The next few loops passed without much fanfare.

After taking Intro to Programming one more time for good measure, Kaitlyn managed to drag her grade up to a low A. However, rather than try to ace the class, she decided to move on to more advanced topics. She wasn't doing this for grades, after all, but for understanding. Who cared if she missed one question on the final if she had a solid enough grasp on the subjects?

Besides, even if the loops were infinite, her patience wasn't. She'd toiled away at her five base classes to spite them and the game itself. But that didn't mean she was exactly frothing at the mouth to do it all over again.

As for music, that was a different story. Playing the keyboard was certainly fun, but she realized early on what her biggest problem was: a complete and utter lack of innate talent. She wasn't completely tone-deaf, thankfully, but it was close. Worse, the hand dexterity required to play some of these pieces and chords just felt so unnatural. At least she could put together a simple tune and even read basic music. Still, pulling everything together to play something more complicated than Twinkle Twinkle Little Star at tempo felt like a far-off goal.

Guess I just need more practice. Even if it feels so darn slow.

At least her other progress made up for it. Between Philip's continued tutoring and his advice to buy stuff secondhand, she was getting a laptop earlier in the loop than she'd ever imagined. Even better, the cheaper used goods from other students made scaling up Kate's Kitchen even more affordable and quick. It meant that she could handle the veritable swarm of hungry students Heather fielded her way even better. In fact, they were nearing the limits of what they could reasonably accomplish in a college dorm.

If I ever get more than a hundred customers in a day, I might have to cap it there. Even if I'm serving people in groups, that's a lot of work. I don't think Heather can commit that much time, and I have my own limits.

But one thing still continued to nag at the back of her mind: Philip's friendship ending. She'd managed to earn it not just once, but in nearly every cycle since. The consistency of the thing seemed to suggest that she was really doing something to melt the guy's icy disposition toward her. What precise variable that was remained a mystery, though.

Not that she was experimenting with it too much. Her current approach of focusing on programming, music, cooking, and the restaurant suited her just fine. It would be hard to knock out any individual variable from her list of suspected Philip encounters without messing with that. Though she did try skipping the final meal at Chella's once. That had earned her a familiar Under the Radar ending rather than Philip's Distant Relations one, so she knew at least that part was non-negotiable.

All the while, Kaitlyn's mind continued to wander back to the topics that had plagued her for so long. The game, the world she'd left behind, and Alex. Despite her attempts to stow all those thoughts firmly in a box, the little bit of progress she'd achieved seemed to crack its lid open somewhat. They didn't constantly nip at her heels or anything. But every once in a while, something would happen to bring them front and center once more.

I'm trying to face my fears. I really am. Slowly, but surely. That's what that end-of-loop car ride with Philip was all about, right? And if Alex keeps coming to Kate's Kitchen, then I'll be facing him, too.

Still, working through those things was harder than expected, not to mention unpleasant. But she tried. Over and over.

One thing is for sure. I'll have to face them soon, like it or not. It's just a matter of when.

***

The dull bass of upbeat pop music filled Cappy's Cafeteria with the same sounds as ever. A small crowd of students milling about added to the din with their droning buzz of conversation. The place was just beginning to draw a crowd. On the first Monday of the semester, students were a little more proactive about getting an early lunch and less burnt out on the dining hall's food. Regardless, Kaitlyn knew the worst was yet to come once classes let out.

She checked her phone. 11:30. Perfect. Plenty of time to grab food, eat, and get to Philip's table before tutoring.

Tucking the little rectangle away, her gaze swept across the various offerings of the dining hall. Platters of cheesy pizza, metal cauldrons of savory soup, and a colorful salad bar made up some of the most familiar options, but there were a good number of specialties too. Mondays in particular boasted fresh stir fry bowls that were made to order.

As Kaitlyn looked out across the counters laden with food, she couldn't help but sigh. I thought dining hall food got old after a semester. This is just crazy. I'd consider it a form of torture if I didn't know how to cook.

Even with her cooking abilities, she found herself coming back here more often than she'd have liked. There was something to be said about quick and ready-made meals, especially in the middle of the day. But her own dinners and their leftovers saved her from having to rely on Cappy's any more than absolutely necessary.

With a mix of trepidation and slight disdain, she headed toward the stir fry station. Time for some sesame chicken stir fry with broccoli, bell pepper, green onions, no carrots, and a side of ginger-soy sauce. It's the first day so the ingredients should be on the tastier side. They don't take a downturn until week eight at least.

After grabbing her meal and flashing her phone at the cashier scanner, Kaitlyn scouted out a seat inside. She didn't need to be outside to see Philip's table – he'd arrive precisely at 11:57, just like he did every loop. That left a little over twenty minutes for her to eat.

She tasted the stir fry. It was passable with a few red pepper flakes, extra sesame seeds, and green onions from the salad bar added. Though it still feels like it needs something…

Frowning, she reached for her backpack and checked inside. Its contents clinked slightly as they jostled about. Reaching in, she dug past the containers of rosemary, thyme, hot sauce, and other emergency food seasonings until she found what she was looking for.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Ah-hah! Grinning, she twisted open the container of garlic powder and added some to the dish. A quick stir and a taste had her nodding. Better. Still not as good as homemade, of course, but we're getting there.

Satisfied, she stuffed the little container back into her bag alongside the rest. Was it strange to use her school backpack for hauling around a kitchen's worth of condiments and spices? Maybe. Did Kaitlyn care? Not in the slightest.

Anything to make this stuff taste better. She scarfed down the food with renewed vigor. I'm just excited to get access to the real store. There's only so many spices I can get from the general store on campus, and some of them kind of suck. Darn you Scarra for making me recognize the difference.

As she ate, Kaitlyn considered the coming semester. Loop 29 was off to a running start. In just a single day, she had ordered all the supplies she needed for Kate's Kitchen, secured Heather's help, met most of her suitemates, scheduled tutoring, and reached out to Chella about working at the restaurant. Not only that, she'd also scouted out her favorite library computer and installed all of the programming-related software and packages she'd need in the near future, just to tide her over for a bit. The laptop would come in a few weeks if everything went according to plan, but there were assignments to complete before then.

I'm getting pretty efficient at all this stuff. I'm kinda proud of myself.

A little after finishing her meal, Kaitlyn spotted Philip approaching their usual table. It was time to go. Hopping up from her seat, she dropped off her dishes and fought her way upstream of the flood of incoming lunchtime students.

She walked briskly through the sunny courtyard, making a beeline past the other tables and their occupants with single-minded focus. Philip didn't even have time to pull his book out before she slid into the bench across from him.

"Kaitlyn, I presume?" His grey eyes had regained their usual icy glare, no longer showing even the hint of warmth she'd recognized from his end-of-loop state.

"That's me," she greeted him. "Nice to meet you, Philip."

He folded his hands on the tabletop. "Usually, I come to tutoring sessions with a lesson plan prepared. This allows me to facilitate more efficient discussions and to better prepare for the subjects you require assistance in. Unfortunately, I was unable to do this for our session given the vagueness of your request."

"Ah, yeah. Sorry about that." She scratched her neck. "In the future I promise I'll have more specific stuff to ask you about. But for now, its really nothing major. I had a few small questions about data structures, and also wanted some advice."

After Intro to Programming, Kaitlyn had progressed to taking Data Structures in what apparently was the most reasonable next step in her education. She'd actually managed to do surprisingly well in the class, earning herself a solid B. There were a few concepts she still felt a bit shaky on though. So rather than take the entire course again, she just decided to ask Philip a few more questions in this loop to get things rolling. Then she could move on to the next class without much issue.

As explaining the topics she needed help with, Philip's eyebrow raised slightly. "That is something I can help with. However, this material is not something I'd expect you to cover until much later in the course. Certainly not something that would be taught on week one."

"Yeah, I know. I'm not actually enrolled in the class or anything, just learning it on my own."

"Truly?"

Kaitlyn nodded. The conversation was pretty routine by this point. "Yup. That means I'm not learning for a test or anything, so don't worry about the schedule."

Philip stared at her for a moment. Then, the corners of his eyes seemed to soften ever so slightly. The guy always seemed to react positively to the suggestion that she was going above and beyond with her learning like that. From what she knew about him, it made sense.

He's all about hard work, right? And auditing or learning something on my own like this isn't exactly common.

"I see." Philip nodded slowly. "Have you considered auditing the class?"

"Right! That's the other thing I wanted to ask you about." Kaitlyn leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table. "I actually wanted to ask about other CS classes. I'm pretty confident on Data Structures aside from those couple of things, so I actually don't want to audit that one. But I'm not entirely sure where to go from there. There's a bunch of options, and I didn't know which one to pick…"

Philip went silent. When he spoke, it was slow and measured. "Isn't this the kind of question that academic advisors are meant to answer?"

She waved him off with one hand. "I've tried. They don't know what they're talking about. I also don't know a ton of people who have as much broad experience in CS as you do– er, seem to. I thought that it might be better to ask people who are actually taking CS classes and see what they thought."

Once again, the guy went quiet for a long moment. His posture remained ramrod straight as he considered her. Even after a full minute he remained as still as a well-dressed statue. Kaitlyn had just opened her mouth to ask if everything was ok when he finally spoke.

"Obviously there is Advanced Data Structures as an option, though I find it less useful than other options. Most students additionally choose to pursue Algorithms, Discrete Mathematics, or Software Engineering.

"Personally, my research has shown that Discrete Mathematics doesn't have many direct practical applications in the workforce. Software Engineering and Algorithms have far more utility overall. Algorithms generally is useful for job interviews and leads to a broader range of course options downstream, but Software Engineering also incorporates many practical on-the-job skills such as project planning in its curriculum. It really depends on what you find interesting or want to do in the future." He paused. "However, if you do pursue Algorithms or Software Engineering, I won't be able to help you."

Sheesh. He's put some thought into this. "Why not?"

"Because I'm currently taking those classes. It wouldn't be honest to tutor someone in a subject that I am only beginning to learn myself."

Kaitlyn suppressed a frown. Shoot. That's right. Philip and his dang principles.

Though she felt a twinge of pride at her progress, it was dampened somewhat by the realization she might not be able to lean on Philip's help any longer. He was the main reason she'd gotten so far so fast. What would she do if she had to fumble around completely on her own?

She pushed him to reconsider. "Still, even if you're taking the classes, I don't mind getting tutored by you. You're pretty smart, so I don't doubt you'll be able to explain things better whenever I inevitably get confused, you know?"

He shook his head. "I'll have to refuse. I can't in good conscience charge for my services if I can't provide them at a similar level to what I advertise. Especially not until I'm certain of my understanding."

Kaitlyn let out a defeated sigh. Shoot. Now what? Do I have to take the training wheels off and do it myself from here?

"... However, if you are looking for an occasional study partner, I'd be happy to oblige. If you would find that acceptable."

…Oh hell yeah.