Chapter Six: Hopelessly
1726 Words
Tori's POV
The cherry blossoms outside the school gate were already falling like pink confetti, and the air carried that bittersweet smell of summer vacation nearing.
"Can you believe it's almost over?" Rose sighed dramatically, spinning once before flopping beside me on the bench. "Where did the year go?"
I shrugged; my eyes locked on the basketball court. "Time flies when you're head over heels."
"Still crushing hard, huh?"
Ryan was out there again, dribbling like a pro, sweat glistening on his forehead like a scene from a K-drama. Every time he smiled, I forgot basic vocabulary.
"Hopelessly," I admitted.
Rose groaned. "At this point, I'm gonna start charging him rent for living in your head."
"Shh!" I elbowed him, just as Ryan turned in our direction and waved. My heart did the usual backflip, and I waved back—awkwardly, like someone who forgot how hands work.
"You're ridiculous," Rose muttered, though he smiled too.
Across the yard, Caius sat alone on the stone steps, reading. Well, pretending to. His eyes weren't moving across the page, and he hadn't turned a page in ten minutes.
I tried not to look. Tried.
But I looked.
And he was looking right back—expression unreadable.
He quickly returned to his book the moment our eyes met.
Nothing had changed. At least, not on the surface.
..............
"Okay, rules of the trip!" Rose announced dramatically, arms stretched wide as we all stood in front of the small wooden cabin by the lake. "No drama, no homework, and absolutely no pining from the shadows—yes, I'm talking to you, Tori."
"Hey!" I threw a pillow at him, laughing.
Ryan chuckled behind me, taking his backpack out of the van. "This is going to be fun."
There were four of us—me, Rose, Ryan, Caius.
The afternoon sun sparkled over the lake like it was dusted in glitter, and I couldn't help but feel a little... excited. No classrooms. No uniforms. Just fresh air and time with friends.
We spent the day playing cards, grilling marshmallows, and skipping stones by the shore. Ryan ended up teaching me how to skip them properly—his hand brushing mine as he adjusted my fingers. My heart went boom, obviously.
"You're a quick learner," he said with a grin.
"I had a good teacher," I replied, eyes locking with his.
From a little distance, Caius sat with his arms crossed, watching. Silent. Always watching.
That night, as the fire crackled and everyone was wrapped in blankets, I found myself beside Ryan again—shoulders nearly touching.
Rose sat nearby, sneakily sipping juice from a mug like it was wine. "I swear if you two don't kiss before graduation, I'm staging an intervention."
"Rose!" I whispered, blushing.
Ryan laughed and gently bumped my shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm patient."
Across the fire, Caius stood and walked off toward the woods, not saying a word.
I noticed. And it... stung, a little.
But when Ryan looked at me again, smiling in that calm, gentle way—everything else melted away.
The next morning, after a breakfast full of laughter and burnt toast (courtesy of Rose's "expert" cooking), Ryan suggested we take a walk through the woods behind the cabin.
"Come on, it'll be fun," he said, flashing that easy smile that made me want to follow him anywhere.
I grabbed my jacket, and soon we were stepping beneath the towering trees, the sunlight filtering through leaves like a scattered golden spotlight.
Rose and Caius were trailing behind, though Caius kept a careful distance, his usual cool expression unreadable.
As we walked, Ryan reached out and gently took my hand. My heart fluttered, but I didn't pull away.
Suddenly, Rose stopped, eyes wide. "Wait, wait! Did you guys hear that?"
We froze. A faint rustling sound came from deeper in the woods. It wasn't the usual bird or squirrel chatter—it was something else. Something closer.
Ryan squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Probably just a deer or something."
But just then, a stray dog burst from the bushes, barking excitedly. Rose jumped back, knocking over a small pile of leaves.
I laughed nervously as the dog circled us happily, wagging its tail.
Caius, surprisingly, knelt and petted the dog gently, his cold demeanor softening for just a moment.
Rose hissed, "Why does he get to be nice to the dog and not to me?"
I giggled. "Maybe he's warming up."
The dog trotted off, and we continued our walk. But the tension lingered, especially when Caius stopped abruptly.
"Wait," he said quietly. "There's something ahead."
We all paused, following his gaze to a small clearing where an old, weathered wooden sign was half-buried under moss.
It read: "Beware: Sacred Grove — Enter at your own risk."
Ryan smirked. "Sounds like a challenge."
I looked at Caius, curious. He only shrugged, but I caught a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.
The woods suddenly felt a little less friendly—and the adventure a little more real.
Rose clapped his hands dramatically. "Okay, listen up! Since we're already in the middle of some forbidden forest adventure,"—he made finger quotes—"I declare a dare!"
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "What kind of dare?"
Rose grinned. "Let's see who has the guts to step into the 'Sacred Grove' first."
"Oh please," I rolled my eyes. "That's not even a real dare."
"Oh really?" Rose smirked. "Then you go first, Princess Bookworm."
I looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Fine."
Maybe it was the forest atmosphere, maybe it was the fact that Ryan was watching—or maybe I just really needed to prove I wasn't always the 'safe and careful one.'
I stepped into the grove confidently, brushing past a low branch and crunching over leaves.
"There. I'm inside," I announced, turning back toward them with a proud grin.
"You have to go touch the big tree in the center!" Rose added like a true instigator.
The "big tree" was enormous—its thick trunk covered in carvings and strange vines. I shrugged and walked toward it, slightly breathless from the cool air and adrenaline.
And then—c***k.
My foot sank into a soft patch of ground, and before I could scream, I slipped. My ankle twisted awkwardly, and I tumbled sideways down a tiny slope hidden under the tall grass.
"TORI!" Rose and Ryan both shouted at once.
Pain flared up my leg. I winced, groaning. "I'm okay! I think... ow."
Ryan was the first to reach me, kneeling beside me with panic in his eyes. "Are you hurt?"
"I—I think I twisted my ankle," I muttered.
Caius appeared a moment later, jaw tight. "You shouldn't have gone in alone."
Rose knelt down beside me, guilt all over his face. "I—I didn't think you'd actually fall. I'm so sorry, Tori."
Ryan carefully helped me sit up. "We need to get her out of here."
"I can walk," I said bravely. I tried to stand—and promptly fell back down.
Without another word, he gently lifted me into his arms. My cheeks burned. "R-Ryan!"
"Just hold on," he said, unfazed. "Don't even try to argue right now."
As we walked back, I peeked over his shoulder to see Caius watching quietly, something dark and unreadable in his eyes.
Rose, trailing behind, muttered under his breath, "Okay... no more forest dares. Ever."
The cabin was warm inside—dimly lit by soft orange lamps and filled with the scent of pinewood and something sweet coming from the kitchen. Ryan gently set me down on one of the long couches, grabbing a pillow to prop up my foot.
"You, okay?" he asked, crouching in front of me.
"Still embarrassed," I muttered, wincing as I looked down at my ankle.
"Well, you were kind of a daredevil back there," he said, reaching for the first aid kit. "Didn't know that was part of your personality package."
I let out a soft laugh. "Me neither."
He smiled, then concentrated on my ankle. His touch was careful, warm. "Let me know if these hurts."
"It already does."
He gave me a look. "You know what I mean."
I sat still, heart drumming in my chest as he rolled up the leg of my pants just above the ankle and started wrapping it with cool efficiency. The room was quiet—just the sound of the bandage unrolling and the faint rustle of the wind outside the cabin walls.
"You've done this before," I said, trying to fill the silence.
"Lots of times. My little cousin used to think she was a ninja. Always jumping off stuff she shouldn't be."
"Sounds familiar," I murmured.
He chuckled. "You did look like you were on a mission."
I glanced at him, and he caught my gaze for a second too long.
"Thanks," I said softly.
He tightened the bandage gently and looked up. "You don't have to thank me. I was scared, you know."
I blinked. "Scared?"
"When you fell—I just... I thought something worse happened. I don't know why it freaked me out so much, but it did."
My chest squeezed. "Ryan..."
A knock on the door broke the moment.
Caius stepped inside, his expression unreadable as his eyes darted from me to Ryan, still kneeling beside me.
"I brought some water," he said, walking over and placing the bottle on the table, his voice unusually clipped.
"Thanks," I said, startled.
Ryan stood, brushing off his jeans. "She's okay now. Just a mild sprain."
"Next time, don't let her do stupid things," Caius said coldly, not looking at me.
I flinched, but Ryan just nodded calmly. "Next time, maybe you should stop watching from the trees."
That shut Caius up. He gave a short nod and turned away.
As the door closed behind him, Ryan sighed and sat beside me. "He's intense."
"He's just... like that," I whispered, still staring at the door.
Ryan turned to me again, his voice lower now. "Hey. Don't let anyone ruin your night, alright? You were brave. And honestly..."
He hesitated. Then smiled a little.
"...you falling into my arms like that? Very main character of you."
I hit him lightly with a pillow. "Shut up."
We both laughed, and the cabin suddenly felt a little warmer.
................................................
Hi-Yu
- Writer
