Quistis' research lab.
"Have you stopped training with Zyma?" Quistis asked, wondering why Acma hadn't gone to Zyma's training for the past couple of days.
"Not really..." Acma reluctantly explained. "We're kind of taking a break, he's on a mission," she trailed off.
Quistis nodded, sensing something was off but deciding not to ask further. "I see. Maybe you can test the simulation room and train at the same time."
Noticing Quistis was curious about the progress of the important project, which was a key reason why Timeth and Acma could go to Balamb, Acma shared some updates with her. "That's what we've been doing. Timeth is still fixing software issues and adding more monster profiles. Since Balamb students have a wide range of abilities, he says it will take a little bit more time before it is fully functional for everyone."
A little bit of time... A delay of a few weeks is acceptable, but a delay of a few months won't go over well with Miss Xu.
Acma sluggishly jotted down a few numbers collected from her experiments and decided to take a short break.
A proper break.
She had had a fight with Zyma. It was difficult for her to call it a fight or define its nature because it seemed to come out of nowhere. Their mentor-mentee relationship had developed slowly through training, small missions, and, of course, the side hustles Zyma skillfully forced her into. Just when she thought they could call it friendship, admittedly one of the closest she had since moving to Balamb, he began to criticize her for how she spent her limited non-training time.
Flashback…
"Leaving so early? After studying physics for an hour and taking another hour of evening nap?" Zyma smirked as Acma reached for his room's door after excusing herself due to the impending curfew.
"Please... We've been training continuously for hours a day, for three consecutive weeks. I want to train, but my body is exhausted. And unlike you, I still have early classes in the morning, you know," Acma explained.
"Too little training, you're whining. Enough training, still whining. You barely spent an hour today on the field."
"I know... But it's just to day. I'm a magic caster, not a bodybuilder. There's some limit."
"What kind of attitude is that? Are you pulling the diversity, equity and inclusion shit again?" Zyma snapped. "Would monsters and sorceresses care if you are 5 feet or 6 feet tall? Whether you are a prodigy or a retard? Whether you're a boy or a girl? The whole point of martial arts training is to improve your physical strength, and you're saying you're not cut out for it? How is it ok to deprioritize the number one way to keep yourself alive, and put it what, under a physics assignment? How…"
"I didn't mean it like that..." Acma tried to interject.
"I am not finished!" Zyma raised his voice. "See? How is it okay for a woman to interrupt a man, while the reverse gets frowned upon? I'm saying, look up to your lab mentor, Quistis. She's also a prodigy. She worked hard. And after one Sorceress War, that respectable woman has a permanent metal clasp on her hip, ready to put on a museum. Do you want to cut your career short? Because if that's your plan, you'd better quit this school immediately to save yourself. I don't want to be held responsible for your death certificate!"
Acma patiently waited for Zyma to finish before speaking up. "I'm sorry, I know you think for me, and I really appreciate that. You have to believe, I don't want to stop training. I always work hard. I'm just crammed with a lot of midterms now. And Miss Xu pushed us to complete the simulation room, I can't say no to her… Not to mention our physical training is really exhausting…"
"Tch... but you still have the energy to go to the Secret Area and make out with your boyfriend, right?" Zyma shook his head.
"What? He's not my boyfriend," Acma corrected him. "We have real business there."
"Wow, teen slang. Business? In Secret Area? Who are you kidding? And I know teenagers nowadays are quite open, but I didn't think you were the kind of person who goes out nightly with a guy for a month without putting hundreds of labels on your relationship. I thought I'd have to buy a wedding gift for my pupil soon. Or maybe a baby shower gift if you're not careful," he said and tapped his fingers repeatedly on the door. "Are you guys using proper... prevention?"
"Ew..." Acma felt dizzy as she tried to make sense of his peculiar way of thinking, which felt like he was insulting both her and Timeth. "Zyma," she addressed him, feeling an uncommon urge to speak up. "It's very inappropriate for you to intrude so forcefully into our personal life. You're... you're…" She paused, unable to find the precise word.
"Say it. I'm what?"
"You're MEAN!" she yelled, unable to contain her building anger. It was the mildest word she could muster, to her credit.
"Really? That's what you got?" Zyma didn't take her word lightly. He clenched his jaw and took a few deep breaths.
"Go, take as much break as you want. I don't want to train someone who disrespects my time," he finally said, escorting Acma to the door.
He didn't show up to pick her up from Quistis' lab the next day, and she only learned from Xu that he was on a mission.
Acma's suite's kitchen.
"What's going on between you and Zyma now?" Trepie #23 inquired.
"Um... how do you know?" Acma asked back in surprise.
"It's all written in your face. I thought you two were getting along," Trepie #23 remarked.
"I thought so too. But lately, he's been acting strange… How do I even start? He's been overly concerned about my physical training, which, by the way, is great. While I appreciate that he cares, the training has become quite exhausting. He made me run around all the garden wings twice everyday, before coming to his room for the real martial arts training. By the time I finished, I was completely drained."
"Okay. Maybe you should talk to him and ask him to lighten the load. I don't see why this issue would lead to serious arguments," Trepie #23 suggested.
"I did talk to him. But then out of nowhere, he accused me of having time to go with Timeth to the Secret Area but being lazy when it comes to his training," Acma explained.
"That..." Trepie #23 was about to comment but decided to ask how Acma felt instead. "So, you don't think it makes sense the he sees things that way?"
"Well... maybe? Somewhat? But only because he assumed I'm lazy. But I'm not at all! And he's so rude to accuse me and Timeth like that. It's none of his business!"
"I see," Trepie #23 giggled. "I think I understand what's happening."
"You do?" Acma asked curiously.
"Yes. You both lack trust because you only have a little knowledge about each other. It's easy to jump to conclusions that are far from reality when you're both smart, thinking you're right, while only having a few puzzle pieces in front of you."
"Wow... That's deep and metaphorical... quite a detour from what I expected. But go on... What should I do?" Acma inquired.
"Acma," Trepie #23 replied with wisdom, "sometimes you don't have to explain everything, if the foundation of your relationship is strong. Building trust gradually helps others understand who you are, and once they trust you, they won't misunderstand you or question your motivation. You're a new student, and Zyma is your new mentor. You two barely know each other. It's easy for him to assume that you're not serious about your physical training, especially given your academic achievements. His eccentric behavior also gives off the impression that he's a jerk to many, so you may perceive his training as unfair. But having observed both of you, I can guarantee that you're both great friends. Try to build trust with him, understand him and help him understand you more. That's what I would do."
Trepie #23 launched into lecture mode once again. Acma had learned not to question her friend's reasoning, as she had often benefited from her valuable advice in the past. She was eager to find a solution to save her mentorship relationship, as it would greatly impact her chance to enter the SeeD exam.
"Building trust? Okay, if that's what you believe the issue is," Acma echoed, nodding. "But how do I even start? I can't seem to find any common ground with him."
Trepie #23 appeared to be highly proficient in management and operations, but Acma needed more specific instructions and details rather than fancy management jargon.
"Start by having casual conversations with him outside of training. Show genuine interest in his hobbies, goals, and even things like food and magic. You both have nerdy interests, so there's probably more in common than you think. Be patient and let the trust between you grow naturally. It might take time, but I'm sure it will make a difference in your work relationship."
"You mean... talking, that's what you think gonna solve our problem?"
"Yes, talking. In a friendly space, with respect and genuine interest of learning about the other person, without any bias. That's the kind of talking you need," Trepie #23 explained.
Acma felt enlightened. "Thanks, I'll give it a shot. Maybe I can convince him to join your bi-weekly hangouts as a starting point."
"See, you got it," Trepie #23 reassured her. "Just be yourself and let the mentorship develop. Good luck, Acma!"
Acma went back to her room, thinking about what she had learned from Trepie #23 in the last fifteen minutes.
Acma had a grand realization: Trepie #23 had been her mentor all along. There were no fancy offices or high-tech equipment involved, just simple moments of washing dishes by the kitchen sink and occasionally serving muffins.
Today's lesson: Talking is the first step to building a good relationship.
Although Zyma was annoying, he had actually helped improve her skills. But Acma had neglected to learn anything about him as a person. She needed to change that.
Looking at her mentorship checklist, she hovered her pen over the box for "Leadership qualities."
Ugh... Who said being a grown-up is fun?
Evening. Training Center.
"Senior Zyma! Wait! I want to buy a few things! Why are you leaving so soon?" a student called out, chasing after Zyma.
"Come to my room," Zyma replied.
It was almost curfew time, and he knew exactly who he would bump into at this hour.
It had been two weeks since he had asked Acma to leave his room and stopped seeing her. As expected, she hadn't made any attempts to reconnect either. Typical women.
To accommodate her busy schedule and ensure they had a minimum of four hours together each day, Zyma had to rearrange his business and tournament obligations. Yet, she had the audacity to go on a date right after curfew, leaving him with free time when not many customers would come to the Training Center for trade.
So, after advising Acma to take a proper break as she desired, he went straight to Xu and requested an immediate assignment. Unfortunately, the mission turned out to be a short one, and now he found himself facing his most dreaded thought.
It wasn't solely the loss of his time that bothered him.
[flashback)
"I have some new arrivals. Can you help organize them in their buckets? Second shelf to the right," Zyma instructed Acma as soon as he opened the door for her. Acma was catching her breath after running around the Garden twice, just as he had commanded.
"Yeah... Can I have a few minutes to finish my physics assignment? It's due in half an hour," she asked, grunting.
"Okay." Zyma was about to turn on the light, but she stopped him.
"It's okay, I brought my study lamp," she said, retrieving a small desk she had set up for herself, sparing him from dealing with the light.
Zyma felt appreciative that she had noticed his aversion to the light. She was a thoughtful person.
Acma put on her eyeglasses, and that was the first time he saw her wearing them.
Pfff... Another drawback of being in martial arts training.
"Do you have bad eyesight?" he asked.
"No. Thank Hyne, not yet. But these eyeglasses block blue light, which is really bad for retinal cells."
"Ha..."
She turned around, wearing a half smile, a nerdy look, with eyes lit up by some newfound discovery. He found himself captivated by her warm and intelligent gaze.
"Did you just realize something?" she asked him.
"What?"
fix: "Nothing. You always make that expression when you have an 'aha' moment." She smiled once more and returned to her studying. "Um… do you happen to have a scientific calculator?"
"Of course no. I thought you're a prodigy. Can't you do math in your head?"
"A little. But I need a scientific calculator to draw graphs."
"What kind of physics would you need that for?"
"Relativity."
"A new class? That sounds advanced."
"And the assignments are ridiculously hard," she replied. "Normally Timeth helps me, this is piece of cake for him, a physics major and someone with time freeze ability, obviously," she exclaimed. "I wish I have his brain. But anyway, he's helping Shrewdya with something, so I have to do this within half an hour."
Zyma narrowed his eyes. "He is with the hottest girl in his class, and you can sit here doing math?"
Acma paused her writing. "What's wrong with me doing math here?"
"Like… he chooses to help a hot girl over you?"
"Oh, do you mean if I'd feel betrayed?" Acma laughed. "Not at all. In fact, I'm glad Timeth has found new friends. He's probably sick of me. We've been together since we were ten years old."
"Wow, teenagers nowadays. So you're okay with sharing him with another girl?"
"I don't see any problem here. You make it sound like he has to ask for my permission to have fun. Good for him. As long as he still helps me with the Physics assignment, of course, haha."
"Interesting…"
Zym a rolled his eyes behind her back, and she continued with her assignment.
After half an hour, she closed her laptop. "I'm done. Sorry about that. What are we doing today?"
She came to sit down on his sofa, while he walked to the shelf to grab some items.
"I can see you're tired. Let's use this time to work on using some performance support items. Have you seen an Aura stone? It's one way to induce your Limit Break without resorting to that risky siphon trick. They're quite expensive, and I don't usually show them to anyone. But thanks for your help with the tournament, we collected a bunch of cards for refinement. I'll make an exception this time..."
The room was unusually quiet in her presence. Zyma glanced at her from the shelf and noticed that she had curled up on his sofa, sleeping peacefully like a child.
Tch...
It had been a while since a girl had slept in his room. She looked so peaceful.
He considered leaving her there and going to the Training Center as he usually did when he didn't have a duty with her. But somehow, he didn't want to do that. It wasn't that he didn't trust her to stay in his room. He had tested her integrity multiple times by leaving Gil and expensive items in random places. She would always find them, put them back in place, and inform him of her findings.
He found it difficult to understand her. He always believed that he excelled at reading people, especially in the context of interrogation and espionage during missions. However, she perplexed him. Sometimes she would behave childishly, while other times she displayed maturity. Occasionally, she acted recklessly, but there were moments when she seemed reserved. And what was the deal between her and that gray-haired boy, anyway?
Instead of finding something else to do, he simply sat there and watched her sleep for no reason.
Until her pager rang, and she jolted out of her slumber.
"Shoot! Timeth! I'm sorry... I gotta go."
(End of flashback]
When he returned to his room, he found a note slipped through his door with her handwriting.
"Are you alive? I'm ready to train again, whenever you want, sensei." She wrote, putting a smiley face and a heart at the end.
He confirmed what really bothered him.
He longed for her presence.
He wondered why.
Her presence was captivating, although not in the conventional sense where heads would turn in a room full of attractive cadets like Balamb Garden.
Her burgundy eyes, not only they smell good, but they also held a certain allure, as if they possessed the ability to grab his attention, much like those of a sorceress searching for a sacrifice.
He felt confused by his own thoughts.
Since when he could lay eyes on a girl who had been taken?
"He's not my boyfriend. We have real business there," he heard her say clearly, though without any further explanation. Even though he was intensely curious about her relationship, he felt too vulnerable to ask for more details.
He only trusts what he can see.
Perhaps she truly had nothing with that boy, but then why did they go to the Secret Area every night? He couldn't find out because entering that area alone was highly frowned upon.
Suddenly, an idea shot through his mind.
Acma lay in her bed, deep in thought, reflecting on the conversation she had with Trepie #23 in the kitchen.
"But Acma, you mentioned that Zyma got angry about you went out with Timeth," Trepie #23 had pointed out.
Acma asked innocently, "Right, so?"
Trepie #23 giggled in response. "You need to read more romance, I insist."
What does she mean? Is he... jealous?