[Chapter 10: The Trip That Changed Everything]
Monday morning started like usual—with students chatting, yawning, and slowly shuffling into the classroom. The sun streamed through the windows, lighting up the room in a warm glow. Some students were already laughing with their friends, while others looked half-asleep at their desks.
But everything changed the moment Takumi stepped inside.
The room went strangely quiet.
Then came the whispers. And the giggles.
He stopped, confused. His shoulders sank a little.
Great. That's never a good sign.
Everyone was staring at him. Some were smiling, others whispering to their seatmates. It didn't take a genius to know why.
Haruto was already grinning when Takumi reached his desk.
"Morning, loverboy," he said with a smirk.
Takumi gave him a blank stare. "Don't start."
"Oh, I'm just saying what everyone's thinking," Haruto teased. "You and Yuri-chan disappeared after the festival. Left me and Kana all alone. It was heartbreaking."
"Heartbreaking that you wouldn't stop talking, maybe."
Before Haruto could reply, a few other classmates joined in.
"Takumi-kun, you and Yuri-san looked really good together that night!"
"Did you walk her home? Huh? Huh?"
He groaned quietly.
At the same time, Yuri entered the room. Instantly, her friends rushed over with excited looks.
"Ooooh, he gave you a teddy bear?"
"Was it romantic under the lanterns?"
Yuri smiled politely, answering with short replies. She didn't seem flustered, but when she looked at Takumi across the room, she gave him a small, quiet smile.
And that, Takumi realized, just made things worse.
Before the teasing could escalate, their homeroom teacher arrived, clapping her hands.
"Alright, everyone, settle down! I know you're all still excited from the festival, but I've got an announcement."
That got everyone's attention.
"Next week, we're going on a two-day overnight school trip. We'll be staying at a hot spring inn in the mountains. It's a traditional ryokan, so there'll be tatami rooms, yukatas, meals, hiking trails… I'll hand out the schedule later."
A wave of excitement exploded through the class.
"A hot spring? Seriously?"
"An overnight trip! Let's gooo!"
Haruto leaned toward Takumi, eyes shining. "Oh. This is it. The golden opportunity."
Takumi raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
Haruto grinned. "Romance, obviously. Two days in the mountains. Hot springs. You, Yuri-chan, under the stars."
Kana giggled from behind. "He's not wrong."
Takumi just rolled his eyes.
Across the room, Yuri was already attracting attention. Two boys Takumi didn't really know were chatting with her, trying to be smooth.
"Shinomiya-san, you ever been to a hot spring before?"
"If you're hiking, I can show you the best spots."
She answered kindly but clearly wasn't interested. Takumi noticed a flicker of discomfort in her eyes.
At lunch, he found her alone on the rooftop, the wind playing with her light brown hair.
"You're popular all of a sudden," he said, handing her a juice box.
Yuri looked at him with a raised brow.
"Jealous?"
He hesitated. "A little."
She took the juice, her fingers brushing his lightly. "You weren't exactly ignored either. I saw at least two girls eyeing you during break."
Takumi shrugged. "I wasn't interested."
Yuri sipped her juice. "Neither was I."
He glanced at her. "Still annoyed me though."
She looked at him, lips quirking into a half-smile. "Then we're even."
They stood side by side in silence, the breeze playing with Yuri's light brown hair. Below them, the school buzzed with students talking about what to pack, who to room with, and how exciting it all sounded.
But up here, it was just the two of them. Quiet. Still.
And somewhere deep down, both of them knew:
This trip wasn't just going to be a getaway.
It was going to change everything.