Chapter 59: TRACES IN THE FOREST

Tap... tap... tap... Their footsteps continued along the winding trail. Tall pine trees towered on both sides, creating a natural canopy that covered the sky. Sunlight entering through the gaps in the leaves created dancing patterns of light on the ground. Whoosh... The mountain breeze blew gently, carrying the scent of pine trees and wet earth. The deeper they went into the forest, the thicker that scent became—fresher, more soothing.

Mira walked at the front, even though her legs were starting to ache. She didn’t want to complain. She didn’t want to be the first to give up. Behind her, Rin walked with firm steps—even though her breath was starting to pant. Ella walked calmly, although her eyes were still a little groggy from lack of sleep.

Luna walked beside Ella, her eyes staring at the trees in awe. "I didn’t expect this forest to be this beautiful," she said softly, almost a whisper.

"Have you never been to a forest before?" Ella asked.

Luna shook her head. "Never. I’ve always wanted to go to a place like this. But there was never a chance."

Ella smiled slightly. "Now you have a chance."

Behind them, Nora walked calmly. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her eyes observing the surroundings—as usual. She was always alert. She was always watching. Even in the middle of this quiet forest, she couldn’t truly relax.

Behind Nora, Aria walked while biting her nails. Her legs were starting to hurt—they’d been walking for almost an hour. But she didn’t want to complain. She didn’t want to trouble the others.

Iris walked beside Aria, her camera hanging around her neck. Occasionally she raised the camera and photographed the scenery. Click! "Aria, smile," she said suddenly.

Aria lifted her head, slightly surprised. "W-what?"

"You look tense. Try smiling."

Aria tried to smile—although her smile looked awkward. Click! Iris photographed her. "Good. I’ll send it to you later."

"Th-thank you," Aria said softly.

Eve walked beside Iris, her laptop already stored in her bag. She couldn’t open her laptop while walking—too risky. So she walked calmly, her eyes observing the surroundings.

"Interesting," she said softly. "This forest has quite high biodiversity. I see some unusual bird species."

"Do you know the names of those birds?" Iris asked.

"Some," Eve answered. "That one earlier seemed to be a Turdus species—maybe Turdus poliocephalus. But I can’t be sure without observing it more closely."

Iris smiled mysteriously. "You always know so many things."

"Data," Eve said. "I like collecting data."

Fay walked at the very back. She didn’t speak—as usual. She just hugged her doll tightly, her eyes staring at the ground in front of her. But there was something different about her today. Her steps were lighter. Her breathing was calmer. And occasionally—although very rarely—there was a small smile on her lips.

In front, Kai led the way. 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.

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

"Ms. Lydia," Kai said softly. "Aren’t you tired?"

Lydia turned, smiling faintly. "No. I’m used to walking long distances."

Kai nodded. He didn’t ask further.

The Resting Place

After almost an hour of walking, they finally found a resting place. A small open area at the edge of the trail, with several large rocks that could be used as seats. Nearby, there was a small river with clear water—flowing gently between the rocks. Murmur... The sound of flowing water was soothing.

"Let’s rest first," Kai said, placing his backpack on a rock. "Fifteen minutes."

HAAAH... Mira immediately dropped herself onto a large rock. "FINALLY! My legs are about to fall off!"

Rin sat beside her, letting out a soft sigh. "Don’t exaggerate, Mira. It’s only been an hour."

"An hour is long!" Mira replied. "Mira has never walked this far! Usually Mira only walks from home to school!"

Ella sat calmly, although her breath was still a little panting. "We’re halfway there. Half more to go."

Luna sat near the river, her hand touching the cold water. Splash... "The water is fresh," she said softly. "Cold."

Nora stood upright, although her legs were also starting to ache. "We need to save energy. There’s still a long journey ahead."

Iris sat on a rock, raising her camera. Click! "The view here is good. Let me take a photo first."

Aria sat restlessly, her hand gripping her water bottle tightly. "I-I... I forgot to bring snacks. Even though I brought a lot in my bag."

"We all brought snacks," Eve said, opening her bag. "I brought some chocolate bars. Want some?"

Aria nodded slightly, accepting the chocolate Eve gave her. "Th-thank you."

Mira, seeing that, immediately approached. "Mira wants some too, Eve!"

Eve took out another bar. "Here."

"Thanks!" Mira took it quickly, then opened the wrapper. Rustle... She bit into the chocolate eagerly.

Rin shook her head. "You... always hungry."

"Mira needs energy!" Mira replied. "We still have to walk far!"

Fay sat at the edge, hugging her doll. Her eyes stared at the river, but her hands were feeling around her bag—searching for something. Hmm... Her face started showing confusion.

Lydia, noticing Fay, stepped closer. Tap... tap... tap... She sat beside Fay. "Fay? Are you looking for something?"

Fay didn’t answer. She just kept feeling around her bag.

Kai, seeing that, also stepped closer. Tap... tap... tap... He stood in front of Fay, looking at the girl gently.

"Fay," Kai said, his voice soft. "Did you forget to bring water?"

Fay lifted her head. Her empty eyes looked at Kai. Slowly, she nodded slightly.

Lydia immediately grabbed her water bottle from her bag. "Here, take my water."

Kai also took out his water bottle. "Here’s mine. Take one."

Fay looked at both bottles. Her eyes moved from Lydia’s bottle to Kai’s bottle. Slowly, her hand reached out—taking Kai’s bottle. Clack... The bottle changed hands.

Kai smiled slightly. He was used to living without water. He could survive without drinking for five days—while most people could only survive three days. So he didn’t mind giving his water.

Fay opened the bottle. Sss... She took a slow sip. Then a second sip. Then a third. Then a fourth. Gulp... gulp... gulp... She kept drinking until the bottle was empty.

Haaah... Fay let out a satisfied sigh. She handed the empty bottle back to Kai.

Kai received the bottle. Clack... His hand gripped the bottle—and there was something strange. The bottle was much lighter than it should be. He lifted the bottle, examining it. Hmm... Turns out Fay had finished all his water.

Kai lifted his head, looking at Fay. The girl was hiding her face behind her doll. But Kai could see a small smile on her lips—a smile she was trying to hide.

Ha ha... Kai laughed softly. He stepped closer, then extended his hand—gently patting Fay’s head.

"It’s okay," Kai said, his voice gentle. "I’m not angry. Actually, I’m happy you wanted to drink."

Fay lifted her head slightly. Her empty eyes looked at Kai. There was something in her eyes—something like gratitude.

Lydia, seeing that, smiled slightly. She didn’t say anything. Just observed.

After all the students had finished drinking and resting, Kai raised his hand. "Alright, everyone. Let’s continue the journey."

HAAAH... Mira groaned softly, but she still stood up. "Okay, Sir..."

They walked again. Tap... tap... tap... Their footsteps echoed on the trail. The pine trees grew denser, and the air grew colder. Whoosh... The wind blew gently, carrying the increasingly strong forest scent.

After thirty minutes of walking from the resting place, they finally arrived.

Tap... tap... tap... Kai stopped at the end of the trail. In front of him, an incredible view stretched out.

The View of Cabin Number 7

In front of them, a wooden cabin stood at the edge of a vast lake. The cabin was made of pine wood—its walls were light brown, with a curved tin roof. In front, there was a wooden terrace with several chairs and a table. Oil lamps hung on the terrace posts, ready to be lit when night fell.

The lake in front was very wide—its water was blue-green, clear to the bottom. Murmur... Small waves hit the edge of the lake, creating a soothing sound. On the water’s surface, the reflection of a towering mountain could be seen in the distance—its peak covered in thin snow. White clouds hung in the blue sky, creating a view like a painting.

Whoosh... The wind blew gently, carrying the scent of water and trees. Around the lake, pine and maple trees grew lushly—maple leaves in red and yellow, creating a beautiful contrast with the green of the pines. Tweet... tweet... Birds chirped in the trees. Chirp... chirp... The sound of crickets started to be heard even though it was still daytime.

On the left side of the lake, there was a fairly spacious open area—a place to set up tents. The grass was green and thick, with some wild flowers in purple and yellow growing here and there. On the right side, there was a small wooden dock extending into the lake—perfect for fishing or just sitting and enjoying the view. In the distance, several other cabins could be seen scattered among the trees—but they were far enough away that they wouldn’t be disturbed.

HAAAH... Mira opened her mouth wide. "THIS... IS SO BEAUTIFUL!"

Rin stood beside her, her eyes widening. "I... I didn’t expect this."

Luna stepped forward, her eyes staring at the lake in awe. "This... is like a dream."

Nora nodded slightly. "The view is incredible."

Ella smiled slightly. "We’re lucky to be here."

Iris raised her camera, photographing the scenery. Click! Click! Click! "I’ll take lots of photos. This will be a memory."

Aria stood with her mouth open. "I-I... I’ve never seen a place like this."

Eve had already opened her laptop. "This lake has a depth of about five meters. Water temperature around 15 degrees Celsius. Very suitable for swimming."

"Swimming?!" Rin exclaimed. "We can swim?!"

"If you want," Kai said, smiling.

Fay stood at the edge, hugging her doll. Her eyes stared at the lake—and for the first time, there was a small smile on her lips.

Dividing Tasks

Kai gathered all his students on the cabin terrace. Tap... tap... tap... They stood in a circle, waiting for instructions.

"Alright, everyone," Kai said, his voice firm. "We’ll stay here for two days and one night. Before we start having fun, we need to prepare the place first. I’ll divide the tasks."

Mira raised her hand. "I want a fun task, Sir!"

"All tasks are fun," Kai said. "If you do them properly."

He started dividing the tasks. "Ella, you’ll lead the group to set up the tents. Rin, Luna, and Nora will help."

Ella nodded. "Okay, Sir."

"Rin, you’re strong. You can lift the tent poles."

Rin smiled. "Ready."

"Luna, you can arrange the tent placement. You have a good eye for scenery."

Luna nodded slightly.

"Nora, you can keep security. Make sure the tents stand firmly."

Nora nodded.

"Next," Kai continued. "Iris, you’ll lead the group to prepare the eating equipment. Aria and Eve will help."

Iris smiled mysteriously. "Okay, Sir."

"Aria, you can arrange the eating utensils. Make sure everything is clean."

Aria nodded slightly, a little relieved that her task wasn’t too heavy.

"Eve, you can help count and make sure all equipment is sufficient."

Eve nodded. "Okay."

"And lastly," Kai said. "Mira, you’ll help me collect firewood."

HAAAH! Mira opened her eyes wide. "Me? Collect firewood? With you?"

"Yes," Kai said. "You’re the most enthusiastic. So you can help me."

Mira nodded quickly. "Okay, Sir! I’ll be the best firewood collector!"

"Fay," Kai said, turning to the girl standing at the edge. "You can rest first. Or you can help the others if you want."

Fay nodded slightly. She didn’t say anything, but she stepped toward Ella’s group—helping set up the tents.

"Lydia," Kai said, turning to Lydia. "You can supervise everything. Make sure everything goes well."

Lydia smiled. "Okay, Mr. Kai."

"Alright," Kai said. "Let’s start working."

Collecting Firewood

Tap... tap... tap... Kai and Mira walked along the area around the cabin. They entered the small forest behind the cabin—where pine trees grew lushly.

"Sir," Mira said, breaking the silence. "What kind of wood should we look for?"

"Dry wood," Kai answered. "Wood that has already fallen from the tree. Don’t take wood that’s still alive."

"Dry wood," Mira repeated. "Wood that has already fallen."

They walked while picking up dry wood scattered on the ground. Crack... Kai broke a dry branch. Crack... Mira also broke a branch she found.

"Sir," Mira said again. "Do you go camping often?"

"Sometimes," Kai answered.

"Alone?"

Kai was silent for a moment. "Yes. Alone."

Mira blinked. "Aren’t you lonely?"

Kai smiled slightly. "Before, yes. But now... not anymore."

Mira looked at Kai with a confused expression. But she didn’t ask further.

They kept walking, picking up dry wood. Tap... tap... tap... Their footsteps echoed on the soft forest ground. Whoosh... The wind blew gently, carrying the increasingly strong pine scent.

Footprints

Tap... tap... tap... Kai kept walking, his eyes observing the ground. He had collected quite a lot of wood—enough for the campfire tonight.

But suddenly, he stopped.

Hmm... His eyes fixed on the ground in front of him. There was something there—something strange. Footprints. Human footprints—not animal footprints. They were quite large, maybe belonging to an adult man.

Kai crouched down, observing the footprints carefully. Hmm... The footprints were still fresh—maybe only a few hours old. There were several other footprints nearby—like someone had been walking back and forth.

"Sir?" Mira called. "What’s wrong?"

Kai lifted his head. "Nothing. Let’s go back."

But in his heart, something was nagging at him. Those footprints... too close to the cabin. And their direction... heading toward the cabin.

Hmm... Kai looked at the footprints one more time, then turned around. He didn’t want to make Mira worried.

"Let’s go back," Kai said. "The firewood is enough."

Tap... tap... tap... They walked back toward the cabin. But in Kai’s heart, something kept bothering him.

Who made those footprints?