Saturday Morning – Day 2 of the Trip
The sun rose lazily over the mountains, mist curling around the inn like the world itself was still stretching.
I, on the other hand, was wide awake.
Mostly because Tyler was snoring with the passion of a dying tuba.
I didn't know why he is sleeping in my room.
08:30 AM – Breakfast Hall
We gathered around low tables again. Bowls of miso soup, grilled mackerel, and steamy rice filled the room with warm energy.
Sofia yawned dramatically. "I dreamed Jay was a mermaid prince and we were trapped in a hot tub dimension."
Emma blinked twice. "That's… strangely specific."
"I never lie about dreams."
Amaya stirred her tea slowly. She hadn't said much since last night.
And Iris?
Iris waltzed in late wearing a dramatic scarf over her yukata, holding a fan she didn't need.
"Good morning, peasants. I have arrived."
Tyler actually clapped.
Luna passed me a napkin. On it:
"Watch your back today. The chaos energy is off the charts."
10:00 AM – Exploration Time
Split into small groups, we were allowed to explore the mountain village until afternoon.
Naturally, chaos reigned.
Emma and Sofia, both claimed me first.
Amaya hovered quietly nearby.
Tyler got dragged by Iris ("Adventure calls, Eyebrows!"), and Noah tagged along yelling "I VOLUNTEER AS DISTRACTION."
Luna vanished. Probably ghosted her way into a quiet teahouse.
Mr. Brooks handed out maps like he was tired of being alive.
"If you die," he said, "please don't do it somewhere inconvenient."
Group Dynamics
The teachers encouraged us to explore in "rotating pairs."
Which meant I spent the first hour walking beside—
Emma.
We ended up in a small pottery studio.
She stared at a shelf of glazed tea cups, fingers trailing the rim of one.
"You'd probably break this," she said.
"I have graceful hands."
"You dropped a bento box three days ago."
"Still stylishly."
She smiled.
Then added, softly, "Thanks for not… bringing up last night."
"I didn't see anything."
"You always do," she replied, almost too quietly.
Second Pairing – Amaya
We wandered a stone path that led to a riverside bridge.
She didn't talk much.
But she kept glancing sideways at me. Like she wanted to say something.
Then—finally—
"Did it… mean anything?"
I turned. "What?"
"The kiss," she said. "The one someone gave you."
My heart paused.
So did my step.
"…I don't know," I said honestly. "Maybe it meant something to her. Maybe it confused me."
She looked down. Then up.
"It confused me too."
And just like that, she smiled—small, but real.
"Let's get lunch," she said.
And I knew that for now, she was okay.
Third Pairing – Sofia
We ended up at a food stall selling grilled skewers, smoky and sweet, the scent thick in the air.
She ordered three. No hesitation. Paid in coins. Grabbed the first skewer and took a bite.
The way she chewed, slow and deliberately messy, made me raise an eyebrow.
She handed me one, her fingers brushing mine with more contact than necessary.
"You know," she said, licking the edge of her thumb in slow motion, "you'd be dangerous if you ever actually tried to be sexy."
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Oh, don't play dumb," she said, voice dropping into a soft purr. "That clueless charm thing you do? Catnip. Drives half the class nuts."
I took a bite of my skewer just to break the tension. She watched.
"…Including you?" I asked.
Sofia tilted her head, smiled like a fox.
"I'm not claiming I lose sleep over you," she said, leaning a bit closer, "but I have wondered what you'd do if I just leaned in right now and bit your lip instead of this meat."
I nearly choked.
She laughed.
"Relax, Prince. I'm just teasing," she added, licking the corner of her mouth. "For now."
"You're dangerous."
"I'm fun. There's a difference."
She stepped away, tossing her empty skewer in a nearby bin.
"But you, Jay?" she said, glancing back at me with a mischievous spark. "You're going to have to decide one day… which of us you actually want. Before someone gets very bold."
And just like that, she disappeared into the next stall.
Leaving me stunned. Again.
Final Pairing – Luna
We found her near a scenic overlook, sketching the village below.
"You walk like someone carrying ten secrets," she said without looking up.
"You are surprisingly direct."
She pointed at the bench beside her.
I sat.
She showed me her latest sketch.
It was the class; all spread across a mountainside picnic.
Some laughing. Some fighting.
Me, in the center.
Hands in my pockets.
Eyes… somewhere else.
"I don't know where you're going," Luna said. "But they'll all follow."
Then she turned back to her sketch.
And said nothing more.
Late Afternoon – Group Reunites
We met up in front of the inn's souvenir shop.
Iris bought a wooden fox mask and wore it for the next hour like she was auditioning for a myth.
Tyler was too dazed to argue.
Amaya handed me a charm she got from a shrine.
Emma reorganized the receipts like they personally offended her.
And Sofia?
She just leaned close and whispered,
"Tonight's gonna be even weirder."
She was right.