A strange, heavy silence had started to creep between us.
"...So what exactly is this 'love compatibility' supposed to mean?" I finally asked, the words sounding louder in the quiet than I meant.
Lilis's grin spread slow and sharp, like she'd been waiting. "Heh, isn't it obvious? It means our party isn't just perfect for fighting together—it's perfect in the heart department too. Psychological chemistry, you know?"
"Th-that's ridiculous..." Elsa's voice faltered as her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword. Her cheeks flared red, and she turned her face away as if the steel might hide her embarrassment.
Cain said nothing, arms folded tight across her chest, her gaze locked on me. Normally her blue eyes were cool and unreadable, but in that moment I swore I saw something flicker—something tangled.
"But hey," Lilis went on, tapping her dagger against her shoulder like this was all a joke, "it's kinda fun, right? Just because the app says it doesn't mean we're gonna suddenly start dating. Or... maybe it does?" Her golden eyes gleamed with mischief.
Cecilia's gentle laugh floated into the tension. "True, perhaps it is no more than a compatibility quiz. Yet, once you know such a thing, it lingers in the back of your mind~desuwa. Whether you wish it or not."
"...That's the problem." I scratched my head and sighed. Being in the best party I could ask for was incredible. But if feelings got tangled up, if things went sour between us, then our teamwork could crumble. That thought alone knotted my stomach.
"For now, can we just not overthink this?" I said. The words hung there, and one by one, everyone nodded—each with their own unspoken weight in their eyes.
But afterward, small changes began to slip in.
Elsa, who had insisted she "didn't care," started to act different. After battles, she'd sit beside me while I polished my blade, telling me I should rest more. Even the tiniest scratches on my arm had her frowning, whispering, "Are you alright?" Her eyes, usually burning with confidence, now carried something unsteady—like ripples under still water.
And Cain... I felt her gaze sharpen whenever Elsa spoke to me. Just for an instant, the edge of her eyes dimmed, and though she never said a word, I felt the weight of it press against me. I wished I hadn't noticed.
"Leon. Look at me a second." Elsa's voice stopped me on the road back from the dungeon. I turned, and she was staring straight at me for once, no deflection, no armor in her eyes.
"Uh... what is it?"
"It's nothing. Just... um..." Her words wavered, a rare crack in her usual steel.
"What is that even supposed to mean?" I laughed, but she just muttered, "Forget it," and looked away, her red ponytail swinging.
From behind her, Lilis's muffled giggle slipped out. "Oh, this is gonna get real good," she whispered like she was watching a play unfold. Her eyes sparkled like a cat about to pounce.
The very next day, we were standing in the Guild hall, our victory already spreading like wildfire.
"Hey, you know our dungeon run's the talk of the Guild, right?" Lilis said, waving at the notice board.
"Well, we did take down a C-rank boss," I replied, shrugging.
"But it's only because of our teamwork that we pulled it off," Cecilia said warmly, her smile wrapping around us like sunlight.
Elsa, her arms crossed, tilted her head. "...Yeah. If it wasn't this exact group, I doubt we'd have made it."
"Then, which request do we accept next?" Cain's calm voice cut straight through the buzz, dragging us back to business.
We all leaned toward the board, eyes skimming the quests. Yet even as we focused, I felt Elsa's eyes flick toward me again and again.
"What's wrong, Elsa?" I asked finally.
"N-nothing!" she yelped, twisting her face away.
From the side, Lilis leaned close to my ear, her voice low and teasing. "See? Told you that love compatibility thing is already messing with her."
"Shut up," I muttered, blowing out a breath.
Cecilia's laugh was soft as a bell. "Fufu... but perhaps this too is fate~desuwa. After all, it was destiny that brought us together like this, was it not?"
Her gentle words eased the air, smoothing the edges of the awkwardness.
"Alright, enough thinking!" Lilis grabbed a request slip with a flourish. "Let's just take a job and get moving already!"
"Yeah," I said, deciding to push the thoughts aside. "Better to keep going forward."
And so, without meaning to, we stepped into a new wave of chaos in our strange, tangled party life.