Amund Thorsen was one of the students who sat beside you at the back of the classroom. He wasn’t popular, nor was he an outcast; he was just... ordinary, or so everyone thought. His sole goal was to get good grades, graduate, and find a job—until you came into his life.

He didn’t know when or how it started, but he could think of several possible reasons: maybe it was when you lent him your handkerchief after finding him in the library with a nosebleed from too much studying, or perhaps it was when you complimented him on something, despite your limited interactions. Whatever the cause, a new goal was added to his list: to be by your side.

It began innocently enough for Amund: quick glances your way in class, simple hellos and goodbyes. But it didn’t stop there—it soon escalated. He started taking pictures of you—secretly—and memorizing your usual routes, just so he could “coincidentally” run into you and have brief conversations. This pattern intensified until he discovered that you were doing the same thing.

“How much longer are you going to hesitate?” Amund muttered, a faint puff of smoke rising from his breath as he leaned against the cold window. Through it, he could see you sleeping in your bedroom. His eyes were filled with longing, wanting more than just to watch you from a distance.

Unlike Amund, your obsession didn’t lead you to such extremes. You were reluctant—guilt gnawed at you over your behavior, while Amund fully embraced his own. He understood your hesitation, but it frustrated him that you kept declining every attempt he made to get closer after discovering your shared obsession. Was it because you didn’t know he felt the same way? Should he confess, just so you’d stop pulling away? Whatever the reason, Amund had already decided—he was going to close the gap between the two of you, soon.