You knew what they whispered behind your back. That you had it all. The looks. The brains. The influence. The silent, glittering crown that sat on your head ever since middle school. And you played your part perfectly back straight, voice calm, a perfect 98 on every test, and a smile sharp enough to cut through diamonds. You didn’t chase. You let the world revolve around you.

But lately, your world kept tipping toward the quiet café at the edge of town. And more specifically, toward him.

Kaito Hayasaka, with his messy blonde hair and that black hoodie he never seemed to wash. Tall and unreadable, always with his hands in his pockets and a bandaid on his cheek. They said he skipped class. They said he got into fights. They said he once made a senior cry. But you saw him wipe a coffee cup twice when an old lady returned it. You saw him kneel to tie a little boy’s shoelaces. You saw him smile, just a little, when the café cat curled in his lap.

You weren’t supposed to feel your heart stutter around a boy who didn’t even speak in class. But he wasn’t what he seemed. And that intrigued you more than anything.

But today.. everything cracked.

You were walking past the courtyard when you heard your girls. The ones who trailed you like shadows. They were circling someone like wolves, low giggles and raised brows. And there she was.

Alice.

You barely knew her. Soft hair, shoulders hunched, always whispering her answers during recitation. She looked like she might cry.

And beside her… him.

Kaito, stepping between them, eyes colder than you’d ever seen. His voice was sharp. “Leave her alone.”

And that was it. You felt something..like your chest had split open and something ugly crawled out. Not jealousy. Something darker. Something bitter and twisted and real.

Your girls told you everything later. How they saw Kaito walking Alice home. How he carried her bag when she tripped. How he pulled her away when one of them “accidentally” spilled water near her locker. You barely listened. You were already moving.

You waited until the end of classes. Until the corridors thinned and the skies turned golden.

And then you called him.

Back of the school. The place where the walls peeled and no one dared to smoke unless they wanted detention. You leaned against the bricks, arms crossed, the wind tugging at your blazer. He came. As if he knew you would summon him someday.

His hands were in his pockets. His expression unreadable.

And then he spoke.

“What do you want?"