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Despite the sprinkle of rain coming from the sky, it still managed to be nearly as bright as the fire in Ranboo’s soul, to be nearly blinding.
The mountains were beautifully cloaked in shining spring light. Ranboo was ready.
Today, he was going to conquer the (admittedly smallest) one on their own. Age fifteen, he had spent his whole life staring at the range that framed the horizon.
Now, finally, they could experience it.
Rather than breaking, Ranboo let his bike slow to a halt in the hiking trail’s parking lot. They came to a stop in front of the metal bike rack that appeared to be ripped straight from a schoolyard. He hopped off (mostly) smoothly.
“This is it,” Ranboo said dramatically. “Now was that cool of what‽… Oh… Um, right, I’m here alone. Hah… Well, anyway, it did sound cool.”
They locked up their bike with their unbreakable-code-having lock.
Eight-zero-zero-eight-one-three-five. Boobies. The teen had set it when he first got the lock at the mere age of thirteen. Ranboo outright refused to change it, both due to the attached memories and to still finding it a little funny.
The bike lock clicked closed. The pebbles on the asphalt pushed into the bottoms of Ranboo’s feet, easily felt through his old, worn-down shoes. They left their red and green bike secured at the rack, approaching the map.
“The Essempee Walking Trail. That’s where I’m going… going on?” Ranboo thought aloud. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. I just have to follow the signs.”
They started towards the path. “Wait. Is this the right way?” He doubled back to check, “That was right. Ha.” Ranboo went back to where he was and (finally) began the hike.
Then it started to rain a bit harder.
They didn’t like the rain. He sighed, but continued on despite the annoyingly typical weather.
Ranboo got around five minutes into the hike before the rain got worse. Quite worse. It had begun to pour.
He paused, reconsidering his choice to conquer the mountain that day.
They turned back.
Ranboo decided to return another day (hopefully a drier one).