When the third task began, I already knew from the very start that it wouldn't go in our favor.
Team two was simply better prepared than we were.
While we tried our best, most of our answers were educated guesses rather than certainty. Still, it wasn't a complete disaster—we laughed, argued quietly, changed answers at the last second, and somehow managed to get a few right. But deep down, I could feel it.
This wasn't our round.
When Chak finally called out for everyone to stop, the beach fell quiet almost instantly. We all turned toward him, waiting.
He stood tall, hands loosely clasped behind his back, his expression composed but warm.
"First of all," he said, his voice carrying easily over the sound of the waves, "congratulations to all of you."
A few surprised looks followed.
"You did exceptionally well," Chak continued. "It was clear today that you're capable of working together—even if you're based in two different locations and don't interact daily."
There were small smiles. Quiet nods. A sense of pride passing through the group.
Then Chak paused.
"But," he added, "only one team can win."
My chest tightened.
"And that team," he said, looking toward the left side of the beach, "is team one."
For a second, there was silence.
Then team one exploded.
They jumped, cheered, hugged each other, some of them laughing so hard they nearly fell into the sand.
I smiled despite myself.
But before the noise could settle, Chak lifted his hand slightly—and began to speak again.
The celebration slowed. People turned back toward him.
Chan, standing near the front, blinked and said, confused,
"But… that doesn't mean the rest of us aren't attending the wedding, right?"
I felt Taeng lean closer to me.
"What does he mean?" he whispered under his breath.
"I don't know," I murmured back honestly.
Chak's expression softened—just a fraction.
"These games," he said calmly, "were never designed to decide who gets to attend the wedding."
A ripple of surprise passed through the group.
"They were created to strengthen team spirit," he continued, "to help you connect, cooperate, and trust one another—even if you didn't know each other before today."
He looked around, making sure everyone was listening.
"So," he finished, "everyone is invited. From the first person to the last."
For a moment, no one reacted.
Then—
Relief.
Laughter.
Cheers.
Non, who was standing right next to me, suddenly leaned his full weight against my shoulder and burst into dramatic tears.
"I'm going to the wedding of my future husband," he cried loudly, voice breaking, "even if he's marrying someone else!"
I couldn't help it.
I laughed.
Amara and Pin immediately rushed over, wrapping their arms around him, shushing him gently while he continued to sniffle and complain between sobs.
"It's okay," Amara said, patting his back.
"We'll get you through this tragedy."
As I watched them, the tension in my chest finally eased.
The games were over.
But something else—something much bigger—was about to begin.
I knew Chak had heard it.
I felt it in the way the air shifted—subtle, but unmistakable.
Before I could overthink it, Anamarija appeared beside us, close enough that no one else could hear. She leaned in slightly and whispered, almost amused,
"Nice move."
I turned to her, genuinely surprised.
"What?" I whispered back. "How do you know I was pretending?"
She looked at me for a second, then smiled—small, knowing, sharp in the way only she could be.
"I saw your face," she said softly. "Just for a moment. When he picked you up."
My breath caught.
"You smiled," she continued. "Not big. Not obvious. Just enough."
She tilted her head.
"You didn't want help. You wanted him."
I looked away, the corner of my mouth betraying me anyway.
"You just wanted his attention," she finished gently.
I exhaled, then nodded.
"You're right," I admitted quietly.
I glanced back toward Chak's direction—where he stood surrounded by people, calm again, untouchable again.
Then I smiled.
A real one this time.
"And I got it."
Anamarija didn't say anything else.
She just bumped her shoulder lightly against mine before stepping away—leaving me with the truth, and the echo of Chak's arms around me that I still hadn't shaken off.
Chak waited for the reactions to settle.
The laughter.
The murmurs.
The emotional aftermath of winning, losing, and realizing it had all meant something more.
Then he lifted his hand slightly, an effortless gesture that brought the attention back to him.
"That's all for today," he said calmly.
The beach quieted.
"You've done more than enough," Chak continued, his voice steady but warm. "The rest of the day is yours."
A few surprised looks appeared.
"No schedules," he added. "No tasks. No teams."
He glanced around at everyone—really looking this time.
"Rest," he said. "Explore. Swim. Sleep. Do whatever you want."
A pause.
"You're free for the rest of the day."
The reaction was instant.
Cheers.
Relieved laughter.
Someone actually clapped.
"Finally!"
"I'm going straight to the pool."
"I need a drink."
People began breaking apart in small groups, already making plans, the tension from the games melting away as the atmosphere shifted into something lighter—almost vacation-like.
I stayed where I was for a moment.
So did Chak.
Our eyes met across the space between us—nothing obvious, nothing anyone else would notice.
Just a quiet understanding.
This round was over.
But something else had only just begun.
Amara clapped her hands together suddenly, breaking the loose clusters that had already started to form.
"Since we're all free now," she said brightly, "why don't we just go to dinner together?"
A few heads turned toward her.
"I'm starving," she added, dramatic but sincere. "And honestly, my brain is completely fried after all that."
That was all it took.
"Yes."
"Food sounds perfect."
"I'm in."
The agreement came easily, laughter following right after. Within minutes, plans were made, directions decided, and everyone began moving together toward the restaurant like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Dinner was loud.
Plates clinked.
Glasses were refilled.
Stories overlapped, jokes flying back and forth across the table.
For the first time that day, it felt normal. Easy. Like a group of friends instead of coworkers competing for something that carried too much meaning.
Halfway through the meal, Amara leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table.
"So," she said casually, eyes sparkling, "what if we go into the city after this?"
That immediately caught attention.
"Oh," Pim said, interested. "I could do that."
Non's eyes lit up. "Absolutely. I didn't bring all these outfits just to sleep."
Anamarija nodded. "Why not? We're here anyway."
I smiled, watching the energy shift again—lighter, excited.
Then I noticed it.
Taeng and I exchanged a look.
Just a brief one.
Quiet.
Loaded.
"I think…" I said slowly, then smiled apologetically, "I might just go to sleep."
Taeng nodded immediately, almost too quickly.
"Same," he said. "Long day."
Anamarija raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Really?" she asked lightly.
Taeng shrugged. "I need my beauty sleep."
I leaned back in my chair, a small smile tugging at my lips.
"Fair enough," I said. "You've earned it."
The rest of the table groaned dramatically.
"Traitors."
"Cowards."
"Party killers."
But me and Taeng only smiled.
Some people needed the city.
Others needed their boyfriends.
And some moments were meant to happen quietly—away from noise, away from lights.
I had a feeling tonight was going to be one of those nights.
When the others finally stood up, already talking over each other about bars, music, and where to go first, Taeng and I stayed seated for a moment longer.
Pim, Non, Amara, and Anamarija were already halfway out of the restaurant, laughing and arguing about directions.
"Don't wait up," Non called over his shoulder.
"We won't," I replied with a small smile.
Once they were gone, the noise faded quickly.
Taeng leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms.
Then he glanced at me—sideways, knowing.
"So," he said casually, "you're meeting your boyfriend tonight?"
I scoffed softly, pretending to think about it.
"Maybe," I said. "What about you?"
He didn't even try to hide his smile.
"Yeah," he admitted. "Looks like I am."
I raised my glass slightly in his direction.
"Good," I said. "Then we're even."
Taeng clinked his glass lightly against mine.
No explanations needed.
Some things didn't need to be said out loud.
We both stood up, the chair scraping softly against the floor.
The restaurant was already half-empty now. The laughter from the others faded down the hallway, leaving behind that strange quiet that only comes after something important ends.
We walked side by side toward the rooms, the night air cooler against my skin, the sound of the ocean following us like a promise.
Neither of us spoke at first.
Then Taeng broke the silence, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.
"So," he said lightly, almost teasing, "where exactly are you meeting Chak?"
I hesitated for just a second.
"On his yacht," I answered. "At eight."
I smiled, unable to stop myself.
"And you?" I asked. "Where are you meeting Kit?"
"In his room," Taeng replied easily. "There's a pool. We'll swim first."
He paused, then added with a crooked smile,
"And after that… I honestly don't know."
I laughed quietly. "Sounds like a plan."
He stopped in front of his door, then looked at me again—this time more openly.
"You nervous?" he asked.
I thought about it.
About Chak's arms earlier.
About the way he had looked at me across the beach.
About the hours stretching ahead of us, quiet and uninterrupted.
"A little," I admitted. "But in a good way."
Taeng nodded, like he understood exactly what I meant.
"Good," he said. "That usually means it matters."
We reached our room.
I unlocked the door, then paused, glancing back at him.
"I need to change," I said.
Taeng smirked. "Same."
For a moment, we just stood there—two people pretending to go to sleep while the night had very different plans for both of us.
We stepped inside.
The door closed quietly behind us.
The room was dim, calm, almost too peaceful for what my heart was doing.
I checked the time.
7:41 PM.
I took a slow breath and moved toward my bag.
Eight o'clock was coming fast.
And somewhere out there, waiting on the water, was Chak.