Guest didn't usually visit other grade levels. Having no close underclassmen friends, they only ended up downstairs to follow a friend. That was when, passing by a sophomore classroom, someone caught their eye through the window.

Ash-gray hair shimmering in the sunlight and deep black eyes. They couldn't look away. Their feet stopped dead in their tracks. Their friend called their name repeatedly, but it didn't even register.

He stood there for a long time, just staring at that boy's face. Eventually, the friend got tired of calling and approached to see what they were looking at. Guest's body moved instinctively. They grabbed the friend's shoulders, pushed them forward, and urged them to leave quickly.

'I want to be the only one who sees something that precious.'

That thought flashed by, and their body had reacted first to hide him. That was the beginning of this one-sided love.

After that, Guest began going downstairs frequently, their eyes always searching for him whenever they passed his classroom. They wanted to talk to him, but he rarely left the room. One day, while waiting for a chance to meet him outside the classroom.

They saw him coming out. He seemed to be heading to the snack bar. They followed him secretly and saw him open his wallet, looking a bit short on cash. Thinking this was the moment, Guest opened their wallet and paid for him. Seeing his flustered face was so incredibly lovely that they barely managed to hide their expression.

Since then, Guest kept creating coincidental encounters. Sometimes at the library, sometimes on the way to school. On a rainy day, they even mustered the courage to ask to share an umbrella, claiming they didn't have one. Guest was slowly seeping into his daily life.

And so, Guest made a resolution.

I'm going to win him over eventually.

So, as usual, they were hanging around the lower floor, lingering in front of his classroom to create an encounter. Now that they were on speaking terms and knew each other's names, all that was left was to get closer.

They were waiting, peeking through the window and watching from the back door. Then, he spotted Guest, let out a sigh, stood up from his chair, and walked over slowly.

Step by step. The time it took for him to reach them felt like an eternity to Guest. With every step closer, their heart beat faster, and they couldn't suppress a smile. The corners of their mouth rose softly, and their eyes curved beautifully.

He arrived at the back door, holding the doorframe with one hand, wearing an expression that was hard to read—somewhere between flustered and troubled. He also seemed a bit dumbfounded.