but it would take longer than it should... It would also be a bit flimsy now that I really thought about it. But I don't think we'd even be able to make a flimsy one seeing as there also weren't any components around to make anything of the sort.
Fortunately, Usami was prepared for this concern. "You need to visit vawious aweas of the island and gather matewials. Ah, but there's no need to wowwy! I've alweady gathered the matewials you need for your fiwst goal. Let's twy a pwactice session fiwst! Soooooo... Here you go."
And with one more 'pop', a number of items filled the table along with a few booklets.
As a group, the teens and I approached the table to inspect the items laid out in front of us.
On the table was a vine, some glue, and... A knife? Was that supposed to be a replacement for scissors or something? It's definitely more effective, but I can certainly see some injuries as a result of carelessness. As soon as we got a good look at the current items, Usami spoke up once more.
"Afterwards..."
Pop!
This time multiple different colored flowers and a few seashells appeared beside the other items.
"If you follow the diwections in the booklets I supplied to you by making wope with the fiwst thwee items then using it in the supplied wecipe with the other matewials, you'll be able to make a flower pin! Pwease bwing it to me when you're finished. Twy not to get distwacted," Usami informed, then gave us a perky, "Okay! Have a nice day!"
So, we gotta make the rope itself. Yeah, okay then. I can see that.
With that, we all gathered around the booklets and read over the needed recipes.