"So, how's it going with Hiromi-san?"
"I'm not really too sure how exactly I feel about her yet but we have been closer lately so I guess you could say it's going well"
"Dude, just fuck already"
"Shut up, Tatsuya"
"Tch" (Tatsuya)
The three of us are seated in a circle inside the hotel room by the seaside. It's after-dark hours and we are supposed to be asleep but on a school trip like this there's no way we can just go to sleep and not stay up chatting all night.
"You can tell him to be quiet too you know, Masanori-kun"
"It's fine, I am being a bit indecisive and slow here so Tatsuya-kun has got a point" (Masanori)
To my right sits Jin Masanori, the popular guy in our class and also most of the school. He's around average height, like me, and has the usual black hair and eyes that you see in Japan a lot. Not to brag but I've known him for a while, since the start of middle school actually, and all I can say about him is that he is just about the perfect guy. Hell, if I was a girl I would've fallen for him too. Amazing grades, outstanding in any sport, and incredible looks doesn't even start to cover his good points.
(People say everyone is born equal but I have the perfect example to prove them wrong right next to me. Damn these Gods)
"Ha! See? You're the one spitting bullshit!" (Tatsuya)
"I never said you were spitting anything in the first place"
And to my left is Matsumoto Tatsuya, a delinquent in our class that ended up taking a liking to me after I didn't react to him threatening me for money. He's more on the taller side for our age and got quite the stocky build. His hair is bleached to a mix of black and blonde because apparently he gave up mid-way through doing it, which I for some reason found hilarious the first time I heard it. However he is an alright guy once I got to know him, despite my previous experiences with him.
(Haah, if this guy didn't bare his teeth at everything that moved, he'd probably be pretty popular too)
"Hm? I thought that was what you meant. Man, with that face of yours I can't tell what you mean or what you're thinking about at all, Yuudai" (Tatsuya)
"Well sorry, I guess" (Yuudai)
And lastly me, Hirano Yuudai, a relatively average guy with some 'quirks' I guess you could say. On the inside I am just like anyone else, if anything a bit more emotional, but I can never seem to express it on the outside. But not to a level of just not smiling or laughing very much, but as in my face doesn't change no matter the circumstance or my feelings. It's quite the impediment on my life but it can come in handy sometimes. Apart from my abnormal face situation, I am mostly normal in whatever I do whether it's my grades, entertainment activities like games or physical activities. The only outlier is that I have good power and strength in my body so I'm good at throwing and short distance sprints, but have bad endurance so long distance running or anything over a long period of time is the bane of my existence. I also pride myself in having a slightly above average face, however when next to these two handsome lads it's pretty much negligible.
"Well it's not really something you have to apologise for, I was just sayin' is all" (Tatsuya)
Tatsuya was giving me an apologetic look while rubbing the back of his neck even though he hadn't really done anything wrong. Really a nice guy.
"Well going back to the conversation from before, what about Tatsuya-kun?" (Masanori)
"What about me?" (Tatsuya)
"Do you have anyone you like at all?" (Masanori)
"Oh. I want to hear this too" (Yuudai)
I cut in to voice my interest in this rare chance, and also to make sure that Tatsuya has no escape route.
"Why're you two askin' me of all people that? You should know the answer already by just lookin' at me" (Tatsuya)
"So that's a no?" (Masanori)
"Disappointing, Tatsuya" (Yuudai)
Tatsuya, who had turned away in slight embarrassment turned back after hearing my words.
"Well then what about you Yuudai? Huh?" (Tatsuya)
"Yeah, you hardly ever talk about romance stuff do you Yuudai-kun?" (Masanori)
Masanori-kun turned his head towards me, eyes sparkling and burning for a response.
"Me? Well…"
SLAM
The door of the hotel room swung open with a huge noise, our well known teacher standing there.
"Are you lot up?"
"""Yes Yamane-Sensei"""
We all stand up quickly in a line facing Yamane-Sensei in the doorway. He is a large beefy man in his late forties, kind but very strict when the time calls for it.
"Follow me, quickly. There's been an alarm and report saying a tsunami is approaching in approximately one hour." (Yamane-Sensei)
"What?" (Tatsuya)
"Grab your stuff quickly and meet in the car park. The other teachers are going around the other floors collecting the students from the other classes and years so be fast" (Yamane-Sensei)
Yamane-Sensei turns around and leaves. I immediately gather my things and help the other two do the same.
"A bit sudden don'tcha think? Wouldn't they usually know a bit earlier than an hour before?" (Tatsuya)
"It is weird" (Masanori)
(Tatsuya makes a good point. It is strange that the tsunami hadn't been noticed more than an hour before it is about to hit. However we don't have any time to be theorising on what could've happened, we have to get out of here as soon as possible)
We exit our room and run down the corridor passing by rooms with other students panicking and speedily packing up their things. There is also a few other groups of three students, similar to us, that have finished packing and are running in front of us with their bags.
"Take the stairs to the left in an orderly fashion so that nobody gets hurt"
Another teacher standing at the end of the corridor directs the students to the stairs and we enter the stream of people flowing to the bottom.
Once outside, we start walking to the coach that we rode on the way here and Yamane-Sensei is already there taking a register of who has arrived.
"Good thing we made it huh?" (Tatsuya)
"Don't say that dude, it's a death flag, we're not even there yet" (Yuudai)
"What? You say the dumbest things sometimes. That makes no sense, right Masanori?" (Tatsuya)
"Sorry Tatsuya-kun but I have to agree with Yuudai-kun on this one" (Masanori)
"Eh? Why?" (Tatsuya)
As we were having our leisurely victory chat a loud voice echoes around the car park.
"Get all the students out of the building and in the vehicles, it's earlier than expected!"
The screams of panic around and students clambering onto the coaches are deafening. But of course, I am completely calm. Or at least that's what it looks like. Even though my face looks completely tranquil and normal, I'm panicking on the inside. I run just behind the other two about to get on the van…
SMASH
I stupidly stop and turn around and witness a wave hit the building we were just in. The force is immense, smashing the entire top part of the hotel where our room is, or was, causing it to slide and come crashing down, being followed by the rest of the building. I simply stare up at it. As it feels like time slows , it creeps towards me while I am unable to move, like death itself is encompassing me and holding me down.
"Yuudai!" (Tatsuya)
"Yuudai-kun!" (Masanori)
They are still worried about me, but with the size of this they are most likely coming with me. As will be the rest of the students and teachers indiscriminately. There's no escaping this.
With the rubble only a few feet above me and getting closer, a female voice resonated in my head.
"Go"
And so I did.