Dinner moved like a tide—arriving in waves, retreating into jokes, returning with noodles that had the exact right bite. Reika's kitchen army stacked empty steamers like trophies. Seraphina sent two sorbets out as a preview and made the freezer sound pleased. The city leaned into night outside our windows, hoverlights humming over the avenues like polite fireflies.
"Round two," Reika announced, clapping once. "Final gifts before cake."
Aria dragged Marcus to the front. "He was going to gift you a calculus problem," she said, "but I slapped his hand."
"I brought a lab pass," Marcus protested. "Supervised hours. Safety modules pre-cleared."
"See?" Aria said, smug. "Growth."
Jin and Kali exchanged a look that said 'politics later, cake now.' "The residency stands," Jin told Stella. "If you'd rather do it during school breaks, we'll arrange tutors."
"And a corner office," Kali added. "With a window and a door you can lock when men talk loudly."
