Silver Spoon escorted Balloon and Nickel outside, closing the classroom door behind them to shield their conversation from curious ears. It was evident that something had gone terribly wrong; both appeared distraught, as if they had been crying for hours. Leaning against the door with a takeout coffee in hand, Silver Spoon hesitated, not wanting to intrude but concerned nonetheless.

"Would you like to talk about what happened?" he asked gently, tilting his head inquisitively.

Balloon glanced at Nickel, then cast his gaze downward, unable to articulate the painful experience that threatened to overwhelm him. He knew discussing it might be therapeutic, but with the classroom's judgmental eyes still fresh in his mind, the prospect was daunting. Nickel squeezed Balloon's hand supportively, understanding his hesitation but also feeling the urge to confide in Silver Spoon, given his past assistance during camp.

"We told Suitcase and Baseball," Nickel began, glancing at Balloon before turning back to Silver. "It didn't go too well... just as we expected, they didn't really get it." He rubbed the back of Balloon's hand, trying to soothe him.

Silver nodded, acknowledging the situation. Comforting others wasn't exactly his strong suit.

"I'd suggest going to Candle's office, but she's in an appointment," Silver said. "It's alright if you both want to skip the work today, just try not to disturb the other students." He felt a bit guilty for not being able to offer more support, but with the school only able to afford one counsellor, she was booked up quickly.

Nickel and Balloon nodded, agreeing to the terms. They would have preferred to talk to Candle about what happened, but that wasn't an option. The three of them headed back into the class. Silver walked to the front, placed his coffee down, and grabbed a marker to write on the board.

Balloon and Nickel sat back down beside each other at a two-person desk. Fan was sitting alone at a desk next to them, while OJ and Paper, who were in front of them, kept looking back and whispering to each other. Balloon and Nickel decided to ignore them.

Nickel turned to face Balloon, still holding his hand, and looked into his eyes. He hated seeing the hurt and sorrow there and wished he could take all the pain away, but he couldn't.

"I'm sure they'll come around... they just need time," Nickel whispered to Balloon.

Balloon swallowed and nodded. He hoped so. He couldn't imagine losing his best friends just because he was dating someone he loved. It didn't seem fair. He understood that they were shocked, but they didn't know Balloon and Nickel before their arguments. They hadn't seen how they were together, nor had they seen them alone. They didn't see how caring Nickel could be, like after basketball tryouts, even when they supposedly 'hated' each other. They never really stopped loving each other. They just don't get it.

Nickel dropped Balloon's hand and gently cupped his cheek, leaning in to give him a quick, reassuring peck on the lips. He needed a way to calm him down, to let him know that no matter what happened, he would always be there for him. As he pulled back, Nickel's hand returned to Balloon's, resting on the desk. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Paper and OJ sneaking glances at them. He scoffed and shot them a look, making them quickly turn away and pretend they hadn't been watching. Paper whispered something to OJ before turning back around to face them.

"Are you two dating?" OJ suddenly asked.

Nickel gave him a deadpan look.

"Us dating? No way! I just kissed Balloon for fun. What do you think?" Nickel snapped.

"Well, I didn't want to be rude and assume," OJ retorted before turning back to Paper, the two of them resuming their whispering.

Nickel rolled his eyes and turned back to Balloon, who offered him a soft smile.

"Hi, my non-boyfriend," Balloon joked, it was the only thing keeping him from breaking down.

"Hello, guy I just kiss for fun~" Nickel snickered, leaning in a bit closer.

. . .

Beside them, Fan was having an absolute panic attack. He hadn't spoken to anyone all class, his leg bouncing nervously under the table as he stared blankly at his DMs to Pickle, eyes glued to the screen. Occasionally, he flicked his thumb up to refresh the page, but there was still no response. The longer he sat there without a reply, the more he thought about the kiss. Sure, he had lied to Test Tube in the past and kept things from her. He had even made a few offhand comments about Knife. But he would never, ever cheat on Test Tube. The fact that he didn't initiate the kiss didn't matter; he was kissed by someone who wasn't his girlfriend. He couldn't just keep it from her, even if it meant she'd be furious. Test Tube was everything to him, and he couldn't lose her. What if someone else saw and told her before he could? He couldn't wait until after class or until Pickle got back to him. He needed to talk to her right now. The knowledge of what had happened, and that Test Tube had no idea, made him feel sick.

Fan quickly shot his arm up. He needed to leave the classroom and find a way to meet with Test Tube so he could tell her what happened. Keeping this to himself was making him physically sick. Not to mention the confusing feelings he was experiencing. He had never been kissed by a guy before and didn't expect his first guy kiss to be with Knife. He certainly didn't expect to like it as much as he did. This was a feeling he didn't want to have. He was trying to avoid developing a crush on Knife while being happily taken, but Knife wasn't making it easy. Fan felt like he was about to hyperventilate; there was too much going on in his head. He just needed his girlfriend right now.

Silver Spoon noticed Fan's raised hand and sighed.

"Yes, Fan?" Silver asked.

"Can I go to the bathroom?" Fan quickly came up with an excuse to leave the class.

Silver rolled his eyes.

"Fine, just be quick."

With that, Fan shot out of his seat and raced out of the classroom. Balloon and Nickel knew something was wrong; Fan didn't seem like his usual self. Something had definitely happened between him and Knife, and now they were curious, starting to gossip about what could have happened.

Fan raced through the halls and stopped at the gender-neutral bathroom. Stepping inside, he leaned against the wall and took out his phone, quickly finding Test Tube's contact. His fingers fumbled as he texted her, begging her to leave class and come to the gender-neutral bathroom because it was extremely important. After texting her, he put his phone in his pocket and went to the sink to splash his face with water. He took a few shaky breaths, trying to keep himself from breaking down.

. . .

Test Tube felt her phone vibrate and frowned at the text. It was barely readable, filled with spelling mistakes, which usually meant Fan was having an anxiety attack. She raised her hand and requested to leave the class. Permission granted, she quickly walked down the hall to the gender-neutral bathroom. Stepping inside, she saw Fan leaning over the sink, looking like he was about to throw up. Hearing the door open, Fan swung around and quickly dashed over, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. His entire body was trembling. Test Tube gently moved her hand to his soft red hair, petting it gently.

"Hey... hey, breathe..." she told him, now really worried. What had happened since she left for class? She thought for a moment. She did leave him with Knife... oh no, did Knife do something?! She pulled back and stared at him with a serious look.

"What happened?" she demanded to know.

Fan gulped, fiddling with his sleeves.

"Don't be mad..." he begged.

"What happened, Fan?" Test Tube repeated, now certain it involved Knife.

Fan shakily took a deep breath.

"Knife kissed me–" he blurted out in one breath.

Test Tube went stiff, the hairs on her head sticking up slightly, a glare piercing through her glasses, and her hands balled into fists. She was not pleased to hear this.

"He did what?" Test Tube asked through gritted teeth, wanting to kill Knife.

"I-I don't know why he did it! I mean– I have a few theories, but... look, I promise I didn't kiss him back or initiate the kiss or try to keep it from you! It just happened before class! You know I would never cheat on you, right? Please– I'm so sorry..." Fan was trembling, his eyes swelling with tears.

Test Tube could tell Fan was genuine. She knew when he was lying or telling the truth, and she knew this was the truth, but that didn't mean she wasn't furious. Her face showed it.

"Who does Knife think he is? I thought he said he wasn't trying to steal you from me!? You know how much I want to trust you around him, Fan, but how the hell am I supposed to trust him around you?! He clearly wants to take you from me! He is so done for." Test Tube wanted to actually hurt Knife now. Her own eyes welled with tears; she was genuinely upset.

Fan shakily stepped forward.

"Test Tube... before you do anything rash, please listen to my theories on why he may have done this... I don't think it's because he wants to take me away from you, I genuinely don't," Fan tried to reason with her.

"How the hell am I supposed to believe that when he literally kissed you?!" Test Tube snapped back. "What logical explanation could you possibly get from that besides he wants you?!"

"Well, if you let me speak, you'll know." Fan sassed a bit, frustrated that Test Tube wouldn't let him speak.

"Fine. Tell me," Test Tube snapped. "You have a minute. If I'm not convinced, I am murdering him." She wasn't even kidding; she was currently plotting his demise in her head.

Fan took a deep breath, wiping his tears before speaking. "I think he kissed me because he's trying to push me away. I offered to help him out, to try and get him back with Pickle! He asked why I was so nice to him and mentioned that he was actually trying to make me hate him. It wasn't long after that he kissed me... maybe he knew I would tell you, and he knew you'd ban me from speaking with him. Maybe this was his way to push me away. Right after kissing me, he said I need to stop talking about him and being around him, that I have a girlfriend he knows I love and should be with. He literally said that! I know it doesn't justify what he did, but please, don't be mad at him. Please," Fan practically begged.

"So, he kissed you because he wanted to push you away? How does that even make sense, Fan? Here's what I think. He's upset that everyone around him has someone, and he doesn't. He hasn't got his boyfriend. Maybe he saw an opportunity to have you, but let's say he hypothetically did regret it since he knows he shouldn't hit on a taken guy." Test Tube explained, adjusting her glasses as she continued. "But does that seriously give him the right to kiss you and get away with it? You can't ask me not to be mad just because he mentioned that you should be loyal to your girlfriend. That doesn't justify his actions!" Test Tube snapped. "He still kissed you. If he really wanted to keep you away, he could've just told you to be loyal to me and then never spoken to you again. It's clearly something more than just that." Test Tube shook her head. "He misses Pickle, and seeing someone who cares about him as much as Pickle, i.e., you, made him feel compelled to kiss you..." Test Tube uncomfortably crossed her arms. "Now, that is a logical explanation." She snapped.

"Okay...? So... what do we do about it?" Fan asked, tilting his head.

"What?! What do we do about it? You stop talking to him!" Test Tube snapped at Fan.

"But–" Fan pouted.

"But?! There are no ifs, ands, or buts! As long as he doesn't have Pickle, he is going to want you. I doubt he will stop trying to hit on you! He is just using this 'lesson' as an excuse to kiss you and get away with it, without a guilty conscience or something! How do we know that it won't continue? We don't. You have to stay away from him, Fan." Test Tube crossed her arms, getting really upset that Fan would even argue this.

Fan bit his lip, clearly thinking something. Test Tube could tell.

"No..." She shook her head. "No way." She snapped.

"Please, Test Tube! If we just–" Fan started.

"I am not helping Knife get back together with Pickle! There is no chance! Not after everything he has done!" Test Tube snapped, turning away from Fan.

"Honey, please, for us! We aren't helping him necessarily; we are helping us! If he has Pickle, he won't be focused on me. And if he isn't focused on me, I can still hang out with him without... well... without what happened today happening again." Fan pouted, practically begging.

"The fact you still want to hang out with him after he literally kissed you worries me, I hope you know that." Test Tube huffed, turning around.

"I promise you that my love lies with you," Fan said, grabbing her hand.

"Mhm... still, I can be jealous." Test Tube pulled her hand away. "You're my boyfriend, and having any other person remotely liking you makes me upset... but for you? Fine." She huffed. "I will help get stupid Knife back with Pickle if it means he actually leaves you alone." Test Tube grumbled.

Fan smiled widely and quickly wrapped his arms around Test Tube, preventing any protest from her. She grumbled but wrapped an arm back around him. She knew Fan would never intentionally cheat on her; he liked her too much. But she also knew Fan had a strange fondness for Knife. Maybe Fan genuinely saw Knife as a good friend. Test Tube felt conflicted about taking that away from him. The most she could do was try to keep Knife from crossing any lines—especially with his lips. If that meant somehow getting Pickle and Knife back together, then fine.

"Okay, okay, how are we doing this? Do you have a plan?" Test Tube asked curiously.

Fan leaned back and pulled out his phone, handing it to Test Tube. She unlocked it, knowing the password. This was another reason she trusted Fan with Knife's friendship; he never (usually) hid anything from her. He was always willing to hand over his phone. That's how she knew he would never cheat on her. But could she trust Knife as much? Apparently not after the stunt he pulled today.

"Open Insta; I messaged Pickle," Fan pointed out.

Test Tube did as he said, opening the DMs. She huffed in frustration.

"Fan, you're an idiot. This message didn't even go through. I think Pickle has you restricted," Test Tube commented, handing his phone back.

"What? Why?" Fan cried, frowning. He couldn't recall doing anything to upset Pickle.

"Maybe because you made, like, 50 posts a day. He probably finds you annoying," Test Tube pointed out.

"Oh, yeah..." Fan nodded, realising that made a lot of sense.

"Hypothetically, let's say Pickle's parents go through his phone and delete any message involving Knife before Pickle gets his phone. I'm assuming all of Knife's friends have tried to reach out to him, yet Knife has still got nothing? With his parents in the way, believing Knife is a bad influence, there's no way Knife will be able to get in contact with Pickle. We need to go deeper," Test Tube paced back and forth as she thought.

"I've got an idea. Since the school year is almost over, I doubt they'd move Pickle back into this school even if the expulsion was lifted. So, what if we create a fake email from the school stating they found out that Knife, Pickle, and their whole group of friends was innocent? Sure, their parents could possibly complain to the school about this, but because it's so close to the end of the year, I'm 89% sure they won't bother to appeal. However, they might allow Pickle to add Knife back since he supposedly 'had nothing to do with it,'" Test Tube explained her plan. "We'd have to hack into the school system, which is a walk in the park, and then ensure the email looks professional enough for them to buy it. In the small chance Pickle's parents do respond and try to appeal the expulsion, we have to be ready to write another email explaining how the expulsion has 'supposedly' been lifted, but it would be in their best interest not to change schools with the school year almost over." Test Tube turned to Fan and tilted her head. "What do you think?"

Fan blinked. That was a lot more complicated than what he was thinking.

"Uh, yeah! Sure, if you think so!" Fan smiled. He trusted Test Tube knew what she was doing; she was smart like that.

"We'll call it... Operation: Pickle!" Test Tube exclaimed, suddenly seeming oddly excited. She liked nerdy missions like this.

. . .

While Test Tube and Fan plotted a way to reunite Pickle and Knife, Knife found himself in a counselling session to discuss his emotions about losing Pickle. The grunge skater had his feet up on the counter, casually fiddling with a black fidget cube from Candle's table. He had to admit, he liked it—it kept his stress at bay.

"Knife... as much as I enjoy your company, we do need to discuss why you're here," Candle said softly, offering a gentle smile.

Knife grunted, kicking his feet off the table and leaning in casually. "Alright, what do you want to know?"

"Well... we've seen you targeting Nickel and Balloon lately. Can you explain the reasoning behind that?" Candle asked delicately, careful not to sound accusatory.

Knife scoffed. "Because Pickle wouldn't have been expelled if it weren't for Nickel. The whole expulsion was blown out of proportion because Pickle's parents forced him to block me. They won't even let him talk to me again! So while Nickel is out there happy with his new boyfriend, I'm stuck here miserable without mine," Knife snapped. "He gets to be happy, but I don't? How is that fair? After everything I did for Nickel—inviting him into my group, treating him like family—he didn't even apologise! He just ran off like a scared chicken." Knife crossed his arms. "All my friends have someone, but not me. Taco and Microphone have each other, Trophy has Cheesy... I mean, I did make another friend..." Knife trailed off.

"Oh? Tell me about this friend," Candle prompted.

"He's different. Too nice, not my usual type of friend. He cares about me, even after all the trouble I caused. I nearly ruined his relationship, and he still wants to be friends with me? Today, I kissed him. I don't know why. Maybe I was angry that everyone else has someone and I don't. Maybe I actually like him... He's the closest I can get to Pickle," Knife admitted. "He's probably freaking out now, but I bet he'll still want to be my friend. He's such a weirdo... I don't always understand him, but I appreciate him," he huffed.

"It seems like you make a lot of decisions based on missing Pickle—seeking revenge and companionship. Those seem to be the driving forces behind your actions," Candle observed.

Knife laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "You're good," he acknowledged, pointing at her. "Sure, you might be right about all this, but so what? Knowing why I do things doesn't mean I'll stop. It doesn't change the fact that I haven't gotten Pickle back, does it?" Knife snapped.

"Sure, it doesn't change the fact that you haven't gotten Pickle back. But acknowledging you have a problem is a start to solving it. If you can see that what you're doing isn't okay, maybe we can work from there... I know it won't bring Pickle back, but it might give you some peace of mind," Candle suggested gently.

"Pshh... I don't know. I think I'd feel great if I got my revenge. Today I saw Nickel cry, and honestly, it was kind of funny to me," Knife shrugged nonchalantly.

"He... cried?" Candle's frown deepened. She made a mental note to address this with Nickel and Balloon later. "Sure, maybe seeing his misery made you feel a little better, but it won't bring Pickle back, will it? You can keep trying to hurt Nickel, but in the end, you'll still be without Pickle," Candle explained patiently. "It might dull the pain momentarily, but it won't last forever."

"I guess..." Knife shrugged, seeming to consider her words. He hadn't thought about it that way—he'd been so focused on revenge that he hadn't stopped to consider whether it would actually change anything.

"Well, that's all we have time for today. But you have another appointment tomorrow. We can continue this discussion then, okay? Is there anything else you'd like to talk about before we finish?" Candle asked softly.

Knife slid off the couch and stretched. "Uh... yeah, actually. Could I ask a favour?" He leaned casually against the door.

"Sure thing," Candle smiled faintly.

"Could you check in on Fan?" Knife asked without specifying why, but Candle could piece together that it was related to the person Knife had mentioned kissing earlier. He kissed Fan.

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" She nodded reassuringly before Knife left the room.