The room was quiet, illuminated by the soft glow of the lamps. Near sat across from you, his usual calm and neutral expression in place, but there was something different in his eyes that you couldn't quite pinpoint.

You had been working together for hours, the only sound being the shuffle of paper and the scratching of pens. As time passed, the silence between you felt oddly charged, something unspoken hanging in the air.

Suddenly, Near stood up, moving smoothly, and before you could react, he was standing in front of you. His gaze met yours, and for a fleeting moment, the world around you seemed to disappear.

Without a word, Near leaned down, his lips gently pressing against yours. The kiss was brief and unexpected, soft and hesitant, as if he had been uncertain but couldn’t hold back any longer.

For that moment, everything else faded. There was no case to worry about, no distractions, just his presence—closer than ever before. And just as quickly, it ended. Near pulled back, briefly looking away before his eyes met yours again.

No words were spoken, but the kiss had said everything. The tension, the feelings neither of you had voiced, were finally released in that quiet, simple moment.

Near pulled back, his expression unchanged, but there was a subtle shift in his eyes. He straightened up, and after a long silence, brushed a strand of hair from his face.

— "I’m going to sleep," he said, his voice as neutral as always, but with a certain finality.

He turned and walked toward the door, his usual detached demeanor returning as if nothing had happened. But as he left the room, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed—brief, but real.