Chapter 7: Trial of Courage

We set up camp, each with our own tasks.

“I’ll go get some firewood,” I offered.

“I’ll come with you.” Kenji walked beside me.

Hana, Yuki, and Sachi stayed to set up the campsite and unpacked the supplies.

“So, what’s the plan?” Kenji asked.

Which one? The confession, or the camp activities?

"I was thinking — Trial of Courage after dinner." I said. "A pair gets selected at random and has to walk from point A to point B. The rest of us hide along the path and scare them as best we can."

"That sounds good. How do we decide the pairs?" Kenji asked, picking up a particularly large stick from the ground.

I looked at the stick. He was using it as a walking pole. Handy. "Draw lots. The ones with the two shortest straws will walk. Simple."

"Works for me. I’ll prepare the straws. Five of us — we can do two rounds." Kenji sounded genuinely enthusiastic.

"Point A is the campsite. Point B is… the abandoned lodge in the woods. You remember it?"

"Perfect. We used to go there as kids!"

The day passed easily enough. Board games, catching up, a simple dinner that I put together for everyone.

Then night came. Kenji held out the straws. "Alright. The two shortest walk from the campsite to the abandoned lodge."

Suddenly it seemed that only Kenji and I were the enthusiastic ones.

"Seriously? This is the ‘fun’ game you two came up with?" Sachi stood with her hands on her hips.

Her eyes moved to me, then to Hana. A slight smile. "Fine. Let’s do it. Just know that I am exceptionally talented at scaring people."

The draw results:

Round 1: Sachi and Kenji walk. Ryo, Yuki and Hana scare.

Round 2: Ryo and Yuki walk. Hana, Sachi and Kenji scare.

Hana pressed a hand to her chest with a sigh of relief. I did a quiet fist pump.

"You escaped this time, Hana-chan." Sachi grinned at her.

"My screams would frighten people who aren’t even playing, Sachi-chan. I’ll still do my best to scare you in Round 1." Hana said this with complete sincerity.

"And I’ll show you how it’s really done in Round 2." Sachi replied confidently.

"Alright, let’s go." Kenji stood and stretched. "Five-minute head start for those scaring. Make it good." He smirked.

"Don’t be surprised if I punch whatever jumps out at me." Sachi looked at me pleasantly.

"We’ll see how brave you are later. Come on, Yuki-chan, Hana-chan — I have a few ideas."

We slipped into the bushes. The clouds had been gathering since the afternoon, and the wind had picked up, setting the trees rustling around us.

"Ryo-kun… I don’t want to be alone," Hana said, already hovering close.

"Hana-chan, we’re the ones doing the scaring," Yuki said gently.

I sympathised with Hana, but I had my eye on the second round. Yuki can stay with her for now. I’ll push ahead and set up further along the path.

Yuki and Hana disappeared into a clump of bushes. I forged ahead alone.

* * *

— Sachi and Kenji —

"Time’s up. Let’s go." Kenji set off down the path.

They walked hand in hand, using their phone torches to light the way. Kenji had the long stick strapped to his backpack. Moonlight filtered unevenly through the canopy, and the cicadas were loud. It wasn’t particularly eerie. Sachi and Kenji were entirely unbothered.

"It’ll be Ryo-kun and Yuki-chan in the next round. Do you think they’ll actually talk?" Kenji said.

"Depends on whether we let them. If we go too hard on the scaring, they won’t get the chance." Sachi thought about it.

"She did say she’d sort things out today. They haven’t had a proper moment yet, so it has to be during the second round."

A brief silence. Then Kenji continued, "You mentioned Hana-chan earlier. What’s that about?"

Sachi smiled up at him. "Why not? She’s quiet, perceptive, responsible, caring — isn’t she perfect for onii-chan?"

"You’re looking at it from a sister’s perspective. She’s also clumsy, passive, and falls asleep on any mode of transport except the bicycle." Kenji pointed out.

"That’s an annoying older brother’s perspective. Try seeing it from Ryo-kun’s side."

Kenji scratched the back of his head. "Do they even notice each other?"

Sachi stared at him. Then facepalmed. "I suppose it falls to me."

Before Kenji could respond, rustling erupted from a nearby bush. He raised the stick and aimed his torch at it. He’d barely taken a step when a scream tore through the insect noise.

"Kyaaaaa! Get it off me! Onee-san, help!" Hana’s voice.

The bush shook violently. Kenji sighed, already smiling. "Let’s go."

Inside the bushes, Hana was frantically brushing insects off her arms. Yuki was trying to help and not entirely succeeding.

"Where’s Ryo-kun when you need him…" Sachi muttered as she waded in.

* * *

I was crouched behind a tree near the abandoned lodge when I heard the screaming.

Good. Yuki-chan and Hana-chan must be doing well. I didn’t know Sachi screamed that high.

The screaming kept going. I started to feel uneasy.

Wait. That’s not Sachi.

I found everyone clustered together off the path. Sachi and Yuki had their torches on Hana, while Kenji stood beside her, a hand on her head.

"What happened? Is Hana-chan alright?"

Yuki looked up. "Hana-chan was screaming because —"

"Nothing! It was nothing. Sorry… for ruining the game." Hana cut her off, then looked up at me with eyes that were still damp.

Thump. Those eyes were completely unfair.

"So what now? Call it off?" I asked. I glanced at Yuki. We made eye contact. The second round. That was the one that mattered.

"Probably for the best," Kenji said, watching Hana carefully.

My heart sank a little. But he wasn’t wrong.

"N-No!" Hana said. "I’m fine now. Really. Can we just… skip straight to Round 2? I want to make it right."

"Are you sure?" Kenji looked at her properly.

"Yes." She steadied herself. "I’m sure."

"Then let’s do it." I glanced at Yuki. She glanced back and gave a small nod. Her expression was set.

We made our way back to the campsite together. Hana had calmed down, Sachi and Kenji close on either side of her. The clouds had thickened. It was going to rain soon.

"Let’s wrap this up before it comes down," I said.

Sachi, Kenji and Hana set off into the dark with a five-minute head start.

They hadn’t even cleared the treeline when Yuki turned to me and said, "Ryo-kun… we need to talk."