Lauran hid her smile behind her straw as Arron took another sip of the drink, noticeably more grounded now.
If this was just the start of the semester, she had a bad feeling about what the trip would bring.
Kaykous appeared out of nowhere and immediately latched onto Lauran, arms wrapping around her shoulders like he'd found an emotional life raft.
"I hate physics," he groaned. "I hate it. Who decided numbers should move? Numbers should stay still."
Lauran laughed and hugged him back without hesitation. "Same. Physics and I have a mutual agreement to not understand each other."
Luke stopped beside them, tray in hand, expression calm but eyes tired. "He stared at the board for ten full minutes," Luke said. "Then he looked at me like I personally betrayed him."
Kaykous lifted his head, glaring. "You understood it."
"I tolerated it," Luke corrected.
Kaykous flopped dramatically into the seat next to Lauran. "I was born to rule, not to calculate projectile motion."
Henry raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure rulers still need physics."
Kaykous pointed at him. "Silence. Traitor."
Arron glanced up from his food. "Projectile motion is just applied kinematics."
The table went quiet.
Xaio slowly turned to Kaykous. "You see why I'm changing subjects now?"
Kaykous studied Arron for a moment, then leaned closer to Lauran and whispered, "Is he always like that?"
Lauran smiled, completely unfazed. "Only when he's awake."
Kaykous exhaled dramatically. "I want a transfer. Or a nap. Or both."
Luke finally sat down, rubbing his temple. "We still have classes after this."
A collective groan rippled across the table.
For a moment, despite the looming trip and unfinished lessons, it felt like a normal day.
Henry tilted his head slightly, thoughtful. "Actually… projectile motion is easiest if you imagine a missile."
Everyone froze.
"A missile," he repeated calmly, unfazed by the sudden tension. "You calculate the launch angle, initial velocity, wind resistance, and gravity. The arc is predictable unless countermeasures interfere."
Kaykous slowly lowered his spoon. "Why do you know this?"
Henry shrugged. "Training manuals. Simulations. It's cleaner than textbooks."
Lauran stared at him. "You just made physics worse."
Xaio scooted his chair an inch away from Arron. "Why is this table full of people who sound like they've committed war crimes?"
Arron, still perfectly calm, nodded. "He's not wrong. The parabolic path matches standard models. Missiles just remove unnecessary abstraction."
Kaykous clutched Lauran's sleeve. "Why are you agreeing with him."
Luke sighed into his drink. "I miss when my biggest problem was algebra."
Henry blinked, genuinely confused. "You're overreacting. It's just applied math."
Lauran poked his cheek. "Henry. Normal people don't explain homework with weapons."
He paused. "…Noted."
The table burst into nervous laughter, the tension dissolving—but only slightly.
Somewhere between jokes and half-eaten food, it became very clear:
this wasn't a normal class, and these weren't normal students.
And the upcoming trip?
It definitely wasn't going to be safe.The table burst into nervous laughter, the tension dissolving—but only slightly.
Somewhere between jokes and half-eaten food, it became very clear:
this wasn't a normal class, and these weren't normal students.
And the upcoming trip?
It definitely wasn't going to be safe.