248 Back to School

Spring break soon ended, and once again, I am thrust back into the dull and boring life of attending school. My arm quickly healed, returning back to its original state without any damages to bone structure or mobility.

That episode of horrifying events we experienced on the mountains quickly washed away in our lives as time buried it. The media craze surrounding it slowly began to die down, and since none of our information was released to the public through the media, our lives were not disturbed by it. Another reason why is that I believe all of us are trying to bury it deep into the past as well, not willing to keep ourselves hung up on what happened as we had all survived. That's the most important part.

With the end of Spring break marked the official transition from our winter school uniforms back to the summer uniform, and when everyone ditched the blazers, it was as if a switched had been turned on in everyone. The students became livelier due to the cool breezes brought by the Spring climate, an effect that I see all around in nature. The trees planted in the riverside trail near the building I live in are all blooming with light pink floras, and when the wind would blow, a beautiful rain of pink flower petals would drift down towards the earth, lining the ground. The entire city seemed to be influenced by the Spring season, mimicking the vitality of nature.

As each day passed by, we crept closer and closer to summertime, which is the end of the school year. Come to think of it, I will soon be in my final year of high school, and after that, I will have to attend college. It's a...weird feeling to suddenly transition from high school to college, but it'll probably just take some time to get used to. Irina, Muria, Loyd, Noah, and I will enter our final year of high schooll; Zaksus will enter his second year; and Luna and Erith will graduate...

"We're graduating soon..." Erith said one day while we stuck around after school in our club room. She leaned back in her seat, looking up at the ceiling with a reminiscing expression on her face.

"It's in a few months," Loyd smiled and commented.

I looked over the two girls that are in their final years of high school, thinking back about everything that I had experienced with them. It's rather funny to think that it felt like I've known them forever, yet...it hasn't even been an entire year.

"What college are you two going to attend?" Irina asked.

"Nocsinis Imperial University," Luna answered.

"Why would we skip out on this easy transition to this top tier affiliated university and go somewhere else?" Erith chimed in. "As long as we get an average score on the entrance exam, we're in."

"We have an entrance exam?" Noah exclaimed, shocked by this news.

"You didn't know?" Luna started to explain to him. "Even though we're students of NIU's affiliated high school, we still have to take the entrance exam. However, it's easy, almost guaranteed, for us to get in as long as we maintain at least an average grade in high school and get an average score on the exam."

"That is," Erith smirked and looked over at Noah, "if you can maintain an average grade and get an average score."

"Oh no," Noah sighed as he slumped down in his seat.

"How did you even get into our school with your grades?" Erith glanced at Noah with a suspicious look.

"If the school year's almost over, then it's almost time for summer vacation!" Zaksus exclaimed excitedly.

"You guys want to do anything for summer?" Loyd asked everyone in the building.

"You mean do something like we did over Spring break?" Muria's question led to a period of silence as we all recalled the terrors we experienced in the mountains.

"B-but it shouldn't happen again," Irina laughed weakly, as if she wasn't confident about what she was saying.

"Yeah..." Luna said, trying to lift the gloomy atmosphere. "As long as we go somewhere close to people, we should be fine."

I glanced over at Muria's face, seeing that look of repent on her face as she realized what she had done. She must be feeling guilty for having ruined everyone's mood, and it was written all over her face. It would appear that the others sensed it as well, albeit being a vague inference, but they must have tied it with the fact that she has a good nature by heart.

"Where would we go though?" Noah crossed his arms before his chest as he frowned and began thinking.

With everyone trying to come up with a reasonable trip, I surveyed the room, taking in everyone's facial expressions as suggestions were blurted out. It would appear that they were all wondering what we could possibly plan, and it seems that our earlier experience seemed to have done its damage on them, making them extra cautious.

Whatever it is that they decide, it's none of my business.

Slowly, I looked back down at my phone, continuing with the novel that I am on. From the corner of my eye, I saw Alvelyn, who was sitting next to Muria and Irina waiting for the others to come to a decision. She is probably fine with whatever everyone else decides, as whether or not we would actually attend is a question. It really depends on our mood, but...I feel that more likely than not, we would probably go. Something will kinda force me to go, and I will probably end up going.

With a sigh, I turned my gaze back to my phone. However, as my eyes moved back to my phone, I happened to spot Luna in my peripheral vision. Seeing her deep in thought...it really brought back memories. This somewhat troubled expression on her face...it's an expression that I had saw her with back in that other timeline... It's an expression that I know. She would only have this look on her face if she has something she really wants in mind, but doesn't want to say it to be considerate for others...

She can be a bit more selfish really.

I sighed as I scrolled down on my smartphone, reading the new line of text as it appeared. However, I discovered that my attention was constantly drifting over to their conversation. Each second that passed by and no one suggested the location that Luna wanted to visit, my irritation grew bit by bit...

"What about to the beach?" I raised my head and said out loud, shocking everyone with my input. I looked around at everyone, who all appeared quite shocked with their mouth slightly open, and felt a slight uneasiness in my chest. However, I tanked through this feeling and continued on with my suggestion. "We can maybe rent out a cabin by the ocean for a weekend or something..."

To be honest, I am actually quite surprised that no one actually suggested going to the beach, but it is whatever. With my suggestion now out on the discussion board, I lowered my head and refocused my sight on my phone. Even though I wasn't looking, I was sure that Luna must be feeling a surprised joy at the moment. She might think that it is a coincidence that I suggested the place she wanted to go with everyone, but it is not. I remembered everything she had said in that timeline, even though she had forgot about it. Even if the entire world will forget, I will not...

"The beach sounds pretty good," Loyd agreed.

"Are you just trying to see us in swimsuits?" Erith glanced over at me with a cautious and disgusted glare in her eyes, but I disregarded it and continued reading the novel on my phone.

"Maybe," I chuckled and said in a joking manner, feeling rather positive about myself for speaking up and suggesting something.

"Was that...supposed to be a joke or was he being serious?" Erith seemed to be taken by surprise by my statement, flustered as she sought after aid from the others.

"I think it's a joke," Loyd deciphered.

"Really?" Zaksus sounded rather surprised. "I thought he was being serious!"

"What the hell of a person am I in your eyes?" I glanced over at him in a defeated manner and muttered.

"Sorry," Zaksus laughed it off. "It's just that you don't usually joke around like that so..."

"I know, I know," I said, continuing with the novel on my phone.

"Is everyone fine with going to the beach?" Loyd looked around and asked.

"I'm fine with it," Alvelyn nodded her head.

Following after her, everyone else also chimed in with their approval.

"Then it's decided then," Loyd nodded his head as he confirmed. "The plan is to go to the beach, but since summer is still quite some time away from now, we can talk about the specifics later."