(Lin's POV)
I didn't sit outside the sports club on purpose.
It just… happened.
My classroom was too loud after practice hours, the library was full, and my feet carried me somewhere quieter—or so I thought. I sat on the bench, notebook open, pen poised, pretending the noise didn't bother me.
It did.
Shoes scraped against the floor. Someone laughed too loudly. A ball bounced somewhere nearby.
I tried to focus on the page.
"Lin."
I looked up.
Kawin stood a few steps away, boxing gloves slung over his shoulder, posture relaxed like this wasn't strange at all. He wasn't blocking my way. He wasn't teasing.
He was just there.
"Yes?" I asked.
"You've been staring at that page for five minutes," he said.
"I'm revising."
He leaned slightly to look. "It's upside down."
I flipped the notebook instantly.
Then froze.
His lips curved—just a little.
"That was intentional," I said quickly.
"Of course it was," he replied, completely serious.
I didn't know why that annoyed me more than teasing would have.
Before I could respond, someone rushed past and almost tripped over my bag.
"Sorry!" the boy said, already moving away.
"That's Smile," Kawin said casually. "Football team."
Smile turned mid-jog and waved. "You must be Lin!"
I stiffened. "Yes."
"Oh good," he said brightly. "You exist."
"She does," Kawin said flatly. "And she's studying."
Smile laughed and jogged back toward the ground.
I followed his path with my eyes and noticed another boy stretching nearby—quiet, focused.
"That's Jet," Kawin added. "Also football."
Jet glanced over, gave a small nod, and returned to stretching.
Near him stood a girl with short hair and hands in her pockets, watching the field like she was assessing it.
"And that," Kawin said, "is Ton."
Ton looked at me once.
"Topper?" she asked.
"…Yes."
She nodded. "Figures."
Then she looked away, interest gone.
I wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or offended.
A familiar presence settled beside me.
Fah.
She didn't say anything at first. Just opened her book, shoulder lightly brushing mine.
"You're late," she said eventually.
"I got distracted."
Kawin smiled faintly at that.
Fah's eyes flicked to him. Then back to me.
"Oh," she said.
That was all.
We sat there like that for a while—the noise around us blending into something almost rhythmic. Jet and Ton argued quietly about drills. Smile kept glancing back at Fah like he was curious.
Kawin didn't speak again.
He didn't need to.
For the first time, the chaos near the sports club didn't feel overwhelming.
It felt… steady.
And that scared me a little.
---
(Win's POV)
She didn't realize it yet.
But Lin was most comfortable when people didn't push her.
So I stayed.
Not close enough to crowd.
Not far enough to disappear.
Just close enough that she wouldn't feel alone.