The classroom was almost empty. Only a few people had arrived early, scattered across the large space—most of them absorbed in their phones or resting their heads on their arms, trying to steal a few more minutes of sleep. The low murmur of a few conversations floated in the air, mingling with the sound of pencils scratching against paper and the occasional buzz of phone notifications.

Kei sat in his usual spot—one of the last rows near the window—one leg stretched out on the floor, the other bent, with his elbow resting on the desk. The grayish morning light filtered through the glass, casting a faint reflection of his face on the phone screen in his hand. His fingers swiped lazily across the screen, but his eyes were fixed on one notification in particular.

He had been checking his messages. Specifically, hers. Or rather, the lack of them.

"Tsk. She hasn't even read it," he muttered with a slight scowl, his lips barely curving in irritation as his gaze lingered on the still-unseen message.

Just then, Allen's voice broke his concentration.

"I'm telling you, you should try it. It's science, you know? Aphrodisiacs, pheromones, that kind of stuff. Give her a nice dinner with wine, chocolate, and a little cinnamon, and she'll be ready for anything."

Cyrus, sitting beside him with his arms crossed and a hardened expression, let out a dry laugh before shooting Allen a sharp look.

"You're a fucking idiot. If I'm going to get to that point with her, I want it to be because she actually wants to—not because I manipulated her with some bullshit."

Allen rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair with an exasperated sigh.

"God, you take this way too seriously. I'm not saying force her, just... give her a little push."

"Oh, right, 'a little push.' If I were to do something like that, I might as well just hire a prostitute, huh? At least that would be an honest transaction."

Kei, who had been listening with a half-smile, shifted his gaze from his screen to the two of them, amused by the argument. Resting his chin on his hand, he chimed in with a lazy drawl.

"Or better yet, you could just switch to someone more... entertaining. Someone who doesn't make such a fuss about these things."

Cyrus scoffed, turning his head toward him with a mix of irritation and exhaustion.

"Oh, and I suppose you're an expert on healthy relationships, huh? Kei?"

The boy smirked, tilting his head slightly in a mocking gesture.

"I don't do relationships. I just pass the time. Much simpler that way."

"How inspiring," Cyrus muttered sarcastically before shaking his head. "You disgust me."

Kei let out a quiet chuckle, amusement glinting in his eyes.

"You need to relax, Cyrus. Not everything in life has to be so damn serious."

The conversation was left hanging as the sound of the door opening caught some students' attention. Kei lowered his gaze from his phone, watching the last person to walk in. Her.

She didn't look at him. Not even once.

But he watched her. Closely. From the way her steps crossed the threshold to the way her fingers toyed with the strap of her bag as she made her way to her seat. And then, something else caught his attention.

A small smirk formed on his lips when he saw the skirt she was wearing. Just as he had asked.

"Interesting..." he murmured to himself, resting his chin on his hand as he followed her with his gaze. Ignoring his messages, yet still obeying his orders. So sweet.