Leo had been at Qingchen High for exactly one week.
In that time, he'd accidentally become acquainted with three very different girls, somehow earned a mysterious fanbase on the dorm forums, and gained a new best friend who insisted on narrating his suffering like it was reality TV.
And now, he was going into the woods.
Because apparently, Creative Writing required fieldwork.
Leo stared at the meeting spot: Qingyuan Scenic Park, 7:50 a.m. sharp. He was there. On time. Unfortunately.
Students buzzed around the parking lot in uniforms, backpacks, and varying degrees of caffeine dependency.
Kai yawned next to him. "So, what's your goal today?"
"To not die," Leo muttered.
"Realistic. Also, maybe don't fall into a stream."
"I make no promises."
Mr. Kudo, their writing teacher, clapped his hands. "Good morning, writers! Today is a special excursion. You'll explore the forest, take notes, sketch, write. Let nature speak to you."
Leo hoped nature would say something like "go home."
"You'll work in randomly assigned groups of four."
Leo immediately felt a chill in his spine.
"Group Five: Rin Hoshino, Yuki Aoyama, Hana Kurosawa… and Leo Shen."
A beat.
"…You've got to be kidding me," Leo whispered.
Kai choked on his sports drink. "This is divine punishment. I love it."
Yuki waved from the back. "Group Five supremacy~!"
Rin gave a small nod, expression unreadable.
Hana pulled her hoodie up and groaned. "Again?"
Leo considered diving into a nearby trash can.
---
The trail into the forest was gentle at first, winding beneath tall trees with filtered light spilling across the dirt path. Birds chirped. Leaves rustled.
And tension lingered in the air like fog.
Yuki stuck close to Leo's side, snapping photos with her phone. "This place is so aesthetic. Do you want a candid shot? Wait—look sad. That's your brand."
Leo sighed. "Why would I look sad?"
"You're the mysterious transfer student with drama eyes. It's what the fans expect."
"I don't have fans."
"You do now," Hana said from behind them. "Forum thread's up to thirty-two comments."
Leo froze. "You're joking."
"Nope."
Rin spoke without turning around. "Focus on the assignment. Not popularity metrics."
Yuki leaned in and whispered, "She says that, but she definitely checks the thread."
"I do not," Rin said sharply.
Leo stared at the sky. "Can someone strike me with lightning?"
---
They reached a small clearing beside a narrow stream. Trees framed the open space, sunlight dancing across the water. It was the kind of place that made you want to write poetry—or cry.
Rin sat on a dry log and opened her notebook. Yuki dropped her bag and spread out a blanket like it was a picnic. Hana climbed up a nearby boulder and just… sat there.
Leo found a tree and started writing:
> "Surrounded by trees.
Silence speaks louder than words.
Also, bugs exist."
He looked up just in time to see Yuki offering him half a sandwich.
"Turkey and egg. I know you forgot breakfast."
"…Thanks."
"Don't mention it." She winked.
Rin glanced sideways.
Hana raised an eyebrow.
Leo felt like a mouse between three cats.
---
Then came the rain.
It started with a whisper of wind, then a drop—then five.
Yuki shrieked. "My blanket!"
"Not again," Hana groaned.
Rin was already shoving her things back into her bag.
Leo grabbed his notebook, shielding it like his life depended on it.
They sprinted toward the nearest shelter—a wooden viewing platform half-covered by vines.
By the time they got there, they were soaked.
Four students. One small roof. Zero dry spots.
Leo leaned against the wooden post, trying not to shiver.
Yuki stood close, wringing out her sleeves. "Well. This is cozy."
Rin sat in the corner, hugging her sketchpad, completely silent.
Hana shook her hair like a dog and muttered something about catching a cold.
Leo glanced at all of them, then at the rain.
"This was supposed to be a writing trip."
"Hey," Yuki said, nudging him, "drama makes great content."
His phone buzzed.
> Kai: You alive?
> Leo: Wet. Surrounded. Emotional damage: high.
> Kai: Good. That means it's working.
Leo sighed.
---
When the rain finally let up, the trail had become mud soup. Their teacher messaged everyone to regroup at the buses.
Hana pulled out a compact umbrella.
"One umbrella. Two people max."
Yuki immediately latched onto Leo's arm. "Dibs!"
Rin gave her a look. "We should rotate fairly."
"I'm already next to him."
"You always are."
"I can walk alone," Leo offered weakly.
"Nope," Hana said, popping the umbrella. "Leo walks with me. You two can argue it out."
She hooked his arm and pulled him into the rain.
Leo stumbled beside her. "Uh—thanks?"
"Don't read into it," Hana said. "You just looked cold."
"…Okay."
She handed him the umbrella and let go.
He walked behind her the rest of the way back, the sound of her footsteps splashing in the puddles.
In his notebook, he wrote:
> "Sometimes, storms come without warning.
Sometimes, they leave more behind than rain."