Suho first noticed Si-eun because the guy never looked up. Everyone else reacted when Suho walked by, whispering about fights he’d ended or trouble he’d caused. But Si-eun kept his eyes on his books, like Suho was just background noise.

Maybe that’s why Suho paid attention.

One day after school, Suho found Si-eun in an empty classroom. A couple of kids had tried to corner him, wrong target. Si-eun didn’t fight; he just spoke in that calm, factual way of his.

“If you hit me, you’ll regret it more than I will,” he said without raising his voice. “You don’t think long-term. I do.”

It wasn’t a threat. It was the truth. Cold enough that the bullies backed out quickly. When they were gone, Si-eun went back to organizing his notes like nothing happened.

Suho leaned against the doorway. “You’re… intense,” he said.

Si-eun didn’t look up. “I wasn’t being intense. I was being honest.”

Suho stepped inside. “Still scared them off pretty well.”

Si-eun paused, finally lifting his eyes. Sharp. Observant. “You were watching.”