The game had come to an end.
Both teams had their moments of triumph, enjoying the thrill of their perfectly executed strategies, thanks to their masterminds. But in the end, only one team could claim victory.
As the players reflected on the intense match, Shon turned to Toping with a curious expression. "Why did you pretend to be the mastermind of your team? Why take credit for someone else's work?"
Toping laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "I wasn't trying to take credit! July Boy said he didn't want to be revealed as the mastermind and asked me to take the role instead. So I couldn't say no."
Shon raised an eyebrow and turned to Tsunami and Hori. "Is he telling the truth?"
Toping groaned. "You don't trust me?"
Tsunami smirked. "He's… halfway telling the truth."
Shon frowned. "What do you mean?"
Tsunami crossed her arms. "Well, it's true that July Boy didn't want to be revealed as the mastermind. But he never actually asked Toping to take the role. Rather, it was the opposite."
Shon blinked. "But why didn't he want to be revealed?"
Sam chuckled. "Considering his nature, isn't it obvious? July Boy is too lazy to deal with people bombarding him with questions about how he pulled off such a strategy. Right, July Boy?"
July Boy sighed, rubbing the back of his head in silent acceptance.
Sam then suddenly grabbed OH NO's hand and raised it high, saying."Let's forget all of it and congratulate the MVP of our game!" trying to divert the attention to OH NO.
The group erupted into applause. Laughter and cheers filled the air.
Soon, they all settled down, Toping and the group also decided to shift their camp and join all together as one group, soon they started preparing for their meals and they all had a moment they will all cherish.
Sam then stepped outside, taking in the breath of the cold night and admiring the beauty of nature.
The night stretched above them, dark yet illuminated. The moon shone brightly, its silver light reflecting off the rippling river. The sky, vast and endless, was adorned with billions of shimmering stars.
Nature was already breathtaking. But at that moment, a soft glow filled the air—tiny flickering lights, dancing like embers.
Fireflies.
Hundreds of them, glowing and weaving through the night like floating lanterns, their golden light adding the final touch to an already perfect scene.
A hush fell over the group. No one dared to speak. They simply stood there, eyes wide, absorbing the beauty around them. It felt like time had slowed, allowing them to truly take in the moment.
Sam watched in quiet awe as a firefly drifted toward him. He slowly raised his finger, and to his surprise, the tiny creature landed gently on it. His silver eyes reflected the warm golden glow, mesmerized.
Then, as if a switch flipped in his brain—
"Hunting time!"
Sam suddenly shouted, breaking the silence. He bolted toward the pickup truck, rummaging frantically for a net.
The peaceful admiration shattered in an instant.
"Wait, what?!" Jangla blinked, still caught in the lingering magic of the moment.
"Oh no…" Shon groaned, realizing what was about to happen.
Sam returned triumphantly, holding a net. "I'm gonna catch them all!"
The group collectively panicked.
"Sam, stop! If you catch them, their glow will fade in a few days, and they won't be able to shine any longer!" Roslin pleaded.
"It's sad to trap something so beautiful…" Chingla added, watching the glowing swarm.
Jangla hesitated, her fingers twitching. "I want to keep them in a jar, but… for a few moments of happiness, I'd be taking away their purpose."
Sam not wanting to let this moment slide, said just a few hundred or something, he then raised his net to catch those fireflies.
The inner child of Sam had awaken, now no words will work on him unless an external force is applied on him.
Shon and Tsunami together hit him in the head at the same time stopping him from committing a nature crime.
Ori said how can he be smart sometimes yet so dumb most of the time.
With a sigh, sam let the net drop to the ground.
"Fine, fine… I'll leave them alone," he muttered.
A smile spread through the group as they turned their attention back to the fireflies. Sam, now without any distractions, finally let himself admire the view once again.
The golden lights flickered against the vast night sky, and for a brief moment, everything felt perfect.