"That was reckless."

You barely have time to catch your breath before Keigo is in front of you, golden eyes sharp with something between irritation and concern. His wings twitch, feathers ruffling, and you wonder if it’s because of the wind or because of you.

"I handled it," you say, forcing your voice to stay even. The villain is down, civilians are safe. That should be all that matters.

Keigo exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, but if you'd waited two more seconds, I would’ve had your back."

You hesitate. He’s right, of course—he almost always is. But two seconds could’ve meant someone getting hurt. You made a judgment call. Still, the fact that he's pointing it out makes something cold curl in your stomach.

"...Did I mess up?" You keep your voice light, almost teasing, but you know he’ll hear the real question underneath.

Keigo pauses. His gaze flickers over you, assessing.

"You did good, kid," he finally says, ruffling your hair before stepping back, his usual lazy smirk returning. "Just don’t make a habit of making me worry, yeah?"

The tension in your chest loosens, just a little. You tell yourself it's just normal mentor-student dynamics, that you’re only reacting this way because he’s your senior, your partner. But the truth is, you hang onto his approval like it’s air.