The hall felt endless in its silence after Valerian shut the door. Luna stood there for several long minutes, wringing her fingers until her nails dug into her palms. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to run, to hide, to pretend the last five minutes had never happened.
But her heart wouldn't let her.
She pushed herself up, straightened her long light-purple coat, and pressed her lips together. I'll apologize again. I'll explain properly this time. He'll understand, right? He has to…
Gathering what courage she could, Luna tiptoed to the control room. The door slid open quietly with a hiss, revealing Valerian seated before the glowing panels, his broad back framed by the holographic light of mission data.
"Um…" Her voice cracked. She cleared her throat, then tried again, softer, almost sheepishly. "Valerian?"
No answer.
She fidgeted with the hem of her coat, the blue fabric brushing her fingertips. "I… I didn't mean what I said earlier. It just—slipped out. I wasn't thinking. Really. I would never…" She trailed off, her words shrinking under the weight of his silence.
Valerian typed something on the projected wrist-panel, his posture rigid, focused, as if she weren't even there.
She tried again, forcing a laugh that sounded far too awkward. "I… I was just trying to joke a little, you know? Haha… haha… jokes aren't my specialty, I guess…" She puffed her cheeks in frustration at herself, a nervous habit she couldn't control.
Still nothing.
The silence carved into her, and desperation made her grasp for anything. She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a neatly wrapped square. "Here!" she said too brightly, holding it out like a peace offering. "Blueberry cake. My favorite. I… thought maybe you'd like some too."
Valerian's eyes flicked to her hand for the briefest second—then back to the glowing data. His voice, when it finally came, was low, clipped, and colder than before.
"Irrelevant."
The word cut sharper than any blade.
Luna flinched. Her hand trembled, the cake wrapper crinkling. She tried to force a smile anyway, even as her throat tightened. "O-Oh… right. Silly me. You don't like sweets, huh? Haha… I should've guessed." She tucked the cake back into her pocket, fingers shaking.
But she didn't leave.
Her feet stayed rooted to the floor as her heart urged her forward. "Valerian… I just… I want to help. I want to be useful, not just some—some silly girl who eats too much cake or says stupid things. I'm really serious about this mission, I promise. About Flame. About… everything."
Her words stumbled over themselves, a mess of sincerity wrapped in nervous energy.
Valerian didn't even turn. His tone was as sharp as the holographic light cutting across his glasses.
"Unnecessary."
Luna's breath hitched. She bit her lip, forcing her watery eyes down toward the floor so he wouldn't see. Her half-moon earrings quivered as she shook her head quickly, a fragile smile plastered across her face.
"R-Right… unnecessary. Got it."
She lingered a moment longer, clutching her wristwatch against her chest as if it could shield her from the coldness pressing in. Then, with her cheeks still flushed and burning, she turned and backed out of the room, letting the door slide closed between them once again.
Alone in the hall, she leaned against the wall and whispered to herself, voice breaking.
"Why do I keep messing up with him…?"
But even as she said it, her heart still raced. Because despite his silence, despite his cold dismissal, something in her refused to stop reaching for him.
The hall was too quiet. The hum of the spacecraft's engines, normally a steady rhythm that calmed her, now felt like it was mocking her—an endless reminder of the silence from the man only a door away.
Luna lowered herself onto the sofa, smoothing the folds of her long light-purple coat across her lap. She clasped her shaky hands together, then unclasped them, fingers restless like her thoughts. Her cheeks still burned, and tiny beads of sweat dotted her forehead, but no amount of fanning herself with her hands made the heat leave.
"Why… why did I say that?" she whispered, her voice breaking into the air that refused to answer. She pulled her knees closer and hugged them, her half-moon earrings brushing against her cheeks as she buried her face into her arms.
The cruel words replayed in her mind, sharper each time.
Damn, you're good at ignoring. Probably because you've been ignored since birth.
Her own voice echoed like an accusation, not against him—but against herself.
"I didn't mean it," she said to no one, her throat tightening. "I didn't… I wasn't thinking. I was nervous. I just wanted him to look at me, even once, just once…"
Her hand drifted to her coat pocket, pulling out another square of blueberry cake she had hidden away. She unwrapped it slowly, the sweet scent filling the hall. She stared at it for a long time before taking a small bite.
The cake was soft, warm, familiar—the kind of taste that usually lit her face up with a smile. But tonight, it only filled the empty silence.
Her lips trembled around the bite. She chewed slowly, swallowed, then whispered to herself, "Blueberry cake is supposed to make me happy. Why… why doesn't it taste the same right now?"
She tried forcing a smile. Her reflection in the metallic surface of the table stared back at her—crystal eyes dulled, her curved lips trembling as if even her own body refused to believe the mask anymore.
"Luna Mooncreast… ISA's radiant heart, right?" she said bitterly to her reflection, her voice fragile, almost mocking herself. "Always smiling, always cheerful, never crying. That's what everyone says. That's what they want me to be. That's who I am."
Her hands shook as she tore off another piece of cake, popping it into her mouth too quickly, chewing too fast. Crumbs stuck to her lips, but she didn't wipe them away. Her cheeks flushed hotter, her chest tight with something that wasn't nerves anymore—it was despair, a sorrow she had never let herself feel until now.
"I'm… I'm so stupid," she whispered, pressing her palm against her heart. "Why does it hurt so much? He's just… he's just a partner. Just a mission partner. Nothing more. So why do I…"
Her voice trailed off into silence, tears threatening to prick at the corners of her eyes. She bit down hard on her lip, refusing to let them fall. She had a reputation to uphold—even here, even alone. She was Luna Mooncreast, the girl who never cried.
But the sorrow curled tighter around her chest.
"…I don't want him to hate me," she admitted finally, so softly it was almost a breath. "I don't know why… but I don't."
Her gaze dropped to her lap, to the crumbs of blueberry cake scattered across her coat. She brushed them away with slow, trembling hands, as though cleaning the mess outside could somehow erase the storm inside.
For the first time in her life, the radiant heart of ISA couldn't find her light.
Luna shifted on the sofa, pulling her knees closer to her chest as if curling in would protect her from the heaviness pressing down inside. Her cheeks were still red, not from embarrassment anymore but from the heat of holding everything back.
Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her long coat. Twist. Untwist. Smooth. Tug. Over and over, a nervous loop. She could hear Waguri's voice in her head, a memory from the days she trained in the academy: "When your heart trembles, cover it with a smile. When your soul cracks, cover it with laughter. The world doesn't need to know your pain, Luna."
She had mastered that lesson so well that she became the radiant Moonlight herself. Heroes, civilians, even strangers—everyone believed her smile was unshakable. But right now, that smile felt like a mask she couldn't lift anymore.
Her reflection in the window mocked her again. Crystal eyes, warm and glowing to anyone else, but to her they looked tired, glassy, and unsure. She forced a grin at herself. It wobbled, then broke.
"I can't… I can't let him see me like this," she whispered. Her hand trembled as she brushed a strand of purple hair behind her ear. "I have to stay bright. If he hates me, that's fine… but I can't let him see me weak."
Her throat tightened, betraying her resolve. She pressed her palms hard against her eyes, trying to stop the sting. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.
But the words she had blurted earlier came crashing back, sharper with every replay. Probably because you've been ignored since birth.
She hadn't meant it. She hadn't even thought before saying it. But the flicker she saw in his storm-blue eyes when those words hit—it was real. It had cut him. And she had been the one to swing the blade.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she muttered, smacking her forehead lightly with her palm. "What kind of senior says that? What kind of me says that? He'll never forgive me. He'll never—"
Her breath caught. She pressed her hand against her chest again. Her heart was racing, not just from guilt but from something deeper, something scarier. A strange weight sat inside her, a mix of sorrow and longing, and the more she thought of Valerian's silence, the stronger it became.
"Why… why him?" she whispered shakily, staring down at the blueberry crumbs scattered on the table. "I don't even understand. I've met so many heroes. Smarter than him. Kinder than him. Warmer than him. Why does my heart…"
She clutched the fabric of her coat tighter over her chest, eyes wide, as if afraid of the answer she didn't want to admit.
"…why does my heart only race for him?"
Silence swallowed her words. The hum of the engines was the only reply, and for the first time, Luna felt small inside her own light—like a star trying not to burn out.
She bit her lip, cheeks burning hotter. Then she shook her head furiously and slapped her cheeks with both hands, the sound echoing in the quiet hall.
"No! Luna Mooncreast doesn't fall apart!" she told herself, forcing her lips into a bright smile again. Her voice trembled, her eyes glistened, but the smile stayed. "I'll fix this. I'll apologize again, and again, and again if I have to. He won't ignore me forever… right?"
Her voice cracked on the last word, but she held her smile anyway.
The soft hum of the engines filled the hall when the sliding door hissed open again. Valerian emerged from the control room, his boots steady, his posture straight, his expression carved from stone. Without a word, he crossed the hall and sat down on the sofa opposite Luna, leaving a measured distance between them as though that invisible space was a shield.
Luna's spine went rigid the moment she felt his presence. She snapped into perfect posture, hands folded neatly in her lap. Her cheeks burned pink, and to her horror, she realized there was still a smudge of cream at the corner of her lips from the blueberry cake she had nervously eaten moments earlier. A bead of sweat trickled from her temple, sliding down as if announcing her flustered state. She forced a smile anyway—small, fragile, but glowing, as if hoping it could erase all the awkwardness.
Valerian leaned forward slightly, resting his forearm on his knee. His eyes, stormy and sharp, locked onto her face. His voice broke the silence in a steady, cold tone:
"We will reach Mecha Trade Expanse in approximately twenty minutes. Our initial plan involved gathering intel from Dante and Talon Darkos, but their location is currently in Universe 07A. If we divert our route to meet them now, we'll delay our arrival at Mecha Expanse. So—" his eyes narrowed, "—what do you think we should do?"
For a moment, Luna froze. Her lips parted in surprise. He was asking her opinion. Her opinion. Up until now, he had done everything on his own—setting coordinates, compiling files, analyzing details—without sparing her a glance. But now, his words reached out to her like a cold but undeniable bridge.
Her heart skipped. Is he… actually trying to work with me? Or… is he just testing me?
She lifted her gaze slightly, meeting his for half a second before her eyes darted away again. Her cheeks grew warmer. "U-Um…" she stammered, her voice trembling like fragile glass. She tucked a strand of purple hair nervously behind her ear. "I… I think… we already know Flame is in Universe 03A. So we should go straight there… and rescue him. That's… that's all."
The words tumbled out clumsily, but her voice carried sincerity.
Valerian's expression didn't change, but his head gave a slight nod. "I also think this. If we require further information, we can contact Dante and Talon remotely."
For a second, the air felt almost lighter between them. But then his voice dropped colder, sharp like a blade dragging against stone. "One more thing. This isn't about the mission. It's about you."
Luna blinked, startled. "M-me?"
"Yes." His eyes fixed on her with unnerving precision. "You're an S rank. That means you're supposed to be a master in everything—not only combat or strategy but in conversation, composure, and how you treat your teammates."
The words sank into her like stones thrown into a still pond. Luna's smile wavered. Her eyes fell downward, shielded by the curtain of her purple hair slipping over her face. She knew what he was pointing at. The cruel words she had blurted earlier, unthinking, cutting at him. Her chest squeezed with regret.
"I…" Her voice cracked. Her hands clenched in her lap. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I wasn't thinking, I—"
Valerian opened his mouth to say something, but she didn't let him. Her words spilled like a flood, desperate and shaky.
"I shouldn't have said that. I never wanted to insult you. I just… I just panicked. I thought you hated me and— and I said something awful, and I regret it, I regret it so much." Her shoulders trembled as she kept her gaze locked to the floor, unable to meet his stormy eyes. "I'm sorry, Valerian. Truly. I'll apologize a hundred times if I have to, I'll—"
"Okay." His voice cut through hers like an iron door slamming shut. Cold. Detached. As though her apology had slid off him like rain on glass.
Her chest tightened. But before she could exhale, his next words froze the air completely.
"But one more thing," he continued. "Do you know what it means when a female's behavior changes in front of a male? When she gets flustered. Shy. Nervous. When she can't speak properly or meet his eyes? All those signs point to one truth—that the female likes that male." His storm-blue eyes pierced into her, unrelenting. "So tell me. Are you… attracted to me? Is that the reason?"
The world around her seemed to stop. Luna's breath caught in her throat. Her heart slammed against her ribs like a trapped bird. Heat flooded her cheeks until her whole face glowed crimson. Her hands tightened around her coat, trembling.
Her eyes, wide and glistening, finally lifted and locked onto his. Storm met amethyst, and she felt like she was drowning.
"I—" Her lips quivered. Words refused to come out the way she wanted. "N-no…! It's not… I-I mean, it's nothing like that, I just—" Her voice broke as she stammered, flailing for an explanation that didn't exist. Her body screamed the truth, her flushed face and shaking hands betraying her, but her mind fought desperately to cover it up. "Y-you're misunderstanding, Valerian! It's… it's just… just coincidence! I-I'm like this sometimes, not just with you, it's not—"
She stopped, biting her lip, realizing every word sounded weaker than the last. Her voice shrank to almost a whisper. "…It's not what you think…"
But her eyes told another story. Wide. Bright. Frantic. Longing. They betrayed everything she wanted to deny.
Valerian didn't reply. He simply studied her for a moment, expression unreadable, then stood without a word. The distance between them seemed to expand as he walked back to the control room, his cold footsteps echoing in the hall.
The sliding door shut behind him.
Luna sat frozen, her heart hammering, her breath unsteady. Her hands slowly rose to her burning cheeks, covering her face as she sank back into the sofa.
"…Why can't I just say it…" she whispered, her voice trembling like her smile. "…Why can't I tell him…"
She could still feel his stormy eyes piercing into her, the way his voice cut through her nerves with brutal precision: Are you attracted to me?
Her body shivered at the memory.
Her lips trembled as she whispered to herself, "I should've said it… I should've said yes. I…" She trailed off, hugging her coat around herself tightly, her fingers clutching at the fabric. Her flushed face turned toward the floor, strands of purple hair slipping over her eyes.
Her heart pounded relentlessly, drowning out the hum of the engines. "Why didn't I say it? Why did I… deny it?" She bit her lip, her voice breaking into a nervous laugh. "No… no, Luna, what were you thinking? Of course he'd think you're pathetic if you admitted it. He doesn't even… he doesn't even look at you."
She leaned back against the sofa, tilting her head toward the ceiling, eyes shimmering. "But… why does it hurt so much… to lie?"
Her cheeks still burned, and no matter how hard she tried to calm herself, her heartbeat only grew more frantic. She grabbed a blueberry cake from the table with trembling fingers and bit into it, but the sweetness was muted, drowned by the storm inside her chest. "Even cake can't help this… ugh, I'm hopeless." She giggled nervously to herself, her laugh breaking midway into a sigh.
Minutes passed with her twisting her hands together, her thoughts swirling, until finally, she clenched her fists. Her gaze sharpened slightly, though her face was still red. "No… I can't just sit here. I'll explode if I don't say something. I'll tell him. I'll… I'll tell him the truth."
Her legs felt heavy as she stood, every step toward the control room dragging like wading through water. Her half-moon earrings swayed lightly with her trembling movements. Her throat was dry, her palms sweaty, but her resolve pushed her forward.