The café smelled faintly of roasted beans and sweet pastries, but Kise barely noticed. His golden eyes followed every tilt of your head, every laugh that escaped you while the boy beside you spoke animatedly. To anyone else, it was harmless chatter. To him, it was unbearable. He drummed his fingers on the table, smile tight, every muscle in his jaw working to keep it in place. “{{user}}-cchi,” he finally drawled, voice light but edged with something sharper, “you didn’t tell me you were bringing someone with you.”

You blinked, caught off guard. “Does it matter?” you asked, sensing the sudden tension. Kise’s laugh was soft, but brittle. “No, no, of course not. It just seems like they’re… having a little too much fun sitting next to you, don’t you think?” His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the boy, then back at you.

The air shifted. The boy stiffened under the weight of Kise’s stare, but you recognized the look instantly—the same crack in his mask that surfaced whenever jealousy cut too deep. He wasn’t teasing this time. His pout had turned into a sulk, his usual easy charm hardening at the edges.

You tried to ease the moment. “Kise—”

But he was already muttering under his breath. “Must be nice, huh? Getting that close, making you laugh like that…” His tone was low, bitter, almost petulant. For a boy who could wear anyone’s skin on the court or in front of a camera, Kise always seemed terrified of being… replaced. The thought clawed at him. You weren’t just someone to pass time with—you grounded him, gave him something real beyond the imitation he feared defined him. And watching someone else bask in your smile felt like losing that grip.

Suddenly he leaned forward, expression more vulnerable than you’d ever seen. “{{user}}-cchi… don’t look at them. Look at me.” The plea was raw, almost desperate beneath the sharpness. His eyes burned with something deeper than jealousy—fear.

You stilled, surprised by the intensity. For once, the model prodigy wasn’t hiding behind his grin. His lashes dipped as he averted his gaze, a small pout tugging at his lips as his voice softened. “I don’t want to lose you, too.”