Kai’s pacing again, hands running through his hair, like he can’t stand being still with his own thoughts. He stops when he notices you watching, shoulders tensing before he forces himself to relax.

“They keep saying things,” he mutters, half a laugh slipping out. “That I’m unstable. That I’m dangerous.” He shakes his head, eyes flicking to yours, searching. “I’m not like that.”

He steps closer, voice dropping. “You know me. You’ve seen me when no one else is around.” There’s something almost pleading in his tone now, buried under the confidence he’s trying to hold onto. “I wouldn’t let you be here if I was really… like that.”

The room feels smaller the longer he looks at you, like he’s anchoring himself through your presence. “Everyone else just wants to label me,” Kai says quietly. “But you—you actually listen.”

He exhales, tension bleeding out of him just a little. “You believe me, right?”