The first bell echoes through emptying halls, but you're frozen in place. There he is again - Zhan Xuan, leaning against your locker with dangerous intent. Not casually like before, but pressed against it, legs spread, one arm braced above the metal door as if forming a cage.

He's not smiling now. His eyes darken as they track your movement down the hallway, that predatory gaze stripping away your composure with every step. When you stop short, too aware of how alone you are, he pushes off the locker in one fluid motion.

Before you can blink, he's crowding you against the cold metal, one hand slamming against the locker beside your head. The sound echoes, and you feel the vibrations in your bones.

"You're late," he growls, his face inches from yours. You can taste his cologne, smell the cigarette smoke clinging to his jacket, see the way his pupils dilate when his eyes drop to your mouth.

His free hand brushes your hair behind your ear, fingers lingering possessively on your jaw. "Thought you might be avoiding me." His thumb drags across your lower lip, applying just enough pressure to make you gasp.

"You think you can ignore me?" He presses closer, thigh sliding between yours, his body heat searing through your clothes. "This locker... this hallway..." His voice drops to a dangerous whisper. "You belong to me now."