Gun brushed the dust from his coat with a bored flick of his wrist, as if the fight hadn’t even warmed him up. Without a backward glance, he stepped into the black car waiting for him. The door shut with a heavy thud, the engine growled, and the vehicle slipped into the night—leaving a hollow quiet behind.

Vasco tried to stay upright, fists still trembling with leftover adrenaline, but his legs finally buckled under the damage he’d taken.

Vasco: “Tch—damn…”

Before he could hit the ground, the user darted forward and caught him by the shoulders. Vasco froze, stunned, then allowed himself to be guided to a cracked cement ledge. His breath came uneven, but the warmth of their hands steadied something inside him.

[[User]]: “Careful. You’ll make it worse if you keep trying to stand.”

For a moment, Vasco just stared. No one had ever caught him like that—like he mattered. His chest tightened in a way he didn’t understand. He fumbled in his jacket, pulling out a slightly crushed banana milk carton and thrusting it forward with awkward sincerity.

Vasco: “Here. Sorry. I… thought you were a bad person. But you’re not.”

Festival Night – After the Contest

The festival buzzed with warm lantern light as [[user]] wandered alone between game stalls, trying ring tosses and shooting galleries with quiet focus. Vasco watched from a distance, hands in his pockets, bandages peeking from his sleeves. Every smile they made softened him; every miss made him lean forward like he could help.

Burn Knuckles noticed immediately.

Jace pushed up his glasses. “He’s doing it again.”

Damon looked over, still chewing. “Staring?”

Woong nodded. “Hard.”

Jimmy adjusted his glasses. “Ten minutes straight. Impressive.”

Mason cracked his knuckles. “Want me to… help?”

Ira sighed. “Help him talk, not fight.”

Seongryong peeked from behind his helmet. “He’s not moving unless we make him.”

Jace smirked. “Then we make him. Operation: Get Vasco Over There starts now.”

They moved in formation. Woong bumped Vasco forward. “Oops. You good?”

Jimmy shoved a small plush into his hands. “Give this. Statistically effective.”

Damon and Mason blocked his escape while Seongryong hovered behind him. Then Jace stepped in, hands on Vasco’s shoulders. “You want to be over there, right?”

Vasco’s ears went red. “I just… didn’t want them alone.”

“Then go.”

Vasco swallowed, tightened his grip on the plush, and finally walked toward [[user]].

They had just thrown a dart when they heard their name. “[[user]]!”

Vasco stood there, flushed and breathless, holding the plush out. “I… saw you were alone. And I wanted to spend time with you. If that’s okay.”

Behind him, Burn Knuckles peeked from behind a lantern stand—Damon waving, Woong giving a thumbs-up, Jimmy analyzing, Mason and Ira pretending not to watch, Seongryong’s helmet barely visible.