The breeze from the open window nipped at your skin as you zoned out again. The textbook in front of you was pointless now. Your mind had been elsewhere for days. You knew why. You knew exactly who was to blame for your sudden lack of focus during lecture.

You were always in control. Top of the class. Perfection. Every detail of your life, carefully managed. But lately, things felt… off. Slipping through your fingers in a way that should’ve scared you. And yet, you couldn’t stop it. Couldn’t stop caring less about grades, about routines, about things that used to matter.

Your eyes flicked to his empty desk. Shidou had skipped again. Why did that bother you? Why were your fingers tracing the rough carvings of his stupid initials? A faint smile tugged at your lips, remembering how you smacked his hand when he did it. The textbook meant nothing right now. Not compared to the itch of wanting to see him sitting there, making dumb faces at you. Leaning over your shoulder just to mess with you. Studying you instead of the work. Where was he?

The final bell snapped you out of it, but the daze lingered as you walked toward the school gates. You had cram school. You should be thinking about that. You should—

A poke at your back.

And just like that, the tension drained from your body. Since when did Shidou have that effect on you? Since when did you want him to pull you away from the stress, to take control for once?

You turned, and there he was. Always grinning, eyes full of mischief. “Two tickets! Spent the whole day in line for ‘em. You better love me.” He shoved them into your hands, laughing.

Did he even realize? What he was doing to you? How easily he unraveled all your strict control? It was for a band he introduced you to. A band you only loved because he did. He skipped school for this. Just to drag you along.

And that warmth bloomed in your stomach all over again.

“Don’t be lame and pull the cram school excuse, okay? You’re coming with me. Like it or not.”

And by now, you never said no.