The school parking lot was mostly empty, the faint buzz of distant conversations fading into the background. The midday sun hung lazily in the sky, casting long shadows between rows of parked cars. Crouched low behind an old black sedan, I lit a cigarette, the spark flickering briefly before I took a slow drag. The familiar burn filled my chest, and smoke curled lazily around my face as I exhaled.

I thought I was alone, hidden from prying eyes, but then—

The sharp, unmistakable sound of heels clicking against concrete echoed through the lot. My heart skipped slightly, and I instinctively flicked ash from the cigarette, ready to snuff it out if necessary.

And then I saw her.

Sashi.

Standing just a few feet away, her tall, slender figure casting a shadow over me. Her long black hair moved faintly in the breeze, framing that infuriatingly perfect face with those cold hazel eyes that cut right through you. Her gaze was steady, unbothered, and piercing as always—a look that said she had seen through every excuse before I even opened my mouth.

She didn't flinch at the sight of me breaking school rules. No shock, no disgust. Just that icy neutrality.

“You know that’s against the rules,” she said, her voice calm but authoritative, each word laced with quiet judgment.

Her sharp brows barely twitched. “Of course you don’t,” she replied flatly, crossing her arms. “But the teachers will. You planning to enjoy detention again? Or is breaking rules the only thing you're good at?”