We joined the others in the corner, slumping into our seats. Gary began, "So, this is our club…"
And that's when I saw her again along with her friends.
The moment our eyes met, she gave me a polite smile. Her friends followed her lead, all subtle and proper, like they'd practiced it on the way here. I raised a hand in return, casual, almost lazy, before shifting my focus back to Gary.
He launched into his speech in the same grand, historical tone he always used.
"Hello everyone . This is our club—the Adventure Club: Horizon Explorers. We do everything that feels like adventure."
The line dropped into the room like a heavy stone. Silence spread, thick and awkward, and I swear I heard someone whisper under their breath, "What kind of club is this?"
I couldn't blame them. Honestly, I'd asked myself that same question the first time I heard the name.
A student finally raised their hand.
"Excuse me, but… what kind of activities does this club do?"
Gary brightened immediately, clapping his hands once.
"Oh—activities like camping trips, hiking, and cycling expeditions! The last one we did was bungee jumping." He said it with a proud smile, like he was unveiling a great achievement.
The room, once again, fell into complete silence.
Another voice spoke, hesitant.
"Isn't that… a bit risky?"
Gary paused, tilting his head as if seriously pondering it. Then, with the calm confidence of someone who clearly hadn't thought it through, he replied,
"It's not *that* risky… and besides, risk is in everything, right?"
I saw the way everyone froze at his words. The new students' faces ranged from stunned to horrified, and even some of my clubmates shifted uncomfortably. My own stomach sank a little, because I remembered exactly what had happened that day.
At first, everyone had been buzzing with excitement. The moment we arrived at the site and looked down, though… most of them lost every shred of bravado. More than half fainted right then and there—including our supervising teacher. We had to carry them back, and I swear that was the real adventure.
I caught a whisper again. "How did they even get approval to open this club?"
I almost laughed, because honestly… I wanted to know that too.
The rest of Gary's speech dragged on, the room a mix of silence, forced smiles, and confused stares. By the end, when he finally closed with, "That's all about it. Thank you for visiting our club," most of the freshers practically bolted for the door.
As I watched them file out, one by one, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Poor kids—they hadn't signed up for this level of madness.
When the last of them left, the room went quiet again. We club members stayed behind, lounging around until the final bell rang, signaling the last period.
Afterwards, Daniel and I walked out together. Halfway down the hall, he grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the cafeteria.
"I'm thirsty," he announced, as if it were some urgent mission.
I rolled my eyes but followed along. At the counter, Daniel turned to me.
"So, what do you want?"
"Apple juice," I said.
He came back a moment later with an orange juice for himself and an apple juice for me. We sat down, trading small talk while sipping from our cups.
Then, I heard a voice from behind me.
"Hello, senior Willy…"
I turned, and there she was—standing with Chloe by her side.
For a moment, I forgot to breathe. They both smiled politely, a little hesitant but genuine.
"If it's okay with you… can we sit here?"
Daniel and I exchanged a glance, then answered at the same time,
"Sure."