Chapter 4

It's been three years since I performed in Romeo and Juliet. Matsumoto and I have become friends since then, so I now call him by his given name, Takashi. Everyone at our school is aware of how close we are. It's like two distinct sorts of flavors that don't appear to go together at first, but after a while, it doesn't seem that horrible.

I also joined the theater club, and because of my power, I was elected president, with Takashi as vice president.

I closed the locker door after finishing arranging my belongings inside it and was astonished by Takashi's unexpected presence.

"Wazzup?"

"Gosh, it's early in the morning; how can you have so much energy?" I inquired.

"As usual, you're not a morning person."

"Just leave me alone," I replied as I carried my sling bag.

Takashi and I were fortunate to be placed in the same classroom this year and semester. It's nothing out of the ordinary; we were classmates last year and the year before.

Takashi and I would not have been this close if it hadn't been for those arrangements. I would have been the one to continue ignoring him, but that wasn't even required to begin with.

We took the stairs to the fourth floor, where our classroom is. We were already in our senior year, and all of the senior students were placed in the building's second-to-highest level.

"Have you packed for the school camp?" said Takashi.

There is an event coming up in the next two days that just a few students were able to attend.

Students from 10 different schools will attend this enjoyable camp at Star Village. Hilo University, a college known for its bright students, owns this community.

The purpose of this camp was to determine which school had the most brilliant pupils after Hilo. That is why only a few pupils were chosen: they are the most "talented" of all.

And then, in the blink of an eye, the departure date arrived. Thank heavens I was able to wake up just in time before the bus left, thanks to that youngster, Takashi.

I had to deal with his frequent reminders of the camp via messages and his never-ending discussion about the camp at school. He was like an alarm clock set to go off every minute, and he was an exact replica of my brother, who irritated me every day at school. I'm constantly wondering how I got myself into this mess.

When I pondered every potential thing Takashi might do, I was not looking forward to the bus journey. He will most likely be unable to sit still, but as soon as the bus left, he proved me wrong.

Who knew a movie, some crackers, and a cozy blanket could keep this child occupied? I was skeptical, but it worked, and I am grateful. I decided to take a nap throughout the trip. And it was a really comfortable slumber.

Takashi was so engaged in his movie that he didn't bother me. Instead of waking up to a tragedy, I awoke with a blanket wrapped around my body.

His blanket had been wrapped over both of us, and the youngster was fast asleep beside me.

It was like watching a newborn baby slumber when I saw him fall asleep. His skin was flawless, and his eyelashes were lengthy up close. It was considerably longer than mine. His lips appeared full and coated with cherry juice, rosy and soft.

When I saw him in this vulnerable position, I thought he was adorable.

Someone I want to protect.

With these emotions racing through my mind, I lifted my hand and softly touched the boy's smooth, soft cheeks.

The abrupt feeling of his cheeks being caressed led him to gently open his eyes. Seeing him catch what I was doing, I panicked as I took my fingers away. But before I can continue removing it, he softly snatches it from behind the cover and drags it inside.

"Your hands are very cold," he remarked, clasping my other hand and sharing warmth with his palms on mine.

I remember this nostalgic feeling. This happened years ago when Takashi and I separated our lips during the performance. And again, he looked handsome and attractive, but this time it hurt much more.

Why, of all the feelings I have for this boy, am I nervous?

***

After some time had passed, we arrived in the village. Everyone was sent to the gym for an orientation. Inside were students from several universities dressed in various school uniforms.

Because Hilo University controlled this village, the university's student council was standing on the platform.

And because they were on stage, gossip about the student council president circulated among the students below.

The reason? He was the tallest of the group and the only boy. But he wouldn't be the focus of attention if that was all there was to him. He was quite attractive. In terms of looks, he was the ideal man for many women.

And as he took the microphone to welcome the students and staff members, his voice warmed and touched these girls' hearts. "Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Sasaki Ryosuke, and I am the President of the Hilo University Student Council." His voice was deep, and his smile was as lovely as his looks.

We were assigned to our dorms after a brief introduction and orientation. Originally, a room could accommodate up to four students. However, because we were an odd number, Takashi and I were allowed to share a room.

Surprisingly, they had faith in us. Some kids would kill to be in my position, but to be honest, I despised it. I have to spend two weeks in the same room with this energetic, noisy child!

I can't even stand being in the same room as my elder brother, and now I have to be with his replica? Great, just great.

Because he was so excited, Takashi couldn't stop moving around during the elevator trip. This youngster is difficult to control, even for me. Fortunately, we made it to the 4th floor, where our dorm is.

As I walked through the silent corridors, I noticed our neighbor opening her door with a passcode, and I unintentionally watched her input her passcode.

She drew my attention since she was dressed in the same attire as the popular student council president from earlier on stage. For some reason, the outfit reminded me of him. As this was occurring, Takashi smiled and opened the door.

"Are you ready, Noa?" he asked.

"Open it already," I said coldly. He chuckled as he unlocked the door and welcomed us into our dorm.

"Woah, this is amazing for just the two of us!" said the kid.

I didn't react since I was too occupied appreciating the setup. It was just as my brother had described; even though the dorm was small, it was still lovely. It contained a tiny living room, a small bathroom, and a sleeping area. It was ideal!

"Noa, which side would you want to sleep on?" Takashi inquired when he saw the bed in the bedroom.

"Anywhere will do."

He then continues to claim his territory by jumping on the bed on the right. As I sat on the soft blanket, I placed my belongings on the left side of the bed.

Takashi and I spent an hour unpacking our belongings into the closet, bathroom, and drawer. And as soon as we were through, the bell sounded, signaling that it was time for dinner. Everyone goes down to the cafeteria. Although the path to the cafeteria was crowded, when we got there, it became roomy.

It was like walking into a luxury dining room, complete with a chandelier swinging from the ceiling!

Takashi and I sat at a table for two to take our dinner. I ordered the spicy special with a tiny cake for dessert, while he ordered the seafood special with a rainbow crepe slice for dessert. And someone is apparently going to serve each of us our beverages separately.

The student council president came to our table halfway through supper and offered us two cups of tea.

"How's your dinner?" he inquired, smiling. To be honest, being this close to this gentleman, he is very handsome. But, for some reason, it didn't phase me, and I retained a blank look.

"The dinner is wonderful!" said Takashi.

"And my lady?" Sasaki-san turned to face me, and I glanced up blankly.

"It's excellent," I said quickly. He grinned as he saw us enjoying our dinner.

"That's a relief," he said as he handed us our beverages. He appeared to have been trained. "May I ask which hand you like to drink with?"

"Is that necessary?"

"Yes, it is, and we will place your cups on the side you are most comfortable using so that you have a much more comfortable experience."

"Wow, the services here are fantastic," Takashi said.

"We value our guests."

"I use my right hand," I explained.

"Same here!" Takashi added. Sasaki-san then prepared the glasses on the side we preferred and poured the tea into them.

"Please enjoy," he said before bowing and moving on to the next student.

"Now I see why the girls are crazy over him," Takashi stated. In reaction, I rolled my eyes.

"It simply reveals their true personality."

"How?"

"They choose appearances over personality; Sasaki-san is attractive and tall, and that's it."

"Damn, you're still as cold as ever."

"Behind that gorgeous look might lie a devil in disguise, which is why I like to get to know that individual well first."

I didn't realize what I said made Takashi grin. We ate till we were full and then went back to our dorm.

We had 5 hours until the lights went off, and during that time, Takashi and I planned what we would do the next day. In this village, we were offered a variety of activities to participate in, and I was even enthused about them!

We were given a list of schedules from which to choose until our last day. I was surprised to find so much prepared for us to experience, and I was completely overwhelmed!

Swimming, horseback riding, rock climbing, zip lining, dancing practice, singing lessons, gardening, baking, a tea party, camping, a scavenger hunt, board games, an art zone, and jet skiing were among the activities provided.

Finally, for tomorrow, we decided to do three activities:

Horseback riding

Tea party

Dance practice

The first two will be done in the morning, while the last will be done in the afternoon before dinner.