The journey back is eerily silent.
It's not the peaceful kind of silence, nor the comfortable one that comes after a victory. It's heavy, dragging behind them like an invisible weight, pressing down on Ace's chest with every step he takes.
At first, he thinks it's just the exhaustion from everything they've been through, the intense negotiations, the emotional weight of Rika's confession, and the sheer effort it took to keep everything from falling apart.
But as the minutes stretch on, he realizes it's not just that.
Jun still hasn't spoken even a word to him since they had a little fight yesterday.
And now the fact that he is not saying anything to anyone_ That in itself is unusual.
Normally, he would have at least thrown a comment about Kieran's impatience, or maybe teased Ace about how Rika nearly tackled him with gratitude.
Instead, he walks ahead, separate from the others, his face unreadable, his steps brisk.