"Forget the bus fee, just let Diane know I'm not paying." Logan said calmly.
As they walked toward class, David blinked in surprise, thinking he heard wrongly, "Not paying? Why not? This time, it's just a small bus fee, and it's really affordable since the school is partnering with a travel agency. It's practically..."
Logan interrupted David and said, "No, I mean, I'm skipping the autumn field trip this year."
"You're not going?" David was shocked and wore a look of deep betrayal, "I'm going and you're not going?"
'Who do you think you are?' Logan noted David's intensely questioning gaze and felt a bit of a headache coming on, "I have something important going on that weekend and can't go."
The autumn field trip was scheduled for Friday, but Logan had decided to push up his trip to Japan. He planned to meet with Damian over the weekend to discuss long-term matters about the underground organization he'd gotten involved with. Naturally, the schedule conflicted with the school trip.
Currently, Logan is not in the mood to join his classmates in the carefree joy of sightseeing. With the recent complications in his cross-over situation, his mind was constantly tense, making any sort of relaxation feel impossible.
"Logan, I don't think you realize how amazing this year's trip is! It's nothing like the usual ones!" David said, grabbing Logan by the arm, trying to convince him.
"Let go of my arm first." Logan gave him a cold glare.
David let go as he was told, but his expression remained unchanged and he continued to persuade him as if nothing had happened, "This year's destination is Napa River! The student council actually managed to negotiate this with the school, and the travel club planned it out carefully. It's a two-day, one-night trip where you can bring any items you want, even phones, snacks, or game consoles! You'll get to enjoy amazing sights, experience the unique scenery of the Napa River, and all that for just 99 Dollar! I'm telling you, only 99!"
Logan's mouth twitched, 'Why did you speak so skillfully? Did you rehearse it?'
Normally, high school field trips in the fall or spring involved wandering around a nearby park for a few hours or a quick museum visit before heading back, often scheduled inconveniently close to holidays. Some students who had enough of it simply opted to head home instead. David was clearly worried Logan might do just that.
But David was definitely overthinking things. Even though Logan found the idea of a longer trip to another city, complete with an overnight stay, quite appealing, he still shook his head, "Sounds nice, but I really do have something else going on that weekend..."
Seeing Logan could refuse such temptation, the expression on David's face changed, 'It seemed that he had made up his mind.'
After hesitating for a long time, just before they reached the classroom, David pulled Logan aside with a determined look on his face, "Fine, you leave me no choice… I'll let you in on some inside info. Fewer than ten people know about this, I swear."
He dragged the confused Logan to a corner, speaking in a hushed tone, "This trip to Napa River? We're staying at a hot spring inn for the night!"
Hearing this, Logan's casual indifference faltered a bit.
"I checked out the place, they even have mixed-gender hot springs!" David whispered, leaning in close, "Besides, the boys and girls' dorms for the night aren't too far from each other either, making it the perfect chance for anyone looking for a little romance!"
'Indeed… the energized, social atmosphere of a school trip often created the perfect environment for budding romances…not to mention the added thrill of shared hot springs...'
Logan couldn't help but feel a tiny, illogical bit of temptation.
"How is it?" David smiled proudly, convinced he'd swayed Logan, "This autumn field trip is practically a classic school trip straight out of a manga. We can go as a team, have each other's backs, and maybe even find a little happiness. This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
'Wow, what you said really makes sense… But seriously, framing it as a once-in-a-lifetime chance for happiness? Isn't that a little…tragic?'
"This... Fatty, just forget it." Logan sighed. He was really a little moved by David, after all, he described everything so vividly, making him feel the allure of a lively high school trip.
However, in moments like these, priorities weren't negotiable.
"What?" David couldn't believe it. He didn't expect that after all that, Logan still refused. Without his wingman, David knew his plans would be hampered at every turn. Suddenly, he jabbed a finger at Logan, disappointment written across his face, "You know what? You deserve to be single forever!"
"Huh?" David's exaggerated look of pity for Logan's 'tragic, romance-less youth' was both over-the-top and surprisingly heartfelt.
Logan didn't know if he should laugh or be annoyed, and suddenly, his interest in the school trip evaporated completely.
"Who said I don't have a girlfriend?" Logan shook his head lightly and said confidently.
"What?!" David's reaction was even more dramatic this time, as if Logan had just told him the Earth was flat. They'd been inseparable for two years, so how could David not know everything about Logan?
"You have a girlfriend... Logan, as a human being, you have to face reality. Bragging won't change the facts." David's unusually determined look made Logan's eyelids twitch, 'Damn, I really didn't have a good comeback for that.'
"Where is she then? Why I've never heard you mention her?" David asked with a skeptical smile.
Logan took a deep breath, steadying himself, and closed his eyes, letting a name echo softly through his mind… a name as vast and beautiful as the starry night sky. He opened his eyes, responding evenly: "She's in the manga."
"..."
Contrary to Logan's expectation, there was no mocking or insulting words from David. Instead, the air fell into a strange silence. He opened his eyes in confusion, only to see David gazing at him with sympathetic eyes.
The other party's eyes flashed with emotion, but finally turned into a sigh, and David patted Logan's shoulder like a comrade in sorrow, "Say no more, man. I understand. No words are needed between us."
'What exactly do you understand, you idiot?!'
Logan shook off David's 'brotherly' pat and bolted into the classroom without looking back.
David was not annoyed when he saw this. He shook his head and walked into the classroom with emotion.
The afternoon classes passed without incident, but during breaks, David continued his relentless campaign to get Logan to join the autumn field trip's 'no-regrets youth' gang. However, No matter how he tried: persuasion, threats, heartfelt appeals, or over-the-top speeches about seizing the day, Logan firmly rejected him every time.
"Enough about this 'no-regrets' youth. I have a girlfriend, remember?"
As the last class ended, Logan grabbed his bag and prepared to leave. David wanted to step forward, ready to make one last plea.
"Logan, are you sure you..."
"Yes, I'm sure. I do have a girlfriend." Logan repeated firmly as he brushed past David. David's persistent look of pity stung more than he'd like to admit, "No matter what, I I'm not going on that trip. So just give it up."
"Oh, how could it come to this..." David murmured, and the phone he had been holding in class and hidden under the table was unconsciously put on the table.
Logan glanced down at it. On the screen was an app for reading manga. Naruto was prominently displayed at the top, and the latest black-and-white chapter's cover art is in full view.
Logan frowned and walked away.
Meanwhile, Wang remained brooding over Logan's 'lonely heart', oblivious to his surroundings. On his screen, the cover of the latest Naruto chapter depicted a stoic, sharp-featured man, brows furrowed in thought as he gazed off into the distance.