It didn't take long for Velithra to realize something else had changed.
People noticed.
Not in the loud, obvious way—but in the way glances lingered when Kai leaned in to explain something to her. In the way conversations quieted just a little when they walked past together.
Velithra felt it like pressure at the back of her mind.
But this time, she didn't let it push her away.
In class, Kai slid his notebook slightly closer to hers so she could see his notes without asking. Their shoulders brushed once—accidentally—and neither of them moved away.
Velithra's heart skipped.
She glanced at him.
Kai was already looking at her.
Not startled.Not unsure.Just… there.
After class, they ended up in the courtyard, the air warm and calm. Velithra sat on the low stone wall, swinging one foot lightly while Kai stood in front of her.
"You're quieter today," he said.
She smiled faintly. "I think I'm just… settling back in."
"Is that a good thing?"
She nodded. "Yeah. It feels like I didn't lose anything while I was gone."
Kai hesitated, then said quietly, "You didn't."
The words sat between them, heavier than they sounded.
Velithra looked down at her hands, then back up at him. "Kai… can I ask you something?"
"Always."
"Are we… doing something?" she asked carefully. "Or are we just pretending we're not?"
Kai let out a slow breath, like he'd been waiting for the question.
"I don't think we're pretending," he said. "I think we're just being careful."
"Because of me?" she asked.
"Because of us," he corrected. "I don't want to rush you. And I don't want to lie about how I feel either."
Her pulse picked up. "And how do you feel?"
Kai didn't answer right away.
Instead, he stepped closer—slow enough that she had time to pull back if she wanted to.
She didn't.
"I feel like," he said quietly, "being near you feels right. Even when it's complicated."
Velithra swallowed. "I feel that too."
The silence stretched—charged, but not uncomfortable.
Kai lifted his hand slightly, stopping halfway. "Is this okay?"
Velithra nodded.
He gently took her hand—not tight, not sudden. Just warm and steady.
Her breath caught—not because it was overwhelming, but because it felt earned.
They stayed like that for a moment, fingers loosely intertwined, the world continuing around them.
No big moment.No audience.Just a choice.
Velithra squeezed his hand once, softly.
Kai smiled—not wide, not flashy—just real.
And for the first time, neither of them wondered if this was crossing a line.
It felt like stepping onto one they'd been walking toward all along.