Three weeks had passed since they moved into the new house. Three weeks that felt like a dream—or perhaps more accurately, like a life Azure never dared to dream of.

  Each day had its own rhythm. Mornings began with Hana already seated at her computer since dawn, her fingers dancing across the keyboard at a speed that would dizzy anyone watching. Akari would wake later, grumbling while making coffee, then join Hana for "digital warfare" sessions against Federation firewalls. Azure, meanwhile, would circle the neighborhood, observing patrol patterns, looking for blind spots, or simply buying groceries at the traditional market near the house—enjoying the anonymity provided by this old district.

  Afternoons were usually spent discussing, analyzing the data Hana managed to collect, and planning the next steps. Evenings, they ate together, then took turns showering, and finally gathered in the upstairs room—Azure on his mat, Akari and Hana on the bed—chatting about anything until they fell asleep.

  It was a strange routine, but Azure found himself... liking it.

  One night, as they were getting ready for bed, Hana suddenly sat upright on the bed. Her usually tired eyes were now wide open, sparkling with unusual intensity.

  "I... did it," she whispered.

  Akari, who was combing her hair, stopped. "Did what?"

  Hana turned to both of them. Her face was pale but excited. "I got in. To the Raijin server."

  Azure immediately sat up on his mat. "What?"

  Hana nodded quickly. "Took three weeks. Three weeks of probing, finding gaps, avoiding the AI overseer. Last night I found a backdoor they weren't aware of—a relic from the old system before the Federation took over that server. And..." she took a breath, "...I managed to download internal logs. Including the project schedule."

  Akari was already standing, walking closer. "Show us."

  Hana opened her laptop—one of the three super computers in the living room, but she also had a personal laptop full of stickers—and turned the screen toward them.

  The document displayed was a project schedule in military format. Dates, location codes, and brief descriptions. Hana's finger pointed to two lines highlighted in yellow.

  T-30: Raiju—Field Activation (Target: Asterion Financial District)

  T-7: Scheduled Blackout (Sabotage: Network Maintenance) — Coordination with Energy Division for attack simulation

  Silence hung in the air.

  "Thirty days from now," Akari murmured. "They're going to release that monster in the Financial District."

  "And seven days before that," Azure added, eyes narrowing, "there'll be a blackout. Maintenance sabotage. But actually..."

  "A drill," Hana cut in. "They're going to simulate Raiju's attack by cutting the power. Test the city's response, measure hero reaction times, and ensure Raiju can be controlled as planned."

  Azure clenched his fist. "We have to act. Before it's too late."

  "Yeah," Akari agreed. "But we need a solid plan. We can't just charge in."

  The three of them fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Heavy. But also... this was it. The proof they were looking for. The Federation's weak point.

  Hana closed her laptop, then looked at Azure and Akari with sparkling eyes—but this time not from technical excitement, but from something warmer.

  "I'm... happy," she said softly. "Not because we got the info. But because... you're both here. With me."

  Akari snorted, trying to hide her emotions. "Well, yeah. Like we'd leave you alone?"

  Hana smiled. "Thank you."

  Azure only nodded. But in his chest, there was the same warmth.

  "Okay," Akari suddenly said, breaking the silence. "I'm hungry."

  Hana blinked. "Hu... hungry? But we just got important information."

  "Yeah, and important information makes me hungry. My brain needs glucose." Akari was already standing, walking toward the bedroom door. "Let's celebrate first. Zapire-style special fried rice."

  Azure raised an eyebrow. "You can cook?"

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Akari stopped at the doorstep, turning with an offended expression. "YOU THINK I SURVIVE ON JUST SNACKS FROM THE GROCERY STORE? In Zapire, if you can't cook, you starve. Idiot."

  Hana laughed. "Akari's a good cook. Back during operations, she'd often make food from whatever ingredients were available."

  "SEE, DON'T SPILL MY SECRETS." But Akari's cheeks were red.

  The house's kitchen had never been as lively as tonight.

  Akari was busy at the stove, a large wok in her hands, stirring rice with eggs, shredded chicken, and spices whose aroma had already filled the entire room. Her movements were quick and skilled—a far cry from her usual careless demeanor. Here, in the kitchen, she was like an artist finding their masterpiece.

  Hana was busy with the drinks. With her characteristic precision, she prepared three glasses, measuring syrup, ice cubes, and soda with almost excessive accuracy. "This is a drink recipe I found on a hacker forum. They call it 'Mock Mojito'—no alcohol, but tastes similar."

  Azure stood near the kitchen door, unsure what to do.

  "You," Akari pointed at him with a spatula, "sit. Don't help. You'll only get in the way."

  "But—"

  "SIT." The spatula pointed toward the sofa. "This is my kitchen. Off-limits to anyone who doesn't know the difference between cooking oil and machine oil."

  Azure obeyed. He sat on the sofa, watching the two of them busy. Akari with her fighting spirit at the stove, Hana with her technical concentration mixing drinks. A strange sight, but... warm.

  Twenty minutes later, the dining table was full. Akari's special fried rice—perfectly browned, with egg pieces, chicken, and crackers on the side. Three glasses of pale green drinks garnished with mint leaves (Hana insisted on growing mint in a small pot by the window). And as an extra, Hana brought out potato chips from the cupboard—"emergency supplies," she said.

  "Dig in," Akari said, sitting proudly. "First-generation Zapire fried rice. Pretty rare."

  They ate heartily. For the first time in weeks, there was no discussion about the mission, about the Federation, about Raiju. Only laughter, teasing, and the sound of clinking plates.

  "So good, Akari!" Hana praised, eyes sparkling. "This... this is better than restaurant food."

  "Well, obviously. Restaurants use instant seasoning. I use a family recipe."

  Azure just ate quietly, but his eyes said everything. Akari caught that look, then looked away.

  "What? Good? Admit it."

  "Good," Azure said sincerely. "Very good."

  Akari smiled slightly—a rare smile that only appeared when she was truly happy. "There, that's better."

  After eating, Azure stood up and began gathering the dirty dishes.

  "I'll wash," he said.

  This time, no one objected. Akari just shrugged. "Go ahead. You watched us cook, only fair you help clean."

  But as Azure began washing dishes at the sink, Hana suddenly appeared beside him.

  "I'll help," she said softly.

  Azure turned. Hana had already rolled up her sleeves, ready to take a sponge.

  "You don't have to. I can do it alone."

  "I want to." Hana smiled shyly. "So it's done faster."

  The two of them stood at the sink, Hana rinsing the dishes Azure had soaped, then drying them with a cloth. Her movements were awkward but attentive. A few times their hands almost touched—Hana would smile slightly, Azure would pretend not to notice.

  From the dining table, Akari watched.

  Quietly.

  With narrowed eyes.

  She saw how Hana occasionally looked at Azure with that gentle gaze. How Azure, though clumsy, tried to adjust his movements so as not to disturb Hana. How they worked together like... like...

  "Tch."

  Akari looked away, scoffing. But her fingers tapped the table impatiently.

  "The drinks were good, Hani!" she called out, slightly louder. "You should make them again tomorrow!"

  Hana turned, smiling. "Okay, I'll make them again tomorrow. If Azure wants to help with the dishes again."

  Akari nearly choked on her own saliva. She said 'if Azure wants to help'? As if they had their own ritual?

  Irritating. Yeah, she felt irritated. Definitely.

  Azure finished the washing, then wiped his hands. "All clean."

  "Thanks, Azure," Hana said, still standing near him.

  Akari rose from her chair, walking to the kitchen with a forced casual air. "Okay, I want a drink—oh, they're already washed? That was fast."

  Her eyes moved quickly, observing the distance between Azure and Hana. Too close. Way too close.

  "Hana," Akari suddenly said, "have you prepared the data for tomorrow?"

  "Hmm? Not yet. But I'll work on it tonight."

  "Let's work on it together now. Get it done faster." Akari grabbed Hana's arm, gently pulling her away from Azure.

  Hana blinked, confused, but complied. "O... okay."

  Azure just stayed silent, watching Akari from the corner of his eye. There was something on Akari's face—something unusual. A kind of... jealousy? But that was impossible. Akari, the stubborn tsundere, jealous? No way.

  Or... could it be?

  That night, in the bedroom, the atmosphere was slightly different.

  Hana had fallen asleep earlier, exhausted from a day of battling Federation servers. Her breathing was steady, her bear pillow hugged tightly.

  Akari was still awake, lying and staring at the ceiling. Azure, on his mat, was also still awake.

  "Azure," Akari whispered.

  "Hm?"

  "Earlier... when you were washing dishes."

  "Mmm."

  "You... were comfortable, huh? Helping Hana like that?"

  Azure turned toward the bed. In the dark, he couldn't see Akari's expression clearly, but her tone... was strange.

  "I was just helping. Why?"

  "Nothing. Just... asking."

  Silence.

  "Akari."

  "What?"

  "You... don't need to be jealous."

  Movement from the bed—Akari probably turned over roughly. "J-JEALOUS? WHO'S JEALOUS? I JUST—THAT'S NOT—OH MY GOD AZURE YOU—"

  "Shh... Hana's sleeping."

  Akari immediately fell silent, but Azure could hear her frustrated huffing.

  "I'm not jealous," she hissed softly. "I'm just... thinking. You're part of the team. Got to be fair."

  "Fair?"

  "Yeah. Don't... don't get too close to just one person. Or the other... feels left out."

  Azure smiled slightly in the dark. "You're afraid of being left out?"

  "I AM N—" Akari stopped, took a breath. Her voice lowered. "....Maybe."

  Silence again.

  "Akari," Azure called softly.

  "...What?"

  "You will never be left out. I promise."

  No answer. But Azure could hear Akari shifting restlessly on the bed, then quieting. A few minutes later, her breathing began to steady—asleep.

  Azure stared at the ceiling, a faint smile still on his lips.

  On the bed, between them, Hana murmured in her sleep, "Firewall... breached... success..."

  The night in Asterion continued its course. Thirty days until Raiju. Seven days until the blackout. But tonight, in the small house in the old district, there were three people who—for a moment—felt safe.

  And maybe, a little more than just safe.

  (To be continued)