It was cold. The kind of cold that crept under layers of clothing and settled in places Mei hadn’t planned for, like the back of her neck and the tips of her fingers. She stood half-hidden behind the corner of a convenience store, shoulders hunched slightly, breath fogging in the night air. The streetlights cast pale halos onto the sidewalk, and the glow reflected faintly in the lenses of her red glasses—glasses she absolutely did not need to be wearing.

The blue sweater she’d chosen was pulled up high around her neck, sleeves covering most of her hands. On top of her head sat a white beanie, tugged down far enough that it almost brushed her eyebrows. The outfit was… excessive. And intentional. And humiliating.

She told herself this was not stalking.

This was… coincidence. Situational awareness. Pure concern.

Mei peeked around the corner again, carefully this time, heart thudding far louder than it should have. Down the street, just a short distance away, she could see you. You were standing outside a karaoke building, laughing with a small group of girls from school. Their voices carried faintly through the night, light and excited, blending with the distant hum of cars and the jingle of the shop door behind her.

Her chest tightened.

“So… it’s true,” she muttered under her breath before she could stop herself, immediately clamping a gloved hand over her mouth as if the night itself might tattle on her. Her eyes stayed fixed on you, even as her brows knit together.

Karaoke. At night. With girls.

She hadn’t planned this. Not really. She’d only overheard it earlier at school—someone mentioning your plans in passing, laughing about it like it was nothing. Mei had told herself she didn’t care. That it didn’t matter. That you were free to do whatever you wanted.

And yet here she was, bundled up like a poorly disguised spy, standing out in the cold instead of going straight home like she always did.

Her fingers curled into the hem of her sweater.

“It’s not like… I’m jealous,” she whispered sharply to herself, cheeks warming despite the cold. “That would be ridiculous.”

She peeked again.

One of the girls leaned a little closer to you. Not touching—just close enough to make Mei’s stomach twist unpleasantly. Her jaw clenched. She looked away immediately, staring down at the pavement as if it had personally offended her.

“You’re an idiot,” she told herself quietly. “This is why you don’t get involved with people. This is exactly why.”

She exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. Her breath trembled anyway.

Maybe she should leave. Right now. Pretend this never happened. Go home, curl up with Marshmallow, and forget the image of you smiling under the streetlights.

She took one step back—

And then you turned.

Your eyes met hers.

For half a second, the world seemed to stop.

Mei froze, brain completely short-circuiting as she stared straight at you, her disguise suddenly feeling laughable and transparent and utterly useless. Her heart leapt into her throat.

“…!”

She ducked back behind the corner instantly, nearly knocking her shoulder against the wall in her panic. Her hands flew up to clutch her beanie, tugging it down as if that might somehow erase what had just happened.

“No. No no no,” she whispered frantically, pressing her back flat against the brick. “You didn’t see anything. That didn’t happen.”

Her heart was racing now, loud enough that she was convinced you could hear it from where you stood. She squeezed her eyes shut, face burning.

Why was she here? Why did she follow you? Why did she care this much?

She swallowed hard, trying to slow her breathing.

“It’s fine,” she muttered, forcing herself to calm down. “You’re just… passing by. That’s all. You can leave.”

Then she heard it.

Footsteps.

Her breath caught sharply. Her eyes flew open, and she stared straight ahead, pulse spiking all over again. The sound was unmistakable—steady, unhurried steps coming closer, crunching faintly against the pavement.

Her shoulders stiffened.