The next morning, the sun peeked through the curtains of Aria's room, painting soft golden lines across her face. She blinked awake, stretching with a lazy smile, memories of last night fluttering back to her. The stars, the lake, Ethan's voice — everything still lingered in her mind like a dream she didn't want to end.
She quickly got ready, tying her hair into a neat ponytail and stepping out into the hallway. Ethan was already waiting near the entrance, leaning casually against the wall, his bag slung over one shoulder. His messy hair caught a hint of sunlight, and when he saw her, his lips curved into a half-smile.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," he teased.
Aria rolled her eyes, hiding her smile. "I wasn't sleeping late. You just wake up too early."
Their teacher soon announced that today's activity was boating on the lake, followed by a short hike through the nearby forest trail. Everyone cheered. The calm lake shimmered under the morning sun as boats were prepared for pairs.
Aria looked around for Ethan, expecting him to come stand beside her, but before she could move, one of her classmates — Ryan — approached her with an easy grin.
"Hey, Aria. You're still without a partner, right?" he asked. "Wanna join me for the boating?"
Before she could answer, her eyes darted toward Ethan. He stood a few feet away, his expression unreadable but his jaw slightly clenched.
Aria hesitated. "I—well, actually—"
But Ryan had already grabbed an oar and smiled. "Cool, come on then."
Before she could protest, their teacher called out to hurry up. Ethan's hand twitched as if to reach for her, but he stopped himself. Instead, Mia appeared right beside him with an overly sweet smile.
"Looks like Aria already found a partner," she said in a singsong voice. "Guess you'll have to settle with me, Ethan."
Ethan's eyes flickered toward her briefly. "Whatever."
As the boats glided across the water, Aria could feel Ethan's gaze on her even from a distance. Ryan was chatting casually about school, but her attention kept drifting toward the boat beside hers — where Mia laughed loudly at something Ethan said, leaning too close for Aria's liking.
Her chest tightened. She tried not to look, but every time she did, she saw Mia touching Ethan's arm or flipping her hair in his direction.
"Aria, are you even listening?" Ryan asked, breaking her thoughts.
She blinked. "Huh? Oh—yes, sorry, I was just… looking around."
"Right," Ryan chuckled. "You're really serious about the scenery, huh?"
When the boating ended, everyone gathered for the hike. Ethan and Aria hadn't said a single word to each other since morning. Mia stayed glued to Ethan's side, making sure Aria saw every smile, every glance.
Halfway through the trail, Ryan offered his hand to help Aria over a rocky slope. She took it politely, and that's when Ethan — a few steps behind — spoke coldly, "She can manage on her own, Ryan."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "I was just being polite, man. You don't own the path."
Ethan glared but said nothing more. Aria's heart was racing — not from the climb, but from the tension in the air.
When they finally reached the top of the trail, everyone sat down to eat lunch. Aria sat with her friends, trying to act normal. Ethan sat a few feet away, staring off toward the horizon, pretending not to care.
Then Mia appeared again, holding out her water bottle. "You must be thirsty after all that climbing," she said sweetly.
"I'm fine," Ethan replied flatly.
"Come on, don't be shy." She placed the bottle near his hand.
Aria's stomach twisted. She looked down at her sandwich, pretending to be engrossed in it, but her eyes betrayed her when they flicked back toward Ethan.
And then, as if he could feel her eyes, Ethan suddenly stood up and walked straight to her. He stopped beside Aria, ignoring Mia completely.
"Aria," he said. "Do you have some water?"
She blinked, startled. "Uh—yes." She handed him her bottle, and he drank from it, his eyes locked with hers the entire time.
When he handed it back, there was a faint smirk on his face. "Thanks," he said softly, "yours tastes better."
Mia's fake smile froze. She muttered something under her breath and stormed off. Ryan chuckled under his breath, whispering, "Well, that was bold."
Aria's cheeks turned pink, and she couldn't help but hide her smile. Ethan sat beside her now, close enough that their shoulders brushed slightly. Neither spoke for a while — they just sat, eating quietly, feeling the unspoken words between them fill the silence.
After lunch, when everyone started descending back toward the camp, Ethan walked beside her. The soft crunch of leaves underfoot and the cool mountain air made everything feel calm again.
Finally, Aria broke the silence. "You were jealous," she said quietly.
Ethan turned his head toward her, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "And you weren't?"
She blushed. "Maybe a little."
He chuckled softly, his hand brushing against hers. "Good. Then we're even."
For a moment, they walked in silence again. Then Ethan's voice dropped lower. "I didn't like seeing you with Ryan. It made me realize something."
She looked at him curiously. "What?"
"That I can't stand anyone else looking at you the way I do."
Her heart skipped a beat, and she bit her lip to hide her smile. "You're impossible," she whispered.
"Maybe," he said with a grin, "but I'm yours."
When they reached back to the resort, the sun was setting behind the mountains, casting everything in warm gold. Aria looked at Ethan — his hair glowing in the light, his eyes gentle now instead of jealous. She smiled softly, realizing that for all the fights and teasing, she wouldn't want anyone else by her side.
And Ethan, catching her smile, thought the same.