Chapter 14: Planning

Charmel entered the classroom at the last second, feeling tired and groggy from staying up all night playing the video game.

Chika saw Charmel and immediately noticed her exhausted state. He wondered if she had been up late playing her game "Hey Charmel," Chika said, trying to sound casual. "You look exhausted. Everything okay?"

Charmel let out a loud yawn, feeling too tired to even speak. She simply nodded, hoping he would just drop the subject lChika ask "Are you playing mobile games all night?" smiling definitely not happy.

Charmel nodded, feeling too tired to deny it.

"Yeah, I was up all night playing 'Battle of Kings'," she admitted, her eyelids drooping.

Chika sighed, looking concerned "You shouldn't stay up so late, especially for a game," She said, sounding a bit like a scolding parent.

Charmel rubbed her eyes, barely able to keep them open "I know, I know," she muttered, feeling the consequences of her late-night gaming session.

"You never learn your lesson after all your hobbies are taken away from you" Chika said

Charmel pouted, feeling a bit defensive "It's not like I always stay up late playing games," she said, trying to justify herself.

Chika raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical "Really?" she said disbelievingly. "This is the third time this week I've seen you walking into class looking like a zombie."

Charmel rolled her eyes, feeling like Chika was being too judgmental.

"Alright, alright," she said, feeling annoyed. "I get it. I need to manage my time better, "I won't do it again, Mother"."

Chika couldn't help but chuckle at Charmel's sarcastic response."Okay, sassy pants," she said, shaking her head. "But seriously, try to get some sleep tonight, okay?"

Charmel nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed for being so irritable "I will, promise," she said, managing a small smile.

Chika grinned "You better," she said. "We don't want a repeat of today's zombie look, do we?"

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Charmel and Chika walked home together from school. Charmel was trying to act normal, as if she wasn't still tired from the previous night's late-night gaming session.

Chika noticed her drooping eyelids and knew she was still feeling exhausted.

"Remember, you promised you'd get some sleep tonight," she said, her tone a mixture of concern and amusement.

Charmel grumbled "Yeah, yeah, I know," she said, feeling annoyed. "I'll get some rest."

As Chika and Charmel approached, Leo and Kai came into view. Leo was carrying a stack of books, and Kai had a basketball tucked under his arm.

"What's up?" Chika called out to them.

Leo glanced at Charmel, and couldn't help but notice her tired appearance.

"Tough night, Charmel?" he asked, sounding concerned.

Charmel glared at him, feeling annoyed that her exhausted state was obvious to everyone.

Kai looked at his friends, his face lighting up with excitement "Hey, guys, did you know tomorrow is the annual city festival?" he asked, his voice brimming with anticipation.

Chika and Leo nodded, sharing Kai's enthusiasm"Yeah, it's gonna be awesome!" Leo said, feeling pumped about it.

Chika looked at Charmel, who was still sleepy and didn't seem to share their excitementn"You should definitely come along, Charmel," Chika said. "It's gonna be amazing!"

"so what? No!" Charmel rolled her eyes, feeling annoyed that everyone was so enthusiastic about the festival. "I can't believe you guys are all hyped up about some silly festival," she said, trying to sound unimpressed.

Kai looked at her, his expression turning into a determined smile. "Oh, come on, Charmel," he said, grinning at her. "It's not just any festival. It's the biggest event of the year! There will be concerts, food stalls, games, and all kinds of exciting stuff!"

Chika nodded in agreement, trying to convince her.

Chika looked at Charmel, her expression full of determination. "Come on, Charmel," she said, a sly smile gracing her lips. "If you come to the festival with us, I'll let you copy my assignment."

Charmel looked at her, torn between her desire to sleep and the tempting offer. The opportunity to copy Chika's assignment was hard to resist, and Charmel knew she had been struggling with that particular assignment.

After a moment, Charmel sighed, resigned to her fate "Fine," she muttered, feeling a mix of reluctance and excitement.