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chatterbegan. Kara smiled so wide that her face hurt. It felt like her prayers hadbeen answered. She had just been thinking about how badly she needed a break,something to take her mind off of Jiro's ghost, and now their Monday classeshad just been replaced by a field trip. The English translation of 'ensoku' wassomething like 'far feet,' and from what Kara had read, sometimes they literallyentailed much farther journeys than Takigami Mountain Observatory, but as faras she was concerned, any field trip would do.
    Mr. Sato tapped his fingers onhis desk and gave the class a dirty look, which would normally have silencedthem but today only managed to diminish the chatter to whispers. When hefrowned and took off his glasses, that had the desired effect. It was like hehad superpowers or something. Anytime he took his glasses off, they knew thathe meant business and that from that point forward any infraction would lead topunishment. Someone would be kneeling on the hard, cold floor of the corridor.
    "I will see you all at theend of the day," Mr. Sato said. "Do not let your excitement dull yourfocus on your studies."
    Kara smiled. The news of theensoku would not dull her focus. On the contrary, it finally gave her somethinggood to focus on.
     
    When the wind gusted, it becamequite cold on top of Takigami Mountain. The morning had begun with a clear bluesky, but as the day went on it had gradually turned a stark white and then anominous gray. Even so, Kara did not feel very chilly except when the windpicked up. She had worn her new boots over two pair of socks, so her feet werewarm enough. Her new jacket — which Miho loved while Sakura attempted tohide how much she hated it — had been the perfect choice. When the windstarted to gust she put the hood up and felt very cozy.
    Buses had taken them from schoolto Takigami Park, where the cherry blossom festival would take place comespringtime, and they had walked up the long, wooded path to the observatory,which had taken the better part of the morning.
Far feet
, Kara hadthought.
They've got that part right
.
    Now they all sat at outdoortables around the observatory eating the lunch they had brought along. Kara andher friends had claimed a table for themselves. She sat between Hachiro andRen, with Miho and Sakura across from her with a third boy, Sora, who sat infront of her in homeroom. Having Sora join them had been unexpected but not unwelcome.She was especially glad to have him along because his presence prevented themfrom talking about anything having to do with ghosts or curses.
    Her father and Miss Aritomo hadbeen chaperoning their own homeroom classes, but now that the students were alleating lunch they had managed to take a few minutes for themselves, eatingquietly at a small table for two at the edge of the observatory. They probablyhad the best and most romantic view available, and Kara smiled at the thought. Theviews from the observatory were spectacular, not only of the city but of thebay and of Ama-no-Hashidate.
    As Kara had predicted, herfather had been unable to take them tubing on Sunday and the snowstorm theforecasts had been expecting had not materialized, so she had spent the morningstudying and then gone for a long walk and a late lunch with Hachiro beforespending a quiet night at home. But she had not minded at all, considering theplan for today.
    The wind gusted again and Karashivered as she packed away her bento box.
    "It's so beautiful up here,"Miho said, standing up. "And the air is just so fresh. I feel more — "
    "Awake?" Sora teased.
    Miho gave a shy shake of herhead. "I was going to say 'alive.'"
    Kara studied her, wondering ifshe was just having a relapse of shyness or if she might have some interest inSora. Miho loved to talk to Kara about American boys, which were sort of anobsession with her, but had also had a crush on Ren until she found out that hewas gay. Sora did not have Ren's sense of humor and he wasn't quite asgood-looking, but he seemed