THE DORMITORY WAS eerily quiet when we returned. The oppressive silence made every step echo louder than it should have. My thoughts were scattered, but Thanos's sudden shift in energy snapped me back to reality.

He froze, glancing around the room as if searching for something—or someone. Then his posture stiffened.

''Where's Gyeong-su?'' he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

No one answered. I saw his jaw clench as he turned abruptly and stalked toward the bathroom.

''Thanos!'' I called after him, but he didn't stop. Panic gripped me, and without thinking, I ran after him.

By the time I reached the bathroom, he was already there, his back to me, shaking as he held the cross necklace in his trembling hands. His knuckles were white, and his breathing was erratic.

''Thanos—''

He spun around sharply, his eyes wild and filled with anguish. ''Don't! Don't try to stop me! This is my fault!'' he barked, his voice cracking.

I flinched at the intensity of his words but didn't back away. ''It's not your fault,'' I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady. ''You didn't know it would end this way.''

''You don't know shit!'' he roared, slamming his hand against the sink. ''I was the one who fucking left him. I shouldn't have done that—I should've protected him!''

His chest heaved as he struggled to breathe, his hands twitching like he didn't know what to do with them. I took a cautious step closer, unsure if I was helping or making things worse.

''Thanos, you're shaking,'' I said gently, noticing how unsteady he was. ''It's a panic attack. You need to breathe.''

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, the movement so sudden that I instinctively stepped back. For a split second, a horrifying thought crossed my mind—that he might lash out and hit me in his anger. But then he froze, his expression softening as he noticed my retreat.

''I'm not... I wouldn't—'' he stammered, his voice breaking.

Before I could say anything, the door opened, and Nam-gyu stepped in. His presence immediately added tension to the already charged atmosphere.

''What's going on—'' Nam-gyu started, but Thanos cut him off. ''Leave! Now!''

Nam-gyu hesitated, glancing between the two of us. I lowered my gaze, staring at the tiled floor, hoping he would listen. After a tense pause, Nam-gyu sighed and backed out, leaving the room as quickly as he had entered.

The silence that followed was deafening.

''I didn't mean to,'' Thanos muttered, his voice hoarse. ''It was an impulse. I just... I didn't want anyone else to see me like this.''

I looked up, noticing the tears that streaked his face. His shoulders trembled as he tried to hold himself together, but the weight of his guilt was too much. Slowly, I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around him.

At first, he stiffened, but then he collapsed into the embrace, his forehead resting on my shoulder as he sobbed.

''It's not your fault,'' I whispered, echoing the words he had said to me earlier. ''You've always done your best to protect the people around you.''

His grip tightened around me, and for a moment, we stood there, both of us holding onto each other as if the world outside didn't exist.

When he finally pulled back, his face was red and blotchy, but his eyes held a flicker of something—relief, maybe. ''I'll throw them up,'' he said suddenly, motioning toward the pills. ''I shouldn't have taken them. I'll go to the stall and—''

''Wait,'' I interrupted, stopping him. ''Maybe don't? The games are over for now. There's no danger. How long do the effects last?''

He blinked, caught off guard by the question. ''Twelve hours, give or take,'' he replied cautiously.

''Then...'' I hesitated. ''Could I try one? I've never done anything like that before.''

His eyes widened. ''What? No. You don't need to—''

''I want to,'' I said simply, surprising even myself with how calm I sounded. ''Just one. I'm curious.''

He looked at me for a long moment, as if trying to figure out if I was serious. Finally, he sighed and opened the necklace, tipping one pill into his palm.

''Fine,'' he muttered, ''but only one.'' He tossed the rest into the toilet, flushing them away before handing the single pill to me.

''You really don't have to do this,'' he added, his voice softening again. ''But if you're sure... It dissolves under your tongue, or you can chew it. Your choice. Just be aware of the side effects—racing thoughts, heightened energy, maybe a little euphoria. It's not exactly fun.''

I nodded, holding the pill between my fingers as I considered his words. ''Thanks for the warning.''

He rolled his eyes. ''Don't say I didn't tell you.''

For a brief moment, the tension in the room seemed to lift, replaced by something lighter—something almost playful.

We returned to the dormitory. The room was filled with the muffled sounds of exhausted players settling into their corners. I could feel the faint throbbing in my head as the pill began to take effect, though I didn't fully understand what to expect.

Thanos stayed close, his steps measured as he guided me to a quieter corner away from the others. ''Here,'' he murmured, gesturing to a spot against the wall. ''Sit down before you topple over.''

I giggled softly, the sound surprising even me. I wasn't one for laughing, especially not here, in this place. But something about his tone—or maybe the way he looked at me, concerned yet trying to mask it—struck me as funny.

''What's so amusing?'' he asked, raising an eyebrow as he sat down beside me.

I shrugged, still giggling. ''You're... nice,'' I managed, the words tumbling out without much thought. ''For someone who raps about... I don't know, bad things?''

He blinked at me, clearly thrown off by my comment. ''That's the pills talking, Bunny,'' he replied.

I smiled at the nickname. Thanos was the only one who called me that, and I didn't mind it.

''So, what was your childhood like?'' I asked suddenly, leaning a little closer to him.

He glanced at me, clearly caught off guard by the question. ''My childhood? Why do you want to know that?''

''I'm curious,'' I replied, resting my chin on my knees and looking up at him with what I imagined must have been a dreamy expression.

He sighed, but there was a faint smile tugging at his lips. ''Alright. If you really want to know... I started performing when I was young. Thought I was gonna be the next big thing.''

''Were you?'' I asked, tilting my head slightly.

''Not even close,'' he admitted with a small chuckle. ''But I learned a lot. About people, mostly. How some will build you up just to tear you down. That's a lesson that sticks.''

I listened intently, the sound of his voice grounding me.

Eventually, the conversation drifted, and I found myself blurting out something I hadn't planned. ''Why did you tell me you'd kiss me? Back in the game.''

He froze, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then he let out a long breath. ''Because I couldn't stand listening to you blame yourself,'' he said. ''And... because I wanted to.''

I stared at him. I didn't know how to respond, so I simply leaned my head on his shoulder, letting the silence fill the space between us.

As the night wore on, the effects of the pill began to wear me down. My skin felt clammy, and beads of sweat gathered on my forehead. Thanos stayed by my side, even as I drifted in and out of sleep.

At one point, I woke to the feeling of a cool cloth dabbing at my face. Opening my eyes slightly, I saw him crouched beside me, holding a small piece of tissue and the bottle of water from lunch earlier.

''Here,'' he whispered, pressing the bottle into my hands. ''Drink. You're gonna need it.''

I sipped the water gratefully, my throat dry and scratchy. He wiped at my forehead again, his movements gentle.

''Why are you doing this?'' I murmured, my voice barely audible.

''Because you'd do the same for me,'' he replied simply, his gaze steady.

Somewhere in my haze, I found myself curling into his side, seeking the comfort of his warmth. He didn't pull away, just let me stay there, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder.

By morning, the worst of it had passed, though I felt groggy and disoriented. As soon as I fully woke, I turned to Thanos, my face flushed with embarrassment.

''I'm sorry,'' I began, words tumbling out quickly. ''For... all of that. I didn't mean to cling to you like that, and—''

He cut me off with a raised hand. ''Relax. I'm not mad.''

I hesitated, unsure if I believed him. ''Really?''

''Yeah,'' he assured me, leaning back against the wall with a smirk. ''It's better you stuck to me than got up and started dancing or something. That would've been a nightmare.''

Despite myself, I giggled at the thought, the sound lighter than I expected.

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