It was during lunch when Eli finally realized their friends had noticed.
He and Kai had drifted to the edge of the table, away from the louder chatter in the middle. A half-open bag of chips sat between them, which they were quietly sharing. Kai wasn't saying much, but then again, he rarely did. Eli filled the silence easily, tossing small comments about class or muttering complaints about homework. It felt natural—too natural—until a voice cut through the moment.
"Wow," one of their classmates said, leaning over with a mischievous grin. "You two are practically glued together these days."
Eli nearly choked on the chip he was chewing. He coughed hard, grabbing his drink and glaring at the table through watery eyes. "W–What? So what if we are?!"
The whole table burst into laughter, the sound carrying through the cafeteria. Eli's face burned hotter by the second.
"Come on, Eli," another friend teased. "Don't act like we don't see it. You and Kai are always together. You even walk home sometimes!"
Eli flailed his hands defensively, his ears going bright red. "Well, of course! 'Cause we're friends, duh. Friends walk together. Friends hang out. That's all!" His words tumbled out too fast, and the more he tried to explain, the more their laughter grew.
He turned desperately toward Kai for backup. Surely Kai would wave it off, deny it, or at least change the subject. But when Eli met his eyes, he froze.
Kai didn't look flustered at all. He sat calmly, chewing another chip like the teasing had nothing to do with him. His expression was steady, composed—and when Eli caught it, the faintest curve of Kai's lips appeared, almost like a secret smile.
Eli's stomach did a strange flip. Somehow, that tiny smile was worse than the teasing.
"See?" another friend said, jabbing Eli in the side. "Even Kai's not denying it."
Eli groaned loudly and dropped his face into his hands, muffling his voice against his palms. "Ughhh, please just let me eat in peace."
The table roared again, and for the rest of lunch, Eli couldn't bring himself to look directly at Kai. Every time he tried, he caught that steady presence beside him, calm and unbothered, like nothing anyone said mattered. And that was exactly the problem.
Because if Kai wasn't bothered… why was Eli the one who couldn't stop thinking about it?