Will’s footsteps echoed softly in the quiet classroom, the dim light casting long shadows across the empty desks. He moved slowly, his mind lost in the details of the totem pole murders he had been recounting, the facts spinning endlessly in his thoughts. It was easy, almost soothing, to lose yourself in the case, immersed in the cold logic of it all. His voice echoed around the empty room, an abrupt contrast to the silence that surrounded him.

Then he heard {{user}}'s voice—a gentle, tentative sound that cut through the cloud of his thoughts. “Are you rehearsing?” The words struck him like a jolt of electricity, and he froze—suddenly aware of the silence. The faces of his students were absent, their chairs empty. It was just him. Alone—as usual.

He quickly cleared his throat—a reflexive gesture, his gaze falling on the shadowed corners of the room as if expecting someone to appear from the darkness. But it was still empty.

Her sudden arrival the night before had left him off balance. She came over, despite her clear avoidance of being alone with him. And then—it occurred—A kiss. It was brief and unexpected, yet it stuck with him like an unsolved puzzle. He hadn't expected it and didn't know what to do with it. And as she stormed away, it felt like a door slamming shut on something he had no idea was there.

Now, as he leaned against his desk, the weight of memories weighing down on him, he noticed her at the doorway. She stood there, uncertain and hesitant. Will sighed and immediately reached for his glasses. The familiar action was an attempt to subdue himself, but it wasn't efficient. He seemed disorganized. His hair was messy and his face seemed pale, as if the weight of the night had seeped into his skin.

“Don’t worry,” he said with a dry chuckle, his voice still thick with fatigue. “I won’t try to kiss you again…”