No one moved for a solid five seconds after the second giggle.
The movie kept playing.
Someone on-screen was shouting dramatically.
Inside the fort?
Dead silence.
Denki whispered, "Tell me that was the TV."
"It wasn't," Bakugou said flatly.
The Pulse felt… alert. Not spiking. Just aware.
"She's outside," I said quietly.
Mina slowly turned toward the window. "I hate that sentence."
Kaito stood up first. "We don't rush it."
"Right," I said. "No dramatic reactions. Remember?"
I tried to sound calm.
Tried.
We all slowly crawled out of the blanket fort like it was a tactical operation instead of a movie night.
Bakugou positioned himself near the side wall.
Kirishima cracked his knuckles.
Midoriya was already analyzing possible entry points with his eyes.
I stepped toward the window.
The blinds were half-lowered.
I lifted them carefully.
Nothing.
No crème-blonde hair.
No figure on the railing.
Just darkness and campus lights in the distance.
"She moved," Kaito said.
"Yeah," I muttered.
Then Denki pointed down.
"Uh… guys?"
Three small squares of paper were taped neatly to the outside of the glass.
Side by side.
Waiting.
My stomach dropped.
"She wanted us to see them together," Mina whispered.
I unlocked the window carefully and slid it open just enough to peel the notes off.
No sudden movement.
No grabbing hand.
Nothing.
She was gone.
Again.
We all gathered back inside the fort to read them.
Because apparently if we were going to be psychologically targeted, we were at least going to do it under blankets.
I unfolded the first one.
"You're funny."
Denki immediately grinned. "See? I told you the flip was worth it."
"Shut up," I muttered, but my ears felt warm.
I opened the second.
"You're cute when you forget to be serious."
The entire fort went silent.
Mina slowly turned toward me.
"Oh my gosh."
Bakugou made a face. "That's weird."
"It's strategic," Midoriya corrected automatically.
"It's weird and strategic," Mina shot back.
I stared at the handwriting.
Still neat.
Still deliberate.
Still that little heart at the bottom.
The Pulse gave a soft, uneasy hum.
Not danger.
Interest.
Focused interest.
I unfolded the third note.
This one was slightly longer.
"I like this version of you.The one that laughs.Don't hide it just because I'm watching."
That one hit different.
The room stayed quiet for a second.
Denki blinked. "Okay that's—"
"Uncomfortable," Bakugou finished.
Kaito looked at me carefully. "You okay?"
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
"She's trying to get in my head," I said. "Not physically. Mentally."
Midoriya nodded. "Positive reinforcement manipulation. She rewards behaviors she wants repeated."
Mina pointed at him. "You make everything sound like a lab experiment."
He paused. "Sorry."
Kirishima leaned back against the pillow wall. "So what do we do?"
I looked at the three notes in my hand.
She'd seen the flip.
Seen me laughing.
Seen us not panicking.
And she responded to that.
"She wants a reaction," I said.
Denki grinned slowly. "So we don't give her one."
I looked around the fort.
At my friends.
At the soda bottles.
At the ridiculous amount of chips.
At the fairy lights Mina insisted on.
The Pulse hummed softly.
"She doesn't get to control the vibe," Mina declared firmly.
Bakugou huffed. "Yeah. We're not shutting down because she's lurking."
Kaito nudged me lightly. "Your move, Ren."
I stared at the window for a second longer.
Then I folded the three notes neatly.
"Okay," I said. "Movie's not over."
Denki gasped dramatically. "FORT PROTOCOL RESUMES."
We crawled back inside.
Pillows shifted.
Blankets rustled.
Someone turned the volume up slightly.
I tucked the notes into my pocket instead of throwing them away.
Not because I liked them.
But because they were evidence.
Definitely just evidence.
The Pulse stayed calm.
Outside the window, the darkness felt less tense now.
Like she'd gotten what she came for.
Somewhere on campus, she was probably smiling.
But inside the fort?
We were still laughing.
And for tonight—
That was our win.