Chapter 10

Charlotte couldn’t remember how she’d arrived there.

Darkness stretched endlessly ahead, swallowing everything beyond the reach of her next step.

There was no sky.

Only layers of charcoal grey hanging overhead like heavy clouds that refused to break.

She looked behind her.

Nothing.

Only darkness.

She looked forward again.

A single oval ring of white light shimmered beneath her feet.

She stepped into it.

Another appeared.

Then another.

Each one lighting only the next step, never revealing where the path truly ended.

It felt less like walking…

…and more like being led somewhere.

Somewhere she couldn’t yet understand.

The silence didn’t last long.

A shrill alarm echoed somewhere behind her.

Once.

Then again.

Again.

Each blast louder than the last.

She kept walking.

The lights continued appearing beneath her feet, one after another, drawing her farther into the tunnel.

Then…

Voices.

Faint at first.

“…Charlotte.”

She stopped.

The voice was calm.

Warm.

Somehow familiar.

She turned.

Nothing.

Only darkness.

She continued walking.

“Charlotte!”

This time the voice was sharper.

Commanding.

Another followed.

Then another.

Each one overlapping the next.

Calling her back.

Warning her.

Demanding something she couldn’t understand.

Her breathing quickened.

She began to walk faster.

The lights appeared faster.

One after another.

One after another.

Until walking became running.

The tunnel suddenly trembled beneath her.

Dust drifted from unseen walls.

The darkness rippled around her.

Still…

She kept running.

The voices grew louder behind her.

The alarms became deafening.

Then…

Ahead…

A brilliant white light burst into view.

So bright she had to shield her eyes.

Finally…

An exit.

She smiled and sprinted toward it.

Just before she reached the light…

Someone stepped into her path.

Engfa.

She stood there smiling, hugging the giant Labubu as if she’d been waiting all along.

Charlotte slowed.

“What are you doing here?”

Engfa simply smiled.

“Are you lost too?”

Charlotte opened her mouth.

Before she could answer—

“Charlotte!”

The world shattered.

⸻

“Charlotte!”

A hand shook her shoulder.

Her eyes flew open.

Sunlight spilled through the curtains.

She blinked rapidly.

Shawn stood over her looking somewhere between amused and horrified.

“It’s nine-thirty!”

“Your driver’s here!”

“And Mom’s going to kill you!”

Charlotte shot upright.

“Oh my gosh…”

Reality rushed back all at once.

The party.

The arcade.

The Labubu.

Engfa.

She looked down.

The oversized plush was still tucked tightly beneath one arm.

A smile almost escaped her—

Until she noticed the doorway.

Her mother stood there.

Silent.

She hadn’t said a single word.

She didn’t need to.

Disappointment settled across her face with practiced precision.

Her brows tightened ever so slightly.

Her nostrils flared.

One slow glance traveled from Charlotte’s messy hair…

…to the oversized plush…

…to the clock beside the bed.

Then finally…

Back to Charlotte.

She looked at Shawn.

“Leave.”

One word.

Flat.

Emotionless.

Shawn gave Charlotte a sympathetic look before quietly slipping past their mother.

Charlotte instinctively pushed the Labubu behind her with one knee.

The plush was far too big.

It toppled sideways.

Thump.

Her mother’s head turned immediately.

“What…”

“…is that?”

Charlotte swallowed.

“A plushie.”

“I can see that.”

“Where did it come from?”

Charlotte hesitated.

“I…”

“I won it.”

She almost said…

She gave it to me.

Instead she bit the words back.

Her mother’s expression didn’t change.

“Get rid of it.”

Charlotte blinked.

“What?”

“It ruins the aesthetics of this room.”

Her mother glanced around the bedroom.

Every painting.

Every cushion.

Every piece of furniture.

Everything had its assigned place.

Its assigned color.

Its assigned purpose.

The bright plush looked completely out of place.

Just like Charlotte suddenly felt.

Her mother checked her watch.

“It’s nine forty-five.”

“This is unacceptable.”

Charlotte lowered her head.

“I’m sorry…”

“I overslept.”

It was the first time she’d ever stayed out that late.

The first time she’d laughed until sunrise felt possible.

The first time she’d forgotten alarms.

Her mother remained unmoved.

“You’ll spend tonight scanning and filing archived company documents.”

Charlotte’s shoulders dropped.

“Mom…”

“Two nights.”

Charlotte immediately stopped protesting.

“…Yes, ma’am.”

Her mother turned toward the door.

“You have thirty minutes.”

Then she was gone.

The room suddenly felt twice as quiet.

Charlotte looked toward the Labubu.

Still lying where it had fallen.

She slowly picked it up.

Brushed imaginary dust from its head.

Then hugged it for only a second.

“…I don’t think you’re ugly.”

She smiled to herself.

Then reluctantly placed it back on the bed.

⸻

By lunchtime…

Everything at university had returned to normal.

At least…

For everyone except Engfa.

The familiar tree had become home again.

Sunny.

Patcha.

Chers.

Nesa.

Everyone sat in their usual places.

Everyone…

Except Engfa.

She was there physically.

Mentally…

She was somewhere else entirely.

Patcha noticed first.

“…Have you washed that hand since last night?”

Engfa blinked.

“What?”

“The one Charlotte touched.”

Sunny burst into laughter.

Nesa and Sunny arrived carrying sticky rice and bags of sour mangoes.

Nesa dropped beside Engfa with a grin.

“Oh please.”

“We’ve been watching you all morning.”

Engfa looked at her left hand.

There was a tiny scrape across her knuckles from the carnival game.

“It’s just a scratch.”

“Oh sure.”

Patcha laughed.

“It definitely wasn’t because a pretty junior brushed your hand.”

“It only happened twice,” Engfa defended.

Sunny nearly choked.

“Oh?”

“So you were counting?”

The entire group burst into laughter.

Engfa buried her face in both hands.

“I hate all of you.”

“No you don’t,” Nesa laughed.

“You love us.”

She scooted closer.

“And speaking of love…”

She dramatically pressed both index fingers together.

“I felt electricity.”

Patcha nodded seriously.

“So did I.”

“They were flirting.”

“They didn’t even know it.”

Chers joined in.

“I’ve never seen Engfa look at someone that long.”

Nesa suddenly burst into song.

🎵

“Stung by the love bug…”

“Give my friend what she needs…”

🎵

“Nesa!”

Engfa hissed.

“Keep it down!”

“You’ll start rumors!”

“It was just one evening.”

Sunny folded his arms.

“You gave her your Labubu.”

“I still can’t believe it.”

“I was flabbergasted.”

“It’s just a plush toy,” Engfa muttered.

Patcha looked at her.

“No.”

“It wasn’t.”

Silence.

Even Engfa knew she was right.

Sunny leaned forward.

“We’re still waiting for Friendship Appreciation Day.”

“Seriously.”

“When do we get giant plushies?”

“You don’t.”

Everyone groaned dramatically.

“Oh wow.”

“So we mean nothing?”

Engfa laughed.

“That’s not what I said.”

“No…”

Nesa grinned.

“But you also don’t give anything away for free.”

That one landed.

Engfa looked away.

Because…

They were right.

She never had.

Until last night.

Nesa clapped once.

“Anyway.”

“Who’s volunteering to haze the juniors this afternoon?”

“Hmm…”

“Not me,” Sunny answered.

“I’m busy.”

“I’ll think about it,” Patcha shrugged.

Then Nesa casually looked toward Engfa.

“Charlotte’s in Class Two…”

Engfa pretended not to react.

“So?”

“So…”

“A little bird told me Aaron signed up this morning.”

That got her attention.

“He did?”

“Apparently.”

Sunny nodded.

“Funny.”

“Out of nowhere he’s interested in welcoming first-years.”

“There are hundreds of juniors.”

“He doesn’t have to be paired with Charlotte.”

Everyone looked at Engfa.

She looked back.

“What?”

Nesa smiled mischievously.

“Unless…”

“…he really wants to.”

“But it’s a random draw.”

Sunny shrugged.

“People rig draws.”

Silence.

Engfa stared into space for a moment.

Then sighed dramatically.

“…Okay.”

“On second thought…”

“Where do I sign up?”

The table erupted into cheers.

There she was.

The hardworking, disciplined Engfa Waraha.

A senior who had taken extra classes just to graduate a year early.

A girl who’d always put family before herself.

Now…

She was rearranging her afternoon…

For someone whose favorite color she didn’t even know.

She laughed quietly.

“I’ll study later.”

And somehow…

For the first time in a very long time…

That didn’t feel like a mistake.