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"We've contacted Vedika Di, and she mentioned that she'll save us, though it will take some time," I conveyed, and everyone nodded in acknowledgement with tension.
"Okay, can anyone tell us what happened and why we're in this mess?" I asked, standing up, hoping to ease the heavy mood.
The girl rolled her eyes at Kiaan, clearly annoyed. "Well, your idiot friend jumped into the water, thinking he could save me. But guess what? He ruined my time, and I had to save him, which makes me the hero instead, kiddo."
Samayara and I replied with an 'oh,' experiencing second-hand embarrassment on Kiaan's behalf.
Kiaan's face twisted with anger. "I never said I wanted to play hero," he shot back, his voice sharp.
"We're very grateful to you for saving our friend," I said, cutting Kiaan off mid-sentence before he could dig himself into a deeper hole. I could feel the tension rising, and the last thing we needed was another argument.
"Why didn't you tell us too? We both would've jumped after you both," I joked, forcing a light tone to diffuse the situation. I shot Kiaan a sharp glare, silently telling him to keep quiet. He looked at me in disbelief, his mouth half-open as if he couldn't believe I was taking her side.
The girl smirked, completely ignoring Kiaan's grumbling.
"Good thing that didn't happen, or else I would've just saved the cute girl and left you two drowning," she quipped, her tone teasing but with a sharp edge.
"We both would've figured it out on our own," Kiaan snapped back, as he crossed his arms.
"Says the one who almost drowned if I wasn't there," she retorted, her words hitting like a slap. Kiaan fell silent, his jaw clenching as he looked away, clearly frustrated but unable to argue.
"But really, thank you so much, and we're very sorry for the inconvenience," Samayara added softly, her voice full of genuine gratitude. Her eyes flicked between Kiaan and the girl, hoping her words would smooth over the lingering tension.
"Honestly, I don't hate it that much. I discovered a new part of the forest now. It's funny how I never knew this existed," the girl replied.
"Is it funny to you?" Kiaan asked, clearly frustrated.
"Yes, kind of," the girl answered, the bickering starting up again.
"You better spare me your funny, then," Kiaan shot back.
"Too bad, now I saved you. By the way, guys, he still hasn't apologized to you both," she reminded us. Kiaan gritted his teeth before reluctantly making a puppy face. This guy—
"Fifteen punches when you get better," I warned Kiaan, cracking my knuckles, my patience wearing thin.
"Make it thirty. My punches won't hurt him," Samayara chimed in, her voice laced with slight anger .
