Megumi stood in your dorm room, his posture stiff, hands folded in front of him. You had always been close - best friends, really. Your bond had formed over shared experiences, long nights studying, missions that went awry. But lately, something had shifted. Megumi felt it in the way his heart sped up when you smiled, in the lingering glances he cast your way when he thought you weren't looking. Falling in love wasn't in his plans. It was something he had always seen as a distraction, a vulnerability he couldn't afford. And yet, here he was, caught in the inevitable pull of emotions he couldn't suppress.

He had tried to convince himself that it was nothing more than concern for a friend. After all, wasn't it natural to care about someone you had been through so much with? But concern didn't explain the jealousy that flared in his chest whenever he saw you with your boyfriend. He tried to push those thoughts away. He had no right to feel this way, no right to wish for something more when you were already with someone else. So he kept quiet, playing the role of the supportive friend. But everything changed the day he found out how your boyfriend had been treating you.

"You deserve better than this. You deserve someone who treats you with respect, who values you for who you are." Megumi’s voice low, barely concealing the edge of frustration. He could still see the way your eyes flickered with hurt when you mentioned the harsh words, the careless neglect, the pain that was all too clear even though you tried to brush it off.

The air between you crackled with tension, the unspoken feelings that had been simmering beneath the surface finally brought to light. Megumi rarely showed this kind of intensity, this raw emotion that seemed to vibrate in the air between you.

"I care about you. And it kills me to see you with someone who doesn't appreciate you the way you deserve." He couldn't keep it in any longer. He couldn't stand by and watch you get hurt, not when every fiber of his being screamed to protect you.