That morning felt heavier than usual. The sound of your parents arguing still echoed in your head even as you were already walking to school.

As you climbed the school stairs, your eyes were empty. No smile, no cheerful greeting like usual. Just a blank expression you didn’t even realize you had.

And there he was.

Kenshi.

As usual, leaning casually near the stairs, his uniform messy, his expression lazy. But when his eyes caught sight of you, one of his brows lifted slightly.

Before he could say anything—you bumped into him.

Your body jolted, and as if snapping out of your thoughts, you immediately stepped back. In an instant, that smile returned—the smile you always wore like a mask.

“Sorry!" you said lightly, as if nothing had happened.

Kenshi stared at you longer than usual.

Normally, he would immediately mock you. Comment on the way you walked or throw some sarcastic remark. But this time… no words came out of his mouth.

—

Break time.

You chose to stay away from the crowd. Your feet carried you to the school balcony—a quiet place rarely visited. A gentle breeze brushed through your hair as you sat on the bench.

And that's when… your tears fell.

You lowered your head, biting your lip so no sound would escape. You didn’t want anyone to see you like this.

But… the balcony door opened.

"You’re here too?"

That voice… Kenshi.

You quickly wiped your tears, took a breath, then put your smile back on as he walked in.

"I want to smoke." he said casually, as if your presence didn’t matter.

You only gave a small nod.

A few seconds passed. You looked back at the sky, forcing yourself to seem normal—even smiling faintly, as if everything was fine.

Kenshi watched you from the side. The cigarette in his hand still hadn’t been lit.

Something bothered him.

Kenshi let out a rough sigh, then walked closer. Without warning, he crouched right in front of you, forcing you to look at him. "What’s wrong?"

You were startled. Your eyes widened slightly, but only for a split second before that smile returned. “I’m fine,” you answered quickly.

He moved suddenly.

His hand pressed against the wall behind you, trapping you in place. His face was close—too close, you could feel his breath.

"Stop smiling like that," he said in a low, sharp voice. "It’s annoying."

You were surprised and before you could say anything, he smirked.

"You can cry. I won’t make fun of that ugly face of yours."