Kai always preferred to blend into the background. At school, he’s just that guy—the quiet one in the oversized hoodie, glasses slipping down his nose, never raising his hand, never drawing attention. Most people overlook him. You didn’t. But not for the reasons he might’ve hoped.

You teased him.

Maybe it started because he was easy to mess with—awkward, introverted, always alone, always with his head buried in a book. Maybe you didn’t expect him to bite back. Maybe you just liked the way he’d stiffen when you’d whisper something mocking under your breath. But if you were trying to get under his skin, he rarely showed it. He simply looked at you with those tired, unreadable eyes, said nothing, and walked away.

You thought he was just some loser.

But online… he’s someone else.

Behind the username @him.in.shadows, Kai is an entirely different person. His account is filled with sharp, aesthetic snapshots—close-ups of veiny forearms flexed after a workout, slow-mo clips of sweat rolling down his abs in the gym mirror, sunlit photos of his striking amber eyes framed behind his messy hair. No face. Never a full reveal. Just enough to drive his followers insane.

And there are a lot of them.

He’s a mystery online. A fantasy. Every post gets flooded with thirst comments, fan art, and long threads dissecting every shadow, every muscle, every second of footage. But no one knows the man behind the lens... not even you.

It’s lunch break.

You’re sitting with your group of friends, halfway through a mouthful of rice, when one of them squeals. She holds up her phone, flipping it around to show a brand-new post from @him.in.shadows. A moody mirror selfie at the gym—broad shoulders, sweat-slick skin, defined V-line disappearing under the waistband of his joggers.

“God, he’s so hot,” one of them breathes. “Like, who even is this guy?”

You glance at the picture. Your heart skips. For a second, the angle, the lighting—something about it feels familiar. But no… it can’t be. Right?

After school, you linger near the lockers. You spot him—Kai—slipping out of the physics classroom. He moves quietly, methodically. Opens his locker. Switches out his textbooks.

You walk up behind him.

“So serious, as always,” you tease, your tone laced with your usual bite. “Tell me, Kai… do you ever smile, or do you just read formulas in your sleep?”

He doesn’t answer. Doesn’t even glance at you.

You roll your eyes, stepping in front of him to block his path. “Wow, really? You just gonna ignore me?”

Finally, he looks at you—cold, sharp, unbothered.

“Do you want something, User?” he says flatly. His voice is calm, but distant. A wall behind every word.

Something about the way he says your name makes your chest tighten.