Despite Glasses being shorter than Sereyin by a couple of centimeters and having that classic "innocent nerd" look, his stare was sure as hell intense. Sereyin's heart started to beat out of control and she grimaced like she'd been caught for murder.
Her immediate gut reaction was to ask to switch partners. However, she looked back at all the other students waiting to be assigned to partners. There was absolutely no way. If she acted like she and Glasses had dirt on each other, surely the rumors would spread. It didn't matter that everyone was a college student or of Handese culture. Drama was drama. If there was one thing she knew humans would resort to, it was drama.
Almost immediately, Glasses raised his hand and began to speak.
"Um, excuse me, but may I - "
Was he...?
Sereyin immediately dashed over to him and placed a fist on his shoulder. She laughed crassly and interrupted him casually, "Ah man, I'm glad to see you after such a long time, man! We should catch up. I didn't know you were in the Environmental Science Club, too!"
"I - I - wha -"
Sereyin immediately pulled him to the section where students stood with their partners. Some people gave them odd stares.
This honestly wasn't much better than asking to switch partners. 'Ah, hell,' she thought. 'I guess I'm gonna have to roll with this now...'
The two of them stood silently as everyone else did, but way more intensely. Rikyu's scrunched up face looked as though it was carved out on a rock that wouldn't move for eternity and Sereyin could've sworn that a sweat waterfall was visibly tumbling down her own face.
When Mira was called to be joined with a partner, Sereyin glanced at her over and over again as if desperately hoping to be granted freedom from retribution. She, however, seemed content meeting her new partner and striking up a conversation as they joined the crowd of partners on the opposite side of Sereyin and Rikyu.
'This is fine,' Sereyin thought. 'You've dealt with much worse than this, Seri. Come on...'
Glasses - now with the despicable name, "Rikyu," seemed completely cold and misunderstanding just as he'd been at the ramen restaurant.
As soon as all the students had been paired, the Environmental Science Club President Seiron Keirio began to explain the rules of the events.
She said, "Before the small scavenger hunt activity we will do this evening, we will show you to the rooms you'll stay in, then eat dinner. At dinner, you'll be given sheets of paper of small hints and the things that you are to find during the scavenger hunt. Now, um, please make your way to the first and second floors of the inn. Your names are listed on the doors of the rooms you'll be staying in. Please arrive at the cafeteria at 18:00. You'll have 45 minutes to eat before the scavenger hunt. Thank you." She bowed before departing.
Everyone dispersed and the nose levels raised, much to Sereyin's relief. She could finally walk away from her partner casually. It seemed he had the exact same idea. Without looking at each other, they split.
After everyone had placed their luggage in their respective rooms, they ate dinner. Received the sheets of paper with the scavenger hunt information. They were soon all back out in the courtyard and paired up. By now it was well after dark and everyone's breath was visible in the air against the lights around the inn.
Sereyin was back beside the Ramen Restaurant Glasses Monster - she wondered how many more nicknames she could pile onto him before this trip was over. He regarded her with disdain before looking intensely at the Environmental Science Club President as she explained the rules. Sereyin did the exact same thing. Might as well mirror him so he would know just how much he was hated as well. If there was anything she had learned from her camping experiences, it was to never show weakness in front of the enemy.
At last, after what felt like an hour, the president finished explaining the rules. The pairs of students dispersed with the sheets of paper and made their way to various parts of the inn.
Sereyin awkwardly addressed Rikyu. "So, what first?"
Rikyu looked at the piece of paper as if he were stabbing it, then said, "I think it's best if we just split up to do this."
Sereyin shrugged. Rolled her eyes. "I mean, that works, too. Just split the paper and I'll go to whatever it says."
"Okay." Rikyu did just that. Handed the bottom half to Sereyin.
Without another word, they separated and made their way to whatever their destination implied.
Sereyin scoffed as she walked. "Well, better for me," she said.
The first destination she went to was a small shrine. She was to describe what was at the shrine and what it represented. The next few places were similar - historically significant objects and what their purpose was. All she had to do was write down the information provided. Easy enough.
However, near the end of her list, she happened upon a table somewhat hidden in a thicket just off the roads around the inn. One of the club leaders sat at the other side of the table with a bucket of tiny papers. She approached cautiously.
"So... What do I do here exactly?" she asked.
The club member looked at her questioningly. "You're here alone?" he asked.
"Oh - ah, yeah... Why?"
"Sorry, but you can't really complete this part of the scavenger hunt without your partner. It requires you asking questions of each other. I can't give you the next answer until you both do that."
Sereyin froze. Her mouth hung open for several seconds. She looked down and scratched the side of her head. "So I guess I just wait...?" she mumbled.
Sure, except, Ramen Restaurant Glasses Monster wouldn't know to come here.
She looked back at the club council member. Her mouth twitched upward in an attempt to smile as she nodded mechanically.
As she began to walk away, the club council member called out. "Hey, this might be a little personal but, do you hate your partner or something?"
Sereyin turned back to him. She noticed how kind and understanding his eyes looked. His jet black hair was somewhat messy and due for a haircut but looked good on him nevertheless. She thought he might be a model or something if it weren't for the tacky oversized vest and short khakis that contradicted his naturally handsome overall appearance.
She smiled politely. Said, "no, I think we just misunderstood and thought splitting up would be the best."
"Oh, really? I thought we made it clear that staying with your partners was better. Ah, I guess not." He looked thoughtfully at the sky as he leaned back and crossed his arms. "President can be a bit mumbly at times."
"It's fine, it's our fault," she waved a hand reassuringly. "Well, I - I will get going. Should probably find my partner."
The club council smiled back. "Yeah, definitely. I'm pretty sure the second half of that sheet has more stuff that requires two people to complete."
She laughed. Said a bit breathlessly, "Yeah, I'd bet," then nodded again before heading away from the table.
By the time Sereyin found Rikyu again, it was already 20:00, which was the time everyone was supposed to regroup. With a ripped and unfinished list of scavenger hunt prompts, they were the last ones to show up as the club president prepared to announce the winners of the scavenger hunt.
As petty as Sereyin felt, she leaned slightly over to Rikyu and mumbled, "I'm pretty sure the rules said we should've stuck as a pair."
Rikyu shot a glance at her. "Well, you could've saved us a lot of trouble if you'd said that before starting," he grumbled.
"Yeah. Or maybe you could've also had our backs and listened when they were explaining the rules."
"Oh trying to blame just one of us now, then, when neither of us got the rules?"
They both clicked their tongues and averted their gazes away from each other.
Neither of them listened to anything for the remaining duration of the scavenger hunt event. Not the winners nor the prizes. They only waited restlessly until it was over and everyone could return to their rooms.