As long as you could firmly embrace either "I'm crazy" or "everyone but me is crazy," life became much easier. Since ancient times, those caught between sanity and madness had suffered the most.
When you looked at certain things from a madman's perspective, you discovered that they were not difficult at all. Instead, they were full of bizarre, absurd fun—and the most entertaining part was watching everyone's shocked expressions.
Once you could detach yourself from the rules of normal people, the looks of surprise or disgust people gave you as though you were some kind of monster became one of life's rare pleasures. The kind you would replay in your mind under the covers before going to sleep.
Once Natasha realized this, she naturally discovered the most entertaining part of the whole affair. After preparing the charcoal, she carried the bucket of it by herself to the center of the camp, where Nick and Steve had set up camp.
By then, half the sun had already dipped below the horizon, and the light was gradually fading. Nick and Steve had finished putting up the canopy and were trying to use the wires Erik had connected to power the string lights they had brought.
"Oh, you've finished already, Natasha." Steve gave Natasha a bright smile. He neither thanked her nor made polite small talk, and he certainly did not think a bucket of charcoal was some impossibly difficult burden for Natasha to carry alone.
But Natasha dropped the full bucket beside them with a bang and let out a long breath as though she had exhausted herself. Sure enough, this piqued Steve and Nick's curiosity.
Nick frowned, the muscles around his eyes tightening as he looked at Natasha. "Good Lord, are you serious? Was that walk even two hundred meters? Why