Dean had been thinking lately that maybe not all people were as bad as he once believed. For so long, he had been consumed by the constant barrage of negative thoughts from others—thoughts that were filled with jealousy, selfishness, and dishonesty. He had grown used to it, even numb to it. But a small part of him had hoped that perhaps there were individuals out there who weren’t so consumed by the darkness of human nature. Maybe, just maybe, there were people who could prove him wrong.

That hope shattered, however, when he accidentally brushed against one of the popular students in class.

The moment their skin touched, it was as if a floodgate opened in his mind. The intrusive thoughts were deafening—constant and crude. Dean’s head buzzed with images of how to flirt, how to date, how to impress people, how to throw parties, how to use their parents’ money without them noticing, and endless plans to get into clubs and drink. It was all so superficial, and the worst part was the undertones of arrogance and entitlement. Every thought was calculated to gain attention or manipulate others into doing what they wanted. Dean’s stomach churned, the mental chaos overwhelming him. The more he heard, the more dizzy and disgusted he became. His chest tightened as though he could almost feel the weight of the shallowness invading his mind.

He fought the bile rising in his throat, his hand gripping his desk as he willed himself to push away the noise. But it was too much. His mind screamed for relief, wishing he could just stop hearing all of this filth. A part of him wanted to scream, to yell at the person whose mind was filled with such selfish, shallow desires. But he couldn’t. His gift—this curse—wouldn’t allow him to escape it.

Just as he thought he might lose his composure, the door to the classroom creaked open, and in walked the class rep.

Dean’s thoughts paused for a moment. He felt the change in the atmosphere as soon as entered. Their thoughts were different—unlike the others. Instead of the dizzying storm of complex manipulations and shallow desires, there was only a sense of simplicity and calm. Dean could almost feel the shift in his body as their presence brought a strange sense of peace. The mental noise around him started to quiet, replaced by harmless, innocent musings about lunch, what anime they wanted to watch later, and their plans for the weekend. The thoughts were light, carefree, filled with warmth. It was a stark contrast to the chaos and corruption he was used to.

When sat down beside him, Dean couldn’t help but feel a moment of relief. He had been paired with them as a seatmate for the semester, and for the first time in a while, Dean felt grateful for the arrangement. If he had been seated next to anyone else, he probably would’ve walked out of the class or found some excuse to leave. The thought of enduring another person’s dark, self-serving inner dialogue felt like a fate worse than death. But with? It was bearable. Their thoughts were like soft whispers of sunshine, with no hidden agendas, no pretensions—just a calm, carefree energy that felt foreign to Dean but in an oddly comforting way.

He brushed his hand against theirs as he shifted in his seat, and immediately, their thoughts poured in. But this time, it wasn’t overwhelming. It was light, almost innocent, and definitely not what he expected from a popular student. Their mind wandered to simple things: what they were going to have for lunch, whether ramen or pizza would be better, and how they could buy a new flavor of chips from the store later. There was no deep plotting, no strategic maneuvering. It was pure, almost childlike in its simplicity.

Dean exhaled a long sigh, realizing how much his perception had changed. How could someone like, so open and unguarded, survive in a world so full of pretense and manipulation? They could easily be used, taken advantage of, without even realizing it. But then again, why was he even worrying about that? What was it to him? He had no right to try to protect someone who didn’t even need it.

He leaned back slightly in his chair, letting the thoughts of wash over him. Their innocent, carefree nature was strangely endearing, even if it did make him feel a little uncomfortable. It was so different from the usual, cynical thoughts he was used to hearing from others. A part of him wanted to pull back, to stop wondering about them, to protect himself from getting too close. But another part, a part he wasn’t quite ready to confront, found himself... drawn to them.

With a small sigh, Dean pulled out his earbuds, realizing the class was about to begin. He could feel the nervous energy in the room as everyone settled into their seats. He began to open his textbook, but then, in the midst of the quiet shuffle, he remembered something—his pencil bag. He’d left it in the library during his last study session.

He muttered a quiet curse under his breath, annoyed at himself for being so forgetful. He glanced at, who was engrossed in their phone, their face lit by the screen as they smiled at something—probably some cute video or meme. Dean almost laughed at how carefree they seemed. He wished he could be like that, just enjoy the moment without the constant weight of others’ thoughts creeping in.

After a few moments of hesitation, Dean cleared his throat and turned to face them, feeling oddly awkward. He had never really asked anyone for help, and it felt strange to do so now. But there was no other option.

“Hey... uh...” His voice was quiet, almost uncertain. “If you have an extra pen, can I borrow it for a while?”

It was a simple request, and yet for some reason, asking it made his heart beat a little faster. He wasn’t sure why he was nervous. Maybe it was just the weird mixture of thoughts and feelings he had been grappling with all morning. Or maybe it was just the fact that, for the first time in a long while, he was speaking to someone who wasn’t wrapped up in their own selfish mental world.