“Don’t lose your nerve. We’re about to reach the stop. Be ready.”

“Alright.”

Eric braced himself by gripping the armrest, getting ready to rise.

“Ah—” Before he could fully stand, his body slumped back into the seat.

“Are you okay?” Hadley instinctively reached for him.

“Yeah, don’t worry,” Eric replied with a sheepish grin, rubbing his left arm with his right.

“It’s just gone a little numb.”

That word caught her off guard. Hadley blinked in surprise. She suddenly recalled how she’d been resting against him when she woke earlier. Night had already fallen… she must have been asleep for quite some time. So he hadn’t moved at all?

Brows tightening, Hadley asked, “Weren’t you supposed to wake me?”

“I wasn’t sleepy,” Eric said, flashing a faint smile.

“There was no need for me to rest.”

No doubt about it—that was a lie. No one stayed fully alert at this hour.

Hadley narrowed her eyes.

“Other than your arm, where else feels off?”

“My leg,” Eric replied without hesitation.

Truthfully, the entire side she had leaned against had gone numb.

“On your feet.” With one hand extended, Hadley offered support.

“Try moving around a little. It might help.”

“Okay.”

Without resisting, Eric stood and tilted his head to glance at her with a quiet grin.

Hadley blinked at him.

“What’s so funny?”

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“You know.” Eric kept smiling.

“You don’t seem to dislike me as much anymore. I’m not that awful, right?”

Hadley stayed silent. Words escaped her as her gaze went blank for a second.

Noticing the pause, Eric raised a brow and said with a grin, “If you’re not going to deny it, I’ll take that as a yes.” He held out his hand.

“So, does this mean we’re friends now?”

Hadley hesitated. Her eyes lingered on his hand, but no words came.

Then, without warning, the train gave a gentle lurch and came to a full stop.

“We’re here.” Without acknowledging his hand, Hadley grabbed her backpack and stepped forward.

“Come on, time to get off!”

“Wait up…”

As she walked ahead without turning back, Eric let out a small sigh and followed. His legs, still sluggish from the numbness, made his steps slightly uneven.

“Wait up, Hadley!” he called after her as they stepped off the train.

A handful of passengers trickled out, Andrea among the first to leave. They trailed behind her, keeping a careful distance.

Once outside the station, the light vanished all at once, and the surroundings dimmed. Eric squinted at the empty lot around them.

“Where are we? This place feels abandoned.”

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