The moment he said my name, my mind went completely blank.
"Careful… Ethan."
I pulled my hand away like I had touched fire. My heart was beating so loudly I was sure he could hear it.
"H-how do you know my name?" I asked.
Kai didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back slightly against the desk, watching me with that same unreadable expression.
"You're in my statistics class," he said casually.
I blinked.
"You sit near the window. Third row."
My brain struggled to process that.
Kai Ardent—the most admired student on campus—noticed something as small as where I sat in class?
"Oh," I muttered awkwardly.
The fire alarm continued ringing through the building, echoing down the empty hallways. Students outside were shouting and rushing toward the exits.
Kai glanced toward the door before sighing.
"Looks like our lesson is over."
I grabbed my bag quickly, hoping to escape before my face turned even redder.
But as I walked toward the door, Kai suddenly spoke again.
"Wait."
I froze.
When I turned back, he was watching me with a thoughtful look.
"You're free tomorrow evening, right?" he asked.
"Why?"
"Because we're continuing."
My shoulders dropped slightly. Of course we were.
"I thought tutoring was twice a week," I said.
Kai smirked faintly.
"It is. But judging from your performance today, you need more help."
I stared at him.
Was that an insult?
Probably.
But before I could reply, he grabbed his jacket and walked toward the door.
"Six o'clock," he said as he passed me.
Then he paused beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth from his shoulder.
"Don't be late, Ethan."
And just like that, he walked away.
Leaving me completely confused.
The next day felt longer than it should have.
Every time I tried to focus during lectures, my mind wandered back to the tutoring session.
More specifically… to Kai.
Which was annoying.
Very annoying.
I had spent years perfecting the art of staying invisible. I avoided unnecessary attention, kept my head down, and focused on my studies.
People like Kai existed in a completely different world.
Confident.
Popular.
Untouchable.
So why did it feel like that world was suddenly getting closer to mine?
By the time evening arrived, I was already regretting agreeing to another session.
Still, I showed up.
The classroom door was already open when I arrived.
Kai was inside, leaning against the window with his arms crossed.
The golden sunset light poured into the room behind him, outlining his silhouette.
For a moment, he looked less like a student and more like something out of a movie scene.
When he noticed me, a small smile appeared on his face.
"You're early."
"I didn't want you to complain again," I said.
Kai chuckled quietly.
"Good. That means you're learning already."
I rolled my eyes slightly and sat down.
He walked over and placed a thick textbook on the desk.
"Today we're starting from the basics," he said.
"That bad?"
"Worse."
I groaned.
But as the lesson began, something unexpected happened.
Kai was actually… a good teacher.
He explained concepts patiently, sometimes drawing quick diagrams in my notebook.
Whenever I got stuck, he leaned closer to point something out.
Too close.
Every time his arm brushed against mine, my brain completely stopped working.
At one point, I answered a question correctly.
Kai looked genuinely impressed.
"Not bad."
The small praise made my chest feel strangely warm.
"Don't sound so surprised," I said.
"Oh, I'm still surprised," he replied.
I kicked his chair lightly under the table.
Kai laughed.
The sound was softer than I expected.
And for a brief moment, the strict tutor persona disappeared.
After two hours, my brain was officially exhausted.
Kai closed the notebook.
"That's enough for today."
"Finally," I said, stretching slightly.
But when I stood up, I realized something.
The rain outside had started pouring heavily.
I walked to the window.
The campus courtyard was completely soaked.
"Great," I muttered.
Kai joined me by the window.
"You didn't bring an umbrella?"
"No."
"Smart move."
I sighed.
"Thanks for the sarcasm."
For a moment, we both watched the rain in silence.
Then Kai suddenly spoke again.
"You know… you're different from what I expected."
I looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
He shrugged slightly.
"In class, you look like you'd run away if someone talked to you."
"That's not true."
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Oh really?"
I opened my mouth to argue… but couldn't.
Because he wasn't entirely wrong.
A small smile appeared on his lips.
"But when you actually speak, you're not as quiet as people think."
"That's because you keep insulting me."
"Someone has to motivate you."
I crossed my arms.
"You're terrible motivation."
Kai laughed again.
Then his expression softened slightly.
"Still… I'm glad you showed up."
The words caught me off guard.
"Why?"
He looked at me for a second longer than necessary.
"Because tutoring would be boring otherwise."
I narrowed my eyes.
"That sounded like an insult again."
"Maybe it was."
Before I could respond, the classroom lights suddenly flickered.
Then the room went dark.
The power had gone out.
Outside, thunder rumbled through the sky.
I sighed.
"Perfect."
Kai didn't seem bothered.
Instead, he walked over to the desk and grabbed his phone, turning on the flashlight.
The soft light illuminated the small space between us.
For some reason, the darkness made everything feel… closer.
Quieter.
More personal.
Kai stepped closer so we could both see the desk.
Our shoulders brushed again.
This time, neither of us moved away.
"You're nervous," he said suddenly.
"I'm not."
"You are."
"How can you tell?"
His voice dropped slightly.
"Your hands are shaking."
I looked down.
He was right.
Before I could hide them, Kai gently reached out and held my wrist.
My breath caught.
"See?" he murmured.
His touch was warm.
Too warm.
"Relax," he said softly.
My heart was racing again.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked.
Kai looked at me, his eyes reflecting the faint light from the phone.
For a moment, he didn't answer.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Because I'm curious about you, Ethan."
The rain outside grew louder.
Thunder echoed again.
But in that moment, none of it mattered.
Because Kai Ardent—the person who seemed untouchable to everyone else—
Was looking at me like I was the most interesting person in the room.
And that terrified me.
Almost as much as it thrilled me.