"Surprise camping trip?!" Yuki's eyes widened. "Like, actual tents and mosquitoes and burning stuff in the woods?"
Kai gave her a flat look. "Yes. All of that. School-sanctioned too. Lucky us."
The homeroom teacher, Mr. Yamazaki, stood at the front of the classroom holding a large poster with the words: 'Year-End Character Building Retreat – 3 Days in the Hills!'
Leo stared blankly.
He had just survived midterms. His brain wasn't prepared for another "event."
"Don't worry," Kai said, patting his shoulder. "You'll either come back emotionally evolved or bitten by a snake. Character building either way."
---
The bus ride was two hours of chaos.
Yuki had somehow smuggled a portable speaker and played anime openings at full volume until a teacher confiscated it.
Rin sat by the window with headphones in, expression unreadable.
Hana offered to help with luggage unloading, lifting everyone's bags like they were feathers.
Aira, sitting quietly behind Leo, occasionally peeked over her book to glance at him.
Kai? Napping.
Leo? Anxious.
"Why do I feel like I'm being thrown into a blender of unresolved feelings?" he muttered.
"Because you are," Yuki whispered dramatically from the seat in front of him.
---
Day 1: Camp Setup
Students were split into groups. Leo, of course, was paired with Yuki, Rin, and Kai. Hana and Aira were in a neighboring team.
Their mission? Assemble a tent without adult help.
"Leo! Hand me the stakes!" Yuki called.
He tripped over a rope and almost face-planted into the grass.
"You're hopeless," Rin muttered, but she crouched down beside him and adjusted the canvas silently.
Kai poked his head from behind the tarp. "Remind me why we trust two people who once failed at putting up a beach umbrella?"
Leo looked up. "That was one time."
"And the umbrella never recovered."
Yuki rolled her eyes. "Team spirit, people! We're not here to win. We're here to survive."
---
Night 1: The Campfire
Flames flickered, sparks rising into the cool night air. Students sat in a circle around the fire, roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories.
"So then the spirit said… 'I've been behind you this whole time!'" A girl shrieked at her own punchline.
Leo gave a polite chuckle. Kai pretended to faint.
Yuki elbowed Leo and whispered, "Watch this."
She stood up dramatically, walked into the center of the circle, and began an elaborate tale about a cursed vending machine that only appeared to the brokenhearted.
Everyone was laughing. Even Rin cracked a smile.
But Leo wasn't watching the story.
He was watching his friends.
Hana sitting with her knees pulled up, arms around them, smiling softly as she watched the flames.
Aira hugging her jacket tighter, sneaking glances at Leo when she thought he wasn't looking.
Rin—staring into the fire, unreadable as always, but… quieter than usual.
Yuki—vibrant, warm, alive. Her voice weaving energy into the night.
Leo's heart felt full. But confused.
Why was something so peaceful so complicated?
---
Later that night, Leo found himself unable to sleep. He stepped out of the tent, needing air.
To his surprise, Rin was already sitting on a bench near the fire pit, staring at the dying embers.
She didn't look up when he approached.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.
"Not really."
He sat beside her.
They watched the embers glow.
"You looked like you were thinking a lot," Leo said.
Rin's voice was soft. "I was."
Pause.
Then—"Do you like her? Yuki."
Leo blinked. "I… don't know."
"But you think about her more than the others."
He didn't deny it.
Rin nodded slowly. "She's loud. But she makes you laugh."
"You do too," Leo said without thinking.
That made her turn.
Their eyes met in the half-light.
"I like the quiet between us," she whispered. "It's rare. Safe."
Leo didn't know what to say.
So he stayed.
And for once, Rin didn't pull away when he gently leaned his shoulder against hers.