It started with an announcement pinned to the bulletin board:
Class 2-A Winter Retreat - Hot Springs Getaway!
Date: This Weekend
Location: Yamazaki Mountain Lodge
Mandatory for All Students (Participation = 10% of final grade!)
Naturally, chaos followed.
Yuki squealed the loudest. "Hot springs! Mixed bath?!"
Kai corrected her instantly. "Segregated. You'll live."
Hana blinked. "Wait, 10% of our grade depends on soaking in boiling water?"
"No," Rin said quietly, reading the fine print. "We have reflection essays, group challenges, and... night hikes."
Leo just stared at the sheet.
He wasn't against hot springs. But sharing a lodge overnight with the entire class—plus Yuki's chaotic energy, Hana's bluntness, and Rin's quiet distance? That felt more dangerous than finals.
Still, ten percent was ten percent.
So Leo packed.
---
The bus ride to Yamazaki Lodge was anything but peaceful.
Kai brought a portable speaker and insisted on playing retro love songs. Yuki tried to harmonize with every chorus. Hana eventually pulled out noise-canceling headphones. Rin, seated beside the window, sketched the moving landscape in silence.
Leo? He tried to nap.
He failed.
Mostly because Yuki kept poking his arm every time she saw a deer, a squirrel, or a strangely-shaped cloud.
"Look! That one looks like a bunny with sunglasses!"
Leo opened one eye. "That's… just a lump."
"Use your imagination!"
Rin murmured from across the aisle. "It really does look like sunglasses."
Yuki beamed.
Leo gave up.
---
Yamazaki Lodge sat nestled at the base of a snowy mountain, a two-story wooden building with steaming outdoor baths and pine trees surrounding it like sentries.
Rooms were traditional: tatami mats, sliding doors, and paper lanterns.
Naturally, the girls and boys were separated—but that didn't stop speculation.
"I bet Yuki's already planning to sneak into our room," Kai said.
"Correction," Yuki called from behind him, "I'm planning to steal snacks from your room, not sleep in it."
"…Still illegal."
Rin rolled her eyes. "Can we please just enjoy the hot water without drama?"
Leo silently agreed. Though he wasn't sure 'drama-free' existed where they were going.
---
That night, after a surprisingly hearty meal of grilled fish and rice, the students were assigned their first activity: a silent night hike to the nearby observation point.
"Silence promotes mindfulness," the teacher said. "Pairs will be assigned at random."
Leo was paired with Rin.
Of course he was.
They walked in silence at first, their boots crunching on the snow-covered trail. Above them, stars dotted the sky like pinpricks in deep velvet. The air smelled of pine and frost.
"You're quiet tonight," Leo said eventually.
Rin nodded. "I like the quiet."
"Not tired of me yet?"
She paused.
"No," she said. "I'm just… processing things slower than most."
Leo looked over. "You don't have to rush."
"I know." She offered a small smile. "But you're getting further ahead than I thought you would."
He didn't know how to respond.
So he just walked beside her.
And that was enough.
---
After the hike, most students went straight to their rooms. But Kai had different ideas.
"Midnight bath. Boys' side. Let's go."
Leo sighed. "It's freezing."
"That's the point. Contrast. Hot bath, cold air. The gods themselves approve."
Yuki, naturally, had eavesdropped.
"I'll be at the women's side. I expect a full report on embarrassing moments."
Hana muttered, "Don't give her anything to work with."
"Too late," Kai whispered.
---
Leo soaked in the steaming spring water, staring up at the sky. Snowflakes fell gently, evaporating before they touched the surface.
Kai floated like a starfish. "We're living the dream."
"It's nice," Leo admitted.
"Romantic too. Shame no one's confessing tonight."
Leo didn't answer.
Not because he didn't think about it.
But because a part of him wondered—who would he even confess to?
Yuki? Who sparkled like sunshine.
Rin? Who saw him even when he was invisible.
Hana? Who understood the weight of silence.
He didn't know yet.
And that scared him.
But maybe that's what youth was for—figuring it out one snowfall at a time.