The silence from the last clash still hung heavy, like smoke that refused to clear.
Ayan walked away first, sharp steps echoing against the corridor walls, his shoulders squared as if the world itself was beneath him.
But before he could reach the exit, a shadow shifted in his path.
Kairo.
He didn't speak at once. He didn't need to. The way he leaned casually against the wall, blocking just enough space to make passing difficult, said everything.
"Move," Ayan said, voice low, ice dripping from every syllable.
Kairo's lips tugged into a slow smile. "You really don't know how to ask nicely, do you?"
Their eyes clashed. Cold steel against simmering fire.
Neither gave ground.
Ayan sidestepped left — Kairo matched the motion. Sidestepped right — the same. His calm smirk was an infuriating contrast to the storm tightening in Ayan's chest.
"You don't get to stand in my way," Ayan snapped.
"That's the funny part," Kairo murmured, tone lazy but eyes sharp. "I already am."
Ayan reached for the doorknob, jaw tight, but his hand froze when Kairo's palm pressed down over his. Not a grab. Not domination. Just enough weight to keep him there.
The air tightened, too hot, too close. Ayan refused to flinch.
"Do you enjoy wasting my time?" he asked, voice razor-sharp.
"Only yours," Kairo said, leaning forward just slightly, his breath brushing Ayan's cheek. "It's the most entertaining part of my day."
Their hands burned where they touched. Neither moved first.
And then — just as quick — Kairo let go. He stepped back, sweeping an arm in a mock invitation, as if granting freedom he never truly intended to give.
"Go ahead," he said quietly, smile fading into something darker. "But don't forget… you'll see me again."
Ayan's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond. He pushed the door open, spine rigid, leaving without a backward glance.
---
That night—
Ayan sat on his bed, staring at his dark phone screen, refusing to admit the silence unsettled him.
Kairo lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, a single word on his lips.
"Ayan."
The silence between them wasn't absence.
It was a tether — one neither could cut.
---
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