The graphite tip of Ivan's pencil hovered over the page, unmoving. His notes sat half-finished on the desk, neat rows of handwriting dissolving into static as his concentration wavered. His study lamp cast a thin golden glow across the open textbooks. He had been like this for hours. Quiet and focused.
Or at least, he tried to be.
The moment the front door downstairs creaked open, his fingers froze mid-sentence. The lead of his pencil hovered above the page, leaving a faint graphite smudge.
The familiar rhythm of leather shoes against the floorboards echoed through the quiet house. A sound like that didn't belong to anyone else but his father.
Ivan pushed his chair back quietly and stood. His expression unreadable but his pulse picking up with steady and cautious. He made his way down the stairs, each step feeling heavier than it should.
His father was exactly where he expected him to be, in the hallway, loosening his tie with one hand and holding a briefcase with the other. He still looked neat, but the details told a different story. The wrinkles at his temples, the loosened collar, the slight slump in his shoulders.
Ivan took the briefcase without a word. His father let him, but his gaze flicked up, cold and sharp as he followed Ivan's every movement. "Is this how you greet me after a long day?" His voice was low, deliberate, the kind that didn't need to be raised to make its weight known.
Ivan straightened. "Do you need anything, Father?" He asked, keeping his voice even.
His father glanced at him, unamused. "The mock exams are coming soon, aren't they?"
Ivan nodded once. "Mn."
"Have you been studying while I was gone?"
Another nod.
His father exhaled through his nose, untucking his shirt slightly, unbuttoning his cuffs. "Hard enough to beat the one who took first place last term?"
Ivan's hand tightened around the handle of the briefcase.
His father's mouth thinned into a line. "This year," his father continued, his tone colder now, "you'll take that spot. Adrian, that's his name, right?" He said it like a problem to be solved, not a person. "I looked into him and he comes from an average family. Just an ordinary background. There's no reason you shouldn't surpass him."
Ivan said nothing, though his heart pounded painfully against his ribs.
"You should be grateful," his father continued, voice rising just slightly. "Do you think all those cram schools, tutors, and late-night sessions pay for themselves? You owe it to me and to your mother, to prove that my investment wasn't wasted. You will take the top rank and you'll take over the company one day. Don't disappoint me again."
The words drilled into his skull like static. Ivan's chest tightened. His breathing grew uneven. The words were familiar, a script he'd heard so many times, they might as well have been carved into his ribs.
"I will," he murmured, so quietly it barely left his lips.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you."
Ivan's breath hitched.
But his mind whispered over the noise, please stop talking. The pressure crawled up his spine until—
"Ivan."
The voice came again, but softer this time and closer. His eyes snapped open. The office, the briefcase, his father were gone. In their place, the library's soft hum surrounded him. The faint smell of books, the warm sunlight spilling over the wooden desk, the sound of pages turning somewhere nearby.
And right beside him was Adrian.
"Ivan, hey. You okay?" Adrian leaned closer, brows knitted, concern flickering behind his usual easy grin. "You were twitching," He studied him for a second longer. His hair caught the light, turning his usual golden-blonde into a softer halo. "You look like you wrestled a demon last night."
Ivan exhaled, the air leaving him shakily. He pressed a hand to his chest before catching himself and forcing his hand back down. "I'm fine."
Adrian frowned slightly, studying his face. "You sure? You look pale. And you've got, like, major panda eyes right now."
Ivan blinked once. "Mn. A little tired, maybe."
"You even fell asleep on your notes. Recess is almost over, by the way." Adrian leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Did you even sleep last night?"
Ivan glanced at the open page in front of him, the edges slightly smudged where his hand had rested. "Not much," he admitted quietly.
Adrian tilted his head. "You studying too hard again?"
"Maybe."
Adrian's gaze lingered on Ivan's face, on the faint shadows under his eyes, the way his shoulders looked a little too tense even when sitting still. Something about it tugged at him, an unfamiliar weight he didn't want to name.
"So…" Adrian broke the silence, leaning forward with a grin. "Why are you here alone, anyway?"
"I could ask the same."
Adrian's grin widened, mischief sparking. "Missed you."
Ivan blinked and froze. Then closed the book with a thud that echoed across the quiet library.
Adrian barely contained his laugh. "That's not a no."
The way he said it, smooth, shameless, and with that same grin that screamed I know exactly what I'm doing. Ivan stood up immediately, heading for the door without looking back.
"Hey, wait up!" Adrian caught up easily, matching his pace down the hallway. "Don't be like that, I was kidding."
"Go back to your class." Ivan said, voice flat, his steps quick.
Adrian shoved his hands into his pockets, catching up easily. "Nah. I'll walk you to yours."
"It's five steps away."
"Then I'll make it six. Quality time, you know?"
Ivan shot him a sideways glare that could curdle milk. "You're insufferable."
"I've been called worse." Adrian grinned, tilting his head. At the far end of the hall, two girls watched as they passed.
"Did you see that?" Avery whispered, while tugging on the girl's sleeve. Scarlet didn't even glance up with her arms crossed. "So? They were talking."
"Yeah, but like, talking talking."
Scarlet rolled her eyes and grabbed Avery by the wrist, steering her away. "You're still going to detention."
"Just because of makeup? There are other girls who—"
"Well, you got caught." Scarlet finally looked up, raising a brow. "Action cause consequences. Learn them."
"That's so unfair."
"Life is unfair," Scarlet said flatly, though the faintest flicker of a smirk ghosted over her lips as she pushed open the door. "Now move, before I make you run laps."