[Short Story] "Invisible Preparedness"

—To truly protect, one must begin by imagining—

Mid-July.

In Yokohama, as the end of the rainy season approached, heavy rain had been falling intermittently since the morning.

At St. Falcio Girls' Academy, a special class themed "Disasters and Evacuation Life" was being held as part of Disaster Prevention Week.

Participating were

Yume Sakuraba, Mayo Hanamori, Hibiki Asagiri, and Makoto Inaho.

The four of them were observing the disaster prevention exhibit set up in a corner of the gymnasium.

"Emergency food, water, mobile batteries..."

Makoto took notes while looking at the exhibit.

"These are all stockpiled items I'm familiar with."

At that moment, the disaster prevention specialist in charge picked up a bag.

"Now, what is this?"

A transparent bag.

Inside was a coagulant.

Yume answered immediately.

"It's a portable toilet, right?"

"That's correct."

The specialist nodded.

"But today, I'm going to talk about what comes after that."

"What if the power goes out in the middle of the night?"

"The restroom is pitch black."

"Can you use it while holding a flashlight?"

The four of them looked at each other.

Hibiki shook her head slightly.

"...I've never thought about that."

"That's why you need a lantern."

"A light that lets you keep both hands free."

"That alone makes a world of difference in how secure you feel."

After class ended, Yume was lost in thought for a moment.

"Evacuation..."

"I thought it was over once you reached the shelter."

Mayo nodded as well.

"But in reality."

"You have to live there every day, don't you?"

"Eating."

"Sleeping."

"Using the restroom."

"Everything."

After school.

The four of them headed to a nearby home improvement store.

"They really are selling them."

Hibiki picks up a lantern.

An LED lantern.

Battery-powered.

Rechargeable.

Solar-powered.

A wide variety was lined up.

Makoto begins reading the product descriptions.

"Two hundred hours of continuous light."

"Drip-proof design."

"Can be hung up."

"Can also be used for shelters..."

"I see."

"The way you choose depends on the purpose."

Next to it, portable toilets were piled high.

"Assuming five times a day."

Makoto takes out a calculator.

"For a family of four."

"Sixty times for three days."

"One hundred and forty times for a week."

Yume was surprised.

"Is it really that necessary?"

The clerk spoke with a smile.

"Everyone is surprised like that at first."

"That's why early preparation is important."

On the way home.

The four of them walked through the shopping district.

"Preparedness, huh."

Mayo said quietly.

"It's not just about buying emergency food, is it?"

Hibiki replied.

"It's about imagining daily life."

"If it gets dark."

"If it gets cold."

"If there are small children."

"If there are elderly people."

"When you think about it that way."

"You can see what is necessary."

The next day.

The four of them started making a "Disaster Prevention Checklist" at school.

"Water."

"Food."

"First aid supplies."

"Portable toilets."

"Lantern."

"Batteries."

"Radio."

"Mobile battery."

"Wet wipes."

"Toilet paper."

"Regular medication."

Yume added one last thing to the list.

"Discussing it with family"

Makoto smiled.

"That might be the most important one."

During lunch break that day.

The four of them went around to each classroom and distributed the disaster prevention checklists.

"Please try talking about this at home if you'd like."

"It's not just about stockpiling."

"But also about evacuation sites and how to get in touch."

A first-year student asks.

"Where should I start?"

Mayo answered gently.

"It's okay not to do everything at once."

"One thing today."

"Another thing tomorrow."

"You can prepare little by little."

Evening.

The sky after the rain could be seen from the school building window.

Light streaming through the breaks in the clouds slowly illuminates the town.

Hibiki murmurs quietly.

"Disasters."

"You never know when they will come."

"That's why it's scary."

Yume looked up at the sky.

"But."

"It's not just about being afraid."

"It's about knowing."

"It's about preparing."

"It's about helping each other."

"In that case, you can start today."

The members of Haru's 1st Quintet also received this checklist at a later date.

It was not a tool for fighting.

It was wisdom for protecting someone.

"Truly important preparation is not just about gathering necessary items."

"It is about imagining the 'what if' and envisioning the lives of yourself and your loved ones."

That small realization spread quietly among the students, and eventually, it changed the disaster prevention awareness of the entire school.