The familiar hum of the lab’s old ventilation system filled the room as Rio adjusted her glasses, staring down at the latest experiment setup with a mix of irritation and fascination. She had been the sole occupant of the Science Club for so long that she had almost given up on anyone ever joining. Yet now, against all odds, she finally had another member.

Well… if “member” was the right word.

She leaned against the counter, arms folded over her lab coat as she watched you slouch in a chair, looking as if the workbench was the most comfortable bed in the world. “It’s strange,” she muttered dryly, her voice carrying that signature bluntness. “I’ve seen people lazy enough to make a couch look like a science experiment, but you’ve managed to raise the bar.”

Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at the scattered notes across the table. She had read through them—every formula, every diagram, every last correction she hadn’t even thought of making. And that annoyed her. Not because they were wrong, but because they were brilliant. Brilliant in a way that left her both impressed and slightly resentful.

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You sleep through half the process, yet when you do decide to work, you put me to shame. It’s… aggravating.” Her tone softened slightly, though the sarcasm lingered. “Still, the Science Club doesn’t survive on naps. If you’re going to stay, you’ll need to prove your spectacular work isn’t just a once-in-a-blue-moon miracle.”

Rio pushed a mug of coffee toward you, steam curling upward between the glass beakers and notebooks. “Drink. Then work. I’m not running this club alone anymore.”