"The annual field trip is coming up!" Saiki-sensei announced. "We're all going for a three-day trip to Kyoto!"

There was excited whispering at this. Takiyo didn't look very excited, because he hated these field trips. Forcefully having to interact with everyone was such a pain. During free time, he'd always be left in some café, reading.

"Therefore, I would like all of you to make groups of six! Three boys and three girls in each group, please!" Saiki-sensei called out.

This was the worst part. Last year and in junior high, Michi was always short on one member. Those were pretty much the only times she remembered Takiyo's existence in school, just to complete her group.

Takiyo dropped his head into his table, waiting for Michi to come by like he knew she would. When somebody bonked him on the head, he looked up.

It wasn't Michi, it was Yuko.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Waiting to be asked to join a group." Takiyo replied bluntly.

"Are you an idiot?" Yuko asked, bonking his head again. "Aren't we gonna be in the same group? We're friends, right?"

"Oh yeah." Takiyo mused.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ACTING AS THAT'S SOMETHING YOU JUST REALISED, YOU MISERABLE LONER?!!!" Yuko yelled, strangling him.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!!" Takiyo retorted, throwing her off. "I just forgot."

"That's why you're so lonely!" Yuko sighed. "So pathetic. You actually wait for her to come and ask you to join? Ask her yourself!"

"Oho, as if you could do that." Takiyo said. "Look, Muranaka's already being asked by his fanclub."

Takiyo gasped as he realised what he said. He covered his mouth and mumbled, "Sorry," but Yuko didn't mind at all. She actually welcomed his challenge at her social inaptitude.

"Fine then! I'll ask Michi-chan myself!" Yuko started marching in her direction. Takiyo stared at her, awestruck. Yuko suddenly stopped a few feet from her, turned around and ran back to his desk. She crouched in front of him and hid her head in her hands.

"Done asking?" Takiyo said skepticially.

"No." Yuko sighed. She sounded nervous again.

"Hey, you two!" Ren yelled, coming towards them. He panted from the effort to escape his  'fanclub'. "I'm with you guys, right?"

"Um, Rekkun." Arisu showed up. "My friends are asking me to ask you to join them."

"Eh? I'm going with these two." Ren indicated Yuko and Takiyo.

"Huh?! I wanna go too!" Arisu yelled. "I can be in your group, right Yu-chan? Takin?"

"Um, what about your friends?" Yuko asked uncertainly.

"I went with them last year." Arisu said, waving her hand dismissively. "I wanna go with Yu-chan this year!"

"O-okay." Yuko stammered.

Takiyo just stared. Without trying at all, he was already included in a group of four. It was unbelievable.

But it was inevitable.

"Takiyo-kun~"

Takiyo turned to Michi, who had appeared before him. "What?" He asked.

"Listen, we have one boy short in our group. Would you mind joining? Please?" Michi pleaded.

Takiyo saw Yuko staring at them anxiously from the corner of his eye. He sighed and said, "Sorry, Michi. I already agreed to go with these guys." He gestured at Yuko, Ren and Arisu.

"Oh?" This took Michi by surprise. Had she honestly not noticed this whole time? Then she smiled at Takiyo. "Eh, good job, Takiyo-kun! Well, bye then." She was just about to leave, then Yuko yelled, "MICHI-CHAN!"

Michi looked back, surprised. "Yes?"

"W-why don't you join our group?" Yuko asked, shaking like crazy.

"Ah, but..." Michi glanced at her friends, including Yoichi, who looked unhappy.

"That's no problem!" Arisu said.

"Um..."

"What's up?"

Yoichi had come by. He put a hand over Michi's shoulder and smiled politely. Michi looked up at him and explained, "Yuko-chan is asking me to join her group."

"Is that so?" Yoichi looked at Yuko,who trembled under his glare. Then he said something that surprised all of them: "Why not?"

"Huh?"

"You guys are short a couple of people. Michi and I could totally join. No problem." Yoichi said cheerily. "But then, there's our group..." He glanced behind him.

"No, no problem!" Arisu said. She went to talk to a couple of Ren's friends, and then to one of her own. Then she came back smiling. "They said they'd join your group." She grinned and gave them the thumbs-up.

Takiyo and Yuko stared at Arisu. She worked fast.

"So, we're all a group?" Michi asked, clapping her hands together. "Let's all get along, okay?"

"Sure."

Yoichi and Michi retreated, and Takiyo slumped over his table. Arisu and Yuko grinned at him.

"Hey, hey, what do you think, Takin?" Arisu asked. "Now you can use this opportunity to get closer to Michi-chan!"

"How did things turn out this way?" Takiyo asked his desk.

"Come on, Takiyo-kun!" Yuko bumped him with her shoulder. "Aren't we moving in the right direction? Then you won't be the one alone. We'll get you alone with Michi-chan, and distract Ishida-san. How does that sound?"

"Ishida scares the crap out of you." Takiyo reasoned.

"What do you think I have Ren for?" Yuko asked, grinning.

"Yo!" Ren waved at him.

"Use it, Takin!" Arisu cheered. "Show her how great you are!"

"We've got your back!" Yuko said with a sparkle in her eye.

"Your excitement is unnecessary." Takiyo said bluntly.

"If you're done making groups," Saiki-sensei said loudly. "I have an announcement to make!"

Everyone retreated to their seats. Takiyo looked up. Was it just him, or was he getting closer to Michi ever since he had met these three?

"Okay, class!" Saiki-sensei clapped her hands together. "Before we start class, I need to inform you of something! Since the school's budget has been a little down, the second-years and third-years are going to be going to the same place on the same day. Basically, our field trips are going to be together."

Takiyo's head snapped in Yuko's direction, to see Ren had done the same. Yuko sat there, eyes wide.

"Nishikawa!" Takiyo whisper-shouted.

"Yuko!" Ren called out to her too.

"...what?" Yuko mustered.

"That is quite the delayed reaction." Takiyo commented. "But, do you know what this means? Anzai-senpai is going to be with us, too!"

Yuko's face began to go red.

"Yuko!" Ren punched her shoulder. "It's your time to shine too! You and Takiyo made a promise, remember? You're going to help each other out, right? You and Anzai are gonna get closer too!"

Yuko's lips were trembling. Takiyo reached over and shook her by the shoulders. She slowly turned to his direction.

"Don't worry." He said. "We've got your back. It was a promise, no? And this is the first stage of implementation."

Yuko stared at him with wide eyes, then forced her lips into a smile and nodded. Takiyo brought out his fist and held it in front of her.

"Operation one," he said. "Getting closer."

Yuko stared at his fist, then brought up hers too.

"Yeah." she breathed, bumping her fist against his, and smiling slightly.

The corners of Takiyo's mouth jerked up momentarily, but then he turned back to the front and returned to normal.

First a promise to never part, now a promise to try and get closer again?

How tragic.