The next day arrived quicker than anyone anticipated. It was now Sunday! They still had 9 more days left at camp before returning home—9 days for Nickel and Balloon to relax without worrying about Knife, or telling Baseball and Suitcase about their relationship. 9 days to make up for lost time, truly enjoy each other's company, and finally leave all the drama behind them. Or so they thought.

At 7 AM, the landline phone in the teachers' cabin rang, waking Lifering. He was about to get up anyway, so he didn't mind too much. He rolled out of bed, stretched, and picked up the phone.

"Hello!" he answered, trying to hide his tiredness.

"Hi, Hun! Surprised I'm calling you?" Tea Kettle's voice came through.

"You're my wife; of course, I'm not surprised!" Lifering chuckled softly, leaning against the wall. "Are you missing me?" he asked with a smug smile.

"As always, bub. I always miss you when you're at work," she replied in a pouty tone. "But that's not why I'm calling. I just got off the phone with Mephone. We had a chat, and he asked me to call you because he was too embarrassed to do it himself. The school funds can't afford another week at this camp."

"Oh, no! Really?" Lifering exclaimed sadly, his loud reaction waking Goo, who stood beside him, looking worried.

"I'm sorry, Hun. Hopefully, the kids won't be too upset," Tea Kettle said, feeling bad for them. She knew a few of the campers, like Balloon and Nickel, who would really benefit from this time. She had already told Lifering all about Balloon and Nickel, as they were in her class.

"I wish I could let them have another week, but my boss would kill me. We need to get paid somehow," Lifering sighed, turning to Goo with a saddened expression. Goo understood all too well; this had happened with other schools, especially public ones, too many times before.

All the noise woke up Silver and Candle in the other room. Candle lay in Silver's arms; they were sharing a double bed after being caught making out and officially becoming a couple. Candle slipped out of Silver's grasp and peeked out of the bedroom to eavesdrop. When she heard what was happening, she felt a pang of sadness. She loved the school and all the students, and it pained her that they didn't have enough money to fund camps like these. She closed the door and went to her suitcase, starting to pack everything neatly while getting some clothes for the day. Silver, hearing the commotion, sat up, rubbed his eyes, and looked over at her.

"Is everything alright, dear?" he asked in a whisper, still very tired.

Candle shook her head as she zipped up her bag. "We can't fund the camp... we'll be going home today," she said sadly.

"Thank god—" Silver sighed in relief, but Candle shot him a glare. "I mean—good heavens! That's awful! The poor students..." Silver chuckled nervously. Honestly, he was glad to be heading home; he couldn't stand another second at this camp.

Candle rolled her eyes at Silver but smiled nonetheless. Leaning her hands against the bed, she looked up at her handsome prince.

"It's okay, Silver... I know you miss your cosy, warm bed." She reached out, her soft, delicate hand caressing his face as she leaned in. Closing her eyes, she gently kissed his lips. Silver smiled into the kiss, leaning in closer. He moved to the edge of the bed, placing his hand on her waist and pulling her close.

Candle shifted back onto the bed, looking so beautiful that Silver couldn't help but open his eyes to admire her. Her voluptuous body was stunning, with her graceful waist and bosoms making her seem divine. She wore a silky purple nightdress that barely covered her hips, accentuating her beauty in a way that made it impossible for Silver to look away. Her long purple hair draped perfectly over her chest, and Silver felt like the luckiest man in the universe to have her all to himself.

Candle soon pulled back from the kiss, causing Silver to whine.

"Sorry, love... we have to get ready for the day. It looks like we have a long day ahead of us," she sighed, moving off the bed to get dressed.

Silver huffed and slipped off the bed, walking over to his own bags to take out some clothes for the day. His eyes wandered to Candle as she slipped off her dress. He stared for a moment, his face turning bright red, before quickly turning away, not wanting to seem rude for looking. As she removed her dress, she put on her bra and then a beautiful purple day dress with long sleeves and frills around the edges. She flicked her hair back and tied it up in a loose ponytail.

"Get dressed; I'm going to talk to Lifering about what's happening," Candle said softly as she slipped on purple shoes to match her dress. She walked over to her boyfriend and kissed his cheek before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind her to give him privacy.

Silver Spoon felt like he was burning up, his skin hot, his body shaking. He shivered and took a deep breath, trying to control himself—her beauty was too much for him sometimes. After a moment of catching his breath, he got changed and packed his bags.

Candle stepped into the common area of the cabin, greeting Lifering and Goo with a faint smile. They already knew she was aware of the situation by the packed bag in her hand.

"Should we call Blueberry?" Candle sighed.

"We already did. He'll be here soon. Sorry you guys have to leave so early," Goo replied, frowning.

"I feel so guilty telling everyone. It seemed like the kids were really starting to love this camp," Lifering huffed, crossing his arms. "We'll let everyone wake up, give them some time, and when it's time to announce the activity, we'll inform them of the change of plans and tell them to pack their bags." Lifering knew it was a bit harsh, but he thought it was better to let them wake up before breaking the bad news.

Silver Spoon stepped out of his room, fully dressed, with his bag in hand. He placed it by the door and stood beside Candle.

"Should we go get a coffee, my dear?" Silver Spoon asked.

"Sure," Candle nodded, figuring they might as well enjoy a coffee before having to leave.

Lifering and Goo accompanied them, leaving the cabin and heading to the kitchen. They all needed a coffee before everyone else started to wake up.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Meanwhile, Balloon slept peacefully with Nickel nestled against his arm. Nickel's head rested on Balloon's arm, while his own arms wrapped around Balloon's torso, holding him close. Both were exhausted after the week they had, and the entire cabin seemed to be sleeping in a bit today.

At 7:30 AM, Paintbrush's alarm went off. They shifted from their spot beside Lightbulb, grabbed some clothes, and headed to the bathroom for a shower before anyone else got up. The alarm woke Nickel, but he kept his eyes closed and snuggled closer to Balloon, reluctant to leave his warm embrace. He didn't want to get up yet, despite the bright sunlight streaming through the open windows. Eventually, the brightness became too much, and he grumbled, weakly opening his eyes. He glanced up at Balloon, who was still fast asleep, looking too cute for his own good. Nickel scooted closer, resting his chin on Balloon's chest as he admired his boyfriend.

It wasn't long before Test Tube woke up. She slipped out of bed and grabbed her glasses from her case on top of her bag. After putting them on, she turned to see Nickel gazing at Balloon. She couldn't help but smile, glad that the camp had helped them reconnect. Though she knew she shouldn't pry, she couldn't resist.

"You really love him, don't you?" she asked softly.

Nickel turned his head, his face flushing. He hadn't realized Test Tube was awake.

"Hmph, maybe." Of course he did, but he didn't want to seem like a total softie.

"It's okay to love your boyfriend, Nickel," she chuckled as she stood up to rummage through her bag for clothes. "Painty is in the shower, aren't they?"

"Yeah," Nickel replied, shifting up and rubbing his eyes.

Test Tube sighed, knowing she'd have to wait to get dressed. She sat down on the floor and looked up at Nickel, who was still in bed.

"Wearing Balloon's hoodie, I see..." she remarked with a faint smile.

Nickel felt offended that Test Tube dared to point that out. "Pssh... It was cold," he scoffed.

There was a moment of silence between them. It was awkward; they didn't really speak much.

"Sorry that Fan told everyone why Knife hates you," Test Tube suddenly said.

Nickel huffed. "Eh... It's fine. I knew he would eventually tell everyone, especially after he told you the truth about running into Knife. By the way, I'm sorry Balloon and I never told you." He apologised as well.

"It's fine..." She weakly grinned.

Nickel nervously looked around, feeling awkward. "So... are you okay about what Fan did?" he asked curiously.

Test Tube shrugged, glancing over to see if Fan was still asleep. He seemed to be. "It's fine. Of course, I am upset about it, but I know he loves me..." She hugged her knees. "He just makes some bad choices sometimes." She sighed.

The shower stopped, and Paintbrush soon emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed, with their shower stuff and pyjamas in their arms.

"Bathroom is free," they commented before sitting down beside Test Tube.

Test Tube got up, grabbed her things, and headed to the bathroom next.

It wasn't long before Balloon woke up. Shifting to sit up, he rubbed his eyes tiredly. He leaned his head against Nickel's shoulder and wrapped his arms around his torso. Nickel's face flushed; he still wasn't used to this much contact with Balloon.

"Morning..." Balloon murmured softly.

"Good morning, Looney," Nickel replied with a small smile.

Paintbrush glanced at them. As much as they claimed to be 'cringed' by their interactions, they couldn't deny that the two were cute together.

"You guys reminded me, I need to wake up my girlfriend," Paintbrush said with a smile before standing up. They gently shook Lightbulb to wake her. She grumbled and turned over. Paintbrush leaned into her neck, nuzzling it softly and planting a kiss against it.

"Baby... it's time to get up..." they cooed.

And they call Balloon and Nickel cringe? Yeah, right.

. . .

Soon enough, everyone was awake and taking turns getting dressed. Lightbulb was currently in the bathroom, preparing for the day. Fan sat on the bed in his pyjamas, his hair down, lying in Test Tube's lap and playing games on his phone. Paintbrush stood by the bathroom door, ready to head to the kitchen to make Lightbulb a hot chocolate once she was done.

Nickel and Balloon were snuggled up together on their bed, playing Wordle on Balloon's phone as they waited their turn for the bathroom. When Lightbulb finished, Fan got up, grabbed his clothes, and went to change. As usual, Balloon and Nickel were left for last, but they didn't mind; they usually let the Bright Lights go first.

Once Fan finished changing, all the Bright Lights exited the cabin to get their coffees or hot chocolates, leaving Nickel and Balloon to get dressed.

Nickel shifted from the bed and stretched out his arms, still feeling tired. Balloon followed suit, standing up. They grabbed their clothes for the day and headed toward the bathroom. Nickel opened the door and stepped in while Balloon waited outside. He wasn't ready to fully undress in front of Nickel yet, and Nickel respected that, as he felt the same way... it'd be too awkward so soon into their relationship. They took turns getting dressed. Once both were ready, they put on their shoes and prepared to leave.

Stepping outside, they spotted Goo and Lifering anxiously chatting together. Something was definitely wrong; they looked distressed. Balloon and Nickel decided not to ask and instead took a seat by the fire together. They would have sat near Candle and Silver Spoon, but Candle was currently speaking with YinYang and Knife, and Balloon and Nickel wanted to avoid Knife for the rest of the camp.

The Bright Lights were in the kitchen, and as for Taco, Microphone, and Trophy, they were probably still getting ready, which was surprising since there were fewer of them in their cabin than in the Bright Lights' cabin. They must have slept in.

Candle was talking to YinYang and Knife about their all-boys night and how much fun it was. She questioned where Test Tube and Fan had gone, even though she knew about the drama and understood why they left.

"THERE WAS DRAMA!" Yang chirped excitedly, rambling on about the drama he had discovered. Silver and Candle already knew about it from Balloon and Nickel the night before.

Knife didn't care that Yang was sharing the drama, even if he was involved in it. He just crossed his arms and let Yang ramble on. If anything, it was more Fan's fault than Knife's.

"Well, aside from all that, I'm glad you had fun," Candle smiled sweetly. Taking a sip of her coffee, she felt a pang of guilt knowing the camp was coming to an end and nobody knew yet. She wished she could tell them now but knew she had to wait until everyone was seated by the campfire.

"Yeah, it was pretty chill," Knife agreed casually.

Silver Spoon noticed that Balloon and Nickel had arrived at the campsite, which meant almost everyone was awake and the announcement would be made soon. He wished he felt bad, but he was just relieved to be finally going home. He couldn't take being here another day. Plus, he hoped that once they were home, he could develop his relationship with Candle much further. Oh boy, he couldn't wait.

Soon enough, the Bright Lights returned from the kitchen, everyone with a coffee except for Lightbulb, who had her hot chocolate. They walked over and sat with Balloon and Nickel, who were currently alone. Balloon sat at the end of the log, Nickel beside him, Test Tube beside Nickel, Fan beside Test Tube, and Lightbulb and Paintbrush on the other end.

Fan couldn't help but glance at Knife across the campfire. So much had happened yesterday between them and Test Tube—a lot of drama. However, he felt that he and Knife had moved past their history, and their relationship had shifted. Knife actually cared about him now, which was really nice for Fan. He liked that his once-bully thought he was cool now, even if his girlfriend didn't really want them to have a friendship. Test Tube knew she couldn't stop it. Fan wanted to make his girlfriend comfortable but was also excited about possibly having a friendship with Knife. For the rest of the camp, he decided to stay away from Knife for Test Tube's sake, not wanting to upset her further. He glanced at Knife and faintly smiled to show he still cared about him after everything. Knife, not wanting to deal with Test Tube again, faintly raised his hand in a half-wave at Fan before turning back to YinYang, who was talking about the Beyblades he had at home.

Eventually, Taco, Microphone, and Trophy arrived at the campsite, sitting beside Knife despite him having ditched them for the luxury cabin. They had a lot of questions about what happened last night and whether Knife really exposed Fan. It seemed they hadn't noticed that Test Tube and Fan were still clearly together. They assumed Knife would be harsh and paint Fan as a horrible person, but they couldn't have been more wrong. Knife did quite the opposite, portraying Fan as innocent as possible. But did they really need to know that?

"Well? Did you snitch?" Trophy asked cockily, his arms crossed over his chest.

Knife rolled his eyes, clearly in the middle of a conversation with YinYang. But Trophy seemed insistent on knowing right away.

"Yes," Knife answered coldly before turning back to YinYang.

"What? Really? Then why are they still... happy together?" Trophy questioned.

Knife felt irritation bubbling up. Trophy was really getting on his nerves.

"Maybe because they're in love, idiot.. It's not like what Fan did was that serious," Knife snapped back. "And their relationship has nothing to do with us, so why don't we not try to ruin it, okay?"

Trophy threw his hands up in defence. "Whoa, chill. What's up your ass?"

Knife scoffed and decided to ignore Trophy. He turned to Microphone and Taco instead. "Morning."

"Morning," Taco responded tiredly.

"MORNING!" Microphone chimed loudly.

Taco believed Knife wasn't lying, knowing he didn't often do so. He also saw Knife's point about not interfering in Test Tube and Fan's relationship. Microphone, on the other hand, didn't care about the drama but still held a grudge against Nickel for Pickle's expulsion, in fact they all did, including Knife, he hadn't forgotten that, keeping his own grudge simmering until after this camp.

. . .

With everyone now gathered at the camp, Lifering felt a pang of guilt in his stomach. There was no way around it—the school simply didn't have the funds to continue the camp. He stepped forward and clapped his hands together to grab everyone's attention, with Goo standing beside him. The sombre expressions on everyone's faces betrayed their growing concern.

"I am deeply sorry to inform you all that due to school funding issues, the camp will be ending today instead of continuing for the full two weeks," Lifering began nervously. "In fact, we don't even have enough funds for a full seven days. The bus will be arriving shortly to take you all back home. I apologise sincerely." Lifering frowned, his regret palpable. "It has been an incredible five days with each of you, getting to know you and participating in these activities and challenges together. Though this is disappointing news, please know that I will personally visit your school to check on each of you, this being an unpaid expense, I genuinely want to see how you're all doing after this experience. I wish I could do more, but unfortunately, it's out of my hands."

Everyone was stunned into silence. Some initially thought it was a prank—how could their school not have enough funds? Why had they been sent to this camp without ensuring the budget was secure? It seemed clear that Mephone had recklessly sent away the troublesome students without confirming the financial viability, perhaps hoping to get rid of them hastily. Now, just as they were beginning to settle in and enjoy themselves, the experience was abruptly ripped away from them.

No one knew what to say, except for Fan, who was literally shaking with excitement.

"YES! Home sweet home! I cannot wait to get back!" he rambled. "My socials must be blowing up right now, with everyone wondering where I've been... I can't wait to update them all!" Fan slipped off the log, already prepared to go pack his things.

Test Tube was reasonably happy too; she missed her experiments and tech. However, the look on Balloon and Nickel's faces worried her. They looked distraught.

Lightbulb and Paintbrush weren't too bothered by it. They didn't mind the camp, but they also didn't mind heading home. After the initial shock, most of them were excited and happy to return to their lives outside the camp. Even Knife and his friends were celebrating, which was not exactly the reaction Lifering had expected, but he was relieved they weren't upset. He huffed and smiled at everyone's happiness.

"Alright now! Go and get your bags packed! The bus will be here soon!" he announced, putting his hands on his hips.

All the students hurried off to pack their bags, leaving Balloon and Nickel behind. Test Tube wanted to stay and support them, but she understood they needed a moment alone to process everything. Silver and Candle remained by the fire, watching Balloon and Nickel with concern.

Balloon felt paralyzed, his mind spinning. They were supposed to have nine more days—time to be together, to resolve their issues without interference. This sudden end felt unjust, ripping away their chance to enjoy each other's company. He wasn't ready to return, not emotionally prepared to face the complications with Knife, or to reveal his relationship to Baseball and Suitcase. It all felt overwhelming, and tears welled up in his eyes. He trembled, feeling lightheaded and desperate. How could their school mishandle something as basic as funding for the camp? It was infuriating and unfair.

Nickel saw the fear and worry etched on Balloon's face, mirroring his own concerns. There were so many uncertainties ahead—Knife's potential harassment, the daunting task of disclosing their relationship to their closest friends. They needed time to figure it all out, time that was now being abruptly taken away. Despite his own anxiety, Nickel knew he had to be strong for Balloon.

Leaving the log, Nickel knelt beside Balloon, gently placing his hands on his shoulders and meeting his gaze. His voice trembled as he spoke, reassuring but uncertain.

"Looney, look at me, please," Nickel pleaded, feeling his own nerves fray. Balloon turned to meet his gaze, tears threatening to spill over.

"I know this isn't what we planned. We both wanted more time. But we'll get through this together, okay? I promise," Nickel assured him, brushing away Balloon's tears with his thumbs. "Do you think your parents will be home tonight?" he asked softly, trying to redirect their thoughts to practical matters.

Balloon shook his head solemnly.

"Work trip," he murmured.

Nickel nodded, trying to offer reassurance. "Okay... okay, good. When we get back, do you want me to stay over at your place? We don't have to tell Baseball and Suitcase until tomorrow, okay? We can have all night to work it out... I promise it will be fine, alright?" He sought Balloon's agreement, hoping to provide some comfort with their plan.

Meanwhile, Lifering and Goo stood nearby, their expressions reflecting their guilt and concern. They didn't fully understand the specifics of Balloon and Nickel's distress—unaware of the drama with Knife or who Baseball and Suitcase were—but they could sense something deeply troubling them. They felt terrible for having to deliver such disappointing news.

Candle couldn't bear to sit idly by while Balloon and Nickel seemed so distraught. She slipped off the log, leaving Silver momentarily, to check on them and offer her support.

"Is there anything I can do?" Candle offered, her voice filled with concern.

Nickel turned to see Candle standing there, visibly nervous but wanting to help.

He sighed, then spoke honestly. "We weren't ready to go back... Baseball and Suitcase might not take our relationship well at first. Balloon is afraid, and so am I," Nickel admitted. "Plus, Knife still hates me and he's going to come after us once this camp is over... he blames me for getting his boyfriend expelled. We just wanted a little more time before facing all of this, a few more days without drama." Nickel's voice trembled slightly, but he kept himself composed.

Candle felt a pang of sympathy for them. She hated seeing them so upset, grappling with the prospect of telling their friends something that should bring happiness. As for Knife, she resolved to intervene and help him deal with his anger over Pickle's expulsion.

"Take deep breaths, boys," Candle suggested gently. "Listen, it's going to be alright. You have each other. And even if Baseball and Suitcase don't immediately approve—though there's a good chance they will—what about the friends you've made here? Lean on them if Baseball and Suitcase need time to process. They're both understanding guys. And as for Knife, I'll work with him to sort through his feelings about Pickle. Leave that to me, and try not to worry about tomorrow."

Balloon sniffed, still visibly emotional. "We both have Literature first class tomorrow."

"That's Silver's class," Candle noted reassuringly. "If you're okay with it, I'll let him know everything so he can be there for you both if anything goes wrong. He'll make sure you're okay, alright?"

Balloon nodded gratefully. "Yes, please. Thank you," he murmured.

"Thank you, Candle," Nickel added softly, appreciating her support.

"Everything will be alright. Come on, let's go pack up your stuff before the bus gets here, okay?" Candle smiled faintly. "Would you like me to come with you?" she asked.

Nickel and Balloon shook their heads simultaneously. "No, we'll be okay," Nickel assured her.

Candle nodded understandingly. "I'll wait here for you both."

Nickel gently took Balloon's hand and rubbed it with the back of his thumb. Balloon looked up at Nickel, his expression filled with worry.

"It will be okay, I promise," Nickel reassured him softly.