The group had scattered in a frenzy, each person scrambling for shelter from the sudden downpour. But one person was conspicuously absent from the groups: Sam.
As the rain poured down relentlessly, he simply stood there, hands in his pocket, letting it soak him through. He didn't seek shelter, didn't flinch as the heavy droplets pelted him. He was lost in the moment, staring up at the dark sky, unmoved by the storm.
Eventually, the rain tapered off, and one by one, the others stepped outside, realising that Sam hadn't taken cover with the rest of them. The sight of him, drenched and still standing there, made Jangla lose her temper.
She stormed out of the tent, fuming. "What are you doing, Sam? Why didn't you take shelter? You're really high maintenance, you know that? Do you love getting drenched in the rain? Seriously, why didn't you take shelter?"
Sam didn't even flinch at her outburst. Instead, he just pointed his finger up, his eyes reflecting the first light of the rising sun. The storm had passed, and in its place, a stunning sunrise began to unfold before them.
The sky was painted in hues of gold, and as if nature herself had orchestrated it, a mystical rainbow arced across the horizon, completing the breathtaking scene.
Jangla stood there, momentarily speechless, caught off guard by the beauty of it all.
The night was filled with breathing wonders and the morning is filled with a refreshing spectacular view, the group are in no short of beautiful scene in this trip.
Sam, still looking up at the sky, finally broke the silence. "I do love getting drenched in rain," he said, his voice calm.
Jangla raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Why? So no one can see your tears? Stop being dramatic all of a sudden."
Sam turned to her with a smirk. "No, it's not that people can't see my tears in it. It's that people can't see my pee in it," he teased.
Jangla, horrified, took a few quick steps away from him. "Ugh, gross!"
Sam laughed, shaking his head. "Just kidding. I love the rain because it helps me deal with things I never expected. The drops, the flow of water over my head, it helps me adapt to the memories—both good and bad. It makes me somewhat immune to the intensity of those bittersweet memories."
He paused, a distant look in his eyes, then added under his breath, "Also, it was because of the rain that I happened to meet her."
He gave a bittersweet smile to himself, but then quickly added with a wry grin, "Though, I'm not immune to sickness, so I guess I'll be down and out for a while."
Originally, the plan to move out had been to set off early in the morning, but with Sam falling sick, everything came to a halt. He lay in the tent, his fever making him sluggish, while Chingla and Tsunami tended to him.
The others, accepting the delay, took the opportunity to slow down and prepare a proper meal, trying to spend and making more of the time they had to know each other more.
As the aroma of food filled the air, Roslin, stirring a pot absentmindedly, suddenly grinned. "Doesn't this remind you of something?"
Ori, who was helping nearby, perked up. "Oh yeah… now that you mention it, this is just like Sports Week."
Shon and the others, who weren't in on the memory, exchanged puzzled glances. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked.
Roslin leaned back slightly, smirking. "It's like déjà vu. Three months ago, during Sports Week, something similar happened…"
With that, the conversation naturally shifted, pulling everyone back into a memory from not too long ago.