Distracting the Storm

XVI - This Situation Won't Last Forever

The bell rung, and Yuki left the classroom. She had packed herself a large bento at home, and she hoped that she would be able to share it with Shinji today. At least the firefighter enjoyed a good meal and snacks before a run.

As she thought about snacks, she suddenly paused by the vending machine. Shinji liked potato chips, so she'd be in a better mood if she got some. Yuki already had some candy for herself in her bag, but if she could get some chips here...

The lucky student took out some yen and put it in the vending machine, pressing a button to choose which potato chip brand to get. But when the chip bag was about to fall it suddenly got stuck between the racks and the glass.

"Huh?" Yuki tried smacking the glass, hoping to dislodge the chip bag. It didn't work, the bag was firmly stuck. "You've got to be kidding..."

"What's wrong?" someone suddenly asked. Yuki looked behind her, seeing Yoruko checking out the vending machine too. "Oh, your chips got stuck?"

"Yeah, I put yen in, but it got stuck when it fell," she explained.

"Oh, this vending machine's always been a little finicky. Here, let me..." Yoruko knelt down and stuck her arms through the opening at the bottom of the machine. Reaching up to try to get the chip bag, she found that her arm couldn't reach it.

By this point, the hassle with the vending machine had attracted the attention of a few more students. Yoruko stood up and brushed the dust off her legs. "I nearly got my arm stuck. Sorry, Yuki," she sighed.

"U-Um! I'll get Hajime!" Iroha exclaimed in the crowd, and she scampered off into a classroom.

"Here, lemme try!" Teruya volunteered, stepping up from the crowd. She just grabbed the side of the vending machine and began shaking it. Another person that Yuki didn't recognize, likely an upperclassman, went on the other side of the machine to help Teruya. But even with the two of them, the bag didn't budge.

Both Teruya and the other student eventually stepped back, defeated. "Damn it. Sorry," the merchant sighed.

"Wait a second," Setsuka interrupted, stepping up this time. "I have an idea."

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out some more yen and bought a snack. She pushed the button of a rack somewhere above the stuck bag, and it pushed a snack out. But when the new snack fell and hit the stuck bag, it only moved it a bit sideways while the other snack fell down.

"Well, it was worth a shot," she chuckled, picking up her snack and moving back.

Finally, Iroha arrived while pulling Hajime's arm. "We're here!" the painter announced.

"Alright, everyone. Step aside," Hajime commanded, and the students immediately cleared back, making a path to the vending machine. The group held their breath as the boxer took a couple steps back, then suddenly charged at the machine at top speed. As she collided with the vending machine, the glass suddenly broke.

Among Iroha's sudden screaming and the chattering of the crowd, Yuki only focused on how the stuck chip bag somehow managed to land in her hands. Without further ado, Yuki retreated from the area while the other students started to raid the broken vending machine.

She just hoped that Shinji didn't mind the slight delay.

***

"Jeez, it's sweltering today," Hajime remarked as she left the school building. Since there was a heat warning around the area, she had done her training only in the air-conditioned gym today. It was the better option that didn't risk her health, but now she had to get to the residence building.