I snatched the brush from Jiwon’s fingers, heart pounding far more than it had any right to. For a moment, neither of us spoke, the air between us charged with something unspoken. Jiwon’s smirk lingered, but his eyes held something else—something I wasn’t sure I was ready to acknowledge.  

I let out a slow breath, shaking my head as if that could rid me of whatever *this* was. Returning to my documents was the logical thing to do, but for once, I found I had no patience for them. The words on the parchment blurred, insignificant compared to the warmth still lingering in the space between us.  

“…Forget it,” I muttered under my breath, pushing back my chair and standing up.  

Jiwon blinked, surprised. "Forget what?"  

"I’m done for the night." I shot him a pointed look. "And so are you. Get up."  

He tilted his head, amused. "Oh? Where are we going?"  

"To bed."  

A slow, mischievous grin spread across his lips. "Seonsaengnim," he hummed, "if you wanted to take me to bed, you could have just said so."  

I exhaled sharply. "Not *my* bed, you menace. The guest chamber."  

He chuckled, stretching his arms before lazily standing up. "Fine, fine. Lead the way, oh gracious host."  

I ignored his sarcasm and strode out of the library, Jiwon trailing close behind me. The palace was quiet at this hour, only the faint flickering of lanterns lighting our path. When we reached the guest quarters, I pushed open the door, stepping aside to let him in.  

"This will be your room for the night," I said. "It should have everything you need. Now, get some sleep, and for once, do *not* disturb me."  

Jiwon leaned against the doorframe, his lips twitching. "But seonsaengnim, what if I get lonely?"  

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Then suffer."  

He laughed but finally stepped inside, stretching lazily. "Alright, alright. I’ll behave. *For now.*"  

Ignoring his antics, I turned on my heel and exited, walking just a few steps to my own chamber—directly in front of his.

As I placed my hand on my door, I could feel Jiwon’s gaze lingering on me.

"You planned this, didn’t you?" he called out.

I glanced back. "Planned what?"

"Putting me right across from you," he mused, smirking as he rested his chin in his palm. "So you can keep an eye on me, huh? Admit it, seonsaengnim—you just can’t sleep peacefully without knowing I’m nearby."

I scoffed. "Don’t flatter yourself. Now go to sleep before I make you write another hundred lines."

Jiwon laughed softly but didn’t protest this time. "Goodnight, seonsaengnim."

I lingered for a second before finally stepping into my own chamber, closing the door behind me.

And yet, even as I lay in my bed, the warmth of our earlier moment still lingered, refusing to fade.