After stopping by her favorite cake shop, we started walking back to the house, each of us carrying our share.
Then, Anathasia spoke up.
"Oh… there are a few people inside already," she murmured casually. "That's bold, bringing people over when you've only been there for a day."
"…There are already people in the house?" My brows furrowed. "How many?"
Anathasia glanced back at me, then up at the sky.
"Three," she said.
"Including Leah."
Our surroundings shifted as I took a step forward. The house stood before us, and from inside came the sound of familiar voices, overlapping, casual and comfortable.
"Looks like they've already made themselves at home," she added, glancing toward the house before gesturing for us to walk in. "Your plan will have to wait."
I nodded faintly.
"Looks like it…"
The door clicked shut behind us as we stepped inside, the voices carrying on without pause. But the closer we got to the living room, the clearer they became.
A guy's voice.
A girl's.
Leah's voice was there too, strangely subdued.
Our footsteps echoed down the hallway.
The moment they did, the voices stopped.
When we passed the doorway to the living room, someone spoke.
"Kyle."
Anathasia, a step behind me, looked over first. I didn't. My gaze stayed fixed on the kitchen at the end of the hall.
[Oh. It's that Vincent guy from eight months ago.]
Her voice slipped into my head.
[I see…]
I turned then, making sure a wry smile was already in place.
Vincent was standing. Leah sat across from him, her posture stiff. Beside him sat a girl I didn't recognize.
Vincent hesitated just for a second before forcing a smile.
"Leah called us over," he said. "And I was… kind of curious about where you lived too, so yeah. Here we are."
"Ah, now that you mention it," I replied, keeping my tone light. "You did say something along the lines of *wanting to visit NSGU* back then, didn't you?"
My expression softened.
"Or am I remembering that wrong?"
Vincent's shoulders loosened. The tension in his eyes faded. Not gone, but no longer trying to avoid mine.
"Yeah," he said, letting out a small, awkward laugh. "I did say something like that."
My gaze drifted over the room.
Leah still hadn't lifted her head, her attention fixed on her lap. The girl beside Vincent leaned further into the couch, close enough to be familiar. She looked oddly recognizable, but I couldn't quite place her.
"I hope you don't mind us intruding," Vincent added, rubbing the side of his neck.
"It's fine," I replied, glancing to my side.
Anathasia was there. Quietly fiddling with her phone, seemingly uninterested.
"I'm sure Leah would've felt a bit lonely being here by herself anyway."
That was when something tugged gently at the hem of my uniform.
I turned.
Anathasia had hooked her fingers around my sleeve, drawing me a little closer.
"Say," she murmured, "should I take these to the kitchen while you four catch up?"
I looked back toward the living room.
Vincent's expression shifted, relief mixed with something closer to uncertainty.
"Sure," I said, smiling. "Thanks."
I pulled my arm free and reached up, patting Anathasia's head. She gave a small nod before turning and heading toward the kitchen.
As she left, I turned back to Vincent and the others and stepped into the living room. I took the small sofa between the couches, settling in with an easy smile.
"So," I asked casually, leaning forward with my hands clasped, chin resting against my knuckles, "how have things been on your side?"
"Pretty good, actually," Vincent replied, sitting beside the girl. Across from him, Leah fiddled with her phone. Though it was obvious she was just scrolling to look busy.
"How about you?" he continued. "Anything come up these past few months?"
I paused.
He's definitely probing.
"Mostly fine," I said. "A few arguments with Anathasia here and there, but nothing serious."
Vincent blinked.
"The two of you… still argue?"
"Isn't that normal?" I shrugged. "It's usually petty stuff. Her losing a game. Or being unreasonable for no reason."
I exhaled lightly.
"Sometimes misunderstandings too. Mostly on my end."
His expression shifted. His jaw slackened just a little.
"That's…" he muttered. "That's actually something else."
He glanced at Leah, still absorbed in her screen, before looking back at me.
"You two really are… exceptions, huh?"
I laughed lightly, shaking my head.
"I wouldn't say that," I replied. "We're more like two people who found stability just by being around each other."
My gaze drifted toward the table as I leaned back against the sofa.
"But obviously, nothing's perfect. An argument or two is normal at this point. That's how people improve together, anyway."
I shrugged.
"Just take away the unreasonable part. That's a waste of time."
"Right?"
The door opened then, and I glanced over as Anathasia walked in carrying a tray. The usual spread. Tea, juice, and a few pastries we made whenever we had the time.
"Anathasia."
She smiled softly as she set the tray on the table before us, then took a seat beside me.
"A waste of time is an understatement," she murmured, leaning against the armrest. "It gets annoying after a while. Like you're just asking for an argument."
"You did that back then, though," I said, leaning in as I took a cookie from the tray.
"That's because I was being stupid," she replied flatly. "Now I'm not."
"…Fair," I nodded.
I glanced at Vincent and smiled.
"So yeah," I continued after a beat. "That's how we deal with it. Nothing special."
"It's really no different from a typical relationship."
Vincent didn't speak right away.
His gaze flickered between Anathasia, then me, then finally Leah.
For a moment, he almost looked… cornered.
Then—
"Leah," the girl beside him suddenly said, her voice cutting through the silence. "How about we drop this and apologize for what you did to Kyle all those years ago?"
Our eyes widened, almost in unison.
All except Anathasia's.
She looked… mildly amused.
But the girl didn't stop.
"It's in the past," she pressed. "Grow up. Act like an adult already."
"Ilya, stop—"
"Or what, Vincent?" she shot him a glare before pointing toward me. "Can't you see it?"
"He's already moved on."
She stood, turning fully toward Leah now.
"Face it," Ilya said, her voice sharp. "You already lost him."
Her eyes hardened.
"And you lost him the moment you thought poking at his appearance would make him care about you."
Vincent immediately reached out and grabbed her wrist, his expression tight.
"Ilya—"
She brushed his hand away without looking at him.
"Well?" she continued, leaning closer to Leah. "Don't tell me you still think you deserve a place in his life after everything you did."
Leah flinched.
She lifted her head, lips parting. But nothing came out.
A beat passed.
Then another.
"That's…" Her voice cracked. "That's not— you're being too cruel—"
"Cruel?" Ilya cut in flatly. "From what I've heard from your classmates, you were the one who picked on him the most."
Leah's jaw tightened.
"I was just a child!" she snapped. "What did you expect? I wasn't supposed to understand everything right away!"
Ilya didn't react.
She just stared at her. Openly, unashamedly disdainful.
"And who are you to talk?" Leah continued, her voice rising. "You don't even know what happened."
Her hands clenched.
"You're an outsider. Stay out of this."
Ilya went quiet.
Then she scoffed.
Vincent reached for her again, trying to pull her back, but she didn't budge.
"If you can't even see it yourself," Ilya said calmly, eyes fixed on Leah, "then that's already the problem."
She tilted her head slightly.
"It's obvious who's in the wrong here. And the fact that an outsider like me, and everyone else who was there, came to the same conclusion…"
Her gaze hardened.
"That should tell you something."
Ilya looked down at her.
"You're not misunderstood, Leah."
A pause.
"You're just a selfish narcissist."