The dim streetlights at the base of the mountain cast a yellow glow over the path. Where once dense brambles grew, man-made paths now wound through the wild forest.
These stone pathways, along with courtyards, gave the hot spring inn a unique charm. Pea gravel, green bamboo, and decorated drainage systems added a soothing gurgling water sound in the night.
But hidden within a dark corner, recently passed by Logan, a group led by David and Marvin was stealthily moving forward.
Unlike Logan's calm composure earlier, David's group was anything but steady. Their steps were slow and hesitant, taking three steps before stopping, embodying the very definition of 'guilty conscience'.
"Hey, David… are you sure the teachers won't come around for a check?" One of the boys who had experienced the failure of Plan B with David asked the question for the third time.
Since they had decided to sneak out, going as a duo was out of the question. The more people, the braver they felt. And, thanks to Marvin's help, David had managed to convince the entire dorm to join. Five of them, all except the last guy, who was too rule-abiding, had climbed aboard their sneaky mission.
"Relax, there's no way they'll do a check." David whispered back, voice hushed but annoyed. Who knew if they'd actually get checked or not, but now, he could only offer reassurance, "Besides, we're already out, can you be a little braver?"
The guy's face twitched, wanting to retort about David's lack of courage earlier at the mixed bath. But before he could, Marvin waved his hand, cutting in, "Quiet down! I don't want to get caught before we even make it out!"
The group hushed, their focus now solely on avoiding any patrolling teachers. As for the inn's security and surveillance, they would dodge it wherever possible.
If they couldn't avoid it, they figured the staff would probably let them off with just a warning.
After a tense journey, they finally reached the edge of the grounds. Luckily, the wall wasn't high, only about two meters with the rail included.
The sight of colorful lights outside the inn filled them with excitement, and with mutual help, they climbed over. The cold wind didn't even faze them, and they felt like they had accomplished some sacred mission.
"Ha! Piece of cake."
"No big deal at all."
Once on a different street and out of sight, the group felt completely at ease. The most nervous one began waving his jacket around, bragging as if sneaking out had been nothing, while the guy who had constantly sought reassurance from David now shamelessly joined in with exaggerated tales. One of them mentioned tearing a hole in his jacket on the fence, prompting a burst of laughter.
"Ha-ha-ha! So, David, after we grab some skewers, what's next? You must've planned something, right?" Marvin teased with a grin.
"Hahahaha, of course I have." David laughed, clapping his hands, "By the way, you think James can keep our secret?"
Marvin's laughter faltered slightly. James was the one who hadn't dared to join them and stayed behind. But Marvin quickly returned to his usual expression, "No problem. We've already coordinated our stories. Don't worry."
"That's good."
With that, the two laughed, overlooking the small issue as if it was insignificant.
…
"Confess, and you'll be treated leniently. Resist, and you'll face harsher consequences. Be honest, where did everyone go?"
"They… they all went to other dorms..."
"Hmm?"
Olivia's perfectly arched brows furrowed, and her calm demeanor turned to an icy frost that seemed to freeze the air around her.
Standing by the boys' dorm room door, the class monitor exchanged a worried glance with Diane.
The room lay empty, with an abandoned low table scattered with a hasty mess of playing cards on the tatami, surrounded by littered snack wrappers. It was obvious they'd been having a great time before suddenly disappearing.
However, that wasn't the main issue. The real problem was that once everyone left, only one person remained...
Diane nervously pinched the edge of her shirt. If their homeroom teacher saw this, there'd be an explosion. Playing around and then switching out the entire group? Luckily, it was just the student reps who were doing the inspection this time, giving them some room to remedy the situation.
Olivia's brows furrowed slightly as she stepped into the small room, her long legs taking swift strides across the limited space.
Dressed simply in her school uniform, she somehow managed to make even the plain clothes look impressive, proving the timeless truth, it's not the uniform that's unflattering… it's you.
Her perfectly proportioned, straight legs made her tracksuit pants look like fitted joggers. Her cool, aloof gaze scanned over the trash before returning to James.
"I'd suggest you don't lie. This is your last chance."
Olivia, with her high looks, great figure, and capable personality, coupled with her mature, cool aura, wasn't only admired by boys but also had plenty of fangirls. Many felt an unspoken pressure around her, especially given the rumor that she'd played a big role in organizing this autumn field trip.
And as someone unused to facing such strong authority, James finally caved under the intensity of her gaze, abandoning any loyalty to his roommates. Nodding like a bobblehead, he admitted, "Alright, I'll confess everything, Senior Olivia... "
Seven or eight minutes ago, the Student Council, working with the Travel Club, had organized a headcount in every room. The students were immediately thrown into a frenzy. The presence of female inspectors only added to the tension among the boys, and when Olivia appeared in the boys' dorm, it felt like a tidal wave had just crashed through.
Being scrutinized by such a beautiful senior, her gaze inspecting every corner, felt… let's just say intense.
However, for James, this surprise inspection felt less like a daydream and more like a nightmare.
After spilling every detail, his honesty brought about an immediate headache for the girls.
'They snuck out?'
After hearing this, Olivia glanced at Diane and the female class monitor next to her, "You've got some adventurous boys in your class, huh?"
"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry..." The female monitor apologized immediately. High school class monitors often have simple motivations, wanting to look out for their classmates as much as possible, "We will call them back right away. Please, Senior, don't report this to the teachers!"
This was a serious breach of conduct, and if things went poorly, it could lead to disciplinary action once they returned to school.
Olivia, disliking the trouble, waved her hand dismissively.
Diane and the class monitor quickly pulled out their phones, urging James to message them and call them back. Yet, five minutes passed without a single reply.
"Calls aren't getting through either… what are those guys doing?" The female monitor said in frustration.
She didn't know that in order to prevent accidents when sneaking out, David and his group all muted their phones. As for Logan, well… he'd probably be even harder to reach.
Time ticked by, and reports from other rooms were gradually coming in. With her arms crossed, Olivia calmly tapped her fingers as she listened to the other student council members' updates and sent them on their way. Meanwhile, she observed Diane and the others as they struggled to make contact.
After fifteen minutes of no response, the class monitor realized they'd already delayed as much as possible. Reluctantly, she sighed, stepping forward to address Olivia.
However, just as she was about to speak.
"Let's go find them and bring them back." Olivia said suddenly, her composed and elegant face carrying an air of determination, "No way am I letting my Travel Club end this trip on a bad note."