As they stepped outside the restaurant, the cool night air hit them, and the soft hum of distant chatter from the streets blended with the steady rhythm of their footsteps. Lila and Luck walked side by side, but the silence between them was far from uncomfortable.

Lila finally broke it with a sigh. "I thought maybe I could get through to Miria tonight, but... if I can't even become friends with her, maybe my goal is too big after all."

Luck glanced at her briefly. He wasn't one for offering comfort, but her words made him reflect on her situation for a moment. People like her don't know the difference between being alone and being a loner, he thought quietly to himself. She didn't seem to understand that some people didn't need to be "reached" in the way she thought. They were fine being solitary. But of course, Lila didn't see it that way—her drive to connect was far more straightforward, almost relentless.

Lila continued, unaware of his inner monologue. "I just keep trying, but some people... they're so distant, like Miria. No matter how much I try to talk to her, it's like I'm invisible. I can't seem to get past the wall."

Luck said nothing, but he could see her frustration. She wasn't deterred, but the weight of her words hung in the air.

"You've already made friends in other classes?" Luck asked, his voice flat but genuine.

Lila's face lit up. "Yeah, I've made a lot already! There are nice people in every house here—so many that you wouldn't even know. I'm making connections everywhere."

As she spoke, they reached an intersection, and Lila's eyes suddenly brightened. "Oh, there's Lilly! I should introduce you to her."

Luck followed her gaze, spotting a medium girl with long, flowing, bright hair walking toward them. Her posture was confident, her expression composed, and she seemed to carry herself with an air of quiet authority.

Lila waved, her voice cheerful. "Lilly! Over here!"

Lillyete Marigold looked up, her sharp gaze scanning the scene, before she began walking toward them at a steady pace. Her stride was purposeful, and as she approached, her eyes flicked briefly to Luck. There was a moment of quiet assessment before she came to a stop before them.

Lila beamed. "Luck, this is Lillyete Marigold. She's from Ridley House." She paused before adding, "Lilly, this is Luck. He's from the same house as me."

Lilly raised an eyebrow, glancing at Luck before offering him a polite but cool smile. "Nice to meet you, Luck." Her voice was smooth, with a slight edge of curiosity behind it.

Luck, unsure of how to respond, simply nodded. "Likewise."

Lila looked between the two of them, sensing the cool atmosphere, and quickly added, "Lilly's one of the top students in Ridley House. You'll probably get along great with her, Luck. She's sharp."

Lilly gave Lila an amused glance, a smirk curling at the corner of her lips. "I'm not sure about that. But it's nice to meet you, Luck." Repeating what she just said again.

Just then, Lilly's gaze softened, and she looked at Lila with a playful gleam in her eye. "So... is he your boyfriend?"

Lila immediately blushed, stammering, "No! No, we're just friends!"

Lilly's smirk widened, clearly entertained by Lila's reaction. "Oh, I see. Just friends." Emphasising the 'just' part.

Lila gave an embarrassed laugh, clearly flustered. "Yeah! Just friends. Nothing like that, really."

Luck, ever the neutral one, simply looked at Lilly and replied in a calm tone, "It's a pleasure."

Lilly's smile remained, though it was a touch more knowing. She turned to Lila with a raised eyebrow. "Well, I'll let you two go. I've got to catch up with a friend."

Lila smiled back, nodding. "Alright, see you around, Lilly!"

Lilly gave them both a nod before turning and walking off in the direction of her friend, her presence already fading into the distance.

Lila, still a little flushed, looked up at Luck. "Well, that was... awkward." She giggled, shaking her head. "Lilly's always like that. I swear, she enjoys teasing me."

Luck just shrugged, his expression unreadable. "She seems interesting."

Lila smiled again, her earlier unease vanishing. "Yeah, she is. She's also really smart and one of the cutest in Ridley House. You two should talk more sometime."

Luck didn't respond right away, but the thought lingered as they walked on in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

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As Lilly walked off with a final wave, Lila turned back to Luck, the initial awkwardness of the meeting now fading into the background. She smiled and gave a quick sigh, as if trying to shake off her embarrassment. But her mind quickly shifted gears.

"Anyway," Lila began, her voice light, "I've been thinking a lot about the XP point system. I don't know about you, but I feel like it's going to be a pain keeping track of everything. Like, we're supposed to save up for the essentials, right? Food, clothes, and all that?"

Luck nodded in agreement, his expression calm. "Makes sense. You can't really buy much without saving up. It's like everything's geared toward making us manage our resources wisely."

Lila's eyes lit up, her tone more animated now that the topic was about something practical. "Exactly! That's what I was thinking. You can't just waste them. I'm only going to buy the bare essentials. I can't go overboard on stuff I don't need."

She looked around as if making sure no one was listening, then leaned in slightly, lowering her voice just enough for Luck to hear. "You know, things like clothes, food... and panties."

Luck glanced at her briefly, the corner of his lips twitching slightly, but his face remained mostly unreadable. "Panties?"

Lila immediately froze, her face turning a shade of red that nearly matched the glow of the streetlights. "Oh! I didn't mean it like that! I just meant, well, I wasn't going to buy anything extravagant. I just, uh, you know, I have to make sure I don't run out of those."

She laughed nervously, looking away, clearly embarrassed at the sudden slip of her words. "I mean, I can't go around without those, can I?"

Luck, still calm as ever, looked at her for a moment before responding in his usual flat tone. "No, you can't. They're necessary. Just part of the essentials."

Lila gave him an exasperated look, both grateful and annoyed at how unfazed he was. "You're not even going to blush?" she said, slightly flustered. "It's just... I was talking about essentials, okay? I don't know why I even mentioned that. It's not like I want to go out and buy a bunch of fancy ones."

Luck simply shrugged. "It's a practical need. No point in getting embarrassed about it."

Lila sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I just don't know what it is with me and you. Every time I try to say something normal, it comes out weird. Like, with Lilly... and now this."

Luck glanced at her with his usual detached look. "Maybe you just think too much about what you say."

"Maybe." She chuckled awkwardly, trying to regain some composure. "I just want to make sure I get everything right this time. The XP points—it's the one thing they've really drilled into our heads, you know? So, food and essentials first. Then, if I have extra, maybe I'll splurge a little on something fun. But no unnecessary spending. It's all about priorities."

She paused, thinking for a moment. "But you? You're probably the type to just buy whatever you need and leave it at that, right?"

Luck shrugged again, showing little interest in the point system but understanding its necessity. "I don't spend much on anything unnecessary."

Lila gave him anapproving nod. "I like that. You're practical." She grinned mischievously. "But I bet you'd buy something if it was useful enough, right? Like, maybe a nice pair of shoes or something?"

Luck's gaze flicked to her for a brief second, his expression still neutral. "It depends on whether I need it or not."

Lila laughed, a sound that was light and carefree now that the awkward moment had passed. "You're so straightforward, it's almost scary. I bet everyone is intimidated by you."

Luck didn't say anything, and Lila, clearly entertained, nudged him with her elbow. "Seriously, though, it's kind of refreshing that you're not all caught up in spending the points like some people are. I can already tell I'm going to have to be really careful with mine. The last thing I want is to end up broke like some people in our house and unable to buy something I actually need."

Luck turned his gaze ahead, the night stretching out before them as they walked on. "Keep your priorities in check, and you won't have that problem."

"Right." Lila agreed, her voice lightening up again. "No more unnecessary spending. Just essentials, food, clothes, and... well, underwear."

She muttered the last part under her breath, but Luck heard it, glancing at her again. Lila let out a frustrated sigh, clearly embarrassed again but trying to shake it off. "I swear, I need to stop saying things that sound weird."

Luck just gave a small, neutral nod. "It's fine."

Lila smiled at him, the previous awkwardness now mostly forgotten. "Thanks for not making this more awkward than it already is."

"Not much to make awkward," Luck replied flatly.

Lila laughed, grateful for his lack of reaction. "You're a good guy, Luck."

As they continued walking in silence, the cool night air seemed to settle into a comfortable rhythm, the occasional sound of distant chatter from the city streets mixing with their footsteps. The conversation had relaxed, with Lila's earlier embarrassment slowly fading into the background as they reached the familiar path leading to the dorms.

Lila glanced at the towering structure of the dormitories ahead and gave a small sigh. "Well, this is me." She smiled at Luck, her mood back to normal after their earlier awkwardness. "Guess we'll go our separate ways for tonight. I'm definitely heading straight to bed after that walk."

Luck simply nodded, his expression unchanged, but the brief acknowledgement seemed to signal the end of their conversation. "Good night, then."

"Yeah," Lila said with a light-hearted grin. "Catch you tomorrow, Luck. And hey, let me know if you need anything, alright? I'll be around."

Luck didn't respond right away, giving a small nod instead. "I will." His voice was quiet, but the meaning behind it was clear.

Lila lingered for a moment, as if unsure whether to say something else, "Maybe you will be him?" but then decided against it. "Take care," she said with a soft chuckle before turning to head into the dorm, her figure disappearing into the building.

Luck watched her for a moment, then continued walking toward his own dorm. The cool night air still lingered, but it seemed to carry the faint feeling of closure, the kind that came with a quiet exchange between two people, each retreating into their own spaces after a day of shared experiences.

As he walked through the doors and made his way down the hall toward his room, the weight of the day started to sink in. Tomorrow would bring more challenges, more moments like this. But for now, he was content with the quiet solitude of his own space, away from the buzz of conversations and expectations.

The door to his room clicked shut behind him, and Luck finally let out a breath, the events of the evening settling into the back of his mind as he prepared for the next day.