The cold didn't wait for agreement.
It crept back into the village the moment the sun disappeared, sliding under doors, through cracks in old walls, settling into bones already exhausted from work. By the time the monastery lamps were lit, everyone could feel it. The kind of cold that didn't hurt immediately, but promised it would if ignored.
XH stood near the doorway, watching his breath fog in front of him. His body ached in places he hadn't known existed before this trip. His palms were rough from wood, his shoulders tight from carrying water. It should have been enough to send him straight to sleep.
It wasn't.
Behind him, JP rubbed his hands together aggressively. "I can't feel my fingers."
TZ laughed, but it came out thin. "That's because you used them like a machine all day."
NS leaned against the wall, eyes half-lidded, arms crossed tightly against his chest. "It's colder than yesterday."
"That's because yesterday didn't drain us this much," XH said.
They all knew what came next before anyone said it.
No planning.
No announcement.
Just the quiet, shared understanding that warmth wasn't optional tonight.
JP was the first to break the silence. "If we go now, we can be back before anyone checks."
TZ smirked. "You mean before anyone pretends not to check."
NS exhaled slowly. "One drink."
XH hesitated.
Not because he didn't want to go.
Because he knew what happened when tired bodies and honest minds mixed with alcohol.
But he nodded anyway.
"One," he said.
They didn't believe him.
The Third Escape
This time, there was no excitement in sneaking out.
No victory shout.
No racing heartbeat.
They moved like ghosts who already knew the path, slipping past sleeping rows, easing open the old backdoor without a sound. Even the night felt familiar now, like it had accepted them.
Snow crunched softly beneath their shoes.
JP glanced back at the monastery once, then forward again. "We're really pushing it."
TZ shrugged. "Life pushes back."
NS didn't say anything.
His shoulders were tight. His jaw clenched.
XH noticed.
They walked in silence until the lights of the small town appeared again, glowing like a promise they had already broken twice.
The VIP room greeted them like an accomplice.
Warmth hit immediately, wrapping around sore muscles, loosening joints. The red button glowed faintly on the wall, patient.
JP pressed it without ceremony.
The waiter arrived, expression neutral, like this was routine.
"Same," JP said.
The man nodded.
Cheap whiskey. Beer. Minimal snacks.
No celebration.
No jokes.
They sat on the floor again, backs against the wall, jackets tossed aside. The bottle was opened. Cups were filled.
No toast.
They drank.
Liquor That Didn't Ask Questions
The first few minutes passed quietly.
They drank not to forget, but to warm.
JP leaned his head back against the wall. "My hands are finally alive again."
TZ flexed his fingers. "Worth it."
NS stared into his cup, swirling the liquid slowly. "Do you ever think… we use cold as an excuse?"
JP frowned. "For what?"
"For talking," NS said.
The room shifted.
TZ glanced at XH.
XH didn't interrupt.
JP took a sip. "Talking about what?"
NS looked up now, eyes clear despite the drink. "About why things are the way they are."
Silence stretched.
XH exhaled slowly. "Go on."
NS hesitated, then nodded. "I figured something out today."
JP squinted. "That sounds dangerous."
NS ignored him. "When we were working. When we were tired. When nobody was trying to impress anyone."
TZ leaned forward slightly. "Yeah?"
NS continued, voice steady. "That's when you see who people naturally turn toward."
XH felt a familiar tightening in his chest.
JP frowned. "You mean like… groups?"
"Like attention," NS said.
He glanced at XH, then away again, careful.
"Other guys tried," NS said quietly. "Since the first week. Texting. Talking. Showing up."
TZ nodded. "We know."
"They didn't stop," NS continued. "Even when the replies were cold."
JP scoffed. "Because they think persistence equals sincerity."
NS nodded. "Exactly."
XH remained silent.
NS finally looked at him directly. "But when you don't push… people come to you."
XH rubbed his face with one hand. "That's not a strategy."
"I know," NS said. "That's why it works."
JP leaned forward, elbows on knees. "So what are you saying?"
NS exhaled. "I'm saying… Kitty and June didn't stop replying to others because they're cruel."
TZ finished the thought softly. "They stopped because they were tired."
NS nodded. "Tired of noise."
The bottle passed again.
They drank.
The Name That Stayed Unspoken Too Long
JP broke the silence. "You've been texting her."
NS froze.
XH felt it immediately.
TZ muttered, "JP…"
NS didn't deny it. "Yeah."
JP winced. "I didn't mean it like that."
NS shook his head. "It's fine."
He took a sip, then another, then spoke before he lost the nerve.
"After that kiss… I couldn't pretend it didn't mean anything."
XH's chest tightened sharply.
NS continued, voice quiet but firm. "I didn't make a move. I didn't cross lines."
TZ nodded. "We know."
"I just wanted to see if I existed to her," NS said.
JP swallowed. "And?"
NS smiled faintly. "I do."
A pause.
"But not the way you do."
The words weren't angry.
They were resigned.
XH looked down at his cup. "NS…"
NS raised a hand. "Don't."
XH stopped.
NS met his eyes. "I don't blame you."
TZ shifted uncomfortably. "This is heavy."
NS let out a small breath. "I know. That's why I needed to say it."
JP stared at the floor. "So what now?"
NS shrugged. "Now I stop pretending I'm unaffected."
He looked at XH again. "And you stop pretending you don't know."
The words hit harder than any accusation.
XH nodded slowly. "Fair."
They drank again.
Girls, From a Distance
Across the village, the girls' hall was just as restless.
Kitty lay on her side, phone in hand, screen dark. She hadn't texted XH again after asking if he slept. Not because she didn't want to.
Because she wanted to see if he would.
June sat upright on her mat, scrolling aimlessly, then stopping, then locking her phone again. NC lay nearby, watching the ceiling.
"You're both thinking about the same person," NC said softly.
June didn't answer.
Kitty closed her eyes briefly.
Cherry scoffed from the other side. "Of course they are."
Kitty opened her eyes. "It's not like that."
Cherry raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it like?"
Kitty didn't respond.
Because she didn't know how to explain wanting to be chosen without forcing a choice.
June spoke quietly. "I don't want to be an option."
The room stilled.
Kitty turned her head slightly toward her.
June continued, voice controlled. "And I don't want to win because someone else gave up."
Kitty's throat tightened.
They lay there, backs not touching, yet closer than anyone else in the room.
Outside, the night deepened.
Back to the Boys
In the VIP room, the bottle was nearly empty.
JP laughed suddenly, too loud. "This trip is insane."
TZ shook his head. "We're going to regret everything."
NS stood slowly. "We should go back."
XH nodded. "Yeah."
They didn't rush.
The warmth lingered.
As they stepped back into the cold, the contrast felt sharper than before.
The walk back was silent.
The monastery loomed again, familiar, watchful.
They slipped inside, careful.
Back on their mats, the hall felt heavier than it had earlier.
XH lay on his back, staring into the dark.
His phone vibrated once.
Then again.
He checked.
From Kitty:
Kitty: are you awake?
From June, seconds later:
June: don't overthink tonight.
XH closed his eyes.
Because overthinking was no longer the problem.
Choosing was.
And somewhere between labor, liquor, honesty, and silence, the story had crossed a line.
Not into chaos.
But into inevitability.