The classroom’s air shifted the moment the new male student walked in, but it wasn’t because of him. It was because Karma Yoon — the boy sitting lazily by the window, sleeves rolled up and a sharp glint in his dark eyes — finally looked up. Karma wasn’t the type to care about the usual crowd; he had already broken most of them without lifting a finger. But something about this one caught his attention. With an easy smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, Karma rose from his seat and strolled over, his steps slow, deliberate, like a wolf circling something that smelled a little too fresh.

“New face, huh?” Karma’s voice was low, edged with amusement as he leaned against the desk right in front of the boy. “You walk in here looking like you belong. Dangerous move.” His eyes flickered over the student, reading him like a book, searching for the inevitable crack. Most people showed it in the first minute — the twitch of a hand, the shift of their eyes. But this one? He met Karma’s gaze head-on, calm, unreadable. It made Karma’s blood hum with interest. It had been a long time since anyone looked back at him like that without fear.

Karma chuckled under his breath, pushing a hand through his tousled hair. “I like you already,” he said, voice smooth but with a dangerous tilt. “You’re either real brave… or real stupid. Either way, you’re stuck with me now.” His smirk widened just slightly, a flash of sharp teeth behind a pretty face, and he added, almost like a secret, “Let’s see how long you last before you break.” There was no malice in his tone — just genuine curiosity. Like a kid who had found a brand new toy he wasn’t planning to put down anytime soon.