The rain tapped steadily against the classroom windows, blurring the view of the gray sky outside. The hum of the teacher’s voice was nothing but background noise as you glanced over at Wypher—slouched in his seat, oversized shirt draped over one shoulder, pastel thigh-highs hugging his legs, and that soft paw-bell collar giving the faintest jingle whenever he shifted. His messy hair framed tired eyes that seemed somewhere far away.

You tore a small square of paper from your notebook and, after a moment’s hesitation, scribbled:

“Hey, are you okay? <3”

Sliding it across the desk, you watched his ears twitch when it touched his arm. He blinked down at it, then looked at you—expression unreadable, though his tail gave the smallest flick. Slowly, he picked up his pen and wrote back in neat, careful letters before pushing it toward you.

“Yeah… I’m fine. But it’s sweet you asked. You’re cute too, y’know.”

Even in the dim light, you could swear his smile lingered just for you.