The night had settled over the campsite like a heavy blanket of cold air and damp pine. Distant laughter and rustling leaves had died down, leaving the world outside their tent faintly humming—a mix of crickets, far-off footsteps, and the occasional snap of a branch. The lantern hanging inside the girls’ tent washed everything in a soft golden glow, warm enough to fight the chill but dim enough to make the space feel like a secret world.
Mae was lying on her stomach, feet swaying back and forth in the air. Jana was sitting cross-legged with a hairbrush in her hand, brushing her own hair even though no one asked her to. Lia was closest to the entrance, sitting upright with her blanket wrapped around her, pretending to scroll through her phone even though there was no signal at all.
They were doing nothing, thinking about nothing, until Jana—as always—opened her mouth.
“Guys,” she said dramatically, like she was about to reveal state secrets. “Be honest… which boy in our year is cutest?”
Mae immediately snorted. “Oh my God, here we go. Jana, why now? We’re literally in the middle of a forest.”
“Exactly!” Jana beamed. “Best time to talk about boys! No distractions. No responsibilities. No—”
“Signal,” Lia muttered, waving her dead phone.
“That too,” Jana said. “So, spill.”
“Pass,” Lia said quickly.
“You?” Mae laughed. “No way. You’re not escaping.”
“I don’t have a crush,” Lia said, shrugging. “I literally don’t—”
“Lia,” Jana said slowly, lowering the brush like she just caught a liar. “You’re blinking too much.”
“I blink normally.”
“That’s what a liar would say!”
They all burst into soft laughter that filled the tent with warmth, bouncing off the fabric walls.
But still—Lia stayed quiet. Truth was, she didn’t know what to say. Or maybe she knew too well.
His name was literally stuck in her head like a song she didn’t ask for. Drew. Drew. Drew. Ugh, stop thinking that.
Mae nudged her. “Come on, Lia. For once in your life, let’s talk about boys like normal girls.”
She rolled her eyes, but a faint smile tugged at her lips. Normal. Right. If only she felt normal every time he was around.
Before Jana could press again, a shadow appeared behind the tent’s entrance—quiet, still, listening.
A soft knock, polite but slightly amused, tapped against the tent flap.
“Uh… girls?” a familiar voice said from outside.
Tanaka.
Jana gasped dramatically, whisper-shouting, “Tanaka heard us talking about boys!”
Mae fell on her side, silently laughing. Lia felt her soul try to leave her body.
Tanaka cleared her throat. “Can I come in? Or do I need to wait for you to finish your… ‘cute boys ranking’?”
Silence.
Then absolute chaos.
Jana dove for her pillow. Mae buried her face in her blanket. Lia’s soul came back just to die again.
Lia stammered, “W-wait—we’re not ranking anyone—Jana is just—”
“Hey!” Jana protested.
Tanaka gave a small chuckle. “Relax. I’m not judging. I only came because the professor told me to check if everyone in our tent cluster is inside.”
“We are!” Mae shouted too loudly.
“You don’t say,” Tanaka laughed softly. “Anyway… can I come in? It’s cold.”
“Of course,” Lia said automatically.
Tanaka unzipped the flap and slipped inside gracefully, though the air became strangely dense when she did. Her presence always carried this kind of cool, composed aura—not intimidating, but definitely enough to make Jana sit straighter and Mae hide whatever snack she smuggled in.
Tanaka settled beside Lia and crossed her legs. “So, who’s the topic?”
Jana immediately pointed at Lia. “Her.”
Mae nodded aggressively. “Yes. Her.”
Lia stared at them like she was plotting their deaths.
But Tanaka only smiled, amused. “Lia, huh? Interesting.”
“No,” Lia said. “Not interesting. They’re just being delusional.”
“Really?” Tanaka tilted her head. “You’re blushing.”
Blushing? Lia slapped her cheeks. “I am not—my face is just—the lamp is hot.”
“Sure,” Mae whispered.
“She’s definitely hiding something,” Jana declared.
Lia buried her face into her blanket, regretting being alive.
The teasing continued, but the humor stayed soft—warm, teasing, not forced. Just friends being friends.
Eventually, the topic drifted because Jana had the attention span of a squirrel.
“Okay fine,” Jana said dramatically. “If Lia won’t say her crush, then I will say mine.”
Mae groaned. “Which one? You have, like, five.”
“Not true,” Jana said proudly. “I have three.”
Lia snorted.
“Well,” Jana went on, “I think… Tanaka is attractive.”
Tanaka froze.
Mae choked. Lia blinked so hard she saw stars. Jana shrugged casually. “What? I’m honest.”
Tanaka blinked, cheeks tinting just barely. “I… appreciate the compliment?”
Jana leaned forward. “And also Drew.”
Lia’s heart dropped.
Mae gasped. “Of course she likes Drew! Everyone likes Drew!”
“Hey,” Jana argued. “I like his face. Not his attitude.”
“He’s not even bad,” Mae said.
“He’s tolerable,” Tanaka added.
Lia stayed silent.
She felt something foreign in her stomach—a tight, twisting heat. She hated it. She didn’t want to analyze it. But it was there.
Why do I suddenly care who Jana finds attractive? Why does it bother me? It shouldn’t. It shouldn’t. It shouldn’t. But the thought lingered like smoke.
Mae nudged Lia gently. “You okay?”
“Huh? Yeah. Totally. Peachy.”
“You zoned out,” Mae muttered.
“Did I?”
“Yes, and I called your name twice.”
Lia blinked. “Damn. Sorry.”
Jana laughed. “See? She’s definitely hiding something.”
Lia pressed her palms to her face, wishing the floor would swallow her.
Tanaka watched her carefully. Not judgmental. Just… curious.
The conversation shifted again—funny stories, stupid school rumors, Jana overreacting to every bug, Mae trying to steal snacks from Tanaka’s bag.
Half an hour passed in warm friendship, teasing, giggles, and soft confessions. Everything felt good. Easy. Light.
Until footsteps approached outside.
Slow. Steady. Firm.
The girls fell silent.
A tall shadow stopped at their tent.
Then—a voice.
“Uh… is Tanaka inside?”
“Drew?” Jana mouthed dramatically.
Tanaka answered, “I’m here. What’s up?”
Drew didn’t open the flap—he just talked through it.
“Professor wanted me to patrol the perimeter. Check if any students are sneaking out or doing… stuff.”
“Making out,” Mae whispered.
“Making out,” Jana echoed.
Lia kicked them both under the blanket.
Tanaka zipped the flap down halfway to peek at him. “You want me to go with you?”
“No,” Drew said quickly.
Tanaka blinked. “No?”
Drew cleared his throat. “I mean—I appreciate it, but the professor already assigned someone to go with me.”
“Oh,” Tanaka said, slightly confused. “Then why did you come here?”
Drew hesitated.
The air inside the tent stilled.
Jana’s eyes widened. Mae leaned in. Tanaka straightened.
Lia’s heartbeat went wild—for reasons she refused to admit.
Drew exhaled, then said clearly:
“Professor wants… Lia.”
The tent froze.
Mae: “Ha???”
Jana: “Oh my god—”
Tanaka: “Lia?”
Lia: “Me??”
Drew nodded seriously. “Yeah. The professor told me to bring her. We’re patrolling together.”
A heavy, electric silence filled the tent.
Jana grinned like she just won the lottery. Mae was squealing into her pillow. Tanaka was unreadable—curious? confused? something else? And Lia… Lia felt heat spike from her chest all the way to her ears, her stomach tightening with something she didn’t dare name.
Drew lifted the tent flap a little more, his eyes landing directly only on her.
“You ready?” he asked quietly.