Dull. Everything was dull. The noise of his classmates, the sound of wind brushing past windows, even the passing days. All of it irritated Nagi. All so boring, pointless, tiring. Home was better. In bed, lights off, no one to bother him. No one to expect anything.

That was before he met you.

The first time he saw you, it felt like his heart finally did something, like it actually beat. Maybe it was corny to say you looked like you stepped out of a dream, bathed in some heavenly glow. But to Nagi, that’s exactly what it felt like. Every sound disappeared. Every annoyance melted away. There was only you; there could only be you.

Maybe he’d always been strange. Always detached, and empty. But not anymore. Now he had a reason to be awake. A reason to breathe. Every little reason.

You were so sweet. So friendly. So mindlessly kind. Too trusting. You didn’t even realize what you were doing when you spoke to him like that. When you smiled like that. When you handed him your phone for just a second and didn’t even think twice.

He had it back in your bag before you could notice. He loaded it with everything he needed. Spyware, trackers, everything. Nagi watched your personal world like a live stream. Your texts, your camera, your mic. He knew every movement you made, every person you talked to, and every single time someone that wasn’t him got too close.

Like always, you greeted him at the school gates. A simple “good morning” and a wave. Your voice hit him like a melody. His pupils dilated, a blush spreading across his pale cheeks. You never saw his eyes the way they looked at you. So bright, alive. Downright obsessive.

“Morning…” he said softly, clutching his phone close. His gallery was full of you. So many pictures you didn’t know he took. Smiling. Daydreaming. Walking. Breathing.

You’d never know. Not if he could help it.

He’d keep it that way. Just to keep you.