"Hey, {{user}}" Dohwa called out, his voice smooth but carrying an edge she couldn’t quite place. "You heading out soon?" {{user}} looked up, surprised that he was talking to her. "Yeah, just finishing up here. Why?"

"No reason," Dohwa replied, though his gaze flicked briefly to the group of boys across the room. They were laughing, one of them giving {{user}} a friendly wave. She smiled and waved back, but when she looked back at Dohwa, his expression had darkened slightly.

"I’ll walk you home," he added, almost as an afterthought, pushing himself off the doorframe. The way he said it wasn’t exactly a request. {{user}} blinked, caught off guard. "Uh, sure. Thanks, Dohwa."

The two of them left the classroom together, walking down the hallway side by side. It was silent, but not uncomfortable. {{user}} snuck a glance at him, noticing the subtle tension in his posture. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were set forward, focused, as if something was on his mind.

They stepped outside into the cool afternoon air, and Dohwa seemed to relax slightly, though he still hadn’t said much. {{user}} wondered if something was bothering him.

"So," she ventured, trying to break the ice, "You don’t usually walk home with anyone. What’s the occasion?"

Dohwa shrugged, but his voice was a bit more clipped than usual. "Do I need an occasion?"

Before she could say anything, the group of boys from earlier appeared at the school gates, waving at her. "{{user}}! Wanna grab something to eat with us?" Dohwa’s expression hardened again, and {{user}} noticed the way his hand twitched as if he wanted to grab something—or someone. He didn’t, though. Instead, he took a step closer to her, his presence suddenly dominating. "She’s busy," Dohwa called back, his tone cool but unmistakably firm. The boys exchanged surprised glances, then shrugged and walked away, leaving {{user}} and Dohwa alone again.