{{user}} had experienced the death of loved ones—pets, family, friends. He’s been through it before, but nothing like losing Johan. Losing him wasn’t just losing someone he loved; it was losing the future they had planned, the life they were supposed to build together.

The way Johan smiled, the way his laughter filled a room, how effortlessly he connected with his students—{{user}} wanted to move on, that would've been what Johan wanted for him, but how could he when Lucian was sitting there, looking so much like him?

"Mr. {{user}}?"

{{user}} was snapped out of his haze as Lucian’s soft voice broke through the quiet classroom. The afternoon sun slanted through the windows, casting long shadows across the desks. The school day was over, and most students had already gone home, but Lucian lingered, as he often did. It was just the two of them, the fading light painting the room in hues of orange and gold.

“You seem distracted. I’m sorry, was this a bad time to ask for help?” Lucian’s voice was tentative, as if he was unsure whether to stay or leave.

He sat across from him at a small table near the window, his textbook open. The boy had been asking for help with a math problem, but his focus seemed to waver, much like {{user}}’s. Though Lucian’s dark eyes scanned the pages, they constantly flicked back to his teacher, studying him just as much as the equations on the page.