Jodi: which means either you date all of us...
or none of us
Shit.
You quickly think through it, beginning to worry as you consider the consequences of this unexpected revelation.
I wasn't planning on breaking up with Poki, Rae, Jodi, or Aria...
But what if that changes in the future?
Even worse, what if they add even more girls to this... pact?
I feel like I'm suddenly the enemy now... I need to address this before it gets out of hand.
You pull your knees up to your chest and slow your breathing.
"Are you good?" Leena asks, snapping you back to reality.
"I need to go home," you blurt, quickly getting off her bed and standing up.
"Nu-uh. It's past 1 in the morning. Just stay the night... and keep me some company."
"...I'm sorry, Leena, but I don't know if I have that much time to spare," you cryptically respond.
You throw on your clothes while Leena watches you closely.
"Fine. Just drive safely," she resigns. "Oh, and before you go," she says as you place one hand on the bedroom doorknob.
"Hmm?"
"I'll still be your manager. If... you still want that."
You turn back to look at her.
"...thanks."
...
As you pull into your driveway, you see Poki's bedroom lights dimly shining through the window.
Good thing Imane's still up. I really need to talk to someone about this...
You park your car and take a deep breath, trying to come up with how to respond. You pull out your phone and read the messages again, feeling your chest clench.
Taking a deep breath, you get out and walk into your house, absentmindedly walking up the stairs as you continue mulling over their words.
You knock three times on Imane's door.
"Come in!"
You swing open the door and freeze as four pairs of eyes stare back at you.
"Oh..."
Poki gulps, and the rest of the girls momentarily pause.
"...didn't think you'd be back so soon..." Rae mutters under her breath.
"I think we need to talk," you say as you step in and close the door behind you, not giving them the chance to refuse.
The tension in the room grows as the girls focus their attention on you, and you can feel their nerves rising, as were yours.
"What you said in those messages..." You start as you sit down. "I..." You pause.
"I'm sorry if we scared you," Jodi blurts out, not liking the anxious uncertainty written on your face. "We just wanted to..." She sighs. "...i don't know..."
"Is all this just because I broke up with a few girls?" You finally ask the burning question.
Poki sighs and looks down.
"...we were just a little afraid..." Rae says from the other side of the room, biting her bottom lip.
"Of what? We've been through so much together, each of us! Do you really think I'd just abandon any of you like that?" You point out, expecting to be met with confident head-shakes.
Instead, the four girls look around at each other silently, not wanting to say what was on their minds.
Rae, the most expressive, and thus the worst liar of them all, tries to hide her eyes from your shocked gaze.
"Y-you... really think...?" You mumble out, bewildered.
What have I...
"No! We don't think that!" Aria finally interrupts your train of thought, seeing what direction your thoughts were heading. She grabs onto your arm until you turn your head toward her. "None of us think that you'd want to do that. It's just that... you're still over your limit. As long as you still have to cut some people out, we'll always be afraid that... one of us will be next..." She admits.
"Yeah. We just don't know how many of us you want to keep," Jodi follows.
"And that thought made me... us... insecure," Poki finishes.
"So..." You rub your temples and sigh. "What would it take for you to be confident in our relationship?"
"Well, if you have a final list, one that you promise that you'll stick to... then I would feel a lot better," Poki says, clearly having thought this through beforehand.
"Yeah. A complete one. One that you're truly happy with and that you'll never stray from," Aria affirms.
"And one... that includes me," Jodi cheekily says, making the girls smile. "Just kidding. Listen to your heart."
"Ok... ok." You take a slow breath, feeling the renewed weight of the seemingly never-ending task of making impossible choices lying on your shoulders. "I should go."
The girls don't say a word as you silently stand up and leave, but their hearts swell with sorrow as you walk off with a dejected posture.
"I feel so bad," Rae says, putting her head in her hands. "What were we thinking? We're just making everything harder for him."
"It'll be difficult for him. But it's what needed to happen," Poki responds. "Better now than later."
"And... what if he breaks up with one of us? Will we keep up this... pact?" Jodi asks.
"I don't think so - not after everything we just discussed. If he lets us go, he lets us go," Poki decides.
The room falls silent as the girls think it through, slowly coming to the same conclusion.
...
You return to your bathroom, trying to stop your thoughts from driving you crazy. You barely notice as you turn the shower dial all the way to the cold side and strip off your clothes.
As the freezing water splashes your body, you gratefully let the sensation gradually numb your skin.
A final list.
I guess I knew this would happen. Just not this soon.
But despite the crushing weight of the task ahead of you, you ruminate on other topics while you scrub yourself down, and that thought floats to the back of your mind.
...
You step out of the shower, towel yourself down, and slowly head out. You pause for a second as you see that Imane's bedroom light was still on, but the voices coming from the room had gotten significantly quieter.
Maybe I should...
No. There's no point. There's only one way to fix this now.
You lay down on your bed, pull yourself under the blanket, and rest your head on your pillow, settling into your mattress.
Now, if only I can get some sleep...
The door creaks open an inch, and a silhouetted figure slowly peers in.
"Are you still awake?" Rae whispers.
"Mmhmm," you grunt from underneath your blanket, still staring at the ceiling.
She steps inside and gently closes the door behind her.
"Can I... ask you for a selfish favor?"
You pull your head up to look at her figure, unable to make out her features due to the light emanating from behind her.
"Sure?"
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" She softly asks.
"...why?"
"Because I love you."
Her jarring words hang in the air for a moment.
"...yeah. But... what about everything we just talked about?" You ask, a little shaken up by her bluntness.
She reaches your bed and crawls onto the sheets.
"I love you," she repeats. "That won't change anytime soon, even if you don't want me anymore."
"Rae..."
She pulls the blanket aside for her to slip underneath it, and she gently clutches your sides as she lays down on your chest.
"I want you to love me too. But..." She sniffles and blinks a few times. "Even if you don't... I think I always will." A single tear finally finds its way out and streams down her face until it lands on your shirt.
You hold her close, wrapping your arms around her.
"I haven't been as honest as I should have been because I've been afraid that you'll let me go. But... I love you with all my heart," she continues.
"Rae, I'm not going to-"
"No. Don't say that." She picks her head up, and you look deeply into her quivering eyes. "I'm sorry that I'm doing this," she sighs. "I just don't know what else to do, how else to say this... But don't say what you're about to. You're not sure yet."
"Rae..." You reach out and cup her cheeks, brushing a tear away. She softens into your grip, and you feel a sense of confidence wash over you as you lovingly clutch her against you. "I'm sure."
"...what?"
The next few seconds feel like hours as Rae hesitates with bated breath.
"I'm sure. I want you in my life. I'm never, ever letting you go."
She begins to shake her head, but she slowly stops.
"...are you sure?" She whispers, almost as if afraid of hearing your answer.
"I wouldn't say this to anyone else... not yet. But with you... Rae, I feel ready. I've felt ready. When I think of my future, I always see you in it, no matter who else is there too. I... love you."
The warm breath blowing on your neck slowly becomes staggered as she begins to let her tears loose. You let one fall too, feeling a powerful relief fall over you as you confirm that every word you had spilled was completely, utterly true.
"Rae, you're my number 1. You've always been. I'm sorry if I ever scared you or made you feel like you weren't," you continue emptying your heart out. "I care about you so much."
She sobs even harder, now clutching your shirt as you kiss her forehead.
"...i love you..." She mumbles out, still crying.
"I love you too."
"...i wanna marry you..." She cries out, letting out a few giggles between her happy tears.
You smile. "Ha. Well, we'll see about that one day. For now... I think we should get some rest."
She nods and snuggles up further onto you until her head lays in the crook of your neck.
"Sorry about your shirt," she says, sniffling and wiping her eyes.
You giggle and gently rub her cheek with your thumb, soothing her and slowly lulling her to sleep. "Don't worry about it."
You close your eyes, finally taking in the strange feeling of knowing you were now headed down the path of permanence, and that nothing would ever be the same.
...
"Rae, you're my number 1. You've always been."
She feels her heart clench as she hears your words, and she quickly pulls her ear away from the door, not wanting to hear any more of your love talk.
She's... his number 1...
No. Don't do this. He... loves you too. Remember that.
She squeezes and releases her hands, trying to unravel the tension pulling on her heart strings.
Unable to resist the temptation, she rests her ear against the door once more.
"...i wanna marry you..."
"Ha. Well, we'll see about that one day."
She clasps her hand over her mouth and forces herself away from the door before she can make a sound, and then quickly scampers down the hallway.
...
"Mmm...sleepy..." Rae groans, holding onto you.
"Rae, we need to get up," you gently say, with a grin plastered on your face as you admire how cute she looked.
"Mmm... stop moving my pillow..."
"Rae... I'm your pillow."
"Huh?" She finally opens her eyes and laughs drowsily as she lays back down on your chest. "You're right. You are my pillow..."
"Yup. Now can I stop being your pillow?"
"No."
"..."
"Five more minutes."
You sigh and lay back down, letting her sigh and bury her bedhead into your warmth again.
...
"You're joining us on the yacht trip, right?" Rae asks, turning to you as she sits up in bed.
"What yacht trip?"
"..."
"..."
She exaggeratedly sighs and rolls her eyes.
"Listen, I've been a little busy lately..." You try to justify.
"Yeah, yeah, you're the busiest man in the world, I know," she sarcastically rolls out.
"I'm not the busiest..." You rebut.
"I know, that was sarcasm-"
"But I am the luckiest."
She rests her forehead on her hand as you try to stifle your giggles.
"Wow. Just... wow."
"Aww, come on, not even a pity laugh?"
"Not for you, mister," she teases as she wraps her arms around her neck and brings you in.
"Wait!" She pulls away at the last second. "So are you coming?"
"Sure," you decide.
"Yay!"
...
Wow. This is a big yacht. Who's paying for this again?
You walk onboard, seeing a few girls already getting set up in Instagram-worthy poses.
Poor Brodin. He's gonna be busy...
You wait in line and watch as Rae nervously places one foot on the edge of the boat, feeling a smile grace your lips as she nervously hops on and sighs in relief.
You carefully follow her, smiling as she takes your hand and helps you on.
"Are you excited?"
"Of course!" You truthfully say as you see more familiar faces surround you.
"Well, now that you're here... wanna help me take some pictures?" She asks, leaning on your shoulder.
"Yeah, I... I..."
Rae pulls away and looks up at you as your voice trails off, seeing your nervous gaze locked elsewhere.
She follows your eyes to the other side of the yacht and sees Kyedae and Leslie chatting as they look out over the water.
You clutch her hand and begin to turn away.
"No," she stops you. "Don't run from this."
"But... the whole trip? I can't..." You plead.
"You'll have to do this eventually. You can't avoid them forever," she says.
You lower your head.
"I'll stick with you," Rae promises, trying to pick your head up.
You turn away, not wanting either of them to see you.
"Ok. I just... don't know what to say."
"Don't worry about what to say. Just be honest."
Easier said than done.
You nod and keep your gaze down at your feet.
"I think you can start now..." Rae cryptically says, making you look up in confusion.
"OH! Kyedae!" You jolt, seeing the younger woman now standing beside you with a pleasant smile.
"Hi. Can we... talk? Alone?" She asks you, glancing sideways at Rae.
"Oh, um... yeah. Sure."
You walk with her a few steps away from the crowd, feeling your strength slipping as you get further from Rae.
Once she had pulled you to a private corner, she finally speaks up. "I wanted to say thank you."
"W-what?!?" You blurt out, looking up.
"After... everything that happened... I had a lot of time to think. About us, and my past relationship."
"Ok..." You mutter, not sure where she was going with this.
"I think I've learned a lot about myself, and... about what I want."
"...what are you trying to say?" You ask, unable to take the tension for much longer.
"I got back together with Tyson. He... isn't happy with what you and I did, but we're working on it."
"Oh... Wow. That's amazing - I'm... I'm happy for you, Kyedae," you earnestly say.
"Thank you." She looks down.
"But why... did you thank me? I mean, I almost ruined everything..."
"No, you didn't. I almost ruined everything. I made the mistake, and I'll take responsibility for it. I'm thanking you for... being kind, and letting me go when we realized we should."
You slowly nod, understanding what she meant.
"Listen, we can talk more about this later if you'd like. But I don't want you to feel guilty any longer." She brings you in for a gentle hug, and you gladly return it.
"Thanks, Kyedae," you whisper as you rest your chin on her shoulder.
"But..." She hesitates as she pulls away.
"Hmm?"
"I think there's someone else you should talk to right now, who might need it more..." She says, tilting her head and jutting her chin toward the end of the boat, where Leslie was standing. She was looking toward the two of you, but she instantly snaps her gaze back to the water once she realized you noticed her.
"Talk things out, but be gentle with her, ok?"
You nod.
"I'll talk to you later."
You gulp as Kyedae walks away.
I have to talk to her. For her sake.
"Here you are!" A voice rings out from behind you.
"Janet!" You exclaim, taken aback by the unexpected feeling as she kisses you on the back of your neck. "How are you?"
She kisses you once more on the lips once you turn around.
"I'm doing grrreat! Hey vlog, check out the view! Isn't this amazing? We haven't even left the pier yet and the water looks so beautiful!" She holds her phone out carefully over the edge of the yacht.
"Wait, you're... vlogging?" You ask.
"Yeah!"
"Did you... record our kiss?" You hesitantly ask.
"...maybe. Why?" She asks, turning the recording off.
"I mean, we're not exactly public yet..."
"Well, I think this is a pretty good way to make it public..." She smiles.
"...oh..."
"Why, do you still want to hide it? I mean, a few of your relationships are already public. I just wanna show you off a little..." She grins.
"Yeah, I suppose... um..." you hesitate. "Not right now."
"Wait... what?"
"I don't know if I'm... ready yet," you say, clearing your throat.
Janet swallows nervously, and you see an all-too-familiar fear glint in her eyes as you force a smile.
"Oh. That's... ok," she slowly says, pursing her lips. "Yeah. I'll... just... um..."
"Janet, I-"
"Gotta go!" She awkwardly scrambles away, but instead of experiencing the sinking feeling you expect, you feel an unfamiliar numbness overtake you.
You keep your eyes out over the ocean, not noticing when Janet glances back at you over her shoulder.
Eventually, you return your gaze to where Leslie was, only to realize she had disappeared from her spot.
...
The boat had been slowly chugging along for a few hours now, and the seawater continued to slide smoothly around the ship's hull as it cuts through the waves. You stare out at the water, mesmerized by how it flowed and ebbed.
"Hey!" You feel a tap on your shoulder.
"Jaime! I didn't know you were here!" You exclaim as you turn around.
Your eyes briefly pass over her white crop top and jean shorts before returning to her dark, slightly wavy hair and her pleasant smile.
"Yeah, uh, I came a little late..."
"Ah, I see. Well, how are you? It's been a while since we last spoke..."
"Uh huh, it... has..." She slowly responds, turning a little red.
Why is she...?
OH NO. Fuck, I completely forgot.
The memory of the last lustful conversation you had with her pops into your mind, and you recall how brazenly you had thrust yourself into her throat while letting your hormones take over.
"Are you ok?" She asks as you space out.
"Um...yeah. I think I should... probably apologize for that. I'm really sorry for how I left things with you..."
She stares at you in confusion.
"You know... when we..."
She blinks twice, not understanding.
"The last time we met! At that party. Jodi and Sydney brought you along..."
"Uh-huh."
"And then... we..."
"Hooked up," she plainly responds, nodding. "What's wrong with that?"
"Well, yes, But then in the morning..." You turn red and bring her off to the side, not wanting to keep talking out in the open.
"...?"
"You really don't remember?"
She shrugs.
"I... we..."
You sigh and resign to having to awkwardly stutter out an explanation to her.
"We woke up in a certain position... and I... face-fucked you..."
"Hahaha!" She doubles over in a fit of laughter. "Oh, the look on your face is sooooo good!"
"Wha-?"
"Ha! You look so cute when you're all shy and awkward, you know that?"
"Wait, what?!?" You ask, bemused.
"Of course I remember what happened! I just wanted you to say it," she admits, smirking.
You blink, realizing she had completely duped you.
"Wait, so does that mean... you're not mad?" You ask.
"Mad? Why would I be mad?!?"
"Well... I feel like I forced that on you."
"Forced that on me? I think I was the one jerking you off in my sleep..."
"That's... fair."
"Come on, don't be silly. I loved that just as much as you."
"Oh. That's... good."
You stare out at the setting sun, watching as the half of the yacht you were standing on slowly gets shaded.
"You know... everyone's eating dinner downstairs..." She says.
"Oh, right. We can join them-"
"Or..." she interjects, clutching your arm as you try to walk past her. "Since we're all alone up here..." She raises an eyebrow suggestively.
"...what are you suggesting?" You ask, grinning slightly.
She steps closer to you, running the back of her hand up your shirt and placing it gingerly on your shoulder.
"Hmm... I think you know exactly what I'm suggesting..." She whispers as she leans in until your lips remain just a few inches apart.
Her hand wraps around to the back of your neck, and you let her warm fingers pull you closer.
"We could continue where we left off..."
You close your eyes as you prepare to feel her soft lips on yours.
"Actually, you're right. I'm kinda hungry."
She pulls away and starts walking back, leaving you bewildered.
"Wha- Jamie!"
"Hmm? You aren't hungry?"
Her eyes sparkle with humor, and you shake your head as she bites back a smile.
"I see how it is, Jamie. If you're gonna tease me like that, the least you can do is treat me to some dinner..."
"Tease you? Me?"
"..."
"Come on, let's get a table before they're all gone," she giggles.
...
As you walk down the stairs to the dining area, you freeze as you notice someone you had nearly forgotten about in the flurry of the past few days walking across the room.
His eyes look up and lock with yours, and though you instantly look away, he quickly reroutes his path towards you, and you silently curse the timing.
No, no, no, not now! I don't want a public fight...
"Hey!" Toast yells, briefly attracting attention from people sitting nearby.
You gulp nervously as he strides toward you with a determined step.
"Toast, I..."
"I have something to say to you..." He mutters as he walks closer.
Oh fuck. I'm dead. Well, at least it's on a glamorous yacht... not the worst way to go.
He finally reaches you, and he reaches one hand up, making you flinch.
His hand uncurls and comes to rest on your shoulder.
"Hey, I just wanted to say that... I'm sorry for everything that happened between us. I know I was kind of an ass, and that brought out the worst in both of us. But I hope that we can put all that behind us," he says in a hopeful tone.
He briefly smiles, clearly in a good mood.
"Can we call a truce?" He smiles, holding out his other hand.
Your hand automatically rises to meet his, and he gives your noodle arm a firm shake.
"Nice. Isn't this such a cool yacht?" He asks, quickly changing the topic as he looks up and around.
"..."
"Alright, well, I gotta go. Can't keep the ladies at my table waiting too long," he winks.
He walks away with an upbeat step, humming along to the soft, ambient music around the dinner tables.
What. The. Fuck. Is. Happening.
"Hey, are you gonna eat or not?" Jamie asks, taking her seat a few feet away.
Is he high? Has he gone crazy?
"Hello? Is there someone alive in there?" Jamie chuckles.
Maybe someone brainwashed him? Did an alien overlord capture him and alter his-
"You look like a deer in headlights. Come on, sit down with me," Jaime soothingly says, coaxing you into following her while your thoughts continue racing.
What if Miyoung-
"HEY!"
Jamie finally snaps you out of your stupor, but your final thought leaves you with an uncomfortable feeling.
"The greens are really good. Try 'em," she says as she digs in. "You want some of mine?"
"No, no, I'm f-fine..." You stumble out as you clumsily pick up your fork.
Fuck. I can't just relax and eat after... whatever that was.
You pick up the wine bottle resting at the center of the table, pour yourself a large glass, and down it all in massive gulps, making Jamie pause mid-bite to watch.
You set your glass down and wipe your lips.
Much better.
...
Jaime giggles and sits back in her seat.
"How was your food?" You ask.
"Amazing. And the wine was really good too." She puckers her lips and savors the lingering taste. "But I think you knew that already..."
"Hey, come on!" You laugh. "I just needed to take the edge off a little."
"What was that about, anyway?" She asks.
"Well... kind of a long story."
"We have time..." Jamie says, checking her phone. "You don't have to, but I'd... like to spend tonight with you. At least until we get back to shore."
"...yeah, I'd like that too," you respond.
"Do you know any places we can be alone?" She asks.
"Why? So you can tease me more?"
"...maybe," she snickers.
"Let's go up to the viewing deck. We might have some privacy there."
She stands up and beckons for you to follow.
As you stand up and follow her, a pair of small, watchful eyes look up from her table to see you walking out with Jaime, and she keeps her gaze on the two of you until you leave her sight.
...
Jamie's hand rests on your chest as she leans in for another kiss. You brush her hair over her ear and cup her cheek as you bring her in closer, feeling her smooth jaw and chin jut out as she presses her lips against yours.
The surrounding view was shrouded in darkness due to the lack of moonlight, and even as you looked around for a moment before settling back into Jamie's grip, you couldn't see a thing past the boat.
"Mmm, you taste like wine," she whispers into the intimate darkness. "I like it."
Feeling a slight buzz coming on, you smile and pull her in again.
The taste of her sweet lips brought with it a hint of her cherry perfume, and you soak in her presence as she remains lying with one leg draped over you on a reclined seat.
Your hand naturally slides down her waist to her legs, where you gently stroke her smooth thigh.
She shivers from your cold touch, and she places her hand on yours to warm them up.
Your kiss remains chaste and slow, and Jamie sighs in contentment as she pulls away and lays her head beside yours, looking out into the darkness.
"It's such a nice night out," she observes.
"Yeah. It's a little chilly, though."
"Well, it's a good thing we know how to warm each other up..." Her hand goes down and gently rubs your cock through your pants, making you chuckle.
"You prepared that line, didn't you?" You ask as you capture her lips again.
"Before we even sat down for dinner," she admits, giggling.
"Oh, you're naughty..."
"It's not my fault you look so good," she says, keeping her fingers on your crotch while her other hand wraps around your neck.
"Now you're just flattering me, aren't you?"
She doesn't respond, instead opting to straddle you and continue your make-out session in a slightly riskier fashion.
Her kisses become stronger, and you feel her energy increasing as her chest pushes up against you.
She softly groans as your hands glide along her petite body, and her fingers dig into your hair as she pulls you closer.
"Mmm... right there..." Jaime lets out as you kiss down to her neck, making her shudder by sucking on the soft skin.
Her hands clutch your arms for support, and she caresses your cheek.
The feeling of her light body responding to the softest of your touches excites you, and she clearly notices as you reach around and squeeze her butt through her shorts.
...
"So... are you gonna tell me what happened with you and Toast earlier?" Jamie asks.
"Yeah, sure," you sigh out. "As long as you don't stop with the kisses."
"Ha, I would never..." She affirms as she slides down and presses her lips against your jaw.
You explain to her everything that had happened between you and Toast while she continues kissing down your neck, occasionally licking your sensitive spots.
You share all the details, from the first time Toast had walked in on you and Miyoung, to this evening's events.
"...and I don't know what happened. He just seemed really... happy. He didn't look mad at all."
"Maybe he just got over her?" Jamie suggests as she unbuttons a few of your shirt buttons, kissing down your chest.
"It's possible, but after everything he did? I find that hard to believe..."
"Hmm... maybe he found a new girl?"
"Possibly... but what if Miyoung chose him? And she just hasn't told me yet?"
"I think you're overthinking now. How about I get your mind off of all of this?" She offers.
She grinds on you, rubbing herself up against the tent in your pants as she kisses you.
"Mmm, I like where this is going..." You smile as she sways her hips back and forth on top of you.
"You're not even gonna warn me about being caught?" She asks, surprised.
"Eh, it's too dark to see much of anything. As long as you don't moan too loudly, we'll be just fine..."
"Me? I think you'll be the one moaning here..." She says, proving herself right by running her hand up your inner thigh and eliciting a slight gasp from you.
...
The boat soon returns to the harbor before you and Jamie have the chance to go farther, and she reluctantly stands up.
"You're coming back to my place, right?" Jamie whispers as she stands up and brushes herself down. "Actually, I'm not giving you a choice. You're coming."
You chuckle. "I turned you on that much, hm?"
She giggles and grabs your hand. "Come on, let's get back quickly. I don't know how long I'll be able to hold back from jumping you..."
"What about everyone else?"
"Ugh, who cares about the goodbyes... They won't even notice we're gone!"
She pulls you along, climbing out of the yacht and then speed-walking along the pier.
...
"Hey, do you know where he went?" Leslie whispers to Kyedae as she leaves the yacht with the rest of the group. "I couldn't find him."
"Wait, he didn't come talk to you?" Kyedae asks, confused.
Leslie shakes her head.
"I told him to..." Kyedae sighs. "But it's ok. I'm sure he just..." Her voice trails off as she catches you out of the corner of her eye, smiling as you walk around the block, hand-in-hand with Jamie.
"He just... what?" Leslie says, looking up.
"Um... nothing. I'm sure he's just... occupied," Kyedae replies through gritted teeth, trying to hide what she had seen.
"You think he'll still want to talk to me?" Leslie asks with downcast eyes.
"Yeah. of course he will," Kyedae affirms. "I'll... make sure he does."
As Leslie nods and keeps walking, Kyedae shakes her head and mutters under her breath as you disappear behind a building.