Odie couldn''t help but chuckle at what Sophie said.


    Sophie frowned, clearly not amused by Odie''s untimelyughter. "What''s so funny? I''m serious!"


    "You actually bought it," Odie teased.


    "You were messing with me?"


    "Yep."


    "You''re definitely trouble."


    "I never said I wasn''t."


    The beach by the harbor seemed endless, and Odie carried Sophie quite a way down it. Yet he didn''t feel tired at all.


    When they made it back to campus, Sophie hopped off the motorcycle and handed the helmet to Odie with a bright smile. "Thanks for today. It was really special for me."


    Odie stayed seated on his bike, watching Sophie''s face light up just because she''d skipped a day of sses. He asked, "What''s your usual routine like? You''re this thrilled over a single day out."


    "Honestly, I''m usually pretty happy. My days are filled with sses, meals, and sleep. Sometimes I y the piano or paint. Lately, I''ve been into flower arranging..."


    As she spoke, Odie could almost picture Sophie sitting by a window, ying the piano. She had yed for him once, and she looked amazing doing it.


    But they came from different worlds.


    "Alright, princess, go back to your flowers. Stop tagging along with me."


    Odie yfully tousled her hair. "Bye, shortie."


    Sophie was taken aback for a moment.


    When she turned around, Odie was already heading in the opposite direction.


    "I''m not short! And... you''re going the wrong way."


    Sophie called after him, but he was already too far to hear.


    Odie meandered through campus, and as sunset approached, he wandered into the school gardens.


    His thoughts flickered back to Sophie mentioning her newfound hobby of flower arranging. Without much thought, he picked a few blooms.


    In the glow of the sunset, the vibrant flowers seemed to shimmer with a golden hue.


    "They''re beautiful," he mused.


    Just then, the ground began to


    shake violently. In the sky,


    seemed to drift down, scaalset


    fragmented.


    "What''s happening? Is this an earthquake?"


    "Earthquake! Take cover! It''s an earthquake!" "Get to safety! Stay away from buildings!"


    The noise around him intensified, and


    and


    He


    dropped the flowers and sprinted


    Is Anly, it clicked for Odie. d the girls'' dormito


    The tremors were strong.


    Odie''s mind went nk.


    In that instant, he seemed to forget it was just a dream.


    The world shook fiercely, and the ground split open.


    "Sophie!"


    In the chaotic crowd, he instantly spotted her running out of the dormitory.


    She saw him too.


    Their eyes met, and Odie felt a sh of white light.


    Abruptly, Odie awoke with a start.


    The ssh of water hitting the floor


    Cowed by the sight of Sophie


    with


    beside his bed, eyes wide


    shock. "You... you..."


    A wave of relief washed over Odie as he sat up and pulled her into a tight hug.


    "Sophie! I..."


    I thought I''d lost you forever.


    But thankfully, it was just a dream.


    Thank goodness, just a dream.