The four teen girls approach the large mountain. They can already see the trail that leads to the very top.
Natsuki can feel her feet ache already. "So this is it, huh?"
"Yup!" Monika squeaks. "It's easier than it looks."
"Easy for you to say!" Natsuki responds.
"Stop being a baby." Monika teases, again.
"What are waiting for?" Sayori skips ahead and waits for the others to follow.
Yuri clears her mind, and prepares herself, as if doing the greatest thing she's ever done it her life. If there was gonna be any time where she or her friends got hurt, it would be today.
"Only one of many hills to go!" Monika yells so the others could hear.
"Great!" Natsuki yells back.
"It is, isn't it?" Sayori responds. "I wonder if you can see our camp from up here!?"
"Maybe a little higher, careful though." Monika says.
"This isn't so bad." Yuri says, confidently.
"Yet!" Monika smirks.
"Pass some water!" Natsuki yells. A water bottle suddenly hits her in the face and she almost loses her balance before landing straight into Yuri who catches her.
"Ah-"
Monika giggles.
"You were aiming for my face, weren't you!?" Natsuki makes a fist.
"If I missed, then you wouldn't have the water at all!"
"She has a point." Yuri says.
"Yeah but my face..." Natsuki pouts.
The girls continue walking higher and higher, the hill getting steeper with each step.
Natsuki trips. "Ow... I'm okay!"
Yuri offers her hand and Natsuki grabs without hesitation.
"Thanks." Natsuki says, while dusting herself off.
"Be careful, please..." Yuri says, worryingly.
"Yeah yeah. Don't need to tell me." Natsuki says.
"Sorry..." Yuri looks down.
"It's fine..."
"Come on you two, walk a little faster!" Monika gestures them to hurry up.
The girls continue up the trail getting closer to the top, the air getting colder as they do so.
After what feels like an hour, they finally reach the end of the trail.
"Look! we're almost there!" Sayori squeaks.
"Finally!" Natsuki throws her head back.
Sayori rushes up the hill and stands over the edge, breathing heavily.
Monika walks behind her. "You can see the whole forest from up here!" She stretches.
Natsuki soon appear behind the other two.
"I'm gonna be sick..." Natsuki say, while looking down.
Yuri nervously looks over the edge. Something about the dangerous view is appealing to her. "This is... It's a very pretty view."
"Don't stand so close to it!" Natsuki squeaks.
"Oh please, what's so scary- WHOA!" Monika pretends to fall off, causing Natsuki's heart to stop.
"Th- Tha- That's not funny!" Natsuki says, like a broken record.
Monika burst out in laughter.
"Oh! Idea!" Sayori squeaks to the others.
"Hmmm?" Yuri raises an eyebrow.
"This is where we make mark!" She stands up tall.
"But how?" Monika asks, while looking around.
Sayori walks up to a boulder and pulls out a spray can.
"You brought that up here?" Natsuki asks.
Sayori then proceeds to paint the words 'Team SYMN' on the giant rock. "Now we live here forever!" Sayori puts her fist on her hips and smiles.
"So we came up here, now we go back down?" Natsuki looks at Monika.
"Yep!" She smiles.
"That... Seems a little pointless." Natsuki scratches her head.
"Think of it like this." Monika proceeds to put a hand on Natsuki's shoulder. "We walked up a giant freaking mountain!"
"Yeah...?"
"Ah whatever." Monika throws her hands in the air.
Sayori takes out her phone. "I wish there was someone here to take a picture of all four of us!" She pouts.
"Should've brought your boyfriend then!" Monika snorts.
Sayori's eyes shoot towards Monika. "We're not dating!" She whines.
"Do you have a timer option of some sort?" Yuri asks.
"Yeah but trying to find a spot to put my phone will be obnoxious!"
"I brought this for a reason." Monika pulls out a selfie stick.
"You... Bought one of those?" Natsuki points at the selfie stick.
"What's wrong about that?" Monika says.
"Nothing I guess." Natsuki shrugs.
"Group selfie time!" Monika bounces in enjoyment.
Sayori struggles and sets the phone on the stick.
Monika counts down. "1, 2, 3!"
The four teens pose and the picture gets taken.
"Looks good!" Monika says.
Yuri nods.
"I will keep this photo forever!" Sayori says, while hugging her phone.
"Well... There isn't much left for us up here. Let's go girls!" Monika says.
They all head back down the long trail hey had just walked up, and the walk down feels much faster than the walk up.
"So we head home after this?" Natsuki asks.
"Yeah..." Sayori responds sadly.
"Huh..." Natsuki looks down. She actually doesn't want to return home.
"I know guys, better not to think about it right now though." Monika says.
But it's on their minds the entire walk back, as soon they return home, they're back to their problems again.
After walking in silence, mostly due to how tired they are, they reach their camp site and immediately start packing up their things.
"Don't forget anything!" Monika calls out.
"Is it me or are there a lot more things here somehow?" Natsuki asks.
"Probably just you." Monika responds.
"I'm gonna miss this area." Sayori sighs.
Monika walks over to her and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, I think we all will." Monika doesn't need to look at the other two to know they feel the same.
Natsuki finishes packing her stuff into a bag and stands up. "Is that everything?"
"One last check." Monika looks around the area to see if there's anything else. "Nope, that's all."
"Let's go home." Sayori says, with a slight smile.
"Ready girls?" Monika says, before getting into the driver's seat.
The rest of the girls get into the same spots they were in on their way to the camp.
"Hey where's my pink bag?" Natsuki scratches her head and looks around.
Yuri looks at Sayori in concern.
"Pink bag? What pink bag? MONIKA DRIVE!" Sayori squeaks.
Monika doesn't seem to be paying attention and pokes her head up. "Huh? Oh, yeah let's go!" She starts the car, and they're headed out!
Natsuki glances between the girls in confusion. "Am I going crazy?"
"Possibly." Yuri says, while flipping through her book. It felt wrong not to say something, but she didn't want to deal with tiny girl's anger.
The drive back will be longer this time considering Monika has to drop them off one by one. Although none of them are looking foward to it, it is part of life and they must accept it.