Editing Template:Maria-sama Ga Miteru:Volume17 Chapter 2 3

===<noinclude>Happenings And Heading Out </noinclude>Part 3===

The overhead bins were packed solid, not unlike rush hour, because the entire second-year class of Lillian Academy were crammed into them. To save time and avoid trouble, it was decided that for the school trip, all luggage would be carry-on. When you boil it down, the amount of stuff you bring on a trip doesn't differ much between domestic and international school trips: Outside you only wear your school uniform; after that, just hotel robes and pajamas; some travel-size toiletries, and so on. In that case, you don't need a suitcase. At least, that was the school's side of things.

But these were all young girls. Their bags were crammed full of this or that, miscellaneous things. These were the kinds of people who pack right up until the last minute, decide which personal effects to take, which creams and facial cleansers, and still pull things out and put things in. They barely got the zipper closed, and now they put these bags in the overhead compartments. Bags were piled in, side by side and on top of each other. Pulling them out and putting them back in was like solving a puzzle. Finally, they got all the overhead compartments to close. Students who ended up with their luggage over their own seat were lucky. Less lucky were the ones whose luggage ended up above some neighboring classmate.

"Please watch over this for the next 13 hours or so," Tsutako-san said while tightening her seatbelt. She would be in the nearby seat until Milan.

"Tsutako-san, you really don't want the window seat?"

"Nope, I'm good. I'm more interested in the people inside than things outside the plane."

". . . Is that right?"

While they were talking, the plane started to move slowly. The scene outside the window was proof that they were rolling backward. Here and there a voice cried out "Oooh!" It wasn't because they were about to faint, it seems like it was a reaction to the airplane's movement. Despite being a school with girls typically from well-off families, there were plenty of students like Yumi, who were traveling overseas for the first time. Of course, there was no small number of folks flying for the first time. <!-- Note 1 -->

A little bit ago, the screens in front of them had started to repeat emergency evacuation instructions and how to don their life jackets. Additionally, the flight stewardess unobtrusively demonstrated how to put on the life jacket. Just about everyone listened, with varying degrees of attention, depending on how many times they had flown before.

Hey now.

While that was going on, the plane had started moving forward. There was no departure bell like there would be on a train, so there was no way to know how long they would taxi to the runway before takeoff.

"Oh! Michiyo-san is trembling and praying!" Tsutako-san muttered while leaning out from her aisle seat. "It would be a lot easier to take pictures without this seatbelt."

". . . That's awful."

Nowadays, people living in modern times are so quick to accept things like an airplane, a chunk of metal, soaring through the sky. Michiyo-san prays to God, Sachiko-sama takes medicine and falls right asleep; there are many different ways to cope with a fear of flying.

"Well, I'm just giving my honest opinion. It's certainly unfortunate. I think it would have made a great photo. She looks just like a little bird, frozen in fear. That's too bad. Both for me and for her."

That's Tsutako-san . . . someone who considers it an obligation, handed down from heaven, to preserve the shining moments of beautiful high school girls' "present." Or something like that.

"Ooh!"

With a deep rumbling sound, the airplane gradually picked up speed &mdash; and then in one instant, took off. The moment the wheels separated from the Earth's surface, there was a floating sensation that was a bit unpleasant. After that, it was fine. It was sort of like a roller coaster, but without the wind rushing around you. Really, you can't compare an incredible, personal experience like this to a roller coaster.

"Wow, we're up high!"

Out the window, it was just the Earth's scenery shrinking, flashing by as the airplane climbed.

"Hey, Tsutako-san, I wonder if this is how it feels to be Maria-sama watching over everything," Yumi said, tugging on Tsutako-san's sleeve.

Tsutako-san buckled over as her whole body shook with laughter, "I take it back. . . . Yumi-san is funny after all!"

A little after 12 noon, the Lillian Girls' Academy high school second year class safely departed from New Tokyo International Airport.