A Girl's Turmoil

Chapter 18 - A School Trip

Time has passed unnoticeably. Days and nights have come and gone fast, but those days were dawdling when people get through the day. And those days were slow indeed for one such person. The number of days wasn't tracked for a certain young blonde girl; at least, that is what she thinks. Running between daily school and remote jobs from her employer was pretty much a hectic achievement.

But by now, she has found herself sitting in the back of the bus. A bus set course for a bit of school trip. Well, quite a long school trip, to be exact. The bus was filled by her entire class, including her classmates, Akari, Chinatsu, and Himawari. A teacher and another stranger were on the bus as well. The teacher was Kitamiya-sensei. As for the stranger... we're not talking about the bus driver.

The stranger was none other than George, the chief security and Sakurako's friend. It may seem odd for the students, Kitamiya had assured them that he's their security for the school trip. But still, his appearance was quite a surprise for Himawari. Even when the students still feel uncomfortable with George, they seem in awe of those muscles underneath his dark blue suit. Sakurako was sitting between Himawari and George, while Akari and Chinatsu sat at the seats on their front right. Kitamiya, the teacher, sat down on the front left seat with another student.

The journey was still long as they can barely hear the revving engines and wheels from outside the window. That alone was enough to help Sakurako to sleep along the way for a little while. The blonde is still feeling sleepy but can't sleep again. Of course, she has opted to stare at the window on her right, lost inside her world.

"Sakurako?"

Sakurako immediately snaps and gradually turns her eyes at Himawari. "Are you alright?"

The blonde merely wipes her right eye. "I'm just... a little sleepy."

"I assume you didn't sleep well," George guessed, raising an eyebrow behind his sunglasses.

"I didn't sleep," Sakurako responded, her head stooped low.

"Hm?" Akari turned her head behind her. "Why didn't you?"

"I can't sleep," Sakurako replied with a shook.

Himawari sighs, upset by her words. "Those drinks weren't enough for you?"

Sakurako softly leans her head against the seat. "I didn't drink them."

"Wait," Chinatsu overheard the conversation. "What drinks?"

Sakurako stares at Chinatsu for a while and wisely opts not to tell her. "Medicines. I spent the night reading a novel."

"You just pulled an all-nighter to read stories?" Kitamiya also overheard the conversation. "I know you just want to read, but that's not healthy, you know?"

Sakurako breathes out raggedly and shuts her eyes. "I know. It's getting repetitive."

"Well, I heard some teachers said you weren't pretty energetic in the morning like you should," Kitamiya added, giving an unamused look at the blonde. "Is there something troubles you?"

"Nothing, it's just...." Sakurako trailed off, becoming confused at her 'unreliable' memory. "What was it again?"

"Insomnia, Sakurako," George added in her sentence.

"insomnia?" Kitamiya raised her eyebrows but was enough to tell she's surprised. "It sounds like you have a bad sleeping habit. I suggest you get your sleeping habit fixed up."

"I don't really think the problem is my sleeping habit," Sakurako disagreed. "But if you say so...."

Kitamiya furrows her eyebrows. "What's with the glum look?