Not long after Mori Shinra arrived at the meeting point, everyone else gradually gathered.
There were 8 people in total.
Including the luggage, they managed to pack Ms. Hiratsuka Shizuka's Land Cruiser completely full.
It was fortunate that all eight of them had standard, slender builds.
If one or two of them had a 'Ryoko-type' build, they probably would have needed a second car.
The three boys squeezed into the back row.
The relatively petite Totsuka Saika was sandwiched in the middle, with Hikigaya and Mori Shinra on either side of him.
Their legs were almost completely blocked by luggage, leaving basically no room to move.
Luckily, none of the three were the active, restless type, so they didn't feel much discomfort.
Kawasaki Saki wasn't very familiar with Yukinoshita or Yuigahama, so she sat in the front passenger seat.
This left Hikigaya Komachi in the middle row, able to enjoy the company on both her left and right.
Hikigaya, feeling the cramped space, couldn't help but complain, "I feel like I'm in an unlicensed taxi."
"It's actually nice. Everyone is squeezed together, it feels very lively," Totsuka Saika said, a bright smile on his cute face.
Just as he finished speaking, the vehicle entered a turn.
The sudden centrifugal force made Saika lose his balance, and he fell straight into Hikigaya's arms.
"S-sorry, Hachiman." Saika scrambled to push himself up from Hikigaya's chest.
"I-it's fine."
Looking at Saika's delicate face, Hikigaya suddenly felt that this "unlicensed taxi" wasn't all bad.
Mori Shinra, however, was unaffected by the centrifugal force.
With his powerful core strength, his whole body was as stable as a gimbal.
Hikigaya looked out the window and saw they had already entered the highway.
This made him a little confused.
"Aren't we supposed to be going to Chiba Station?" Hikigaya asked.
Mori Shinra, looking at his phone, replied without looking up, "When did you get the illusion that we were going to Chiba Station?"
"No, no, that's not an illusion, is it? Normally, 'going to Chiba' means Chiba Station, doesn't it?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka, who was driving, heard Hikigaya's question and let out a loud laugh.
Her tone became inexplicably excited.
"Incorrect! For me, 'Chiba' means Chiba Village! Hikigaya, you still have much to learn!"
"Learning this is a bit too weird, isn't it?! And Sensei, what on earth are you so excited about?"
"Hikigaya, did you read the file that was sent to the group chat?" Mori Shinra asked.
"Umm... did I read it or not..." Hikigaya looked away, a little guiltily.
It was all that electronic file's title's fault. It reeked of an disgusting 'normie' vibe from top to bottom, making it hard for anyone to muster the desire to click and read it.
"Don't tell me Komachi packed your luggage for you?"
"How is that possible! At least, not all of it."
"Where is this sudden pride coming from?"
Yuigahama, listening to the conversation in the back, said to Komachi with some emotion, "Komachi, you really have it rough."
"Tell me about it," Komachi sighed in agreement.
...
As the car drove on, the scenery outside the window gradually changed from plains to mountain forests.
Chiba City is located in the Kanto Plain region, so the lush green mountains were a rare sight for most of the people in the car.
Even Yukinoshita put down her paperback and turned her gaze to the window, letting out a silent sigh of admiration.
The reason it was silent was that Komachi and Yuigahama, next to her, were already leaning on each other, fast asleep.
In the back row, Saika was also leaning on Hikigaya's shoulder, having drifted off to sleep.
Yukinoshita looked back at Mori Shinra, wanting to see if he was also feeling tired.
However, her eyes met his, and she blushed and turned her head back.
Cute.
Mori Shinra had never been in the habit of sleeping in cars.
Now that his physique had been epically enhanced, his energy was practically inexhaustible.
He was even less likely to get sleepy.
As it neared noon, the car finally arrived at its destination.
Just as the group got out, they saw another car drive into the parking lot.
It didn't seem to be stopping, but rather just providing a drop-off service.
It let its passengers out and drove away.
Four people got out of the car, all of whom they recognized, or rather... were classmates.
Two boys and two girls.
The boys were Hayama and Tobe.
The girls were Ebina and Miura Yumiko.
They were all members of the popular clique in their class.
"Why are they here too?"
Hikigaya took a step back, shielding Mori Shinra with his body, like a big yellow dog whose territory had been invaded but was powerless to do anything.
Beside him, Yukinoshita also couldn't help but furrow her pretty brows.
No one said these guys would be here.
"This is a volunteer activity, and it's also organized by Ms. Hiratsuka. It's normal, isn't it?" Mori Shinra, on the other hand, had known Hayama and the others would be coming.
Mhm, Yumiko told him.
She even asked him if he wanted to go together. As if they weren't the ones who were the 'guests'.
"If there are this many people, why couldn't you just let me off the hook?"
"Komachi wanted to come. As her older brother, can you really rest easy not coming along?"
"As long as you didn't bring Kawasaki Taishi, I'd actually be pretty relieved. After all, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama are here..."
Even Hikigaya himself felt that was just an excuse after the fact.
If he really let his little sister Komachi participate in an event like this alone... setting aside his own worries, his dad probably wouldn't let him off.
Komachi leaves in the morning, Hikigaya gets disowned by the afternoon.
Mhm... it's mainly the Japanese civil servants who are dragging their feet.
"Ah, isn't it Hikitani? And... the guy with the good grades, Hayashi..."
Tobe Kakeru, with his blonde hair making him look like a delinquent, was the first to break the ice.
Although to Hikigaya, it sounded like he was looking for trouble.
"Mori Shinra." Mori Shinra introduced himself concisely, but that was it.
Mori Shinra was never very enthusiastic towards people without exclamation marks over their heads.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm bad at remembering names," Tobe apologized, clasping his hands together.
Miura Yumiko, on the other hand, very naturally walked over to Yuigahama's side, subtly positioning herself closer to Mori Shinra.
She glanced around, her gaze lingering for a moment on Yukinoshita Yukino and Kawasaki Saki.
Hayama smiled apologetically at Hikigaya, then proceeded to greet Saika and the others.
Seeing that the two groups had finished their greetings, Hiratsuka Shizuka stubbed out her cigarette, threw it into the parking lot's trash can, and returned to the group.
"Alright, it looks like everyone is here. Now, do you all know why I've brought you here?" Hiratsuka Shizuka clapped her hands, signaling for everyone to look at her.
"A volunteer activity." This was Yukinoshita's answer.
"Free camping." This was the reply from Yuigahama, Yumiko, Komachi, and Tobe.
"You can get academic credits." This was why Kawasaki Saki and Hayama Hayato came.
"Hayama and Tobe are both here, and I heard they're sharing a room... Hiss, hah... hiss, hah..." This was Ebina.
A bit scary.
"I have no idea what's going on."
Everyone looked at the last person who spoke.
Oh, it's Hikigaya.
That's not surprising.
As for Mori Shinra... he was here for a very pure reason: Yukinoshita's golden wish power request.
Also, a three-day, two-night group activity like this was very novel for him. He was just here to experience life.
Hearing everyone's answers, Hiratsuka Shizuka pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "You're all basically correct. For the next few days, I need you to assist with a volunteer activity."
"In that case, Sensei, what is the content of the activity?" Yukinoshita asked.
She really was here to work.
"Well... you'll be staff for an elementary school camping trip. Helping the Chiba Village staff, as well as the teachers and children. That's about it. You can think of it as doing odd jobs. To be blunt, you're grunts."
"Even I was brought here as a grunt by the principal. He mysteriously dumped the supervision of this region's activity on me, so naturally, I had to find someone to pass the buck to."
Hiratsuka Shizuka really treated them like her own, daring to say anything.
And what does she mean, 'pass the buck'? Is that something a person should say?
Hiratsuka Shizuka's gaze lingered on Yukinoshita for a moment.
Of course, there was another reason she didn't mention: Haruno had asked her to find an opportunity for Yukino and Mori Shinra to get to know each other.
"So, this is both a Service Club training camp and a volunteer activity. If you perform well, I will naturally be generous with extra points on your school advancement reviews. Additionally, during your free time, you can play and look around. Consider it a small employee benefit."
After explaining the tasks, Hiratsuka Shizuka had everyone take their luggage to the dormitory building to be assigned rooms.
Because this was a very proper and formal activity, boys and girls were, of course, separated, and not even on the same floor.
"Mori Shinra, Hayama, I'll leave you two in charge of assigning the boys' rooms."
With that, Hiratsuka Shizuka handed three keys to the two.
Mori Shinra's group was larger, so they got two keys.
Hayama's group was smaller, so they got one.
Although she said she was letting them decide, Hiratsuka Shizuka had actually already assigned the rooms when she handed over the keys.
"Hikigaya, who do you want to be with?" Mori Shinra laid out the two keys in a row.
"What's with this 'divorcing couple asking the kid who he wants to live with' tone?" Hikigaya grumbled, while trying to choose 'or' between 'Yes or No'.
"Can I just have a room to myself?"
"OK, good suggestion. In that case, Saika, I'll leave this guy Hikigaya to you." Mori Shinra happily adopted Hikigaya's proposal.
As expected, compared to sharing a room, having one to oneself is the best.
"Mhm, leave it to me!" Saika didn't mind rooming with Hikigaya.
Or perhaps... he was happy to?
After putting his luggage away, Mori Shinra came out of his room.
Hikigaya and the others, because they were two to a room, needed to divide the space, so they were a bit slower.
Just as he got downstairs, he saw Chang Wei... ahem, he saw Yukinoshita in the lobby, asking Hiratsuka Shizuka why Hayama and the others were here.
That's right. It was supposed to be a club activity. Komachi and Saika could barely be considered a 'club member's family' and a 'client'. Hayama and his group, however, had absolutely no connection to the Service Club.
"Well, about that, we were short on staff, so I posted a recruitment notice on the school bulletin board. To be honest, I didn't expect anyone to actually sign up. And four of them came."
Hiratsuka Shizuka scratched her head.
Are students these days really this eager to be grunts?
"In that case, why did you even post the notice?"
Yukinoshita didn't understand Hiratsuka Shizuka's behavior—posting a notice when she didn't even have hope of anyone signing up.
"It was just a formality. As a teacher, I have to maintain a facade of fairness. If people thought I only cared about you few, it would cause gossip."
"And to be honest, I'm not very good at dealing with those flashy, popular students. Like, Mori Shinra is enough..."
"Ahem." Mori Shinra cleared his throat lightly.
Talking about people behind their backs isn't something a teacher should do.
"Like, Mori Shinra is outstanding enough. Yes. I'm sure he can handle Hayama and the others." Hiratsuka Shizuka executed a smooth transition, her expression changing instantly.
"Mori Shinra, have your rooms all been assigned?"
"They've been assigned."
"Let me guess, that guy Hikigaya is staying alone."
"I'm staying alone," Mori Shinra said, indicating the teacher had guessed wrong.
"Oh? Has Hikigaya had a change of heart?"
Yukinoshita felt it wasn't that Hikigaya had changed, but that someone had "helped" him.
"So, Sensei, Yukino, what were you two talking about?" Mori Shinra asked.
Yukinoshita didn't think there was anything to hide.
"About why Hayama and the others are here."
"You dislike them?"
"It's not so much dislike as it is... 'trouble'."
Both Hayama Hayato and Miura Yumiko struck Yukinoshita Yukino as very troublesome.
If possible, she would rather not have anything to do with them, ever.
"Being afraid of trouble doesn't sound like you," Mori Shinra said, trying to provoke her.
Yukinoshita was immune to the taunt.
She brushed her hair back and said calmly, "Seeing trouble and actively walking towards it... that would be the problem, wouldn't it?"
...I somehow feel like I'm being called out.
Isn't that exactly what Mori Shinra's wish power system is?
Hiratsuka Shizuka, seeing the two talking as if no one else was around, couldn't help but smile like a proud aunt.
She backed up Mori Shinra.
"That may be true, but once you're out in society, some trouble is unavoidable. Why not take this opportunity to try and get along with other groups?"
At the end of the day, people are social animals. Until you become powerful to a certain degree, blending in is quite necessary.
"..." Yukinoshita was silent for a moment. "As long as they are willing to get along."
The implication was, as long as Miura Yumiko didn't cause trouble, getting along was perfectly achievable.
As they were speaking, the others also gradually finished putting away their luggage and arrived at the meeting point.
Seeing the crowd grow, the topic of why Hayama and the others were there naturally came to an end.
It was worth noting that Yukinoshita was rooming with Komachi, Yuigahama with Yumiko, and Ebina had become Kawasaki Saki's roommate.
It was unclear how they were assigned, but in the end, no one seemed dissatisfied with the result.
After assembling the troops, Hiratsuka Shizuka led everyone to the event venue.
Inside, nearly a hundred elementary school students were already gathered.
Judging by their age, they were all probably sixth graders.
It was a huge, noisy crowd, enough to give one a headache.
Even Mori Shinra felt a bit intimidated by these little ancestors, to say nothing of Yukinoshita.
The color had already drained from her face, and her hand subconsciously gripped Mori Shinra's sleeve...