Her thoughts drifted, but then, out of nowhere, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Tap!

She spun around quickly, surprised, and the water bottle in her hand slipped out of her grasp.

It happened in slow motion.

The water splashed all over her face, drenching her shirt and hair.

Aria froze for a split second, eyes wide.

And then Leo — of course, Leo — burst into uncontrollable laughter.

It wasn’t just a chuckle. It was a full, belly-deep laugh that echoed across the room. He bent over, clutching his stomach, tears almost streaming from his eyes.

"Oh my god, Aria! You should’ve seen your face!" Leo managed between fits of laughter.

Aria stood there, drenched and completely speechless, while the rest of the group looked on, some of them trying to hold back their own laughter.

She wiped her face with the back of her hand, blinking rapidly as the cold water trickled down her neck.

"Really, Leo?" she said, her voice dripping with mock annoyance, but the tiniest smile playing at the corners of her lips. "This is how you repay me for being nice?"

Leo wiped his eyes, still grinning from ear to ear.

"I didn’t mean to! I swear, I didn’t think the water would fly that far!" He took a deep breath and, still chuckling, added, "But you should’ve seen it. Classic!"

Aria rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped her lips.

"You’re impossible," she muttered.

As she stared at Leo, laughing like an angel — his smile infectious and carefree — something clicked in her mind before she could stop herself.

"Seeing you smile like this, I could splash a thousand bottles on my face," she said, her voice light but filled with sincerity.

Leo blinked, momentarily taken aback. He didn’t expect that, but then he grinned even wider, his laughter subsiding into a chuckle.

"I’ll take that as a compliment," he said, wiping his eyes and still trying to control his laughter.

From across the room, Riven had been watching the whole interaction. His expression was unreadable, but the tension in his jaw was clear. He had been standing there, silently, eyes fixed on the two of them.

Something stirred in his chest, though he couldn't quite place it. Was it annoyance? Was it... jealousy?

He quickly looked away, pretending to focus on his phone, but the nagging feeling stayed.

Aria, still dripping wet, glanced over at Riven, her smile faltering for just a moment. But when she saw him looking away, she turned back to Leo, shaking her head in amusement.

"Well, thanks for that," she said sarcastically, grabbing a nearby towel and dabbing at her face. "I guess I’ll just go dry off now."

Leo immediately sobered up, noticing the slight shift in her mood.

"Hey, I’m sorry, Aria. I didn’t mean to embarrass you," he said, his voice softer now, more genuine. "It’s just... you looked so serious, and then—"

Aria waved him off, giving him a small smile.

"It’s fine, Leo. I just didn’t expect that."

He smiled back, but then glanced at Riven, who was still standing in the corner, arms crossed, eyes distant.

"Hey, Riven, light up a little! Aria's just messing around."

Riven didn’t respond, but the corner of his mouth twitched, just barely, as if something was eating at him. Leo didn’t notice the subtle shift in Riven’s mood, but Aria did.

It was strange, this quiet competition that seemed to simmer just beneath the surface whenever she was around. Aria tried to shake it off, focusing on drying herself and returning to her tasks. She had enough to deal with without analyzing every little look between her and Riven.

But still, as she worked, she couldn’t help but wonder:

Was it just Leo being playful? Or was there more to Riven’s silence?