Jordan lowered his water bottle. "What?"

"A three-man!" Leo’s expression shifted from miserable to excited so fast it gave Jordan whiplash. "With the girls! Tonight!"

"What girls?"

"Alexis, Kumiko, and Chloe!"

Jordan’s entire nervous system short-circuited. His brain stopped processing words. The gym sounds faded to white noise. The only thing that existed in the universe was Leo’s mouth saying Chloe’s name.

Kyle’s voice cut through the static. "How the hell did you manage that?"

"So after Jordan left yesterday," Leo started, his words coming faster now that he had an audience. "The sexy Japanese girl with the twin tails, Kumiko, she completely tore into Alexis."

Jordan blinked. "She did?"

"Full verbal beatdown. Told her she was being a bitch for making fun of you. Said you were sweet and Alexis was cruel for laughing." Leo grinned like this was the best story he’d ever told. "Alexis tried to defend herself but Kumiko wasn’t having it. Then Chloe left and it was just me sitting there watching Kumiko destroy my dream girl’s entire personality."

Kyle snorted. "And somehow this got us invited somewhere?"

"I’m getting there!" Leo bounced on his toes. Actual bouncing. "So after Kumiko finished roasting Alexis, there was this awkward silence. And I just. I said something."

"What did you say?" Jordan asked slowly.

"I told them Jordan was really into karaoke."

"I’m not into karaoke."

"I know that," Leo said quickly. "But the girls ARE. Kumiko’s eyes literally lit up when I mentioned it. She started talking about this place in Koreatown that has private rooms and a full bar and apparently Alexis has been wanting to go for weeks but none of her usual friends will do it because they think karaoke is lame."

Jordan processed this information. "So you lied."

"I strategically positioned you as someone with hidden depth and surprising interests."

"You lied."

"Yes. But it worked!" Leo’s grin stretched wider. "Kumiko said we should all go together. Make it a group thing. Alexis agreed because Kumiko was still kind of mad at her and she wanted to smooth things over. And now we have plans for tonight after classes."

Kyle’s expression shifted to something approaching respect. "That’s actually pretty smooth."

"Thank you!"

"You offered to pay though. Didn’t you."

Leo’s face fell. "A-yes. How did you know?"

"Because I know you." Kyle grabbed his dumbbells again. "You always offer to pay. It’s your only move."

"It’s a good move!"

"It’s a desperate move."

Jordan’s brain finally rebooted enough to form coherent thoughts. Tonight. Karaoke. With Chloe.

Chloe, who he’d slept with last night. Chloe, who he’d lied to about a fake inheritance. Chloe, who’d texted him "good night" and nothing else.

Chloe, who probably didn’t want to see him right now, let alone sing karaoke in a private room while Leo threw money at Alexis and Kyle tried to be a normal human being.

"I can’t go," Jordan said.

Leo’s face did something catastrophic. "What? Why not?"

"I have. Stuff."

"Stuff," Leo repeated flatly.

"I just really don’t think that’s a good idea."

"Why not?" Kyle asked.

Jordan thought about explaining the inheritance lie. The slots. The System. All the complicated layers that made this situation significantly more fucked than Kyle’s simple logic allowed for.

Instead he just said, "It’s complicated."

"Everything’s complicated," Leo countered. "That’s not an excuse."

"He’s right," Kyle added. "You can’t just stay holed up in your room wanking it to your ex."

"I’m not hitting and quitting."

"Then what are you doing?" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"I don’t know!"

The words came out louder than Jordan intended. A girl on the leg press machine looked over with obvious interest. Jordan lowered his voice. "I don’t know what I’m doing. I never know what I’m doing. That’s the whole problem."

Leo and Kyle exchanged glances.

"Okay," Kyle said slowly. "So you go tonight. You figure it out. You talk to some girls like a normal person."

"What if I burn out?"

"Then we look back at it in five years and laugh." Leo pointed out.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

Jordan pulled it out. New message from an unknown number.

Unknown: This is Kumiko! Leo gave me your number. So excited for karaoke tonight! (◕‿◕✿) Chloe says hi btw!

Jordan stared at the message. Specifically at the last part.

Chloe says hi.

Not "Chloe wants to cancel." Not "Chloe thinks you’re insane." Just. Chloe says hi.

"What is it?" Leo tried to read Jordan’s screen. Jordan tilted it away.

"Nothing."

"That face is not a nothing face."

Jordan pocketed his phone. His chest felt weird again. That same tight warmth from last night when Chloe had curled against his side and said she was happy.

Maybe this wasn’t completely destroyed yet.

Maybe he could actually salvage this.

Maybe he was an idiot for even hoping.

"Fine," Jordan heard himself say. "I’ll go."

Leo pumped his fist. "Yes! That’s what I’m talking about!"

"But you’re paying for everything," Jordan added. "Since this was your idea."

"Deal. Absolutely. Done." Leo was already pulling out his phone. "I’ll text Kumiko back. Confirm the time. This is going to be perfect."

Kyle grinned at Jordan. "Look at you. Going on a group date. Character development."

"It’s not a date."

"Sure it’s not."

"It’s just. People. Singing."

Kyle grabbed his water bottle. "Come on. We still have forty minutes before you need to shower and get to class. Let’s actually work out instead of standing around gossiping like teenage girls."

Leo was typing frantically on his phone. "Kumiko responded. She says 8 PM. There’s a place called Brass Monkey in Koreatown. Private rooms. Full bar. Expensive but worth it."

"How expensive?" Jordan asked.

"Don’t worry about it. I’m covering everything." Leo looked up from his phone. His expression had shifted to something uncomfortably sincere. "Seriously Jordan. Thank you for giving me another chance. I’ll make this right."

Jordan’s chest did that uncomfortable thing again. "Just. Don’t throw me under the bus again. That’s all I ask."

"Never. I swear on my Gucci collection."

"That’s a weird thing to swear on."

"It’s all I have."

Kyle snorted. "That’s actually really sad when you say it out loud."

The three of them moved toward the weight racks. Jordan grabbed dumbbells for shoulder presses. His body felt good. Strong. The Tune Up trait was working overtime keeping him functional despite the emotional chaos.

His phone buzzed again.

Jordan checked it while Leo and Kyle started their sets.

Chloe: Kumiko told me you’re coming tonight.

Jordan’s thumbs moved before his brain could stop them.

Jordan: Is that okay?

The typing indicator appeared immediately.

Chloe: Yeah. It’s okay.

Then another message: We should probably talk though. Before tonight.

Jordan: Yeah. We should.

Chloe: Can you come over after your classes? Around 3?

Jordan checked his schedule. Management at 9:30. Econ discussion at noon. That would put him done by 12:50. Plenty of time.

Jordan: I’ll be there.

Chloe: Okay. See you then.

Jordan locked his phone and set it on the bench next to his water bottle.

Three PM. Unit 403. A conversation about the fake inheritance and the real feelings and whatever the hell they actually were to each other now.

Kyle’s voice cut through his thoughts. "You good?"

Jordan picked up his dumbbells. "Yeah. I’m good."