Blue Archive story · Volume 6, Chapter 1, Episode 11
Vol. 6 Ch. 1 Ep. 11: Field Trip 1
1 scenes, 268 lines
1. Part 1
268 lines"It's another wonderful day!"
"Another fun day of classes!"
"Fun." How can you lie to me with such a straight face?
I... I s-studied really hard to prepare this time!
"Aww, good job! That's my Hiyori!"
M-More... Eheehee... Praise me more...
Because there's no guarantee tomorrow will be the same as today...!
Just because the sun rose in the east today, you can't say with 100% certainty that it'll rise in the east tomorrow!
"Exactly! That's skeptical empiricism!"
"And that leads straight into deontological ethics!"
I-I saw that! In the book you gave me, Sensei!
We will now begin the pop quiz.
The...the WHAT?
A...pop "quiz"? So it's a type of exam?
Yes. It's a fast, simplified version.
I'll read the questions out loud, so please write down the answers on your paper.
Um... Hm... We talked about this...
Ugh, it's like I can remember, but not really.
Oh, I just remembered! She said we could ask if we don't know something, didn't she? Hey, what's the answer to this one?
This one? Uh, I think...
Hey, no cheating.
"Cheating"? What is that?
During exams, it's considered cheating to copy someone else's answers, or talk about it with each other.
I thought we could ask if we didn't know!
When you're learning and studying.
So... Exams are a totally different thing from studying? I had no idea...
...We come from the same school, but I seriously worry about them.
"I'm a little..."
"Ah, the weather's so nice out."
Are we looking at the same sky? The one filled with gloomy clouds?
"Feelings and opinions are subjective..."
"'Nice' is my opinion."
"We're wasting a perfectly good day!"
I'm still not following...
"Let's go on a field trip!"
Now what're you saying?!
Is this...allowed...?
What? There are some things in life you have to learn with hands-on experience?
You count this as school work, since class is still in session...?
You made that up on the fly to suit your needs.
"Ack. You caught me."
You can be a little sneaky at times, you know.
"That's the privilege of adulthood."
Do you want to sit, Subaru? Your feet must be tired.
You too, Sensei. Don't your legs hurt?
I don't feel it at all, actually.
It's a little weird.
I never expected I'd come back to the outside world like this.
...
It feels really...different this time.
Ack...!
Are you okay? What's wrong, Maia?
I'm sorry! I'm okay. I just remembered some things. Heehee.
...
"Memories from back then?"
...!
N-No. It's nothing, Sensei...nothing much, at least.
...
Maia did say she had a nightmare the other night. That's all it is.
"But..."
Don't worry, Sensei.
"Are you sure?"
Th-That's true...
Sensei! Where are we going first?
Everything's so bright... I can't tell what's left or right.
"Yup, I've got it! Just leave it to your teacher!"
Whoa, look. Is that building made of glass? How shiny...
A building like that would never last back at Arius.
Do you think the Squad members see things like this every day?
It would've been nice if they could've come too.
It can't be helped. Someone has to hold down the fort back at Arius.
But the Squad, and who they are now... Is it really okay to trust them with that?
"Yup, I've got it! Just leave it to your teacher!"
Officially, the Squad stayed behind to protect Arius and watch over the district.
But the real reason they couldn't join the field trip was something else entirely...
At the end of the day, we're still wanted criminals.
We can't move around freely. I'd prefer to avoid exposing ourselves.
...And I was so looking forward to going on a field trip with Sensei.
Eheehee... Me too, but... It is what it is. I'm used to disappointment...
It's a little ironic that you're the ones who are wanted.
Seriously, how long do you plan on playing fugitive, Squad?
You...!
...Tsk.
You're thinking about the Squad, aren't you?
"?!?!"
Surprised?
You're easier to read than you think, Sensei. Especially with things like this.
...
I'd like to ask you something.
Who are the Squad members to you? Arius students? Or something else?
Ah, no reason for it. It's just a passing curiosity. Really.
"That's..."
It's a good thing you two look like such a great team! It must be hard to manage so many students.
Ah, my apologies! You must be the student teacher, working under this fine mentor. Make sure you learn everything you can from them!
W-W-Wait! You've completely misunderstood! S-Sensei! Help me!
What do you mean, they're smiling at me gently? Augh! A-A-Augh!! I mean it when I say you've got it wrong! This isn't...! We're not...!
Hoho, oh! Youth! Well, this unwanted, old third wheel ought to make himself scarce.
I'm trying to tell you that it's not like that!
...
...
This is freaking awesome!!
Weird... All the buildings are intact...
Back home, the buildings are all crumbling and ruined. We usually just keep patching them up until we've squeezed every last bit of use out of them.
And when one finally collapses, we just hold a little memorial to thank it for everything until then...
"From here, we're all going to cross to the other side of the street!"
We're crossing the street? Should I go now?
Whoa?! Why are you pulling me back, Sensei?!
"You can't cross the street when the light's red!"
Really...?
So that's how it works out here...
But I don't think we'd get hurt THAT badly from just a car. We're pretty tough, you know.
Huh? Try to think of how the driver would feel? I guess I can try...
A "swimming pool"...?
What is this place...?
They say it's an athletic facility built solely for doing something called "swimming."
How is there this much clean water in one place?! That's insane!
Huh? What now, Sensei?
"You can't drink the pool water..."
B-But there's so much of it!
It smells fresh, so it probably won't give you a stomachache.
Huh? That smell's from a chemical disinfectant called chlorine?
They even disinfect the water in the outside world?!
We're so hiiiiigh!!
Look at the sky! It's sooo blue!
So that's what a river looks like... Wow...
That thing's called a bridge, right? How in the world did they build that?!
"It's great you're all excited, but be mindful of the people around us!"
"Try to use your inside voices. No shouting!"
Okaaay, Sensei!
Are you...tearing up right now, Sensei?
Huh? You're just really grateful we're so cooperative?
Now that you mention it, it's kind of weird... Back then, I hated listening to adults talk.
Well, that's because all they ever did was threaten and beat us...
I know what this is! It's a hamburger!
Yeah, I've had one before. Subaru buys them for us sometimes!
It definitely tastes the same, but somehow it feels different... I wonder why...
Maybe because we're eating it somewhere new?
Yeah, that could be it.
"Everyone, wait! No, stop!"
"Don't put your mouth on the faucet when you're drinking!"
B-But you said we could have as much as we want...
It's because other people have to use the dispenser too?
...
Oh. I didn't think of that.
Huh? You're thanking us for lining up properly?
It's a little embarrassing to be praised for something that basic, Sensei.
Yeah. If you didn't line up properly, or cut in line, when we got rations, they'd punish you until you blacked out!
Wh-Where are we now, Sensei?
It's insanely loud, and there's so many flashing lights... Augh...
Huh? This place is called a "game center"? What's a "game"?
...
D-Don't lie to us, Sensei! There's no way something like that exists in this world! Electronic machines made only for fun...?
...All the machines in here...do look like fun...
Oh no, look. You have to pay to play even one time! That's highway robbery!
People spend their precious money on...fun?
"Don't worry! Your teacher has you covered!"
Really?!
I don't really get it... How is this a field trip for school...?
Huh? We're learning math? A hands-on lesson on functions? What are you even talking about?
...Wait, what? Let me make sure I heard you correctly: Functions are a rule where an input goes in, and then the output comes out.
At an arcade, you press buttons (the input), and your character moves (the output).
And that's why it's a "hands-on" lesson on functions?
...
That was the most creative, original, and idiotic load of nonsense I've ever heard.
Huh? I wouldn't even believe the kinds of nonsense that circulates in the outside world?
...
I'm okay with being ignorant, then, thank you...
Waaah! What was that?! No way!
Just one more! One more game!!
"Ugh... I'm exhausted..."
You worked really hard today, Sensei.
I'll give you that much.
So, what lesson lies in this park?
"When it's time to rest, it's best to rest"? I won't say that's wrong...
...Even during the "training" we were forced to go through, we tried to sneak in breaks wherever we could.
"You're all so...full of energy..."
You're welcome to join training any time you want, Sensei.
Those days are behind you? Hahaha...
Hm? You hope I'm having fun?
...
In my own way, I am enjoying this moment.
Right now, at least.
A silence fell between us for a short moment.
We both looked up at the sky, sitting side by side.
The sky sure is blue.
...Whether it was because of the location or the climate, the sky over Arius, more often than not, was gray.
...
Hey, Sensei.
Say, hypothetically, if someone...
...really, really, really wanted to throw their life away.
Is it even possible to stop them?
"What?!?!?!"
What an expression you're making. Hahaha.
Why the dark turn in topic? Hm. No reason?
You don't always need some special reason to bring something up, do you?
Was that a serious question?
Yes. Very much so.
So I'd like you to answer seriously too, Sensei.
This is a kind of "lesson," right?
...Someone's face flashed quickly through my mind...
So, as she suggested, we pretended we were in class.
"To be honest."
"I don't think it was a serious question."
"You just wanted to see your poor teacher panic, huh?"
Huh? N-no! It's not like that...!
...
It's not like I've never had those kinds of thoughts, but...
B-But, seriously!
"The core of your question is one about happiness."
"How do you go on living when nothing makes you happy?"
I guess I can see that...
Huh? It's idealistic to think life is just about being happy?
Ideals are inherently good. They're something to strive and hope for.
But you're trying to say that...complete happiness is impossible?
...
Then what's more realistic?
"Happiness is something...that helps us keep moving forward."
"...Even if those moments are few and far in between."
"So if someone is in unbearable pain..."
"Even if they beg you to let them go..."
"There's just one thing I know."
Hm? If something like that did happen...
...you would blame yourself for letting things get that bad for them?
...
"Exactly. Because we probably had..."
"...a kind of obligation to serve as each other's reason."
...!
You know, if that's true, Sensei...
...
I-I want to ask you...just to know...
Does that mean...you could serve as my reason, Sensei?
"If things turned out that way, I think that would be wonderful."
"Just like how, right now, the Arius kids are your reason."
What?! I don't think I ever said that?!
Huh? There are things adults know just by looking...?
...!!
Sensei! Come here! Just for a sec!
"I'm on my way!"
...
Seriously.
Jumping to conclusions when they don't know anything...
I guess Sensei wasn't too far off, though...
Seriously...
Subaru? There you are! Can I ask for your help with something, please?
Huh? Ah, of course. What is it?