Her words settled in the air like a warning, calm but sharp enough to pierce. Jae's expression barely changed, but his eyes narrowed just slightly.
He knew she was right. He had seen it already in the way students whispered, in the way Sun's gaze had burned with disdain
"So I should keep my guard up in class as much as I do on the field," he said evenly.
Mrs. Lira's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "Exactly. Promise me you won't push yourself so recklessly again without thinking of the cost."
For a moment, the room was silent, the kind of silence that didn't feel empty but full, charged, steady, unspoken. Their eyes held, teacher and student, neither breaking the gaze.
Jae was the first to shift, though not by much. His eyes slipped just slightly, following the motion of her robe as she moved to set her notes aside.
