The next morning, Kai sat in class, staring blankly at the board as the teacher droned on. On the outside, he looked fine—perfectly calm, composed. But inside, his mind was a storm.
The memory of Bast's eyes from last night still lingered, along with the warmth of his hand, the weight of his words.
"I just want your comfort."
Kai blinked rapidly, trying to shake the thoughts away.
Miles plopped down beside him with his usual carefree grin. "Hey! What's up?"
Kai gave him a half-hearted nod. "I'm not sure if I'm okay or not."
Miles raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what that means, but I do know this—Elina's looking for you. She's in the hall. Looked kinda upset."
Kai's head snapped up. "Elina? Why?"
Miles chuckled, already standing. "Don't just sit there, bro. Let's go. Talk to her."
With a reluctant sigh, Kai followed him into the hallway.
Elina sat alone on a bench, wringing her hands. As soon as she saw Kai, she stood up and wrapped her arms around him without warning.
Kai froze, caught off guard.
Miles blinked, then smirked. "Yeah… I suddenly need coffee. I'll be in the canteen." And he left them alone.
Kai and Elina sat down, silence stretching between them.
"You okay?" Kai finally asked.
Elina wiped her eyes. "I broke up with Jack." Her voice trembled. "He was already with someone else. A bar girl."
Tears spilled down her cheeks. Kai quietly handed her a tissue.
She took it, then hugged him again, clinging to him like she was drowning. "I'm sorry about that night, Kai. I was stupid. But… can we start again?"
Kai stiffened.
"I know I messed up. But I miss you. I really do," she whispered. "Let's just try again… please?"
Kai hesitated, memories of their past flickering in his mind. Her laughter. Her betrayal. Bast's voice. His touch.
But Elina's smile was real, fragile. And part of him… wanted to feel normal again.
"Okay," he said quietly.
Her eyes lit up. She leaned in, hugging him tighter.
But even as Kai held her, a strange ache settled in his chest.
Because the person he couldn't stop thinking about—wasn't her.
Elina clung to Kai like he was her last hope, and for a second, he let her. The hallway buzzed softly with the sound of other students passing by, but inside that hug, it felt eerily still.
Kai gently pulled back, giving her a soft smile. "Let's take it slow, okay?"
Elina nodded, eyes still glassy with tears. "Yeah, of course."
They began walking toward the canteen, where Miles was probably halfway through his third cup of overly sweet coffee.
But as they turned the corner, Kai stopped in his tracks.
Bast stood near the entrance, hands tucked into his coat pockets, talking to someone on the phone. His gaze wandered—and locked with Kai's.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Elina tugged at Kai's sleeve, not noticing the tension. "Come on."
But Kai's chest tightened. Bast's eyes flickered to Elina, then back to Kai. His jaw clenched.
He saw the hug. He saw everything.
Bast ended the call and walked toward them, calm and composed—but Kai knew that look. He wore it when he was pissed, but hiding it under charm.
"Kai," Bast said, voice smooth. "Didn't expect to see you here."
Kai stepped forward awkwardly. "I—uh, I had class. You said you were working?"
"I finished early." Bast's eyes didn't leave him. "Wanted to check on your test results. They're out."
Elina looked between them, confused. "Test results?"
Kai panicked for a second. "Just… some routine stuff."
Bast smiled tightly. "Important routine stuff."
"I'll meet you later," Kai quickly told Elina.
She nodded, a little unsure, and walked away.
Miles spotted Bast before Kai did. "Hey, Mr. Vaughn!"
Bast smiled warmly, though his eyes were fixed on Kai. "How are you doing, kid?"
Miles gave his usual grin. "Always good. Always happy."
But then he turned to Kai—and his smile faded. "Dude… you okay? You look pale."
Kai forced a nod. "I'm fine."
Bast stepped closer, wrapping a hand around Kai's wrist. "We need to go, Miles."
Miles blinked at the sudden tension but nodded. "Yeah, sure. See you, Kai."
As they sat in the waiting room, Bast didn't stop looking at him. His stare was steady, unblinking—like he could see straight through the wall Kai tried so hard to rebuild.
Kai sat stiffly, jaw clenched, avoiding his eyes.
The doctor entered, flipping through the file. "Thank goodness you're both okay," she said with a kind smile. "But please, next time… use protection. It's important."
Kai's face turned crimson.
Bast leaned back and smirked, turning slightly toward Kai. "Of course. Next time, we'll use a condom."
Kai's breath caught. His pulse raced.
He stood abruptly, grabbing his bag. "If we're done, I'm leaving."
Without waiting, he walked out—cheeks burning, heart pounding.
And Bast? He followed a few steps behind, silent… but grinning.