Sunrise Whispers...
I woke up earlier than usual,, my heart oddly light,, as if it had been waiting for this exact moment... The sky outside was still wrapped in darkness,, but the thought of watching the sunrise filled me with excitement. There was something magical about seeing the world bathe in golden light while everyone else was asleep. Without much thought,, I grabbed my phone and decided to call Lily... She always claimed to love nature—let's see if she really meant it,.
The call rang,, once… twice… no answer.
I frowned,,Maybe she was too deep in sleep.
Not wanting to give up,, I called Mike... To my surprise,, he picked up immediately.
"Hello??" I greeted.
A few seconds later,, Lily's irritated voice burst from the background,, "Why are you calling us in the middle of the night??!"
I chuckled. "Lily,, it's not midnight. It's 4 AM. Morning!"
"Ugh, 4 AM is midnight,," she groaned. "Let us sleep,, Rimi."
"No way,," I said,, stubborn and energized. "We're going for a walk... I want to see the sunrise."
"Why—" she started,, but I interrupted her cheerfully.
"We're going for a walk to see the sunrise. No arguments..."
Lily sighed dramatically. "Fine,. Meet you in an hour."
"One hour?? Okay, fine."
"Be ready,," she warned groggily.
"Okay!!" I hung up and giggled.
I headed to the bathroom and took a refreshing shower,, the cool water waking me up fully. I slipped into my gym outfit,, tied my hair into a messy ponytail,, and walked over to feed my little kitten,, who purred softly and rubbed against my leg... After feeding her,, I heard my phone ring again.
Lily...
I picked up. "Yeah??"
"Where are you?? We're waiting downstairs! Come on!!"
"Hold on! I'm coming!!"
I scooped my kitten into my arms,, locked the door behind me,, and hurried downstairs. As I reached the ground floor and the elevator doors opened,, I saw Lily standing with Mike... I waved,, smiling.
"Hello!!" I greeted them.
"Hello,," Lily replied,, but before I could say anything else,, a soft voice came from behind me.
"Hello..."
I turned around and saw Adrian standing there,, his smile dazzling even in the dim light. My breath caught for a second as I looked into his deep,, ocean-like eyes. I smiled without realizing..
But before I could say anything,, someone stepped between us.
Luka...
"Hello,, beautiful,," he said with a grin,, his eyes raking over me playfully.
I blinked in surprise,, then looked at Lily. "Are we going to a party?? Why did you call everyone??"
Lily raised her hands in defense. "I only called Luka..."
Mike shrugged. "He said Adrian could come too,, so I called him..."
I narrowed my eyes at Mike. He just gave me an innocent smile...
"Never mind,," I mumbled. "Let's go,, the sun will rise in thirty minutes..."
"The sun is already here,," Luka said,, smiling at me. "Right in front of me..."
I blushed as he stared at me unabashedly, then stepped closer and gently took the kitten from my arms.. Before I could even react,, Adrian moved closer to me,, standing a little too near...
Lily noticed and giggled quietly...
"Let's just go,," I muttered, feeling the warmth rise in my cheeks.
We walked toward the nearby bridge,, the sky beginning to lighten,, The soft hues of orange and purple painted the horizon beautifully. As we reached the bridge,, we stood in silence,, admiring nature's masterpiece.
Luka kept sneaking glances at me,, and Adrian subtly nudged him away every time,, It was like a silent battle—one I found both amusing and confusing.
I couldn't help but laugh softly at their antics. Adrian noticed and smiled,, then gently took the kitten from Luka's arms and held her close,, stroking her fur.
As the sun peeked above the horizon,, I found myself lost in memories. A familiar warmth spread through me,, reminding me of the mornings I used to spend watching the sunrise with my childhood friend,, I felt a soft pang in my chest and glanced at Adrian,, standing so close.
Could he be…?
Before I could dive too deep into the thought,, Adrian caught me staring...
"How long are you going to stare at me??" he asked,, amusement dancing in his voice.
Flustered,, I quickly looked away. But then he leaned in,, his voice a whisper.
"Am I that handsome that you can't stop staring??"
I blushed hard,, turning my face away...
When I didn't reply,, he chuckled. His smile only made it worse. I risked a glance at him and saw those eyes again—those endless,, soulful eyes that pulled me in like waves.
I quickly looked at Lily,, who caught my gaze and burst into laughter.
She knew...
I turned to Adrian again—only to find him blushing too...
"What's so funny??" Luka asked,, his voice tinged with irritation.
Adrian gave Luka a look sharp enough to slice steel,, but held back.
"Nothing,," Lily said innocently.
Luka narrowed his eyes. "Uh-huh,, I see."
Lily burst out laughing again,, and I joined her this time. Adrian's ears turned red...
"You remember,," Lily added with a mischievous grin,, "you two have to practice today. Together. All day..."
Adrian shot her a look. "Thanks for the reminder..."
I tried to stay composed,, but it was hopeless. Adrian's stare,, Lily's teasing—it was all too much.
Luka tilted his head. "What are you two practicing together??"
Adrian snapped back,,clearly irritated. "Yeah, what's so shocking??"
Luka raised an eyebrow. "Nothing..."
"Then shut your mouth,," Adrian said sharply.
Luka stepped closer. "What do you mean?? I'm protecting Rimi. From you..."
I blinked, startled. "Wait,, what??"
Before I could process Luka's words,, Adrian draped his arm around my shoulder protectively...
"Protecting her?? From me??" Adrian scoffed and turned to Mike. "We know,, right??"
Mike raised his hands. "Yeah,, yeah."
"Stop behaving like kids!!" Lily scolded. "Seriously?? "
Adrian tightened his grip slightly on my shoulder,, then looked at me with soft,, almost boyish eyes.
I whispered , "You're like a kid."
He replied instantly,, "Yeah. I act like a kid when I'm with you..."
I turned to him,, meeting his gaze. My heart skipped a beat...
Lily cleared her throat loudly. "Let's go,, lovebirds."
Adrian flushed...
"We're not lovebirds,," I said quickly. "Just friends..."
Lily laughed. "Are you sure??"
"Yeah,," I said,, but I wasn't so sure anymore.
Adrian leaned closer and whispered,, "Let's go. We have to practice..."
"I remember,," I replied,, smirking. "I have to tolerate you."
"Oh, really??"
"Yeah."
He grinned. "Let's go back..."
As we walked,, I could feel Luka's eyes on us the entire time.
When we reached the hotel,, Lily stopped us. "Now go change. Rimi, wear something that flows—like a gown... You need the form for dancing."
"Okay,," I nodded and headed to my room..
After a quick,, refreshing shower,, I wore a beautiful pink and blue gown that hugged me in all the right places and flowed like a dream... I let my hair loose and applied a soft lip tint. Something inside me wanted to look nice—for Adrian???
I pushed the thought aside and walked down to the garden..
Adrian was sitting on a swing,, gently playing with the kitten,, who was curled up in his lap. I paused,, just watching him. The way he smiled,, the way the morning light touched his hair—it made my chest ache in the sweetest way..
I walked toward him and sat beside him.
"Oh,, I forgot the kitten was with you,," I said.
He looked up and smiled. "Yeah... That's why you need someone like me to take care of you..."
My heart stuttered..
That was exactly what my childhood friend used to say... kai...
"Huh??" I blinked.
He looked at me thoughtfully. "As a friend... or maybe more than a friend??"
I smirked. "More than a friend?? In your dreams."
He laughed. "Alright,, Let's go for rehearsal."
I stood up. "Yeah.."
But my mind was spiraling.
Could Adrian really be…?? Kai...
We entered the rehearsal room,, only to find Luka sitting in a chair,,arms crossed,, waiting.
Adrian's face dropped. "Why are you here??"
"I'm playing the music. So, I need to be here," Luka said,, not looking at him.
Adrian huffed. "Whatever,. I have to tolerate you too."
Luka smirked. "Guess we're even.,"
I stepped in. "Guys!! No fighting. Focus."
Adrian looked at me,, softening. "Yeah. Let's start..."
As the music began,, Adrian extended his hand toward me... I placed mine in his,, and our fingers laced together naturally. His touch was warm,, steady.
As we danced,, our eyes locked again and again. His movements matched mine,, our bodies in sync,, as if we were made to move together. Every spin,, every lift,, every glance held a thousand unspoken words.
Luka's fingers paused on the music player.. I saw his jaw tense.
Adrian leaned in during a lift and whispered,, "You feel like home."
My heart stilled.
Maybe,, just maybe… he really was my kai...
And if he was,, how long had he been waiting for me to realize???
To be continue...