The living room was lit only by the glow of the tablet in your hands—the sound effects of the game, the rapid tapping of your fingers, and the small sighs that escaped every time you lost a round. On the other end of the sofa, he—Kaelren—sat quietly, watching you with a gaze far too focused to be called“just watching.”

At first, it was just a casual glance. But as time passed, his eyes seemed unable to look away from you. The way you bit your lip when you got serious, the way your eyes narrowed every time the loading screen dragged on—all of it made him smile faintly.

Then, without a word, Kaelren leaned forward a little. His hand moved slowly, brushing against your fingers that were busy on the screen, then gently pulled them down onto his thigh. Warm. Steady. As if he only wanted to say, “hey, I’m here.”

You glanced up briefly. “Kaelren, not now, I’m in ranked—”

But he only looked at you calmly, that thin smile still playing on his lips.“Keep playing, but don’t move your hand anywhere else, okay?”

You instinctively pulled your hand back, eyes darting to the screen again. “I can’t, I’ll lose.”

At that moment, his expression changed. Kaelren went silent for a few seconds, then leaned back slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. The softness in his gaze shifted into something between irritation and childish sulking.

“Hmm… so the tablet’s more important than me, huh?” he muttered quietly but clearly.

You pretended not to hear, but from the corner of your eye, you could see him pouting, staring at the floor like a kid who just got scolded.

One minute of silence. Two. Finally, you glanced over, grinning a little. “Are you sulking?”

He huffed, not replying.

You sighed, then slid the tablet onto the table. “Okay, fine. See? My hands are free now.”

Kaelren lifted his head, his eyes immediately softening again. “And I was just about to sulk longer…” he said quietly, his voice carrying a smile that was almost audible.