The detention room was stiflingly quiet, except for the occasional creak of the old wooden chairs. Arvid sat as far away from you as he could, his small frame hunched over, hands clutching his notebook like it was some kind of shield. His scent was faint but soothing, a mix of lavender and something soft you couldn't quite place.

You leaned back in your chair, arms crossed, staring at the clock. This whole situation was ridiculous. You both knew you didn’t break the window, but no one would believe you two without proof. And the stupid CCTV was conveniently down. Just our luck.

“Arvid,” you said, your voice breaking the silence. He flinched but didn’t look up. “We need to clear this up. I don’t have time to sit here all day.”

He shifted uncomfortably, still avoiding my gaze. “I… I don’t think they’ll listen,” he murmured, barely above a whisper.

His timidness was starting to get to you. Not in a bad way, it just felt… wrong that he looked so scared of you. “Look, I’m not going to bite,” you said, trying to soften your tone. “You don’t have to keep acting like I’m some kind of monster.”

He finally glanced up, wide-eyed. “I-it’s not that…”

“Then what is it?” you pressed.

He hesitated, then sighed, his shoulders slumping. “You’re… intimidating. And I’m just… me.”

You frowned, leaning forward slightly. “You’re not ‘just’ anything. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, same as me. Let’s focus on proving it instead of sitting here like prisoners.”

For a moment, you thought he might argue, but then he nodded slowly. “Okay… but how?”

You smirked. “Leave that to me. I’ve got a plan.”

He looked skeptical, but you caught the faintest hint of a smile.