The airport was unusually quiet at this hour, yet the atmosphere shifted the moment he stepped through the arrival gate—Sae Itoshi, dragging a single black suitcase, posture straight, gaze unreadable. People whispered, some stared, a few recognized him instantly.

But his eyes searched only for one person. You.

He spotted you leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, pretending not to be waiting even though you clearly were. His steps slowed, then stopped directly in front of you.

“You’re late,” you said.

Sae raised an eyebrow. “My flight landed early. You’re the one who’s late.”

You scoffed. “Typical. You leave for Europe, come back months later, and your ego is still untouched.”

His lips curved—not quite a smile, but the closest thing Sae Itoshi offered to one. “If anything, it got worse.”

He walked past you, expecting you to follow. You rolled your eyes but caught up beside him. He didn’t look at you, but his pace shifted just enough to match yours. Subtle. Intentional.

“You didn’t tell me why you’re back,” you said.

“I didn’t think it mattered.”

“It does. To me.”

That made him stop.

He turned, eyes narrowing slightly—not in irritation, but in calculation. “You’re the only person who talks to me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re not impressed.” His voice was quiet but sharp. “Most people suffocate under my presence. You… don’t.”