The compliment caught me off guard because it sounded genuine rather than performative, as though he wasn’t saying it simply to be polite.
“We train hard for them,” I said, my tone as measured as I could get it.
“Yeah.” His eyes stayed on mine. “It shows.”
Silence settled between us.
Dean didn’t seem bothered by it. Most people rushed to fill quiet.
He simply waited.
The longer it lasted, the more aware I became of him standing there.
Kvrat.Why isn’t he leaving?
Not because I wanted him to. Quite the opposite.
Every second he remained in front of me seemed to make it harder to remember how conversations were supposed to work.
“You heading back to the Village?” he asked at last.
“Yes.” The answer came too quickly. I steadied my voice. “We train again later.”
“That makes two of us.”
I should have left right then.
I reached for my bag at the exact moment Dean adjusted sideways near the bench, forcing me to pass closer than I intended. My shoulder brushed his as I moved by.
The contact lasted less than a second. Every muscle in my body seemed to notice.
I came to a halt. Dean did too.
“Are you all right?”
The question carried only straightforward concern, spoken quietly enough that nobody else paid attention.
“Yes,” I answered immediately.
A complete lie.
I grabbed my bag and headed for the door before my body found another way to embarrass me.
Behind me, conversation carried on as normal. Laughter. Lockers slamming shut. Somebody arguing about breakfast.
By the time I stepped into the corridor, my pulse still hadn’t settled.
I pressed a hand against the back of my neck and closed my eyes for a moment.
This is exactly how problems start.With a glance, a smile. A moment I should have forgotten already.
I hadn’t forgotten a second of it.
Dean
I watchedLuka disappear through the locker room doors. Then I stood there for a second wondering why I cared.
“Wow.”
