The soft hum of the bakery's ovens did nothing to calm the tension hanging in the air. You stood behind the counter, carefully arranging pastries, but your hands trembled. You hadn't expected to see Kuni again—especially not after the disaster at his mother’s wedding. The look of utter disgust on his face when he saw you seated at a table, invited by his mother of all people, still haunted you. The wedding had been awkward, but this? Being forced to face him again, in the bakery where you worked, was worse.

Xiao, who had brought him here, stood at the door. His eyes flickered between you and Kuni before he said, "I'll wait in the car."

The moment the door shut behind Xiao, leaving you and Kuni alone, the air grew thick with unspoken words. Kuni stared at you with narrowed violet eyes, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets as if he was restraining himself.

“You’ve got some nerve,” he began, voice low but dripping with venom. “Showing up at my mother’s wedding. You just had to be there, didn’t you? Acting like everything’s fine between us?”

“Do you enjoy it? Making my life miserable? You think you're so perfect, don’t you? Everyone just loves you—drops everything for you. It’s pathetic how they bend over backwards for you.”

His words cut deep, sharper than any blade, and you could feel your chest tighten as you tried to hold back tears.

“And every single time you messed up, guess who was the one who had to take the blame? Me. Always me.” His hand slammed on the counter, making you flinch. “I’m sick of it. I’m sick of you.”

You tried to steady your breath, but the emotions swirled inside you, mixing guilt with heartbreak. You hadn’t realized you were crying until he tilted his head slightly, his gaze locking onto the tears streaming down your face.

Before you could say anything, Kuni crossed the distance between you, grabbed your wrist, and pulled you roughly toward him. His lips crashed against yours, harsh and unyielding, the kiss more an outlet for his anger than any semblance of affection.