"See you around, princess"

Lily grinned as she plopped down onto the bench, dropping her bag beside her. "Alright, so I get the hype now." Koji, mid-bite, gave her a side-eye. "The hype?"

She nodded excitedly, pulling out the manga from her bag. "This. This is art. This is storytelling. I am changed."

Koji snorted. "You read one volume."

"And?" She flipped through the pages dramatically. "It was life-changing, Koko!. I gasped. I cried. I nearly threw it across the room—"

"I can imagine you reading it in bed" he cut in flatly. "You were totally kicking your feet like a middle schooler." Lily smacked his arm. "Shut up!" He just shrugged, taking another bite.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, I need to buy the next volume. Like, immediately. How do people wait for new releases? I'd lose my mind." Koji tapped his chopsticks against his bento. "Welcome to the hellhole of weekly manga updates."

Lily gasped, horrified. "You guys suffer for real."

Koji nodded solemnly. "It builds character."

She rolled her eyes, finally reaching for her own food—only to pause.

Wait.

Her hands patted the space beside her.

Her bag. Her manga.

Where the hell was her—?

Oh.

"Damn it."

Koji blinked up at her. "What?"

Lily groaned. "I forgot my lunch."

Koji stared. "How do you—" He sighed, shaking his head. "Never mind. Just take some of mine."

Lily shook her head. "It's fine. I'll be right back."

"Lily."

"Two minutes, tops!"

She waved him off, already turning back toward the school.

Behind her, Koji sighed.

( >﹏<.)

The classroom was too quiet.

The scrape of her chair against the floor echoed louder than it should have, cutting through the stillness.

Her fingers wrapped around the bento, but for some reason—she didn't move right away.

Why does it feel weird in here?

Lily glanced at the empty desks, at the slant of sunlight filtering through the windows.

Maybe it was just because she wasn't supposed to be here right now. Maybe it was just the contrast—the noisy rooftop, Koji's voice teasing in her ear, the comfort of their conversation—versus this.

This empty, silent room.

Still, a strange unease settled in her stomach.

Don't be stupid, she told herself. Just grab your stuff and go.

But then—

The door clicked shut.

Loud.

Deliberate.

Lily froze.

A slow chill trickled down her spine as she turned her head toward the source of the noise.

Standing at the entrance, hands still on the door, eyes half-lidded in a lazy, calculating gaze—

Hayato.

Her breath hitched.

The air felt thicker.

The usual carefree smirk was there, but something about it felt off.

Wrong.

She wasn't sure if it was the way his fingers still lingered on the handle, like he was making a point, or if it was the way his eyes flickered across her face, like he was already expecting a reaction.

She inhaled sharply, straightening her posture. "I was just leaving."

Hayato tilted his head, stepping forward. "And yet, here we are."

Lily kept her feet planted, gripping the bento tighter. "Excuse me."

He didn't move right away, but she could feel it—the shift.

The way his fingers lingered on the door handle, like he wasn't just standing there—like he was making a point. Then, he stepped forward.Not in a direct, confrontational way.

Worse.

He was slow. Unhurried. Like he was seeing how far she'd let him go before she reacted.

When she stepped right—he stepped too.

When she moved left—so did he.

He wasn't blocking her.

He was playing with her.

"Move." she said, voice firmer.

Hayato tilted his head, a slow smirk curling at the edge of his lips.

"Where's the fun in that?"

Lily stiffened.

She didn't know how to handle him.

Not like this.

Not when he was this close, this overbearing.

"You're always so tense around me, princess." His voice was low, teasing.

She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to look at him. "Because you're always trying something." That made him grin. "And? Has it worked yet?" She wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.

"No."

She lied. Because she could still feel his hand on her wrist from last time. Still hear the way his voice lowered when he threatened her. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She wouldn't.

Hayato let the word hang between them for a moment before sighing dramatically.

"That's disappointing."

She moved toward the door, but the moment she took a step he didn't move.

But she felt it. The unspoken challenge. Like stepping toward a lion who hadn't decided if he was hungry yet. She hesitated. Just for a second. That was enough. Hayato's smirk turned sharp. He noticed.

"Relax, Lily-chan."

His voice was almost soothing. Mocking. He pushed himself off the door, stepping toward her. Slow. Unhurried. She stood her ground, forcing her shoulders to stay relaxed. But Hayato wasn't like the other guys in his group. He wasn't cruel in an obvious way. He was subtle. Calculated.

Like he enjoyed seeing how far he could push before someone broke.

Lily met his gaze. "I said move."

He tilted his head, pretending to think. "Mmm. No."

Asshole.

She inhaled sharply through her nose, keeping her voice steady. "I don't have time for this."

"Why so tense?" Hayato leaned in slightly, watching her. "I just wanna talk."

Bullshit.

She didn't trust him. Hayato didn't talk. He play. He test boundaries. Push.Just to see what would happen.

Lily tightened her grip on her bento. "Then talk."

Hayato's smirk curled.

Like she'd walked into a trap she hadn't seen coming.

"Where's Piggy Porky?"

Ah.

There it was.

Lily felt something snap,the familiar heat of anger rose to her chest.

Of course. This wasn't about her.

This was about Koji.

She let out a slow breath, keeping her expression blank. "He has a name, you know."

Hayato's eyes gleamed.

"Oh? And here I thought you liked him like that."

Her jaw tightened.

"Move, Hayato."

He ignored her.

"So he really ditched you, huh? Kinda sad." He tsked. "Guess he figured out you're too much trouble to hang around."

"I don't need to explain anything to you."

That was it.

Lily's fingers twitched.

She shouldered past him, forcing him to move.

You're fine. He's just messing with you.

That's what she told herself.

And then his fingers wrapped around her wrist. 

She was getting used to that touch and unfortunately so was he. The world stopped for half a second. It wasn't painful. It wasn't even tight. But it was intentional. And Lily? She hated how her breath hitched. She swallowed, forcing herself to keep her voice steady. "Let go."

Hayato didn't.

If anything, his grip softened slightly—like he was amused that she thought saying it out loud would make a difference.

Then his fingers curled just enough around her wrist. Holding her in place.

The door wasn't locked.

She could leave.

But he wasn't letting her.

Not yet.

"It's rude to walk away, Lily-chan."

His voice was soft. Almost amused, but his grip didn't loosen.

Lily's heart pounded. She slowly turned her head, meeting his gaze.

Up close, he was worse.

Golden eyes, sharp features, too close, too much.

She swallowed, steadying herself. "Let go."

Hayato watched her for a moment.

And then—he smiled.

Slow. Smug.

Like he had already won.

He leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Make me."

Without hesitation she turned her back to him, thinking that if she ignored him , Hayato would get tired.

The air in the classroom became suddenly still.

Heavy. Suffocating.

It was him.

It was the slow, deliberate grip that coiled around her wrist from behind.

The sudden heat of another body, pressing too close.

The sharp, unmistakable sound of her breath catching as her muscles froze.

And then—

The warmth of his lips against her neck.

A sharp gasp tore from her throat.

The second she felt it, her entire body locked up.

The warmth of his breath, the faintest graze of his lips,against her neck!

Panic.

It crashed into her like a wave, drowning her in heat, in shock, in the wrongness of it. He wasn't holding her down. He wasn't forcing her in place,but somehow she couldn't move.

A slow, lazy chuckle ghosted against her skin, his breath warm against the damp imprint his lips left behind.

She didn't move. She couldn't. Because the moment she tried, his fingers tightened around her wrist, pulling her further against him.

Panic flared in her chest.

What the hell was he doing?!

She tried to turn her head, to twist away from him but Hayato didn't let her.

Instead, his grip firmed against her waist, keeping her locked in place. "See?" His voice was smooth. Unbothered. Like they were having a casual conversation. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Lily's stomach twisted.

Her throat was dry.

Her heart was hammering so fast she was sure he could hear it.

But worst of all she didn't understand. She couldn't understand. His fingers slid up her arm, slow, deliberate, cruel.

Every movement measured. Every touch controlled. As if he already knew how she would react. As if he had done this before. To her.

"Let go."

Her voice wasn't as strong as she wanted it to be.

It shook.

Hayato heard it, and he fucking liked it. His smirk pressed against the curve of her jaw as he hummed, not moving an inch. "You always ruin the fun, princess." Her fists clenched. She tried again, her voice stronger. "I said let go." This time, she yanked her wrist, putting all her strength into breaking free,but he didn't budge. Not even a little. Instead, he laughed.

Actually fucking laughed.

Like this was amusing to him. Like she was some kind of game.

Her stomach turned.

"You really don't get it, do you?" His voice dipped lower, colder. Closer. Too close.

His grip on her tightened, just enough to make her realize this wasn't a joke. This wasn't just teasing. This was something else. Her breath hitched as he leaned in again, his lips barely brushing her ear.

"If you stopped resisting so much, you'd see how much easier this could be for you."

Her stomach dropped. Her pulse roared in her ears. The implication in his words made her nauseous.

She still couldn't move.

She wanted to push him away. To kick him, scratch him, slap him—anything. But her body wasn't listening. She felt trapped.

Not just physically,but in something bigger. Something she couldn't control. Something he controlled.

"Why...?"

The word left her lips before she could stop it.

Hayato's smirk stretched against her skin, his voice mocking.

"Why?" He repeated the word slowly, like it amused him. Like he was tasting it on his tongue. His fingers brushed over her pulse, lingering there for just a second. Feeling how fast it was. How erratic. How weak.

"Because you make it too easy, Lily-chan."

She flinched. Her entire body stiffened.

He had never said her name like that before.

His tone was so casual. So familiar. Like she already belonged to him. Like a sentence.

She hated the way her skin tingled where his lips had been. Hated the way he spoke to her. Hated that no one was here to stop him.

But most of all she hated that for the first time in her life— without, of course, considering the Delivery guy. Even if this situation is at the same level!-She was afraid.

Her fingers shook as she clenched them tighter around her bento.

And then, with every ounce of willpower she had left,Lily swung her arm back.

Hard.

Hayato's grip loosened for half a second.

And in that moment she tore herself free. She stumbled backward, panting, wide-eyed, trembling. Her pulse was a wildfire.

Her hands—cold.

Her cheeks—burning.

Her neck—branded with the ghost of his touch.

Hayato tilted his head.

Watching her.

Observing.

Amused.

Like a predator watching his prey struggle. Like he was enjoying this.Because he was! Like he had already won. And the worst part?

He was right.

Because Lily had no idea what to do. She had never been in a situation like this. She had never met someone like him.

And he could feel it.

"Tch."

He clicked his tongue, like he was scolding a child.

And then he smirked. Like this was just the beginning. Like he wasn't done. Like he owned her time now.

"See you around, princess."

He turned, walking out of the classroom.

Like nothing had happened.

Like he hadn't just crossed a line.

Like he hadn't just made it clear that she wasn't getting rid of him.

Lily's breath came out in shaky bursts.

Her fingers gripped her bento box like it was the only thing keeping her standing.

She hated the way her skin tingled where his lips had been.

Hated the way he spoke to her.

Hated that no one was here to stop him.

But most of all she hated herself for freezing!

Her fingers shook as she clenched them tighter around her bento.

Never again.

She didn't know how.

She didn't know when.

But she wasn't letting this happen again.

And yet..a shudder ran down her spine.

How the hell was she supposed to stop him?