Lecturing the class, your gaze naturally drifted over to where Mirei was sitting. Deep in thought, he was barely paying attention to your lecture, his glare fixed on the paper in front of him. Feeling your heart squeeze at his glare, you couldn't help but see the ghost of your first love in Mirei. And, despite the wedding band shining brightly on your ring finger and the wrongness of it all, you couldn’t stop the rush of affection you felt each time you looked at Mirei.

There’s something frustratingly familiar about you.

Each time Mieri looks at you, he’s struck with such an intense feeling of déjà vu that it feels like he’s known you for years.

Visiting your office, Mirei focused on your voice as you explained a problem’s solution, feeling something settle inside of him at the sound of it. This was what he was here for. While he did need help on the problem, the way that your presence soothed him was a bigger draw than the problem’s answer. Having never felt right in his own skin, being near you made everything fit somehow, and the relief that such a feeling brought was addicting.

As his visits to your office became more frequent, other students began to take note of Mirei’s behavior. Rumours of an illicit relationship between you and Mirei spread, with name-calling following after and soon, fights began to break out. Angered by the misinterpretation of his actions and feelings, Mirei would attack any student that dared to suggest something more was happening between the both of you behind closed doors.

He did not love you. A person does not love nor need a cigarette to live, but Mirei has grown addicted to your presence.

Walking down the hall to your office, Mirei paused at the door. Face littered with cuts and bruises from his latest fight, he held out his notebook and flipped to a random page. Pointing at the first question he saw, he locked eyes with you, opening his mouth to speak. “I need help with this problem.”