Chapter 32: Stuck Together

The high-speed train finally arrived. Once the doors opened, the students entered and chose their seats. The train had five seats per row. Two seats on one side, and then three on the other with an aisle that separated them. Class 2-B had their groups of five occupy a single row. Everyone placed their bags and luggage inside the overhead compartment. Mizumi and Sumire sat on the two-person side of the row, while Akuma, Sanaka and Angelie occupied the other side. Akuma sat on the window seat and Angelie occupied the aisle seat, while Sanaka sat between them.

"How long is the train ride again, Angelie-san?"

Sanaka looked at Angelie while carrying the paper bag of pastries on her lap.

"Um, I think it's about two hours?"

Angelie searched her shoulder bag for the brochure.

"Well, good thing I came prepared. I won't get hungry on the way there."

Sanaka was already searching inside the paper bag for something to eat.

"Let me see… Yup, a bit more than two hours. Then we'll first head straight to our hotel to eat lunch there and drop off our luggage in our rooms."

Angelie held the brochure in front of her as she checked for other details.

"Here, Akuma. As promised, a pastry. It's a chocolate-filled bun with cream—"

Akuma grabbed the pastry from Sanaka's hand without looking at her. He continued to stare outside the window.

"I guess when it comes to bread, you really can’t say no, huh?"

Sanaka lightly giggled at him.

"It's an addiction at this point. Blame my parents."

Akuma opened the packaging and took a bite from the bun.

Angelie watched the two interact by looking at them sideways. She then leaned sideways at Sanaka and whispered softly.

"You've really become close with that stupid Demon Lord, haven't you?"

"I still need to learn the cookie recipe from his sister. It's like I'm bribing him but he'll never have any idea about it."

Sanaka leaned back to Angelie.

"I can hear you, you know? And this bun is payment for making me carry that heavy paper bag. If you're going to bribe me, then you'd need at least three more of this."

Akuma waved the bun that was already half eaten.

"Ugh… You only get one more! That's final! What if I get hungry by not eating enough?"

Sanaka begrudgingly took another pastry from the paper bag and held it in her hands.

"We could just visit Yuurei-chan and ask her to teach it to us. I'll accompany you, Sanaka-san."

Angelie smiled at Sanaka.

"Hey, that's a great idea, Angelie-san!"

Sanaka's beaming smile blinded Angelie.

"Don't go inviting yourselves to our house with my permission."

Akuma swallowed the last bit of the bun and snatched the pastry Sanaka was holding in her hands.

"We're going to visit Yuurei-chan and not you. We don't need your permission for anything, you dumb Demon Lord!"

Angelie shouted at Akuma.

Some of their classmates who were seated near them looked at Angelie, including Mizumi and Sumire.

"Was that Fukushuu-san?"

One of their classmates who was seated in front of them said out loud.

"No way, Fukushuu-san would never say something like that!"

"Yeah, she's too nice to be shouting at everyone."

"It must be from something she's watching. She just forgot to wear earphones."

"Of course! That's the most logical explanation!"

Their classmates talked out loud with each other. Angelie sat back straight in her seat with her red face.

"The pretentious Saint really has everyone fooled…"

Akuma smirked while eating the new pastry he grabbed.

---

After about two hours and fifteen minutes, they arrived in Kyoto. Everyone disembarked the train and gathered inside the station. The teachers instructed the students to proceed to the hotel that was just walking distance from the train station. They would all meet inside the large banquet hall reserved under their school. Everyone would be having their early lunch there. The students had thirty minutes to arrive at the hotel. The teachers went ahead of the students.

"Do you want to look around for a bit before we head to the hotel?"

Sumire asked everyone in their five-member group.

"I'll go on ahead to the hotel. See you later."

Akuma looked at Sumire then walked on ahead towards the hotel.

"Poor Jizen-kun. He must still be feeling awkward after what happened that time in class…"

Mizumi stared at Akuma as he got further away from them.

"Yeah… So, we'll have to make sure we make this trip fun for him!"

Sumire touched Mizumi's shoulder and smiled at her.

(That devious Demon Lord has this two fooled because of his dirty tricks…)

Angelie glanced sideways the at the two sympathetic girls.

---

Inside the banquet hall, there were three long tables set up parallelly with each other. There was a small elevated platform with a microphone set up in front of the room. Once the students arrived at the large banquet hall, they sat down on their respective seats which were labeled per class. Lunch was served immediately afterwards. While everyone was eating, a teacher made an announcement in front. He said that after eating, they will be handing out the room assignments. Afterwards, the students were instructed to drop off their belongings in their rooms and meet back inside the banquet hall.

The four girls in Akuma's group were in one room together. Akuma was joined by three other male classmates. He had no previous interactions with those three. They just greeted each other once they entered the room and had some small talk. After picking their beds and leaving their bags there, Akuma and the other boys went back to the banquet hall. When everyone got back inside the banquet hall, the teachers informed them that there were shuttle buses waiting outside. Each class would occupy their own shuttle bus.

It was still an hour before noon. Their first destination was Nijo Castle. They would be staying there for about two hours, so they would still have time to visit the two other locations in their first day itinerary. They made their way to Nijo Castle fairly quickly.

Nijo Castle was previously used as a residence by the shogun and later used as an imperial palace before being donated to the city as a historical site. It can be divided into three areas. The Honmaru or the first circle of defense, the Ninomaru or second circle of defense and the gardens that surrounded the Honmaru and Ninomaru. The walking paths around Honmaru and Ninomaru were surrounded by cherry blossom trees. They're not in full bloom as summer time was already approaching. The main attraction of the tourist site was the Ninomaru Palace. Normally, one would need to pay an additional fee in order to enter the palace. Otherwise, the Ninomaru Palace can be viewed from the gardens outside.

The students got out of the bus and formed into their groups. Each group entered the gate and started to look around. Mizumi, Sumire and Sanaka were walking ahead and were engrossed in talking to one another. Angelie and Akuma were stuck with each other, as they were not allowed to be separated from their group.

"How come I'm stuck with you? Shouldn't you be talking to Sanaka and those girls?"

Akuma scowled while walking around.

"Who can blame her? Now that she has some 'normal' friends to talk to. They seem to get along well."

Angelie stared at the three girls in front of her with a longing look.

"You've only got yourself to blame for being weird."

Akuma was looking away.

"No worse than you."

Angelie was still looking at the three girls.

"Ah, I can't wait for the last day where I don't have to suffer being around you."

"The feeling is mutual."

Both Angelie and Akuma continued to follow Sanaka and the others as they walk around and tour the grounds. They paid the extra fee in order to enter Ninomaru Palace. They went past different rooms that were used by previous officials of the shogun. There was also an overlooking garden just outside of Ninomaru Palace, called the Ninomaru Garden. It's a traditional landscape garden with a large pond and pine trees.

---

A few steps behind Akuma and Angelie, there was a group of students from another class who was also looking around the palace. They were comprised of all male students. One of the male students was staring intently at Akuma and Angelie as they exited to Ninomaru Garden.

"I have to find a way to talk to her somehow…"

The male student was slowly walking towards Angelie.

"Hey, Tsurugi! Don't wander off on your own!"

His male classmate called out to him.

"Yeah…"

"You've been spacing out a bit ever since we got here. Something wrong?"

His classmate looked at him directly.

"Well, no. It's just that… I want to talk to someone…"

"Oh! We didn't think you planned to confess to someone here! You should have told us, we'd support you all the way, man!"

His classmate put his arm around the Kendo club's captain.

"It's nothing like that…"

He answered his classmate then looked back at Angelie and Akuma. They were now gone from his sight.