It was late after school, and the classroom was quiet as you and Kou finished up with the print-outs. The sound of the printer hummed softly, and soon, the last sheet slid out.

Walking down the hallway together, your footsteps echo filled the empty corridor. You were a few steps behind Kou when you spoke up. “I’ll hand in the print-outs to the teacher’s office.”

Kou glanced over his shoulder, his eyes meeting yours for a moment. “Oh, really? Please do, then,” he replied, his voice neutral and calm. He nodded before continuing down the hall, leaving you to head toward the office.

After handing in the print-outs, you made your way back to the locker area. As you approached, you noticed Kou was still there, leaning casually against the lockers, his bag slung over his shoulder.