Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 28

Chapter 28: As Pure as Snow 
January 26, 2030 
"...and that should be about it. Once it's secure, it'll be on its way to Sapporo. You did an outstanding job as always, Mr. Southgate." 
"Thank you, sir. But will it really last the entire trip up north?" Kenneth questioned. 
"It'll be properly insulated for the plane ride. There are sculptures being flown in from as far away as Munich. You have nothing to fear. Everyone will be able to see it as it is now. Including Ms. Van Damme. I'm sure she'll be incredibly flattered by it." 
"Yes. Flattered and likely flustered beyond belief." 
"You could understand why. The final product speaks for itself. With how much time and care you put into it, you must think very highly of her." 
"I suppose that must be true." Kenneth plainly responded. 
"Well, now that it's all settled, you should go and enjoy the rest of your week. Next Saturday, the magic begins. Have a good night, Mr. Southgate." 
Kenneth left the workshop. "....." Pondering his own words, he walked back to his room. Before opening the door, he stopped to think. "Kibō and the others probably left already. That means another night toiling away on my own. You promised you would avoid these kinds of nights, Kenneth." 
He entered his dormroom, and indeed, no one else was there. "Might as well get something started, then. I could get started on Caroline's--" 
There was a knock at the door. "Hm. He must've forgotten his wallet or the like." He went to open it. 
"Evening, sunshine. Thought that was you lurching around." It was Kat. 
"Just what I needed in my day. What is it now, Katherine?" 
"I was curious about what you were up to. You were walking out of the art department. Guess it's something to do with the ice sculpture?" 
"You'd be correct. They've finished securing it for transport, so it should be getting to Sapporo in the next few days." 
"Super. This time next week, we'll all be on the bus up there. All that work's gonna pay off. I know Hoodsie's been itching to see it." 
"That's the general thought, yes. So have you been tailing me this whole time?" 
"Kenny, I'm not that sketchy! I was just wondering where you were. The whole gang's heading to Shibuya for dinner. We never got to properly celebrate Bookie's big win. I know you don't wanna spend your night by your lonesome. And I know Hoodsie would like ya there." 
"I'm not sure what you're implying." 
Kat sighed. "Okay. Time for a KittyKat Intervention." She shrunk down into cat form, then hopped on top of Kenneth's head. 
"Hey, what do you think you're--" 
"Kenny, I know what you've been thinking. The things you had to deal with growing up were awful, and all cuz your parents couldn't accept that you liked guys. So your thought process is, 'What would it mean if I ended up liking a girl? Would that make all of my suffering meaningless?'" 
"You're assuming quite a lot, Katherine." 
"But I'm not wrong, am I?" 
"....." 
"I'm not gonna tell you how to handle this. You're the only one that knows how you're really feeling. But just remember one thing: Natty's the heart and soul of our little operation. She's special to me and to everyone else, I'd wager. She deserves some honesty, if there's something to be honest about. And my POV? Labels don't mean a whole lot. You feel how you feel. I thought I only liked guys until I spent time around Care. The heart knows what it wants. If it's pointing you a certain way...there're worse places to follow it than a snow festival." 
Kat hopped off of his head, and transformed back to normal. "Let's go have a nice dinner. I'm really in the mood for some fish..." She exited the room. 
"Tch...you choose the most absurd times to be wise, Katherine." Kenneth followed her. 
Outside the Academy gates, the rest of the group waited. "Okay, turn off the alarm bells. I found our Scouser." Kat arrived. Kenneth came soon after. 
"Had to dig him out of his burrow, I'm guessing." Sahir said. 
"The same burrow where your grade point average is located." Kenneth replied. 
"H-hey!" 
"If you must know, I was in the art department. The sculpture is being prepared for delivery to Sapporo." 
"Ooh, so it's all done, huh?" Natalia put her index fingers together. 
"That's right. Fingers crossed that it gets there in one piece. And that it's to your and your family's liking." 
"Ah, about that...my parents won't be able to make it. The workers they usually rely on to cover for them requested some time off, and they weren't able to find someone else in time." 
"Awww, well that's a shame." Barbara said. 
"It's not all bad, though! My friend Layla is gonna be flying in with her parents. She really wants to meet you all." 
"Oh, wonderful! How has she been doing since you left?" Carrie asked. 
"Last I heard she'd found a small circle of girls that love drawing just like her. She sends me every piece she does, and they've all felt more positive lately." Natalia took out her phone. Layla had texted her an ink drawing she'd done, which showed Natalia sitting and eating a cake, with the caption "Happy Birthday! 01.21" written next to it. 
"Awwww. We've gotta show her a good time when she comes in. Any pal of Hoods is a pal of mine." Kat replied. 
"We've really got to get going. Ibuki's going to start thinking we were abducted." Kibō began to walk away. 
"Man, who put a bee in his undies?" Max questioned. 
"I'd imagine he's still feeling sore about how that fight ended." Sakuya replied. 
"Well when you've spent your whole life thinking your ma's unbeatable, watching her get thrashed like that must be a tough pill to swallow. Can't blame the guy for being a bit pissy." Kat surmised. 
"Still, he's been like that all week. Least he's swallowed his pride coming to dinner like this. Hopefully a night out does him some good." Barbara responded. 
"Or just makes him grouchier, one of the two." Max replied. 
The students walked to the station, and boarded the train to Shibuya. "Hey, um, Kenny?" Natalia piped up. 
"Yes?" Kenneth responded. 
"I just wanted to thank you again for making me your, um...your 'muse'. It's nice to know that I'm having that kind of effect on someone." She looked away. "Sorry, that sounded weird, didn't it?" 
"No it didn't. And it's clear from your friend's drawings that I'm not the only one with that line of thinking. You're very much worthy of being captured in art." 
Kenneth felt something hit his shoulder. Natalia had leaned over and rested her head on it. "Ah..." 
"I know you're not the huggy type, so this is the next best thing. Thanks, Kenny." 
"Ah, sure...it's no problem..." Kenneth looked away. 
Nearby, Kibō sat quietly. Kat, sitting next to him, nudged him in the side. "Hey, Mr. Grumpy-Pumpy." 
"Don't start, Kat." 
"You know I'm gonna, anyway. Your mom seemed pretty OK with how last week went. I get that it's shell-shocking, but try not to get too hung up on it. And don't let Bookie see that you're peeved about it. You know it was way more than just a fight for her. That cash is really gonna help her out." 
"Yeah. I know. And I'm fine with that part of it, just...what guy's gonna be 100% okay seeing their mom get beaten like that?" 
"And I totally get that, dude. Invincible Thunderbolt or not, she's your mommy first and foremost. She is totally fine with how it went, isn't she?" 
"She said she had more fun losing than she ever did beating someone." 
"So if she's fine with it, then there's no problems. I'm sure Bookie won't rub it in, but just let her be happy about this. Don't need no dinnertime drama tonight, capiche?" 
"Yes, ma'am." 
Kat patted him on the head. "Good boy." 
The group departed the train in the ever-busy Shibuya Station. They exited, and were in full view of the world-famous Shibuya Crossing, complete with its massive TV screens and deluge of advertisements. The only thing there were more of than the ads, were the hundreds of people passing through the crossing. 
"Sweet mercy, how are we supposed to find her in this mass of bodies?!" Sahir questioned. 
"She's going to be waiting at the Hachikō statue. Though, considering how busy that space tends to be..." Sakuya replied. 
"Good thing I'm not claustrophobic or anything, ahehehe..." Natalia held her hood over her head. 
The students made the short walk over to the popular meeting spot, where the famously loyal dog Hachikō watched over the populous ward. "Hi, puppo!" Kat waved at the statue. 
"Okay, now where is our Fireball hiding..." Barbara looked around. Kibō poked her on the shoulder, and pointed. 
Nearby, a woman was taking a photo on her phone. A little girl was posing with someone--that someone being Ibuki, garbed in the same red qipao she had worn on New Years. 
"And there. Thank you so much, Ms. Hinotama." the woman said. 
"No prob, no prob. Just remember what I said: if things aren't going so well, you hit it in the face. Not literally, of course. That's just for people like me." Ibuki directed at the little girl. 
"Okie-dokie! Thank you, Ms. Fireball!" the girl hugged her. 
"Aww, you're welcome, sweets. Y'all have a safe night." The mother and daughter pair left. 
"Oh me, oh my, does someone have a fan club?" Kat asked. 
"Hiya, guys. Just wanted some pics after watching the fight. The girl said she wanted to be big and strong like me." Ibuki had stars in her eyes. 
"That's wonderful to hear. I know it's something you've long wanted." Carrie responded. 
"So are you feeling OK?" Natalia asked. 
"Right as rain. An ache here and a bruise there, but a hot spring bath and extra TLC can fix a lot. This last week's been like a dream. People asking me for pics, wanting to hear my story, being in a comfortable spot money-wise, knowing that there's a house--a house! We're actually gonna have a house! I dunno when, but just knowing that it's gonna happen is unreal." Ibuki replied. 
"We're working on cleaning it up and renovating it. New furniture, appliances, removing any reminder of its...worse points. It's going to take some time, but I'm confident in you all being able to move in before summer arrives." Sakuya responded. 
Ibuki took notice of Kibō's dour expression. "Yo, Keebster. How's mom doing?" 
"A few massage sessions and some Red Bulls and she's back to her old self. I think more than anything she's happy to have gotten a challenge, for once. And that you weren't fighting for a selfish reason." Kibō replied. 
"I'm guessing by that look on your face that you're having a harder time dealing with it. Look, dude, I didn't set out to trash your mom's rep or anything like that. I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for her. But I had things I needed to do. And I had a few points to prove. I hope you don't hate me too much." 
"I don't hate you at all. It's more shock than anything else." 
"Now if you really want Keeb to hate you, just ask him about his wood." Max joked. 
"His...wood? Oh, please tell me." Ibuki responded. 
"Please don't." Kibō uttered. 
"We were playing a game one time and he up and says 'I've got wood' with no hint of self-awareness. It was incredible." Max explained. 
"Keeb has something of an innocent mind." Natalia said. 
"I gave you that book, dude. Did you even read it?" Kat questioned. 
"I'm done talking." Kibō stated. 
"The answer is no. I've never seen him reading it." Kenneth responded. 
"I'd like to crawl into a box now." 
The words hung in the air for a moment. 
"Did you really?" Sahir questioned. 
"Dammit all--" Kibō realized too late. 
"Did you REALLY?" 
"KEEBIE." Kat bluntly stated. 
"Aw, shoot..." Barbara, clearly blushing, looked away. 
"Dude. We need to have a talk about the birds and the bees. This ain't healthy." Ibuki said. 
"I KNOW WHAT SEX IS!" Kibō loudly exclaimed. 
"Now there's a good quote." Kat said. 
"Tell me all about it, my man. In excruciating detail." Ibuki requested. 
"You all need to just stop piling on me." Kibō' carelessly stated. 
"Ooh, you're a one-woman man, huh big guy? How very honorable." Ibuki teased. 
Kibō dropped his head, defeated. "I think I'm done now." 
"You do it to yourself, bro." Sahir responded. 
Once the group was done laughing at Kibō's expense, they went on their way.
They walked through the crowded shopping districts, and stopped at an unassuming building covered by red drapery. "Well this looks like it'd be a fancy spot. This the place, Kicks?" Kat asked. 
"Matches what the goalkeeping corps showed me. And goalies never lie." Sahir replied. 
"That a solid fact?" Kenneth questioned. 
"Hmm, I'm not seeing an entrance." Max said. 
"Blokes told me it's in the side. Bit of an architectural quirk." Sahir replied. 
Ibuki stared at the building. "Is something wrong?" Carrie asked. 
"Feels like I've been somewhere like this before..." Ibuki responded. 
They located the side entrance, and entered to find a dimly lit lobby, the decor matching the crimson drapery from the outside. "Doesn't much look like your everyday restaurant, does it?" Sakuya questioned. 
"Not a soul to be seen. What's with this big screen?" Kibō pointed to the large monitor in the center. 
"Don't a lot of food places have things like this? Where you place your order without talking to a cashier?" Barbara asked. 
"Let me take a look..." Carrie looked through the menu. "Party size...ten of us...oh, we have to pay upfront. Odd..." 
"Maybe it's some kind of all-you-can-eat buffet." Sahir surmised. 
The monitor produced a set of cards. "'Limit of two per room'...oh. Oh." Kat had a realization. 
"This...isn't a restaurant, is it." Kenneth deadpanned. 
"I think those goalies broke tradition, dude." Max stated. 
"Those lying sons of--! What the hell, man!" Sahir griped. 
"Does someone want to fill me in?" Kibō asked. 
The rest of the group expressed annoyance. "You know what this is, don't you?" Sakuya asked. 
"Well, I'm getting the sense it isn't a restaurant." 
"Dude...this is a love hotel." Kat answered. 
"Oh." Kibō thought on it. "Oh." 
"Oh, homeboy knows what it is now, huh? What would Mama Thunderbolt think?" Ibuki teased. 
"We should, uh...we should get out of here." Natalia uttered. 
"I've already paid for it...and it's non-refundable." Carrie replied. 
"You've got enough in the bank to take the hit! We're not actually gonna..." Sahir protested. 
"N-no, we can work around this. Think of this like a shotgun date. No funny business, just like a half-hour of talking, and then we leave and never talk about this again." Barbara suggested. 
"God, if this is an extra-kinky joint..." Kat muttered. 
"The night's still young, we'll have time for a normal dinner...just, uh, try to stay clean." 
Reluctantly, the group split into five duos and made for the rooms. Every room had identical decoration, matching the lobby and outside. 
Barbara and Kibō sat awkwardly at the foot of the bed. She rubbed his shoulder. "Not exactly a viewing of Yoshitsune, is it, big guy?" 
"...it smells kinda funny." 
In another room, Sahir was handling a remote. "What's with the lighting? This a loveshack for vampires?" he questioned. 
"I think we've had our fill of vampires." Sakuya replied. 
Sahir pressed a button, and a spherical lamp came down from the ceiling, spinning around and flashing a red light. 
"Sheesh, that feels gaudy. They have any other color options?" He tested out the remote, to no avail. "No? Really committed to the bloody aesthetic, huh? This has to be a vampire hotspot. At the very least, a serial killer meeting place." 
"This was a mistake." 
Next-door, Kat was looking through the drawers. "C'mon, gotta be something to work with here...some twisted secrets for me to uncover." 
"Why on Earth would you want to do that, Kitten? Some things should just stay buried." Carrie cautioned. 
"This is a den of debauchery, Care Bear. The perfect place for dirty secrets to come together. Plus, I can use a laugh." 
"Surely they must clean this place after every use?" 
Kat searched under the bed, and pulled out a folded up note. "Not enough, apparently." 
"Come now, Kitten, that's a breach of privacy." 
"'To whomever may find this note, I must confess something. I leave it to you to do with this what you will. Me and my beloved Perry-chan have eloped to a far-off land. My family believes me to be sinful, but ours is a pure love. We can no longer hide our feelings for one another, so we have fled to a place where our love will not be seen as taboo. For whoever reads this, know that love conquers all barriers. If you wish to learn of our secrets, you must travel to Perry-chan's ancestral home in the Amazon. There you will learn of the true love between man and parrot...'" 
Both girls said nothing. "....." 
"....." 
Kat gently folded the note back up, placing it back under the bed. "I should know to listen to you by now." 
In the next room, Natalia stood around awkwardly. "....." 
Kenneth, likewise, was at a loss. "....." 
"Hehe, uh...the fabric of the bed looks comfy..." 
"I'd advise against touching it." 
And in the room after that, Max sat in grim silence at the edge of the bed. Behind him, Ibuki was rubbing his shoulders. "Not how I was expecting tonight to go, but you take it as it comes." she said. 
"The massage really necessary?" 
"You're always so intense. Loosen up a little. You can tell all your pals back home you went to a love hotel with a former prostitute. That oughta net you some rep points." 
"I'm pleading the fifth." 
"You don't gotta play dumb with me, Sparkplug. The dutiful boy scout act is just that. There's an edge about you. And I find that so..." She got close to his ear. "...charming." 
Max got up. "I can't." 
Ibuki puffed her cheeks. "I'm just playing, man, cool your jets." 
"Just cuz we're here doesn't mean we have to--" Max noticed something. 
"Have to what? Got something stuck in your throat?" 
"The heck's that under the bed?" 
Max took a look. His glasses nearly fell off. "What in the Sam Hill..." 
"There's not a body under there, is there?" 
"No, it's, uh..." 
What came from under the bed was a large, green object, of a distinctive cylindrical shape. It had the texture of an inflatable pool toy, but there was no mistaking what it actually was. 
"...woah." Ibuki uttered in shock. 
"Someone, ah...forgot this." Max stated. "M-maybe it's just some pool toy, I'm sure it's not what it looks like..." 
"Not what it looks like?! It's a seven-foot green cock, man! It doesn't look like anything else!" 
"Yeesh..." 
"Why is it green, anyway?! Is someone's kink getting freaky with an alien?" 
"Maybe it's radioactive. That can't be good." 
"Put it back! Do you even know where that's been?!" 
"Oh, God!" Max let it go, and kicked it back under the bed. "I gotta wash my hands, is this there a sink, please let there be a working sink..." He hustled to the bathroom. 
"Just be careful, there might be--" 
"OH JESUS, THIS ISN'T SOAP!" 
The half-hour couldn't pass soon enough, but once it did, the group quickly (and discreetly) left the building. 
"...anyone got a new dinner idea?" Kibō asked. 
"I looked up this one place nearby, they have a specialty roasted duck." Sakuya replied. 
"I don't want to think about birds right now." Kat responded. 
"All I can think about is a shower." Max deadpanned. 
"C'mon, we don't come around here much, I don't want this to spoil our night out." Barbara urged. 
"I found this fancy-looking Italian place not that far from here. Pretty good reviews online, too." Natalia said. 
"Everyone good with that? Good. Let's all just move on and not think about this ever again." Max urged, and the group tried to get as much distance from the hotel as possible. 
After calling in to the restaurant, they lucked out in someone having canceled a prior reservation. They arrived, and were seated at a long dining table. "See, totally normal dinner. Like the last hour never even happened." Barbara chimed. 
"I'm gonna glue those goalies' cleats to the floor." Sahir grumbled. "I'll pay you back for that, Care, that doesn't need to go against your card..." 
"Hold onto your money. I'll put it down as a surprise date for everyone. Just a bizarre story for us to laugh at down the line." Carrie declined. 
"For now it can just be uncomfortably awkward." Kenneth stated. 
"I should've known what kind of place that was from the get-go. That really didn't need to happen. Sorry, guys." Ibuki apologized. 
"Just put it out of your head, it's over, it's done, now we can have a normal night." Natalia replied. 
"Wasn't anything but a simple mix-up, that was readily a parrot--apparent." Carrie responded. 
"Smooth, gorgeous." Kat mumbled. 
"Okay, everyone stop for a minute. We all just need to take a deep breath and clear our heads. We walked into a more...mature environment than we should have. That happened, it was super awkward, but it's over. Everyone has to breathe in..." Barbara directed, and everyone inhaled. "...and out. No innuendo or Freudian slips for the rest of the night. 'Kay?" 
Everybody nodded. "Super~. Now the party can actually start. Anyone up for appetizers~?"
The group got their orders in, and dinner proceeded as normal. "Oh, man...this garlic bread's divine...I could almost cry..." Kat blissfully uttered. 
"Easy on the opening act, you'll be full before the main course gets here!" Natalia warned. 
"That's what take-out boxes are for, fuzzy-wuzzy. Not my fault the appetizers are so good." 
"I get the feeling, I haven't met a dinner roll I didn't want ten of." Max said. 
"Count our blessings that they don't have the blooming onion. Then we'd really be asking for boxes." Barbara added. 
"Caroline, I couldn't help noticing you reading off your order in Italian. Are you actually fluent in that, as well?" Kenneth inquired. 
"I wouldn't exactly say 'fluent', but enough to get by. Monte Carlo is just a few kilometers from the Italian border, so I've picked up some phrases along the way." Carrie replied. 
"Yes, she is perfect, FYI." Kat stated. 
"You flatter me, my darling. There's always more to learn." 
"Spoken like the daughter of scientists." Kibō said. 
"It's part of why I'm looking forward to the trip next week. It'll be good to see more of Japan than the little corner we've been staying in." 
"Word on that. Hopefully we get to sightsee a bit on the way up there. How long of a drive is it, anyway?" Sahir asked. 
"I've looked up the fastest route, and given the kind of weekend traffic we'll likely face, it would be a roughly seventeen hour trip to Sapporo if we were to head straight for it." Sakuya answered. 
"Yeeeeeesh. Sitting still in a bus that long is gonna be rough..." 
"I've got a question. Sapporo's on the northern island, isn't it? How do we get there with a bus?" Natalia asked. 
"Alright, so Prof gave me all the deets the other day. Instead of a bus, we're gonna take two separate cars up to Sendai. That'll be about a four-and-a-half hour drive from here. We leave Tokyo early on Saturday, so we'll make it there probably before noon. We can take in the town for the day, then early Sunday we take a ferry from the port over to Hokkaido. Mr. and Mrs. Mirai are gonna pick us up from there and drive us over to Sapporo." Kat explained. 
"Sendai sounds like a wonderful spot to take in some history. I'd love to pay a visit to Aoba Castle and that famous statue of Date Masamune." Kenneth stated. 
"And there he goes. All you gotta do is show him a statue or old building and he's sold." Max said. 
"Prof's gonna be taking a few of us in her car. Bookie, you cool with taking the rest of us in a van? Since Ms. Hana's gonna be resting for a while yet, she's letting Prof borrow her wheels for this." Kat asked. 
"I can dig it. What's gonna happen to 'em when we leave Sendai, though?" Ibuki asked. 
"That's already taken care of. We're gonna be staying in a high-end hotel in Sendai. All expenses paid by Mr. JoJo. It's his hometown, and he's still got connections there. No one'll touch our rides while we're gone." 
"The sightseeing tour's definitely more exciting than just flying. There really no other way to get up there? Like, a giant bridge or something?" Max asked. 
"The only way to reach Hokkaido without taking a boat or plane is the Seikan Tunnel. It's a railway that goes under the ocean." Kibō answered. 
"Under the ocean? Mmm, no thanks. I'll take the boat ride." Natalia replied. 
"Well now I've gotta outline what spots to hit in Sendai. I've already got a few places to go to in Sapporo. For the romantics here, the TV Tower in Odori Park offers a great view of the whole city. And..." Barbara blushed. "...I read there's a ferris wheel near there, too." 
"I've seen enough Pokémon Black and White to know what that's implying." Kat replied. 
"Why do I get the feeling the four of us are gonna end up in a carriage together?" Sahir addressed the other boys. 
"Cuz our middle names are all some variation of 'Sadpathetic', apparently." Max replied. 
"Speak for yourself." Kenneth stated. 
"You could always take a ride with me, Sparkplug." Ibuki said. 
"I'd be better off in the Sadpathetic box." Max rebutted. 
"Awww, what's the matter? Do I make you that uncomfortable?" Underneath the table, Ibuki popped one of her slippers off, then brushed her foot against Max's leg. 
"This ain't helpiiiiing...!" Max shuddered. 
"Settle down, Ibuki, you're gonna give him a heart attack." Barbara cautioned. 
"He knows I'm just teasing. Right, Sparkplug?" Ibuki asked. 
"I plead the fifth." Max stated. 
"Well if we're gonna do Sendai, then here's two words: beef tongue." 
"I'm sorry...beef tongue?" Kenneth questioned. 
"Oh yeah, gyūtan. Grilled beef tongue. It's a Sendai specialty." Kibō answered. 
"I hear they cut the tongues out as soon as they lick another cow's bum. At that point they're already too far gone and it's for their own good." Kat said. 
"That is a complete lie." Sakuya retorted. 
"Try it at your own risk, Kenny. It might contain literal bullshit." 
"The only bullshit here's what's coming from your mouth hole." Max chided. 
"I'm sure it wouldn't be such a popular dish if there were any chance of that kind of contamination." Carrie waved it off. 
"It's not what she's saying it is, Kenneth-kun. It's a delicacy for a reason." Sakuya asserted. 
"I'll take your word over hers." Kenneth stated. 
"Wanna go find a pasture to prove it? Guarantee it'll be a lick-athon." Kat insisted. 
"This ain't the hill to die on, KittyKat." Sahir replied. 
"If you want some tongue action that badly, you can always head back to the hotel. I'm sure someone there'll be happy to help ya." Ibuki stated. 
"I'll pass." Kat relented. 
"So we gonna divvy out who goes with who?" 
"I'm already going with Prof. Her backseat can hold three peeps, so...sorry, folks, but I gotta have my girl with me." 
"I would expect nothing less." Carrie replied. 
"And I know you've gotta have your girl with ya. You good with that, Hoods?" 
"Mmhmm!" Natalia affirmed. 
"Just go ahead and say Barb's going with ya. I already knew the van was gonna be a total sausage fest..." Sahir sighed. 
"Not that the driver's gonna complain." Max quipped. Ibuki responded by brushing both of her feet against his leg. "JeeEEEeeez...!" 
"Just for that, you get the prize of sitting up front with me, four-eyes." Ibuki replied. 
"I'll go in the van." Barbara answered. 
"Hm? You sure?" Kat asked. 
"It's probably not a good idea to have that much testosterone in one enclosed space. Three boys and three girls would be a much less chaotic ride." 
"Yeah, I guess. Means we gotta take a dude with us." 
"Kenny, why don't you go with them?" 
Natalia froze. "I can already tell what kind of ride it's going to be with Maxwell and the Fireball in the front seats. I'll take it." Kenneth answered. 
Kat looked over at Barbara, who gave a wink. "Cheeky, cheeky." Kat thought. 
"I'd like to make a request to be strapped to the roof of the van." Max raised his hand. 
"Request denied." Ibuki replied. 
"It's not gonna be a boring ride, at least." Kibō uttered. 
"Of that, it's a near certainty." Sakuya added. 
"Ooh, I just love talking about big group adventures like this. We've gotta savor every moment of this one, since, y'know...we'll only have so many opportunities to do things together from now on." Barbara said. 
Sahir sighed. "Man...she just said the quiet part out loud." 
"She isn't wrong, though. We have a few months left until summer, and after that, only one year until graduation." Sakuya responded. 
"And after that, everyone goes on their merry ways. Who knows when we'd be able to meet up like this again." Max added. 
"Well this turned into a downer real quick." Ibuki stated. 
"Sorry." Barbara apologized. 
"It's gonna be a tear-jerker when that time comes, but that won't be for a while. Tonight, it's a dinner with the crazy clan. Next week we've got a fun sightseeing adventure. It's way too early to start thinking about goodbye." Kat dictated. 
The dining staff soon arrived with the food, including a massive pizza. "Oh, blessed meal!" Sahir exclaimed, taking a large can of tomato sauce from the waiter. "And with the toppings. You all spoil me." 
"Lord knows your fam loves its sauce." Max responded. 
"Let's twist this around, and..." Kat spun the large plate around. "...there ya go, Hoods. Two vegan, just for you." 
"So considerate~." Natalia chimed. 
They happily began consuming their meals, the melancholy mood that was briefly there quickly dissipating. They got boxes for their leftovers, paid for the food, and departed. 
"Now that that's done...anyone up for a little bit of shopping? Or should we just call it a night?" Barbara asked. 
"Think we oughta quit while we're ahead. We'll have plenty to splurge on next week." Kat replied. 
"I know someone got a lot in the bank recently." Sahir said. 
"A lot I'm gonna be careful with. It's not all for me. Gotta put food in Kanae-chan's belly." Ibuki replied. 
"Then I guess we'll see you bright and early in a week. We'll send you the time and place later. Safe travels back~." Barbara said. 
"You got it, mates. Best prepare yourself, Maxie." 
Max grumbled. 
The students headed back to the station. "Only one week til your masterpiece is unveiled, Kenny. Bet your stomach's gonna be in a knot the whole way there." Kat said. 
"I don't get nervous. I'm fully expecting a normal ride." Kenneth replied. 
Natalia giggled. 
"Is there something funny?" 
"Oh, no. Just thinking about the trip...and the ride..." Natalia looked away. 
"We really need to work on the subtlety, Hoodsie..." Kat thought. 
The night of fun drew to a close. In less than seven days, the group would reconnect for a more prolonged period of bliss.