A gust of warm air brushed against Alex's ear, waking him with a jolt. He shot up from his slouched position on the desk, blinking drowsily as his blurred vision adjusted to the classroom light.
Next to him stood June, arms crossed and wearing a smug smile.
"You're always sleeping," she said, shaking her head. "From middle school until now, it's like napping in class is your favorite hobby."
Alex scowled. His deep brown eyes, still hazy with sleep, narrowed slightly. "What do you want, June?" he asked lazily, his voice husky from sleep. "You always show up when I least want you to."
She shrugged, ignoring his annoyance. "I'm bored, and I just got dumped. You're my best friend, so… here I am. Comfort me."
He sighed heavily and turned his face away from her, burying it in the crook of his elbow. "Get lost, June. It's obvious you're using that as an excuse to exploit me. Go bug someone else."
"Unbelievable!" she muttered, pouting. "You're the worst friend ever. You don't care about my feelings at all." She plopped into the seat next to him and started whining dramatically about how cursed she was to have a friend like him, her voice filling the quiet classroom like a siren's wail.
Their bickering was abruptly cut short when heavy footsteps approached their desk. June turned, her heart skipping a beat as she saw Jason, her ex-boyfriend. He was walking toward her—his expression unreadable.
Her breath caught. Was he here to apologize? No... it couldn't be. Jason never apologized. Not really.
But he didn't look at her.
Instead, Jason stopped at Alex's desk and slammed his hand on it with a loud bang. The room went quiet. Alex raised his head slowly, eyes locking onto Jason's.
For a moment, neither said anything. The air between them thickened. Their eyes clashed like blades drawn in a silent duel.
Alex's features, typically unreadable and calm, took on a lethal stillness. His deep brown eyes—almost black under the classroom light—seemed to pierce right through Jason. Though Alex was of small build, there was something haunting in the way he looked at people when he was serious. Cold. Calm. Dangerous.
Jason held his ground, puffing out his chest, trying to match the energy. But his fists trembled slightly.
June's pulse quickened. She knew that look in Alex's eyes—had seen it once before, years ago, on a rainy night when a man had crossed a line.
She jumped between them, placing a hand on Jason's chest. "Jason, don't cause trouble. Please. Just leave."
Jason shoved her hand off, glaring. "This doesn't concern you. You can't protect him. I'll make him pay for what he did."
The words shocked June. She turned to Alex, eyes wide. "What's he talking about?" she asked.
Alex sighed, clearly unimpressed. He ran a hand through his dark hair and leaned back casually in his chair. "I paid a friendly visit to them yesterday," he said. His tone was so relaxed, it was infuriating.
June's eyes dropped to the slight swelling on Jason's cheek. The bruise was faint, but clear.
Her mouth fell open. "Alex… you hit him?"
"Well," Alex muttered through a yawn, "he still has his pretty face mostly intact. I was feeling generous."
Jason clenched his fists, face turning red from a mix of anger and humiliation. June, meanwhile, felt her stomach churn. The memory of Alex, fists bloodied in the rain, came back like a ghost—his face lit by flashes of lightning as he stood over a man twice his size.
"Jason, just let it go," she said urgently. "It's not worth it. Just walk away."
Jason turned on her. "Are you protecting him now?"
June flinched, not answering.
He stepped closer to Alex's desk. "I don't care who you are. You messed with the wrong people."
"You talk too much," Alex said flatly, his eyes flicking up at him. "Do something, or leave."
Jason lunged.
Alex stood in one fluid motion, desk chair clattering to the ground. He ducked under Jason's punch and delivered a blow to his stomach that made him double over. In the blink of an eye, Alex caught him by the shirt collar and shoved him backward. Jason crashed into the row of desks behind them, gasping for breath.
The entire class erupted into shouts. Students scrambled out of the way, some yelling for the teacher.
"Stop it!" June cried, rushing forward and grabbing Alex by the arm. "Don't do this here!"
Alex hesitated, his fist still clenched. His knuckles were white.
Jason coughed, struggling to get to his feet.
A teacher stormed in, demanding to know what was going on. The fight broke off. Jason, holding his stomach and glaring, didn't say a word. He just stormed out, pushing past the teacher.
Alex didn't speak either. He picked up his chair, sat down again, and placed his head back on the desk as if nothing had happened.
The class was silent.
Later that day, June followed Alex onto the rooftop of the school, where he often went to nap after lunch. She found him lying on the bench, arm over his eyes.
"Why did you do it?" she asked quietly.
He didn't move.
"You know you're going to get in trouble. Jason's not just anyone. He has connections—people who'll come after you."
Alex pulled his arm down and looked at her. His eyes weren't cold now. Just… tired.
"I know," he said. "But I couldn't help it. He hurt you. And I don't like people like that walking around pretending they're untouchable."
June sat beside him, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I'm scared for you."
"I'm used to it."
"Why do you always have to handle everything on your own?"
"Because no one else ever did."
They sat in silence for a while, the wind brushing softly through the rooftop fence.
June rested her head on his shoulder.
"You didn't have to go that far," she whispered.
"I didn't mean to," he replied. "But when I saw him standing over you… I remembered something."
She looked up. "What did you remember?"
Alex hesitated. "My mom. And the night she screamed for help. I was small. I hid. I didn't do anything. I swore I'd never freeze again."
June's breath caught.
He continued, "So no, I won't apologize for what I did. And I don't care if Jason hates me. But if someone like him ever lays a hand on you again—" His voice broke for a second. "—I'll kill them."
June blinked, tears pooling in her eyes. She reached out and held his hand tightly.
"I don't want you to become a monster because of me," she whispered.
Alex looked at her, eyes softening.
"I already am."