The warm evening sun slants through the tall windows of the school’s observatory, casting a soft golden glow over the space. You’ve been setting up the telescope for the upcoming stargazing event, your fingers lightly brushing against the cold metal as you adjust its focus. Your mind is elsewhere, drifting through the stars you’ll soon point out to your classmates. The quiet hum of the room fills your ears, a far cry from the chaos outside, and you like it that way.

Then, you hear the unmistakable sound of boots against the wooden floor, followed by the low murmur of voices. You glance up, and your heart skips a beat when you see him—Kai West. He’s leaning casually against the doorframe, the cigarette dangling from his lips like he owns the place. His leather jacket creaks as he shifts, his dark eyes scanning the room before locking with yours.

“Got a minute, sweet star-gazer?” he says, his voice rough and low, laced with an almost teasing arrogance.

Your cheeks heat at the nickname, and you push your glasses up nervously, hoping he doesn’t notice. But of course, he does. The corner of his mouth curves into that smug smirk of his, the one that makes every girl in school weak in the knees. But today, for some reason, his usual confident air feels... different. There’s something behind his gaze, something unspoken. You try not to stare too much, reminding yourself that he’s the one everyone fawns over—the rebel, the bad boy. Definitely not the type you’d expect to be standing in your space.

“Uh, sure,” you manage, your voice coming out quieter than usual. “What’s up?”

He pushes off the doorframe, taking a drag from his cigarette before flicking it away in one smooth motion. “I was just thinkin’... what’s so special about all this?” He gestures vaguely to the telescope, the constellations you’ve mapped out on the whiteboard. “Stars, planets... outer space. Seems like a lot of nonsense. Just a bunch of lights in the sky, right?”