My Romance Life System

The barbecue wound down. Students started to leave as the sky turned dark blue. Nina led her group away from the lodge noise. Lamps lit the gravel trail.

"Okay, the official star-gazing spot is supposed to be up here." She looked at a small map from the front desk. "It's a clearing with a good view. And more importantly, no people."

They walked up the trail. The only sound was their footsteps on the gravel. Jake and Ruby had fallen into step together. They talked quietly about pirate movies. Kofi walked beside Nina. Thea was a few paces behind them, her hands in the pockets of the new jacket he had bought her.

"So." Nina's voice was a low whisper. "How's our patient doing? She seems… quieter than before."

"She's okay." Kofi glanced back at Thea. "She's just taking it all in. This is a lot for her."

"And for you. You haven't stopped moving since we got here. You're trying to manage everyone."

"Someone has to."

"You know, it's okay to let someone else be the commander for a little while. Even pillars need a break."

He did not know what to say to that. He just kept walking.

They reached the clearing at the top of a small hill. The sky above was full of bright, clear stars.

"Whoa." Jake stopped in the middle of the clearing and stared up.

Ruby stood next to him, her head tilted back. "You can see the Milky Way."

Kofi, Nina, and Thea found a large, flat rock to sit on. Jake and Ruby sat on the grass a few feet away. Their conversation shifted to the names of constellations.

"That one's Cassiopeia." Ruby pointed. "It looks like a 'W'."

"And that bright one is Vega," Jake added. "It's part of the Summer Triangle."

Nina leaned back on her elbows. "It's so quiet up here."

Kofi nodded, his gaze lost in the sky.

They sat in silence for a long time. Then a small voice spoke from beside Kofi.

"That's Cygnus." Thea's finger pointed to a cross-shaped pattern of stars. "The swan."

Kofi and Nina both turned to look at her. They were surprised. She was still looking at the sky.

"You know constellations?"

"…My dad taught me a few." Her voice was barely a whisper. "He said the stars were just stories in the sky. If you knew how to read them, you'd never be lost."

'She's opening up,' Nina thought. 'Just a little.'

'We just have to give her the space to do it.'

Thea pointed to another bright star. Her voice was a little stronger now. "That's Deneb. It's the tail of the swan. And it's one of the corners of the Summer Triangle, with Vega and Altair."

Jake and Ruby had gone quiet. They were listening to Thea.

"Wow." Jake's voice was full of genuine awe. "You really know your stuff."

Thea's hand dropped back into her lap. She looked down. "It's just something I remember."

They stayed for another hour. A cold wind began to blow. Nina declared the mandatory team-bonding activity a success. They all made their way back down the path to their cabins.

---

The second day at the lake was bright and clear. After breakfast in the main lodge, Ms. Lail made her morning announcements.

"Alright, campers, today is a free day for activities. The boathouse is open for kayaking or canoeing. We also have fishing gear. There's a guided nature walk leaving from the trailhead in thirty minutes. Everyone must be back at the lodge by six for the closing ceremony."

Nina immediately took command. "Okay, team, we need a plan. We can't just wander around. That's how you get eaten by bears."

"I think I want to try fishing." Jake looked over at Ruby. "It seems relaxing. And it requires patience, which is a virtue I am actively trying to cultivate."

Ruby was doodling on a napkin. She looked up and smiled. "I've never been fishing before. It might be interesting."

'Okay,' Nina thought. 'Operation: Angler Romance is a go.' She turned to the others. "Alright, that's two for fishing. What about you two?" She looked at Kofi and Thea.

"I think we'll go on the nature walk." Kofi glanced at Thea. She gave a small, noncommittal nod.

'She doesn't want to be on the lake again. That's fine.'

"Perfect." Nina pointed at Kofi, Thea, and herself. "You three will become experts on local flora and fauna. And you two," she pointed at Jake and Ruby, "will provide us with a delicious fish dinner. Do not fail me."

"We won't let you down, Commander." Jake gave a salute.

They split up after breakfast. Nina, Kofi, and Thea joined a small group of students at the trailhead where a guide was waiting. Jake and Ruby headed down to the boathouse with two fishing rods and a small bucket of bait.

The nature walk moved slowly through the woods. The guide pointed out different types of trees and animal tracks. Kofi's attention was on Thea. She walked at the back of the group with her sketchbook. She was quiet, but her eyes were scanning the trees.

Kofi slowed his pace to match hers. "See anything interesting?"

She pointed up into a massive pine tree. Tucked among the needles was a large, messy nest. "A hawk's nest," she whispered. "But it's empty."

"Maybe they're out hunting."

She nodded, looking disappointed. They continued to walk. He was learning that with Thea, quiet was not always a bad thing. Sometimes, it just meant she was observing.

Down at the lake, Jake was a terrible fisherman. He tangled his line in a bush three times. His casts were a mess, sending bait in random directions.

Ruby sat on the dock next to him. Her own line was still in the water. She watched his efforts with an amused expression.

"You're supposed to snap your wrist. Not your whole arm."

"I'm trying." He gritted his teeth and untangled another knot. "This is harder than it looks. The fish are clearly mocking me."

Ruby laughed. "I don't think the fish are paying attention, Jake."

He finally got his line untangled. He took a deep breath and tried another cast. This time, it worked. The line sailed out over the water and landed with a plop.

"Yes!" he whisper-shouted. "Did you see that? That was a perfect cast."

"It was a good cast."

They sat in silence for a long time after that.

"So," Jake started. "This is nice. Just… sitting here."

"Yeah. It is."

Back on the trail, the nature walk ended. The group headed back to the lodge. Nina rejoined Kofi and Thea.

"Okay, so I have gathered intelligence. Jessica and her friends decided the nature walk was 'for losers' and went back to their cabin. Their loss. Did you guys learn anything important?"

"Thea saw an empty nest."

"Riveting stuff. Well, I'm starving. Let's go see if our fishing team has procured our lunch."

They walked down to the lake. Jake and Ruby were still on the end of the dock. The bait bucket was mostly full. The fish bucket was completely empty.

Jake looked up as they approached. He looked defeated. "The fish… they are not cooperating."

"So, no fish for dinner?"

"No fish for dinner." Ruby shrugged. "But it was a nice morning. Very peaceful."

Jake looked at her. A small, hopeful smile touched his lips. "Yeah. It was."

'The fishing mission was a complete failure,' Kofi thought. 'But Operation: Jake and Ruby was going surprisingly well.'