The courtyard was unusually lively that afternoon, the usual hum of quiet chatter replaced by whispers and muffled giggles. Dino Cavallone, now a teacher at Namimori Middle, had grown accustomed to seeing Hibari Kyoya often at school. His position gave him plenty of excuses to be around, and he couldn't help but enjoy the moments spent in Hibari's presence, even if they were always under the guise of work.

But today was different.

Dino's chest tightened as he spotted Hibari under the shade of a large tree near the far end of the courtyard. Standing before him was someone Dino didn't recognize—a senior student, tall, broad-shouldered, and undeniably attractive. His clean-cut features and confident posture screamed charm, but it was the way he was leaning slightly toward Hibari, speaking with an intensity that caught Dino's attention, that made his stomach churn.

Dino edged closer, just enough to hear snippets of their conversation.

"I've admired you for a long time, Hibari," the senior said earnestly, his voice steady but warm. "I wanted to tell you... I like you. I'd like to get to know you better."

Dino froze. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and his jaw tightened as he tried to suppress the rush of jealousy bubbling up inside him. The guy wasn't just handsome—he was confident, composed, and exactly the kind of person anyone would think was a good match for Hibari.

Hibari tilted his head slightly, his expression calm and unreadable as always. Dino watched, barely breathing, waiting for his response.

"I'm not interested," Hibari said flatly, though there was no harshness in his tone.

The senior blinked, clearly taken aback. "Ah... I see," he said, recovering quickly. "Thank you for hearing me out, at least. I hope this doesn't make things awkward."

Hibari's gaze shifted briefly to the side, his voice still steady but softer now. "It won't. You were polite about it. That's why I didn't bite you to death."

The senior gave a small, nervous laugh, thanked Hibari again, and walked away with as much dignity as he could muster.

Dino exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Hibari had turned the guy down. Nicely, even. It should've been a relief, but instead, Dino's chest tightened further.

Why the hell am I so angry?

--

Later that evening, Dino paced the living room of their apartment, his thoughts a mess. Hibari was sitting on the couch, his phone in hand, as calm as ever, as though nothing unusual had happened that day.

Dino kept glancing at him, waiting—hoping—for Hibari to say something, to bring up what had happened. But Hibari didn't seem inclined to share, his attention focused entirely on his phone.

The silence between them grew heavier by the minute, and Dino could feel his frustration building.

"Kyoya," Dino said finally, his voice sharper than he intended.

Hibari didn't look up. "What?"

Dino faltered for a moment, unsure of how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Did anything... interesting happen today?"

Hibari's fingers paused for a moment, but then he resumed scrolling. "No."

That single word felt like a punch to Dino's gut. "No? Nothing at all?"

Hibari finally looked up, his expression blank. "What are you getting at?"

Dino's frustration boiled over. "Nothing," he snapped, turning away before his face could betray the storm of emotions he was feeling.

The tension in the room was palpable, but Hibari didn't push the conversation further. Instead, he returned to his phone, unfazed.

Dino clenched his fists, his thoughts swirling. Why won't he talk about it? Doesn't it mean anything to him? Am I the only one this bothered?

The rest of the evening passed in strained silence, and for the first time in a long while, Dino found himself at odds with the one person he cared about most.