"Hngh... Hngh..." The apprentice SeeD grunted with each powerful swing of his gunblade, engaging in a fierce duel with his experienced adversary. The clash of their swords echoed through the air, deafening other soldiers who were carefully following their moves.

"Raddie, behind you!" Shrewdya's voice pierced through the chaos, a warning of an impending attack from the rear. Her focus remained on maintaining her protective Shell spell, casting it upon Raddie to shield his back. Despite her efforts, she knew that her magical barrier could only withstand so many consecutive strikes from Nida's twin katanas.

Raddie instinctively squatted low to evade the strike. However, Nida's katanas anticipated the dodge, quickly angling downward to aim at their intended target.

"Freeze!" Timeth's voice rang out, commanding time and space to stop around the katana closer to Raddie's head. In that frozen moment, Raddie seized the opportunity to roll away from danger, narrowly avoiding a potentially lethal blow.

"Nice save!" Shrewdya exclaimed, her voice filled with relief. "That was too close."

"Thanks," Timeth replied in his characteristically monotone voice, quickly resuming his magic brewing stance, preparing for the next spell, for freezing time required a certain buildup.

Even though the time freeze lasted for a mere fraction of a second, Timeth's rare ability had the potential to tip the scales of victory in their favor during one-on-one battles.

Rising swiftly to his feet, Raddie felt a surge of confidence.

We can win this! He thought. But he did not want to get overconfidence and suffer a defeat as he had done multiple times before. The bitterness of losing while seemingly on the path to triumph was far more painful than enduring a continuous onslaught of attacks during the battle.

Nida was undoubtedly swift and highly skilled, but like any other abilities, his techniques exacted a toll, drawing from the finite well of magical resources within a human. Nida's junctioned katanas had already drained a significant portion of his magic reserves. However, claiming the final hit would not be an easy task, for Nida's teleportation Limit Break could not be underestimated. Raddie needed to maintain focus and strike with precision, just once more, and it would be over.

"Gilgamesh!" Nida attempted to summon his last resort. This move would drain completely his resources, but if he got lucky, the masked mythical Guardian Force would finish the whole gang.

"Shoot!" Raddie's face twisted in surprise. "Shrew, remove Protect! Tim, freeze Excalibur whenever…" Raddie shouted without even glancing at his teammates.

It's all or nothing.

Responding swiftly to Raddie's command, Shrewdya dispelled Protect, knowing that this small trade-off would grant him greater speed and agility. Timeth, ever watchful, followed Raddie's every move, ready to freeze Gilgamesh's lethal blade regardless of which sword the red-cloaked Guardian Force would use, for Raddie's remaining HP would endure any Gilgamesh's other useless blades.

Timeth knew that Raddie had a hint of recklessness, but in this crucial moment, he found himself in accord. There was simply no other option, and he couldn't help but be momentarily amazed by Raddie's incredibly quick and daring strategy.

"Yaaaa..." Raddie charged toward Nida as Gilgamesh emerged from Nida's head.

Raddie's sword hit its target, piercing his opponent's heart.

Please. Raddie silently begged, urging the handle of his sword to move just a bit farther. He could feel the cold, deadly edge of Gilgamesh's blade pressing against his torso.

"Freeze!"

A resounding ring, piercing and deafening, shattered the tension in the chamber, marking the end of the battle.

"Great job, everyone! That was a close one!" A redhead girl sitting behind a protective glass barrier stood up and quickly opened the door to greet the warriors back to reality.

"Not quite," Nida - the head field instructor of Balamb Garden - remarked while catching up his breath. "We need to change the test somehow. It's too easy for this Squad."

"Well, we should respect history. Your stats are the same as those of the heroes from the Legendary Sorceress War and Sorceress Knight Seifer Almasy when they faced off in Delling," Acma responded to Nida. "It's not ideal, since weapons and innate abilities are different. But it's easier to calibrate squads this way. So I wouldn't change anything, at least for this semester."

Although the young SeeD Acma was much more junior in ranking compared to Nida, her inputs had certain weight given her excellent track record as a student during her time in both Trabia Garden and Balamb Garden.

"How did I do, instructor?" Raddie asked, his face radiant with triumph.

"You ALL did well... and hey, don't jinx it, I'm not an instructor."

"Not yet. But we all know it's just a matter of when the license exam will take place."

"Which depends on Miss Xu's pocket," Acma smiled. "Anyway, in terms of stats, here are some numbers."

HP loss: - 25000

HP healed: 13000

Hits: 25

Misses: 200

MP: - 3000

EXP: 5000

AP: 120

"Awesome!" exclaimed Shrewdya, wiggling her eye brows towards Raddie. "We did it."

Given these numbers, Keannu's scholarship would be secured. Shrewdya and Raddie exchanged silent nods.

"That's... something. And hey, this doesn't even capture Timeth's incredible saves. Thanks, buddy!" Raddie gave a friendly pat on Timeth's back.

"Don't mention it." Timeth nodded slightly.

"You all can go now. I'll submit these results to the Garden Committee right away so you'll all hear back by noon tomorrow." Acma cast a warm look toward Nida and her sweaty mentees.

Exhausted, people began to leave the room. Raddie lingered behind and leaned forward to look at Acma's computer screen. His lionheart pendant, a replica of Commander Squall Leonhart's Griever necklace, swung back and forth, lightly tapping her keyboard.

In their generation, every student had chosen at least one idol from the Legendary SeeDs who had defeated Ultimecia, the most powerful Sorceress known to date. They tended to imitate even the smallest details of their heroes and heroines, including seemingly ridiculous things like Senior Irvine's catchphrase, "I only play with girls," which some boys would use as an excuse if they didn't know how to play Triple Triad. The growing popularity of movies and sitcoms, which spread widely after the radio communication between continents was restored following Adel's defeat, only intensified the young students' obsession with the famous SeeDs.

"So... what do you think of my performance today?" Raddie grinned.

"Great as always, partner," Acma then looked at him. "What, seeking approval?"

"Hey, shouldn't instructors be nicer to students?"

"Well, again, I'm not an instructor yet." Acma returned to the screen. "Now get out, you smell like bacon."

"At least this bacon is made from a victorious pig." Raddie playfully swayed his hips like a pig wags its tail as he walked out the door. "Goodnight, Acma."

"Goodnight, Raddie." Acma smiled and gave a slight nod to her partner.

Unlike most students who took intensive physical training every day, Raddie was on the bulkier side, but took pride in his physique and frequently compared himself to massive beasts. During the last Garden Festival, he even let Miss Tilmitt dress him up in a T-Rex costume with a fake gun, and then performed Sir Laguna's Desperado limit break on stage to the beat of "A Man with Machine Gun." Some of his classmates playfully threw empty bottles at him, knowing that he didn't mind being a source of stress relief for his friends.

"Paperwork... no wonder Commander Leonhart handed me these templates at lightning speed." Acma typed as fast as she could, eager to find out who would be participating in the next SeeD exam.


"I got taken down within 30 minutes," Nida remarked, glancing over the battle reports submitted by Acma. "This squad is seriously overpowering with instant healing and time freeze."

"Raddie's quick decision-making really makes a difference," Quistis commented as she looked at the year-to-end analytics. "The success rates of Timeth and Shrewdya are above average, but they were way more impressive with Raddie."

"Someone with leadership qualities," Selphie nodded.

Quistis cringed at Selphie's comment and discreetly glanced at Squall, whose face remained as emotionless as ever. "No leadership qualities" was the final entry on her instructor log before the previous Garden Committee revoked her license and demoted her to a regular SeeD. She had sought solace in Squall, but his response had been harsh, telling her to talk to a wall. To this day, she hadn't fully recovered from that humiliating moment.

"Has Acma signed up for the next instructor exam? Or is she planning to stick around as an assistant?" Nida asked, looking over at Quistis.

It was understood among everyone that Balamb Garden was experiencing a shortage of SeeDs and instructors after the last Sorceress War. The mention of sorceresses as a danger had died out despite the abundance of monsters post Lunar Cry, thanks to the showbiz industry's efforts to romanticize the Legendary SeeDs' adventure. Even graduated SeeDs were experiencing attrition, which was understandable as most of them reached their mid-twenties and wanted to explore life beyond the flying garden's ring.

"I'm not sure about Acma's plans. She seemed to avoid the topic when we last talked. But it's pretty clear she's been spending more time in my research lab lately. Honestly, a few more qualified instructors wouldn't hurt," Quistis replied.

Balamb had postponed the promotion of additional instructors, leaving the existing ones to take on more classes. Even without her SeeD duties, Quistis could hardly find time to take a vacation—not that she liked taking vacations, but the thought of having the flexibility to do so would have been nice.

The door slid open, and a short girl with black hair walked in, her steps quick and a bit heavy.

"Good morning. The proposed candidates for the next SeeD exam?" she asked abruptedly, reaching for the sheet Squall had put forward. "Um... Not a surprise. I wonder why we wasted another simulation," she muttered.

Silence filled the room for a few seconds.

"We didn't think they were ready for the real deal. This is their only chance to practice with human fighters," Quistis reminded Xu, referring back to their previous discussion.

"Right... I just feel like we should tweak the process. It's painful to see money going down the drain," Xu explained. "But anyhow, get them in a written exam and then a field exam quickly. I have a flood of contracts flowing in recently. Apparently, there are recent conflicts among tribes in Centra. Put the experienced SeeDs down as proctors if needed."

"I'll take care of the pairing," Quistis nodded. "By the way, do we know which instructor will be leading the next SeeD exam? Um… Acma mentioned that she would love to shadow the process this time."

"Perfect! Having an experienced SeeD take on the responsibilities of an instructor without the official title... I'm all for it," Xu approved with a smile, and Quistis could tell her best friend was mentally calculating the salary difference between instructors and SeeDs. "Anything else? Anything unrelated to Gils?"

Silence filled the room once again.

"Hey, is the investor's meeting still happening tomorrow?" Nida asked, concerned about Xu, who had become visibly stressed since taking over as headmaster a year ago.

"Bah, I'll handle it. Just focus on your own duties, and send a prayer to Hyne for some freaking miracles…." Xu waved off the concern. "Oh, Squall, I almost forgot. 1200 Monday, you have an interview at Timber Maniacs. Don't be late. I know Rinoa isn't here to back you up, but try… you know, be a bit more talkative, okay?"

Squall reluctantly nodded and let out a sigh as Xu departed.

Quistis felt sympathy for Squall. Show business was definitely not what this introvert guy had expected to become his duty after returning from Ultimecia's castle. Despite Cid's skill in handling political matters and negotiating with Master Norg to secure renewed investment, Norg demanded cutbacks in almost every aspect of Balamb Garden's operations. Additionally, Cid had been preoccupied for months with the fear of Edea being possessed again, forcing Xu to be creative with making money out of the Legendary SeeDs' fame.

Cid and Edea had been away from the garden for a while.

Last year, Dr. Odine arrived at Balamb Garden with his equipment to measure Edea's powers. They discovered that her powers inexplicably continued to grow. Dr. Odine came up with the idea of taking Edea to the Deep Sea Research Center, which he had converted into a new laboratory, abandoning his previous one in Esthar because he disagreed with Laguna's new research direction. Magic sorcery was Dr. Odine's passion, not magic radio, which Laguna had been pushing now that Adel's interference was no longer a concern.

"Alright... I guess that covers everything we needed to discuss. Shall we leave then?" Quistis looked around the room and closed her laptop.

Suddenly, a series of shrill sounds emanated from the commander's junction device.

"HEY SQUALLLL, HAVE YOU RECEIVED MY CARE PACKAGE? EAT IT WHILE IT'S FRESHHHH - I MADE IT MYSELFFFF, FROM A TURTAPOD'S PURPLE PARTTTT. LOVE YOUUUU, MUAH HAHAHAHHA. OOPS, YOU THINK THAT WAS TOO LOUD, BRUNO? HELLOOOO? TEST, TEST, TEST. OHHH. DINGGGGGGGG."

An awkward silence filled the room after the seemingly endless ringing finally ceased.

Squall brought his hand up to his forehead, wishing there was a hole he could jump into or a way to break his junctioned hand and toss it into the hole.

"Teleradio…" he muttered.

Selphie, struggling to suppress her giggles, attempted to console Squall but couldn't stop laughing long enough to convey it.

The committee decided to do Squall a favor by bidding their goodbyes and quickly leaving him alone, all thinking about how lucky Squall was to have been reunited with his father and no longer be an orphan like the rest of them.


At a coffee shop in Balamb town…

"Dude, how confident are you that I'm not out of the safe list?" Keannu, Raddie's classmate, asked the potential SeeD candidate.

"Trust me, I don't have the exact numbers, but I'm pretty sure you're above the failure threshold based on my rough calculations. They adjusted the thresholds last semester, and they won't be doing it again. They don't have that much free time," Raddie winked at his best friend, who wanted to stay in the class for the scholarship but had plans outside of the military garden. "Just to be safe, I even asked Shrewdya to tone down her healing rate in the last battle. Don't worry, we've got this!" Raddie gestured towards Shrewdya, who was sipping her coffee.

"Thanks, men." The dark-skin boy addressed both Raddie and Shrewdya, much to the girl's annoyance. "One more semester, and I'll have enough savings to move to Dollet. When you all become SeeDs and travel the world, make sure to drop by my martial arts school." Keannu wrapped his arm around Raddie's shoulder, daydreaming about opening his martial arts institution to teach kids what he had learned after more than a decade at Balamb.

"Of course, bro. I'll throw in some bonus magic shows for your students," Raddie waved his hand, mimicking a magic casting motion.

"Dude, it will take ages for a single Blizzard to come out of you. You'll impress the girls more with your chopping," Keannu swung his palms around, mimicking a chopping motion.

"Well, that's the whole point. It's like how slowly falling snow has a way cooler effect than hail," Raddie wiggled his fingers along with his eyebrows. Shrewdya couldn't help but chuckle and nearly choked on her coffee in the process.

Boys.

"Sure, only seven-year-olds would be impressed by that," she narrowed her eyes. "It's so weird when you guys make assumptions about what girls like or don't like. Just be yourselves, be cool."

Raddie and Keannu suddenly noticed a familiar figure entering the coffee shop.

"Speaking of a cool devil," Raddie and Keannu exchanged winks and puckered their lips as if they were about to kiss, laughing in jest. "We've gotta go, have fun, lovebirds!"

Shrewdya was taken aback by their reaction and turned around as they quickly ran away.

Shit. Timeth suddenly appeared, his silver hair unreasonably perfect, dressed in a casual yet elegant hoodie, giving him the aura of a mature young man. Meanwhile, Shrewdya just wore her faded shirt, not caring much about dressing up when her besties barged into her room and dragged her out for breakfast, not even letting her finish brushing her teeth.

"Can I join you?" Timeth asked Shrewdya and sat down, facing her, as he noticed her shy nod.

Despite being an energetic girl among others, and the fact that she had shared a number of battles with Timeth—mostly thanks to Raddie's rearrangement—she still felt a bit shy being around him. Timeth had an aura that balanced between being an attractive man and a cute, handsome teenager.

A longer-than-acceptable period of silence passed, and she had not spoken a word. Timeth was not a talkative guy, so the responsibility of thinking of an opening topic fell on her.

Food? Exams? Clothes? Weapons? She couldn't think of anything appropriate to break the silence.

"I like your shirt," Timeth complimented, catching Shrewdya off guard.

"Oh, really?" Shrewdya's eyes opened, looking at Timeth to confirm he was the one commenting on her clothes.

"Yeah, it looks nice on you," Timeth continued, and Shrewdya blushed, surprised by his unusual line.

"Thanks... your hoodie looks nice too. Matches your hair." Perfectly, she replied.

"Thanks... hey, do you feel like going for a walk? It's a beautiful day outside," Timeth suggested.

But… Balamb's weather was always sunny. Shrewdya wondered, but felt happy regardless. Only a few people knew about her feelings towards Timeth, although no one could guess if the silver-haired guy felt the same way, or if he even liked girls.

"Sure... We can go now."

"Perfect!"

You got this, Shrew. It's just a walk. She thought to herself, feeling her heart race even faster than during simulation battles.

"Where do you want to go?" She asked as they stepped out of the coffee shop located right at the entrance of Balamb town, opposite Raddie's family's gas station.

"How about the Dinoc Gap hotel?" Timeth suggested, quickly correcting himself with a blush, "I mean just walking outside, of course."

"Okay..." Shrewdya smiled. So cute. "Why that place?"

"It's quite shameful to admit this... but tomorrow marks two years since my transfer to Balamb. And I heard that Sir Laguna stayed at that hotel and wrote an article in the old Timber Maniacs magazine," Timeth explained. "I don't want to feel like I know less about Balamb than a tourist."

"I see. I can show you around. Don't beat yourself up though. I've been at Balamb Garden for almost a decade, and I've only been to Dinoc Gap once with Raddie's family on his birthday."

Timeth nodded with a kind smile. "Sounds like a friendly place."

"Let's go, maybe the hotel staff will let us go upstairs and watch the sea from its balcony. I'm sure it's even better than the view from the dock." Shrewdya suggested.

They walked along in silence, immersing themselves in the sound of the breeze and the calling of the seagulls. Here and there were the sounds of a few barking dogs, playfully chasing each other near the dock.

"Here we are. Wait here for a sec," Shrewdya walked towards the receptionist and engaged in cheerful small talk with her before coming back to Timeth.

"We can go to the third floor. Let's go!" Shrewdya exclaimed.

Upstairs, they reveled in the serene view of the endless sea and blue sky, devoid of any disturbances.

"Beautiful… Thank you, Shrewdya," Timeth expressed his gratitude.

"Don't mention it," Shrewdya replied. "Although I'm curious why you asked me and not others. I mean, Raddie grew up here. He surely knows more fun places." She inquired, still puzzled by Timeth's unexpected invitation.

"I've been feeling a bit emotional today... I've been thinking about how we'll soon be assigned the SeeD exam, and there's a good chance that some of us will become SeeDs. We'll be sent to who-knows-where the very next day. I just want to make the most of my time here." Timeth explained. "And... I feel like we haven't really had the chance to talk alone, not about school and training. I apologize for not inviting you sooner. Look at what I've missed?"

Hmm. He talks a lot more today than any other days combined.

"Thank you for your optimism regarding my potential as a SeeD," Shrewdya replied, appreciating his encouragement. "I should have thought of this earlier as well. Although I do have a good reason for not doing so—I... haha... I didn't exactly like you when you first arrived here," Shrewdya confessed, lightening the mood with a grin.

Timeth appeared surprised by this news. "Oh? Why is that?"

"Well," Shrewdya began, "you didn't smile at all that day. Plus, for weeks before your arrival, we heard rumors about a silver-haired guy with god-like time-manipulating abilities. You were seen as a formidable threat to us competitive folks here. And then, the fact that you rarely spoke up in group settings, always offering your brilliant ideas last. I thought you were being arrogant."

Timeth let out a small laugh, nodding in understanding. "I can understand why you would think that."

"I'm sorry," Shrewdya continued. "But as time goes on, I realize that you are just thoughtful. I tried my best to find reasons to dislike you, but I eventually gave up."

"I'm glad I'm no longer on your blacklist," Timeth said with a smile.

"You never were!" Shrewdya quickly corrected him. "It's just... well, you know me. I can make friends with anyone. And even if you were a bit arrogant, so what? Raddie and Keannu are kind of hyperactive weirdos but we're still best friends. I think it's fun that each of us is unique in our own ways, and true friends accept each other's flaws."

"I'm jealous of them for having a best friend like you... Hmm, now that you've opened up to me about that…" Timeth paused for a bit before continuing. "When Acma and I got transferred here, we were quite certain that you and Raddie were a couple."

"What? No, no, no, no, no!" Shrewdya emphatically rejected the notion. "I swear that's not possible, not in the past, not now, and not in any future conceivable in my lifetime. How long did you two believe that?"

"Not for long, mostly because Raddie couldn't hide his crush on Acma."

"I know, right? The guy was so obvious. So does Acma know that he's into her?"

"I'm not sure," Timeth replied. "She and I don't discuss personal matters much. But she's smart, so…"

"Right, no one that smart could miss it. Speaking of which, what is it like to work with her?"

"We get along well," Timeth immediately replied. "Acma is one of the strongest magic casters in Garden. She's also very good at strategic planning, so honestly I've never had to do much."

Shrewdya nodded. Timeth and Acma were both 17, a year older than Shrewdya and the rest. However, their execution was at another level. Sometimes Shrewdya wondered if Trabia Garden's instructors were better at teaching than Balamb Garden's.

"She must have some weaknesses, right?" Shrewdya pressed on.

Timeth paused for a bit, surprised by Shrewdya's question. "Let me think… well her strength sometimes turns out to be her weakness, too," his voice carrying a hint of hesitation. "She does tend to be somewhat rigid in her approach when it comes to unexpected situations."

Shrewdya tilted her head. "Really? I've never noticed that."

"Yeah... I don't recall you two ever working together, right? She moved to S20 and became a SeeD shortly after the transfer," Timeth replied.

"That's right… So, what did she do that makes you think she's a bit rigid?"

Timeth thought for a moment, considering his words carefully. "Before I share this, let me make it clear that I have the utmost respect for Acma..." Timeth paused, waiting for Shrewdya's acknowledgment before continuing. "This happened years ago at Trabia, so she may have improved since then. We were on a mission to infiltrate a tribe. Acma had planned every step, accounting for every squad's moves. However, midway through the operation, as we faced just a few tribe members, we realized they brought along homegrown beasts with magic far beyond what we had anticipated. And of course, they don't take turns in battles, ever!"

"Haha, sure they don't."

"I suggested retreating, especially since our group consisted of inexperienced students without instructors," Timeth continued. "However, Acma was reluctant to retreat, concerned that we wouldn't reach the meet-up point with other groups on time as she planned. She chose to keep fighting them head-on with high-level magic spells instead."

Shrewdya nodded. "So, what happened? Did you stay with her or leave her?"

"Well, we stayed but after a few moves, was it quite clear that fighting them head-on wouldn't work — Acma at the time was only half as good as she is now. Anyway, we naturally combined both approaches. We fought briefly and retreated, rinse and repeat, luring the enemy to the meet-up point and our instructors handled the rest. But honestly, there was more running than fighting haha."

"I can tell," Shrewdya could imagine a group of teenagers being humiliatingly chased by tribal members and their pet monsters. But when the students came back to school, the battle descriptions could sound gloriously different when told among other classmates. "Well, I'm glad you both found a collaborative solution, whether intentionally or not."

"Again, it's easy for me to say since I usually take a backseat. It would be interesting to see how Raddie and Acma team up in real missions. They're both brilliant and stubborn in their own ways," Timeth made an observation.

"For sure. I'd love to watch them debate. What an entertaining show for watchers like us!" Shrewdya agreed.

Together, they continued to gaze at the breathtaking sky, finding contentment in each other's presence before heading back.

When they neared the coffee shop, they spotted Acma near the train station.

"Acma? What are you doing here?" Shrewdya waved to her from a distance.

"Hi Shrew! I'm just buying a few G-Potions. You guys just came back from a walk? Can I borrow Timeth for a sec?" Acma waved briefly at Shrewdya before taking Timeth to a corner.

[whisper]

"I handed over the suggested list, and they had no issues with it. Both the written exam and field exam will be happening tomorrow," Acma whispered. "Something worthy of a SeeD exam just came in. Instructor Nida is analyzing a recent espionage report. Save your MP in case we need to go."

"Understood. And Z. Is it real?"

"Yeah."

"Any complications?"

"I hope not. I'll talk to him as soon as he's back."

"Do you feel prepared?"

"No… just too many things to keep track of. But I'll double-check everything."

"I can help if you want."

"Thanks! I really need it. My place tonight?"

"Sounds good."

[end of whisper]

Shrewdya tried not to glance at them too much, but from her lip-reading skills, it seemed they were planning to meet tonight. Acma seemed to be more than just a casual acquaintance, contrary to what Timeth had claimed. Boys.

"I'm done. I'm heading back to the lab. See you two around!" Acma waved goodbye to Shrewdya and Timeth before running off.

"Bye! See you, Acma!" Shrewdya waved and asked Timeth as he walked back to her side, "Did she tell you about the chosen SeeD candidates?"

"Yeah... we all made it, but don't tell anyone yet. It's not official. Acma just told me to prepare for a mission that's coming very soon. If the mission goes well, we'll be wearing the SeeD uniforms in two weeks."

Shrewdya nodded with a smile. She had been wandering around the garden for almost a decade, observing the battles among the Gardens, and Commander Leonhart had saved her a few times. This was exciting news, as she couldn't wait to contribute to the garden by carrying out real missions.

"Thanks for the insider information. It looks like you'll have less time to explore Balamb though."

Shrewdya noticed Timeth's slight change of expression.

"Uhm... I'd love to do this again... maybe with dinner. What do you think?" he asked.

Did he just ask me out? Right after agreeing to see Acma tonight. Outrageous.

"I'd love to. I'm actually free tonight," Shrewdya played along.

Take that, hideous playboy. She thought, enjoying Timeth's hesitance.

"Tonight? Uhm... sure. I did have something else planned, but... everything can wait. I'll pick you up at 1900?"

Shrewdya stopped her playful smile, surprised at Timeth's change of mind.

"That works…"

"Do you want to try Ivarice, the one next to Dinoc Gap? I know it's a bit fancy for a first date... but considering how little time we have left, maybe it's worth a try."

A date? What on earth?

"What do you say?" He asked again, and Shrewdya was certain he was holding his breath waiting for her answer.

"I think that sounds good," she smiled, "and I believe we just had a wonderful first date, so Ivarice sounds appropriate for a second one."

Timeth's eyes lit up. "Ivarice it is. I've heard great things about their cuisine. Looking forward to tonight."

"Me too."

The couple remained oblivious to the fact that they were being watched from a distance by their nosy friends.

"Dang! Our suite mate finally made a move on our bro," Keannu remarked, attempting to get a better view of Shrewdya and Timeth from behind a bush.

"Shhh! Keep it down. They might see us," Raddie covered his friend's mouth.

"Dude, good thing you were spying on Acma. Otherwise, we wouldn't have witnessed this exciting development."

Raddie nodded in agreement. Acma had just arrived at the train station, having spent the night away and worked late the previous evening. Her travels were always a mystery. While it wasn't against the rules, it did make them wonder if she had met someone outside of Balamb.

"Wanna follow her to the train next time to see where she goes? I know you want to, but dude, that's a bit too much," Keannu suggested.

"Yeah, it is... I don't know… Anyway, I'll still ask her out when I become a SeeD. Can't be slower than our suite mate."

"And Zyma the Great is back, adding to the competition!" Keannu exclaimed.

"Right…"

Zyma and Acma were former partners. While Zyma had been sent on missions right after his SeeD ceremony, Acma had stayed in the Garden to take on instructor-like responsibilities.

"WHAT are you rats doing here? Spying on your friends!"

"Bahhh!"

A loud, deep voice coming from behind startled the two friends.

"Ma Dincht! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Raddie exclaimed.

"Shhhh…" Keannu signaled them to be quiet.

"Well, you are trained for that, if I'm not wrong. Be studious, work hard, and don't waste time on meaningless spying and gossip like this. Be like…"

"Be like Zell, I know, Ma, we're trying…" Raddie filled in her words.

Ma Dincht narrowed her eyes.

"If you two have that much free time, why don't you help me run a little bit of errand?" she asked.

"Killing more Fasticocalon-F, right, Ma Dincht?" Raddie figured.

"You got it. Bring me six of them before noon. And at least drop by to say hi to your mom whenever you come to town," and with that, she walked away.

"I will. And you're welcome, Ma Dincht," Raddie said.

The two friends looked at each other in disbelief.

"She uses us again. When will Senior Zell be back?" Keannu sighed.

"Who knows? But you think he'd help ma kill some fishies?" Raddie sighed. "Anyway, let's go."

"To the beach?"

"Nah, we can catch the fish in ten minutes. She's not wrong, we need to train more. Let's go to the forest first, I've got enough Blinds to handle a hundred T-rexes!"