The girls had gone to the hot spring, leaving Sam in Naro's care. She sat quietly beside him, her gaze lingering on his peaceful face, silently hoping he'd wake up soon.
At a nearby table, the boys were killing time, waiting for the girls to return. July Boy leaned back in his chair, trying to catch a nap, while the other four argued heatedly over who would get to play as the red piece in their ludo game.
Their voices grew louder, each determined to claim the coveted color. Suddenly, Sam bolted upright from where he was sleeping, his voice cutting through the commotion like thunder.
"All of you shut up! I'll be red!"
The room fell into stunned silence. Naro nearly jumped out of her seat, startled by his sudden outburst. But as the initial shock wore off, her surprise melted into joy, and a smile spread across her face. "He's awake," she whispered softly to herself.
Before anyone could respond, Sam flopped back down, his head hitting the pillow as he slipped right back into sleep, as though nothing had happened.
The silence grew louder for a moment. Then the boys burst into laughter.
"Did he just wake up to pick the color red?" Bori asked, incredulous.
Liabilities shrugged. "I guess it's decided he is red."
Still smiling, Naro gently adjusted the blanket over Sam. Even in his half-conscious state, he managed to leave an impression.As she stood up, her phone buzzed. Answering the call, she stepped outside to take it.
After some time, the girls returned from the hot spring, looking relaxed and refreshed.
"Where's Naro?" Jangla asked, glancing around.
"She went out to take a call," Liabilities replied.
Chingla her eyes drifting to Sam. "So, he hasn't woken up yet?"
Liabilities grinned mischievously. "Oh, he has." Without warning, he gave Sam a light kick to stir him.
"Why would you do that?" Jangla snapped.
Bori laughed, waving her off. "Relax. He woke up earlier and went back to sleep. He's fine."
Sam woke up suddenly, his eyes wide and confused, as if jolted from a deep sleep. He uttered the name "Roslin," still caught in the haze of his dreams.
Liabilities, unsure why he just called out Roslin. "Huh?" he said, completely baffled by Sam's outburst.
Sam, still trying to shake off the sleep, glanced around in confusion. "Huh?" he responded to liabilities "Huh", unsure of what he just said.
Roslin raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. "Huh?" she echoed, baffled as to why he had just called her name.
Sam's gaze darted between her and the others. "Huh!" he said again, his tone growing more bewildered by the second.
Everyone else, equally puzzled, looked at one another. "Huh?" they chimed in unison, their collective confusion filling the room.
Breaking the chorus, Sam rubbed his head, his voice low. "Wait… why the sudden change of scenery? Wasn't Roslin just screaming in front of me? And why is everyone here all of a sudden?"
Jangla stepped forward, tilting her head. "Oh, you must still be stuck in that moment. You were trying to cheer up Roslin earlier, but you passed out right after. Guess your brain hasn't caught up yet."
The realization dawned on the group, and the boys burst into laughter.
"Ohhh, now it makes sense! He's still thinking about it!" Bori said.
Before Sam could process what was happening, the boys grabbed him by his arms, one on each side, and started dragging him toward the hot spring.
"Wait! What are you doing?" Sam protested, trying to wriggle free.
"You need a proper reset!" Liabilities teased, his laughter echoing through the room.
Bori chuckled. "A little soak will fix your scrambled brain!"
Tsunami telling the boys to fill him with everything that happen, he seems to be little out of the box at the moment.