The sun rose slow and golden, warming the mist that floated just above the surface of the lake. Water lapped gently against the wooden dock, and dragonflies skimmed the edges where tall reeds swayed in the early morning breeze.
The camp organizers had announced the final morning activity: canoeing across the lake. Everyone would be paired in twos. While most students cheered at the idea of getting on the water, Leo felt a flicker of nerves. It wasn't the canoeing—it was who he might be paired with.
As if answering his thoughts, Kai appeared beside him, holding a life jacket in one hand and two paddles in the other.
"Word is, partners are gonna be drawn randomly," Kai said, grinning. "Fate decides. You nervous?"
Leo adjusted his jacket. "No. Yes. Maybe."
Kai chuckled. "Good. That means you care."
One by one, names were pulled from a small tin bucket. Students took their places in pairs, giggling or groaning depending on their luck. When Leo's name was called, he stood quietly.
"And... Leo's partner will be... Rin Aoyama!"
Rin walked forward with the grace of someone who'd already resigned herself to the gods of chaos. She gave Leo a curt nod. "Let's not capsize."
"I'll try not to steer us into a tree," Leo replied.
Kai, paddling off with someone else, yelled back, "Remember, no Titanic roleplay!"
---
They pushed off from the dock and glided into open water. Rin handled the paddle like a pro. Leo struggled to find rhythm.
"Right side. Pull longer strokes," Rin instructed without looking.
"Bossy," Leo muttered.
"Efficient," she corrected.
But gradually, the silence between them settled into something companionable. Birds called from distant trees, and their paddles made soft, even ripples.
"You were quiet last night," Rin said suddenly. "After everything with Yuki."
Leo glanced sideways. "You weren't exactly chatty either."
"I had... things to think about."
He let that hang for a while. "Still thinking?"
"I always am."
They paddled a little further until the other canoes were distant specks.
Rin slowed her strokes and leaned slightly back. "Do you like her?"
Leo blinked. "Yuki?"
She nodded.
"I think I do," he said softly. "But I'm still trying to understand what kind of 'like' it is."
Rin nodded. "At least you're honest. That's rare."
Leo hesitated, then asked, "Do you... like someone?"
She smiled faintly, not at him but at the water. "Maybe. But it's not always about who we like, is it? It's about what we're willing to risk."
Leo didn't know how to respond to that.
---
Back at shore, the second draw began for the return trip. Leo's name came up again.
"And this time, Leo's partner is... Hana Kobayashi!"
Hana jogged over, water bottle in hand and a grin already forming. "Time to show me those arm muscles, Shen."
Leo gave her a look. "I just paddled across the entire lake."
"Well, think of this as your cool-down round."
They shoved off, less gracefully than with Rin. Hana nearly tipped them both in before she found her balance.
"Whoa! Okay, this is harder than it looks," she said.
Leo steadied the canoe. "I thought you were good at everything athletic."
"I run. I kick. I punch. I don't paddle."
They burst into laughter.
Halfway across the lake, Hana let her paddle rest in her lap.
"You know," she said, "I saw that look you gave Yuki last night."
Leo froze. "What look?"
"The one that says, 'I'm terrified of how much I might care about this person.'"
"…Was it that obvious?"
"Only to people who know what it feels like."
Leo looked at her, unsure.
"I'm not saying this to pressure you," Hana said. "Just... don't wait too long, okay? People think I'm fearless, but even I know the feeling of missing your window."
She picked up the paddle again. "And if you do screw it up, I'll race you for her."
Leo laughed. "Fair warning."
---
They returned to the dock just as the final round began.
"And the last pairing… Yuki Minami and—Leo Shen. Again. Guess you're popular today."
Yuki walked over, cheeks pink from sun or surprise—maybe both.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey."
They launched quietly, this time both paddling in sync almost immediately. Leo felt a calmness settle over him, a strange kind of peace.
"I didn't think we'd be paired again," Yuki said.
"Maybe fate's trying to say something."
She glanced at him. "Like what?"
He met her eyes, smile gentle. "That I should stop being afraid."
She blushed deeper but didn't look away.
They floated near the lake's center for a moment, letting the silence speak for them. Then, Yuki reached out and gently touched the edge of his sleeve.
"I'm glad it's you," she whispered.
Leo felt something inside him finally settle.
"I'm glad it's you too."