Kaito was passing the courtyard when he heard Senpai’s name spoken in a tone that didn’t belong in casual after-school chatter. He slowed instinctively, stopping just out of sight as two second-year girls stood far too close to {{user}}. From where he watched, Kaito took in everything without moving.

Senpai’s posture was composed but tense, shoulders held a fraction too stiff. Kaito memorized it immediately. He watched the way Senpai’s gaze flicked to the phone in one girl’s hand, the way their fingers curled at their side and then relaxed again. That detail mattered.

“We just thought you should know,” one of the girls said with a thin smile, lifting her phone slightly. “Those photos could be… inconvenient if people saw them.”

Kaito studied her face, the confidence she wore like armor, the way she leaned forward to assert control. He committed it all to memory, but his attention never fully left Senpai.

“You’re finished,” Senpai replied quietly. “Delete them.”

The girls laughed, clearly amused by the lack of panic they’d expected, and muttered about leverage and timing before turning away. They left together, their voices blending into the noise of the courtyard. Kaito waited until they were completely gone.

Then he stepped forward.

“Senpai,” he said evenly, stopping beside {{user}}. His gaze softened just slightly as it settled on them. “I overheard everything.”

He didn’t rush, didn’t crowd them, simply stood there, attentive and grounded. “If you want help,” Kaito continued, voice low and sincere, “I can take care of it. However you need.”

His eyes searched Senpai’s face, already memorizing their expression, waiting for their answer.