The tension had cooled by nightfall. Most students had dozed off, their breaths steady beneath the soft hum of the bus engine.
Everyone—except one.
At the very back, Raju Desai sat awake, his arms folded, eyes fixed on the seat ahead.
> Why him?
What could she possibly see in that guy? That quiet, emotionless wall of a person?
He scoffed under his breath, gaze drifting toward Kaiser, sleeping peacefully a few rows ahead.
> No charm. No fire. Just that same deadpan face.
Still, Raju leaned his head back and smirked faintly.
> Let's see how long he can hold her attention. Game on, Kaiser.
Morning arrived with golden sunlight pouring through the trees as the buses pulled into a vast camp complex nestled on the edge of a nature reserve. The academy's spring retreat was officially underway: a blend of wildlife exploration, team-building chaos, and teenage drama waiting to unfold.
Kaiser and his group stepped off the bus—bags slung, eyes adjusting to the bright day. Most of them wore neutral expressions.
All except Shinoa Kurai, who had something else in mind.
As she reached the final step, she gave a theatrical wobble.
"Ah—!"
But before Kaiser could react, someone else had already moved.
Raju.
He caught her easily, flashing a smooth grin. "Careful there."
Shinoa blinked, a little disappointed it hadn't been Kaiser—but she smiled anyway. "Th-thanks."
A few steps behind them, Rukia Delim burst into laughter.
Kaiser looked over. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing," she said, trying to stifle another chuckle.
> This bitch… Shinoa thought, biting the inside of her cheek.
A flash of memory ran through her mind—Rukia clasping Kaiser's hand that day, pulling him close like it was natural. The way he didn't pull away. The way he didn't even notice.
And now she was getting "saved" by the wrong guy?
> She might not top the grades, but damn… she's got killer instincts. If I let my guard down, she'll take him without blinking.
Later that day, under the tall pine trees near the camp's entrance, Kaiser walked beside Hiraku Blumenthal, the laid-back genius of their group.
"What do you want to do first?" Hiraku asked, stretching his arms.
Kaiser shrugged. "Doesn't matter."
Hiraku side-eyed him. "You're not as scary as you act, you know. So why the moody front?"
Kaiser's eyes lowered. "…I know how to talk. I just choose not to."
"Oh?"
"In middle school, I talked to everyone. Laughed. Shared things. I thought I had friends."
Hiraku stayed silent, sensing the weight of what was coming.
"But over time, I noticed the smiles didn't match the whispers. They praised me to my face and mocked me the second I turned around."
He kicked a stone gently on the path.
"I even talked to girls back then. A lot. Most of them ended up confessing. One after another. Week after week."
"Lucky you?" Hiraku teased, lightly.
Kaiser didn't smile.
"I didn't want that. I just… wanted people. Friends. But once I rejected them, they didn't get mad. They just stopped talking to me. Like I was nothing."
A long silence passed.
"That's rough," Hiraku said quietly. "No one deserves that."
Kaiser didn't respond right away. The sunlight filtered through the trees above, golden and soft.
"But," Hiraku added, his tone lifting, "I think you're changing."
Kaiser raised an eyebrow. "Me?"
"Yeah. I saw you on the bus. Looking out the window like you were actually… excited." Hiraku smirked. "Don't deny it."
Kaiser looked away, ears slightly red. "How'd you even notice?"
"I study psychology," Hiraku said proudly.
Kaiser rolled his eyes. "Of course you do."
"But hey," Hiraku continued, smiling, "you've got people now. Real ones. Rukia. Shinoa. Me. You're not alone anymore."
Kaiser paused. Then, a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"…Maybe you're right."
"Whoa," Hiraku said, eyes widening. "Was that a smile?! Mark the date!"
Kaiser nudged him with an elbow. "Don't get carried away."
He glanced up at the sky.
The sun was warm. The breeze gentle.
> Maybe this trip won't be so bad after all.
Maybe I'm finally finding something… beyond loneliness.