Chapter 04

## Character Appearances

Uruma/Ran ● Hibi/Makoto ● Uruma/Zen ● Uruma/Jin ● Mr. Seki ● Mrs. Aoki ● Year 4 Class 1

## Title Details

### kanji:

プカプカ実験室

***"Floating Laboratory"*** is the 4th chapter of *Ran and the Gray World*, a manga written and illustrated by Aki Irie.

## Premise

It is time for Ran's science class and they are learning about air pressure. Ran is being isolated by the class again so Mr. Seki decides to have a talk with her after class.

## Summary

A teacher is grading a student's science homework. The bespectacled elderly man is worried about one particular student who he noticed had dawn new cuts and bruises quite often. He also notes how dangerous things have been happening, such as the roof door lock being broken. Aoki sensei enters the scene and is visibly in huff, which the male teacher guesses to be because she was in charge of the school flower garden, which has been destroyed recently. She encourages the male teacher to stay on guard, and it is revealed that he has been grading Ran's science homework, and she is the problem student that he was referring to.

Back in the classroom, Ran is visibly isolated by the rest of the class. The elderly teacher encourages Ran to join the group for a science experiment involving pressuring liquid out of a science flask. Ran begins walking toward the group and a boy attempts to trip her by stick his foot out, but Ran gets the better of him and stomps on his outstretched foot instead. The boy, known as Hibi, cries out and calls her mean names.

The class proceeds with the experiment. Hibi is not cautious at all and gets water completely splashed on him. Ran is in the background sticking out her tongue, seemingly playing a part in what has occurred in the foreground. Ran stays after class at the teacher's request, and the teacher asks her to choose one subject, any subject she is interested in, while explaining to her again what happens when air is heated (it expands). Ran responds that she wants to 'fly'. So Mr. Seki explains how hot air balloons work.

Ran is now on the school rooftop in her grown form. She tells a bird that flies near her to watch her. "Today it'll work for sure!" Ran empties out her backpack and finds a pencil pouch. Blowing air into the pouch, Ran expands it into a giant hot air balloon, and it floats up and up until Ran couldn't see it anymore. Frustrated and pouty, Ran yells at the balloon for leaving her behind. Ran makes a new one out of a bento cloth and this time she is sure to get on top of it. However, because of its round shape, she slips, and grabbing onto a bit of the balloon, it tears and Ran falls into a bed of plants at school. She gets more scrapes on her skin.

Ran finally uses the pouch that holds her flute, and she ties it into a donut shape and enlarges it enough to wear around her body. She finally floats into the air, but a strong gust of wind catches her and blows her far into the distance. Birds fly with her as she marvels at the entire landscape of Ash Town far below her. Ran is ecstatic about the prospect of flying to her mother without having to save up for train tickets, but she soon realizes she can't control where the wind takes her, and she doesn't know how to land! She calls for help for her mother, for her dad, and for Jin, but they fall to deaf ears.

Meanwhile, Jin is at a convenient store purchasing a box of 500 band-aids. The store clerk notes that he has bought the giant box of band-aids not too long ago, as well as 10 bottles of alcohol. Jin ignores the comment and mutters, "This should be enough."

At home, Zen Uruma finishes calligraphy of the words "A safe family (especially Ran)" and debates on whether he should hang the poster up in the kitchen.

## Gallery & Featured Pages

* Gallery
* science flask
* flute pouch
* band-aid

## References

1. ↑ Title translated by: Futari Wa Pretty Anon