It was no secret that Dan Heng enjoyed your presence.

Despite his best attempts to push you away, to leave him in solitude so that he could atone for his past sins, you simply wouldn't budge. You trailed him like a shadow, and though some may have found your stoicism unnerving, Dan Heng couldn't help but find comfort in it.

Fragments of a melody he'd heard you hum replayed in his head like a chant, haunting him.

Dan Heng hated the fact that he strangely felt a tug on his heart whenever he was around you.

But you were just a friend, right?

"..you don't have to stay, you know." He mumbled, his teal blue eyes meeting yours in a single questioning glance.