Editing Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 2nd Play (section)

===Part 1===

With a high-pitched call of its steam whistle, the black train arrived at the platform.

It continuously spat out high-temperature, high-pressure water vapor into the air. He hadn’t heard about the theory in detail, but it seemed that the steam was used to move pistons, which sent power to the wheels.

“……Wow.”

Looking up, Neight involuntarily let out a shout of joy and amazement.

“It’s amazing!”

The metal vehicle consisted of nearly ten compartments, which together made up one train. He couldn’t imagine how heavy they were, and couldn’t believe that such large masses of metal could move like this.

“Neight, is this your first time riding a steam train?”

Someone tapped Neight’s shoulder. Looking up, beside him stood a male student with a well-built physique.

“It’s my first time seeing a train. When I moved here, I came by boat. What about you, Ouma-san?”

Instead of replying, with an attendance book in hand, the class representative in charge of overseeing the male students shrugged nonchalantly.

“I rode a train often when returning to my home in the countryside. I could take it easy during those times but…… as expected, not right now.”

All approximately four hundred of Tremia Academy’s first-year students had gathered at one platform. Because of that, the platform had become crowded. There was no way of knowing who was where. Although each class should have made plans to assemble together, at this point there were only ten male students gathered around Ouma.

“How should I put it, because it’s so hard to gather together, everyone’s actually feeling cheerful.”

While flipping through the class attendance list, the boy looked around with a surprised expression. Although the teachers seemed to also be guiding students around, even the figures of the teachers were hidden in the wave of people.

“It must be difficult being a class representative.”

“I have it fairly easy. Because if I see one of the boys in our class and call out to him, he’ll come over quickly.”

Is that so? Neight tilted his head at Ouma’s manner of speaking.

“……So then, are there times when that isn’t the case?”

“Look, that person’s having it rather difficult.”

He was gazing at— Carrying a handbag, a tall girl with scarlet hair was pushing through the crowd and running around the platform with an exhausted expression.

A girl wearing a Tremia uniform had left the platform and was running unsteadily toward the shops in the station. She was grabbed by the neck.

“Hey Mio, where do you think you’re going!”

“Hm? Um, I was wondering if we should go buy some souvenirs. They’re products that are only available in this part of the world.”

Her classmate answered with an easygoing voice, not showing how agitated she was. The mystery novel that she was in the middle of reading was tucked under her arm.

“We’re not even about to leave yet. You’re too rushed!”

As soon as the girl had taken Mio back to the platform, the next person she set her eye on was—

“……Hey, wait, Serges! Why do you have such a large backpack on? That’s too big to bring onto the train!”

“This is— Kluele, listen! I need to have my own blankets and pillow with me. Also, as someone from the mountain climbing club, I can’t bring just a sleeping bag while travelling. I also need a tent, emergency rations, rain gear, a portable cooking stove, and— Ah, if it isn’t Neighty. Want to sleep with me in my sleeping bag tonight? It’s really warm!”

“I’m confiscating all of it! No suspicious invitations either! —Hm? Hey, Kyrie! No eating allowed in the train station! Didn’t I say before that you can’t eat candy on the platform?!”

“But Kluele. It’s a deluxe, limited edition cookie that I went to so much trouble to buy. And as a member of the cuisine research society……”

The mature-looking girl lightly shook her wavy hair. Although Neight hadn’t spoken to her very much before, Kyrie was also one of his classmates.

“You’re trusting the advertisements too much! That kind of thing is sold anywhere! ……Aah really, everyone please stay still! No, I mean, stop your futile resistance and get caught obediently!”

The girls of the class ran away wherever they pleased. Catching them and dragging them to the gathering place one after the other was the other class representative.

Neight stared idly at the situation.

“……Poor Kluele-san.”

“No matter how you put it, the girls in our class are troublesome to deal with.”

Before Neight realized it, all of the male students had lined up behind Ouma, who was smiling bitterly.