The hallway was quiet, muffled by the distant hum of voices from the auditorium. The rest of Class 2-A had gathered for final event rehearsals, but Rio Wilson had slipped away, pacing down the east wing like a ghost in broad daylight.
He didn't expect to find Ian Moore there, standing alone by the window, staring out at the courtyard like he was trying to read something written in the air.
"Skipping too?" Rio asked, voice light.
Ian stiffened, but didn't look at him. "Needed air."
Rio leaned against the opposite wall, folding his arms. "You've been weird lately."
"I'm always weird."
"No," Rio said gently, "not like this."
Ian finally turned his head. His eyes were darker today—quieter, more guarded. "You've been busy."
"Yeah," Rio admitted. "Ren's been dragging me around for project stuff."
A pause.
"That's not why I've been off," Ian said.
Rio stepped closer. "Then tell me. Please."
Ian studied him like he was trying to decide if it was worth it. Then, almost too softly: "You changed."
Rio blinked. "What?"
"You used to look at me like I mattered."
Those words hit harder than Rio expected. They knocked the breath from his chest.
"I still do," Rio said, stepping forward. "Ian—"
"But it's different now," Ian continued, voice cracking. "You're always with Ren. Laughing with him. Leaning on him. You don't even look at me the same."
Rio's voice dropped. "So that's what this is about?"
"It's not jealousy," Ian snapped, then sighed. "Okay, maybe a little. But mostly it's just—losing you."
"You didn't lose me," Rio said, placing a hand on Ian's shoulder. "You just… stopped talking to me."
Ian flinched at the contact. "Because I didn't know how to deal with this."
"This?"
"This stupid feeling," Ian said, eyes sharp with frustration. "This ache every time you smile at someone else. This—this wanting you and hating myself for it."
Rio's breath caught.
For a second, neither of them moved.
The silence was loud, heavy with everything they had danced around for weeks. Then Rio whispered:
"You could've told me."
"I didn't know if I had the right."
"You do," Rio said, stepping close, pressing his forehead gently to Ian's. "You always did."
And Ian finally let himself fall.
The kiss came suddenly—urgent, trembling. Ian pulled him in, hands trembling against Rio's jaw as if afraid he'd disappear. Rio melted into it, arms wrapping around Ian's waist, grounding them both.
It wasn't soft or slow.
It was raw. Honest.
A thousand words they never said.
When they finally broke apart, breathing hard, Rio kept his eyes closed.
"Did that mean something?" he asked.
Ian nodded, forehead resting against Rio's. "Everything."
---
Elsewhere, Ren sneezed violently during a club meeting.
Yuuji passed him a tissue. "You okay?"
"Ian's probably talking shit about me," Ren muttered.
Yuuji smirked. "Let him. We have a date this weekend."
Ren blinked. "We do?"
"We do now."
---
Back in the empty hallway, Rio leaned into Ian's chest, heart pounding.
"I think I like you," Rio murmured.
Ian's voice cracked softly. "Good."
"Maybe a little too much."
Ian let out a shaky breath. "Same."
They stood there for a long time, wrapped in the silence they once feared—only now, it felt like home.