The morning hall buzzed with footsteps, laughter, and the clang of lockers shutting, but to Sara it all blurred. Her heartbeat was steady until she turned the corner.
And froze.
There he was.
Kairo.
His tall frame leaned casually against the wall, one hand braced above a girl's head, the other tugging her closer as he kissed her like the rest of the world didn't exist. His messy dark hair fell perfectly across his forehead, his sharp jaw tilted in lazy arrogance. Girls passing by pretended not to stare, but their envy lingered in the air.
Sara's breath caught. She should've looked away. She should've walked faster toward her classroom. But she stood there, rooted, every nerve alive.
The soft sound of his chuckle carried across the corridor. Then, as if sensing her, his head turned.
Their eyes met.
Sara's pulse spiked violently. Panic surged, and she did the only thing she knew, run. Her foot twisted, ready to sprint.
"Hey—"
His voice cut through the hallway. Smooth. Deep. Dangerous.
"You."
Sara's feet stopped against her will. She clenched her fists and shut her eyes tight, as though blindness could erase him.
"Stop there."
The command wasn't loud, but it slid through her spine like ice. She opened her eyes slowly, her lashes trembling. And then… he was moving.
Kairo left the other girl standing stunned at the wall and stalked toward Sara with lazy, unhurried strides, like a predator that already knew its prey couldn't escape.
Sara kept her gaze lowered to the tiled floor, but his shadow fell over her. Close. Too close.
"What's your name?"
Her lips parted, no sound came. She stared at her shoes, clutching her books to her chest like a shield.
He wasn't patient. Two fingers caught her chin, tilting her face up. Her resistance crumbled the moment their gazes locked.
Those eyes. Sharp, unrelenting green. They didn't just look at her, they consumed her, like they could swallow her entire existence if he willed it.
"I asked you," his voice dropped, velvet and edged with command. "What's your name?"
Her throat tightened. "S… Sara."
The smirk curved his mouth instantly, like he had tasted victory.
"Sara," he repeated slowly, dragging out each syllable as though memorizing it, savoring it. "Aren't you the one who barged into my room yesterday… at the club?"
Her stomach dropped. The memory crashed back, the wrong door, the chaos, the sight of him sprawled on that couch with a girl
She lowered her head again in shame, but his grip tilted it back up. His touch was light, yet it left her trembling.
"Yes or no?" His tone was sharper this time.
Her lips quivered. "Y-yes… but I didn't mean to."
"Oh, really?" His smirk widened, teasing, cruelly amused. "Because from what I remember, you didn't exactly look away. In fact…" He leaned closer, his breath warm against her skin. "…you seemed like you liked what you saw yesterday."
Blood rushed to her face. Her ears burned. Her heart hammered so loud she was sure he could hear it.
"No— I— I wasn't—" she stammered, but her voice broke.
Kairo chuckled darkly. "Cute."
She tried to step back, to flee again, but before she could, his hand shot out, hooking the strap of her backpack. The pull yanked her backward, stumbling, straight into him.
Her spine collided with his chest. His scent wrapped around her, spice, leather, danger. His breath ghosted her ear.
Sara went rigid.
"Why do you always run away whenever you see me?" His voice dropped lower, intimate, taunting.
She swallowed hard, words stuck in her throat. Silence was safer. Silence was survival.
But silence only amused him more.
He leaned closer, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear, the heat of his breath making her knees weak. "Next time you find me… don't run away." His whisper curled like smoke, soft and lethal. "Instead… just join me."
Her eyes widened, her heart slamming against her ribs. She barely breathed.
Kairo laughed softly at her stunned reaction, his chuckle vibrating against her back. He shifted just enough to tilt his head, and before she could move,
Warmth grazed her cheek.
A kiss. Quick, fleeting. But enough to ignite every nerve in her body.
Her vision blurred. Heat surged to her head. And then,
Darkness.
Her knees buckled, the world tilted, and Sara collapsed against him, her body surrendering to the overwhelming storm he had unleashed inside her.
"Hey—" Kairo's voice broke its lazy calm, suddenly sharper as he caught her in his arms before she hit the floor.
For once, his cocky smirk faltered. He stared down at the girl in his arms, unconscious, her lashes trembling against her flushed cheeks.
And something flickered in his eyes.
Not victory. Not amusement.
But something far more dangerous.