They walked closer, both carrying their bags and wearing the same cheerful expressions from yesterday.
Before I could say more, Daniel suddenly popped his head out from behind me with that same mischievous grin.
"Ah ah—ladies!" he said, pointing dramatically. "This side's for boys. You two should go that way."
Chloe blinked, confused for a second, then burst out laughing.
Tia looked between us, unsure whether to follow the rule or the moment. I sighed and shook my head.
The air turned a bit awkward for a moment.
"Daniel…" I said, giving him the look.
He just grinned wider. "What? I'm only enforcing discipline."
but Tia just smiled softly and said, "Then… we'll go that way, senior Willy."
Her voice was calm, almost teasing, and for some reason, it made Daniel nudge my shoulder with a knowing smirk.
As they walked past, Chloe waved. "See you later, seniors!"
Daniel waved back with a grin. "See you, ladies!"
When they were gone, I turned toward him, arms crossed. "Really?"
He chuckled. "Come on, man. You should've seen your face."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at my lips.
The morning went on, students kept coming in, and the day slowly began again — just another start at school, but somehow, it didn't feel the same anymore.
After that, we went to our classes, attended lessons, and did the usual school stuff.
The hours passed slower than ever. Maybe because my mind kept wandering back to that moment at the gate… or maybe because someone kept teasing me about it every chance he got.
When the final bell rang, Daniel and I walked together toward the club room.
Ahead of us, I spotted two familiar faces — Chloe and Tia.
I called out, "Hey! Where are you two heading?"
Chloe turned with a smile. "To join the club."
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Which club?"
"The Adventure Club: Horizon Explorers," they said together.
Daniel stared at them like a cartoon character. "You two sure about that?"
His tone was so dramatic that I had to hold back my laugh. It reminded me of those memes where someone walks into danger with a smile.
Chloe laughed, excited. "It looks fun!"
Tia nodded, smiling softly. "Yeah… it seems interesting."
Daniel looked at me with eyes that said they don't know what they're getting into.
I only shrugged.
So we all headed to the club together.
Inside the room, a few freshers were already sitting and filling out forms.
Not many though — probably because most students didn't want to jump off cliffs or climb mountains just for "fun."
Tia and Chloe sat with the others, writing their names on the forms. Seeing them there somehow made the room feel a bit warmer.
Gary clapped his hands and stood up.
"So! What should we do for our first activity of the year?" he asked.
Ideas came flying in.
"Maybe a cleaning campaign?"
"At a park?"
"Yeah! Something simple!"
Everyone agreed it should be something light, especially since freshers were joining.
After some discussion, Gary nodded with a proud smile.
"Alright! The first activity will be an awareness campaign in the park. We help people, clean up trash — easy and meaningful! How about we do it on the 16th? It's a holiday."
Everyone nodded.
But I raised my hand slowly.
The room fell quiet.
Gary looked at me. "Willy? What's wrong?"
I sighed a little. "Sorry, guys… I can't come that day. I have a match."