Seraphim is a Bystander

Day 2 of the School Trip: Flower Offering
 

After we finished touring the various exhibits, all the students gathered near the exit of the venue. Some were talking quietly, but it was clear the exhibits had left a strong impression on everyone.
Even our group—including Rei and Tsubaki, who hadn't seen the video—were noticeably quieter than usual. Everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts when our homeroom teacher approached us.
“Futaba-kun, I’ll leave the next part to you.”

“Understood. I’ll go ahead now, everyone.”
“Hm? What’s up next?”
“The flower offering. It was part of the schedule, remember?”

“Oh, right. Good luck.”
After the exhibit, we had a scheduled flower offering ceremony to honor the victims of the Dragon Calamity. Just like how I was asked to give the representative speech at the entrance ceremony, the teacher had asked me to handle this part as well.
“The offering will be at the memorial monument over there. Someone from the exhibit staff will be joining us shortly. After their greeting, you’ll lay the flowers and say a few words.”

“Got it. I can speak freely, right?”
“Yes. Just share your thoughts about the exhibit or how it made you feel—whatever you're comfortable with.”
“Thank you.”

As I waited, going over the plan with the teacher, a man in a suit hurried out from inside the building. He approached where we were gathered, pulling out a business card as he spoke.
“I apologize for the delay! I’m Itashiki, the director of this exhibit.”
“No worries at all! Thank you for making time for us. I’m the head teacher…”

While the teacher and Mr. Itashiki talked, I quietly observed him, thinking he looked about the same age as my master. After they wrapped up their conversation, the two of them turned toward me.
“Hello there. You must be Futaba-kun, the one doing the flower offering... right?”
But when Mr. Itashiki looked at me, he suddenly paused, as if startled. It wasn’t the usual awkward reaction people had when expecting a boy and then seeing how I looked—it felt different, like something deeper.

“Yes, I’m Aoi Futaba. Thank you for having us today. Um… is something wrong?”
“...No, nothing at all. More importantly, what did you think of the exhibit? I hope it was at least somewhat educational.”
Whatever strange reaction he had was quickly hidden behind a smile, and he spoke as if nothing had happened.
Did I mess up by keeping Yuzu on my shoulder…?
“It was very informative. The whole presentation had a very… intense realism to it.”

“Yes, it might seem scary, but if we don’t fully understand the past, we can’t move forward. I’d be glad if it left a lasting impression.”
This time, his smile wasn't just polite—it held genuine emotion. His expression carried the dignity of someone determined to learn from the past and build a better future.
“Mr. Itashiki, is it time to begin?”

“Yes, please go ahead.”
Time was tight, so our teacher turned to the students and began speaking. She talked about the horrors of the Dragon Calamity and what we, the ones living in the present, could do in response. Her message was brief—less than five minutes—and then she handed the floor to Mr. Itashiki.
“Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Itashiki, the director of this exhibit.”

His voice replaced the teacher’s on our nanomachine displays, making sure everyone could hear him.
“This might be sudden, but I’d like to ask: how many of you found the exhibit frightening?”
Some students glanced around uncertainly, but slowly, hands began to rise. In the end, more than half of us raised our hands.

“Thank you. I’m scared of it too.”
“Like you, I wasn’t alive when the Dragon Calamity occurred. All I know of it comes from records.”
As he spoke, scenes from the exhibit played through my mind—cities consumed by fire, buildings rotting and collapsing, people fleeing, others standing their ground.

“Still, through those records, I’ve come to understand just how terrifying it was. Many who lived through it still carry those scars today.”
Families torn apart, brave fighters who died trying to save others, and those who were simply caught up in it without even understanding why.
“What we, who didn’t experience the Dragon Calamity firsthand, can do is never forget /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ it. And we can pray for the souls of those who were lost.”

“So, while the representative lays flowers, please offer a silent prayer that those who passed may rest peacefully in heaven.”
With that, Mr. Itashiki concluded his speech. Our teacher resumed the lead and signaled it was time for me to step forward. She handed me the bouquet she’d been holding, and I walked toward the memorial monument.
Yuzu remained perched on my shoulder the whole time. From the outside, I might’ve looked a bit out of place.

Standing before the monument, I bowed three times alongside the teachers and Mr. Itashiki. Then I knelt down and gently placed the bouquet at its base. Just as I stood, the teacher’s voice rang out.
“Moment of silence!”
I closed my eyes in front of the monument. I pictured the photos from the exhibit… and the ones my grandfather had once shown me of people lost to the Dragon Calamity.

To all those who fought bravely, to those who were caught in the chaos… I pray you can rest peacefully.
And if something like this happens again, we’ll do everything we can to stand and fight.
...Even if I’m someone who can’t always stand up to other humans, I still want to say that with all my heart.