We checked the time, and the realization hit all of us at once we'd been wandering for hours. Yui's legs were giving up, Natsumi was groaning about blisters, and even Souta, who'd spent most of the trip scowling, looked ready to pass out.
"Camp's supposed to be that way," I said, pointing at the trail marker.
"Finally!" Yui threw her arms in the air. "Civilization!"
"Don't exaggerate," Natsumi muttered, though she looked just as relieved.
We followed the dirt path for about half an hour until the forest began to thin out. Through the trees, the familiar sight of tents, benches, and the wide open clearing of our base camp came into view. Students were already there some resting, some arguing over lost items, and a few bragging about how many tokens they'd found.
The moment we stepped in, one of the teachers blew a whistle. "Alright, everyone, gather up! We'll check attendance and count your tokens!"
Everyone shuffled into lines, still half-tired. Miyuki stood beside me, brushing dust off her uniform. When I looked at her, she smiled soft, proud, and a little tired.
Our teacher, Ms. Hoshino, went down the list, calling each team and asking how many tokens they'd found.
"Team A?"
"One!"
"Team B?"
"Two!"
"Team C?"
"Uh… half of one. A squirrel stole the other half."
Laughter rippled through the group.
Then it was our turn.
"Team E Haruto's group?" Ms. Hoshino asked.
I stepped forward. "Three tokens, ma'am."
A small murmur went through the crowd. Some surprised, some impressed. A few even clapped.
"Three?" Ms. Hoshino raised an eyebrow, smiling. "You outdid yourselves."
Yui grinned proudly. "Teamwork and intuition!"
"Mostly teamwork," I corrected.
"Mostly Haruto," Natsumi muttered.
Before anyone could say more, Miyuki suddenly stepped forward and before I realized what she was doing, she threw her arms around me.
For a second, everything froze. Her body was warm, her hair brushing my cheek, and the laughter around us dimmed. I could hear my own pulse louder than the noise.
"Thank you," she whispered, voice trembling slightly. "You really helped us."
The moment didn't last long.
"Hey, no flirting in front of the teachers!" someone from another team yelled.
The class burst out laughing. Miyuki immediately jumped back, face bright red. "I-I didn't mean—! It was just!"
I rubbed the back of my neck, pretending to look unfazed. "Relax. It's fine."
Ms. Hoshino tried to suppress a smile. "Alright, settle down, everyone. Team E, you've earned this."
She handed us a small gift box wrapped in golden paper. Yui ripped it open before anyone else could react.
"Oooh! Luxury chocolates!"
"Those are expensive," Natsumi whispered. "I saw these in the store once!"
Yui immediately offered one to everyone. Even Souta took one, though his expression stayed neutral. I caught his eyes briefly — a flicker of something cold passed there before he looked away.
Miyuki, on the other hand, still looked flustered. She avoided my gaze, pretending to admire the chocolates like they were the most fascinating thing in the world.
After the announcement, we all headed to the dining area long tables under a tarp, the smell of curry and grilled meat filling the air.
Yui was first to sit down. "I swear, if I don't eat in the next five minutes, I'll die."
"You said that two hours ago," Natsumi said, sitting beside her.
"And I didn't die! Progress!"
I sat across from Miyuki. She smiled faintly when I passed her the water jug. "Thanks."
"You okay?" I asked quietly.
She blinked. "Why wouldn't I be?"
I shrugged. "You looked… tense."
Her smile faltered for a moment, then returned. "Just tired. That's all."
Across the table, Souta's fork scraped against his plate. His expression was blank, but his hand was tight around the utensil. He hadn't joined in a single joke since we sat down.
I looked away before the silence between us could stretch too long.
After dinner, Ms. Hoshino stood up in front of the students. "Alright, everyone, listen up! We just got word about incoming rain tomorrow. Because of that, we'll be ending the camp early. We'll leave first thing in the morning."
A collective groan echoed through the camp.
"Awwww!" Yui complained. "But we were supposed to stay two more days!"
"Yeah!" Natsumi added. "We didn't even get to use the lake canoes!"
"I know," Ms. Hoshino said sympathetically. "But it's better to be safe than drenched. So tonight will be our last night. Let's make it a good one."
Her words hung in the air longer than I wanted them to.
Because I remembered what was supposed to happen the third night, the one that never would now. The night Miyuki and Souta crossed the line they couldn't uncross.
A part of me should've been relieved that it might not happen this time. But another part whispered that fate had a habit of bending the same way, no matter how many times I tried to push it elsewhere.
Still, I smiled when Ms. Hoshino came up to us later, handing me a bottle of water.
"You've really changed, Haruto," she said warmly. "More mature, more focused… I'm proud of you."
I didn't know how to respond. "Thank you," I said finally, though the words felt small.
She smiled, then patted my shoulder. "Keep it up. You're setting a good example."
After dinner, the camp activities continued. Some went fishing by the stream, others played volleyball. Our group ended up near the small pier, where Yui somehow caught a fish bigger than her arm.
"Look! I caught a monster!" she yelled, holding it up.
Natsumi nearly fell off her chair laughing. "That's not a monster, that's dinner!"
"Dinner's running away!" Yui shrieked when it slipped out of her hands, flopping back into the water.
Everyone around burst out laughing, even Miyuki. She turned toward me, her eyes bright from laughing so hard. For a moment, she looked at peace like all her secrets were gone, even if only for a few seconds.
And maybe that's why it hurt to look at her.
By nightfall, the campfire crackled in the center of the clearing. Sparks floated upward into the cool dark sky, mixing with the faint scent of grilled food and smoke. Music played from someone's speaker old songs, cheerful and warm.
"Alright, everyone!" Ms. Hoshino clapped her hands. "Campfire dance time!"
Groans and cheers mixed in the crowd.
Yui jumped up immediately. "Let's gooo!"
She grabbed Natsumi's hand and dragged her toward the fire, already swaying to the rhythm. A few others joined in, laughing and spinning clumsily.
I stayed seated at first, content to watch until Miyuki walked over, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You're not dancing?" she asked softly.
"I'm more of a background person," I said.
She smiled, that small curve of her lips that always made it hard to stay detached. "That's a shame."
Before I could react, she held out her hand. "Come on, Haruto. Just for a bit."
I hesitated then took it.
The moment our fingers touched, I could feel the warmth of her skin, steady and real. We stepped closer to the firelight. The glow painted her hair with streaks of gold, her eyes reflecting the flickering light.
We didn't say much as we moved, just followed the rhythm of laughter and music around us. For a while, the world shrank to that small circle the sound of the fire, her quiet laugh, the way her hand fit against mine.
At some point, even Ms. Hoshino joined in, dragging a few students with her, laughing like a teenager again. "Come on, Haruto! Smile for once!"
"I'm smiling!" I said defensively.
"Barely," she teased.
Yui danced over, nearly tripping on a log. "Haruto's smiling! It's a miracle!"
Everyone laughed. Even Souta standing at the edge of the crowd smiled faintly. But when his gaze drifted to Miyuki and me, his expression darkened again.
The night carried on laughter, stories, songs. When the fire burned lower and the stars began to stretch across the sky, we finally started drifting toward our tents.
Miyuki walked beside me, holding her shoes in her hand. The grass was cool beneath our feet.
"Today was fun," she said softly.
"Yeah," I replied. "It was."
For a moment, she looked at me with that same gentle expression she used to have back before everything broke. "You've changed, Haruto. You really have."
I looked at her, unsure how to answer. So I didn't.
She smiled faintly and looked away. "Good night."
"Good night," I said quietly.
As she walked toward her tent, I stood under the half-burnt glow of the campfire, watching the embers fade.
The air was calm, filled with the sound of distant laughter and rustling leaves.
But inside, I could feel it the faint pull of inevitability.
The timeline had shifted. But fate wasn't done testing me yet.