Chapter 11: Emotional Sync
The morning after the Heartlock Trial's chaotic start came softly, like sunlight sneaking between blinds. Chae Luna blinked awake, her back still turned to Han Leejun, the space between them slightly less tense than before. The red thread connecting their SyncBands glowed faintly, pulsing in rhythm with their heartbeats.
Luna sat up slowly, careful not to jolt him awake. But Leejun was already awake.
"You snore," he said, voice low and sleepy.
She whipped around. "I do not."
He gave a lazy smile, still half-tucked in the blankets. "Maybe just a little. Cute though."
She narrowed her eyes, cheeks heating. "You're lucky LPs don't drop for lying."
The door slid open with a chime, interrupting the moment.
> TRIAL OBJECTIVE 02: EMOTIONAL SYNC TEST Task: Share a deeply personal memory while maintaining physical proximity. Reward: +300 LP
Luna read it twice. "They want us to trauma-bond now?"
Leejun stretched. "You have to admit, they're thorough."
Luna sighed and leaned back against the headboard. "Fine. Let's get it over with. You first."
He blinked, caught off guard. "Me?"
"You've got, like, a vault of LPs. I'm at rock bottom. You go first."
Leejun stared at the ceiling, thoughtful. Then: "When I was twelve, my parents enrolled me in a prep academy in Switzerland. No LP system, no rankings. Just cold halls, stricter rules, and kids who judged you for your brand of socks."
Luna tilted her head. "Sounds horrible."
"It was. I hated it. I'd smile for the professors and ace the exams, but at night, I just... stared out the window. It snowed a lot. I started building love points like armor when I came back here. I thought if enough people adored me, I wouldn't feel alone again."
Luna went quiet.
"Your turn," he said gently.
She hesitated. "I had someone once. Back home. He was kind. Real. I thought it was love. But when I opened up, he used it to mock me in front of everyone."
Leejun's hands tightened slightly. "What happened to him?"
"He's probably still there. Laughing. It doesn't matter." She shook her head. "I promised myself I wouldn't be vulnerable again. So, this whole LP system? It's my nightmare."
They were quiet for a while. Then—
> +300 LP: Emotional Sync Achieved Current Score: Chae Luna – 309 LP
She stared. "Wait. Did I just... gain points?"
"You're moving up the ranks," Leejun said with a soft smile. "Careful. Might become a school icon."
Luna rolled her eyes, but she smiled faintly.
---
Task Room: Heartlock Labyrinth
Later that afternoon, the pair found themselves in a holographic simulation: a shimmering maze filled with color-coded doors.
> Task: Navigate the Emotional Labyrinth Rule: Each door requires a joint emotional choice. Disagreement results in setback.
Door One: [Trust] or [Control]
"I say Trust," Leejun said.
"Same," Luna agreed.
The door slid open.
Door Two: [Protect] or [Let Go]
They paused.
Luna bit her lip. "Let Go."
Leejun tilted his head. "You'd let someone go?"
"If you love them enough, yeah."
He nodded slowly. "Then Let Go."
The door shimmered open.
Door Three: [Truth] or [Comfort]
This time, Luna hesitated.
"Comfort," Leejun said.
"Truth," she replied.
A jolt shot through their SyncBands. Both winced.
> Emotional Sync Disrupted: -150 LP
"Okay, ow," Luna muttered, rubbing her wrist.
"We need to talk that one out next time," Leejun said with a grin.
Eventually, they reached the center of the maze. A glowing heart-shaped crystal floated above a pedestal. A final prompt blinked into existence.
> FINAL TRIAL PROMPT: Describe your current feelings for your partner. Must be spoken aloud.
Luna froze.
So did Leejun.
"I hate this school," she muttered.
He chuckled nervously. "Want me to go first?"
"No. I'll do it." Luna stepped forward. "I feel... confused. I don't know what's real and what's just the system messing with me. But I like being around you. And that scares me. Because I think if this were all fake—I'd still feel the same."
Silence.
Then Leejun moved beside her. "I feel like I've been performing for so long, I forgot what honesty felt like. But with you, I don't want to perform. I just want to stay close."
> +500 LP Emotional Trial Cleared
The crystal pulsed, then dissolved into light.
Their SyncBands unlocked with a soft chime. The red thread faded.
But neither moved.
"Free again," Luna said quietly.
Leejun looked at her wrist. Then back at her. "Didn't really mind it."
"Neither did I."
They walked out of the simulation room side by side.
Unlinked.
But still connected.
Somehow, even more than before.
POV: Riven & Ivy
Riven Kai never liked rules, especially ones that involved sitting still. So naturally, he was already inside the Observation Room, watching the Heartlock Trial playback on a hacked monitor.
"You know, obsessing over your rival is kind of cute," Ivy murmured beside him, twirling a data stick between her fingers. Her pink-streaked hair caught the screen's glow.
"It's not obsession," Riven muttered. "It's strategy."
"Uh-huh. You're totally not staring at Luna like a kicked puppy."
He ignored her and kept watching.
There she was—Luna, frowning, shyly smiling, almost holding Leejun's hand. The thread between them glowed like it belonged.
"I don't get it," he muttered.
"You like her," Ivy said simply.
Riven frowned. "No. I—She's just different. Real. She doesn't care about points."
"Exactly why you like her."
Silence.
Then Ivy added, "Besides, this isn't over. You know how this school works. One big twist, and hearts reshuffle."
Riven's fingers drummed the table. He smirked. "Then I'll be the twist."
He stood up, pocketing his sync override chip.
Ivy arched a brow. "Please tell me you're not crashing the next trial."
"No promises."
Ivy grinned. "I'll bring popcorn."
And just like that, the next chapter of Amour Academy stirred in secret shadows—rivals, hackers, and one very determined wildcard.
The campus buzzed with digital excitement.
> Heartlock Trial Status: 17 Hours Remaining Current Emotional Sync: 72% Viewership: 5,208 Students Tuned In
Yes, you read that right. Tuned in.
Amour Academy had a notorious habit of turning romantic tension into entertainment. The Heartlock Trial was no exception. Every step, glance, and accidental graze between Chae Luna and Han Leejun was being monitored—and, more importantly, streamed.
IVY'S POV
From the Girls' Common Lounge, Ivy twirled a strand of her icy-blue hair and narrowed her eyes at the screen.
Luna laughed—genuinely—for the first time in public. Leejun looked at her like she'd hung the stars.
Ivy clicked her tongue.
"That wasn't supposed to happen."
Around her, a chorus of giggles and sighs echoed.
"They're cute together!"
"The way he looks at her? Please!"
Ivy's jaw clenched.
She stood, brushing nonexistent dust from her designer skirt. "He's just playing the trial. Luna's a glitch in his system. She'll fade like the rest."
But her voice lacked conviction. A notification pinged.
> RIVEN KAI: 'Meet me. Now.'
RIVEN'S POV
Meanwhile, in a quieter corridor of the academy, Riven Kai paced.
The glow of his holo-watch replayed a clip—again and again. Leejun tucking Luna's hair behind her ear. Luna blushing.
Riven's eyes darkened. "Seriously?"
He'd known Luna wasn't the type to fall so easily. That's what made her different. But now?
Something in his chest twisted.
He told himself it wasn't jealousy. Just… concern. Protective instinct. Rational observation.
Yeah, right.
> SYSTEM: LP Drop -3 Cause: Emotional Instability (Jealousy Spike)
He scoffed. "Figures."
THE SCENE – LUNA & LEEJUN
They sat on the dorm balcony, sharing warm tea under the pink glow of digital lanterns. SyncBand still tethered, their emotional resonance practically humming.
"You know," Leejun murmured, "I used to think love was just strategy. An algorithm."
Luna raised a brow. "And now?"
"Now it's chaos. And somehow, I don't mind."
She turned away quickly, cheeks flushed.
Butterflies. Stupid, fluttering butterflies.
AND THEN—
Riven burst through the double doors.
The balcony lights flickered in response to his surge of emotional energy.
Students across the academy gasped as the live stream flared.
> VIEWERSHIP SPIKE: +600 LP Shift Detected
Riven's eyes locked on Leejun. "Wow. Cozy little love nest."
Leejun stood slowly. "Trial rules. Not my idea."
Riven's gaze shifted to Luna. "And you? Enjoying this simulation?"
Luna blinked, caught off guard. "It's not what it looks like."
"Really?" He threw a jacket over her shoulders—the same one from earlier. "Because it looks like you're forgetting who you are."
Leejun stepped forward. "Don't project your jealousy."
Riven chuckled darkly. "Jealous? Of a system-generated crush?"
> LP DROP – RIVEN: -5 Emotional Turbulence Registered
Students watching cheered, gasped, and commented furiously.
Luna bit her lip. "Enough, both of you."
But her voice wavered. Because part of her… felt it too. That strange tension. That storm in the air.
She stepped between them.
"We're not in a drama. We're in a trial. So let's act like it."
Silence.
Until Ivy's voice purred from the doorway.
"She's right. But we all know the real game has just started."
The cameras zoomed in. LP values flickered. The algorithm smiled.
> Heartlock Trial: 16 Hours Remaining Emotional Forecast: Turbulent