The Uber slowed as the neighborhood changed.
The city noise softened. The buildings looked cleaner. The sidewalks looked like they were scrubbed every morning by invisible hands. Even the trees were lined up like they had been instructed where to grow. XH watched it all from the back seat and felt the same strange sensation he always felt when entering places built for people who never worried about tuition.
The world here didn't feel harsh.
It felt controlled.
Kitty sat beside him, posture straight, hands folded neatly in her lap like she had taught her body not to fidget. But XH had already learned the difference between calm and control. He saw the way Kitty's fingers pressed lightly against her own knuckles, the tiny pressure she used to stay grounded.
JP leaned forward between the seats again, voice low like he was narrating a heist movie.
"If we get arrested," JP whispered, "tell my mother I died with honor."
NC didn't turn around. "JP."
JP leaned back, grinning. "I'm practicing discipline."
TZ muttered, "You're practicing death."
Jihye's phone was up again, camera pointed at the window.
"Look at this," she whispered. "We're in rich people territory."
Cherry stared out her window with a bored expression that didn't fool anyone. She looked unimpressed on purpose. It was her way of refusing to feel small.
Anna sat quietly, eyes moving over details like she was studying architecture for a test.
NC's phone buzzed. She checked it quickly, then pocketed it.
"We're here," NC said.
The Uber turned into a wide entrance road lined with flags and tall hedges. A gate appeared ahead, black iron, clean and tall. Two security guards stood near a booth. The guards were polite, but their posture was rigid in the way trained people always were.
The Uber rolled forward. The guard leaned toward the driver's window. There was a brief exchange. A clipboard appeared. Names were checked. A camera scanned the license plate.
Then the gate opened slowly.
Not dramatic.
Just heavy.
The Uber entered, and XH felt his chest tighten for a second. Gates did that to him now. A gate meant someone could lock you in. A gate meant you were being allowed somewhere, and allowed could be taken away.
Kitty's shoulder brushed his as the car curved along the inner driveway. The contact was accidental. XH didn't move away. Kitty didn't either.
JP noticed, of course.
He whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, "I swear the air is romantic."
Kitty said without looking at him, "JP."
JP grinned. "Yes, your majesty."
The embassy grounds opened in front of them like a different country.
It wasn't one building. It was multiple structures spread across wide land, connected by paths, small gardens, and open spaces. There were tents set up in one section, bright banners fluttering, game booths in the distance like a festival had landed inside a diplomatic zone. Farther away, a more formal building stood with tall windows and stone steps, the kind of place where people shook hands and hid deals behind smiles.
Three acres.
XH hadn't believed the number until he saw it.
He felt small in the way you feel small when you realize a place can swallow you without effort.
The Uber stopped at a drop-off zone near a welcome tent. A sign stood on an easel.
"Embassy Networking Day: Welcome Students."
Below it, another sign.
"Please proceed to security check-in."
The door opened.
Cool air spilled in.
NC stepped out first, thank-youing the driver politely. She turned back and pointed at the group.
"Stay together," NC said. "No wandering off."
JP stepped out and stretched dramatically like he was arriving at a resort.
"Diplomacy," JP announced. "Here I come."
TZ stepped out and grabbed JP lightly by the sleeve. "Don't."
JP grinned. "I won't embarrass you. I'll embarrass myself."
Jihye stepped out filming, whispering, "This is so pretty."
Cherry stepped out and stopped filming by simply not having a phone up. Her eyes scanned everything like she was already judging.
Anna stepped out last from the middle row and looked around quietly, taking it in like she didn't want her face to show how impressed she was.
Then Kitty stepped out.
And XH stepped out after her.
For a second, they stood side by side in the open air.
Kitty's face stayed calm, but the way her gaze moved showed she was taking inventory too. The grounds. The structures. The people. The exits.
XH glanced at her.
Kitty caught him looking and raised her eyebrows slightly, as if asking, You okay.
XH nodded once.
Kitty's mouth softened slightly.
Then JP walked past behind them and whispered, "Look at them."
Kitty's cheeks warmed again. She turned away quickly and walked toward the check-in tent.
XH followed, jaw tight, pretending his face wasn't hot too.
Security check-in looked like airport security but friendlier.
A line of students and guests. Metal detectors. Bag checks. Polite guards with calm eyes. Staff in embassy badges smiling like this was routine.
NC handed over their group list and invitation email printout.
A staff member scanned it and smiled. "Welcome. Andrew arranged everything."
JP whispered, "Of course he did."
The staff member handed each of them a lanyard badge with their names and "Student Guest" printed beneath.
Then the staff member handed them a folded map.
"Today's treasure hunt is optional," the staff member said brightly. "But highly recommended. It's a fun way to explore the grounds and meet people."
JP's eyes lit up. "Treasure."
TZ muttered, "It's probably candy."
Jihye asked, "What's the prize."
The staff member smiled. "You'll see."
Cherry scoffed softly. "Of course."
The staff member continued, "There are four clues hidden within the map and the grounds. Each clue leads to a location. At each location, you'll find a stamp station. Collect all stamps and you can redeem a prize at the welcome tent."
JP clapped once. "We're doing it."
NC nodded. "We're doing it."
Kitty unfolded her map slightly and scanned it with sharp eyes.
XH watched her and felt a small admiration. Kitty always looked like she could solve problems quietly without announcing she was smart.
Kitty pointed at a small symbol on the map, barely visible, tucked near the corner.
"Look," Kitty said.
NC leaned in. "What is it."
Kitty traced the tiny symbol with her nail. "That's not part of the normal map design."
Jihye leaned in too, eyes wide. "That's a clue."
JP leaned in like he was part of a detective squad. "We have a codebreaker."
Kitty didn't smile. She just kept scanning. "There's another mark here."
She flipped the map and pointed again.
NC nodded slowly. "Okay. Treasure hunt first, then networking."
Cherry raised an eyebrow. "Networking first. Treasure hunt later."
NC looked at her calmly. "We can do both."
Cherry's mouth twitched. "We'll see."
They moved past the security area and stepped fully onto the embassy grounds.
The scale hit again.
To the left, an open lawn with game booths being set up. Bright colored tents. Volunteers carrying boxes of prizes. A dunk tank structure visible in the distance like a challenge waiting.
To the right, a path leading toward a formal building where people in suits stood holding drinks, laughing politely.
Straight ahead, a smaller garden area with sculptures, benches, and a few smaller structures that looked like meeting rooms.
XH breathed in slowly and tried to let his body relax.
Kitty walked beside him again, not too close, not too far.
JP walked ahead with TZ, already arguing about how to solve the treasure hunt fastest.
Jihye was filming everything, whispering commentary like she was a host.
Anna stayed close to NC, silent and steady.
Cherry walked slightly behind, eyes scanning people like she was checking who mattered.
A voice over a speaker crackled gently.
"Welcome to Embassy Networking Day. Please gather near the central lawn for opening remarks."
NC pointed. "Central lawn."
JP groaned. "Rules first."
TZ smirked. "You love rules when they help you win."
JP looked offended. "I don't love rules. I love trophies."
They walked toward the central lawn where a small stage had been set up.
Rows of chairs. People standing near the back. Students from different programs. Some older graduates in professional clothes. Embassy staff moving calmly.
XH spotted Andrew across the lawn.
Andrew looked different here. More confident. He wore a clean blazer and looked like he belonged under embassy flags. He noticed the group immediately and raised a hand, smile wide.
NC waved back.
Jihye squealed quietly, "Andrew looks like a diplomat."
JP whispered, "He looks like he pays taxes."
TZ muttered, "He probably does."
Andrew walked toward them, smile warm.
"You made it," Andrew said, voice genuinely relieved.
NC nodded. "On time."
Andrew smiled. "Thank you."
His gaze moved over the group quickly, checking faces.
Then his eyes paused for a fraction.
No June.
No NS.
No Cherry, though Cherry was here, so his pause was likely for NS and June.
NC spoke first, voice smooth. "June couldn't come. Family schedule. NS didn't confirm."
Andrew's smile softened slightly. "I understand."
But XH saw the flicker.
Andrew had wanted the whole group. Andrew wanted them to be together in a safe, fancy place for once.
Safe was a funny word here. Safe meant you were being allowed to enjoy yourself.
Andrew clapped his hands lightly. "Okay. Luis Enrique will speak soon. After that, networking begins. Then the games and treasure hunt run all day."
JP whispered, "Who's Luis Enrique."
Andrew smiled. "Old chancellor. He's… interesting."
Cherry muttered, "That's always code for annoying."
Andrew laughed softly. "He's blunt. But he's smart."
XH stood slightly apart, scanning.
He saw something that made his stomach tighten.
A small camera crew near the formal building. Not filming them directly, but filming the event. A PR crew. Probably for the embassy. Probably also for campus partners.
XH felt his shoulders tighten instinctively. Cameras made everything feel like a performance.
Kitty noticed his posture shift.
She leaned closer by half a step and whispered, "We can leave anytime."
XH looked at her, surprised.
Kitty's face stayed calm, but her eyes were kind.
XH nodded slowly. "Yeah."
JP turned around and saw them close again.
He grinned. "Look at them."
TZ elbowed him. JP hissed again.
On stage, a staff member introduced the host.
Luis Enrique walked up with a calm smile and a wine glass in hand like the glass belonged there. He looked older, but strong. His hair was slightly silver. His posture was straight. His eyes scanned the crowd like he was reading them.
He began speaking warmly about education, opportunity, global pathways.
Then he shifted casually into something sharper, like he couldn't help himself.
"An election year always makes young people optimistic," Luis Enrique said with a faint smile. "You think systems will behave."
A ripple of polite laughter.
Luis Enrique lifted his glass slightly. "History suggests otherwise."
The laughter softened into quiet.
XH felt the words land in his chest.
Luis Enrique continued, tone calm, conversational, like he was telling a story at dinner.
"Power does not retire peacefully," he said. "Power repeats itself. Generations repeat patterns. If I were the legitimate president, I would not drop my guard."
The crowd shifted. Students exchanged glances. Some looked uncomfortable. Some looked intrigued.
Luis Enrique smiled gently, as if to soften the sting.
"I do not say this to scare you," he said. "I say this to remind you. You are young. You are bright. You should enjoy days like this."
He gestured at the grounds. "But do not let comfort make you careless."
XH felt the hair on his arms lift slightly.
Kitty's fingers tightened around her map.
JP whispered, "He's intense."
Cherry whispered, "He's correct."
NC didn't react outwardly, but her eyes stayed sharp.
Luis Enrique finished with a warm welcome and invited students to mingle.
The stage speech ended. People began moving. Networking groups formed like magnets. Volunteers pointed toward booths. Music played softly.
Andrew returned to the group and said, "I'll introduce you to some people. Then you can explore."
NC nodded. "We'll do treasure hunt too."
Andrew smiled. "Of course."
JP whispered, "Treasure before mentorship."
TZ muttered, "Both."
As they began walking toward the formal building, XH's phone buzzed again.
He glanced down.
The grade dashboard updated.
Microbiology Lab Participation posted.
XH: 88%
Cohort Standing: 12 / 137
A small climb.
A tiny victory.
The kind nobody clapped for.
He locked the screen.
Kitty glanced at him. "Grades."
XH nodded.
Kitty's voice was quiet. "You're still climbing."
XH looked at her for a beat, surprised again by her softness.
Kitty looked away quickly like she hadn't meant to say it out loud.
They moved forward into the crowd.
Embassy staff smiled. Graduates held drinks and chatted. Foreign students laughed. A world outside Campus-2 opened in front of them, wide and polished and full of promises that sounded expensive.
XH felt that strange mix of hope and pressure rise.
Because the headmaster's promise still haunted them.
Fifty percent tuition off.
A deal brought back from meetings.
A gift that now felt like a ghost under Sleepy Man.
XH didn't say it out loud. But he saw it in the way NC watched people. In the way Cherry's eyes narrowed at every mention of "opportunity." In the way Kitty held her map like it was a lifeline.
Andrew stopped near a group of older students and turned back, smiling.
"Ready," Andrew asked.
JP nodded enthusiastically. "Ready to become rich."
TZ rolled his eyes. "Ready to listen."
NC nodded. "Ready."
Kitty nodded too.
XH nodded last, feeling the embassy grounds stretch behind them like a maze of games and clues and moments that could become memories.
The treasure hunt map stayed folded in Kitty's hand.
The first tiny symbol glinted faintly when the light hit it.
The hunt had begun, even if they hadn't moved yet.
And somewhere far away, not at the embassy, June sat under her mother's schedule.
Somewhere else, NS sat at a private dinner table with VT's circle, laughing softly.
XH did not know that.
He only knew that the world was larger than Campus-2 today.
And larger worlds always came with larger consequences.
By the time the group took their first step into the networking crowd, the embassy felt less like a fun day and more like a doorway.
A doorway into futures.
A doorway into pressure.
A doorway into a story that would not let them stay innocent much longer.
And the first clue on the map waited patiently, like it knew exactly where they would go next.