“Zur Waldesruh”

"You don't know how to react when you remember seeing your friend Tim and Dummy Kaya standing next to each other as you walked alongside Chantal.

"Dude, you have to explain everything to me!" said Tim, glaring at you suspiciously. You tried to dodge him, all the while glancing at Chantal, who was amused by your discomfort. Dummy Kaya glanced at you for a moment, then shyly averted her gaze. You realized you'd have to find a way to navigate this awkward situation.

"It's a long story, man. Spare me now and I'll tell you later.” You tried to avoid catching Tim's eye, wondering if he knew something about your secret.

"Ah, so now you've learned to keep secrets from your friends. Of course, you'll have to spill everything. And I believe you will!" he said, flashing his teasing smile, before being interrupted.

“There are some things he doesn't need to disclose to you, Tim. And you shouldn't be prying so much," came another familiar female voice from behind. Tim made way as Annalena brushed past Dummy Kaya to stand beside you.

"Annalena? I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you'd left with Nicole, where is she?" asked a surprised and curious Tim.

“Her friend came to pick her up today, so I wasn’t needed. Coincidentally, I found you interrogating your friend here as I descended the stairs, which sounded interesting..." She glanced at you before returning her attention to Tim.

“Remember, it's not polite to interfere in other people's affairs if it makes them uncomfortable. If it's time for him to tell you, he will. Isn't that right, Kaya?” She turned to ask Dummy Kaya, who looked taken aback by the sudden attention. She hesitated for a moment before nodding her agreement, although she didn't seem to fully understand. Annalena then turned back to Tim.

“It's unfair that you're the only one privy to certain information and ready to spill it while you interrupt my investigation." Tim grumbled. His complaint made Chantal, standing beside him, laugh again.

"You too, Chantal. At least talk to your friend or explain it to him, instead of having him interrogated by someone as eccentric as Tim.” She pretended to pout as Chantal, still laughing, wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Sorry, it’s just too funny. But if he really wants to know..." Chantal smirked, moving closer to Tim until their faces were mere inches apart.

“I might tell him everything he wants to know. Everything..." She tapped a finger lightly on his chest, making him blush.

How uncomfortable it must have been for you to see her teasing him like this! But before you could intervene, she pulled away, giggling.

“Just look at his face!" She erupted in laughter. You turned to see Tim's face, which had gone from red with embarrassment to red with anger.

"Is this a joke to you, Chantal? How dare you tease me like this!?" Tim retorted, visibly annoyed.

“Sorry, dear, I didn't mean to tease you so much. But you should talk to your neighbor Kaya; she helped mediate between this handsome fellow, Lasse, and me until we reconciled." She walked over to you and Dummy Kaya, slinging an arm around each of your shoulders.

“Then I'll have to ask you instead, Kaya. Right?" Annalena asked Dummy Kaya, who looked like she didn't know how to respond. All the while, Tim kept glancing suspiciously at you. But before either of them could say anything, the bus arrived to pick you all up. Tim shot one last suspicious look at you and Dummy Kaya before sighing and boarding the bus, followed by Annalena and Chantal. As you stepped onto the bus, Dummy Kaya leaned in to whisper to you.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled. You shook your head lightly and patted her shoulder.

"It's okay, Dummy. I'm fine. Let's go." You smiled before taking her hand and leading her onto the crowded bus, where you sat next to Chantal.

In your haste yesterday, you hadn't visited your locker. Some of your belongings were still in there. Opening the locker reminded you of something you'd forgotten. You sighed and began stuffing your things into your bag when someone tapped you from behind. You turned around to find Laura waving at you and Juliette looking displeased.

"Hey, Lasse, I didn't see you yesterday evening. I was going to invite you for a chat, but when I got there, I couldn't find you. Tim told me you weren't here because you'd skipped class and had been called by a teacher," she said, concern evident in her voice. In contrast, Juliette stood with her arms crossed, clearly impatient.

“Yes, I had a lot to deal with yesterday, so I wasn't feeling well and went home early. But I'm feeling better now," you replied before closing your locker.

"If you're ever feeling unwell or need anything, just let me know. I'm here to help." Laura smiled warmly before being interrupted by Juliette, who nudged her towards her own locker.

"See you later." Laura waved goodbye and went to her locker. You returned the gesture before locking your locker and feeling a sudden chill on your back. The hallway was nearly empty, save for a few people. You looked around to find someone staring at you but only saw Dagmar, your sometimes chatty classmate, glancing at you curiously. Annalena and Tim were talking to Dummy Maya and occasionally looking in your direction. Juliette was watching you as she took her bag out of her locker. As soon as she noticed you watching, she quickly looked away and walked to her classroom with Laura. The chill vanished as you watched them walk away, leaving you with unanswered questions before Dagmar nudged you towards the classroom.

"The teachers have decided to organize a camping trip for the students. Mr. Mayer from the social studies class, who is quite popular with the students, is in charge. He's the exact opposite of Mr. Strouth, the math teacher, who always seems to match the weather outside.

"Where are we going?" One of your classmates asked. Mr. Mayer smiled and nodded.

"Good question. Normally, we visit the National Forest Park. But this time, we're planning to go to a new location suggested by a teacher. We're going to 'Zur Waldesruh'!" He was clearly excited. You, however, crossed your arms on the desk and raised an eyebrow. Zur Waldesruh? You'd never heard of this place. Another student raised her hand to ask the same question.

"Where is Zur Waldesruh? We've never heard of it."

“Excellent question, Emma. 'Zur Waldesruh' is a resort just outside town. It used to be an old lignite mining community from 1870 to 1942. Operations were halted because of the war and the lack of more lignite. Many of the mines were abandoned. However, in 1954, Kleb Manufacturing Co., Ltd. bought the area and renovated it into a tourist destination. It caters to students who want to study nature and enjoy hiking. They have accommodation, food, everything. However, in 1954, The Kleb Manufacturing Co., Ltd. bought the area and decided it should be renovated as a tourist destination for all types of tourists and students who want to study nature and go hiking. They provide accommodation, water, food, basically everything. I have already set the date for our visit; we will go tomorrow for three days and two nights. Also, the camp is not very far from the city, but it's not so close that you can see the lights from the city because it's fully isolated. The company has even extended a special invitation to our school, offering us a discounted rate for our visit tomorrow."

"We? You mean every grade level? Or every room—does that mean our room is up to E class?" asked another student.

"Yes, Adam, that's correct. Thanks to our principal who agreed to visit there once and managed to secure a discount for our school. This allows us to save significantly on travel costs, so we can accommodate as many students as possible on this trip to the camp. Now, I would like to suggest that you bring certain equipment, spare clothes, insect repellants, and---"

You listened to Teacher Meyer's advice. But at the same time, you couldn't help but think that the timing was too convenient. It felt accidental, yet you couldn't shake the worry about what you might encounter tomorrow. You scratched your head, trying to dismiss the confusion, but the worries still remained. Perhaps you needed to discuss this with the rest of your friends during your upcoming lunch break.