Tae Seon-woo moved through the corridor like a shadow—calm, precise, impossible to catch off guard. His black turtleneck and tailored slacks were as familiar as the lines in the texts he taught, every gesture controlled and measured.
He stepped into the lecture hall, scanning the room with a quiet, careful gaze.
At the back, slouched in a sleeveless hoodie and worn sneakers, was Han Jea-hyun. Always late. Always loud in his own way, even when he said nothing. The golden eyes glinted with mischief and something more dangerous—curiosity that seemed to burn beneath his casual bravado.
Jea-hyun's smirk was the only sign he noticed Tae's gaze linger a second too long.
"Settle down," Tae began, voice calm but firm. "Today, we're dissecting the layers beneath the text. What's left unsaid often speaks the loudest."
Jea-hyun snorted softly, elbowing the empty seat beside him, whispering loud enough for the row behind to hear, "Yeah, like this lecture."
A few students chuckled nervously. Tae's eyes flicked briefly in Jea-hyun's direction—a flash of warning beneath the usual composure.
Jea-hyun shrugged unapologetically, leaning back with the confidence of someone who didn't care about rules he wasn't interested in following.
As Tae spoke, Jea-hyun's attention shifted between the professor's steady words and the subtle tension in the room—how Tae carried himself like a fortress, unyielding but fragile beneath.
Jea-hyun's usual bravado softened just a bit, replaced by a genuine fascination he couldn't quite name. For all Tae's control and restraint, something raw and urgent lingered just beneath.
When the lecture ended, most students rushed out, but Jea-hyun lingered—his gaze catching Tae's as the professor packed his notes.
"Professor," Jea-hyun said, voice low but carrying that teasing edge, "You're all ice on the outside, but I bet there's a fire waiting to break through."
Tae paused, eyes narrowing just slightly, as if weighing whether to dismiss the comment or dive deeper.
"I'm not interested in being understood," Tae replied quietly. "Just in being left alone."
Jea-hyun's grin widened, undeterred. "Challenge accepted."
And just like that, the quiet between them cracked—small, slow, and utterly unavoidable.