Sensei!"
The sharp tug on Noah's sleeve was followed by the rush of wind and the shrill ring of a bicycle bell.
The cyclist yelled a muffled curse, swerving dangerously to avoid them. Noah stumbled, his boots skidding on the icy sidewalk, but he didn't fall. Mei had him held tight, one arm anchored firmly around Noah's waist.
"We are very sorry!" Mei said, his voice had a blend of genuine apology and lingering adrenaline.
As the cyclist disappeared into the winter dusk, Noah stayed frozen. The world felt muffled, reduced entirely to the heat of Mei's hand through his coat and the frantic, uneven rhythm of his own heart.
'Are you alright?' Mei asked. He didn't let go. If anything, he pulled Noah a fraction closer, searching his face with an intensity that made Noah's breath hitch.
'I... I was distracted,'Noah stammered. He couldn't admit the truth—that he had been so lost in thoughts of Mei that the physical world had simply ceased to exist.
