what she wants?

Sophia walked ahead of him without looking back, her steps calm and steady. The noise of the school trip slowly faded behind them until only the sound of leaves moving in the wind remained. When she finally stopped and turned, Charlie felt his stomach tighten.

"How are you, Charlie?"

Her voice was soft, almost casual, but something in her eyes felt heavier than usual.

"I'm… good," he answered, forcing a small smile. "What did you want to talk about? Is it something important?"

Sophia took a quiet breath. For a moment she seemed to search for the right words.

"Yeah. The thing is… I saw you in the market yesterday. When I was with my boyfriend. You kept staring at us."

Charlie's heart dropped. Heat rushed to his face.

"Uh… yeah. I just saw you there. I was surprised, that's all. Seeing you outside school felt strange. I didn't have any bad intention or anything."

Sophia gave a small, almost tired smile.

"Don't over-explain yourself, Charlie. I'm not blaming you for staring." She paused, then looked straight into his eyes. "The thing is… do you like me?"

The question landed like a stone in his chest.

For a full second, Charlie's mind went completely blank. His ears started ringing. His face burned so hard he was sure she could see it. Every practiced confession he had ever imagined vanished at once. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Say it.

Just say it.

This is your chance.

But the words that left his lips were the wrong ones.

"W-why would I? I thought we were good friends."

Sophia's expression barely changed. She simply nodded, as if she had already prepared herself for that answer.

"Accept it, Charlie. This is your last chance. I thought you liked me… because of the way you look at me sometimes. The way you freeze when I'm near. The way your eyes follow me even when you try to hide it." Her voice softened. "But okay. We're just good friends."

"Yeah… yeah, we're friends," Charlie laughed. The sound came out weak and broken.

Sophia turned away without another word and walked back toward the group. She never once looked over her shoulder.

The moment she disappeared between the trees, Charlie's face twisted. He stood frozen in place, fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. A sharp, ugly feeling spread through his chest.

I'm such a fucking bastard…

She came to me. She asked me directly. She gave me a clear chance. And I got so nervous I threw it away.

Why the fuck didn't I just say yes?

He kept replaying the moment again and again — the exact second her lips formed the question, the quiet hope in her eyes, the way she waited. Every replay made the regret heavier. His throat felt tight. He wanted to run after her and take the words back, but his legs refused to move.

After a long time, he forced himself to walk back toward Leo and Kie. His friends were still laughing about something completely unimportant. They had no idea what had just happened.

"Where did you go?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nowhere," Charlie muttered.

They started roaming around the area again. Leo and Kie kept bringing up Sophia and the teacher from the bus. Every time her name left their mouths, Charlie felt a sharp twist under his ribs.

"Can you two shut up about her?" he finally snapped.

Leo looked at him for a second but didn't push it.

As they walked farther from the main group, the path grew quieter. The trees became denser. The air felt heavier, almost watchful. Then, between the thick vines and old stones, they saw it.

An open entrance leading into darkness.

A dungeon that wasn't on any map.

Charlie stared at it, and something cold slid down his spine. The mouth of the entrance was jagged and black, like something that had been waiting a long time. From deep inside came a faint sound — too soft to be wind, too steady to be natural. The shadows inside seemed to shift, as if something had just noticed them.

Leo let out a low whistle. "What the hell is that?"

Charlie didn't answer. His earlier regret still sat heavy in his chest, but now it mixed with a new, darker feeling. The forest had gone completely silent. Even the leaves had stopped moving.

And for a moment, staring into that black opening, Charlie had the unshakable feeling that something inside was staring right back.