Kit stepped into the middle of the room, looked over the whole team, and said calmly,
"We're leaving in thirty minutes. Be on time. We'll meet in front of the resort."
"Where are we going?" Non asked immediately.
"Somewhere very playful," Kit replied with a faint smile.
That helped absolutely nothing.
I glanced at Taeng, but from the look on his face, it was clear he had no idea either.
I leaned closer to him and whispered, "Do you know where we're going?"
He shook his head slightly.
"No idea. He didn't tell me anything."
So it's not just me, I thought.
I looked around at the others. Almost everyone seemed curious, some clearly impatient, all wondering the same thing.
As Kit turned to leave, he slipped a small piece of paper into my hand.
My heart skipped.
I opened it discreetly.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
Come to me.
Chak.
Without thinking twice, I stood up.
I turned to Anamarija.
"Can I walk with you to your room?" I asked casually. "I forgot something there."
"Of course," she said immediately, smiling at me.
We walked together down the hallway, and after a moment she glanced at me, amused.
"The excuse you used," she said lightly, "very good."
"Thanks," I replied. "You were amazing this morning."
She laughed softly.
"Thank you. The hill was the first thing that came to my mind."
When we stopped in front of Chak's room, she tilted her head and smiled.
"I think your boyfriend is waiting for you."
"You're right," I said, and knocked.
The door opened almost instantly.
Chak stood there, and when he saw us, his expression softened into a smile.
"Enjoy," he said to Anamarija.
"Thank you," she replied.
"Are you coming with us?" she asked him.
"No," he answered shortly.
"I have work."
She gave him a look.
"You work 365 days a year. A little rest and fun wouldn't hurt you."
"The work won't do itself," he replied calmly.
Then he looked at me.
"Oh—and wear clothes you can get dirty in."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?" Anamarija asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Where are we going?" I added. "Please tell us."
"I won't tell you," Chak said.
Then he took my hand.
My breath caught for just a second.
"I'm going to change," Anamarija said, already stepping away toward her door.
The moment she left, Chak pulled me into his room and closed the door behind us.
The world outside disappeared.
He looked at me—and in his eyes, I saw a quiet fire.
God, I thought, he looks at me like that and expects me to survive.
He lifted his hand, placed it gently against my cheek, and kissed me.
And just like that, everything else stopped mattering.
Chak didn't pull away right away.
His lips lingered against mine, slow and deliberate, as if he had nowhere else to be, as if time itself had decided to pause just for us. His thumb brushed my cheek, warm, grounding.
I exhaled softly into the kiss before finally pulling back just enough to look at him.
"We don't have much time," I whispered, even though my body clearly disagreed with my words.
"I know," he said quietly. "That's why I called you."
My heart tightened.
He rested his forehead against mine, eyes dark, focused only on me.
"I won't be there today," he continued. "But I wanted to see you before you go."
Before you go, echoed in my head, heavier than it should have been.
"Where are we going?" I asked again, still holding onto his hand.
A small smile curved his lips.
"You'll find out."
I sighed. "You're impossible."
"And you love it," he replied, without hesitation.
I laughed softly, then fell quiet.
There were so many things I wanted to say. Too many thoughts tangled in my chest—about us, about how strange and fragile this felt, about how easily he could undo me with just one look.
He noticed.
His grip tightened slightly.
"Hey," he said, gentler now. "Look at me."
I did.
"You'll be fine," he said. "Enjoy the day. Don't overthink."
If only it were that easy, I thought.
He leaned in again, this time pressing a kiss to my forehead—protective, careful.
"I'll see you later," he added.
I nodded.
"I'll be waiting," I said before I could stop myself.
Something flickered in his eyes—surprise, warmth, something dangerously close to emotion.
"I know," he replied.
A knock echoed faintly down the hallway.
"Time," Chak murmured.
Reluctantly, I stepped back. He released my hand, but not before his fingers traced mine one last time.
I straightened my clothes, took a steadying breath, and turned toward the door.
Just before I left, I glanced back at him.
He was watching me like he always did—as if letting me go, even for a moment, was the hardest part.
Why does it always feel like goodbye, I thought, even when it isn't?*
I opened the door and stepped back into the hallway, the quiet hum of the resort returning around me.
Thirty minutes.
Whatever waited for us outside…
I had a feeling this day was going to change something.
I walked back to my room, my thoughts still tangled around Chak's touch, his words, the way his eyes had looked at me—as if he'd wanted to say more but chose silence instead.
I went back to the room I shared with Taeng and Non, my mind still stuck on Chak's touch, the warmth of his hand, the look in his eyes before he kissed me.
Pull yourself together, Niran, I told myself. You're going out with the others.
Taeng was already sitting on his bed, tying his shoes, while Non was digging through his backpack.
"I'm just going to change," I said, heading toward my bag.
I changed into comfortable clothes—something light, easy to move in. Chak's words echoed in my head again. Wear something you can get dirty.
That thought alone made my curiosity grow.
When I turned around, Non was looking at me with that familiar, teasing expression.
"So," he said, crossing his arms, "did you get what you went to Anamarija's room for?"
I froze for half a second.
Then I nodded.
"Yeah. I did."
Non smirked. "Thought so."
Taeng glanced at us, confused. "What did he lose?"
"Nothing important," I said quickly, grabbing my phone.
Non laughed. "Sure. Nothing at all."
We all stood up, and together we headed out of the room, locking the door behind us.
As we walked toward the front of the resort, I spotted the rest of the group already gathering. Everyone looked excited, curious, whispering guesses about where Kit was taking us.
I caught Anamarija's eye. She smiled softly, like she knew more than she was letting on.
And even though Chak wasn't coming with us, I could still feel his presence—
like he was somehow part of this moment too.
Whatever waited for us next,
I had a feeling this day would stay with me for a long time.
Several vans were already waiting in front of the resort.
Kit clapped his hands once to get our attention.
"Alright, everyone. Split into groups and get in. Let's go."
We climbed into the vans, laughter and chatter filling the air almost instantly. I ended up sitting between Taeng and Non, the windows open, warm air rushing inside as we drove away from the resort.
I tried to guess where we were going, watching the scenery change—the road narrowing, more trees, more green.
So this is why Chak told me to wear something I could get dirty, I thought.
After a while, the vans slowed down and finally stopped.
The moment we stepped out, everything went quiet for half a second.
Then—
"Whoa…"
"Are you serious?"
"No way…"
In front of us was a wide open area surrounded by nature, and beyond the entrance I could already see them.
Elephants.
Some were walking slowly with their caretakers, others standing calmly in the shade. A few smaller ones stayed close to their mothers, their ears flapping gently.
Non's eyes lit up. "This is incredible."
Taeng let out a soft laugh. "I didn't expect this at all."
I felt my chest tighten—not from fear, but from pure awe. I'd seen elephants in pictures, in documentaries, but standing here, this close, was something completely different.
Everyone around me was smiling, excited, talking all at once.
Anamarija covered her mouth for a moment, her eyes shining.
"They're beautiful," she whispered.
I couldn't help but smile too.
So this is where you brought us,I thought, a quiet warmth spreading through me. You really know how to surprise people, Chak.
And somehow, deep down, I knew—
this was only the beginning of something special.