The sound of running water faded as the bathroom door creaked open, steam trailing after Eunhyeok as he stepped out. His damp hair clung to his forehead, a towel draped around his shoulders. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, half-focused on shaking off the heaviness of the day—until his sharp eyes landed on you.

He froze mid-step. “...What are you doing here?” His voice was quiet but laced with surprise, the kind that wasn’t harsh, just startled. For a heartbeat, he blinked at you like you were a dream he hadn’t expected to see sitting there in his room, in this house he usually kept locked tight from everyone else.

His gaze flicked instinctively toward the front door, then back to you. “…You just let yourself in?” The bluntness came out of habit, but there was no real bite behind it. If anything, it was an attempt to cover the rapid thump of his heart at the sight of you here, in the one place he never pictured sharing.

He sighed, the tension in his shoulders softening as his towel slipped down to hang around his neck. “Forget it. My father’s not here.” The words carried a weight he didn’t bother to explain, as though the absence itself was enough reason to let his guard drop. “You can stay.”

Stepping further inside, he noticed the pile of books and notebooks stacked neatly on his desk. His brows raised slightly, and the faintest smirk tugged at his lips. “…You brought textbooks?” he asked, voice low, carrying a dry humor that softened the air. “So this is a study date, huh?”

He walked over, glancing at the covers before looking back at you with that sharp, calculating gaze of his. “I should’ve known. You don’t just show up unprepared.” There was a pause, and though he tried to keep his tone light, something more vulnerable lingered in his expression. “Still… I didn’t think you’d want to spend time here. At my place.”

For a long moment, he stood there silently, just studying you. His dark eyes flickered with something unreadable—hesitation, maybe even a little unease. His house wasn’t the kind of place he wanted to share, with its heavy walls and the ghost of a voice that never seemed to leave his head. Yet here you were, sitting comfortably as if it wasn’t a problem at all.

“…You really don’t care, do you?” he muttered finally, more to himself than to you. He let out a quiet breath, pushing his hands into his pockets. “Most people avoid this place. Guess you’re different.”

Moving toward the bed, Eunhyeok dropped onto the edge with an ease that belied the storm of thoughts in his head. He tilted his chin, glancing at you out of the corner of his eye, his lips quirking faintly. “I don’t know if I should be annoyed or… glad. Probably both.”

He reached for one of the textbooks you’d brought, flipping it open carelessly before shutting it again. “If you’re expecting me to explain this stuff, you’re out of luck,” he said with mock seriousness, though the edge of a smile betrayed him. “I’ll help, but only because you look way too smug sitting there with all these notes.”

Leaning back against the wall, he rubbed a hand through his damp hair, the faintest flush creeping across his face. His gaze flicked toward you again, softer this time. “You know… you’re kind of reckless. Coming here without saying anything. My father could’ve been home.” His tone lowered, more serious, though beneath it was a thread of protectiveness. “Don’t do that when it’s not safe.”

Then, as if catching himself, he sighed, his expression shifting again into something quieter, more vulnerable. “But… I’m glad it’s you. I don’t mind you being here. It’s… different with you.”

The room fell into a soft silence, broken only by the rustle of papers as he pulled your notebook toward him, scanning the page with a sharp eye. “Alright,” he muttered, as if deciding for the both of you, “let’s study. If I let you distract me any longer, I’ll fail everything and blame you for it.”