Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Chaos in the Woods

The morning sun streamed through the windows of Lumine’s room as her alarm blared at full volume. Groaning, she slapped her phone screen to silence it and rolled over, only to see two indigo eyes staring straight into her soul.

“Kuni, personal space,” Lumine muttered, sitting up. The cat—Scaramouche in disguise—let out an exaggerated mrow before hopping off her bed.

Today was the day of the school camping trip, and Lumine was buzzing with excitement. But what had her practically glowing was the announcement she’d read in the group chat the night before:

‘Students may bring their pets on the trip, as long as they’re well-behaved.’

“Kuni, you’re coming with me!” Lumine grinned, scooping the cat into her arms despite his annoyed squirming.

Scaramouche—currently stuck in cat form—let out an indignant huff but didn’t claw her.

---

At the School Parking Lot

The school parking lot was packed with students, backpacks, and camping gear piled everywhere. Teachers bustled about, organizing buses and yelling instructions.

Lumine spotted her friends easily. Amber was stuffing her backpack with snacks, Ayaka was neatly organizing her supplies, and Albedo was scribbling something in his notebook. Kazuha leaned lazily against a tree, while Venti was… dramatically sighing as he clutched a tissue to his nose.

“Lumine!” Amber waved enthusiastically. “You brought Kuni!”

“Of course I did!” Lumine grinned, holding up the indigo-eyed cat.

Venti’s eyes widened as he took two cautious steps back. “W-Wait, you brought him? The feline menace?”

Lumine raised a brow. “Are you… scared of Kuni?”

“I’m allergic!” Venti sniffled, waving the tissue like a white flag. “One wrong move from that furball and I’ll be sneezing for days.”

Kazuha chuckled softly. “Perhaps the woods will help you build some resistance, Venti.”

“Or kill me,” Venti muttered.

Amber crouched down to pet Kuni, who looked far too smug for a cat. “Don’t listen to him, Kuni. You’re adorable!”

Scaramouche flicked his tail in response, shooting Venti a look.

---

The Bus Ride

The group clambered onto the bus, securing seats near the middle. Lumine sat by the window with Kuni on her lap, Amber and Ayaka in the seats behind her, while Kazuha and Venti shared the row across. Albedo was busy in the row ahead, scribbling calculations into his notebook.

Venti sneezed dramatically every ten minutes.

“Can someone shut him off?” Albedo muttered, rubbing his temples.

“It’s not my fault!” Venti wailed. “Do you think I enjoy this suffering?”

Amber giggled. “I brought antihistamines. Want one?”

“Yes, please!” Venti practically snatched the small pill from Amber’s hand.

Meanwhile, Lumine was scratching under Kuni’s chin as he purred contentedly, clearly enjoying the chaos unfolding around him.

“Honestly, Kuni behaves better than some of the students on this bus,” Ayaka said softly, earning a chorus of agreement.

---

Arriving at the Campsite

The group finally arrived at a sprawling clearing surrounded by tall pine trees. Tents were already being set up, and students were assigned to groups.

“Alright, listen up!” Coach Sumeragi’s voice boomed through a megaphone. “You’ll be in groups of six per tent. Gather your friends, set up your tents, and don’t wander too far!”

The group exchanged excited glances.

“Obviously, we’re sticking together,” Lumine said confidently.

“Wait, wait!” Venti interrupted, raising his hand dramatically. “Can we have two tents? I am not sleeping near the cat.”

“Seriously?” Lumine rolled her eyes.

“Dead serious,” Venti said, holding up two fingers.

Amber giggled. “Fine, we’ll split: Lumine, Amber, Ayaka, and Kuni in one tent, and Venti, Albedo, and Kazuha in the other.”

Satisfied, Venti gave an exaggerated thumbs-up.

---

Tent Setup Chaos

Setting up the tents turned out to be… an experience.

“Amber, that pole doesn’t go there!” Ayaka exclaimed.

“It’s not my fault the instructions are in ancient hieroglyphs!” Amber shot back.

Meanwhile, Venti was tangled in tent fabric, looking like a sad ghost, while Albedo calmly assembled his tent with near-scientific precision.

Kazuha sat on a log nearby, drinking juice and watching the chaos unfold.

Lumine, on the other hand, had tied Kuni to a small tree stump with a leash. The cat glared at her, ears flattened.

“Don’t look at me like that, Kuni. You’ll wander off if I don’t.”

The cat let out an indignant mrow, causing Venti—still tangled in tent fabric—to sneeze violently.

“Someone… save me…” Venti whimpered from within his fabric cocoon.

---

Nightfall and Campfire

The group finally managed to set up their tents just as the sun dipped below the horizon. A campfire was lit in the center of the clearing, casting flickering shadows on everyone’s faces.

Students roasted marshmallows, and someone had a guitar, strumming softly.

Amber was attempting to toast a marshmallow without setting it on fire. Ayaka was quietly sipping tea, while Albedo and Kazuha debated about constellations.

Venti, on the other hand, was sitting as far away from Kuni as possible.

Lumine was cradling Kuni in her arms, the cat’s tail flicking lazily as he purred softly.

“Hey, Lumine?” Amber asked, looking over.

“Hmm?”

“Why does Kuni seem… so smart? Like, too smart for a cat?”

Lumine froze for a moment before laughing awkwardly. “Oh, you know… he’s just special!”

Scaramouche’s sharp eyes flicked up at her, almost as if warning her not to spill anything.

---

Late-Night Chaos

As curfew approached, the students were ushered back into their tents. Lumine lay in her sleeping bag, with Kuni curled up on her stomach. Amber was snoring softly on one side, and Ayaka was peacefully asleep on the other.

The campgrounds were silent, save for the distant sound of crickets and the occasional rustling of leaves.

Lumine whispered down at Kuni. “You better not transform into your human form and do something stupid tonight, Scaramouche.”

The cat blinked slowly, tail flicking as if to say, No promises.

And in the other tent, Venti sneezed again.

End of Chapter 39