he bus came to a slow halt, its tires crunching against the frost-covered road. As the doors swung open, a rush of icy air greeted the students, making them shiver.
They had arrived.
Towering mountains stretched endlessly before them, their peaks hidden beneath thick clouds. Snow blanketed the landscape, glistening under the pale afternoon sun. The cold breeze nipped at their noses, but instead of complaints, there was only awe. It was beautiful.
The moment Sera stepped out of the bus, she wasted no time—grabbing a handful of snow, she hurled a snowball straight at Rei's face.
"Take that!" she grinned.
Rei barely had time to react before another hit him square on the shoulder. He turned to see Sera laughing mischievously, already preparing another attack.
"Oh, you're asking for it now," Rei smirked, scooping up a pile of snow.
What started as a playful attack between the two quickly escalated into an all-out snowball war. Students joined in one after another, ducking, throwing, and shrieking as snow exploded around them. Laughter echoed through the mountains.
And then—
"Oi, kiddos! Enough, stop it!" the teacher's voice rang out.
But before they could even process his words—
Splat!
A snowball smacked the teacher right in the face.
Haruto had thrown it.
Then—
Silence.
And then, in perfect coordination—every student launched their snowballs at him. The teacher stood frozen in place, covered head to toe in white, his expression unreadable.
For a moment, no one dared to move.
Then he sighed, shaking off the snow. "You brats…"
The students burst into laughter.
After some more playful chaos, the teacher finally managed to calm them down. "Alright, listen up! This is where we'll set up our first camp. We'll continue hiking in the morning—it's getting dark."
With that, everyone got to work. Some students started preparing tents, others gathered firewood. Rei struggled with his tent poles, frowning as he tried to fit them together.
"You were supposed to be a genius, Sera, and here you are asking me for help?" Rei teased as Sera fumbled with her tent.
Without hesitation, Sera grabbed a handful of snow and smacked it against Rei's face. "Deserved," she said smugly, before going back to setting up her tent.
After a while, everything was settled. The bonfire crackled warmly in the center, the soft glow illuminating their little campsite. Some students sat beside the fire, roasting marshmallows and sharing stories, while others, exhausted from the trip, curled up inside their tents.
The scent of melted marshmallows lingered in the air, mixing with the crisp mountain breeze. Stories were whispered—some fake, some real. Laughter rang out, soft and warm against the cold night.
Then, from the quietest corner of the group, a student who was usually silent spoke up.
"Guys… the ratio of people who get lost in the mountains is really high… and most of them are never found again."
A chill that had nothing to do with the cold ran through the group. Some students instinctively scooted closer to the fire. Others glanced nervously at the darkness beyond their camp.
But inside her tent, Sera lay completely unbothered. No tension, no stress—just sleep. Her breaths were slow, peaceful, lost in the warmth of her blanket.
And Rei? He was the same. While the others shivered at ghost stories and imaginary horrors, he was already fast asleep, his dreams untouched by the night's whispers.
Outside, the fire flickered, casting dancing shadows against the tents. The mountains stood tall, silent and watchful.
And in the heart of it all—under the vast, endless sky—Sera and Rei slept peacefully, wrapped in the simple warmth of the moment.
---
To be continued
~Rei