It was 8:32 PM when the door creaked open, and Lila stepped into the room. Luck was lying on his bed, scrolling through his phone, while Dan was still in the bathroom. The soft click of the door caught his attention, and he glanced up to see Lila standing in the doorway, her expression pensive.

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "There's something I've been thinking about, and I was wondering... did you understand what everyone was talking about earlier?"

Luck put his phone down, propping himself up on his elbows. "Come in," he said, gesturing toward the empty space beside his bed.

Lila stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She stood across from him, her arms crossed as she looked down at him, waiting for him to speak.

After a brief silence, Luck started, his voice calm as always. "Even if what happened was because he was manipulated, that's not the root of the problem. Jaxon... he's always talking trash, lashing out whenever he gets angry. It's inevitable—he acts in a way that only makes people resent him."

Lila raised an eyebrow, but her gaze never left him. "He’s always been like that," she said quietly, though her tone held a hint of frustration.

Luck continued, his tone unwavering. "He makes a terrible impression on everyone around him. Every time he gets upset, it’s like he forgets who’s in the room and just says whatever comes to mind. People start to pull away because they can’t handle the constant negativity. And then, of course, when they do, he just gets angrier. It’s a cycle."

Lila frowned slightly, absorbing his words. "You think it’s his fault, then?"

"It's not just his fault," Luck said, sitting up slightly more, his hands folding neatly on his lap. "But his actions are a huge part of why things keep escalating. If he didn’t act like that, maybe people would be more willing to listen to him. Instead, they just avoid him, which only feeds into his anger."

Lila nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful. "That makes sense. But, then, what do we do about it?"

Luck leaned back, considering the question. "We deal with the problem, not the symptoms. If we address his behavior, maybe he’ll start to realize the consequences of his words and actions. It’ll take time, but if it doesn’t change... well, it’s only going to get worse."

Lila stayed quiet for a moment, her gaze still fixed on Luck. He could tell she was processing what he’d said, trying to piece together her own thoughts.

Finally, she exhaled and shook her head, her voice tinged with frustration. "It’s so complicated. I just want things to go smoothly for once, without everyone’s emotions running wild."

Luck didn’t say anything for a moment, just watching her with his calm demeanor. "Sometimes... things need to get worse before they can get better," he said softly. "But it’s up to us to make sure they don’t spiral too far."

Lila’s gaze softened, though she still looked troubled. "I guess you're right."

The silence lingered for a moment, but it was a quiet understanding that passed between them.

Lila’s expression shifted slightly, her brow furrowing as she spoke again. "But we’re his friends, Luck. We’re supposed to do something about it. I mean, if we just stand by and let it happen, aren’t we just as much to blame?"

Luck met her gaze, unphased, but there was a slight shift in his posture as he considered her words.

"You’re right," he said slowly. "We are his friends. But that doesn't mean we have to enable his behaviour, either. Helping him means addressing the root of the problem, not just smoothing things over every time it blows up."

Lila clenched her fists, frustration bubbling under the surface. "I don’t want to just sit back and watch him alienate everyone around him. I know he’s messed up, but he’s still a part of our group. We should help him, not just... leave him to spiral further."

Luck nodded, his tone steady. "Helping him means making him understand that his actions have consequences. That’s not something he’s going to realise overnight. We can’t fix him by ignoring it, but we can start by making him aware of how his behaviour affects the group. If he truly values this friendship, he’ll want to change."

Lila took a deep breath, her eyes momentarily dropping to the floor before meeting his again. "So, we confront him? We tell him what he’s doing wrong."

"Yes," Luck replied firmly. "But it has to be done carefully. If we don’t approach it right, it could make things worse. We need to give him a chance to listen, not just make him defensive. But we also can’t let him think that everything’s fine when it’s not."

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Lila thought for a moment, her lips pressing into a thin line. "It’s going to be hard. But I don’t want to just keep letting things go. Maybe... maybe you’re right. Maybe we need to face it head-on."

Luck gave her a small, almost imperceptible nod. "It’s the only way to stop the cycle. If we don’t, it’ll keep happening, and eventually, no one will want to be around him at all."

Lila’s eyes softened a bit, her resolve hardening. "Then I guess we start now. We don’t let him keep pushing everyone away."

Luck’s expression remained calm, but there was a slight glimmer of approval in his eyes. "Exactly."

The hallway buzzed with the usual morning chatter as students began filing out of Hampden House’s classroom. Luck and Miria leaned casually against the wall, their sharp gazes flicking over each student as they emerged, quietly observing.

Finally, Lydia appeared, chatting animatedly with Clara, her usual bubbly energy lighting up her face.

Without hesitation, Lila stepped forward, calling out, “Lydia!”

Lydia stopped, turning toward the voice. Her smile wavered slightly as she noticed Lila but didn’t seem to spot Luck and Miria standing nearby. “Oh! Lila, hey! What’s up?” she greeted, her tone light but slightly wary.

“I wanted to ask you something,” Lila said, her voice calm but purposeful. “It’s about what happened between Kael and Jaxon. Do you mind?”

Lydia’s expression flickered with unease. She began fidgeting, shifting her weight from foot to foot. “Oh, um, actually... I—uh—have plans. Really busy, super important plans!” She gave a nervous laugh, already inching away.

Lila gently grabbed her hand before she could leave. “It won’t take long. Please. It’s important.”

Lydia’s eyes darted around, searching for an escape. “I mean, maybe later? Or, like, never?” She chuckled awkwardly.

As she tried to pull away, Lila’s hand slipped, and Lydia stumbled backward. With a gasp, she fell to the floor, her phone flying from her hand and hitting the tile with a sickening crack.

Lydia scrambled to pick it up, pressing the power button repeatedly. The screen remained black. She stared at it, her shoulders slumping. “Oh no... it’s broken.”

Lila immediately kneeled beside her, panic and guilt flashing across her face. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

Lydia sighed and shook her head, giving a small, reassuring smile. “It’s alright. Honestly, it was my fault. I should’ve been more careful.”

Lila bit her lip, looking genuinely regretful. “I’ll help you get it fixed. I promise.”

At that moment, Clara stepped forward, arms crossed, her smirk sharp and condescending. “Wow, Lila. I didn’t know today was ‘break-a-phone’ day. You’ve really outdone yourself.”

Lila flinched slightly but held her ground. “It was an accident.”

Clara raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Sure, sure. Accidents happen, right? But you know, maybe next time, try not to drag someone else into your little interrogations.”

Lydia, still holding her phone, tried to mediate. “It’s fine, Clara. I’ll figure it out.”

Clara huffed, giving Lila one last pointed look before turning back to Lydia. “Well, I hope you have a backup plan. Looks like your phone’s toast.”

Luck and Miria exchanged a glance but stayed silent, their expressions unreadable.

Lila inhaled deeply, standing up. “Please, Lydia. Just hear me out first. After that, I’ll do whatever it takes to help with the phone.”

Lila inhaled deeply, standing up. “Please, Lydia. Just hear me out first. After that, I’ll do whatever it takes to help with the phone.”

Lydia’s eyes widened, panic flashing across her face. Without another word, she spun around and bolted down the hallway, clutching her broken phone.

Clara stood frozen for a second, her mouth slightly open in shock. “Lydia? Wait—what are you doing?” She quickly snapped out of it and sprinted after her. “Hey! Hold on!”

The hallway fell silent, save for the fading sound of their hurried footsteps.

Lila exhaled shakily, her hands clenched at her sides. She stared down at the spot where Lydia had been moments ago, her expression a mix of guilt and frustration. “I... I didn’t mean for it to go like that,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just—”

Luck’s voice remained silent, but his eyes drifted to the far end of the hallway, thoughtful and distant.

“Privacy,” he thought, “is a fragile thing. It’s a barrier people build, sometimes to protect themselves, sometimes to protect others. Breaking it, even with good intentions, often leads to more harm than help. People cling to it because it’s one of the few things they can control. Force someone to give it up, and you’re not just intruding—you’re stripping them of their sense of safety.”

He watched Lila, her expression tight with regret, and continued the thought. “Distance serves a purpose. It allows people to process things at their own pace and decide when and if they want to let someone in. Forcing that door open doesn’t guarantee understanding—it guarantees resentment.”

Finally, Luck spoke aloud, his tone calm but deliberate. “You can’t make someone talk just because you want them to. Trust and openness are earned, not demanded.”

Lila turned to him, guilt evident in her eyes. “I just... I thought if I could get her to talk, we could figure things out. Together.”

Luck’s gaze didn’t waver. “Maybe. But people need space. Give her that, and she might come to you. But push again, and you’ll only drive her further away.”

Lila nodded slowly, his words sinking in.

Lydia stood in front of Luck and Lila, her head tilted downward, hands clasped nervously. “I’m... I’m very sorry about everything on Monday,” she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to make things so difficult.”

Lila quickly waved her hands, a flustered expression on her face. “No, no! This whole thing is my fault. I was the one who caused you to drop your phone and break it. If I hadn’t pushed—”

“N-No,” Lydia interrupted, shaking her head lightly. “I should have been more careful. It wasn’t just you.”

Luck, arms crossed and gaze indifferent, finally spoke up. “So, you’re going to the electronics store in the mall to fix your phone. I understand that. But why am I here?” His tone was calm but edged with mild curiosity.

Before Lydia could answer, Dan walked up behind them, hands stuffed into his pockets. He sighed. “It makes sense why those two are here,” he gestured to Luck and Lila, “but why am I here exactly?”

Lila couldn’t help but giggle softly at Dan’s irritated tone, her amusement causing his brow to twitch. He shot her a look of mild annoyance, muttering under his breath.

Lydia glanced up, fidgeting slightly. “Actually, there is a reason.”