Chapter 60: A Competition Filled with Rivalry and Friendship

Mary and Helen, after packing their bags and loading everything into the car, returned to the hotel. An exciting, joyful evening awaited them. Both of them stood in front of the mirror, trying on their colorful, cheerful outfits one by one, giggling nonstop. After plenty of jokes and striking poses, they finally picked their favorite dresses and decided to visit the city's famous park—a park known for its tall trees and vibrant birds, praised even by the most popular blogs.

Inside the taxi, Mary called Nicholas.

"Hi, Nicholas… where are you guys?"

Nicholas replied with a grin, "Hey, beautiful… I'm at a shoe store with Yong. We're hunting for some squeaky shoes for him!"

Mary chuckled, "Stop teasing Yong… Helen and I are heading to the Bird Park. Join us when you're done."

"Sure, see you later."

Nicholas ended the call and walked over to Yong, who—as usual—was standing alone by the bridge railings, staring at the flowing water.

"Mary said they're going to the park. Let's go join them."

Yong shrugged, "You go… I'm not in the mood. Just tell them I met an old friend and went out for lunch."

"They won't believe that… Come on, forget about Diana. I didn't say all that to make you feel worse. Let's go, get some fresh air."

After a brief pause, Yong finally got in the car and they headed to the park.

At the park, Mary and Helen were having a blast taking silly photos. Both of them posed in ridiculous ways, laughing loudly. As usual, Nicholas struck a model-like pose and said to Mary, "Hey photographer, make sure you capture the handsomest man in this park."

Mary rolled her eyes and muttered, "Here we go again…"

Helen laughed, "He thinks he's Brad Pitt of the park."

Nicholas put on a fake pout, "What was that? Should I do the duck face like you girls? Like this?"

He exaggerated a pout and placed his hand under his chin, making the girls burst into laughter. But soon, Mary's gaze drifted to Yong, sitting silently on a bench, staring at the birds.

"Look at him… he's still upset…" Mary whispered.

Helen glanced at him, "Of course… he didn't expect Diana to lie like that."

Mary sighed, "We can't do much."

Helen shrugged, "Maybe… but it's worth trying."

Nicholas approached with a cheeky grin, "Are you girls gossiping about how charming I am? Can't blame you—good looks are natural."

Mary facepalmed, "Not again…"

A few minutes later, Mary leaned toward Helen, "I have an idea… Let's get Yong and Nicholas into a little competition. Maybe it'll cheer Yong up."

Helen winked, "Good idea… but how do we make sure Nicholas loses?"

Mary smirked mischievously, "Easy… we'll make sure he does."

They hatched a plan. Helen went to Yong, "Yong, I love those plush toys by the entrance, but I can only win them if we enter the competition. I already told Nicholas… will you help me?"

"I really don't feel like competing with Nicholas…"

"Please… just this once… for me… Who knows? You might win."

After a bit of pleading, Yong finally agreed.

Meanwhile, Mary pulled Nicholas aside, "Just this once… lose on purpose, for Yong."

"Why should I? If it's a fair competition, fine. But I'm not throwing the game."

Mary frowned, "You were the reason Yong got upset… now fix it."

Nicholas said nothing. All four of them headed to the competition area. The referee said, "It's a team event—pairs of two. How about the guys team up with the girls?"

Mary smiled, "I'll team up with Yong… you go with Helen. Sounds fair?"

Nicholas grinned, "Let's see who wins."

The competition began: seven rounds of fun challenges—tug-of-war, ring toss, races, and balance games. After a few wins by Mary and Yong, Nicholas and Helen got fired up and played seriously.

By the sixth round, Helen and Nicholas won, jumping up in excitement. Nicholas even hugged Helen, making her freeze for a second before offering a bittersweet smile.

The final round arrived. In the last crucial moments, Mary delivered the winning strike, securing victory for her team.

Yong shouted with joy, "Yes! Finally, we won!"

Nicholas grumbled under his breath, "Just lucky…"

Mary, thrilled, hugged Yong and laughed while Nicholas stared at them seriously. Realizing Nicholas's gaze, Yong quickly let go of Mary and scratched his head awkwardly.

"That was awesome…"

Mary giggled and shared the plush toys with Helen, keeping one for herself. Nicholas said with mock jealousy, "I'll get you a bigger, better plushie."

Mary smiled in his arms, "Promise?"

"Definitely."

Yong's smile had returned. Helen whispered, "Looks like it worked."

Mary nodded, "Yeah… he really feels better now."

And for the first time in days, their evening ended with genuine laughter.

After the fun at the park, they walked to the nearby lake. A cool breeze skimmed the water as gentle ripples danced across the surface. A cozy lakeside café with wooden chairs sat right at the edge. They ordered coffee, chatting and laughing in comfort.

Yong, who had been so down just hours earlier, now smiled watching Mary and Nicholas together. The friendly atmosphere seemed to slowly wash away all the bitterness.

After coffee and a short stroll, they chose a quiet restaurant for dinner. The night ended with delicious food and endless jokes. They agreed to spend the next day sightseeing at historical places and travel back home at night.

The next morning, they were full of energy, wandering the old streets, snapping photos of ancient landmarks, and bargaining with local street vendors. Mary bought some handmade bracelets and a leather notebook with excitement.

By evening, they returned to the hotel, packed up, and after a bit of rest, hit the road late at night.

Yong and Nicholas took turns driving through the dark highways while Mary and Helen fell asleep in the back seat, exhausted from the fun trip.

Just before dawn, they arrived back in the city. They dropped Mary and Helen off at their homes, then drove to the academy to deliver the paintings and supplies.

Yong arrived home, surprised to find Diana still awake, sitting on the couch.

"You're awake? This early?"

Diana, with a mild frown, said, "I thought you'd be back last night… so I waited up. I even cooked dinner… but you never showed up."

Yong replied coldly, "Things took longer… we left late."

Diana squinted, "Seems like you had way too much fun these past two days."

Yong frowned, his tone sharp, "What… did you have someone spying on me?"

Diana shook her head, "No… why would I?"

Yong let out a dry laugh, "If not for me… then for…"

His sentence was cut off by his ringing phone. It was Nicholas.

"Hey, Nicholas?"

"Hey… did you see my car keys? I drove the academy's car back but can't find my keys. Thought they were in my pocket."

"Didn't see them… maybe they fell out while unloading at the academy."

"Okay, if you go there before me, can you check?"

"Sure… I'll rest a bit, head over later. I'll let you know if I find them."

After ending the call, Diana stared at Yong.

"I feel like you've really changed lately."

Yong replied emotionlessly, "I'm just tired… been driving all night… I need to sleep."

Without waiting for a response, he walked past Diana and headed to his room.

Diana whispered to herself, regret dripping from her words:

"I messed up… shouldn't have said anything…"

For a moment, the house was silent—only the sound of Yong's door closing lingered.