Chapter 55

By the time Summer and Logan returned to the residence, it was past lunchtime. Henry and the others were nowhere to be found, making the place unusually quiet.

Summer quietly cooked and ate in the kitchen before heading back to her dorm to rest. After a while, she noticed Logan grabbing his tools and heading out. This time, she didn't immediately follow him. Even though Logan had said he wouldn't mind her following, she felt it was best not to cling too tightly, to avoid irritating him.

It made sense, she thought. Even an ordinary person would feel uncomfortable being constantly watched and followed, much less someone like Logan.

She waited another twenty minutes before gathering her seedlings, seeds, and tools, including a bucket and gourd dipper for watering.

As she walked along the riverbank towards the garden plots, she spotted Logan working in his plot, just as she had guessed. Taking her time, she approached him, hesitating for a moment before greeting him with a smile, "Why didn't you call me when you left?"

Without looking up, Logan continued planting, his tone indifferent, "You're pretty good at following people. If you need company, just come along. I don't need company, so why should I call you?"

Summer was momentarily stunned. Knowing his personality, she had been prepared for him to ignore her or even be sarcastic. She hadn't expected this response. Maybe he was in a good mood today?

Seizing the opportunity, she asked with a smile, "Then can I call you next time?"

It seemed Logan was indeed in a good mood. "Do whatever you want," he replied in a tone that, for anyone else, might have sounded annoyed, but for Logan, it was almost accommodating.

Relieved, Summer set down her bag and tools, took out her seedlings and seeds, and began happily planting. She made sure to space the seedlings properly, considering the support structures they'd need to climb. After planting, she fetched water from the river, using her gourd dipper to carefully water each plant.

While she worked, she heard a voice call out from the bank, "Logan, Summer, planting vegetables?"

Looking up, Summer saw Leonardo approaching.

Logan responded before Summer could, "Yes, Captain Leonardo. We had time today, so we're getting the vegetables planted. Soon we'll have all we need."

Leonardo smiled approvingly, "You two know how to live well."

Glancing at the other unplanted plots, he asked, "What about the others? It's been a week since the plots were assigned, and theirs are still untouched."

Logan replied, "I guess their families are better off and don't need the extra produce."

Summer glanced at Logan, knowing he was stretching the truth. She and Logan were aware that Henry and the others didn't receive much support from home. They were just too lazy to work on their plots after a day of fieldwork.

Still, Leonardo accepted Logan's explanation. "Alright then. As long as they stay out of trouble, that's fine."

After chatting a bit more, Leonardo left. Summer, lost in thought, was brought back by Logan's sarcastic remark, "If you're so worried about your precious Henry, go tell Leonardo to keep an eye on him. See if he thanks you or gets mad for snitching."

Summer shook her head. "I'm not worried about him."

Henry, the protagonist, could handle any situation with ease. She had more important things to worry about.

Logan stared at her for a moment, then shrugged and went back to planting.

Knowing Logan's disdain for Henry, Summer decided not to push the topic and focused on her own work.

After finishing planting and watering her seeds and seedlings, the sun was setting. Summer and Logan didn't leave immediately. They took advantage of the remaining daylight to gather some wild greens by the river.

Back at the residence, Logan started cooking first. Summer waited, busying herself with feeding her chicks. Once Logan was done, she washed and chopped the wild greens to feed the chicks.

Naming her three chicks, she said, "You'll be 'Have Food,' you'll be 'Have Water,' and you'll be 'Have Money.'"

However, as they ate from the bowl, she couldn't tell them apart and gave up trying. "You each have a name, and that's that," she laughed.

As the chicks played, Summer watched them, enjoying their antics. She waited until the kitchen was empty before making her own dinner.

After dinner and washing up, it was nearly bedtime. Having slept in, Summer found it harder to fall asleep and ended up waking up late the next morning.

In a rush, she washed, fed the chicks, and made breakfast. By the time she sat down to eat, Logan was already halfway through his meal.

She took a big bite of her bread just as the others started entering the kitchen.

Seeing Summer and Logan eating together, Henry and the rest paused in surprise but said nothing. They busied themselves with making breakfast, yawning and chatting.

Summer ignored them, focusing on her breakfast. When Logan finished, she quickly said, "Wait for me!" before finishing her meal and cleaning up.

The others watched this interaction closely. As soon as Summer left the kitchen, Grace couldn't hold back, "Is she okay? Logan clearly doesn't want to be around her, but she keeps chasing after him."

Henry's expression darkened. "Why do you care?"

Sensing Henry's mood, Grace fell silent, and the others followed suit.

Summer hurried after Logan, catching up in a few minutes. She fell into step beside him, slightly out of breath, "Why didn't you wait for me?"

Logan gave her an exasperated look. "If I walked at my usual pace, I'd already be at the school."

Summer didn't take it to heart. Walking with him, she felt energized by the morning sun and Logan's presence, her mood lifted.

Reaching the school, she rang the bell to start the day. The children had adapted to the school routine, making everything run smoothly.

After teaching her class, Summer returned to the office for a drink of water. She was startled by a boy's shout from the doorway, "The captain is here!"

Nearly choking on her water, she looked up to see Leonardo approaching.