Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 77 - X-Chocolates

Chapter 77 - X-Chocolates

It's a new day. My internal clock has been out of sync ever since I moved to Xyraxis, and even after nine months, my body stubbornly refuses to adjust to the two-hour time difference. Every morning feels like a sluggish battle against an invisible force dragging me back into sleep.

As usual, I reach for my phone, letting the soft glow of the screen wake me up while mindlessly scrolling through memes and funny videos. It's a routine, a small comfort, a way to start the day without actually engaging with it yet. But as I flick past a few posts, something catches my eye—a local advertisement.

"Merry X-mas! This is the time for lovers to confess at the Cybertree! Buy our Cyberroses and X-Chocolates at a special one-for-one price! Get yours now!"

The ad plays a short video featuring a young couple, a boy and a girl, standing beneath a massive, luminescent white pine tree. The girl hands over a neatly wrapped box of X-Chocolates, and in return, the boy presents her with a bouquet of glowing Cyberroses. Snow-like flakes drift around them in a perfectly manufactured winter wonderland. It's a picture-perfect scene—too sweet, too artificial, but still oddly mesmerizing.

I recognize the setting instantly. According to the ad, the Cybertree is located on the opposite end of the Northern Children's Park, near Miss Mirana Alicent's hospital. I furrow my brows, remembering a very different version of that place—one where Myrrh once fought off a gorilla-type Cosmic Beast in a chaotic, adrenaline-fueled battle. There was no Cybertree back then. They must have installed it for the holidays, another glittering attraction for couples to gather under.

Out of curiosity, I check my calendar app, and my eyes widen slightly. The second week of December has already arrived. Christmas is creeping closer, though here in Xyraxis, it seems the holiday carries more of a Valentine's Day vibe—something Myrrh once mentioned offhandedly.

Now fully awake, I stretch my arms, letting out a slow exhale before grabbing my bathrobe and stepping out of my room. The dormitory corridors are quiet, bathed in the soft light of the early morning. As I walk, my gaze drifts toward Neil's door.

A familiar weight settles in my chest. It's been lonely without him, all because of a misunderstanding—one ridiculous love triangle that I never even intended to be a part of. No matter how many times I've tried to reach out, tried to explain that my so-called romantic involvement with Fei is nonexistent, Neil refuses to listen. Every message is ignored. Every attempt at conversation is met with silence.

I let out a slow sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. If he's decided to hate me, then maybe it's best to just let him be. Some things aren't worth forcing.

Shrugging off the thought, I continue down the hallway, ready to face whatever this day has in store for me.

<><><>

After finishing breakfast, I headed straight to school. The streets were alive with activity, but one particular sight kept gnawing at me—couples. Everywhere.

Hand in hand, walking side by side, whispering sweet nothings to each other. That, I could tolerate. Barely. But then there were the more obnoxious ones—the ones who acted like the entire city was their personal romance drama.

One couple had the audacity to share a single slice of toast, each nibbling from opposite ends like they were in some sappy love anime. Another pair took it even further, licking the same popsicle, their tongues practically dancing around it in some weird, synchronized ritual.

I scowled. Disgusting. Absolutely vile. And yet... a tiny, unwelcome voice in my head whispered a different truth.

I'm just jealous, aren't I?