Giselle stepped down the rooftop, leaving behind a fairly tense unease between her and Karina.

She saw how Karina shifted uncomfortably, blocking her sharp-glinting best friend's sight. Then she sharply turned to Karina.

"What's going on with you and that junior?" she asked tightly, worried.

And slowly exhaled, without ever once lifting her head to gaze at Giselle in the eye.

"We're-we're, like, sort of in a relationship," she stuttered in a voice she made such an effort to sound less whiny.

Giselle's eyebrow arched as she repeated skepically, "Kind of?"

"What are you talking about, Karina? Are you serious with this girl? I don't want you to get hurt there," And something purely intently intense echoes in the words and expression.

Karina shrugged again and let her shoulders sag before lifting those eyes up to her.

"We don't have a label yet. We're just figuring things out," she said softly, as if the very act of saying it made all sound so vulnerable.

Giselle studied Karina for a moment before softening her face into a small reassuring smile.

"I don't care what else happens so long as you're happy," she whispered, outstretched hand grasping Karina's arm in a soothing squeeze.

"Just promise me you won't get hurt."

Karina smiled back at her, but it barely touched her eyes.

"Thanks, Giselle. That really means a lot." Yet, even with the statement, she had already started thinking about Winter now. The weight of her feelings gathered on her chest. She could not pretend to dismiss it anymore; she liked Winter, maybe more than she should have let herself into.

Since they got themselves tangled up in this crazy time loop, the tension between them has been building up since then. It's for this reason that when she was now close to her, Karina couldn't help but ask if Winter felt the same.

Though more vital still was the question building up in her mind-the one started nipping at her senses ever since this time loop had begun: what happens when it finally ends?

Karina was turning her head as she began walking down the stairs, her mind with a million questions.

What would happen when the circle was broken? Was she going to meet Winter waiting for her, or was this weird situation to which they were flung together going to break just like that, like a fragile butterfly?

She tried her best to shake it off and place it deep inside her but it was there in her mind like a shadow taunting her without leaving.

During lunch break approaching, Karina and Giselle went to the school garden. They sneak noiselessly into where Mai sits scanning the same place for something out of place.

Although silence marked the garden, the tension of the two found peace to be hollow with the poignant mystery of Mai's disappearance.

They sit where Mai sits, unwilling to desecrate the silence surrounding them, just staring at the surroundings as if there's something-any of them-that might remind them what has really happened.

As if the minutes are dragging, perhaps the air was heavy and Karina couldn't help but get into the thought about Winter again.

"I'm in such a mess," she thought.

But for now, at least she needed to use her brain for searching for Mai. Forget Winter's concerns for a while; Karina was trying to push out all those nagging thoughts she has for Winter and focus on finding answers about Mai-and the loop.

The ringing of the lunch bell shook Karina and Giselle out of their daydream. They spent their whole break poring over the garden without anything unusual happening there.

Giselle yanked at Karina's sleeve; she had silently demanded that the latter give her full attention. Karina found Giselle glaring in one direction across the garden.

She trailed down her gaze; her heart sank. On the other side of the frame near that abandoned building was standing Sei Eo talking in a low whisper with Mr. Lee and the man was well-palpitating.

Sei eo seemed just about perfectly composed; at one point she seemed cold and authoritative. They were speaking to each other; she seemed ordering, with their heads angled low towards each other, it seemed. Mr Lee nodded his head to every word that was spoken, his eyes taking on a secretive expression.

Karina watched as everything fell into place. That's why I've never seen this before... she hinted as her eyes snapped open in realization.

In the norm timeline, she and Giselle would still be having their lunch. They only met up with Ningning after lunch and it was then that Ningning pushed Sei Eo. But what if it was the start of everything?

Karina could have it all in plain sight now: Sei Eo must have tormented Ningning about Mai right after this conversation, which caused their fight.

Karina paths her lips in realisation. Now, she can connect everything. If only for one more thing.

Where's Mai?

That question dominated over her, shadowing all the slowly-revealed answers.

She and Giselle exchanged a swift, resolute look. No words were needed; they knew perfectly well what to do next. Without saying a word, the two girls ran after Mr. Lee and Sei Eo, keeping a little distance from them but close enough to catch snippets of what they were being told.

Eo's voice was low, but sharp.

"I told you, it needs to be done now," she said, her tone clear: she wasn't requesting favors.

Mr. Lee fidgeted, his eyes nervously darting around the room.

"I-I am trying, but this... it's too dangerous," he whispered very softly from where Karina and Giselle cowered in hiding.

Ah, Sei Eo rolled her eyes. "You've got no choice. Do as you're told, or you'll wish you had."

Karina's heart pounded in her chest as she listened.

What was Sei Eo telling Mr. Lee to do? And why did he sound so scared?

Whatever it was, it had to have something to do with Mai's disappearance. She could feel it.

Giselle balled up her fists at her side, poised to spring forward, when Karina caught her softly by the arm. Here, they needed to play it smart.

They could not get closer or try to talk to Sei Eo too soon because that is just the opportunity they might be missing which may be just what they needed to try and figure out what was really going on.

"We have to follow them," Karina whispered, her breath just audible. Giselle nodded positively, her sharp eyes never leaving Sei Eo.

They waited for the right moment, their nerves strung with tension, as Sei Eo and Mr. Lee began moving again this time into the back of the empty building, and Karina knew deep in her gut that something important was about to happen.