Ava and Jae strolled through the dimly lit school hallway, their usual banter filling the air. The fight from earlier had left Ava sore, but nothing she wasn’t used to. She stretched her arms, groaning.

Jae raised an eyebrow. “That bad?”

“Could be worse.” Ava smirked, rolling her shoulders. “I could be lying in a hospital bed.”

Jae scoffed. “Not funny.” His voice was sharp, but the way his hand twitched at his side told a different story. He wanted to reach out, but Jae wasn’t the type to show concern so openly.

Ava just grinned and nudged him. “Relax, tough guy. I’m still standing.”

They continued walking until Ava suddenly came to a halt. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene before her.

In a secluded corner near the stairwell, Lily was pressed against the wall, her hands tangled in Minho’s hair. His arms wrapped securely around her waist, pulling her flush against him as they kissed—deeply, heatedly, shamelessly.

Ava blinked, processing what she was seeing. “Well, damn.”

Jae, on the other hand, had gone completely still beside her.

Lily let out a soft gasp as Minho’s lips moved to her jaw, trailing down her neck. The sight sent a rush of secondhand embarrassment through Ava, but before she could look away, she heard a sharp inhale from Jae.

She turned to him, arching an eyebrow. “Jae?”

He didn’t respond. His jaw was clenched, his eyes darker than usual. The muscle in his neck twitched as he stared—no, glared—at the couple.

Ava tilted her head, amused. “You good?”

Jae dragged a hand down his face, exhaling harshly. “Seriously? Right in the hallway?”

Ava smirked. “You jealous or something?”

His eyes snapped to hers, and for the first time, she saw something different in them. Not just irritation. Something… more.

She felt her stomach tighten.

Jae took a step closer, his voice lower than before. “You think I’m jealous?”

Ava swallowed. Why did the air suddenly feel thick? Why was he looking at her like that?

“Uh—”

Before she could form a proper thought, Minho finally noticed their presence and immediately pulled away from Lily, his ears turning red. “Shit.”

Lily, equally flustered, buried her face in Minho’s chest. “How long have you two been standing there?”

Ava shrugged. “Long enough to know you two need a room.”

Minho groaned, dragging a hand through his hair. “For the love of—just forget what you saw.”

Ava snorted. “Oh, absolutely not. This is premium blackmail material.”

Jae didn’t say a word. He was still looking at Ava, his gaze burning into her.

Ava felt her face heat up under his stare. “Stop looking at me like that.”

Jae’s lips curled into a slow smirk. “Like what?”

“Like you—” She stopped herself, realizing she had no idea how to finish that sentence.

Jae stepped even closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “Like I want to pin you against that wall instead?”

Ava’s breath hitched. Oh.

Minho coughed loudly. “Okay! I think we’re done here.”

Lily peeked out from Minho’s chest, her eyes darting between Jae and Ava before she smirked. “Oh, this is interesting.”

Ava quickly took a step back, clearing her throat. “We’re leaving.”

She turned on her heel, ignoring the way her heart pounded against her ribs. Jae chuckled behind her, his deep voice laced with amusement.

As they walked away, he leaned in and murmured near her ear, “You’re blushing, sunshine.”

Ava gritted her teeth. “Shut up, Jae.”

But no matter how much she tried to ignore it, she couldn’t shake the way he had looked at her.

Like he wanted her. Badly.