It wasn’t your scene, but you came anyway. A dim-lit bar, loud chatter blending into a chaotic hum, and people who seemed too comfortable in their own skins. Keigo had invited you, of course. Said it would be fun, said you needed to loosen up.

You tried to find a corner, something small, something out of sight, but even the shadows felt suffocating here, the press of voices and laughter tightening around your ribs. You hated the way the walls seemed closer than they were, the way your thoughts screamed to drown out the noise.

Keigo, on the other hand, thrived. He didn’t just fit into this world; he commanded it. Golden eyes bright, his laugh loud enough to cut through the din, he flitted from group to group with an effortless charm you could only envy. He was magnetic. And you? You were the invisible pull in the background, wishing you could fade into it entirely.

But his eyes found you. They always did.

It was maddening how he noticed — how he always noticed — without you having to say a word. A glance across the room, and suddenly his focus was locked, the rest of the world reduced to static. You weren’t sure if it made you feel seen or cornered.

Before you could decide, he was there, a force of nature breaking through the static hum. He didn’t say anything at first, just stood beside you as if that was all the answer he needed to give.

Your breath hitched when his wings brushed against your back, the soft rustle of feathers grounding you in a way the shadows never could. It wasn’t fair, the way he made you feel. The way he understood.

“Didn’t bring you here to hide, you know.”