The tension had cooled by nightfall. Most of the students had drifted off into sleep, their breathing steady beneath the soft hum of the bus engine.
Everyone—except one.
At the very back of the bus, Raju Desai sat wide awake, a storm brewing in his mind.
> Why her? he thought, clenching his fists. Why would someone like Shinoa fall for a guy like him? That poor, stoic loser?
His jaw tightened as he looked toward Kaiser, sleeping peacefully a few seats away.
Then, a smirk twisted onto Raju's face.
> Let's see how long your little "moment" lasts.
---
Morning arrived with golden sunlight streaming through the trees as the buses rolled into a massive, modern camp complex—an academy-sponsored retreat nestled at the edge of a nature reserve. The goal: study wildlife, build bonds, and survive the chaos of adolescence.
Kaiser and his group stepped off the bus. Bags slung, expressions unreadable—except one.
Shinoa Kurai, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, faked a trip as she descended the steps.
"Ah—!"
But before Kaiser could react, someone else had already moved.
Raju.
He caught her in his arms with a proud grin. "Careful there."
Shinoa blinked, clearly disappointed—but she smiled anyway. "Th-thanks."
A few steps away, Rukia Delim burst into laughter.
Kaiser glanced at her. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing," she said, still chuckling.
> This bitch… Shinoa thought, biting her cheek.
In her mind, a flashback played: Rukia gently clasping Kaiser's hand the moment she stumbled. The way he didn't resist. The way he didn't notice. And now, Raju's arms instead of his?
> She may not top the grades, but damn… she's good at games.
If I don't stay sharp, she'll steal him right from under me.
---
Later that day, under the tall pines near the camp's entrance, Kaiser walked alongside Hiraku Blumenthal, his quiet and observant friend.
"What do you want to do first?" Hiraku asked.
Kaiser shrugged. "Anything's fine."
Hiraku smirked. "You're not scary, you know. So why do you act like it?"
Kaiser's expression darkened just slightly. "I know how to talk. I just choose not to."
"Oh?"
"In middle school, I was... talkative. Friendly. I thought I had friends. But I realized they all sugarcoated their words in front of me and stabbed me with them behind my back."
Hiraku listened silently.
"I even talked a lot to girls back then. And almost every week, one of them would confess to me."
Hiraku blinked. "Lucky you?"
Kaiser frowned. "No. I wanted friends, not flings. I rejected them all. And when I did, they didn't badmouth me. They just… stopped talking to me. Completely."
"I see," Hiraku said, nodding slowly. "That's your reason, huh? That must've been tough."
Kaiser didn't answer.
"But," Hiraku continued, his voice gentler now, "I think you're changing."
Kaiser looked at him. "Who, me?"
"Yeah. You were smiling on the bus. Looking out the window like you were excited. Don't deny it."
Kaiser turned his face away, slightly red. "How'd you know?"
"I study psychology," Hiraku said proudly.
Kaiser sighed. "Yeah, I guess I was looking forward to it. For once, I'm not alone. For once, I have... friends."
Hiraku's eyes welled up. "See? You have changed."
"Oi, don't cry," Kaiser said, nudging him with a faint smile.
He looked up at the sky.
The sun was warm. The breeze gentle.
> Maybe this trip won't be so bad…
Maybe there's more to life than just surviving.
> Maybe I've finally found something beyond loneliness.