Kairos eventually plopped down beside me, his attention fixed on the badges as I continued distributing them one by one. "You're really not going to give me any?" he asked, leaning closer than necessary.
I turned instinctively—and instantly regretted it. Our faces were suddenly far too close, close enough that my breath caught for a split second. My heart skipped, panic flaring, and I shoved his face away with my palm. "Y-you're too close! I don't want to see your ugly face," I blurted out, flustered as I hastily looked away.
Kairos just laughed it off, clearly enjoying my reaction.
When he joined us and quietly took a seat beside me, no one greeted him. The group was still awkward around him—being a new student didn't help—and the silence lingered even as he settled in.
