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Nao’s laughing.
That’s the first thing Akiyama notices when he walks into the hallway. Her laugh—soft, bright, unguarded . The kind she never uses around other players.
The second thing he notices?
She’s not alone.
There’s some guy standing way too close to her. Flashy smile. Easy confidence. One of the newer players, Akiyama thinks. Smart enough to last this long. Dumb enough to think he can get close to her.
Akiyama leans against the wall, arms crossed, watching.
He’s not listening.
Okay, he is . But only because he wants to make sure she’s not being tricked. Obviously.
Nao tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, nodding at something the guy says. Her cheeks are pink. Not from blushing, probably. Maybe it’s just warm in here.
Akiyama’s jaw ticks.
“You’ve got a really calming presence, Kanzaki-san. Honestly, it’s rare. You make it hard to lie.” He hears the guy say.
She laughs again—nervous but sweet. The kind of sound that settles deep in your chest if you’re not careful.
“That’s… nice of you to say,” Nao replies.
Akiyama pushes off the wall.
He doesn’t think. Doesn’t pause. Just walks straight toward them, like he’s on some kind of timer.
“Kanzaki. I need to talk to you. Now,” he demands. It almost makes Nao jump.
Her eyes widen when she sees him, then soften. Relief? He doesn’t know. Doesn’t care.
“O-oh. Okay. Um—sorry, I’ll see you later?” She smiles at the other player and it’s hard for Akiyama to stop himself from rolling his eyes.
She turns to follow Akiyama without hesitation.
The other guy watches them go, a little confused.
Nao catches up to him, her brows furrowed.
“What is it? Did something happen?”
Akiyama keeps walking, faster than he needs to.
“Nothing. I just didn’t like the look on that guy’s face.”
“Huh?” Nao says, very confused.
“And I didn’t like the way you laughed at his joke. It wasn’t even funny.”
She blinks.
“A—Akiyama-san. Are you… jealous?” There’s a slight blush on her face after saying this.
He stops.
Doesn’t turn to face her.
“You should be more careful who you trust…” he says this so quietly.
“I trust you.”
He turns to look at her now—fully, sharply. Like he wasn’t expecting that. Like it hit too close to something he’s been avoiding.
“I always have, and I always will.”
And for once, Akiyama can’t think of a single thing to say.