Episode 2 . ︎ᡣ𐭩 ݁˖

Leroy pulled away from her so suddenly that Alina blinked in surprise.

One second, he had been leaning dangerously close, his voice low enough to make her heart tremble.

And the next—

He stepped back as though he had touched something he shouldn’t have.

Without saying another word, Leroy turned around and walked toward the hallway with long, quiet strides.

Alina stared after him, confused.

The atmosphere he had created moments ago still lingered heavily around her, making it difficult to breathe normally.

Then his bedroom door shut. A second later, she heard another sound. The bathroom door opening. Then closing.

Silence followed.

Alina remained sitting on the couch with her knees pulled together tightly, her fingers absentmindedly twisting the edge of her sweater sleeve.

One minute passed. Then another few. And another.

Usually, Leroy was quick in the mornings. Too quick.

He was the type of person who could wake up, shower, get dressed, and leave the house in less than fifteen minutes.

But today? Today he was taking forever.

A suspicious smile slowly appeared on Alina’s lips. Her eyes drifted toward the hallway again.

“Is he hiding from me now?” Alina mumbled softly to herself.

The thought alone made her mood brighten instantly. Because if Leroy was hiding from her—

Then that meant she was affecting him.

Finally.

That dangerous confidence slowly returned to her expression. Curiosity quickly got the better of her.

Alina stood up from the couch quietly and picked up her bag before setting it down again after realizing she didn’t actually need it.

Her feet moved almost automatically toward the hallway.

Step by step.

The closer she got to his room, the louder her heartbeat became. The house felt strangely quiet. Too quiet.

Alina stopped in front of his bedroom door. For a second, she hesitated. Then slowly, she reached toward the doorknob—

But before her fingers could touch it—

The door suddenly opened from the other side. Alina froze instantly. And so did her thoughts.

Leroy stood there fresh out of the shower.

Damp strands of dark hair fell messily across his forehead, some sticking lightly to his skin. Tiny droplets of water slid slowly from his hair down the side of his neck before disappearing beneath the loose collar of his white shirt.

The fabric clung faintly against his chest from the lingering moisture.

His skin still carried the warmth of steam.

And somehow, his sharp eyes looked brighter than before.

Too bright. Too awake. Too focused on her.

Alina unconsciously lifted her gaze higher. And higher.

God.

The height difference between them was genuinely unfair.

She had to tilt her head back just to properly meet his eyes.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence stretched unbearably between them.

Alina suddenly became painfully aware of how close he was standing.

Close enough for her to smell the faint scent of soap lingering on his skin.

Close enough to catch the familiar scent of paint that somehow never completely left him no matter how many times he showered.

Close enough to completely destroy her ability to think normally.

Her breath caught quietly in her throat.

Heat rushed straight to her face almost instantly, spreading across her cheeks and turning the tips of her ears bright pink.

And unfortunately—

Leroy noticed immediately.

His eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze lingered on her flushed expression.

Then slowly, his attention moved lower. To the way she nervously avoided eye contact. To the way her fingers curled slightly against her sleeves. To the way she looked completely trapped despite being the one who walked toward him first.

“…What are you doing here?” Leroy asked quietly.

But his voice lacked its usual calmness.

There was something rougher beneath it now. Something less controlled.

Alina opened her mouth to answer. Then immediately closed it again.

Because honestly?

She had completely forgotten why she came there in the first place.

Her mind had gone blank the moment she saw him standing there looking like that.

Leroy watched her struggle silently for a second.

Then slowly, he lifted one arm and placed his hand against the doorframe above her head.

The movement trapped her once again inside that dangerously small space between them.

Alina’s heartbeat nearly stopped.

“You were bold a few minutes ago,” Leroy murmured softly while leaning slightly closer. “What happened now?”

Another drop of water slid from his wet hair onto his shoulder before slowly trailing lower beneath the damp fabric clinging lightly against his chest.

Without thinking, Alina’s eyes followed the movement unconsciously.

A terrible mistake.

The moment Leroy noticed where she was looking, a low chuckle escaped his lips.

Deep. Quiet. Dangerously amused. And that only made Alina’s face burn even hotter. She quickly looked away. But Leroy didn’t move back. If anything—

He seemed even more entertained now.

“What?” Leroy asked softly, his voice carrying the faintest trace of teasing. “You can confess so confidently but can’t even look at me properly?”

“I-I can look at you just fine,” Alina replied quickly.

Leroy raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

Slowly, deliberately, he leaned a little closer.

“Then look at me.”

Alina instantly regretted speaking.

Because now Leroy was looking directly at her with those sharp, unreadable eyes that always made her lose every ounce of confidence she had.

“Then look at me,” Leroy repeated softly.

Her throat tightened. Slowly, almost nervously, Alina lifted her gaze back toward him.

The moment their eyes met again, her heartbeat turned impossible to control.

He was too close. So close that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body. So close that his damp hair brushed lightly against his forehead only inches away from her face. So close that even breathing suddenly felt dangerous.

Leroy watched her carefully. As though studying every tiny reaction she made. The slight trembling of her lashes. The way her lips parted unconsciously.

The way she tried so hard to appear brave while completely failing to hide how nervous she really was.

And somehow—

That expression in his eyes changed again. It softened. Only for a second. But Alina noticed.

Her breath caught quietly. Neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke.

The tension between them became unbearably thick, filling every inch of the narrow space around them.

Then slowly—

Leroy bent down closer. Alina’s eyes widened slightly. Her fingers instinctively tightened against her sleeves.

Closer.

And closer.

She could feel his breath now. Warm against her skin.

Every thought inside her head disappeared completely. There was only him.

Only the way his gaze lowered briefly toward her lips.

Only the way her heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it too.

Leroy’s face stopped mere inches away from hers.

So close.

Too close.

Alina unconsciously leaned forward the smallest amount without even realizing it.

And then—

A loud ringtone suddenly shattered the moment.

Leroy froze.

His eyes closed immediately as a quiet breath escaped him, almost sounding like restrained frustration.

The phone continued ringing somewhere inside the room.

For a second, neither of them moved.

Then slowly, Leroy opened his eyes again.

A faint smirk appeared at the corner of his lips after noticing the stunned expression still frozen on Alina’s face.

Without saying anything, he finally stepped back.

The warmth surrounding her disappeared instantly.

Leroy ran one hand through his damp hair before turning away from her.

And just like that—

The moment was gone.

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