Thea arrived at Fourth Place Monday morning with a proposed trial printed in twelve-point type. Nina called it emotionally terrifying administration, while I recognized the formatting style from every university policy designed to conceal panic behind numbered sections.
"One month is long enough to encounter boredom and inconvenience. It is short enough that nobody mistakes participation for permanent access," Thea said, placing four copies beside our coffee.
Yuna read without sitting, still dressed in training clothes after an early conditioning session. Her attention moved across each line with the same intensity she brought toward an opponent's opening stance.
The trial offered one shared meal each week, one casual group activity every two weeks, optional study or work sessions, plus direct communication among all four adults. It granted no automatic kissing, sex, girlfriend title, private apartment access, recurring romantic slot, or unpaid Fourth Place role.
