The next morning brought sunlight filtered through pine needles and birdsong louder than alarms. The campsite buzzed with activity: breakfast trays clinked, students shuffled into their assigned teams, and instructors prepared for the "team bonding challenges."
Yuuji hadn't slept.
Every time he closed his eyes, he felt Ren's hand again—warm, unsteady, asking without asking.
Now, he was watching Ren from across the clearing. Ren was laughing at something Ethan said, running his fingers through his bed-mussed hair like he hadn't shattered Yuuji's mental clarity the night before.
And Ian?
Ian stood stiff as ever, arms crossed, eyes cold. Watching Ren like he was a time bomb with a too-short fuse.
---
"Alright, Group 1," the lead teacher called, "Aikawa, Sakamoto, Suguru, Ethan, Moore, and Wilson—get ready for the obstacle challenge. You'll work as one unit."
Yuuji gulped. Six of them. One tangled web of glances and unspoken grudges.
The course included rope climbs, trust falls, and a low crawling tunnel. And of course, Ian and Ren were immediately placed on opposite ends of the line for "balance."
It did nothing to balance the tension.
By the third task—building a bridge using planks and rope—Ren grabbed the materials without speaking. Ian yanked a board from him.
"You're not listening to the plan," Ian snapped.
"And you're not doing anything but barking orders," Ren shot back.
"I have a plan—"
"Oh, we all know. You always have a plan. Every moment of every day. That's your whole thing."
"Because if I don't, people like you screw it up," Ian hissed.
Yuuji froze. Everyone did.
Even Rio, who was attempting to loop rope with dramatic flair, went silent.
"Say that again," Ren said, stepping forward.
Ian didn't back down. "You're chaos wrapped in a smile, Ren. A disaster everyone thinks is charming. You don't care who gets hurt."
Ren's fists clenched. "At least I don't hide behind a perfect GPA and act like I'm above feeling anything."
"Maybe if you didn't treat everything like a game, people could trust you."
"Guys," Yuuji said softly, stepping between them. "Not here."
But it was too late.
Ren turned sharply and walked off the course.
---
They found him at the lake again, skipping rocks and muttering under his breath.
Yuuji approached alone.
"He's not wrong," Ren said before Yuuji even spoke. "I mess things up."
"No," Yuuji said, kneeling beside him. "He's wrong. But he's also angry. Hurt."
Ren let out a laugh, bitter and cracked. "He used to be my best friend, you know?"
Yuuji blinked. "Ian?"
"We were paired up in first year for a science project. He did all the work, I made him laugh when he wanted to cry. It was stupid, but it worked. Then I stopped showing up. Missed deadlines. My dad was worse that year. I didn't tell anyone. Ian… he didn't understand why I ghosted."
Yuuji said nothing.
Ren continued, voice low. "He hates that I didn't trust him. That I didn't ask for help. But I didn't know how."
Yuuji reached over, grabbing his wrist gently. "Then fix it. Talk to him."
---
It took until dinner for Ian and Ren to be in the same place again. In the candlelit cabin dining room, surrounded by hushed student chatter and clinking bowls, Ren walked straight to Ian.
"I was a coward," he said. "You didn't deserve that. I didn't say it then because I was scared you'd hate me."
Ian looked up slowly. His expression cracked.
"I did hate you," Ian said, voice trembling. "And I hated myself more for missing you."
For a second, it was just silence.
Then Ian stood.
And they hugged.
Not the soft kind.
The kind where you hold on so you don't fall apart.
---
Later that night, the fire pit crackled again.
Everyone was more relaxed. Rio was telling ghost stories (badly), Ethan was sketching something in the firelight, and Yuuji sat next to Ren, their shoulders barely brushing.
"I thought you were going to punch Ian," Yuuji teased softly.
Ren chuckled. "Almost did."
"But you didn't."
Ren turned to him, eyes glowing orange in the firelight. "Maybe I'm learning."
Yuuji looked away, lips twitching. "Scary."
"Terrifying."
And then, almost imperceptibly, their fingers brushed again.
Not by accident.
---
Remaining Students – Group 2 (Team Dusk):
Akira Fujimoto
Chiyo Mizuno
Hana Takahashi
Renji Morino
Kazuki Arata
Minami Tsuda
Group 3 (Team Horizon):
Aoi Tanaka
Shun Harada
Mei Kobayashi
Takumi Hoshino
Sayaka Endo
Yuuto Riku