After losing several more rounds, David finally couldn't take it anymore. With an exasperated sigh, he pulled off the pile of penalty slips on his face and retreated to his place among the seven spread-out sleeping bags.
"It's strange, why hasn't Logan come yet? Did he fall into a toilet or something? " David played with his mobile phone for a while, but when he saw that Logan hadn't come back yet, he couldn't help but complained.
The card game was getting rowdy, with two full dorm rooms squeezed into one, making the once spacious room feel tight and crowded. David had planned to quietly enjoy some phone time alone, but every few minutes, the intense cheering from the two makeshift card tables broke his focus.
Normally, a guy like David, a self-proclaimed homebody, would be content with just his phone and Wi-Fi, retreating into his own digital world.
But now, with the others having such a blast, scrolling on his own felt a bit underwhelming. Watching shows or reading light novels was impossible with the constant racket around him...
"Take this!"
"Whoa--"
The cheers exploded again, echoing off the walls. David sighed, setting his phone down, while the energetic gamblers around the low table seemed to be having the time of their lives, shouting louder with every move.
"Four of a kind..." One boy announced, confidently setting his cards on the table.
"Straight flush!" Someone smacked his hand down with a grin.
"Damn, I only got full house!"
The cycle continued, each boy trying to outdo the last in bravado, with one even looking as if he might flip the table… until everyone around quickly stepped in to hold him back. David wiped his brow, grateful he had bowed out early.
He checked his phone again. 'Still no reply from Logan.' he thought, refreshing his messages.
In such a chaotic environment, only someone with strong willpower could remain unaffected. Unfortunately, he was not one of them. With nothing to do, he tapped his leg to the beat of his music, his restlessness growing with each passing moment.
Then, a sudden thought struck him. Glancing over at the intense poker game, David's mind began to piece together a bold idea, one that could potentially make the evening much more exciting.
…
"Marvin, are you bored too?"
After running through the plan in his mind and drawing from his previous mistakes, David had finally devised a new, foolproof Plan C.
"Uh, not really…" Marvin is tall, has decent grades, and also likes sports. He is also the unofficial leader of the dorm group. The other party was stunned when he heard David's question. He had just stepped away from the intense card table to catch his breath, not expecting David to rope him in.
"Come on, it's unbearably dull!" David insisted, his eyes twinkling with conviction
"...Huh?" Marvin tilted his head, wanting to protest, but before he could, David clasped his hand, putting on a heartfelt expression.
"The school didn't think things through with this evening's schedule," David began passionately, "They gave us free time at five, but we're stuck here until morning with practically nothing to do. Think of all the hours we're wasting! You know what I mean… you were zoning out just a minute ago."
Marvin broke away from David's hand, feeling bewildered. He hadn't meant much, as he was just zoning out for a moment. Cautiously, he replied, "I think it's because the next stop is far away, so if we tried to go today, we wouldn't make it back to the inn in time. That's why they scheduled it for tomorrow..."
"Whatever the reason," David cut him off, sticking to his own narrative, "being stuck here playing cards is so dull, and they don't even let us go outside. It's just…"
"But I think playing cards is pretty fun." Marvin said earnestly, pointing to their lively classmates.
"Such card game is for kids!" David replied, raising his voice, the hint of a scheming smile surfacing, "Playing cards can be fun, but c'mon, we're finally here in Napa! We should go experience something more sophisticated, right?"
"Uh, David… what exactly are you getting at?" Marvin said doubtfully, unwilling to beat around the bush.
"It's 8:30, and there's nothing to do here. Since the teachers clearly aren't paying attention, why don't we get a few guys together and go out? We can be back by 10:30, no problem." David revealed his plan with a mischievous grin.
David had a reputation in class as the guy who sat in the back row, face glued to his phone or engrossed in a book, rarely paying attention to lessons. His grades didn't define him, though, his friendly face and quick wit made him popular. It also didn't hurt that he and Logan were practically inseparable, with their shared love of stirring up harmless mischief.
Still, Marvin was a bit taken aback by David's idea, "You actually want to sneak out?"
It was clear enough, but Marvin still hesitated, instinctively rejecting the idea, "No way, man. If we get caught, we're done for."
"What's there to worry about? Look, they're over there slapping the table and yelling while playing card. The teachers haven't checked on them once." David followed reasoned in a nonchalant tone, "Besides, didn't the next class sneak some girls in for a game of truth or dare? If a teacher does show up, they'll be the ones caught first."
Marvin felt that David made a pretty convincing argument. Ever since they'd arrived at the inn, the teachers had barely paid them any mind.
"This..." Marvin hesitated, but as a loser in those poker games, he didn't have much else to do after the playing. He wasn't exactly a model student either, and the thought of only seeing the landscapes felt a bit underwhelming.
"Tomorrow's just the temple and a museum… all boring stuff! How can we say we've really been here without seeing the bustling downtown?" David pressed, leaning into his pitch. He'd put a lot of thought into bringing Marvin on board, though the absence of his wingman, Logan, did make it trickier.
This also revealed a different side to David. Sure, he had the guts to sneak out, but when it came to talking to girls, he could be almost painfully shy… a side effect of his homebody nature, perhaps.
Marvin's internal struggle was clear on his face. When he was boarding at school before, he'd also snuck out to visit internet cafes, so this wasn't exactly uncharted territory. Plus, after the hot springs, the thought of grabbing some street-side barbecue sounded pretty appealing... 'Wait, how did I go from neutral to interested so fast?'
"David… just tell me honestly..." Marvin said with difficulty, his eyes flashing.
"You're planning to confess to Emma tomorrow, right? I sit behind her and know her well… I can help you!" David gritted his teeth and could only use his trump card.
High school crushes were barely secret, as everyone knew about them, and rumors spread fast. Marvin's face froze, realizing he'd been found out. A few seconds later, he accepted the situation, and, grinning, threw his arm around David's shoulder.
"Well, I'd already been thinking of going out anyway. Let's go… and hey, you better hold up your end of the deal."
'Plan C was officially underway.' David and Marvin looked at each other with strange smiles, which attracted the attention of the crowd nearby.
'Sure enough, Plan B's failure wasn't my fault... It was all the fault of the time!'
David thought happily.