Surprise Scenario

2nd day. We expected the Illych couple to have breakfast in their room, like a normal couple. So we headed to the lounge to get some fresh air. I had talked to Nea about her antics yesterday, but she just said that the Illych couple seemed to have liked her more than me.

On our way out, I raised another matter of concern. "That one lady with that terribly refreshing smile of hers. Ain't she suspicious?"

"Yes, she does, in fact, seem odd."

"I don't get why she keeps winking at me."a

"Hm? At you?" Nea said while opening the door to the lounge. To our utmost surprise, in front of us were the Illych couples, again.

###Operation: Trap The Son###

##Time: Morning, Breakfast##

#Surprise Scenario!#

Neither of us were dressed well enough to talk with the son of the president! How can I not check this place first? Heck, what if it was some assassin this time?! While I panicked on the inside, Nea brazenly entered the coach.

"Oh! Alice? Over here!" Jane exclaimed. Her husband greeted us calmly, "Morning! Alice. Sirius."

Now, anyone with over 2 friends would have figured this out, but don't these two clearly prefer Nea over me!?

"Good morning to you two."

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Illych," Nea called out. Oh, this crafty woman. Did she actually call them Mr. and Mrs? Doesn't she know that this is the cheat code that gives you an instant increase in likability with a recently married couple? It's forbidden!

"This style suits you much better, you know?" Jane complimented Nea

"Oh, thank you! I don't look as good as you, though. Is it an after-effect of love?"

Are you guys listening to this?! Just how sly can you get? How manipulative! How cunning!

Artelick closed up to me and whispered. "You are doing good, you'll have to act a bit more openly if you want to court Alice. Keep doing your best!"

"Ah, haha, thank you..." I get what's going on here. These two think of us as the typical bold, brazen girl and her nerdy orbiter, and they want to play cupid during their trip. Is this really fine? It will bring us a lot closer to them, but won't this put us at a disadvantage in Xeonodan? Well, whatever. I'll just go with it.

"Come to think of it, what do you both do for a living?" At the perfect moment, Jane asked us the perfect question.

"She may not look it, but Alice here is a high-leveled Grade 4 mage," I said.

"She looks and acts the part, though?" said Artelick.

"What about you, Sirius?" Jane asked.

"Ah, he is a researcher and professor of Magic theory." Nice cover! That was exactly what I was going to say. Jane and Artelick both looked at me with a hint of respect in their eyes. Magic theory is a tough field and few could say they research it.

"That's pretty cool. Magic theory always bummed me out during my graduation."

"Me too! I never understood it in college! You are amazing, Sirius!"

Haha, yes, praise me more! Whoops, didn't mean to let that one slip. They are not my true thoughts at all, ok?

"What about you two? What do you do?" I asked.

"Oh! I am actually a bureaucrat, and Artelick... is a politician...?"

So that's how they met, huh? She hesitated a lot at the end there, clearly not trained. Nea brushed over the topic and the conversation shifted to different pastries in the capital? How can Artelick keep up with this and not me?

We shared a simple breakfast. Artelick's eyes caught the newspaper, which now covered events of Kifestein. We had a hearty discussion on it before going our separate ways on a high note.

###Operation: Trap The Son###

##Time: Morning, Breakfast##

#Surprise Scenario!#

Status: Success!!

Back in the room, Nea again plopped on the bed and laughed sheepishly. "See how I manipulated you into playing the role of the hopeless courter?"

"U wot m8?"

"How'd you do that?" She asked. Hah! only I can break the 4th wall, don't think you'll get a reaction while trying to set up a punchline!

"Do what? Well, anyway, you didn't manipulate shit! You just got lucky!"

"How rude! Whatever, what will we do now?" Nea skipped the topic. She does it quite smoothly, huh?

"Hmm, I have a deck of playing cards, let's ask them to play poker or something at around 10?" I replied.

"I'd feel bad to intrude, but we have no choice..."

"Yeah. today the train will make its first stop since we got in..."

At 10, the Illych couple themselves asked us to join them for a couple of cards and board games. Are they possibly eavesdropping on us? They looked like the picture-perfect 'annoying couple', holding a board in one hand and a deck of cards in another.

We joined them for the games and surely got a lot closer, enough to talk to each other with no reservations at all.

Today the train will make its first stop since we got in. If luck is on our side, someone will finally attack us...