Protection in the dark

The second day of the school camp had arrived with the serenity of nature. The forest loomed majestically before the students, with the tall trees creating a blanket of green that carpeted the sky and cast irregular shadows on the ground. Birdsong and the soft rustle of branches underfoot were the perfect accompaniment to the hike that marked the start of the day.

Naomi walked alongside Kotaro, both lagging somewhat behind the group. She glanced sideways at Kotaro, who walked silently beside her, hands in his pockets and eyes fixed on the trail. The light breeze caressed her dark hair, moving it gently. In the sunlight filtering through the trees, Kotaro seemed more relaxed, less distant than he used to be.

Naomi felt a little flutter in her stomach. Every time Kotaro approached her, her emotions seemed to stir. She wondered when she had started to feel that closeness, that sense of safety and comfort with him. Perhaps it was during that conversation under the stars, or maybe much earlier, in the small gestures that had unwittingly caught her.

-Are you all right? -Kotaro's voice, low and firm, broke the silence.

Naomi blinked, realizing she had been staring at the ground too long.

-Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah... I'm fine," she replied with a nervous smile.

Kotaro didn't answer, but Naomi sensed a slight curve at the corner of his lips. Was that a smile?

They continued walking in silence, until they reached the lake, where the crystal clear waters reflected the clear sky. Some of my companions began to throw stones, trying to bounce them on the surface. Others, more intrepid, put their feet in the water, feeling the coolness on their ankles.

Naomi, still thinking about her emotions, watched Kotaro from a distance. He had sat on a rock near the lake, staring off into the horizon. The wind was moving his hair again, and Naomi felt something strange. A warmth, as if she was seeing Kotaro in a new light. He looks so peaceful... so different from how he is at school.

-Naomi! -Saori's voice brought her out of her thoughts. Come on, let's get the meals ready!

Naomi nodded and approached Kotaro.

-Come on, that's our cue to move.

Kotaro looked at her, and nodded silently, standing up to follow her. Although there were no big words between them, Naomi felt that they were becoming more and more comfortable in each other's company.

The afternoon was marked by laughter and chaos at the eating competition. Each class was tasked with preparing a different dish, and although not everyone was talented in the kitchen, the atmosphere was relaxed and fun. Naomi and Saori were wrestling with a pile of vegetables while laughing out loud at the mess they were creating. Kotaro, sitting off to the side, watched silently, seemingly oblivious to the general excitement.

-Kotaro, help us with this! -Saori shouted, throwing a knife at him.

The knife landed on the table in front of him, safely, but Kotaro looked at it as if it were a foreign object. Reluctantly, he got up and began chopping the vegetables with surprising skill.

-Do you know how to cook? -Naomi asked, impressed.

-Sometimes," he answered without giving it much thought.

The day progressed amid jokes, smiles and the pleasant smell of food cooking in the open air. Naomi couldn't help but notice how, despite Kotaro's reluctance to participate, he was always close to her, as if he didn't want to stray too far away.

When the third day arrived, the atmosphere changed. The air was charged with excitement and nerves. The students gathered in groups as the teacher announced the evening's activity: the long-awaited "Scare Test." Everyone would participate in pairs, walking through the dark forest with a single flashlight, facing the scares prepared by some of the older students.

- All right! Let's form the pairs," said the teacher, looking at the list. The anticipation in the air was palpable, mixed with a slight hint of anxiety. Murmurs of excitement ran through the room.

- I'll take Akane, please," said one of the boys, raising his hand and pointing to the girl right next to him.

While everyone seemed to be rushing to choose their friends, Kotaro was sitting in the back, not uttering a word, as usual. His relaxed posture and impenetrable expression, that same one that many considered serious and a bit intimidating, made no one approach him.

- Who's going with Kotaro? -asked the professor, not looking at anyone in particular, but his words provoked an awkward silence.

Immediately, sideways glances, hesitant expressions and slight whispers were noticed.

- Uh... I... um... I think I already have a partner," said a boy standing near Kotaro, quickly moving to another group.

- I don't want to, it's... too serious," whispered a girl loud enough for some to hear.

- I wouldn't feel comfortable with him," added another, shaking her head slightly.

The atmosphere became more tense. Kotaro, without changing his expression, remained in place, without intervening, but it was obvious that he sensed the rejection in the atmosphere. It was not the first time something like this had happened. That aura of seriousness and reserve that always enveloped him had distanced him from many, and now made him more visible than ever. All around him, the space felt empty, as if everyone was unconsciously avoiding him.

Naomi, watching all this from her place, felt a knot in her stomach. She knew Kotaro well enough to know that, though he didn't show it, all of this was probably affecting him. Her gaze drifted from him to the rest of the group, watching as everyone turned away with an excuse or simply ignored the situation.

Finally, he raised his hand with determination, though his heart was beating a little faster.

- I... I'll go with Kotaro," Naomi announced, in a firmer tone than she herself expected.

Eyes turned to her immediately, some looking surprised and others with some relief. Saori, who was close to Naomi, gave her a complicit smile, knowing full well why she had made that decision.

Kotaro raised his gaze slightly towards Naomi. She said nothing, but the slight inclination of her head seemed a kind of silent thanks.

The professor nodded, glad that someone had finally decided.

- Good, then Naomi and Kotaro will be a couple," he said, continuing down the list.

Naomi felt a mixture of relief and concern. She knew Kotaro wasn't bad, just reserved, but the way the group had rejected him hurt her. Still, there was also a strange sense of calm knowing that she would go with him, as if, deep down, she knew she would be safe by his side.

Saori whispered in his ear as the groups continued to form.

- You are brave. But I'm not surprised you did it," she said with a mischievous smile. Or is there something else in there?

Naomi reddened slightly, looking away as she tried to feign normalcy.

- I just... I just didn't want him to be alone," she replied, but her words seemed to carry a different weight that Saori picked up on instantly.

- Sure, sure... -Saori replied with a teasing, but complicit tone, as she tapped him on the arm.

Naomi looked at Kotaro again, who still kept his serious expression, as if nothing of what happened affected him. But inside her, she felt that she had done the right thing, even though now, with the test approaching, her own heart was beginning to beat harder than she had expected.

As they prepared for the test, the aura of rejection still hung in the air, but now Naomi and Kotaro were together, ready to face whatever the dark forest had in store for them.

-I can't believe you're volunteering to do this," Saori said with a chuckle. I bet you're only doing it because Kotaro will be with you.

-Don't say that! -Naomi exclaimed, blushing. Just... I don't want him to go alone, okay?

Saori let out a laugh and patted him on the back before leaving with her own group. Meanwhile, Kotaro was already waiting, flashlight in hand they were the last to leave.

The forest now looked like a completely different place. The shadows cast by the branches and leaves formed eerie figures. In the distance, the shouts of the other groups that had already started the test echoed through the trees.

-Let's go," said Kotaro, lighting the lantern and walking toward the dark path.

Naomi followed close behind. At first, everything was going well. The two walked in silence, with Kotaro lighting the way and Naomi trying not to trip over tree roots. But, as they went along, they began to hear strange noises.

Suddenly, a quick flash of something dark flashed past them.

-Kyaaa! -Naomi shouted out of instinct, grabbing Kotaro's arm.

Kotaro tensed, but did not pull away. They continued walking, but in a moment, something strange happened: the flashlight began to flicker, and a figure appeared in front of them. Naomi screamed again, backing away, and then she felt it. A push.

Before she could react, she fell backward and her body hit the icy water of a small stream that lined the path. The blow knocked the wind out of her, but before she could process it, she felt the weight of Kotaro on top of her, who had thrown himself to protect her from the impact.

The water was cold, too cold. But what troubled her most was the pained face she saw on Kotaro. He had hit his elbow on a rock when he fell.

-Kotaro! -Naomi sat up as best she could, watching as he gritted his teeth, trying to hide the pain.

Makoto, who had been the cause of the scare, disappeared without a word. Naomi looked towards the forest, feeling a mixture of anger and helplessness, but then turned her attention back to Kotaro.

-I'm sorry... this is my fault," Naomi said, her voice breaking.

-No... it was an accident," Kotaro gasped. You can't... do anything else.

-I should get help, but..." said Naomi, looking around, unable to see her way back because of the darkness.

Kotaro shook his head.

-You'd better not go alone... It's dark and .... you might get lost.

Naomi felt tears begin to gather in her eyes. 

The cold water from the creek soaked through both of their clothes, as if the cold wanted to seep into their bones. Naomi quickly knelt down next to Kotaro, who lay propped up on a rock, breathing heavily and his face twitching with pain. The darkness of the forest, barely broken by the faint light of the moon, surrounded them, enveloping them in a kind of bubble of solitude, isolated from the distant screams and laughter of their companions in the ordeal of terror.

Naomi was shivering, but she wasn't sure if it was from the cold or from anguish. Her heart was pounding wildly, and guilt crushed her like a weight on her chest.

-Kotaro... -she whispered, her voice breaking. I'm so... I'm so sorry...

She knelt even closer to him, looking at Kotaro's elbow, which he held with his good arm, gritting his teeth to hold back the pain. Her face was pale, and although her gaze held a characteristic calm, there was something in her eyes that revealed the discomfort she was trying to hide.

-Naomi, you don't have to apologize..." her voice was soft but raspy, as if every word cost. It was an accident, it wasn't .... it wasn't your fault.

-But it was! -Naomi let out a choked sob, her hands shaking as she tried futilely to wipe her face wet with water and tears. If I hadn't been so scared, if I hadn't dragged you into this... you wouldn't be hurt... I'm so sorry! -His voice trembled, cracking at the end.

Kotaro tried to sit up a little more, but the pain in his elbow stopped him. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to control himself, as the water from the stream continued to drip from his clothes, forming puddles under them.

Naomi, sensing him trying to move, stopped him with a gentle touch on his shoulder.

-Please... don't try any harder.... Rest, they'll come to help us," her voice sounded pleading, almost desperate. I can't... I can't leave you like this.

Kotaro opened his eyes slowly and looked at her. Despite the pain, his expression softened at the sight of her. There was something about Naomi's desperation that affected him more than he dared admit. He didn't want her to feel guilty about what had happened.

-Naomi, it wasn't your fault..... -he murmured again, this time quieter, almost as a consolation. I'm fine... I just need... a moment.

But Naomi shook her head, unable to stop blaming herself. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks, and her hands, now frozen, were still shaking as she tried to rearrange her wet jacket over him, as if that could mitigate the cold that was beginning to seep into them both.

-I shouldn't have scared you so.... I shouldn't have let this happen..." she repeated, unable to contain her guilt. Then, without thinking too much, she leaned toward him and timidly took Kotaro's hand in both hands, holding it carefully. Her fingers were cold, but she needed to feel the contact, the closeness.

Kotaro looked at her in surprise for a moment, his dark eyes fixing on Naomi's. For a few seconds, the pain and cold seemed to fade, replaced by something much warmer than the icy night air.

Naomi spoke again, softly, almost whispering.

-I always see you endure everything alone, and today... today I shouldn't have caused you any more pain. What hurts me most is that I don't know how to help you now.

Her words were laden with sadness. Her lowered gaze, not daring to hold Kotaro's, reflected a deep guilt, as if her heart grew tighter with every second he spent hurt because of her.

-You're already helping me... -Kotaro replied softly. There was something different in his tone, something softer than the previous times. You're here with me... That's enough.

Naomi looked up, meeting Kotaro's eyes, which looked at her with unexpected tenderness. She had never seen that expression on him before. It was as if, in the midst of all the pain, in the midst of the cold and darkness, Kotaro found comfort simply in her presence.

Not knowing what else to say, Naomi moved even closer, sitting beside him, barely touching his shoulder with her own. Her body was still shaking, and her breathing was still labored with a mixture of fear and guilt, but there was something reassuring in Kotaro's nearness, something that told her she wasn't completely alone at this moment.

The cold wind enveloped them, but neither moved. They remained there, sitting together, listening to the distant sound of rushing water, the rustle of the wind through the trees, and their own ragged breaths.

After a long silence, Kotaro broke the calm.

-I don't want you to cry about this anymore," he said in a firmer voice, turning his face slightly toward her. I'm better now. Besides... I'm reassured that you're all right.

Naomi looked into his eyes, her tears still glistening on her cheeks. She didn't understand how he could say something like that when she was the one who had brought him to that situation. But Kotaro seemed sincere. And that somehow eased the weight he carried in his chest.

Without thinking, Naomi slowly leaned into Kotaro, resting her forehead against his shoulder. The contact was gentle, shy, but the gesture was sincere. The remaining tears began to slide down her face, but they were no longer bitter. Kotaro did not pull away; instead, he lowered his healthy hand and, with almost deliberate slowness, placed it on Naomi's head, caressing it gently.

-Naomi," he whispered, 'Don't worry....'.

Naomi closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of that simple gesture. The cold no longer mattered so much, and the pain in Kotaro's elbow, though present, seemed less unbearable. They were alone in the dark, but, for the first time, it didn't seem to matter. They were together, sharing an unexpected and profound intimacy.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they heard voices in the distance. Saori looking worried for her friend and more so seeing her wet also the others came running over, concerned, and helped Kotaro up carefully, while Naomi stayed by his side, not wanting to move away for a moment.

Although Kotaro was taken to be treated for his wound, Naomi did not leave his side for the rest of the night. And, when it was finally quiet, they sat together, away from the bustle of the festival, with Naomi crying softly in silence.

-Forgive me for ruining your night," Naomi whispered, her voice still breaking.

Kotaro, his arm bandaged, looked at her with that serene expression he had learned to recognize. And, once again, he raised his hand, placing it gently on Naomi's head.

-It wasn't ruined... -She murmured, with a small smile, "I'm relieved to see you well. That's all that matters.

And with those words, Naomi knew that something had changed between them. A deeper bond, a closeness that went beyond words.