Date: May 4, 2026 (Monday)
Time: 5:47 PM
Location: Stairwell/Courtyard
---
Albert walked down the stairs. Each step felt heavy, like he was carrying lead weights in his shoes.
He had made the deal with Leina. He had released the pressure valve but the core reactor was still critical.
I feel lighter, but also emptier. I told Himuro-san everything. Well, I told her the physics version of everything. Now I have to do the hard part. I have to go down there and actively break the bond. I have to be the one to cut the wire.
He walked to the courtyard.
They were still there. Leo and Maya.
They were standing with their backs to him, looking at something on Leo's phone.
"No way!" Maya laughed as he leaned in to see the screen. "That cat video is ancient, Leo!"
"It's a classic!" Leo argued as he shifted his weight. "You can't hate on—whoa!"
It happened like a slow motion.
Leo shifted his foot and stepped on a patch of loose gravel near the curb. His balance broke. He stumbled forward.
Maya, standing in his trajectory, tried to catch him.
"Leo?"
She grabbed his arm, but the momentum was too great. Physics took over. Mass times velocity.
They collapsed together.
Leo fell back against the bike rack, catching himself, but pulling Maya down with him.
She landed against his chest, her hands bracing against his shoulders.
It wasn't a violent fall. It was a soft, clumsy collision of two bodies that fit perfectly together.
They froze.
Maya's face was inches from Leo's.
Leo's hand was resting on her waist to steady her.
Time stopped.
They didn't scramble away immediately.
For ten long seconds, they just stared at each other.
The laughter died. The air around them crackled with a sudden, terrifying voltage. Maya's eyes were wide, searching his face. Leo's breath hitched. They were communicating in a language Albert couldn't speak—a language of heat, proximity, and undeniable chemistry.
Magnetic attraction. The distance is zero. The potential energy is infinite. Kiss her. Just close the gap. It's millimeter logic. Do it.
Albert stood by the door, frozen.
He watched the scene that should have been the climax of a romance movie, And he felt the pain rip through his chest again. Sharper this time. It wasn't just loneliness; it was the realization that he was witnessing a universe where he didn't exist.
Then, the spell broke.
Maya blinked and realized where she was. She realized how close they were.
"Ah!" She scrambled back, her face flushing a deep, violent red.
"Sorry!" Leo coughed, standing up quickly and dusting off his pants. He looked everywhere except at her. "Gravel. Bad traction. My bad."
"It's... it's fine!" Maya squeaked, smoothing her skirt.
They stood there, avoiding eye contact, the air thick with awkward, unresolved tension.
Then, they turned.
They saw Albert.
He was standing ten feet away, watching them.
"Albert!" Maya gasped. Her face went even redder. "How long... were you standing there?"
"Just arrived," Albert lied smoothly. "I got my ID."
"Oh. Good." Leo rubbed the back of his neck. "We were just... uh... waiting."
"I saw," Albert said. He didn't smile or make a joke.
"I'm going home," Albert stated.
The atmosphere shattered.
"Huh?" Leo looked up. "But practice starts in twenty minutes. You said you'd wait."
"I changed my mind," Albert said coldly. "I'm tired. I don't want to wait anymore."
He turned around and started walking toward the school gate without looking back.
Do it. Just walk. Don't stop. Let them have the awkwardness and resolve that tension without me buffering it. If I leave now, maybe they'll talk about what just happened.
Behind him, panic erupted. Maya looked at Leo. Leo looked at Maya. They exchanged a desperate, silent signal.
Eye Contact Analysis:
Leo: "He's leaving. The dynamic is breaking."
Maya: "We can't let him go like this. He saw us. He feels left out."
Leo: "Go. Stop him."
Albert heard running footsteps.
Then, a hand grabbed his wrist.
"Wait!"
Albert stopped and looked down. Maya was gripping his sleeve. She wasn't holding him with affection; she was holding him with fear. The fear of the Trio dissolving.
"I... I want to go home too!" Maya blurted out.
Albert looked at her. "What about Leo? What about the parfait?"
"I..." Maya bit her lip. She looked back at Leo, then at Albert. "I'm not feeling well. My stomach hurts. I want to rest as soon as possible."
It was a lie. A terrible, desperate lie. She was perfectly fine ten seconds ago when she was falling into Leo's arms.
She was choosing guilt over love. She was sacrificing her time with the Prince to make sure the Goblin didn't feel abandoned.
Albert looked at Leo.
Leo nodded. He looked disappointed, but he gave a small thumbs up.
"Take her home, Albert. If she's sick, she needs rest. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
This is the worst. I could have fought any other excuse. I could have debated logic, efficiency, or the bus schedule. But the moment she played the 'I'm sick' card, she nuked the board. There is no counter-play. If I leave her now, I'm not just a loner, I'm a monster who abandoned a sick girl on the street. She boxed me in completely. It's checkmate on the very first move.
"Yeah," Albert whispered.
He couldn't fight it because he has no choice. The Maya's 'Sick Card' is absolute.
"Let's go."
---
The Walk Home
Time: 5:52 PM
The walk was silent.
Usually, the 'walk home' was a chaotic mix of three voices. Now, without Leo, the silence was deafening
The sky, which had been threatening to cry all afternoon, finally let go. It wasn't a storm; it was a soft, sudden drizzle that peppered the pavement with dark spots.
Pit. Pat. Pit.
Most students around them yelped and covered their heads with their bags.
Instead breaking stride, Albert reached into the side pocket of his bag and pulled out the compact black cylinder.
Click. Whoosh.
He deployed the umbrella in one smooth motion, holding it high enough to cover the empty space beside him.
Maya stepped into the dry circle instantly. She didn't ask or look surprised. She slid against his shoulder and matched his step count to stay under the canopy.
"You never change, do you?" Maya said, a soft, nostalgic smile touching her lips. "Everyone else is running, but you always have this umbrella every single day since 1st Grade."
"Meteorology is a variable," Albert replied as he shifted his grip to ensure Maya was fully covered, even if his own left shoulder got slightly damp. "Preparedness is a constant."
"It's not just preparedness," Maya murmured as she leaned into him slightly. "It's stubbornness. You refuse to let the sky surprise you."
A few minutes later, the light rain had stopped. They walked side by side, but the distance felt like miles.
Don't misunderstand. Proximity does not equal preference. She isn't walking here because she chose me over Leo. She is here because her 'Guilt Sensor' triggered when I tried to leave. She's not my date; she's my nurse. She is managing my emotions to ensure the group remains stable, and the worst part is, there is no malice in it. It is pure kindness. She's destroying me with good intentions, and that burns worse than any insult.
Maya kept glancing at him while fidgeting with her bag strap.
"So..." Maya started, her voice too bright. "Did you find the ID easily? Was it near the fence?"
"Yeah," Albert said.
"That's good! I would hate for you to pay the fine."
"Yeah."
"The weather is nice now, right? The rain stopped."
"It did."
She is trying so hard. She is pumping energy into a dead conversation because she's terrified of the silence. It's painful to watch. I'm making her suffer just by being here.
Albert couldn't take it. His guilt overrode his resolve.
"Maya," Albert said.
"Yes?" She perked up instantly, relieved Albert was talking.
"I was just thinking," Albert said as he looked at the long shadows stretching on the pavement. "This is the first time in years... that we didn't walk home as a trio."
Maya's step faltered. The smile dropped from her face.
"Oh," she whispered.
She looked at the empty space on her other side—the space where Leo usually walked.
"Yeah," she said softly. "It feels... empty."
The sadness in her voice was real.
Albert felt a stab of self-loathing.
Idiot. Why did you bring that up? You just made her sad. Change the topic. Now.
"But," Albert said quickly, forcing a casual tone, "at least you have an escort. Your house is farther than mine. It's my obligation to make sure you get there."
Maya looked up. Her eyes brightened a little.
"That's right!" she declared, seizing the new topic.
She hopped a step closer and wrapped both hands around Albert's left arm, hugging it tight against her chest. It was a familiar, heavy weight—the physical anchor of ten years of friendship.
"Since you dragged me away from school, you are obligated to protect me until I reach my doorstep! It's the rule!" she chirped, leaning her weight into him as they walked.
---
Endnote of Chapter 33
The 'trio' have walked home together since first grade.
-
Logic Engine Log of Chapter 33
Constant:
*Albert has been bringing his umbrella every single day since first grade.