Lisa emerged from her room, still in her nightclothes—a soft oversized shirt that hung past her hips and a pair of fuzzy socks that peeked out as she shuffled across the living room floor. Her twintails were loose, her hair slightly tangled from sleep, and her eyes still held the softness of someone who had just woken up.

In her hands, she held Andrey’s wallet.

"You almost forgot this," she said, her voice still husky with sleep, holding it out to him.

Andrey blinked, reaching for his back pocket. He’d been so focused on the meeting ahead, reviewing mental notes, preparing questions—he’d completely forgotten his wallet.

"Ah. Thank you, Lisa." He took it from her, their fingers brushing briefly.

Lisa’s cheeks tinted pink, and she looked down at her socks, a small smile playing on her lips. "You always forget something when you’re nervous. Even back at the office, you’d leave your phone on your desk whenever you had a big presentation."

Andrey’s lips curved slightly. "I’m not nervous."

Lisa looked up at him, her eyes soft and knowing. "Of course not."

After slipping the wallet into his pocket, Andrey looked at her. Her hair was still messy from sleep. A few strands of light brown hair had escaped her loose bun and fallen across the side of her face.

Without thinking, Andrey reached out his right hand. His fingers gently touched Lisa’s hair near her temple. He tucked the loose strands behind her ear with a slow, almost tender movement.

Lisa’s breath caught, her eyes widening for just a moment before softening again.

"Thank you," Andrey said quietly. "For always looking out for me." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Lisa’s face flushed a deeper pink. She ducked her head, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her oversized shirt. "I-it’s nothing... we’re teammates, after all..."

But even as she said it, her heart was racing. In her mind, she thought, ’Teammates... but this feels like something more. Like a wife seeing her husband off to work. Is that silly? He probably doesn’t think of me that way...’

Andrey, watching her blush, had his own internal thought: ’She looks like a wife sending her husband off. If this keeps up... I might start expecting these morning goodbyes.’

He cleared his throat, pushing the thought aside. "I should go. I don’t want to be late."

Lisa nodded, stepping back. "Be careful on the road, Andrey."

"I will." He turned toward the door, then paused, glancing back at her. "I’ll bring something back for dinner. Any requests?"

Lisa’s smile brightened. "Surprise me."

Andrey nodded once, then stepped out, the door clicking shut behind him.

Lisa stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door, her hand pressed to her chest as if to calm her pounding heart.

From the couch, Sarah’s voice floated over, muffled by the pillow she had buried her face in. "Get a room, you two."

Lisa jumped, her face turning even redder. "S-Sarah?! I thought you were asleep!"

Sarah lifted her head, her brown hair a disaster, her eyes still heavy-lidded. "I was. But then I heard you being all sweet and wife-like, and I couldn’t go back to sleep."

Lisa covered her burning cheeks with both hands. "I was not being ’wife-like’..."

From the hallway, Sein’s door creaked open. She stood there in her black tank top and sweatpants, her orange hair a messy halo around her head. Her green eyes were sharp despite the early hour.

"He left already?" she asked, her voice flat.

Lisa nodded, still flustered. "Yes... he had a meeting at the Lumina Guild."

Sein grunted, then disappeared back into her room, closing the door behind her.

Sarah stared at the closed door, then at Lisa. "She’s in a mood."

Lisa sighed, walking toward the kitchen to make tea. "She’s always in a mood lately."

Sarah stretched, yawning widely. "Well, Andrey’s not here, so I’m going back to sleep." She pulled the blanket over her head, her voice muffled. "Wake me when he comes back with food."

Lisa shook her head, a small smile on her lips despite the chaos.

Outside, Andrey walked toward the train station, the morning air cool against his face. He adjusted his glasses, his mind already shifting to the meeting ahead.

’Hope’s guild leader wants to meet me specifically. That could mean a number of things: a recruitment offer, information sharing, or something else entirely. I need to keep my guard up, but also be open. If they have resources that could help us, it’s worth hearing them out.’

The train arrived, and he boarded, finding a seat by the window. As the city scrolled past, he pulled out his phone, reviewing the message Hope had sent him the night before.

The Lumina Guild HQ was located in the heart of the city, a sleek, modern tower that gleamed in the morning light. Andrey stepped out of the train station, checking the address one more time before walking toward the entrance.

The lobby was spacious, with marble floors and a large reception desk manned by a young woman with a polite, professional smile.

"Welcome to Lumina Guild Headquarters. How may I help you?"

Andrey approached the desk, offering his ID. "Andrey Thompson. I have a meeting with Guild Leader Leto Anwar."

The receptionist’s eyes widened slightly, her professional composure flickering with surprise. "Ah, yes. Mr. Thompson. Guild Leader Leto has been expecting you. Please follow me."

She led him past the reception desk, through a security checkpoint, and into an elevator. She pressed a button, and the elevator began to rise smoothly.

As they ascended, Andrey’s internal thoughts surfaced: ’The Guild Leader himself requested this meeting. That’s unusual. Most guild leaders delegate to subordinates for meetings with lower-ranked heroes. Either he’s genuinely interested in what I have to say, or there’s something he wants from me.’

The elevator doors opened onto a quiet corridor lined with abstract art and potted plants. The receptionist led him to a set of double doors at the end of the hall.

"Guild Leader Leto’s office. He’s waiting for you inside." She gave a small bow and departed.

Andrey took a breath, adjusted his glasses, and pushed the doors open.