The meteor shower had faded, leaving only a star-studded sky and a lingering sense of awe among the group. But, of course, peace never lasted long with this bunch.
Amber stretched her arms with a yawn. âAlright, that was magical. Now, whoâs ready to head back?â
Venti, still draped dramatically over Kazuhaâs shoulder, groaned. âBack? You mean in Aetherâs car again? No, no, noâIâll walk back. Iâll live in the woods if I have to.â
Aether scowled as he shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets. âI drove normally this time, you dramatic shitâ
âBarely!â Venti retorted, clutching Kazuha tighter.
Kazuha let out a soft chuckle. âCalm down, Venti. Iâm sure Aether will drive responsibly again.â
Scaramouche, standing slightly apart from the group with his arms crossed, snorted. âIf he doesnât, at least you can jump out of the carâ
Venti gasped. âIâm fragile, Kuni! Fragile like a leaf in autumn!â
Lumine stifled a laugh, clutching Snowball tighter in her arms. âYou two need to stop bickering, seriously.â
Albedo, who had been typing furiously on his laptop, finally closed it with a satisfied nod. âExperiment complete. Observation successful.â
Amber blinked. âUh⦠What exactly were you observing, Albedo?â
âThe meteor trajectories,â he said calmly. âAnd also⦠your collective ability to create chaos in a peaceful moment.â
âRude,â Amber muttered.
---
The Car Ride Back â Peak Chaos Ensues
The group loaded back into Aetherâs car. Venti, with great reluctance, was practically dragged by Kazuha. Ayaka tucked herself neatly in the corner of the backseat beside Amber, and Albedo squeezed in beside them with his laptop safely in his lap.
Snowball was perched contentedly on Lumineâs lap in the front passenger seat. Scaramouche, back in his cat form, hopped into Lumineâs hoodie pocket, earning a curious glance from Snowball.
Aether started the engine.
For the first five minutes, everything was peaceful.
And thenâ
âAether! Why are you speeding up?!â Venti shrieked, clutching Kazuhaâs arm in pure terror.
âIâM NOT EVEN GOING ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT!â Aether yelled back.
Kazuha was laughing quietly, while Amber tried to calm Venti. Ayaka had her hands clasped politely in her lap, trying to ignore the noise.
In the middle of it all, Albedo spoke calmly, âIf we do crash, statistically, the person sitting in the middle seat has a slightly higher chance of survival.â
âALBEDO, THAT DOESNâT HELP!â Venti screamed.
Lumine covered Snowballâs ears, trying to shield the kitten from the auditory assault. Scaramouche, still in cat form, facepalmed with one paw.
---
Back at the Dorms â 4:00 AM
When they finally returned to the dorms, everyone stumbled out of the car like survivors of a shipwreck.
Venti kissed the ground dramatically. âSweet, sweet earth! I shall never leave you again!â
Amber was holding her stomach from laughing too hard. Ayaka sighed, trying to smooth out the wrinkles in her skirt. Albedo simply muttered something about ânever conducting scientific observations in uncontrolled variables again.â
Lumine stretched her arms, Snowball tucked comfortably in her hoodie. âOkay, okay, everyone calm down. We made it back in one piece.â
Aether smirked. âSee? Told you Iâm a good driver.â
Venti shot him a glare, eyes narrowed. âYou barely passed the test.â
Scaramouche, now back in his human form, stepped past them with an exhausted look. âYouâre all insufferable. Iâm going to bed before one of you starts singing kumbaya under the moonlight.â
âGoodnight to you too, Kuni,â Lumine said teasingly.
As Scaramouche disappeared into the dormitory, Venti dramatically sighed again. âWhat an experienceâ¦â
Amber nudged Lumine with a grin. âHonestly, chaotic as it was⦠it was fun.â
Lumine smiled softly, hugging Snowball close. âYeah⦠it really was.â
The group said their goodnights and dispersed to their rooms, the chaotic energy still lingering in the crisp early morning air.
And somewhere in the quiet halls of the dormitory, Scaramouche was already burying his face into his pillow, muttering curses about âidiots and loudmouths.â
But even he couldnât hide the faintest hint of a smile.