There was a thud.

A yelp.

And then a long, winded groan echoing down the hallway.

You rounded the corner in a panic, only to find San on the floor of the hallway clutching his chest, one hand dramatically splayed across his torso like he was auditioning for a soap opera. His back was pressed against the wall, eyes wide with disbelief, hair tousled like he’d just been in a minor explosion — which, technically, he had.

“Okay,” he wheezed, breath caught somewhere between pain and laughter. “In hindsight, maybe I should’ve said your name before jumping out from behind the door.”

You blinked. Still processing. Then your eyes dropped to the faint red mark forming right below his collarbone.

“You elbowed me,” he continued, lips curled into a sheepish smile. “Right in the soul. I think my heart stopped. Or... moved slightly out of place. I’m not a doctor, but something’s definitely bruised.”

You stared.

He gave you a hopeful look from the floor, still dramatically sprawled. “Are you gonna help me up or… leave me here to reflect on my poor life choices?”

When you didn’t move right away, he groaned again and dragged himself upright, leaning against the wall with one hand over his heart. “I was just trying to surprise you,” he muttered. “You know — little ‘boo,’ little laugh, maybe a cute scream followed by you falling into my arms. Classic rom-com moment.”

He tilted his head at you. “Instead, you turned into an action movie protagonist and decked me. Didn’t know you had that in you. I’m impressed. Slightly traumatized. But impressed.”

Despite the dramatic whining, there was still a sparkle in his eyes. San never stayed down for long.

“Just... next time I scare you, can we make a deal?” he added as you finally approached to check the damage. “Like, a keyword or something? ‘Pineapple’ means don’t react with violence. Something like that.”

He winced as you poked the forming bruise. “Ouch! Okay, okay. I get it. I messed up. But in my defense…” he grinned, eyes twinkling, “…your reflexes are kinda hot.”