Suite's kitchen.

"So, when did you two start dating?" Acma asked Trepie #23 as she helped her clean the dishes.

"We're not dating," Trepie #23 smiled. "Acma, if I were dating someone, you'd be the first to know."

"Right, I thought so... but why were you with him?"

"We wanted to catch up. And since he's always in the training area, it made sense to meet there."

"It's not like you to go to that kind of place."

"What are you implying, Acma?"

"Nothing."

"Acma," Trepie #23 poured some more tea into Acma's cup, "love is not prohibited in Garden, but young people like yourself should be aware. As someone who has served in the operation unit for a while, I feel a responsibility to tell you. If you involve yourself in mercenary work, be cautious about forming romantic relationships. True love can give you strength, but heartbreak can lead to grudges. Anything that affects your decision-making in battles can be detrimental. That's why we have a special force to enforce curfew for couples and why Instructor Aki guards the girls' dorm. We have seen numerous instances where failed relationships have resulted in actual deaths, whether intentional or not. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Acma nodded. She always felt a little scared when Trepie #23 became serious.

"I care about all of you, and I feel a strong attachment to everyone in the school, including you, Acma. Now you're part of us," Trepie #23 continued after sipping her tea. "I may not be the strongest or the smartest, but I'm willing to stay behind and keep all of you in check. You're smart, you understand why I'm telling you all these, right?"

"I do. Thanks, Trepie #23."


Zyma: Sleep early. I'll come at midnight.

He sent her the first text message between them when she was in Quistis' lab.

Acma: Why?

He didn't reply.

Acma scoffed. Texting with this guy was as annoying as talking with him in real life. She could have screenshotted his text and report him, but thinking of Miss Xu's words regarding delaying her SeeD exam, she chose to ignore this annoyance this time.

Zyma, despite his bravado and arrogant attitude, seemed more like a big talker than a bad person. If he dared to text her this message, it would be likely that he would come with good intention.

Do you care about anything else besides money?

GFs and women.

So far, she had seen none of his GFs, and the only girl he walked along with just lectured her about the no love rule. Suddenly, she found him like a cutie trying to hide himself under the cover of a monster. Trepie #23's advice on dealing with tough people was a previous piece of advice, and Acma felt grateful that she had chosen to go this long with Zyma and discover some good thing out of this jerk.


Midnight.

Acma anxiously fixed her eyes on the door, waiting for Zyma's arrival. However, she didn't anticipate that he would enter in a rather unconventional way.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Acma jumped when she saw a figure covered in a black cloak floating outside her room's window.

"For Hyne's sake! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Acma exclaimed quietly as she hurriedly opened the window for Zyma to enter.

"Where else can I come after curfew? Aki always guards the girls' dorm. Use your brain, prodigy," Zyma remarked.

"Fair enough. Now, answer my text message from eight hours ago. Why are we meeting at midnight?" Acma inquired.

"Do you still remember everything from my GF notebook?" Zyma questioned.

"Maybe. I read it cover to cover," Acma replied.

"Good. It's time to test your memory. Hop on," Zyma instructed, indicating for Acma to attach herself to a metal clasp around his waist.

"What is this?" Acma asked, curious about the unfamiliar contraption.

"It'll help us escape through the window."

"Why can't we use stairs? Where are we going?"

"Acma…" Zyma furrowed his eyebrows. "I have only one rule. What is it?"

Acma sighed. "Don't ask questions. But think about it from my perspective. You're asking me to follow you in the middle of the night, using what appears to be a risky route, to an unknown destination, after assaulting me in front of a crowd..."

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'm trying to make it up to you here. But as for the location, where else could it be to test your memory from my GF notebook? Isn't it obvious?" Zyma replied.

"You... You're going to show me your GFs?" Acma gasped in excitement.

"Hop on, babe," Zyma smiled kindly.