Monday morning. Arav entered his sociology class. Professor Chawang hadn't arrived yet.
There was an unusual buzz in the classroom. Everyone was whispering, a few girls were fixing their makeup on their phones.
"What's going on?" Arav asked Min, who was sitting in the seat next to him.
Min's eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Haven't you heard? A new student is joining our class. Transfer student. And I heard he's incredibly handsome!"
"Really?" Arav wasn't particularly interested. He opened his notebook.
"Yes! Anne's roommate said he apparently looks like a model. Six feet tall, gray eyes—"
The door opened.
The entire classroom stopped for a moment.
The boy who entered was like a living sculpture. Fitted black shirt, jeans, effortless charisma radiating from his body. Sharp jaw, high nose.
But most striking were his eyes.
Dark. Extremely dark. Almost black, but with a red gleam in the sunlight.
Something inside Arav's chest tightened.
The boy stood at the front of the class and said in perfect Thai, "Sawasdee khrap. My name is Kayen. I've transferred from Chiang Mai."
His voice was deep. But why did it sound familiar to Arav's ears?
Professor Chawang smiled. "Welcome, Kayen. You can sit in any empty seat."
There were plenty of empty seats in the class. In the front row, by the window, next to the girls.
But Kayen walked straight to the back.
To Arav's row.
He came and sat in the empty seat right next to Arav.
"Is this seat free?" Kayen asked, though he had already sat down.
Arav looked up, startled. Kayen's eyes were on him. Direct. Deep. As if seeing right through him.
"Yes... it's free," Arav whispered.
A smile played on Kayen's lips. "Good."
Throughout the entire class, Arav felt Kayen's presence beside him. His fragrance—wood, smoke, and something unfamiliar. His breathing, his movements.
But the strangest thing?
That invisible gaze that had always followed Arav—it had stopped.
For the first time, that heavy presence was gone.
And there was only Kayen. Real, tangible, beside him.
As soon as class ended, everyone crowded around Kayen.
"Where are you from?"
"What's your Instagram ID?"
"Want to have lunch together?"
Kayen spoke politely with everyone, but his eyes kept returning to Arav.
Arav quickly gathered his bag and tried to leave.
"Wait."
A hand on his shoulder.
He turned to see Kayen. From this close, he seemed even taller. Arav had to look up at him.
"Your name?" Kayen asked, though there was a pretense in his eyes—as if he already knew.
"A-Arav," he stammered.
Kayen's smile deepened. "Arav. Beautiful name." His fingers slowly slid off Arav's shoulder, leaving a strange shiver behind.
"You... came from Chiang Mai?" Arav didn't know why he asked.
A flash in Kayen's eyes. "Yes. From an area near Doi Suthep. You were there recently, weren't you?"
Arav's blood froze.
"How... how do you know?"
Kayen slung his bag over his shoulder and turned to leave. A mysterious smile on his lips.
"Small place. Word spreads," he said. Then disappeared into the corridor.
Arav stood there, his entire body trembling.
That night, back in the dorm, for the first time he slept well.
No invisible presence.
But in his dreams came red eyes.
And a voice whispered: "I won't let you go."