𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓻𝔂❤︎

Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Behind Closed Doors
Mr. Le's POV

The school day had ended like any other. The usual flood of students rushed out of the building, eager to escape the endless lectures and upcoming quizzes. Mr. Le walked out of the classroom at his usual pace, taking his time as he gathered his papers and slung his bag over his shoulder. To any outsider, he was the same as always-unbothered, unreadable, just another teacher going home.

But as soon as he got into his car, his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

The drive home was quiet. Too quiet.

The second he pulled into the driveway of his apartment complex, he checked his surroundings before stepping out. The weight of the key in his pocket felt heavier than usual. With a deep breath, he walked up the stairs, his mind racing.

This wasn't normal.

This wasn't right.

He reached his apartment door and hesitated.

She should have left by now...

Slowly, he slid the key into the lock, twisting it with a quiet click. The door creaked open, revealing the dimly lit space. Curtains drawn. The faint glow of a laptop screen flickered against the walls. The air was thick with the scent of takeout and something sweet-vanilla, maybe.

And there, sitting on the couch, was Y/N.

She looked up the moment he entered, her expression unreadable. Her fingers toyed with the hem of her hoodie-his hoodie. Her laptop was open beside her, a paused episode of Attack on Titan frozen on the screen.

Mr. Le exhaled, shutting the door behind him. "You're still here, yeah?" His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.

Y/N didn't answer right away. She just stared at him, eyes reflecting the dim light of the screen. Then, with a small tilt of her head, she finally spoke.

"Where else would I go?"

A slow, unsettling smile crept onto her lips.

Mr. Le felt something tighten in his chest.

"This isn't supposed to happen," he thought.

"She was supposed to go home. She was supposed to move on."

And yet-

Here they were.

He set his bag down carefully, moving towards the kitchen to put space between them. "You can't stay here forever, yeah?" His voice was light, teasing, but his fingers tapped against the counter-a nervous habit.

Y/N leaned back against the couch, stretching her arms above her head. "I dunno," she mused, her voice playful but laced with something else. Something deeper. "I kind of like it here."

He narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. "Your friends have been asking about you."

She scoffed. "Doubt it."

"Eliana has."

That made her pause.

For a split second, her mask cracked. But then, just as quickly, she laughed. "Eliana doesn't care about me. Nobody does."

Mr. Le sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That's not true, yeah?"

Y/N tilted her head again, watching him. Studying him.

Then, she stood up.

Slowly. Deliberately.

She took a step toward him. Then another.

Until she was standing just a few feet away.

Close enough for him to see the slight smirk playing on her lips.

"Do you care, Mr. Le?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

His jaw tightened.

This was dangerous.

This was wrong.

But before he could answer, she took another step closer.

And smiled.