Any lingering sleepiness vanished in an instant.

Zoe Pierce’s fingers rested on her Intelligent Brain, the pad of one tapping it again and again.

’Nathan Lockwood... where is he messaging me from right now?’

She knew Nathan Lockwood’s cautious nature meant he would only message her from a secure location, but it was still hard to imagine how he could evade the sky full of mechanical eyes. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

’And then there’s the now.’

’How am I supposed to reply?’

’I can’t bring myself to type something like "I miss you"...’

’But should I just not reply?’

Her finger hovered over the chat box. She blinked, then lowered her gaze and typed: Mm. Understood.

’I didn’t know what to say, but I didn’t want to just not reply.’

Zoe Pierce buried her head in her pillow. Her fingers came to rest on the soft edge, toying with the fabric.

A moment later, another message from Nathan Lockwood arrived.

This message was even shorter than the last, but it was enough to throw her thoughts into disarray and banish sleep completely.

"Good night. Love you."

She sat up, curling into a ball, her finger tracing idle patterns on the bedsheet.

’Do I really like him that much?’

’Has it already reached the point of love?’

Zoe Pierce thought of Nathan Lockwood’s restraint as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, of how he’d diligently explained the finer points of her training maneuvers every day, of his gentleness as he soothed her by stroking her forehead inside the mecha...

’I think... I’m going crazy too.’

’Driven mad by this blatant, undisguised affection.’

*

「Meanwhile.」

Nathan Lockwood put his Intelligent Brain away as soon as he sent the message.

He sat inside his mecha, observing the world outside it.

Even for mecha pilots, special training meant field training. This time, it wasn’t a dense rainforest but the wide-open Gobi Desert.

Right now, they were evading strafing runs from fighter jets. Getting hit meant a deduction in points.

Nathan Lockwood was positioned in the rear, observing enemy movements and the nearby terrain as he issued attack orders to his teammates.

An unknown amount of time passed, long enough for the sky to darken to the color of deep ink.

All fell quiet.

On a whim, Nathan Lockwood pulled out his Intelligent Brain and saw Zoe Pierce’s reply.

"Don’t get hurt, Nathan Lockwood."

"You should get some sleep too."

Her words were once again unexpected, and the coldness in Nathan Lockwood’s eyes softened instantly.

’Zoe Pierce, have I finally found a place in your heart?’

He disembarked from his mecha.

’I’m far more despicable than anyone imagines.’

’I started her first relationship. She’ll never be able to forget me.’

’Even when she’s with someone else, she’ll still remember me.’

’No one would ever guess I’d even calculated for that.’

At first, no one noticed the smile on Nathan Lockwood’s face. But gradually, Erin Xavier sensed something was off. Nathan Lockwood wasn’t the type to wear his heart on his sleeve.

They had just been separated from Zoe Pierce today, and everyone’s spirits were low.

But a simple victory in an annihilation drill wasn’t enough to make Nathan Lockwood smile.

’There was only one person who could make him smile like that right now.’

Erin Xavier instantly wished he hadn’t had this epiphany. Zoe Pierce and Nathan Lockwood had been private messaging.

Meanwhile, the rest of them had honored their agreement and tacitly kept their distance from Zoe.

He grabbed a handful of dusty earth, his gaze fixed on the distant dunes. ’Two more months... so long...’

*

It was as if a new door had been opened.

Zoe Pierce noticed that Nathan Lockwood began messaging her more and more frequently each day.

The scope of their conversations gradually widened as well.

They went from discussing her training to the specifics of what she ate each day.

It felt as if they were truly in a relationship.

Zoe Pierce was a little dazed. ’In a way, this is a real relationship,’ she thought. ’It’s just that the time we agreed on is so short.’

Once the First Military Academy began putting her through a full Alpha-level training regimen, her only respite came at night.

Half a month later, Miles Sherman and the others finished their mecha training.

They rejoined the squad and appeared before Zoe Pierce.

Director Quinn and a few teachers from the First Military Academy returned with the group. Spotting Zoe Pierce, who had just finished her training for the day, he waved her over.

"Zoe, your special training is almost over as well. Miles and the others will rest for two days, then you’ll all begin a new training program together."

This scene felt a bit familiar.

If Erin Xavier remembered correctly, it had been the same way during the joint entrance exams.

All the instructors treated Zoe Pierce like a prized possession.

Now, he glanced at the instructors from the First Military Academy, who were smiling so widely their faces were covered in wrinkles.

As soon as the instructors from the First Military Academy were gone, Erin Xavier said, "Zoe Pierce, your charms have even conquered the faculty of the First Military Academy."

They looked so utterly smitten, it was hard to imagine how the First Military Academy and the Federal Military Academy had once been at each other’s throats.

His words carried their usual teasing tone.

In a rare, cheerful mood, Zoe Pierce raised an eyebrow. "What else would you expect?"

Even she could feel the change. Ever since she had "luckily" defeated Instructor Linda Lynch on the first day, everyone’s attitude toward her had shifted. Over the next half-month of grueling training, she had excelled in every task, causing the instructors’ admiration for her to grow daily.

Her efforts had been fully acknowledged.

Her slightly smug look was infectious, and the smile on Erin Xavier’s lips never faded.

Seeing how comfortable they were with each other, Director Quinn also paused. "Zoe, why don’t you take them back? Go on and have a proper reunion."

There was no rush, anyway. Whatever needed to be discussed could wait. He could see that Miles Sherman and the others were already in much better spirits just from seeing Zoe Pierce. He felt like a third wheel.

Zoe Pierce led the group to their dormitory building but stopped outside instead of going in. "You all should get some rest. We can grab dinner together at the cafeteria tonight."

She could feel Nathan Lockwood’s gaze on her, silent but constant.

’But this isn’t a place where the two of us can talk.’

’Even though we did so many intimate things at the beginning, something feels different now.’

’The daily little check-ins, the constant questions... it was as if Nathan Lockwood had never left.’

"Zoe." Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard Chase Shaw’s voice.

"Has the training been exhausting these past few days?" Everyone was standing right there, but Chase Shaw asked anyway.

His eyes were fixed only on Zoe Pierce, oblivious to Erin Xavier’s slightly stunned expression. Perhaps Erin thought that was a question only Nathan Lockwood had the right to ask right now.

But Chase Shaw couldn’t help himself. He had reached his limit, holding back from contacting her all this time.

Now, he just wanted to hear her speak honestly.

Zoe Pierce froze for a second before quickly replying, "A little, but I’ve made a lot of progress."

Of course it was tiring; Zoe was just habitually downplaying it.

Chase Shaw could see through her answer. Even their own training had been absurdly intense—only four hours of sleep a day, with the other twenty spent in a state of high-intensity combat or combat readiness.

There was no way Zoe’s training had been easy.

They were all carrying the same weight.

He shot a final glance at Nathan Lockwood. "How many days are left in this month?"