Sunday Morning – Last Day of the Trip
6:58 AM
The chime of the inn's wake-up bell echoed through the walls like a funeral march for sleep.
I sat up in my futon, hair a mess, still tangled in dreams I couldn't remember—only warmth, steam, and a whisper that hadn't left my skin since last night.
"I want you to want me."
Sofia's voice.
Still hanging on my breath.
7:30 AM – Group Breakfast
The dining room was quieter than usual.
Tyler looked like he'd been hit by a bus.
Noah was asleep on the table, his mouth full of rice.
Emma ate neatly but hadn't looked at me once.
Amaya… was silent. She didn't touch her miso.
And Sofia?
Wore the smuggest smile in the room.
She didn't need to say a word.
Everyone could feel something happened.
And they had no idea what it was.
Yet.
8:45 AM – Announcements
As I adjusted the strap on my bag, I felt eyes on me.
I turned.
Yuki sat on the inn porch, quietly sipping from a teacup.
"You're being watched by more people than you think," she said without looking at me.
"You included?"
"No," she said. "I stopped watching. Now, I just observe."
Then she stood up and walked past.
"But I do hope you start seeing soon."
Mr. Brooks stood at the front of the hall with a clipboard and the dead stare of a man who had survived far too much teenage energy.
"Alright, monkeys. Today is our last day, and it wouldn't be complete without a full schedule of group activities designed to test your patience, ruin friendships, and maybe make someone cry."
Sofia: "I call dibs on making someone cry."
Brooks ignored her.
Emma stood beside him, a little too straight, too composed.
"The events are non-mandatory," she said, "but class participation is encouraged. Plus, there are snacks."
Noah perked up. "Snacks?"
Luna nodded solemnly. "That's how they get you."
9:30 AM – Field Game Mayhem
The village's hilltop field was transformed into a battleground of nostalgic schoolyard challenges.
Relay races
Human knot untying
Spoon-and-egg dash
Tug-of-war
A three-legged obstacle course nobody knew how to finish
We were split into random mixed teams.
By "random," I mean Tyler rigged the names so he was paired with Iris.
He nearly broke the starting line rope with excitement.
I was paired with—
Amaya.
Three-Legged Race of Truth
Our legs were tied together. Literally.
The rope was slightly too tight.
Our arms linked.
Too close.
Her shoulder brushed mine every time we stepped.
Every time we stumbled.
And I noticed—she hadn't looked up at me all morning.
"Hey," I said, voice low. "You, okay?"
She nodded.
"Yeah. Just tired."
Lie.
"Did I do something wrong?" I asked.
Her eyes flickered.
"I don't know," she whispered.
We crossed the finish line second.
Didn't matter.
All I could think about was how she'd pulled away before I could even untie the rope.
Sofia led her team in a chanting circle that somehow ended in a human pyramid collapse, laughter, and an accidental tumble into a patch of flowers.
I caught her glance.
Her lips curled.
She knew I hadn't said anything.
And she wanted me to.
But I didn't.
Lunch Break
As I walked past the other teams settling for lunch, I noticed Yuki sitting alone beneath a wisteria tree, notebook in hand.
She didn't call out.
Just lifted her head once and met my gaze.
Then, softly—
"If I were a betting girl, I'd say you're one mistake away from clarity."
I paused.
She closed her notebook.
"But I don't bet. I calculate."
Then returned to scribbling like nothing happened.
Emma sat beside me under the Sakura tree.
Unplanned.
Intentional.
"Don't say anything," she said, passing me a bento she had clearly over-packed.
"I didn't."
"I know."
We ate in silence.
Then she added, barely above a whisper—
"Whatever happened last night… you don't owe anyone anything."
My hand froze over the rice ball.
"Except yourself."
And then she walked off, her shadow sharp against the grass.
Last Activity: Wish Lanterns
One by one, each student lit a paper lantern.
Wrote a wish.
Released it into the blue sky.
Tyler wrote:
"Let her kiss me before finals."
Noah:
"Fewer essays, more chaos."
Luna:
"Draw the moment before it fades."
Emma:
"Win. Everything."
Sofia:
"Make him break the rules."
Amaya?
She stood for a long time holding her pen.
Then just wrote:
"I want him to see me."
I didn't ask.
Didn't need to.
Mine?
I stared at the blank paper for five minutes.
And then wrote:
"I want to stop hurting them."
Yuki walked past me while the others were busy writing their wishes.
"Did you write yours already?" I asked.
"No."
"Why not?"
She turned to me with that unreadable smile.
"Because I don't write wishes," she said. "I make plans."
When I released it, the lantern spun a little slower than the others.
Maybe it was heavy.
Packing Time
Everyone returned to their rooms to gather bags.
Tyler high-fived Iris.
She gave him a flower from the roadside and said,
"Next time, kiss me first. I hate waiting."
He almost tripped over his shoes.
Noah fell asleep on his own duffel bag.
Emma organized everyone else's luggage.
Efficient. Detached.
Sofia?
Pulled me aside.
Cornered me against the luggage bench.
"Still nothing?" she asked.
I didn't answer.
She leaned close.
"You're going to lose all of us at this rate."
Then, softly—
"…or we'll lose you."
Bus Ride Home
The return was quieter.
No karaoke.
No yelling.
Tyler and Iris shared earbuds.
Luna drew.
Amaya sat by the window. Quiet.
Emma read.
Every other page, she stared at nothing.
Sofia hummed to herself.
I caught Yuki looking out the window with one earbud in, notebook closed for once.
Just as I turned away, she said without facing me:
"You'll lose more sleep over what you don't say."
Pause.
"But maybe that's part of growing up."
I watched the road disappear behind us.
And knew this wasn't over.
Not even close.