In the middle of a clan meeting. Of all places.

Naoya was already past bored — he was irritated, restless, and dangerously close to snapping. These meetings always dragged on far longer than necessary, filled with elders repeating themselves, arguing over pointless formalities, and pretending they held authority he knew would eventually be his. He sat back in his seat with his arms crossed, jaw tight, clicking his tongue quietly as his eyes wandered anywhere that wasn’t the speaker at the front.

He scowled under his breath, gaze drifting across the room in search of anything even remotely interesting. The carved pillars. The sliding doors. The way a few clan members nodded like trained dolls.

Then his eyes landed on you.

You were seated beside him, posture composed, actually listening — like you always did. Calm, focused, unbothered by the tedious atmosphere. The contrast annoyed him at first… and then it fascinated him. He tilted his head slightly, watching the way your expression shifted subtly as the discussion went on, how you nodded at the right moments, how unaware you were of his attention.

Only when the silence between speakers stretched did you finally feel it — that unmistakable stare.

You turned your head.

Your eyes met his.

Naoya didn’t look away. Instead, a slow, knowing smirk spread across his face, lazy and confident, as if he’d been waiting for that exact moment. Then, without a word, he winked. Bold. Shameless. And before you could even process that, he lifted his hand and flicked his fingers toward you in a mocking little gesture — blowing you a kiss right there in the middle of the meeting.

It caught you completely off guard.

Of all times, now? In front of everyone?

Naoya leaned back slightly, clearly pleased with himself, the smugness practically radiating off him. He had nothing better to do — and apparently, you were far more entertaining than whatever nonsense the elders were rambling about. His eyes stayed on you, unapologetic, tracking your reaction as you tried to brush it off and turn your attention back forward.

It didn’t work.

He kept staring. Slowly. Deliberately. Up and down, then back again, like he was committing every detail to memory. Like you were the only thing in the room worth acknowledging. And maybe, to him, you were.

Naoya was so damn done with this meeting. If he had to sit here any longer, he might actually lose his mind. So instead, he decided to entertain himself the only way he knew how — by messing with you. Playing with you. Pushing just enough to see how you’d react.

When you finally glanced back at him again, half-annoyed, half-curious, his expression had softened just slightly. Not enough for anyone else to notice — but you did. A subtle curve of his lips, something quieter, more intentional.

Then his hand moved.

Casually. Smoothly. He rested it over yours where it lay in your lap, fingers warm, touch deliberate but light enough to pretend it was nothing. If anyone noticed, they didn’t dare say a word — but you felt it instantly, the contact sending a sharp awareness through you.

Naoya didn’t look away from you as he did it.

Sitting beside him might’ve been your worst mistake.

…Or maybe not.