Dawn began to break, dispelling the thick darkness that had enveloped the ravine. The eastern sky above the cliffs was painted with gradients of orange, pink, and purple, gradually revealing a golden glow.
Warm morning sunlight filtered through gaps in the dense foliage. The air felt cool and damp, carrying the scent of wet earth and forest leaves.
Birds started to whistle and chirp, while forest insects awoke from their hiding spots, filling the night's silence with a melodious symphony of nature.
A thin mist still lingered among the tall trees, lending a mystical aura to the secluded forest.
One by one, members of the Archery Club began to wake from their uncomfortable sleep. Soft groans, pained whimpers, and heavy sighs filled the air.
As their eyes opened to the sight of makeshift tents, bitter reality hit them hard. The bus crash wasn't a nightmare. They were truly stranded at the bottom of a remote ravine.
Faces that moments ago were still drowsy turned to shock, fear, and despair. They had no choice but to accept that today, they'd face a struggle to survive, far from civilization.
"Good morning, Rokuhara-kun. Thank you for your hard work."
Mafuyu's hoarse voice broke the morning silence. She emerged from her tent, her steps sluggish.
Her gaze immediately fell on Ren, sitting by the campfire, now reduced to cold, smokeless black ash on the ground.
"Morning, Kirisu-sensei. Did you sleep well… Ah, sorry for asking such a silly question."
Ren corrected himself, noticing the clear dark circles under Mafuyu's eyes.
Except for Ren, who seemed calm and unshaken, everyone else was shrouded in anxiety. They were ordinary people, trapped in an unknown wilderness after a horrific accident. Acting as carefree as Ren was impossible for them.
"Oh?"
Seeing Mafuyu head toward the forest's edge, Ren guessed her intent.
"Kirisu-sensei, it's best not to enter the forest alone in the morning. Especially since you don't know what might be lurking."
"…"
Mafuyu's steps halted. Her body tensed.
After waking, the urge to urinate was a natural response, and Mafuyu was no exception. The forest might still hold hidden dangers they didn't know about. Even something as simple as relieving herself alone now carried terrifying risks.
Mafuyu bit her lower lip, her face showing clear inner conflict.
Finally, in a barely audible voice, she turned to Ren. Her cheeks flushed slightly, a trace of hesitation and embarrassment in her eyes.
"Rokuhara-kun… Could you come with me?"
"Sure."
Ren nodded without hesitation or surprise. They headed into the forest, leaving the makeshift camp.
Behind dense bushes, Mafuyu stopped. She glanced at Ren, her face stiff with embarrassment.
"Rokuhara-kun, don't peek, or I'll make you write a ten-thousand-word essay. And cover your ears, too."
"If I cover my ears, how will I hear if something dangerous approaches, Kirisu-sensei?"
Ren used the exact same reasoning he'd given Umi the previous night.
The result? Like Umi, Mafuyu relented. Her face showed defeat, but she couldn't refute Ren's logical point.
Mafuyu averted her gaze, her lips pursed. She reached for her thigh, where her pantyhose, badly torn from the accident, clung.
(These are beyond saving. I should just get rid of them.)
Without hesitation, she pulled them off and tossed them aside.
Then, awkwardly, she lowered her underwear and squatted. The sound of her urine trickling was clear in the quiet morning forest.
(Humiliation. Letting a student guard me while I pee. I've failed as a teacher.)
Her eyes never left Ren's back, as if fearing he might sneak a peek.
After all, Ren was a teenager, at the peak of his libido. Mafuyu felt a slight worry about being attacked.
She didn't want to take maternity leave, following her colleagues at Ohananomitsu High School. There were five young female teachers there—Tachibana Hina, Nakano Itsuki, Kirisu Mafuyu, Minagawa Akane, and Hiratsuka Shizuka. Two, Itsuki and Hina, were now pregnant, with the fathers' identities unknown.
Rumors even circulated that a student was responsible for their pregnancies, which was why both refused to name the fathers.
Though Mafuyu didn't fully believe the rumors, she wasn't willing to take even the slightest risk. She couldn't imagine her career's destruction if it happened to her.
If Ren knew Mafuyu's thoughts, he'd mock her mercilessly. Mafuyu was far from his ideal woman. Even scumbags like Natsuo or Makoto wouldn't likely be drawn to a cold, rigid woman like her.
Only masochists would enjoy being treated indifferently by someone like Mafuyu.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Back at the camp, Mafuyu sighed in relief. Thankfully, no other students had emerged from their tents. Otherwise, she'd have faced suspicious—or worse, strange—looks seeing her return from the forest with Ren.
That would've been incredibly embarrassing.
Soon after, Nanao and Kaito, the two men with the lightest injuries, exited their tent. After greeting Ren and Mafuyu, they headed to the trees on the opposite side without much talk, relieving their full bladders after the night.
One by one, the other Archery Club members woke. But not everyone was as fortunate as Nanao and Kaito. Due to their injuries, most had severely limited mobility.
For example, Ryohei, with his broken leg, and Coach Takigawa, with his head wound, could only lie weakly. Seeing their state, Kaito and Nanao stepped in. They used empty water bottles to help Ryohei and Takigawa urinate in place—a pitiful but realistic scene in this emergency.
Seiya remained unconscious, lying still in his tent, worrying everyone.
The women fared slightly better. Nanao, Rika, and Yuuna had only scratches and bruises. Though they walked with limps and occasional winces, they could still move.
Umi, unscathed thanks to Ren's protection, quickly helped them to a more secluded spot behind bushes. Mafuyu assisted as well.
In short, they could still urinate on their own—a small luxury in such dire circumstances.