Let’s rewind for a moment.
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“After this, where will we go now?”
“Over there. What is that? Is that a sh…s.h.i.+pyard from WW2?”
“Ahh—Yup yup, that’s it that’s it! Looked like it suffered through harsh weather.”
The bus looked crowded from the inside. Everyone sat next to their friends and neighbors, chatting and playing. There was not much difference within 2nd year cla.s.s 4 daily life. A strange voice similar to an idiot could be heard, but there were no such fools, it was the boys and girls peculiar high tension. The onee-san guide and the bus driver could not keep up with the students’ current tension.
As I thought, it was Ryuzaki Kunihiro’s group that were the most excited.
Ryuzaki was an ikemen with the whole package: tall and handsome, excellent grades, an athlete, the model student. Regardless of gender, Ryuzaki was able to attract both with his personality and nature. Students with high stature were gathered around him. A natural elite group had formed and the other students naturally gravitated around it.
The girls group was divided between the queen of the cla.s.s, Akai Asuka, and Rin, who was close to Ryuzaki. Although it looked like a fun atmosphere, having an adult-like atmosphere took over the latter.
And then there’s my group, having no relations to the other group.
Utsurogi Kyosuke, Hino Akira, and Kogane Yos.h.i.+ki.
I was lanky, while Kogane was a shorty. The difference in height did not help making our group value rise. Only Akira was comparable to Ryuzaki, in being an ikemen as well, yet because Akira kept hanging around with Kogane and me, other began to mock him and his chances with girls had plummeted.
“Utsurogi–hey, look here! After going to the s.h.i.+pyard, lets make a cruiser!”
While curled in the corner of the bus, Kogane showed excitement as he held out the first page of a magazine.
Compared to the rest of the cla.s.s, I think that Kogane’s tension has skyrocketed, in regards to the s.h.i.+pyard. I also had an interest in the military, so I can understand Kogane’s feeling. Recently, battles.h.i.+ps have started to be called “cute girls”. Of course Kogane and I both played the social game, which many played within the otaku community.
Meanwhile Akira kept silent due to having motion sickness.
“As I thought, the only cruiser I love is Sendai-Chan—”[TL:Kancolle reference… I did not know since I never watched the anime or played the game]
“Utsurogi, Sendai is a light cruiser. Since we’re at the s.h.i.+pyard, lets try to make a heavy cruiser!”
“Opps, and partially exposed?”[TL: Did not understand. “にわかを晒したか
“]
“If its heavy cruisers, it has to be Atago! Aoba is also great too! But I really love the Takao type! Aoba and Takao!”
Sitting close to us were several girls whose glances seemed to say “gross, nerds” as they turned towards Kogane. I thought that surely Kogane extremely high tension along with his strange habit, shouting like he found the love of his life, would attract negative judgment from other. Yet Kogane confidently said “I like what I like”. I also shouted…to myself as I hid my pa.s.sion from others.
“That reminds me Utsurogi. That girl over there has an atmosphere similar to Aoba, right?”
“Ahhhn? Himemizu?”
Kogane motionlessly gazed at Himemizu Rin, who sat at the front of the bus where the elite group was at having fun. The track and field leading sprinter, Himemizu body with her sailor uniform stood out beautifully in the distance. Being the cla.s.s 3 bishoujo, her name was not at all showy, or so I thought.
“Similar? She’s slenderer so rather than a cruiser, wouldn’t a destroyer be better?”
“Ehhh, I wonder. The similarity was only just a thought.”
As we were talking, Himemizu Rin locked eyes with Kogane, with a hint of violence glittering in her eyes. Striking her shoulders with a *pon* that could be heard, I hastily said
“Ok, Kogane lets stop or she’ll…..”
“Ehh, what, why!? What they heck do you mean!?”
“We live in a world too different from her….”
Himemizu Rin was similar to Ryuzaki, being that she treats mostly everyone equally. When there is business with my group, they often speak to us with kind and cheerfully att.i.tudes. It was no surprise that Kogane’s heart would be moved.
However, it was an unrequited love. Many other guys had the same experience, to the extent that she could have many alternatives if she wanted to talk with them. I am also a fan of Himemizu Rin and did not want to think she is a fickle person, yet Kogane’s reason for was not expressively known.
“Is that right—, stop….”
Leaning on the window, Akira mindlessly said
“Until Hino?” [TL: Again, “火野まで！？”]
“Just woke up Akira? Your face looks extremely pale. You ok?”
As usual, Akira face became a pale and groggy due to the motion sickness, nodded his head.
Even back in the day, he has always been weak when riding in vehicles. Nevertheless, because he never said to another person, he’s always been having troubles at such times. Since he had said it before that he was weak when riding in vehicles, he had swapped seats to the front. Yet sitting at the front was the teacher and the riajuu’s group, so it became rather uncomfortable. As a general rule, he did not want to be spoken to at all.
“Kyosuke, Kogane…..I have an interesting story to tell. At the s.h.i.+pyard, I remembered….”
Though groggy, he a.s.sisted in changing the topic. What a bro.
“Eh, what’s that? The story of how Hino met his wife?”
“I don’t play that social game…… Truth is, at the s.h.i.+pyard, there’s a rumor….”
Akira, groaning as he recalled the story, said that according to an ex j.a.panese Navy, after WW2, the existence of a heavy cruiser was erased. The cruiser was also made at the s.h.i.+pyard where we were heading too. Around the time nearing the end of the war, during a naval battle, the s.h.i.+p had vanished.
“It didn’t sink?”
“That’s what I thought but…”it vanished” he said. After that, the records were strangely deleted…or so they say.”
“Hmmmmm, I wonder if it ended up taking a trip to another world…?”
“Why’s that?”
I replied to Kogane remarks, in which the shorty gla.s.ses sparkled and shone as he replied
“Why Utsurogi? Do you not read internet short novels? Nowadays, there’s business in light novels. Going to another world and having an adventure is the route commonly used.”
“Ahh, that. That I know…”
‘Hyoko’… A female student’s face peeked over the seat in front of us.
If I’m not mistake, that’s Sak.u.ma, wearing plain gla.s.ses. She’s shy and clumsy and was also excluded from the girls group. Visual proof would be that sitting next to her was a criminal’s daughter.
Sak.u.ma was part of the literature club. Because I go to the library afterschool, I often b.u.mps into her there. Her favorite light novels are usually fairytales from children’s book. She’s was very excited, so I didn’t think at all that she would really get into the conversation.
“You knew too!? Fascinating! As for myself, I’ve been contributing an entry to the site too. There’s also various bookmarking to do however, heyy, look here, look at this!
I knew it, Kogane surrounding was surprised that there was a voice louder than theirs as he shoved the smartphone screen towards Sak.u.ma.
“Aaa, un. Fascinating…I like this one….”
“Ahh, the villain reincarnation series eh! The girl dies—“
No offense to the statement, but it was rude. It was annoying to try to retort back to Kogane, so I just let him speak as is. Sak.u.ma was caught up in Kogane trap, her glances at me seemed to be begging for help. Instead, I mouthed 『good luck』to her.
Akira was watching while I was thinking if I wanted to sleep, had closed my eyes. Kogane, as usual, was rapidly firing words like a machine gun towards Sak.u.ma who couldn’t keep up.
And soon the accident with the bus happened, with the cla.s.s riding in the bus.
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“Eeetoo, anyways, I wonder if this is everyone?”
Ryuzaki muttered after the complete transformation.
Ryuzaki appearance had changed into a body that had a horn, scales, a tail, and resembled a reptile. Something that could be called a Draconic, or half dragon half human. I’m extremely jealous that the ikemen was spoiled, but this is…this is another vector of coolness. How enviable!
Panic would have presented itself, but the flow of calmness changed the mood of the other students. Ryuzaki started suggestions. In the same caste as Ryuzaki, the ogre Goubayas.h.i.+ came to the same solution as Ryuzaki and moved to his side. With that the cla.s.s became determined.
I became a skeleton and Rin became a water slime, sat at a corner for the time being.
If possible, I wanted to sit next to Akira and Kogane but it was clearly hard to tell what kind of monsters those two had become. Perhaps other cla.s.smates were thinking the same time. Everyone was fidgety because the person next to them could be someone they know.
“First of all, because everyone’s face has changed, I think we need to confirm each other again. To start off, I am Ryuzaki. He’s Goubayas.h.i.+.”
After the draconic introduction, the ogre nodded. This everyone had known already.
“There’s…two people who didn’t change eh. Asuka and Inugami right?”
Indeed, the cla.s.s queen, Akai’s Asuka and the delinquent girl, Inugami Hibiki’s outer appearance did not change as much. They still had a human figure, but Akai’s eyes became blood red while Inugami had dog ears and tail.
I wondered if they became a werewolf and a vampire. If the chances were a hit or miss, then those two definitely hit their targets. How envious!
“Eetto, besides that…Alright, that floating fireball is?”
“Hino Akira.”
After hearing a name that I knew, I felt relieved. Observing closely, it was a red wisp, floating with ‘fuyo’fuyo’. The ikemen was also spoiled. He really was unworthy to be that.
“Akira, over here this way! Its me, Kyosuke!”
“Ahh, as I thought, you’re Kyosuke. As always you’re bony”
After becoming a wisp, Akira was able to fly towards my location.
Ryuzaki was using the rock as a desk to take notes.
“Fireball is Hino…. Skeleton is Utsurogi…”
Ryuzaki continued as the pen rubbed against his forehead.
“Oook, then that slime over there is? Kogane?”
“Aah, iya. Ryuzaki-kun, I…”
After Rin’s words came out, Ryuzaki fell and the pen also slipped away.
“Rin!? You’re Rin!?”
“U…uun…”
A dejected answer could be heard from the slime.
The reaction was not quite rude, and I remembered my previous reaction as well. Rin’s appearance changed greatly, but she was still the same inside.
Certainly Rin was the cla.s.s top 3 bishoujo, but now alone, ‘fuyo’fuyo’ she was judge by her outward appearance of a slime. She became sad and her mood worsened. Her voice made it obvious it was her as well. I thought that Rin looked like she was about to curl herself up.
“Err, I am Kogane…”
A voice could be heard in the other direction, I also turned towards it and tried to get a glance. What happened next was completely shocking.
I wouldn’t think that everyone wanted to confirm Kogane’s appearance, but several seconds later bewilderment began to spread throughout the cla.s.s. Ryuzaki and Goubayas.h.i.+ both were taken aback. The slime and wisp facial expression could not be understood, but I’m sure they’re both surprised as well.
Blond hair flowing and having emerald green eyes, pointy ears and with a tall slender figure. His transformation transcended the previous Ryuzaki handsome face.
Kogane called himself that man, totally different from that shorty, muscular, gla.s.ses wearing kid, is now the ikemen Elf.
“Ko….kogane………?”
“Un……….”
Kogane answered completely embarra.s.sed and also tried to curl himself up. This was the complete opposite of Rin’s reasoning.
Ryuzaki, for some reason, received a greater shock than when he saw Rin. Goubayas.h.i.+, with his huge arms, picked up the pen and skillfully registered:
『Koganei: Ikemen』.
Several hours before they were confused because of the memo.
After that, the shocked and astonishment received continued. With the confirmation of all cla.s.s members, Ryuzaki was able to breath a sigh of relief.
2nd year cla.s.s 4 cla.s.smates were all present. Its hard to say they were safe, but everyone was present.
However, the bus driver, bus guide, and the teacher names were not accounted for.
“Just what the heck is going on….”
Ryuzaki spoke the feeling the entire cla.s.s had.
“It’s a trip to a different world….”
Kogane muttered as he stood by himself. Not a single person listened since they were all busy gazing.
We came into a different world. Our world is now the different world.
Everyone was absentmindedly thinking, however no one understood the reality of this.
Kogane’s word casted a dark shadow over the cla.s.s.