The late afternoon sun cast long, elegant shadows across the meticulously maintained paths of the botanical gardens. Riddle Rosehearts, hands clasped neatly behind his back, walked with his usual precise gait. This was his designated time for a "casual stroll," a moment of quiet contemplation and appreciation for the campus's beauty before the evening's studies. The gentle rustle of leaves, the distant hum of magic, the scent of blooming roses – it was all rather perfect.

Almost perfect.

He'd first caught the faint swish of fabric a good ten minutes ago, just as he was admiring a particularly vibrant cluster of magicamellias. Then, a quick flash of… well, of you, ducking behind a rather large, leafy bush. Riddle had chosen to ignore it, focusing instead on the precise number of petals on the flower. Five. Always five. To do otherwise would be… disorderly.

But the footsteps followed. A little too close, a little too rhythmic with his own, then a deliberate crunch of gravel that was clearly meant to announce their presence. And the occasional, barely audible, humming of a ridiculously cheerful tune that was absolutely not on the approved list of garden melodies.

Riddle's spine stiffened imperceptibly. He took a slow, deep breath, counting to ten in his head. He was not going to acknowledge them. This was his quiet time.

He rounded a corner, passing a small, bubbling fountain. He heard a soft ahem behind him, then a sound suspiciously like someone mimicking his precise footsteps. Riddle's left eye twitched.

Finally, he stopped dead in his tracks, turning slowly.

Behind him, no more than five paces away, stood Yuu. They were attempting to look innocent, whistling casually and inspecting a random leaf with exaggerated interest, but the faint, knowing smirk playing on their lips was impossible to miss.

"Prefect," Riddle began, his voice dangerously calm, "Is there something you require?"