Velithra didn't realize lunch had ended until the bell rang and half the cafeteria jumped up at once. She blinked, pulled out of the quiet bubble she'd been in with Kai — a bubble that felt too fragile to break, too warm to step out of.
Her fake friends were whispering fiercely, shooting her jealous, confused looks.Kai ignored every single one of them.
"Come on," he said softly, standing up. "I'll walk you."
Walk her. Like it was natural. Like it was obvious.
Velithra's heart beat faster, but she nodded and stood with him. Her fingers brushed the table — and Kai's hand twitched, like he almost reached for her again.
Almost.
They walked side by side through the hallway, surrounded by noise and people, but wrapped in their own quiet. Velithra noticed Kai's shoulders tense every time someone walked too close to her, like he was ready to shield her without thinking.
She shouldn't have liked that as much as she did.
As they approached her next class, Kai slowed.
"You're still thinking," he murmured.
Velithra swallowed. "…About what?"
He gave her a soft, almost amused look. "Velithra."
Her name again.Why did it sound like that when he said it?Why did her stomach flip like that?
"I'm just…" She hesitated. "Not used to… someone caring. Or… checking on me."
Kai's jaw tightened slightly — not in anger, but in something like pain. Or understanding.
"Yeah," he muttered. "I get that."
She blinked at him. "You do?"
His eyes flickered away, the shadows in them deepening. "More than I probably should."
A pause. A breath.The hallway felt smaller.
Velithra opened her mouth. "Kai, what—"
He looked back at her, cutting her off with nothing but his eyes.
Not harsh.Not cold.
Just… holding something he wasn't ready to explain.Something he wanted her to know, but couldn't say yet.
Then he straightened, turning the expression into something gentler.
"You don't have to force anything with me," he said quietly."I'm not going to push you."
Her heart squeezed.
She looked down at her hands. "But… earlier… when you were… you know… close to me…"
Kai stiffened. She instantly regretted bringing it up — but he didn't snap or turn away. Instead his voice came out low, controlled.
"…I'm trying," he said."Trying not to mess this up."
Velithra blinked. "…Mess what up?"
"This."He gestured lightly between them."Whatever this is becoming."
Her breath caught.
Kai let out a slow exhale, brushing his fingers through his dark hair. "I'm not good at this. Any of this. I don't want to scare you off."
"You're not," she whispered.
He looked at her again.
And the world narrowed to that one glance.
Velithra's classroom door opened suddenly, a group of students spilling out. The moment broke. Kai stepped back just enough to give her space.
"I'll see you after school," he said — more like a promise than a question.
Velithra nodded. "Okay."
Kai's lips twitched into the smallest smile she'd ever seen on him.Soft. Barely there.But real.
Then he turned and walked away, hands tucked into his pockets, shoulders relaxed in that cool, quiet way that made everyone stare.
Velithra watched him until he disappeared around the corner.
And only then did she realize:
Her heart was racing.
And it hadn't stopped since he sat beside her.