"Who's the king?" we all asked. Jane grinned and raised her hand. "I am," she said confidently, pretending to contemplate for a moment. After a few seconds, she said, "Okay, who here thinks I’m smart? Be honest!"
We all went silent for a second before bursting into laughter. Ryan was the first to tease her. "Dude, your average is 78—are you serious right now?"
We couldn’t stop laughing, even Jane couldn’t keep a straight face. But before we knew it, the game moved on.
"Who's the king?" we all called out again. This time, Yvonne let out an evil laugh that sent a chill down my spine.
"I am!" she announced with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She laughed again, and I immediately started to worry. Oh no, I thought. She’s totally going to do something with me and Mei.
I noticed Ryan wink at her, confirming my worst suspicions.
Yvonne looked at her stick with a devilish grin. "Okay... Number 3..." She paused for effect, and I braced myself. "Massage Number 2’s shoulders."
I froze. I was Number 3. I glanced around nervously. Who’s Number 2?
Suddenly, Mei spoke up, "I’m Number 2."
Everyone—Ryan, Jane, Kris—chimed in with an exaggerated “Ooooooh” in unison. I could feel my face burning up as Mei turned her back toward me. Just as I reached out to start, Ryan couldn’t resist making things awkward.
"Careful, Levi," he said with a laugh.
I glared at him but tried to shake off my nervousness as I gently placed my hands on Mei's shoulders. Her skin was so soft, and her hair smelled amazing—sweet, like her perfume, but not overpowering. My heart was racing, and I was so focused on her that I didn’t even realize how much time had passed.
Suddenly, Ryan’s voice snapped me back to reality. "Yo, are you done? You sure are taking your time, huh?"
I jerked my hands away, feeling completely embarrassed. I quickly went back to my spot, avoiding everyone’s gaze, especially Mei’s. But out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her smiling at me. Our eyes met for a brief moment before I looked away, my heart still pounding.
I could still smell her perfume lingering around me, and my mind was spinning with thoughts of how close we’d been. My heart wouldn’t stop racing, and before I knew it, the moment I dreaded had arrived—it was my turn to be King.
"Ahem," I cleared my throat, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Number 5, tell us who your crush is."
The room went dead silent. After a few moments, Kris casually raised her hand. "I’m Number 5," she said, smiling slyly. We all turned to face her, anticipation hanging in the air.
"My crush is..." she paused dramatically, and everyone leaned in a little closer. Then, with a mischievous grin, she said, "The King." She glanced in my direction, and for a split second, I saw Mei’s smile fade.
Kris must’ve noticed it too because she quickly added, "Just kidding! I don’t have a crush on anyone." She shrugged nonchalantly, and Ryan groaned.
"Well... that was boring," Ryan teased, but I could tell something had shifted in the room.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kris casually move closer to Mei, whispering something in her ear. Mei blushed immediately, her cheeks turning pink. Whatever Kris said made her flustered, but before I could ask, Kris returned to her spot with a knowing smile.
I was left feeling both curious and slightly uneasy.
Kris’s POV
"Don’t worry," I whispered to Mei, noticing her blush deepen. "He’s all yours."
I gave her a reassuring smile before heading back to my seat, amused by the quiet tension between her and Levi.
The game kept going, and we shared plenty of laughs and embarrassing moments along the way. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, even after some of the more awkward dares and questions. But eventually, the sun began to set, and it was time for us to head into the woods to set up the campfire.
As we gathered our things, Ryan couldn’t resist making one last joke. “Alright, Levi, just try not to burn anything down, okay?” he teased, nudging me.
"Shut up," I laughed, shaking my head.
We made our way into the woods, the air cooling down as the evening settled in. There was something peaceful about the quiet rustling of the trees and the soft crunch of leaves under our feet. The teacher had already set up the fire pit, so all that was left was for us to gather some wood and get the flames going.
Once the fire was crackling and lighting up the night, we sat around it, passing around marshmallows to toast. Mei sat beside me, her face glowing from the light of the fire. She caught me looking at her and smiled, and I quickly looked away, hoping she didn’t notice how flustered I was.
"Who’s gonna tell the first ghost story?" Kris asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
"I vote Levi," Yvonne said with a grin. "He’s been acting all mysterious lately."
"I’ve got nothing," I protested, holding up my hands.
"Come on, Levi," Mei said softly, nudging me with her elbow. "Just one."
Her smile made it impossible to refuse. So, I racked my brain for something spooky, though my mind kept wandering back to Mei’s smile, her laugh, and the way she seemed to enjoy teasing me lately.
As the fire died down, the teacher called out, "Alright, everyone, it’s already 10 p.m., time to head back to the inn." We all groaned in unison, not ready to leave the cozy warmth of the campfire, but we knew better than to argue.
As we were heading back, Ryan, always quick to stir up something, asked, "Hey, miss, can we take a bath before bed? It's been a long day, after all."
To our surprise, the teacher nodded. "There’s a hot spring outside the inn. You’re free to use it, but make sure to go back to your rooms and get some rest afterward."
YOU ARE READING
You And I
RomansLevi's life was ordinary-school, friends, and the quiet rhythm of everyday life. That is, until he met Mei, a mysterious girl who quickly became the center of his world. Their relationship blossomed, and for the first time, Levi felt like he had fou...
