Link's POV

Which of the following muscle contractions involves the muscle lengthening while still generating force?
A) Isometric contraction
B) Concentric contraction
C) Eccentric contraction
D) Isokinetic contraction

It's the last question on the exam. Only 5 minutes left on the clock.

I tap my pencil against the paper and lock in...

It can't be B and it's definitely not D.

I look back at the clock and somehow two minutes have passed and I'm starving and sleep deprived and the professor is staring at me as if he's trying to catch me cheating.

I circle C and hand in the exam. Impatient and curious as he is, the professor flips to the last page to see which answer I picked. Then he raises an eyebrow at me, purses his lips like a duck who's about to sneeze, and nods once. Yah, that's right old man, I actually studied for once, thank you very much.

"Happy Holidays," he says to me on my way out. "Enjoy your break!"

As soon as I leave the classroom, I check my phone. Notifications flood my screen, but I skip them all in search for Zelda's name.

Nothing. Looks like she still hasn't replied to any of my texts. I open our chat:

11:16 pm

Me:
Good night Zelda❤️🐼 ily

12:18 am

Zelda:
Good night ❤️.

9:01 am 

Me:
Good morning beautiful! any cool dreams?
Happy last day of the semester! be sure to eat a nutritious breakfast! your brain will need it 🧠💪

10:00 am

Zelda:
Thank you for the reminder, Link.

10:06 am 

Me:
Fs! 😌 wanna go book shopping at Barnes and Noble's after your last final? i'll read whatever u pick for me 👀

11:35 am

Me:
Ur archeology final is from 1-4 pm right? i can come pick you up after

11:36 am

Me:
Or we can meet right now if you're on campus:) i have like 20 min to spare

11:51 am

Me:
Sorry you're probably busy. good luck today 🍀 u got this

Me 11:59

Me:
About to take my final exam ❤️🐼 ttyl wish me luck

Looking back at our chat history, I definitely need to chill. She's either not seeing any of my messages, or she's too overwhelmed to reply. Zelda is trying really hard to handle all the president's tasks on top of her final exams, and I'm not helping by spamming her phone. I'll just send her one last text. I swear I'll stop bugging her after this one:

Me, 3:04 pm: Hey, just finished my last exam. Wanna meet up for lunch or smt after you're done with yours? You can tell me how it went. I bet you aced it!

Hopefully I'm not annoying her with all my texts. I just really want to care for her, which isn't exactly easy when she's barely even talking to me anymore. It's been like this for two weeks now. I try to get through to her, but 90% of the time, she ghosts me.

I really hope she's okay...

I take a stroll across campus, trying to decide what food I should reward myself with for (most likely) passing all my classes. Pizza, burgers, pastries, or Asian? What would Zelda want?

For now, I buy a snack from the vending machine for myself and some chocolate croissants from the campus café for Zelda.

After an hour or so, she still hasn't replied, so I walk over to the Life & Science Building, and wait outside the doors of her lecture hall.

I'm the only one out in the hallway and it's dead quiet. I look kinda sus just standing here, waiting. When she sees me, she'll either think I'm clingy or creepy. Neither option is very flattering.

To look a little less criminal, I walk down the hall and stop at one of those pin boards that are always covered in old fliers. People looking for roommates, study abroad programs to France, Italy, and Spain, scholarship application deadlines, trivia nights with free pizza. All of them are expired. A poster from the theater kids is announcing a Halloween themed play: "Pre-order your tickets now." That was back in October. But the oldest flier actually dates all the way back to last semester: a spring break blood drive with the slogan, "Save a life."

I keep walking down the hall until I stop in front of a familiar door. This is the biology lab where Mipha, Zelda, and I had a class together last year. I remember signing up so late for that class that my chances of passing were pretty much equal to zero. I could've dropped it, but for some reason, I stuck it out until the end of the semester. Maybe it was because I caught Zelda staring at me on the first day. She was Mipha's lab partner, sitting one row ahead of me. Knowing her, she must've been SO embarrassed that I caught her checking me out. What she doesn't know is that I spent the whole period doing the same to her. I still don't know a single thing about biology, and it's 100% her fault.

I lean in closer to the door and take a peek through the small window. The lab's dark and empty, with the green glow from the emergency exit sign giving enough light to make out the rows of desks and the skeleton model in the corner. Never used that guy. Still gave him a name. Brooke, if I remember correctly. Zelda would joke that he's her study buddy, meanwhile Mipha would try to name all his bones and start over every time she'd draw a blank.

A loud noise snaps me out of my thoughts. The click of a door opening further down the hall. I jump back from the window, and see three students walk out of Zelda's lecture hall, talking about how hard the final exam was.

"What did you choose for the question about the Oocca?" One girl asks the other, like it's going to change the outcome of her grade at this point.

"I think I picked the first answer, you?"

"Same."

"Shoot," the guy who's walking in the middle groans. "I went with D on that one. And that was worth 5 points!"

"Not gonna lie, I'm kinda gonna miss this class," the first girl sighs.

"I'm glad it's over," the second girl says.

Once they've passed me, I walk up to the door they just came from.

"Shad's definitely one of the better teachers at HU," I hear the guy's voice fade out. "Like, I don't even care about science, but he still made it seem really interesting, you know?"

They disappear behind the corner at the end of the hall, and the last thing I catch is a giggle, followed by, "He's a tough grader though."

Another wave of students exits the lecture hall, and Zelda is not among them. I try to sneak a look inside before the door shuts again to see if she's still taking her exam. My hand stops the door from shutting fully, and without anyone noticing, I sneak inside the room to double-check if the exam is over. The room looks mostly empty.

It's a big lecture hall with rows of seats that could easily fit 150 people, all sloping down towards the front. It's even bigger than that huge lecture hall in the English building where Zelda and I first met. The podium here looks small against the huge white screen behind it, which stretches nearly from floor to ceiling.

A large clock is displayed on the screen. Just as I look at it, the timer switches from 00:01 minutes to 00:00.

A guy is standing behind that podium, looking up at the screen. "Okay," he says, clapping his hands together, "it's time."

There's only two students left. A skinny girl with short hair, and a guy who looks like he's long given up on his exam and is now rethinking his life choices. He gets up first and turns in his exam without looking the red-haired man in the eye. He's in his own world of regret, and leaves the room without noticing me standing right next to the door. I imagine dark depressing clouds floating over his head as he leaves.

The girl now gets up from her seat and hands in her exam. The teacher thanks her and adds her bluebook to the stack. He's young, almost too young to be a professor, so I'm guessing he's either the TA or a proctor. Or maybe a PhD student who's teaching as part of his stipend.

When the wooden door falls shut behind me, the loud echo grabs their attention. The teacher's eyes find me first. He adjusts his glasses and smiles up at me. "Did you forget something?"

I shake my head. "I'm not in your class. Just looking for someone."

"Is it Ilia?" he asks coolly.

The girl turns her head and takes a long look at me. Like she's trying to remember if she knows me, or if we had any plans of meeting up after her exam. Sorry, but you're not the one I'm looking for.

The teacher slides the bluebooks into his bag, ready to head out. Then he looks back up at me. "It appears your search is in vain, as everyone else has already left." I can see that, thanks. "Is there anything else I might assist you with?"

"Um, no sorry, that was all," I say. I turn on my heel and make my exit, and I swear I can feel his eyes on me until the moment the doors close behind me.

...

Without a destination in mind, I walk around campus for another hour. I see places I didn't know existed, like the "House of Books" research library to the north of the History department.

Zelda still hasn't replied, and I've now circled around the whole map. Back at the sports center where I had my last exam, I take a break to debate whether I should keep looking for Zelda or stop bothering her until she reaches out to me.

Here's what I'm thinking... She probably went to the president's office to continue burying herself in more work. Or maybe her phone died. Or maybe she simply doesn't wanna talk to anyone at the moment. Whatever it is, I know I have to be patient.

However...!

She probably hasn't eaten yet, and even though her appetite is always on a standstill when she's stressed, I bet she'd appreciate these pastries! So I should stop by her office to drop off the food.

On my way to the president's office, I pass the soccer field. Pipit notices me almost instantly and calls out my name from the sideline. Some more players look in my direction, and I have no choice but to walk over there and say hi.

Pipit and Karson dab me up, and the coaches greet me with an overjoyed smile. Darpa, Zeu, and Rioma each give me a quick hug. They're so eager to talk to me about how I've been, what I've been up to, and whether I could give them some feedback on their recent games, that the rookies don't get a chance to introduce themselves until everyone is done asking me questions.

When the newcomers finally get their turn, Fledge goes first, then Mils. They're both our new wingers. Then I meet Deon and Garshon who are center backs, and then Garini who plays defensive midfielder. He seems especially hyped to meet me.

"So you're Link!" Garini gasps in awe. "Some of the guys have told me about you!" He tries to keep his grin under control, and smiles even wider when he realizes that there's no point in hiding his excitement. "Sorry, as a simple man from Lurelin, I'm a little starstruck. We don't see a lot of celebrities back home!"

I scratch the back of my head, feeling a bit awkward with all this attention. I don't really see myself as a celebrity, so I never know how to act in these situations. At least he's not asking me to sign any posters or give away my jersey.

"Nice to meet you," I say to Garini.

He almost faints, which makes the others laugh. Coach gives me and Garini a pat on the back, laughing the loudest of them all. It comforts me that everyone is so happy and still treats me the same even though I left the team. It's so different from when I left Japan's team.

My eyes swiftly scan the people in front of me, searching for the person who replaced me. "Who's the current striker?" I ask into the group.

Domidak clears his throat and crosses his arms. "Obviously it's me. I'm the new striker."

I didn't even notice he was here. As soon as my eyes land on him, I can tell he's miserable. He's the only one who doesn't look happy to see me, probably because he's scared I'll steal the spotlight from him... Can't even blame him. It's in Domidak's nature to be the second choice. With girls, sports, and even in his own family. He's constantly standing in his brother's shadow. Most people only know him as 'Prissen's younger twin', while Prissen is known as the older, slightly more handsome, and by far more successful twin, who recently signed with the NFL. That makes Prissen the star quarterback of HU, and Domidak the replacement in case I got injured.

"Speaking of strikers," Coach Rusl steps forward and inspects my knee from a small distance, "how's the recovery going? Think you'll be able to come back next season?"

I'm sure it's unintentional on Coach's part, but his question sort of pushes Domidak into the background again, and even though I can't really stand Domidak, I feel bad for him. My eyes follow him as he walks away, unnoticed by anyone else. Shaking his head, he takes a seat like he got benched from this conversation.

"Yeah, Link," Karson draws my attention back to the group, "Are you gonna come back?"

My stomach turns. This is exactly why I've kept my distance from the team... Why I haven't talked to any of my old teammates or coaches. I've had a whole year to come up with an answer to that particular question, and yet I have nothing but a shrug for them.

"Not sure," I say. They all look slightly surprised by my answer, especially Domidak, so I add, "Maybe."

I could really use the scholarship money, but just thinking about returning to soccer makes my heart speed up.

"Are you at least gonna watch the game tonight?" Pipit changes the topic. "It's our last game of the season!"

"Yeah, I'll be watching."

"Bet," Pipit smirks, "We won't disappoint you!"

"I'm counting on all of you," I say, as if I was still the captain. The whole team is focused on me—except for one person. I specifically look at him when I say, "Especially you, Domidak."

His eyes snap open, staring back at me with unease. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If you do well," I say with an honest smile, "I won't have to replace you."

His cheeks flush with determination, and his lips are pressed into a thin line. He gives an over-confident nod. "I'll score the winning goal, just watch."

I check my phone, hoping I don't look rude to the others. It's already 5:30 pm, and for all I know, Zelda still hasn't eaten anything. I know I said I need to chill, but I really do worry about her. It's fine if she's not ready to talk to me, but she at least needs to eat some food.

After I tell the team that I have to get going, Karson dabs me up again and invites me to the frat's New Year's Eve party in three weeks.

"The theme is the garden of Eden," he says and starts laughing to himself, "Get it? Because it's Adam and Eve?"

I shake my head.

"New Year's Eve," he explains, expecting me to laugh along.

Pipit shoves him away from me, rolling his eyes. "This perv just wants to see girls dress up half naked."

Karson shoves him back with a smirk. "I'm just making sure the party follows the events of the original story."

I agree to making an appearance, but don't actually plan on showing up. It's gonna be my first New Year's Eve living with Zelda, and I think we should spend it at our townhome with the others. Like a small family.

...

After another long walk across campus, I get to the president's office. Too bad that by the time I get there, most staff members have already left. Only the secretary is left in the reception area, who tells me that Zelda hasn't even been in the office today. I'm a little worried and curious about her whereabouts, but part of me is hopeful that she took the day off. Question is, where'd she go?

I'm about to leave when the secretary tells me that someone left a message for me. She hands me a pink sticky note that reads:

Link,
Zelda is with me.
You are welcome to stop
by at my house this evening.
I'm sure she'd be happy
to see you.
                 - Urbosa

Nice! Finally a lead on where the heck Zelda is at. I thank the secretary and head straight for the parking lot. So much walking back and forth across campus—I definitely got all my steps in for today.

As I get closer to the parking lot, I spot Pik, standing near the sidewalk with a three-colored retriever to his left. The dog notices me, wagging its tail, to which Pik's head turns as if he senses me too.

"It's me, Link," I say. The dog trots up to me, sniffing my hand before nudging it. "Hey there, buddy." I give it a scratch behind the ears.

"Hello Link," Pik smiles, turning around to face me.

"I didn't know you had a guide dog!"

"Her name is Navi," he says with a proud grin.

"You actually named your dog Navi?" Never would've thought he'd go with my name suggestion.

"Don't tell me you don't like it anymore."

"It's better than calling her Link," I laugh and he joins in.

Navi gets on her hind legs, begging for more attention, and I'm all for it. I hold her up by her front legs, giving her a good rubdown while trying not to lose my balance.

Pik tilts his head, as if he was watching me, his sunglasses reflecting the setting sun. "She's got a thing for new people. She still acts a bit like a puppy sometimes."

"She's awesome," I say, crouching down to give more pets. "I'm surprised to run into you on this side of campus. Isn't the Visual & Performing arts department all the way on the west side?"

"Yes, but the closest bus stop is over here," he says, casually pointing at the sign above us—a sign I didn't notice until now—as if I was the one without eyesight. "Can't drive blind, y'know?"

"I can give you a ride," I offer. "So you two don't have to take the bus."

Pik hesitates. "It's alright. I don't want to be a burden."

I tell him that his apartment is on my way and that I wouldn't mind spending more time with Navi. That convinces him pretty quick to accept the offer without feeling too guilty.

Navi hops into the backseat, Pik takes the front. The sun's going down faster with each minute, and before we hit the highway, it's already getting dark out.

While stuck on PCH thanks to rush hour, Pik and I sit in silence until he finally starts some small talk. He asks how Zelda's holding up, and I try to sound like I know what I'm talking about. "She's grieving but staying strong." At least I think that's the truth.

"I wish I could do something to help," he says.

Yeah, join the club, I think to myself.

Pik starts telling me how Zelda was supposed to turn in a song for her final exam, but given everything that's happened, he let her off the hook. "However," he says, "the university mandates a form of assessment at the semester's end, so I created a written exam for her instead, which, of course, she passed with flying colors. Remarkably, not a single answer was incorrect."

I'm proud of her, but also kind of disappointed. Does that make any sense? It's as if her dad's 100-rule still applies. As if... she was still scared of failing him. I'm not saying it's bad that she's aiming for a perfect score, but it's starting to worry me. She's piling way too much on herself. She should prioritize herself every once in a while instead of living for other people's standards and expectations.

I focus on taking the right exit, then shift gears—conversation-wise. "By the way, how's Malice?"

Pik stiffens, not giving much away. "She's okay."

"Zelda told me you guys used to date, and that you aren't on good terms," I say, trying to ease into it, "so... has it been hard having her stay with you?"

He shrugs, pretending to be looking out of the window. "It's been fine."

"You know... Zelda feels awful for putting that on you. Especially since you live in a studio apartment... It's just that Malice had nowhere else to go. Ravioli, Mipha, and Impa all live on campus, so that's too public to be a safe hiding spot for Malice, and the same goes for Kiroh's place, since the Boars might stop by at any given moment. And I can't help either, since I'm sorta in the same boat as Malice. I'm already couch surfing at my friend's place, who has a newborn, so there's really no room for Malice to crash."

"Link," he stops my rant with a calm smile. "It's really okay. I don't mind giving her a place to stay."

"Oh." I nod, focusing back on the road. "Thanks, Pik. It's only for two more weeks. Then we'll all move into our new place."

Pik hesitates for a sec, then says, "I do wonder if maybe she should have stayed in Mammoth Lakes."

"No way. She's still recovering from substance abuse," I remind him. "Someone's gotta keep an eye on her."

Pik chuckles, "Maybe I'm not the best person for the job then."

Navi barks from the backseat, almost like she's in on the joke, and we both laugh.

After I drop Pik and his guide dog off downtown, I drive straight to the beach. I know exactly where Urbosa's house is, thanks to all those early morning jogs I used to take around here. I spot a yellow Jeep and a white Range Rover parked in the driveway and pull in next to them, then make my way up to the front door.

After I knock, it feels like forever before anyone answers. When the door finally swings open, it's not Zelda or Urbosa—it's Riju, and she looks just as surprised as I am.

"It's you!" She says, staring up at me with wide eyes. "I didn't expect to see you here. But then again, you always show up in unusual times."

I peek past her into the living room, trying to see if Zelda is there. "Are you staying with Urbosa?" I ask. There's nobody in sight. The house is quiet and empty from what I can tell.

"Just for the holidays." Riju scans me up and down as if she had to give me a score. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for Zelda."

Riju crosses her arms, standing her ground. "Sorry, but I'm not allowed to let strangers into the house. Especially not at night."

"I'm not a stranger."

She raises an eyebrow. "Really? I haven't seen you in over a year!"

"That's because you usually live in Nevada."

"That's not an excuse!"

"Please, Riju," I practically plead. "Urbosa invited me. I think Zelda needs me."

"Link, I understand how you're feeling. Zelda is a dear friend to me as well." Riju hesitates, thinking it over. "Alright, let's make a deal."

I throw my head back. "Come on, Riju."

She grins, clearly enjoying this. "I'll let you in if you take me for a ride on your motorcycle."

"No."

"Then teach me how to drive."

"You're not even 16 yet."

"But I will be!" she argues. "In three years! It's an investment deal!"

"I can't wait three years to see Zelda."

Riju pouts. "Urbosa always says that only a patient man knows the true value of what he's waiting for."

I open my backpack and pull out the Skiddles I bought from the vending machine earlier. "If you let me in right now, you can have these."

Her eyes beam full of excitement. "Deal!"

Kids are too easy.

Riju steps aside and I enter. The interior mixes modern culture with something like a Moroccan bazaar. Riju tells me that Zelda is on the terrace with Urbosa, then she excuses herself and disappears into one of the bedrooms down the hall.

I take my shoes off and leave them by the entrance. The floors are made of polished concrete, and the walls are painted in the color of sand—covered with tapestries and geometric patterns.

Urbosa has a very minimalistic home, but empty corners are filled with vases and plants, and the furniture in the living room is all low, with big cushions in red, orange, turquoise, and gold.

I spot Urbosa through the huge windows, and slide the glass door open to get to the backyard terrace. The night air is cool, with that salty ocean breeze that just hits different when you're this close to the water.

Surrounded by pillows, Urbosa is sitting on a massive rug on the floor, and Zelda is curled up against her shoulder, her eyes closed. Her breaths are shallow, making her look more peaceful than I've seen her in a while.

Urbosa doesn't notice me at first. She's facing the ocean that is stretched into darkness with the moonlight bouncing off the waves. When she does notice me walking up to them, she doesn't move much, just a slight tilt of her head to make eye contact without waking Zelda.

"You certainly got here fast," she says. "I expected as much from her boyfriend."

I just nod. I mean, I was worried, so yeah, I got here quick.

"She was out on a survey all day today," Urbosa continues, her voice low. "Still as the sands now..."

I look at Zelda, wondering how long she's been out and about this time... She must've really pushed herself today, seeing how calm she is now.

"So? Spill it, boy. Have the two of you been getting along all right?" Urbosa's voice takes on a more serious tone. I take half a step back, not sure how to answer without messing up.

She chuckles. "It's OK, I know... Your silence speaks volumes."

Urbosa has always had a way of cutting right through the BS, so she can probably tell I've been feeling pretty lost with Zelda lately. I know she's trying to deal with her grief on her own, but no matter how much I try to be there for her, I feel like I'm always one step behind. I just can't figure out what she needs from me. Or if she needs me at all.

Urbosa's expression softens. "I left that note for you because I knew you'd stop by the president's office searching for her. I figured Zelda hasn't responded to your texts..."

Yeah, she hasn't. I've been trying not to take it personally, but hearing it like this... I don't know.

"Recently, she has been feeling like a failure when it comes to her own destiny," Urbosa tells me with that same look of pride and disappointment that I felt earlier. "Especially near you, given your accomplishments. That's why she has been avoiding you. She is afraid she will let it out on you."

I didn't realize she felt that way. I just thought... I don't know what I thought, but it wasn't this. To be honest, I'd rather she let it out on me so we can deal with it together, than her running away from the pain all by herself. I get that she doesn't want to repeat old habits, but I want to be there for her, even if that means taking in her frustrations.

"Don't worry," Urbosa says, "it's not like you carry blame in any of this. It's unfortunate. She's put in more than enough time. Ever since she was a young girl, she's gone through rigorous daily routines to show her dedication... She once passed out in the freezing waters praying after one of our training sessions. And she feels like she has nothing to show for it..."

The thought that Zelda feels like it's all for nothing hurts on a personal level. I've been through it, so I know how much it tears you up inside. I don't want her to feel this way. I wish I could show her that she doesn't have to prove anything to anyone.

Urbosa lets out a sigh, turning her head back towards the beach. "That's the motivation driving her research," Urbosa adds. "She feels like she owes it to her father. She really is quite... special."

I nod, swallowing hard. Urbosa's right. Zelda's been through so much, and she's still pushing herself to be better, to live up to some impossible standard. I just want to be there for her, to show her she's enough as she is.

"You be sure to take good care of her. It's quite the honor."

Even though Urbosa isn't looking, I nod again, not trusting myself to say anything. I know how lucky I am to have Zelda in my life, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she knows that.

"The night brings a chill... It's probably time we take her in."

She starts to slowly shift beneath Zelda. I step forward, ready to help.

For a split second, the sky suddenly becomes daylight. Lightning strikes near the coast, waking Zelda with a loud BANG. She jolts awake in shock. Our eyes meet for a split second before she turns around, frantically checking her surroundings

"Urbosa! What was that?" she gasps, "Did you feel that?"

Zelda freezes up in a second wave of shock. Slow and in disbelief, she turns back towards me. "Wait, what... How did you... What are you doing here?"

Urbosa starts laughing, "I invited him."

Zelda doesn't say anything, but if I could read her mind, it would probably say something like, "Why would you do that to me?"

Urbosa gets up from her spot, smiling. "I think you two should talk." My eyes cross paths with Zelda's again, but neither one of us says anything. "I'll be inside," Urbosa adds, heading for the door.