The final bell rang, and the hallways flooded with students rushing for the exits, voices bouncing off the lockers. She moved with the crowd, head down, but her chest tightened when she spotted him.
Kai.
He leaned casually against the wall near the doors, his black hair falling slightly into his eyes. Every passing group of girls stole glances at him, whispering, giggling, trying to catch his attention. But his gaze was steady, fixed only on her.
Her steps faltered.
When she got closer, he pushed himself off the wall and walked toward her, ignoring the stares he drew.
"You didn't answer me earlier," he said quietly, his voice cutting through the noise of the hallway.
She blinked, confused. "Answer you?"
His lips curved into a small, almost teasing smile. "When I asked how you're really doing. Back in the library. You dodged it."
Heat rushed to her face. "I—I didn't dodge it. I just…" She trailed off, fumbling for words.
Kai leaned closer, his voice dropping low enough that only she could hear. "You don't have to lie to me. Not when I can see it all over your face."
Her breath caught. He was too close—close enough that she caught the faint scent of him, something clean and warm that made her stomach twist.
"You shouldn't say stuff like that here," she whispered, glancing around nervously. A group of girls had stopped near the lockers, staring openly, their eyes burning with curiosity and envy.
Kai followed her gaze, then looked back at her, unbothered. "Let them look. I don't care about them."
Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. Nobody had ever said that before—nobody had ever dismissed the opinions of others so easily. It scared her. It thrilled her.
She tried to step back, to put space between them, but Kai reached out, his hand brushing her wrist. The touch was feather-light, but it sent a jolt straight through her.
"You're not as invisible as you think," he said, his voice low, intense. "Not to me."
She froze, unsure what to do with the way her body reacted—the warmth creeping into her cheeks, the way her throat felt tight, the wild beat of her heart. It was too much. Too new.
And yet… she didn't pull away.
Not right away.