Ellie didn’t have to look for Jae when her Music Appreciation final was over; he was sitting directly at the front of the classroom as usual, his feet propped up on the desk and his eyes intent on the Nintendo Switch in his hands. As she finished with her test and stood up to turn it in and leave he looked up, zeroing in on her behind his glasses immediately; their eyes met and he was out of the door before she even reached Barkley, closing it only partially as he waited for her to join him.   “You’re not going to stay for the rest of the final?” Ellie inquired of him lowly as she exited the classroom; Jae shut the door quietly, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders as they began walking.   “For what?” Jae questioned in turn. “My services are no longer needed; I’m a free agent.”   “So you make it a habit of walking out of work before the day is over?”   “Look, Barkley, and I have an understanding, alright?” Jae said, moving his hands in a flourish for emphasis. “He’ll be alright.”   “If you say so…” Without warning he draped an arm across her shoulders and pulled her to him, leaving her with no choice but to stumble into step with him.   “You don’t work tonight, right?” he inquired of her.   “No…why?”   “So what are we doing?”   “’We’?” Ellie repeated. “Who said anything about ‘we’?”   “You at this girlfriend thing.” Ellie rolled her eyes. “Come; walk with Jae.”   “It’s not like I had a choice…”   “Atta girl.” He took her to the bubble tea place