That night, everyone was bustling and having food around the campfire. The fish that had been marinating for half an hour had been cooked int banana leaves over an open fire for a long time before it was ready. However, before they could dig in, each one was forced into a line by Lotus to wash their hands!
It was the first time since starting school that they were ordered by someone other than their family to wash their hands prior to eating, which made them all super nervous as they recalled last night's temper. None of them wanted to engage with her temper at all!
However, as everyone took their seats, Riddle and Sebek looked around in confusion.
"Huh? Where do we sit?" Riddle hesitated as he looked around.
It was then that he noticed Lotus putting out one of the campfire she had set up and had begun digging out something that looks like three muddy boulders. As easily as she put it out, she quickly set up another next to the group and handed the muddy boulders to them, "Here you go. Dinner."
"What?!"
"What?" Lotus scowled, "Is there a problem?"
"That..." Riddle hesitated as he tried to adjust the hot boulder in his hands, "Ah!"
He hissed in pain and accidentally dropped the stone.
"Riddle, are you all right? Huh?" Silver paused and bent down to the stone that seemed to have broken apart, "There's something within the stone..."
He brushed aside the fragments and discovered something wrapped in large leaves.
"It's a leaf bundle." Silver picked it up in confusion as an idea came to him and he wrapped it revealing it to have been the quail that Lotus had taken out earlier and brutally cleaned with his knife!
The fragrance was strong and appetizing after a long day of running around. The stomached grumbled at the scent of the fowl. Riddle looked around, however, he quickly found that Lotus had gone back to her tent. When asked, the students said that she simply had a couple of bites and had roasted marshmallows for the first time after listening to Jamil's instructions on how to roast them before saying that she would be going to her tent to rest up for the night. Was she still angry or was she just tired?
He couldn't forget the fact that she had dove into the cold waters of the lake. Although the lake was warm to them and less cold, he could never forget how Lotus fainted despite the first day being barely chilly enough for frost and worried. If something were to happen to her, how can he face the other fellow dormleaders for letting something happen under his watch?
He went to check in on her and found her busy stitching something with the light of the electric lamp she borrowed from Ruggie. Seeing this, Riddle hesitated but called over to her, "It'll probably be even more chilly tonight. Do you need some more blankets? There's more over in our tents."
Putting her embriodery down, she looked up and frowned seemingly annoyed but not arrogant as she shook her head, "No. I'll just ask Sebek to borrow his before he traps me in the layers again."
"All right." Riddle nodded, "Be sure to let one of us know if it's not enough. And..."
"Hm?"
"I'm sorry that we didn't talk this over with you as a group this morning." Riddle said feeling rather ashamed to have to remember what happened earlier.
During the past two days and nights in this camping trip, Lotus has been nothing but helpful, resourceful, and patient with them despite the largest number of people they have ever gathered for one event other than the VDC. However, despite knowing this, Riddle left her out in his plans and took her presence for granted. Seeing how she had even individually made them food even though they were punished by not joining in with the group during dinner taught them plenty enough the value of connecting with others which Lotus has done so well bringing out and making up for everyone's lack of knowledge in the fields they were assigned to. Although it sounded silly to tie up their members with ropes to one another, the logic was also sound making her strategies rather good despite it looking rather silly or mundane. In fact, aside from the other club members who went missing from other clubs, they were the only ones that remained intact so far. In fact, he learned just today that Leona had gone missing shortly after the fishing mission. To have even sent their members to gather wood and not go missing without a leading figure was also very surprising after getting surprised that Lotus was not amongst them for long that day. There was no fights or disagreement. Complaints were made miniscule and everything was very orderly. When someone wasn't sure about some, there's always someone there willing to reach out to them for a short time. Once everything was done, they would gather the harvest and present it to Lotus who tossed out the inedible parts and educate the group more about foraging and sanitation in the wild. At least, that was everything that their club members had reported to him.
It was a shame that this guy was also chosen to become the next leader of the Science club or he would be willing to make him the next leader in the horse-riding club the following year. Still, for someone who doesn't like to take a leading position, why did she take part in the competition that evening?
Hearing this, Lotus huffed in irritation at having recalled being left out, but she waved a hand in dismissal with a sigh, "Enough. If you're really sorry about it, act on it. Don't let this mistake happen again towards others."
"I understand." Riddle nodded, "Then, you have a good rest."
"Mh."
As he was about to leave, he noticed the embriodery in her hand and paused with a look of surprise! Was that a picture of an embriodery of a black rose?
He wanted to ask her about it, but he decided not to as he had already gotten on her nerves enough already for that night from the looks of it. As he walked away, he couldn't help but remember the intricate details and smoothness of the embriodery. Who would've know that this guy actually has such a hobby as well! Rather than finding it a shame due to the imbued common norms and expectations, he found it rather impressive as this guy was already a great leader and full of secret talents. For himself, he already understand that, despite having top grades, he was not a very experienced cook and not everything he does for his own chores is not very good. He also has a few troubles when it comes to athletics club. However, Lotus has it all in her hands. For this, he can't help but feel a little envious seeing that they were also at a troubling height and she was more free spirited than himself without restraints.
Was there nothing this guy is not good at?
He quickly shook his head with a rather troubled expression. As a dorm leader and the top student, he really shouldn't be having these thoughts! With that, he hurriedly returned to where Silver and Sebek was huddling around a small campfire next to their group's larger ones.
Seeing this, Vargas stood from afar with a raised brow and whispered to Yuu, "What happened? I had hoped that their group would be united as one, but why are Rosehearts and two of our best students slotted to one side of another campfire?"
"Ah..." Yuu sighed, "That's because, while they were planning on how to do the missions today, they just left the harvesting and campfire to Lotus with very few people without adding him into the negotiations. Lotus told me, had it not been for that, she wouldn't have to risk finding a bigger catfish with such risks this morning."
"Ah, then they're probably eating away from everyone else as part of the punishment." Grim sighed with pity upon hearing this, "But, look at that! Humph! Those three got roasted chicken despite being punished! That's not fair! Just wait till I give him a piece of my mind!"
"I think it's a good idea like this." Yuu responded, "Technically, they're learning to work and communicate as a team this way and Lotus isn't making them being left out as they're being feed properly as well and the food he makes don't lack in nutrients or taste either. However, I'm a little worried since he turned in so early today."
"Hm..." Vargas nodded, "Well, don't worry about it. Just leave everything else to me. You two are the record keepers for the events, so you should just go to bed now. Come on. Tomorrow's the last day too."
"Yes, sir."
As the two returned to the rundown cottage they had once passed through during their last visit, the teacher turned around and glanced over to the students once more in deep thoughts before returning with the group.