School was finally over, and I swear the teachers were out for blood today—bombarding me with questions from previous lessons like a coordinated strike.

  Too bad for them... I read the textbook like it was a novel.

  Honestly, even if I only showed up for the exams, I’d still pass with flying colors. But that wasn’t the point. I wanted to be here—not for the grades, but for my friends. As cheesy as it sounds, that mattered to me now.

  In my st life, I skipped college altogether. Went straight to work, climbed the dder until I was “somebody”—but no matter how high I got, I was still stuck at the bottom, just in a fancier suit.

  So now? I’m doing this my way.

  I asked the others to wait a bit while I grabbed the car from the parking lot. Once I pulled up near the school gate, I lowered the window.

  “Get in.”

  Monna and Ruby jumped into the back without hesitation. But Lynn and Ellen stood outside for a moment, exchanging gnces like they were having a telepathic debate.

  Ellen yawned, then casually slipped inside, adjusting the recline of her seat to make room for her tail, settling in like she belonged there.

  Lynn hesitated, looking down. Her bangs covered most of her face, so I couldn’t really read her expression.

  “Lynn, come on,” I said gently.

  She perked up at my voice. Ellen gnced at me—expression unreadable—but didn’t say anything. I wasn’t asking her to leave. There was room. More than enough.

  I got out, opened the driver’s door, and slid the steering wheel to the center. This car? Fully adjustable—left or right-side drive.

  “Oohhh!” all of them chorused in awe.

  Lynn climbed in, eyes wide with wonder, and took the passenger seat beside me with a soft smile.

  “That made me jealous, not gonna lie,” Ruby teased from the back.

  Jealous? Of what?

  I ignored her and started the car.

  Today, I decided to treat them. There was this restaurant I’d been eyeing for a while now. A hidden gem, apparently.

  Also, I may or may not be an unofficial food blogger with a burner account. The bragging rights call to me.

  We arrived at the edge of Lumina Square, where one of the fanciest restaurants in the district stood tall—its pristine gss panels glowing in the sunset, exuding elegance from every corner.

  Lynn clutched her bag nervously. “Um… are we really eating here? Isn’t this pce a bit… high-end?”

  I gave her a reassuring nod. “Don’t worry. I already booked a private room.”

  At the reception desk, I fshed the digital receipt. The clerk smiled and handed me a sleek access card.

  “Thank you,” I said, then turned to the others. “This way.”

  We headed up to the second floor, where our room awaited—enclosed in gss and wood, softly lit, with a wide balcony offering a panoramic view of the square. The table in the center was massive, the kind made for VIPs or war councils.

  Monna and Ruby wandered the room with wide eyes, poking around with barely-contained curiosity.

  “Whoa… this is like something out of a drama,” Ruby whispered.

  Meanwhile, Lynn and Ellen took their seats quietly, seemingly unfazed by the extravagance.

  “Anyway,” I said as I sat down, “I ordered a bunch of stuff, so feel free to eat as much as you want.”

  Ruby leaned forward. “Wait, how much did all this cost you?”

  I answered honestly, shrugging. “Around 20k dennies. Kinda cheap, actually.”

  Ruby choked on air. “Twenty. Thousand?!”

  Yeah, sounds dramatic, but it really wasn’t. Just one high-profile Ethereal bounty covers double that. And with Elf managing my finances? I barely worry about cash anymore. She’s basically a money wizard—invests in the right markets, flips assets, multiplies my savings while I sleep.

  I don’t rely on my parents for money these days. Their connections? Sure. Can’t beat old money network access. But I’ve built my own web, too.

  I’m in contact with a bck market seller, and more importantly, I’m a part of H.A.N.D—the elite disaster response unit. The kind that gets called in when all hell breaks loose. My codename? Red. Executive Officer Red, to be exact.

  Of course, I wasn’t about to drop that bomb here. Not yet.

  For now, I just leaned back and listened to my friends talk—ughing, teasing, being loud in the way only people who trust each other can be. If the topic was interesting enough, I’d chime in.

  But honestly? I liked just being here.

  Letting myself breathe.

  Letting Lumina be… just Lumina.

  I noticed Lumina had her eyes closed.

  Without thinking too hard about it, I shifted slightly and let her lean against my shoulder.

  She wasn’t tired in the physical sense—her breathing was even, her posture stable. But I could tell… she was drained. Mentally. Emotionally. Like her mind had been carrying weight all day, pretending everything was fine.

  Typical Lumina.

  She never says it out loud, but she’s not good with emotional stuff. Not in the way most people expect. She reacts logically to things that others get worked up over, and she stays calm in chaos—but when things are calm? That’s when she starts falling apart quietly. Alone.

  Lumina reminds me of a shellfish—always tucked inside her shell. But now and then, just briefly, she opens up. Just enough to let someone see the softness inside. The fear, the care. I’ve only seen fshes, like glimpses through frosted gss.

  And I get it. More than I want to admit.

  I used to be the same before life forced me to choose between survival and sentiment. Daytime I’m a student. Nighttime, I’m part of something... else. But when it’s early, when the streets are empty and the world is quiet, that's the only time I can rest. The only time I feel like I’m still human.

  Funny thing is—Lumina shows up before me. Always. She’s already there, sitting somewhere, eyes scanning the horizon or reading something old and poetic. Letting me rest, like she knew I needed it.

  She’s more observant than she pretends to be.

  In fact, she was the one who approached us. No hesitation. Just walked up and asked to be friends. She ignored everyone else and went straight to our table. My friends were caught off guard, but they welcomed her. I knew why she did it. She saw something—she knew we wouldn’t judge her for being an Exos. Not many would look past that.

  Over time, we got closer. She started opening up, bit by bit. She looked after me when I was too tired to fake a smile. She brought food when I skipped meals. She remembered things I didn’t even tell her out loud.

  She's gentle—too gentle. But she’s carrying something. Secrets she can’t talk about. And I won’t bme her for that. I’m the st person who’d ask someone to spill everything.

  Still… it makes me feel guilty.

  Because Lumina is always there for me when I’m exhausted. But when she’s exhausted—who’s there for her?

  I want to be. I should be. But she’s never really let me in.

  So I’ll try.

  I’ll keep trying to open that shell of hers—slowly, carefully. If she ever gets to the point where she can’t take it anymore… I want her to know she can lean on me. Fully. Not just like this.

  Across the table, I noticed my friends had gone quiet. They gave us space. Subtle. Kind.

  Except for Lynn.

  Lynn was giving me the stink-eye like I’d stolen her dessert.

  I groaned and rolled my eyes. Seriously?

  Yeah, I know Lynn likes Lumina. It’s obvious. But they’re not compatible—not in the long run. Lynn’s too emotional. She reacts on instinct and cks the deeper kind of understanding Lumina needs. And if she does get it one day, good for her.

  But I’m not betting on it.

  I stirred awake to the gentle tapping on my cheek.

  Ellen’s face was the first thing I saw.

  Oh.

  My head was still resting on her shoulder.

  AHHH?!

  I jolted upright, flustered beyond belief. Why was I leaning on Ellen?! She's younger than me—how humiliating!

  I quickly cleared my throat and tried to salvage my dignity.

  “S-Sorry for falling asleep on you, Ellen…”

  “It’s fine,” she replied calmly, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face. “You’re free to do it. I do it too sometimes.”

  That made me feel… oddly relieved.

  But before I could settle into the warmth of that reassurance, I heard two sharp, excited shrieks from the side. Monna and Ruby immediately froze, looking everywhere but at me.

  Suspicious.

  “Um, Lumina… you can sleep on my shoulder too! Even… even my p,” Lynn blurted out suddenly, her voice trembling and loud enough for the room to hear.

  My soul quietly left my body.

  “Ohhh~!” Ruby added in a teasing tone.

  What the heck is wrong with these two?! I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud, so I just sat there, blinking slowly, like a broken NPC.

  From my left, I heard a faint “tsk.”

  Yeah. That was definitely Ellen.

  I gnced at her. She was still sipping water, not looking at me—but I could feel the passive-aggressive vibes radiating off her.

  Help.

  Thankfully, my stomach chose the perfect moment to change the topic by growling.

  I looked down at the table. A beautiful, extravagant feast was id out in front of us. All of it looked straight out of a gourmet magazine.

  “Wait! Let me take a picture first!” I said, pulling out my phone. “Ruby, want to take some shots with me?”

  “Absolutely!” she chirped, already flipping her hair.

  It took a few minutes for us to finish our little media-brag ritual—posed selfies, zoomed-in shots, food aesthetic filters. Then I cpped once and said, “Okay, guys. Let’s eat.”

  I was just about to savor the first bite when I noticed something odd—food started appearing on my pte. Piece by piece. Carefully chosen cuts. Some dessert. A slice of tender meat. A side of roasted root.

  Lynn was shyly spooning things onto my pte.

  Ellen, silently and methodically, was doing the same.

  You two… what are you fighting for now?!

  I wanted to say it, but my mouth was full. And honestly… I didn’t hate it. It’s rare to have someone serve me food like this. Usually, it’s only family who does that. And even then, it's transactional.

  This?

  This felt kind.

  So I let it be.

  In the end, thanks to Monna’s monstrous appetite, Ellen’s surgical precision, and my own quiet resolve to avoid leftovers, we miraculously finished everything.

  “Lumina, are you sure you’re a normal human?” Ruby asked, slumped back in her chair.

  I ughed softly and nodded. “I am human. Probably genetically tweaked, though. My parents gave me all kinds of weird medicine when I was little. To boost physical resilience and ether compatibility.”

  They seemed satisfied with that answer—even if it was half a truth.

  Eventually, the sun dipped below the city skyline. Time to head home.

  I drove everyone back one by one. The car felt a little quieter this time—sleepy, maybe. Or just full.

  When it was just me and Ellen, she finally spoke.

  “I’ll get off at the station near your pce,” she said, already gathering her things.

  I nodded. “Alright. I’ll stop by NEPS for parking anyway.”

  As we pulled up near the train terminal, she opened the door but didn’t get out immediately.

  “See you next week, Lumina.”

  Her voice was soft, but certain. Like she’d already scheduled it in her mind.

  I smiled and met her gaze.

  “Yeah. See you next week, Ellen. Take care.”

  She gave me one st look—something unreadable in her eyes—before hopping out and disappearing into the crowd.

  I parked the car at NEPS and leaned back in the driver’s seat for a moment.

  Next week, huh?