The bus rumbled to life, coughing out a puff of smoke as it began to move. Kind leaned his head against the window, watching the scenery blur into streaks of green and grey. The early sunlight touched the leaves gently, making them look like they were made of glass.
Jun sat beside him, flipping through the novel Kind had recommended. Every now and then, his elbow would accidentally brush against Kind's, sending quiet ripples through Kind's thoughts.
But despite the calm, Kind's heart wasn't resting.
Where was Mean?
Why did Jun seem to know more than he was letting on?
And why did he have this gut feeling that this trip wasn't just a "fun school tour"?
He opened his phone again. Still no reply from his mom. Only the blue ticks glared back at him.
She's not going to text back, he thought, a hollow feeling spreading through his chest.
Jun noticed the expression on his face. "Still nothing from home?"
Kind nodded. "She read it. But didn't reply."
Jun closed the book and placed it on his lap. "You know… sometimes silence says more than words."
Kind gave a dry chuckle. "That's what I'm afraid of."
The bus continued its journey, and after an hour or so, it pulled over in front of a Khaja Ghar nestled beside a misty hillside.
"Alright, everyone! We'll stop here for thirty minutes. Get something to eat and use the restroom," Mr. Limbu announced, his clipboard tucked under his arm.
Kind and Jun stepped down from the bus. The air was fresher here — colder too. He rubbed his palms together and followed Jun to a small wooden stall where steaming plates of momo were being served.
While waiting for their order, Kind glanced over at Miss Sulochana and Mr. Limbu who were speaking in hushed voices at a distance. Both kept looking around as if they were checking if anyone was watching.
Kind elbowed Jun.
Jun looked up. "Hmm?"
"They're acting strange."
Jun followed his gaze. "I noticed."
As they picked up their food, a student named Ravi, who usually sat two rows behind them in class, came stumbling out of the restroom looking pale. He almost fell before catching himself on the doorframe.
"Hey, you okay?" Kind called.
Ravi turned, face damp with sweat. "I don't know. My stomach… it just started burning…"
Miss Sulochana rushed over. "Did you eat something strange?"
"No. Just water from the tap."
She turned sharply to the owner of the Khaja Ghar. "Who told you to give them tap water? I said bottled only!"
"I'm sorry—" the owner began.
"Go rest in the bus, Ravi," she said, placing a hand on his back, guiding him away.
Kind narrowed his eyes. [Why did she get so nervous over water?]
As he turned back to Jun, he noticed something else. One of the boys who had joined the trip — a quiet one named Suman — was missing.
"Did you see Suman?" Kind asked.
Jun frowned. "He was in the bus earlier."
They both looked around.
He was nowhere.
They boarded the bus again, and Miss Sulochana did another quick headcount. "Okay, next stop is Mahendranagar. Everyone stay in your seats, and don't wander off."
But Kind whispered to Jun, "She skipped Suman's name."
Jun nodded. "I noticed."
Kind's throat dried. "Jun… what if this is how they do it? One by one, students vanish. Nobody notices because no one keeps track properly."
Jun was quiet for a moment. Then he whispered, "I think you're right. That's how it works."
Evening — Mahendranagar Bus Station
The sun was sinking low by the time they arrived. Kind stretched his arms as he stepped off the bus. His legs ached from sitting for hours.
A new bus was already waiting for them, brighter, with tinted windows.
Kind looked around. "Still no sign of Suman."
Jun gave him a look that said: We need to move carefully.
Before they boarded the second bus, Miss Sulochana pulled Kind aside.
"You're the new boy, right?" she asked, smiling tightly.
"Yes, Miss."
"You're close to Jun."
"Umm… I guess?"
She leaned in. "Don't cause trouble on this trip. Just enjoy it. Understand?"
Kind swallowed. "Sure."
She smiled again. But it didn't reach her eyes.
He rejoined Jun and whispered, "She knows something."
Jun's jaw clenched. "We'll watch her. And Mr. Limbu."
Nighttime — Road to Pokhara
The bus was dimly lit as it sped down the highway. Most students had fallen asleep. Kind sat with his head resting on the window, but he wasn't sleeping. He was thinking about everything that had happened. Suman's disappearance. Ravi's sudden illness. Mean not showing up.
Then something cold brushed his fingers.
He turned.
Jun was holding his hand under the blanket draped over both their laps.
Kind looked up at him.
Jun gave a soft, reassuring smile.
"Whatever happens," Jun whispered, "I'm here."
Kind nodded, lips parting just slightly.
And for the first time in hours… he allowed his eyes to close.
Not because he wasn't afraid anymore.
But because for a moment — just one moment — he felt safe.
The hum of the bus, the rhythmic bounce of the wheels on uneven roads, and the distant snores of tired classmates should have lulled him into a deep sleep.
But something felt off.
Even with Jun's hand gently curled around his under the shared blanket, Kind's instincts buzzed like static in the back of his head.
Suddenly, the bus lurched. Not a bump — a jolt.
Kind's eyes snapped open.
He looked around.
Jun was still sitting beside him, but now fully alert too, as if he had sensed the shift before Kind even opened his eyes.
Then came the voice.
"Everyone remain seated! Just a tire issue," Mr. Limbu called from the front, standing beside the driver.
But Kind noticed something strange — the driver wasn't checking the tire.
Instead, he had gotten off with two students — one from Grade 10 and one from Grade 8.
"Why are they outside?" Kind whispered.
Jun stood up and peeked out of the bus window. He narrowed his eyes.
"They're not near the tire. They're heading… into the forest?"
"What?" Kind shot up too, nearly waking the girl sitting in front of him.
Jun gently pulled him back down. "Stay calm. We don't want attention."
The bus lights were dim. Most students were still dozing off, unaware.
Kind opened his phone camera and zoomed toward the trees.
There. Shadows — three figures moving quickly into the brush.
"Why would they be going there?" Kind whispered.
Jun's voice was low. "They're not going to check tires. They're going for a drop."
"A drop?"
Jun hesitated. "I think… that's how they disappear. One by one. They isolate them on the road. Then they're gone. And the teachers say nothing. Just like Suman."
Kind's heart pounded. He felt light-headed.
"Jun…" he whispered, "How do you know so much about this?"
Jun didn't answer. Not immediately.
Instead, he turned to face Kind, his expression calm — but his eyes deadly serious.
"Because I'm not just a student."
Kind stared at him. "What… do you mean?"
"I was planted here," Jun whispered. "To find out what this school is doing to the missing kids. I've been investigating for two months now. That's why I joined the trip."
A chill climbed Kind's spine. "You're a… what? Agent?"
Jun gave a faint nod. "Call it undercover. The department got tips. I volunteered."
Kind leaned back in his seat, his chest tightening. "And you didn't tell me."
"I couldn't. Not until I was sure I could trust you."
"And now?"
Jun looked at him again. "Now I know. You're not one of them. You're… different."
Their eyes locked. And somewhere amidst the fear and storm of confusion, Kind felt something warm flicker again.
Before he could say anything, the bus engine started.
Mr. Limbu and the driver climbed back in.
No sign of the two boys.
Mr. Limbu didn't even mention them.
Next Morning — Arrival in Pokhara
Kind stepped down from the bus with shaky legs. The sky was just turning gold over the hills, and the crisp mountain air felt cleaner than anything he had breathed in weeks.
But the weight on his chest hadn't lifted.
Not when two of his schoolmates were gone.
Not when the adults kept acting like everything was normal.
Not when Jun's words from the night echoed in his mind.
"I was planted here."
"I volunteered."
Kind glanced at Jun, who gave him a small nod before shouldering his bag.
Miss Sulochana was standing beside the bus with her clipboard again.
"No one mention the delay, alright?" she said, forcing a smile. "We're here to enjoy."
Kind kept quiet. But inside, he wasn't thinking about fun.
He was thinking about Win.
About Suman.
About how Jun's eyes looked in the moonlight when he said, "Now I know."
And he knew this trip… this story… was just beginning.