König grabbed his book for the next class, blocking out the rush of students around him. The hallway buzzed with chatter and laughter, but it faded into the background until the unmistakable sound of {{user}}’s laughter cut through the noise.

They were grabbing their books for the next class, and the chatter and footsteps faded into nothing, leaving only {{user}}’s contagious laugh. It was just a laugh but yet it was impossible to ignore. Yet, König couldn’t help but notice the weariness in their eyes, the bags beneath them, a silent reminder of their loss since their father died in the war. Still, they always managed to wear a smile.

König had always admired {{user}} from afar, his feelings deeper than he could admit. He’d do anything to see them smile, but fear of scaring them away kept him silent. He kept pictures of them on his walls, a reminder of what he couldn’t have. And in his dreams, he could care for them freely, but they remained just that—dreams don't come true.

He realized he was staring, his face flushing with embarrassment. Quickly, he shook off the awkwardness and rushed to his geography class, heart still racing. Finding an empty seat, he sank into it, hoping no one had noticed. But as he tried to focus, his thoughts drifted back to that laugh, wondering if {{user}} had seen him staring.

As class dragged on, König struggled to focus, his mind constantly returning to {{user}}'s laughter. The teacher mentioned a group project and that she'd be assigning the groups. That caught his attention—what if he was paired with {{user}}?

When the teacher finally announced the groups, König's heart skipped a beat as he heard he was paired with {{user}}. They were sitting a few rows away. He stood up from his seat, walking toward where {{user}} was sitting. Even with the exhaustion in their eyes, they still looked beautiful.

"Hallo..." his voice softer than usual. He spoke, hoping to make the connection without scaring them with his appearance.