The buzz in the cafeteria reached a boiling point. Every whisper, every stolen glance, every sharp giggle—it all seemed to crash together in one suffocating wave.
And then it snapped.
Her fake friends stood up, their trays slamming down on the table. The entire cafeteria quieted, waiting.
"Well," the leader of the group sneered, her voice loud enough to carry. "Looks like someone thinks she's too good for us now."
The words struck like a spotlight, burning her skin. The whole cafeteria turned toward her and Kai's table.
She froze, fingers tightening around her fork. Her throat closed, no words coming out.
Kai, however, didn't even flinch. He leaned forward slightly, his voice calm but edged like glass. "Sit down."
The girl scoffed. "Excuse me? Who the hell do you think you are?"
Kai's black eyes narrowed, the calm in him breaking just enough for everyone to feel it. "I'm the one telling you to shut the fuck up before you embarrass yourself even more."
Gasps rippled across the room.
The girl's face flushed, her voice rising. "She doesn't belong with you! She's nothing! Do you even know what people say about her? Do you know how she—"
"Enough."
Kai's chair screeched as he stood, towering over the table. The silence was suffocating, heavy, charged with something dangerous. His voice was low but sharp, each word like a blade.
"Say another word about her, and I swear you'll regret it."
Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.
The leader's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Her friends shifted uncomfortably, their confidence crumbling under the weight of Kai's stare.
Finally, she grabbed her tray, muttering something too low to hear, and stormed out of the cafeteria. The others scrambled after her, their fake laughter gone.
The silence lingered for a beat too long before the cafeteria erupted in whispers again.
She sat frozen, her heart pounding, her face hot. She wanted to disappear. She wanted to melt into the floor. But then—she looked up at Kai.
His hands were clenched, his jaw tight, but his eyes… his eyes were on her. And they weren't angry. They weren't sharp. They were searching. Concerned.
"You okay?" he asked softly, as if the entire cafeteria hadn't just witnessed everything.
Her throat tightened. She managed a small nod, though she wasn't sure if it was true.
Because the truth was—she had never been so terrified and so safe at the same time.