The next morning, I woke up with a heavy head from all the activities I had participated in the night before. Of course, Tracy had literally dragged me into half of them.
Most importantly, Li Wei's words still lingered in my mind—
"I may not be coming alone."
And when I had asked him who was coming with him, he had simply brushed it off.
You'll have to see for yourself.
I got out of bed slowly and headed straight for the shower. The coastal air was hot and humid, making even fresh showers feel pointless—you stepped out feeling warm all over again within seconds.
Tracy was still asleep, snoring softly in her bed.
"Tracy, wake up. We have to leave early to visit the historical site," I said, tapping her shoulder lightly.
She groaned, turning away. When she finally spoke, her voice came out hoarse and broken.
I stared at her for a second before laughing.
"So these are the fruits of screaming and singing your heart out at karaoke last night. I tried warning you," I said, grabbing my outfit.
"But my warning fell on deaf ears," I added, imitating her dramatic singing voice.
Tracy shot me a weak glare, though she was still half-asleep. Eventually, she dragged herself into the shower.
Inside the bus later, I pulled out my small first aid kit and handed her some medicine.
"Here. This will help your sore throat. You'll be fine in an hour," I said, placing the tablets in her hand.
"At least I'll have one hour of peace and quiet," I teased.
Tracy playfully hit my shoulder before swallowing the medicine.
The rest of the day passed in a blur—visiting historical sites, sightseeing, and eventually lounging by the beach as the sun began to set.
Later, I sat alone by the shore, letting the waves roll in and out near my feet. My phone vibrated in my hand.
Li Wei: Hi, how was your day?
I stared at the message. Something about it felt… off. Distant. Cold.
Me: My day was good. Is everything okay?
Li Wei: No.
I frowned.
Me: Okay… but why do you sound distant? I know there's distance between us, but still.
Li Wei: You're not giving me enough attention.
My eyes widened.
Me: What?
Are you serious right now?
Li Wei: You barely initiate conversations unless I do. Even today—you didn't send me any pictures like I asked.
I exhaled sharply, my frustration rising.
Me: Li Wei, I was busy the entire day with activities, and we only got internet access after returning to the hotel. I was literally about to send them.
The message stayed on read.
No response.
A few minutes later, my phone buzzed again.
Li Wei: I guess I overreacted.
That was it. No apology. No explanation.
My jaw tightened.
Me: Yes, you did.
I switched off my phone immediately and shoved it aside, anger bubbling inside me. I didn't even understand why it affected me so much—but it did.
I sat alone by the beach, trying to calm down when a classmate approached.
"Vicenza, I brought you a snack bar," he said, sitting beside me.
Without thinking much, I unwrapped it and started eating, still lost in thoughts of the argument.
Then my ears suddenly grew hot. My skin began to itch.
I frowned.
"Wait… did this have nuts?" I asked, picking up the wrapper from the sand.
"Yes… peanut caramel filling," he said, suddenly worried.
My stomach dropped.
"What? I'm allergic to nuts! Are you trying to kill me?" I snapped before I could stop myself.
"I'm so sorry… I didn't know," Lucas stammered, quickly standing up. He ran off and returned moments later with Tracy.
"Oh my God—Vicenza, what happened?" Tracy asked, her eyes landing on the wrapper instantly.
She helped me up immediately.
"Do you have your allergy medicine?" she asked urgently.
I pointed weakly toward the hotel room. My vision was already beginning to blur.
Tracy supported me all the way back, practically dragging me into the room. She threw open my suitcase and began searching frantically.
"I can't find it!" she said, panic rising in her voice as she emptied my things onto the bed.
Then it hit me.
I had left it on the dressing table.
The memory was so vivid it almost felt like I could reach for it.
My breathing grew shallow. My throat tightened. It felt like something was closing in around me.
"Just hang on, Vicenza. I'm calling the lecturer," Tracy said, running out of the room.
The world around me started fading.
Everything blurred.
And then—
Nothing.
Black.