Class felt longer than usual.
The teacher's voice faded into background noise as Luca kept replaying what Hana said at lunch.
"It felt like I've known you longer than just a day."
She didn't know about the loops.
But that emotion?
It felt real.
Too real.
Marc nudged him with his elbow. "Bro, your brain is somewhere in Narnia."
Luca blinked back to reality. "I'm fine."
Marc's face said: no you're not, but he didn't push it.
Instead he whispered, "Just don't overthink it. Aria said emotions are the dangerous part of the system."
Luca nodded. "Yeah. I know."
But knowing didn't stop his chest from feeling weird.
As soon as the bell rang, Hana practically teleported to Luca's desk.
"Luca! Walk with me to the gate?"
Luca swallowed. "Uh—yeah, sure."
Marc raised an eyebrow at him from across the room, smirking silently.
Luca glared back like: Say one word, I dare you.
Marc just snickered and packed his bag.
Hana waited by the door, rocking on her heels.
When Luca joined her, she smiled softly.
The hallway buzzed with after-school noise as they walked side by side.
"So…" Hana began, glancing up at him. "You looked distracted earlier. Everything okay?"
Luca hesitated.
She didn't remember the loops.
She didn't know the weight he was carrying.
But she was genuinely worried.
"Yeah," Luca said softly. "Just thinking about stuff."
Hana didn't pry. She just nodded and gave a comforting smile.
"That's okay. If you ever wanna talk about it… you can tell me. I won't judge you."
Her sincerity hit Luca harder than he expected.
"Thanks," he said. "That actually means a lot."
Hana's cheeks warmed. "Good."
They kept walking — slow, calm, comfortable.
Nothing dramatic.
Just… real.
Marc walked beside Aria toward the courtyard.
Neither spoke at first.
Aria wasn't unreadable today — she looked almost… thoughtful.
Marc broke the silence. "You alright?"
Aria blinked. "Yes. Why?"
"You seem different."
Aria looked down at her hands for a second — a human gesture, not her usual calculated one.
"This world is entering a fragile period," she said finally.
Marc frowned. "Fragile how?"
"Emotional shifts," Aria replied. "You and Luca are influencing the route more than expected."
Marc scratched his eyebrow. "Is that… bad?"
Aria didn't answer immediately.
"It's dangerous," she said quietly. "Because emotions are harder to predict than events."
Marc studied her.
Aria never said things like this unless she was worried.
"If things get dangerous," Marc said softly, "I'm right here."
Aria's eyes widened — just for a split second.
Then she looked away.
"…Don't make promises you can't keep," she whispered.
But her voice shook just slightly.
As Luca and Hana reached the school gate, Hana pulled something from her bag.
A small packet.
A tiny strawberry-flavored candy.
She pressed it into his hand.
"Here," she said. "For being nice to me today."
Luca laughed lightly. "You didn't have to—"
"I wanted to," she said, cutting him off.
"And you better eat it. I don't give candy to just anyone."
Luca stared at it like it was some kind of rare treasure.
"I'll eat it right now," he said.
Hana giggled. "Good."
It was a tiny gesture.
Small.
Almost silly.
But in a world where emotional flags mattered…
this was a big one.
A real, genuine connection.
Not forced.
Not dramatic.
Just… honest.
A few steps away, hidden behind a vending machine, Aiden crossed his arms.
He watched Hana walk away from Luca.
He wasn't angry.
Not yet.
Just confused.
"Why…" he muttered, "do I feel like I'm behind?"
He had no memory of Luca beating him in another loop.
No memory of the trust fall.
No memory of losing.
But something inside him — an instinct, a story mechanic he didn't understand — told him Luca was catching up too fast.
Ryo appeared next to him like a shadow.
"You're watching them again," Ryo said.
Aiden didn't deny it.
He kept his eyes on Luca.
"He doesn't fit here," Aiden said. "Neither of them do."
Ryo nodded slightly.
"I agree."
Marc and Luca met back in the dorm.
No daps.
No fist bumps.
Just a quiet moment of letting the day settle.
Marc tossed a bag on his bed. "How'd it go with Hana?"
Luca sat on his. "She… gave me candy."
Marc raised an eyebrow. "Oh he's COOKING cooking."
"Shut up," Luca muttered — but he was smiling.
Marc leaned back. "Aria said emotions make the world fragile."
Luca sighed. "Great. So now we're walking on emotional landmines."
Marc looked at him seriously.
"Bro… that's exactly what we're doing."
Silence settled — not heavy, but real.
They were in deep now.
Routes were forming.
Emotions were moving.
Aiden was watching.
Ryo was calculating.
Aria was warning.
And the world was starting to respond.
Slowly.
Quietly.
But unmistakably.
Marc looked over at Luca.
"You good?" he asked.
Luca nodded slowly.
"Yeah," he said.
"I think… I'm finally getting invested."
Marc smirked. "Good."
Because tomorrow?
Their real tests begin.