The trip was over.
The hot springs had cooled.
The confessions were buried (for now). And the cherry blossoms were already fading.
But Class 1-A?
Still very much riding the afterglow.
That is, until Mr. Brooks ruined everything in the first three minutes of homeroom.
Morning – Homeroom
Mr. Brooks strolled in with his usual cup of coffee, sunglasses still on indoors, and an aura that screamed "please retire me already."
He stood at the front of the classroom, took one long sip, and said—
"Good morning, lovebirds. I assume we've all recovered from our shared trauma, better known as the school trip."
Tyler: "Recovered? I'm still spiritually in the hot spring."
Sofia: "I'm still emotionally undressing Jay."
Emma: "Please stop breathing."
Brooks ignored them and slid a sheet onto the projector.
A single line glowed on the screen behind him:
📝 MIDTERM EXAMS – START NEXT MONDAY
Half the class groaned.
Noah fell forward and banged his head on the desk.
"That's right," Brooks continued, voice completely void of sympathy. "Your brief flirtation with mountain-based romance and food poisoning has ended. It's time to return to the cruel, unromantic reality of academics."
Tyler raised a hand. "Will there be snacks?"
"Only the flavor of panic, my son."
Morning Vibe – Reuniting Chaos
Despite the academic threat looming like an execution date, the classroom was alive.
Stories from the trip flew across desks like confetti:
Noah reenacting his near-death via slipper in the hot spring.
Emma explaining in exhaustive detail how her itinerary saved them from disaster.
Amaya smiling quietly as she showed the class a charm she bought.
Luna passed around a sketch she made of the class playing tug-of-war.
It got framed in the classroom window by the end of the day.
I took it all in from my desk, smiling.
This… was the part of life I wanted to hold onto.
Even if it was temporary.
Sliding Back Into Rhythm
Emma scolded me for not reviewing the new seating rotation.
Sofia flicked my ear and asked if I still thought about "certain steam-filled nights."
Amaya saved me by offering me her extra pencil—again.
Tyler caught my eye and mouthed, "she's still into you," then jerked his head toward Sofia.
I mouthed back, "they all are."
He clapped silently like a proud older sibling.
By lunch, it was like the trip had never ended.
But I remembered it all.
The kiss. The glances. The unspoken words.
And the one text from my family that reminded me—this world might vanish soon
Lunch Break – Table Talk Mayhem
We gathered at the usual corner of the courtyard.
Sofia draped herself over the bench beside me, sipping from a juice box like royalty.
Emma, seated across, glared like she wanted to duel her.
Amaya set her neatly packed bento on the table, eyes flicking to both girls but saying nothing.
Luna sat beside me quietly, handing me a napkin without being asked.
"Rumor is we might have a surprise math pop quiz tomorrow," Emma warned.
"I'll surprise them by guessing every answer," Noah declared.
Tyler: "I'll surprise myself if I even pass."
Mr. Brooks walked by, sipping his coffee.
"I'll surprise you all with remedial classes if this continues."
He didn't stop walking.
Final Period – Calm Before Study Storm
Mr. Brooks spent the last ten minutes of class assigning seat-based study groups for the week.
"You may flirt all you want on your own time," he muttered, "but during study hours, I expect mild suffering and zero distractions."
Sofia: "Jay's existence is a distraction."
Emma: "Then study harder."
Amaya: "…Can I be in his group?"
Brooks sighed. Deeply.
"Fine. Group yourselves. Just don't make me regret breathing."
And with that, school was over for the day.
After School – Walk Home
Tyler walked with Iris.
Emma got pulled into a student council check-in.
Sofia hung back… but left after a teasing wink.
That left me and Amaya, like always.
The wind was calm. Light filtered through the trees.
She didn't say much—but her presence was steady.
And I needed that.
"Do you think next week will be okay?" she asked softly.
I nodded. "Yeah. I'll make sure it is."
She looked at me with a small, quiet smile that said she believed me.
Even if I wasn't sure I believed myself.