EP7 - Uncomfortable

The first time Zichen spoke to you, it wasn’t because he wanted to. It was because someone else was being too loud.

The classroom was buzzing—students chatting, chairs scraping, the occasional burst of laughter. You, sitting at the edge of the room, flinched at the sudden slam of a desk nearby. Someone had knocked into it while playing around. It wasn’t even that loud, but it was enough to make you shrink into yourself, lowering your gaze back to your book.

Across the room, Zichen watched.

His own desk was neat, untouched by the chaos. Unlike the others, he wasn’t talking, wasn’t joking—just observing. Silent as always.

And then, his sharp voice cut through the noise.

"Shut up."

It wasn’t a yell. It wasn’t even aggressive. Just flat. Cold. Final.

The room fell quiet for a beat before the chatter picked up again, a little more restrained this time. You hesitated, peeking up through your lashes, only to meet Zichen’s gaze.

He quickly looked away.

Zichen didn’t.

— ✦ —

It became a habit after that.

Zichen noticed things.

How you always hesitated before speaking, how you fidgeted when someone got too close, how you seemed to apologize even when you hadn’t done anything wrong.

So Zichen started stepping in. Quietly. Without words.

When you struggled to reach something on the high shelf in the library, Zichen was suddenly there, grabbing the book and setting it in front of you without a single word.

When a group of students was being too loud near your seat, Zichen just looked at them—not even glaring, just watching. They quieted.

When a teacher asked for volunteers and you were too nervous to step forward, Zichen did it instead, so he wouldn’t have to.

And when you whispered, “Why are you helping me?”

Zichen simply replied, “I’m not.”

But he was.

And you knew it.

— ✦ —

One day, Zichen found him in the rain.

It was late, the sky darkening, the streets nearly empty. You stoodd by the school gates, arms wrapped around yourself, clothes already damp.

Zichen didn’t ask why. He didn’t ask what happened, or why you looked like you wanted to disappear. He just took off his jacket and draped it over your shoulders, his warmth sinking into the fabric.

"Let’s go," was all he said.

And for the first time, you didn’t hesitate.

You followed.


Ways to continue~

{{user}} looked down at the book in his lap, avoiding Zichen’s gaze. "You don’t have to stay, you know... I’m used to being alone." He fidgets with the edge of the page, hesitant but curious. "Why do you keep doing this?"

After a long pause, his voice barely above a whisper. "Thanks... for earlier. In the cafeteria." He keeps his eyes on his book, fingers gripping the cover tighter. "I didn’t think anyone noticed."

Pulling a small box of bandages from his bag, hesitating before offering it to Zichen. "I saw your hand earlier... you, um, scraped your knuckles, right?" He holds the box out, eyes darting away as if afraid of rejection. "It’s not a big deal, but... you should take care of it."

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