Chapter 58: THE JOURNEY TO THE CABIN

Vroom... The car kept speeding along the now-busy highway. The sun had started to rise—golden light seeped through the gaps in the trees along the roadside, creating dancing patterns of light inside the car. The cold morning air slowly warmed, and the scenery outside the window changed from city buildings to lush green trees.

Inside the car, the students of Class IX-9 still couldn’t control themselves. Ha ha ha! Mira and Rin laughed out loud in the back seat—whatever they were laughing at, their laughter was contagious. Iris occasionally replied with mysterious comments, which made Rin and Mira laugh even more. Ella, who had been sleepy, was now awake—although her eyes were still a little groggy, she smiled seeing her friends’ antics.

Luna sat near the window, her eyes watching the passing scenery. She didn’t talk much, but the small smile on her lips showed she was enjoying this trip. Nora sat calmly, occasionally responding to Rin and Mira’s conversation with brief comments. Aria was still biting her nails, but this time she didn’t look too anxious—maybe because the atmosphere inside the car was too warm to feel anxious.

Eve sat with her laptop, her fingers dancing across the keyboard. She occasionally lifted her head to look at the scenery, then returned to the screen. Fay sat in the corner, hugging her doll. Her eyes stared blankly toward the window—but this time, there was something different in her eyes. Something like calmness.

In the front seats, Kai and Lydia sat side by side. Kai drove calmly, his eyes focused on the road. Lydia sat quietly, her black umbrella lying on her lap. They didn’t talk much—only occasionally exchanging comments about the scenery or about the students in the back.

Haaah... Kai let out a soft sigh, glancing briefly at the rearview mirror. He saw his students having fun. Mira laughing, Rin joking, Iris smiling mysteriously, Luna enjoying the scenery. Some were sleeping—Aria had fallen asleep with her head resting on the seat, and Fay also seemed half-asleep. Some were playing with a camera—Iris occasionally photographed the scenery from the window. Some were reading books—Luna had already opened a book on her lap.

Kai smiled slightly. He had no intention of stopping them. He wanted them to enjoy this trip—wanted this to be one of their most beautiful memories.

Lydia, seeing Kai’s smile, also smiled. "They’re very excited," she said softly.

"Yes," Kai said. "Let them be. They’ve worked hard during the festival. This is their time to have fun."

Lydia nodded. "You’re right. They deserve this."

They fell silent again, enjoying the journey.

Three Hours Later

Vroom... The car started to slow down. Kai reduced his speed when he saw a guard post in the distance. The post was made of wood—simple, with a slightly rusted tin roof. In front of it, there was an iron barrier covering the entrance.

Kai rolled down his car window. Swoosh... The cold, fresh mountain air entered the car, carrying the scent of pine trees and wet earth. At the guard post, a middle-aged man in a brown uniform was sitting on a wooden chair, reading a newspaper.

"Good morning," Kai said.

The man lifted his head. "Good morning. Want to enter the camping area?"

"Yes," Kai answered. "How much are the tickets?"

The man stated the price, and Kai paid with cash. The man gave him a ticket—a small piece of paper with a stamp—and raised the iron barrier. Clink... The barrier lifted.

"Please come in," the man said. "Be careful on the road. It’s a bit winding."

"Thank you," Kai said. He rolled up his car window, then continued the journey.

At the Parking Area

Vroom... The car stopped at a fairly spacious parking area. The area was located at the edge of the forest—surrounded by tall pine trees. The air there was very fresh, much colder than the city. Whoosh... The mountain breeze blew gently, carrying the distinctive forest scent.

Kai turned off the car engine. Click... He opened the door and got out. Clack... Lydia also got out of the passenger seat.

"Alright, everyone," Kai said, his voice loud enough for all his students to hear. "We’ve arrived. Please get out, but wait here first. I’ll rent a place for us."

Clack! Clack! Clack! The car doors opened one by one. The students got out enthusiastically. Mira immediately jumped out, her hands raised in the air. "FINALLY HERE!"

"Don’t shout, Mira," Rin said, though she was also smiling. "You’ll disturb others."

"I can’t help it!" Mira exclaimed. "The air here is so fresh!"

Iris raised her camera, photographing the surrounding scenery. Click! "Beautiful," she murmured.

Luna stood beside the car, her eyes staring at the pine trees in awe. "This... is beautiful," she said softly.

Nora nodded. "The air is different. Cleaner."

Eve had already opened her laptop, her fingers dancing. "The temperature here is around 18 degrees Celsius. Humidity 70 percent. Ideal conditions for camping."

Aria stood near the car, her hand still biting her nails. "I-it’s safe, right, Sir?" she asked.

"Of course," Kai answered. "This is an official camping area. There are guards patrolling every few hours."

Aria nodded, a little relieved.

Fay stood in the corner, hugging her doll. Her eyes stared at the trees, but there was no expression on her face.

"Alright," Kai said. "Wait here. I’ll rent a place."

Tap... tap... tap... Kai walked toward a small building near the parking area—the campsite rental place. The building was made of wood, with a tin roof and glass windows. In front of it, there was a wooden board reading "RENTAL".

Creeeak... Kai opened the door. Inside, a young man with blonde hair and glasses was sitting behind a desk. The man lifted his head when Kai entered.

"Good morning," the man said, his voice friendly. "How can I help you?"

"Good morning," Kai replied. "I want to rent a place for camping. For about ten people."

The man nodded. "Alright. For how long?"

"Two days and one night," Kai answered.

The man opened a large book in front of him. "Alright. Let me check the available spots first."

Kai observed the man. There was something strange. This was the first time he’d seen this man. Usually, the person guarding this rental place was a middle-aged man with a thick mustache. But now, that man wasn’t there.

"Excuse me," Kai said. "Isn’t the person who usually guards here a middle-aged man?"

The man lifted his head. "Oh, Mr. Garen? He’s on vacation. So I’m filling in for now. I’m his nephew."

"Oh, I see," Kai said. He didn’t ask further.

"Alright," the man said, closing his big book. "There are several available spots. Some are near the public camping area, some are farther—near the lake and mountain view."

"The one near the lake and mountain," Kai said.

The man nodded. "Alright. That’s at post 7. The view is great. There’s a lake, there’s a mountain. Perfect for camping."

He opened a large map lying on the desk, then pointed to a spot on the map. "This is post 7. You can get there by walking about an hour from the parking area. Or you can also go by car, but the road is a bit narrow."

Kai observed the map. "I’ll choose the walking route. The kids will definitely like it."

The man smiled. "Alright. Here’s the key to cabin number 7."

He handed over a silver key with a wooden tag reading "7". Kai received it. Clack... The key felt cold in his hand.

"How much is the total?" Kai asked.

The man shook his head. "Free, Sir."

Kai blinked. "Free?"

"Yes," the man said. "Mr. Garen said, if there are guests who want to go to post 7, it’s free for the next three days. He said post 7 is rarely used. So he wants people to be able to enjoy it."

Kai felt strange. But he didn’t want to refuse good fortune. "Alright. Thank you."

"You’re welcome," the man said. "I hope your trip is pleasant."

Kai turned and walked out of the building. Creeeak... The door closed behind him.

Heading to the Cabin

Tap... tap... tap... Kai returned to the parking area. His students were still waiting, although some of them had started walking around the parking area.

"Alright, everyone," Kai said. "I’ve rented a place. We’re going to cabin number 7."

"Cabinnn?!" Mira exclaimed. "We’re not camping in tents?"

"The cabin is big enough," Kai said. "We can sleep inside. But if you want, we can also set up tents in front of the cabin."

"Let’s just set up tents!" Rin exclaimed. "So it’s more fun!"

"Agreed!" Irene added.

Kai smiled. "Alright. We can set up tents in front of the cabin. Now, follow me."

Tap... tap... tap... Kai led the way, followed by his students. They walked into the forest area—passing tall pine trees, passing winding trails, passing a small river with clear water.

Whoosh... The mountain breeze blew gently. Chirp... chirp... The sound of crickets was heard from the bushes. Tweet... tweet... Birds chirped in the trees.

"About an hour from here," Kai said. "Are you all strong enough?"

"Strong, Sir!" Mira exclaimed.

"I can walk faster than this," Rin said.

"Me too," Nora added.

"We’ll see about that," Kai said, smiling.

One Hour Later

Tap... tap... tap... Their footsteps were still heard on the trail. An hour had passed, but they still hadn’t stopped their steps. They kept walking, following Kai who walked in front.

Mira, who had been enthusiastic, was now starting to get tired. Haaah... haaah... Her breath started panting. But she didn’t complain. She kept walking, even though her legs were starting to ache.

Rin, who was usually strong, also started feeling tired. Haaah... She let out a soft sigh. But she didn’t want to show her weakness.

Ella, still sleepy, walked half-asleep. Haaah... She occasionally tripped over tree roots, but she always managed to balance herself.

Luna walked calmly, although her legs were also starting to ache. Nora walked upright, showing no signs of fatigue. Aria started biting her nails again—her legs were starting to hurt. Eve was still with her laptop, although she occasionally lifted her head to look at the road. Fay walked at the very back, hugging her doll, not complaining at all.

Lydia walked beside Kai, her black dress fluttering gently. She showed no signs of fatigue at all. Tap... tap... tap... Her steps were light, like there was no burden on her feet.

In front, Kai kept walking. He occasionally turned back to make sure all his students were still following. Hmm... He saw them starting to get tired, but no one complained. He smiled slightly.

"We’re almost there," Kai said. "Just a little more."

Tap... tap... tap... They kept walking.