( I know the picture is of Mount Yoshino, but let's make it a dictated place, hehe.)

"Did you pack your toothbrush?" 
Father went on and on about if I packed this or packed that. 
I agreed and eventually, he stopped asking and trusted I hadn't forgotten anything. I understood him since this was my first time traveling without him and Takeru-kun. Whenever there were trip or sleepover I pretended I had a cold so I didn't have to attend them. Yeah, I was that kid. 
You would understand if you were in my shoes. It wasn't pretty of what they did to me...

"Ugly!" One of the boys called out as I walked past them. I tried to ignore them, thinking it wasn't a big deal. It
The boys would often pour milk in my locker after I had gone home and would come to school the day after discovering the mess they made.  They sure were creative, I'll give them that.
"Why so quiet?" "It makes you weird!" "Can't you speak?"  Eventually, the words hit me harder and harder and it pierced my heart whenever they opened their mouths.  
The girls would trip me when I was walking in the halls, but that wasn't the worst of it. 
When lunch, they stole my drink and then throw my food in the trash and  used to say  'it's where it belongs, like you.' That's where Takeru-kun rescued me and suggested to not eat in the classroom. Therefore, I ended up eating my lunch on the stairs to the rooftop.was only words anyways. Well, then the violence began. 

I never really understood why they were mean and cold toward me. It's not like I meant it to happen and I kept my distance, but I'll guess I was an easy target. 
The flashbacks gave me a headache. Desperately I tried to think about something else. 
I texted Riko and asked if she would be at the bus stop and she replied straight away, with 'of course.' 
I organized the things I had packed with me one last time and then closed my suitcase. 
"Please be careful, okay?" dad begged and I replied with a hug. Takeru-kun had already gone to school but texted me 'good luck' and 'if someone messes with you, text me, and I will come and beat them to death'. I sure feel lucky to have a brother who cares this much.

I waved goodbye and off I went.
The weather was wet and foggy. I pouted at the sight of the sakura tree. It wasn't as beautiful as the other day. That's when the thought hit me. 
That's when Taka approached me. 
The thought made me make a face. I shook my head again. 
But the thoughts didn't leave me alone.
He's kinda cool..
Stop it, brain!
I didn't even know this guy and I had barely talked to him. Why the heck would I even think of him that way. Forget him.

I probably looked like I was crazy to whoever saw me. 
Taking a last look at the sakura tree, praying this trip wouldn't fail me, I dragged the suitcase after me and walked almost too sternly to the bus stop.

The bus stop was awfully full and there was no place to sit so I ended up standing beside, hoping someone would take the next bus that came so I would rest my feet.

As I was listening to Nirvana's 'lithium' and reading the book I was determined to have with me in case of an emergency, a bus arrived and thankfully one of the people who was taking up space on the bench got up and stepped inside the bus. I quickly sat down and I could see the ones who also had to stand seemed to be disappointed to not have reacted quicker. 
Inside I was smiling evilly, but outside I was almost apologizing for taking the seat. 
I pulled up my book again and tried to read a few more chapters before the bus arrived.
Man, I wish my life would be like a book or a movie, but the sad reality hit me everytime I even imagined. I would often imagine myself as a more confident and funnier girl I was in real life. 
The only thing that I had to do was to step up my game and stop being so antisocial as I were last year and maybe it would happen. Who knows.
                                                                                                                     

                                                                                               •Taka's POV•

"You're gonna miss the bus if you don't go now." Haruna sighed and sat up on the bed.
I groaned and pulled her back down under the covers and held her tightly around the waist, not wanting to let go.
"We don't want that to happen," I mumbled sarcastic in her neck and she giggled. She cupped my cheeks and leaned in for a sweet kiss before she sighed once again.
"You got too much absence penalty and I hate it when you have to be at school in the afternoons." 
I still didn't let go of her waist, giving her a puppy eyes look, but she didn't even fall for it. 
"You're all set and you're finished packing. Go." she gently tried to push me out of the bed and I just groaned.
I hated how she couldn't go. She had to attend an interview for modeling and even got the teachers to approve it. When I was done dressing, I took a last look at Haruna, who laid under the covers looking hot as always.

"Go so you won't miss the bus, rockstar." she winked. I shot her wink back and grabbed my duffel bag. I didn't pack with me that much since we were only going to be there for 3 days, thank god.
When I arrived the bus stop, I immediately recognized the awkward posture of a figure, reading a book as if her life depended on it. 
I looked at the time on my phone and saw it was 5 minutes to the bus arrived and decided to have some fun while waiting.
                                                                                                               

                                                                                             •Aoi's POV•
I've never been this into a chapter that I was now. I looked at my watch and realized I only got 5 minutes again and I was 2 pages away to the next chapter.
Challenge accepted.
My eyes squinted, thinking it would help me focus and read faster. 
When I got to the last page I was ready to finish it off when someone snapped the book from my hand.

"No!" I unaware shouted out loud and when I saw who was holding my book, completely shocked by my reaction. His lips were parted with shock before he started to laugh, still wide eyed. 
"Woah, how can someone get so upset about a book. That's when my 'mom' instinct kicked in and I stood up, my eyebrows lowered.

"It's not only a book. It's another reality, another world that I really wished I was in right now." I said sternly and he raised his eyebrows.

"Why, if I might ask," he asked.
"None of your business," I answered coldly and stood up, attempted to take the book away from him, but he held the book up high and dodged all of my attempts.

"Please give me back my book! I only got 2 minutes left and I need to know what happened." I cried and he ignored my cry for help and instead started to read.

"He pulled up his gun and pointed it at Miko.." he started to read it out loud.

I don't remember reading that...

That's when I realized he had pulled up the last page of the whole book and tried to spoil it for me. 
I covered my eyes and told him to stop, but he only laughed before saying seductively,

"Make me." 
When I was about to answer, the bus arrived which made Taka distracted and it was my only chance to get the book away from him. I ran up to him and when I was about to snatch the book from him, I felt my feet fail me and I tripped over an edge and I swore I could see my life flash by, but a pair of hands found my waist and I was rescued from a pretty nasty fall. 
My eyes had closed and when I opened them up again, I saw Taka holding me up, with his face only centimeters away from me. 
The only thing I came up with was to push him away from me. 
"You're welcome," he said, almost offended. 
I looked at his hands and when I saw no book, I desperately looked around to find it laying on the ground with my suitcase.
I quickly picked the book up and grabbed my suitcase, completely ignoring Taka, who just shook his head. 
I should've thanked him...
My mind said, but I quickly thought,
No, it's his fault I almost fell. If he hadn't taken my book, that wouldn't have happened.
I gave the bus driver my student card and found myself a seat in the back. 
Taka was close behind but found himself a seat far from where I was.
I change my mind, he's not cool.
I gave him a dirty look before I focused on my book again. The thing is. He closed the book when it fell on the ground and now I can't find the page I was on. 
I mentally groaned and gave Taka another dirty look.
...
"There you are~" Riko sang and patted the seat beside her on the bus. 
When I got out from the first bus, I had to go on the actual bus that was booked for us who was traveling to the village. There were already many who had found themselves a place to sit.
I sat down beside her and she then started to babbling about when she was sick she still had to make dinner to Ryota, since their parents weren't home and so on. I kept quiet as usual and listened to what she had to say. 
The thing I liked about our friendship was that she LOVED to talk and I normally wasn't much of a talker. There was a good balance with it and I think she liked it too.

The bus ride took less than 3 hours and I was thankful for that. I was able to sleep for about 30 minutes before Riko woke me up, telling we had arrived. 
I looked out and I was immediately faced with hundred of sakura trees. 
My eyes grew bigger and I almost let out a squeal.
Instead, I whispered amazed to myself,
"It's beautiful~" 
I could already tell my eyes was sparkling, looking at all the trees that had blossomed so gracefully. 
Without hesitation, I pulled up my phone and started to snap pictures. 
Riko noticed my passion and she jumped in front of my phone with a peace sign, grinning like a little child. I didn't hesitate of taking a picture. I chuckled at her eager expression and so did she.

"Send it to me!" she begged and I nodded happily. Taka seemed to notice the scene and looked around, saying to himself,

"It's sure a lot of sakura trees." He looked back at me and Riko, who was busy snapping more pictures of the surroundings.

I saw my class but decided to stick by Riko and she told me to never leave her side. I happily told her I wouldn't and she linked her arm with me and pointed at things she thought was beautiful.
"Is Ryota here too?" I asked and she nodded.
"Yeah, he wasn't supposed to go, but I guess Taka forced him since Haruna didn't go."
I raised an eyebrow and I hesitated to ask, but I did anyway. 
"Why didn't Haruna come?"
She leaned in and whispered,

"I've heard she got an interview where they will decide whether she should be signing a modeling contract or not," she started and then continued by saying,

"I'm 100% sure she signs the contract. She's pretty enough to be model." she shrugged.
And Riko had right. She was pretty enough to be a model. 
Her skin was fair and no flaw to be sighted. Her hair was shiny and neat.
She even got the confidence. And yes, I was jealous. 
The day went on and after listening to the tour guide for 2 hours, we finally had the time to take our belongings at the hotel we were supposed to be sleeping at and then we were dismissed for the day.
Riko somehow managed to get a hotel room together so I didn't have to share with someone from my own class. And I breathed out in relief when she told me. Riko and I decided to use our free time to take a walk to one of the historic temples that were really famous in this village. 
"Is it bad that I regret suggesting this." Riko stopped and wiped away the sweat from her forehead. The thing is, the temples were on the other side of the hotel and it was located on the mountainside so we had to take a lot of stairs. And then I meant a lot to them too.
We were halfway there and we had already taken three breaks.
"I should stop skipping gym classes." she cried and I nodded, agreeing with her fully.
I was even sweating on my hands and I was usually too dry.
It took us 20 more minutes before we barely made it to the top.
We both stood on the top of the stairs, panting and looking like we both had run the marathon.
That's when I heard Riko exclaimed a huge,
"Huh!" I looked up and followed her gaze where we both ended up looking at Ryota, Tomoya, Toru and even Taka standing by the temple talking to a monk.