(Hey. Did you make it back safe?)
I smiled.
"Yeah. Barely. Mission: Climb-The-Wall was a success." I replied.
("You didn't break your neck? Nice.")
"Thanks for walking with me, by the way. I had fun."
There was a pause. Then his reply came through:
("Me too. It's been a while since I laughed like that.")
I sat on my bed, pulling my blanket over my legs, thumbs hovering over the screen.
"So... why don't you get along with the boys? I mean, you seem chill."
("We used to. All of us did. But something happened last year... and they cut me off.")
I stared at that message, reading it twice.
"What happened?"
("It's complicated. Maybe I'll tell you one day.")
There was a beat. A hesitation in the silence of our chat. I didn't want to push, but something about the way he said it, it wasn't just "complicated." It was personal.
"Okay. But you should know I'm nosy."
("Noted. You ask cute questions though.")
I rolled my eyes and flopped backward onto the bed, heart doing a soft little thump I didn't ask for.
"It's late, I should sleep. I have to wake up by 7."
("Goodnight, trouble. Sweet dreams.")
"Night, teach."
I placed my phone on the bedside table, smiling to myself. Despite the small panic moments and suspicious roommates, today hadn't been so bad.
...
...Until I realized I'd forgotten to set an alarm.
"Yah! Elise, wake up!"
I jerked up, disoriented. A pillow hit me square in the face. Ryan was standing by my door, one eyebrow raised and arms crossed.
"It's 7:50. You have literally ten minutes to be ready or I'm dragging you down in your pajamas."
"Oh my god." I practically rolled off the bed and into a vertical position. "Why didn't you knock like a normal person?!"
"I did. Three times. You snore."
"I do not."
"You absolutely do." He turned on his heel and left.
I threw on my uniform like I was in a race against time, tied my hair into the least tragic bun possible, washed my face and sprinted downstairs.
The boys were already at the table, halfway through breakfast. Travis was sipping black coffee with his usual poker face, Twan was shoveling eggs into his mouth like it was a sport, and James was buttering the toast.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Minho greeted without looking up from his phone. "You drool, by the way."
"Do you guys just take turns roasting me?" I muttered, dropping into the seat Ryan saved for me.
Ryan pushed a plate of food in front of me. "Eat. You've got three minutes."
"Bless you," I whispered dramatically before digging in.
...
The walk to school was a little chaotic, per usual. Travis and Twan were arguing about who won last night's board game while James swore he saw their dorm ghost again at 3 a.m.
"Maybe it's your reflection," Minho offered flatly.
"I hate you," James deadpanned.
I walked behind them, smiling at their banter. Travis, surprisingly, fell into step beside me.
"You didn't come down after dinner," he said casually.
"I was tired."
"Too tired to play Azul Duel?" He asked.
"Especially too tired to play Azul Duel."
He smirked.
"But don't worry," I added, "I'll totally beat you next time."
"I'll hold you to that."
For a second, we both smiled, and I realized he had a really nice side profile. Not that I was staring. Obviously.
...
At school, Friday flew by. There were two surprise quizzes (that I definitely guessed my way through), a brief lecture from Mr. Saejima about "discipline and punctuality," and a thrilling 40-minute discussion in homeroom about the upcoming intramurals.
After class, we all gathered by the lockers.
"So what's the plan for tonight?" Ryan asked, adjusting his backpack.
"Movie marathon?" Twan suggested. "We haven't done one in a while."
"I vote karaoke," James grinned. "Elise still owes us a song."
"You keep dreaming," I replied.
"We could go out," Minho offered, checking his phone. "Grab food. Chill somewhere."
"We could also stay in and play something," Travis said, voice thoughtful.
"Or..." Twan grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at me. "We let Elise decide."
They all turned to look at me like I was about to deliver the results of a national election.
I blinked. "...I mean, it's your guys' Friday night."
"You live with us. That means your vote counts," Ryan said.
"Fine." I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. "Just... can we go somewhere peaceful tonight? I need fresh air."
Twan smiled. "I know the perfect spot in Akiu. Waterfalls, stars, quiet forest breeze. And bonus points: the city lights from the viewing deck."
"Sounds nice." Everyone agreed. As the boys chuckled and started packing up their things from their lockers, I turned to grab my bag and that's when he passed.
Josh.
He walked by like a breeze, nonchalant, head slightly bowed as he passed the group. His steps slowed just a little when he neared me.
"Hey," he said, voice soft but firm.
"Hey," I replied, blinking. "You heading out?"
"Yeah. Seems like you guys are too," he said, his gaze flicking briefly toward Ryan, then Minho. No one responded to him—not even a glance. He may as well have been invisible.
I nodded slowly. "Yeah. Group thing."
"Sounds fun," he replied, tone unreadable. "Take care."
Before I could say anything else, he gave me a small, polite smile, shoved his hands in his pockets, and kept walking.
James leaned in from beside me, whispering once Josh was out of earshot, "That guy gives off NPC vibes."
"Stop," I whispered back.
Twan raised a brow. "Didn't you and Josh do something recently?"
I shrugged, unsure of how to answer. "Yeah, he helped me with my dribbling and all" I replied.
Travis finally looked up, his brow furrowed faintly—but didn't say a word.
We returned to the dorm to freshen up first. Ryan called dibs on the shower, while Twan and James fought over who got to change clothes first. I grabbed my hoodie and joggers, threw my hair into a loose pony, and triple-checked that my phone had battery before heading downstairs.
I readied the camping chairs and a foldable table, going back and forth from the dorm to the car and then back again since I can't carry everything. Just following Travis' orders. While on my last round, Minho suddenly came and grabbed all three of the chairs, table and the thermos like it weighted nothing all while not saying anything. Oh well, thanks I guess.
By 8 PM sharp, two engines were purring in front of the dorm. Ryan's Nissan Skyline was slick, black, and gleaming under the streetlights. Twan's Toyota Supra JZA70 deep white with a slightly faded bumper (Damn they're spoiled)—was parked beside it, equally loud but somehow more endearing. The plan was simple: Ryan would drive with Minho and Travis in his car, while I rode with Twan and James.
"Let's convoy, boys and girl," James grinned as he opened the back seat for me. I buckled up as Twan adjusted the GPS for the 7-Eleven stop first.
"Let's get snacks like we're preparing for war," I said.
...
Inside 7-Eleven, we raided the aisles like kids with rich aunts and no budget. Travis was already stacking bottles of matcha soda like he was building a tower. Ryan grabbed a dozen melon pan and threw in five packs of cup noodles and onigiri, "Just in case."
"Who's going to boil water on top of a waterfall?" I asked.
"I like to be prepared," he replied smugly.
I tossed in three dorayaki, a pack of dried mango, and a single chocolate milk carton just for fun.
Minho disappeared briefly and returned with a suspicious brown bag. He slipped it in the basket like nothing happened. Twan raised an eyebrow.
"What's that?"
Minho shrugged. "Nothing illegal."
Then we paid, juggled the bags, and shoved them in the trunks. Then we were off—engine rumbling, tires crunching gravel, radio low, windows slightly down to let the cool air in.
In the Supra, James sat in the passenger seat DJing, trying to find a playlist that wasn't "just sad anime piano." Eventually he settled on something upbeat; AiScReam. Twan drove with one hand, sunglasses still on despite the fading light, his other hand drumming along to the beat.
"Excited?" he asked, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.
I leaned my head back. "Kind of. This week's been... weird."
James laughed. "Everything's weird with us."
"I meant weird even by your standards," I teased.
Twan chuckled. "Okay, fair. But tonight's just for chilling, no drama."
"Hopefully," I muttered.
"Unless you fall into the falls," James added.
"You better catch me," I shot back.
"No promises." James replied.
...
Travis' POV
Meanwhile, in Ryan's car, I was munching quietly on squid crackers while staring out the window. Minho rode shotgun, arms folded, lost in thought.
"You okay?" Ryan asked, his voice low.
"I'm fine." Minho replied.
"Sure?"
Minho finally looked up. "Just thinking."
Ryan didn't press, but instead he switched topics; Basketball.
...
Elise's POV
As we drove deeper into the forested outskirts of Sendai, the roads narrowed, trees arching over the pavement like canopies. The GPS flickered—signal dropping.
James stuck his head out the window. "I swear I just saw a raccoon."
"I swear I'm gonna throw you out if you lean any farther," Twan said.
I laughed while sticking my head out the window as well, the wind tugging at the strands of hair that had escaped my pony. Eventually, we pulled into a quiet parking area. There was a wooden sign marked "Akiu Great Falls – Night Viewing Deck This Way."
"Guys, it's gorgeous," I said as we all climbed out, carrying our bags and camping chairs.
"It better be," Travis muttered. "I skipped reading tonight for this."
"I'm honored," I told him.
He blinked and then said nothing to me while heading towards the trunk to gather our supplies.
As we made our way down the trail lit by lanterns and soft ground lights, the sound of the waterfall grew louder. Mist hung in the air like a secret.
The viewing deck overlooked the falls—a thunderous rush of water cascading down dark stone, lit softly from below. It glowed like something out of a dream.
James unfolded the chairs like a pro. Minho pulled out the cooler. Twan immediately tried to start a bluetooth speaker for music.
"Okay," Ryan announced. "We have snacks. A view. Peace. Let's not ruin it."
We sat around in a semi-circle, legs stretched out, quietly munching melon pan and sipping from our sodas. A matcha bottle clinked gently against a metal water bottle, and the sound was oddly comforting.
Minho was sitting with the others, legs stretched out in front of him, one arm slung over the back of his folding chair like he owned the entire view. He laughed lightly at something Ryan had said, but even with that smirk on his face, his eyes weren't fully in. Like a part of him was still somewhere else—watching the falls, maybe listening for something only he could hear.
I stood up with a dorayaki in hand and made my way over to him.
"Hey," I said quietly, holding it out to him. "You didn't eat much earlier. You'll feel better."
He glanced at the dorayaki, then up at me, and for a second, I thought he was going to decline. But he took it wordlessly, tearing the wrapper halfway open with one hand before leaning back in his chair again.
"Thanks," he said under his breath, barely audible beneath the sound of the water.
I blinked. "Huh?"
He didn't repeat himself. Just took a bite. I was about to say something else when Travis suddenly stood up.
"Uh, did anyone hear that?" he asked, glancing back toward the trees. Everyone paused. The soft rustle of leaves behind us was unmistakable. Minho sat up straighter in his chair, now alert. Ryan slowly set down his drink.
James looked at us. "Tell me that's a raccoon again."
Twan stood up too, his hand already reaching toward the flashlight clipped to his backpack.
I took a slow step backward toward my seat. Then a second rustle—closer this time.
Minho stood. "Stay here," he said to me, low and firm.
My heart dropped into my stomach.
Something or someone was out there.
And the peaceful night wasn't so peaceful anymore...