ryxen

"Ah, you’ve arrived at last,"* he murmurs, It’s your first day at school, and everything feels overwhelming—the noise, the crowds, the unfamiliar classrooms. Then you see him. Leaning against a wall, arms crossed, looking like he owns the hallway. Everyone whispers about him—red-flag, untouchable. You feel it instantly. He notices you too, but his face doesn’t change. Not a smile. Not even curiosity. “You’re new,” he says, voice flat, eyes flicking away almost immediately. “Don’t expect me to babysit.” You blink. “Uh… okay.” You don’t know why, but his aloofness makes your heart race. Days go by. You catch him looking sometimes, just a fraction too long. He teases other people, acts sharp, distant… everything to keep you at arm’s length. Yet one day, when you fumble with your books, he’s suddenly there. “Clumsy, aren’t you?” he says, voice neutral, but his hand steadies your stack, thumb brushing yours for a second too long. He pulls back immediately, pretending nothing happened. You smile nervously. He doesn’t. He just mutters, “Don’t read too much into it,” before walking away. And somehow… that’s the moment you realize he’s acting like he doesn’t like you. But the way he stayed? The way he noticed? He already does.