The forest was silent, holding its breath under the velvet cloak of night. Only the chorus of cicadas and the occasional rustle of leaves disturbed the stillness. The campfires had long burned down to embers, their glow swallowed by the darkness.
It was around one, maybe two in the morning, when three boys stirred inside their cramped tent.
"…I can't hold it anymore," one whispered, squirming."Shut up, you'll wake everyone.""Then come with me. I'm not going alone."
Grumbling, they slipped out, clutching flashlights dimmed low. The campsite lay quiet—dozens of sleeping forms bundled in their tents, the guardians of the night standing tall in the form of trees. The boys tiptoed past, giggling softly at the absurdity of sneaking just to relieve themselves.
They wandered further than they should have, through undergrowth and down a faint slope, until the trees parted—and a lake revealed itself under the moonlight.
The water shimmered like glass, reflecting the scattered stars above. Mist clung to its edges, ethereal, otherworldly. The boys froze, not because of the beauty of the lake, but because someone was there.
A girl.
Standing waist-deep in the moonlit water, her pale hair cascading like silk, was Reina Saeki.
She wasn't wearing her coat or her usual sharp expression. Instead, she seemed almost weightless, as if the weight of her genius and responsibilities had been shed with her clothes. Her back was turned, hair glowing white against the black lake, the water glistening as it slid over her shoulders.
For a moment, the boys forgot to breathe. She looked less like a student and more like a goddess who had stepped down from the heavens, bathing quietly in the earthly realm.
One boy swallowed hard. "I–Is that… Reina…?""No way… she looks… like… wow…""Don't… don't say anything…!"
But their whispers, however hushed, carried just enough.
"Oi."
The sharp voice cut through their trance.
They spun around, blood draining from their faces. Standing behind them, arms crossed, was Sei Ishikawa. His usual laid-back grin was gone, replaced with a glare that could curdle milk.
The boys stammered. "S–Sei-senpai, we—we didn't—!"
"Save it," Sei muttered. He glanced toward the lake once, then quickly back at them. His expression softened slightly. "…You're lucky it was me who saw you first."
The boys trembled like caught thieves.
"Listen carefully." Sei stepped closer, his voice low but firm. "Reina's been carrying you brats since the start of this trip. She doesn't sleep properly, she doesn't eat properly, she plans every detail so you don't die of stupidity. And this—" he jerked his chin toward the lake "—this is the only time she gets to breathe. To be herself."
The boys bowed their heads, guilt crushing them.
"You'll apologize tomorrow morning," Sei continued. "No excuses, no whining. And then you'll shut up about this. Got it?"
They nodded frantically. "Y–Yes, Sei-senpai."
"Good. Now go back. And if you dare sneak out again…" His grin returned, but it wasn't kind. "…you'll wish the bees sting you instead."
The boys bolted, tripping over roots as they scrambled back to camp.
Sei exhaled, running a hand through his hair. He glanced at the lake again, where Reina still stood in her quiet solitude, unaware of the drama behind her. For once, even Sei, who could joke about anything, chose to respect the silence.
"Rest well, Saeki," he murmured, before heading back too.
The Next Morning
The sun rose golden over the campsite, burning away the mist. Birds sang cheerfully, but for a certain trio of boys, it was the sound of impending doom.
They approached Reina with the nervousness of condemned men walking to the gallows.
Reina, clipboard in hand, was already scanning the morning's checklist. Her hair was still damp, tied loosely behind her, strands catching the sunlight. She looked tired but composed, the same untouchable figure as always.
The boys stood before her, fidgeting.
"Um… Saeki-san…"Reina glanced up. "What is it?"
Her eyes were sharp, as usual, but not cruel. The boys hesitated, then blurted out in unison:
"We're sorry!"
Reina blinked. "Sorry…?"
They bowed deeply. "Last night… we… we accidentally saw you… at the lake…"
The words hung heavy in the air.
For the first time in forever, Reina's composure cracked.
"Eh—?!"
A noise escaped her lips, higher-pitched than any of them had ever heard. Her cheeks flared red, clipboard nearly slipping from her hands.
"When—how—why—" Her words stumbled, panic flickering across her usually calm face. Her eyes darted everywhere but them. "Y–You… you saw…?!"
The boys cringed. "I-It was an accident! We swear! We didn't mean to—!"
Reina pressed the clipboard to her face, hiding her flushed cheeks. For a moment, she seemed so small, so human, the untouchable genius reduced to a girl caught off-guard.
Her voice came muffled from behind the clipboard. "…Make sure… to not go to the lake in the middle of the night again."
It was less an order and more a plea, whispered in embarrassment. The boys nodded furiously, grateful for mercy.
"Y–Yes, Saeki-san! Never again!"
She peeked out from behind the clipboard, still pink. Her eyes softened ever so slightly. "…Good. Then go."
They scampered off, relief flooding them.
Reina lowered the clipboard slowly, letting out a long sigh. She caught Himari watching from the side, stifling a giggle behind her hand.
"…Not a word," Reina muttered.
Himari nodded, smiling gently. "Of course, Reina."
But her eyes twinkled, as if she'd just seen another piece of the girl hidden behind the genius.
That morning, the camp went on as usual. But for those three boys, the image of Reina in the moonlit lake burned permanently into their memories—not as their terrifying supervisor, not as their genius senior, but as something far softer.
And for Reina, though she would never admit it, the incident lingered too—an unexpected reminder that even goddesses could be seen, if only for a moment.