They had left the brighter campus road behind.
Now they were walking along the quieter street that led toward Juri's neighborhood.
Juri seemed completely relaxed.
His shoulders were loose, his hands moving animatedly as he argued.
"That was clearly your fault," he insisted. "You tilted the joystick too early."
Zhou Kai snorted. "You're still stuck on that?"
"Yes, because you refuse to admit it."
Juri shook his head dramatically in denial, mumbling something about "hopeless cases"—
And then he froze.
Just for half a second.
Zhou Kai noticed the pause immediately.
Juri's eyes had shifted past him—toward the darker side road up ahead.
Three figures stood there.
Not under the streetlight.
But just outside its reach.
Their outlines were visible, but their faces were half-hidden in shadow.
Juri's breath hitched.
It was subtle—but his entire posture changed.
The confidence.
The sharp tone.
Gone.
Without realizing it, he stepped closer to Zhou Kai.
Then closer.
Until his arm brushed against him.
And then—
He grabbed Zhou Kai's sleeve.
Not playfully this time.
Not teasing.
His fingers tightened around Zhou Kai's arm.
Zhou Kai felt it.
The trembling.
He turned his head slightly and saw Juri's expression.
The color had drained from his face.
His jaw was set stiffly, eyes fixed forward—but there was unmistakable fear there.
Zhou Kai didn't ask.
Instead, he followed Juri's line of sight.
Three figures.
Teenagers, maybe older.
The one in the middle stood slightly ahead of the other two.
The posture alone said enough.
Leader.
The other two lingered behind him like shadows—lackeys.
As they got closer, Zhou Kai kept his expression neutral.
Juri forced himself to look straight ahead, pretending not to see them.
But his grip on Zhou Kai tightened again.
The middle one lifted his chin slightly.
And then—
He looked directly at Juri.
Not casually.
Not coincidentally.
It was deliberate.
Slow.
Assessing.
The kind of look that made Zhou Kai's jaw harden.
The two behind him smirked faintly.
Neither side spoke.
The air felt heavy for a brief moment as they passed.
Zhou Kai didn't turn his head fully.
Just watched them from the corner of his eye.
The "boss" kept staring at Juri.
Not friendly.
Not indifferent.
It was the kind of look that said—
I know you.
And worse—
I'm not done with you.
But no words were exchanged.
No steps were taken toward them.
After a few long seconds, the distance grew.
The streetlight swallowed the tension behind them.
Only when they were several meters away did Juri's grip loosen.
But he didn't let go completely.
Zhou Kai finally understood.
Why Juri had insisted on leaving earlier.
Why he hesitated.
Why he had stuttered while asking to be accompanied home.
It wasn't about being dramatic.
It wasn't about being childish.
It was about this.
Zhou Kai didn't ask.
Didn't confront him.
Just slowed his pace slightly—
And stayed firmly at his side.
The bickering from earlier didn't return.
And for once—
Zhou Kai didn't tease him about holding onto his arm.
He simply let him.
The familiar row of houses slowly came into view.
Juri's neighborhood.
He visibly brightened.
"We've come," he said quickly, almost cutting Zhou Kai off mid-thought.
And then—
He sped up.
Not running exactly.
But walking much faster than before.
Zhou Kai followed without commenting, though he noticed something immediately—
The tension that had been coiled in Juri's shoulders since they passed those three figures…
Was gone.
His steps were lighter now.
Breathing steady.
By the time they stopped in front of Juri's house, the stiffness in his expression had completely melted away.
It was a simple, middle-class home.
Clean. Modest. Warm lights glowing faintly from inside.
Nothing flashy.
But it felt lived-in.
Safe.
Juri turned around abruptly.
For a split second, Zhou Kai thought he was going to say something sarcastic again.
Instead—
Juri stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him.
Just sudden.
A quick, tight hug.
Zhou Kai froze.
Juri's voice came out low and hurried near his chest.
"…Thank you."
And before Zhou Kai could react—
The culprit pulled away.
Spun around.
And ran toward his gate.
"Hey—" Zhou Kai blinked. "Wait—"
The gate clicked open.
Then closed.
And Juri disappeared inside without looking back.
Zhou Kai stood there for a few seconds.
Processing.
"Huh?"
He stared at the closed gate.
"…He ran away."
A slow grin spread across his face.
Amusement flickered in his eyes.