Lyra kept eating.
Or at least she looked like she was eating.
Her eyes stayed on her tray, her movements neat and controlled, but something about the way she stabbed her spoon into the rice felt slightly more forceful than necessary.
Across from her, Amoriel was watching quietly.
Not staring.
Observing.
Carefully.
Caelum noticed it almost immediately.
"Amoriel."
"Yes?"
"Please stop studying people during lunch."
"I am not studying."
She paused.
"I am observing."
"That's the same thing."
Lyra sighed softly and took another bite.
"Ignore her," she muttered.
Amoriel tilted her head slightly.
"Your reaction earlier was interesting."
Lyra froze.
"...What reaction?"
"When I asked if you liked Caelum."
Lyra's spoon stopped halfway to her mouth.
Then she slowly placed it back down on the tray.
"I already said I don't."
Amoriel nodded calmly.
"Yes."
Then she added,
"But your heartbeat increased."
Lyra stared at her.
Caelum looked up slowly.
"...How would you even know that?"
"I can hear it."
Lyra blinked once.
Then twice.
Caelum rubbed his forehead.
"Please don't reveal abilities like that in public."
Lyra crossed her arms.
"Wait."
She looked at Amoriel again.
"You can hear heartbeats?"
"Yes."
Lyra leaned back slightly in her chair.
Her violet eyes narrowed.
"...What kind of transfer student are you?"
Caelum immediately jumped in.
"Just a weird one."
Lyra looked at him.
Then back at Amoriel.
The confusion on her face didn't disappear.
Instead, it slowly deepened.
"So let me get this straight," she said slowly.
"You appear out of nowhere."
"You sit with Caelum."
"You steal his food."
"And now you're claiming he's your boyfriend."
Caelum raised a hand weakly.
"I did not agree to that last part."
Amoriel looked at him.
"But you said you would teach me about love."
"That is not the same thing!"
Lyra pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I feel like I'm missing half the story."
"You are," Caelum said immediately.
"And it's better that way."
Lyra looked at him again.
He looked tired.
Not the normal kind of tired.
The kind that came from dealing with too many strange situations in a single day.
For a moment, she stayed quiet.
Then she picked up her spoon again.
"You disappeared yesterday," she said casually.
Caelum stiffened slightly.
"I was busy."
Lyra glanced at him.
"Busy doing what?"
"...Things."
She didn't push further.
Instead, she said something else.
"You usually eat alone."
Caelum shrugged.
"Today is different."
Lyra looked at Amoriel again.
Then at Caelum.
Her expression softened slightly, though she tried not to show it.
"...Apparently."
For a moment, the table fell quiet again.
The cafeteria noise filled the space around them.
Students talking.
Chairs moving.
Plates clinking.
Amoriel suddenly spoke again.
"I have another question."
Caelum closed his eyes.
"Of course you do."
Amoriel looked around the cafeteria.
Her gaze stopped on a couple sitting a few tables away.
The girl pushed a piece of food toward the boy.
He ate it while laughing.
Amoriel pointed at them.
"That action appears to strengthen romantic bonds."
Lyra followed her gaze.
Caelum already knew where this was going.
"No."
Amoriel looked back at him.
"We should try it."
"No."
"It would improve my understanding."
"No."
Lyra slowly lowered her spoon.
She looked at Caelum.
Then at Amoriel.
Then back at Caelum again.
A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"...This is your problem now."
Caelum looked down at his tray.
Half of his food was already gone.
He sighed.
"This is everyone's problem."