But the laughter soon faded. Kaivan's mother turned, her gaze sharp. "Kira, who are they? I've never seen them before."
Kira set down her cup with a deliberate clink. Her grin turned mischievous. "Oh, these? They're Kaivan's girlfriends, Mom. They stayed last week too. The ones I told you about."
The words exploded like a bomb. Kaivan held his breath. Felicia twirled a strand of her hair, while Thivi lowered her head, cheeks flushed.
His mother looked up, her eyes narrowing. "So these are the ones? But Kaivan… which one is your girlfriend? Both of them?"
The room froze. Felicia turned slowly, her eyes burning. Thivi gripped her skirt tightly.
"They're not my girlfriends, Mom," Kaivan finally said. His voice was calm, but heavy. "Kira was just joking."
However, Felicia did not yield. She crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "A friend? Do you remember the promise you made at the old mall? You said you would always be there for me. And I... I swore the same for you. Was all of that just empty words?"
Kaivan froze. The memory of that night at the abandoned mall surged back, crashing into him like a cold wave. Felicia crying, pounding her fists against his chest as he held her trembling form. Their whispered promise in the dark: to protect each other, to stay by each other's side. And yet, now, that vow stabbed like a thorn lodged deep in his chest.
Before he could answer, Thivi's gentle voice broke the silence. "Kaivan..." Her tone was almost a whisper. "Did you forget our first night? When you said we'd always be together?"
Kaivan turned. Thivi's eyes were glistening, but he knew the truth buried beneath her words, that night had been nothing more than smoke and fleeting warmth, not a true vow. Yet Thivi wished for something more than what had ever been promised.
"Was all of that just a joke?" she asked, her fragile smile falling apart.
Felicia sat upright, her burning eyes unwavering. "I never asked for much, Kaivan. Just honesty. But you ran away from your own words. You betrayed the promise you made."
Two gazes now bore into him: Felicia's silent fury, and Thivi's wounded yearning. Kaivan could not move. His body felt shackled by a choice he had never wished to face.
Then, his mother spoke. Her voice was soft, yet her words carried weight like judgment. "Kaivan, you are a man. Responsibility is not something you can choose to ignore. A promise is not a joke. Feelings are not toys."
Kaivan lowered his head. His mother's words struck heavier than any hammer. Felicia and Thivi still stared at him, waiting for an answer that refused to come.
Kira tried to lighten the mood, her laughter thin and awkward. "Wow, Kaivan... this is like watching a K-drama. Who would've thought you'd be chased by two girls at once?"
Her laughter hung in the air, but it only made the silence more uncomfortable. Felicia and Thivi exchanged a glance, and for the first time that night, they agreed on something: Kira was not helping.
"Why is it turning out like this?" Kaivan muttered, scratching his head nervously. Across from him, his mother sat with calm composure, studying Thivi and Felicia as if reading their hearts. Thivi tried to mask her nervousness with a wide grin, while Felicia clutched her teacup tightly, hiding the storm burning behind her steady gaze.
"So, you two want to stay here tonight?" his mother asked gently, though her eyes gleamed with quiet sharpness. Her gaze shifted between the girls, weighing their intentions with the keen instinct of a mother who had long learned to see through people.
Thivi smiled shyly, brushing back her short hair, slightly disheveled. "Y-Yes, Ma'am. If that's alright. We just thought... it would be safer than going home so late." Her voice was soft but carried a trembling kind of courage.
Felicia placed her cup down with deliberate calm, then met the older woman's eyes. "We don't want to trouble you, Ma'am. But if you allow it, we would be very grateful." Her voice was low, but firm. She folded her hands neatly on the table, her sincerity shining through without effort.
Kaivan's mother responded with a faint smile, her eyes filled with understanding far deeper than her words. "Of course. You can both stay in Kaivan's room. Kaivan will sleep in the living room."
"What?" Kaivan nearly choked. "Wait, Mom, why my room, "
"Thank you so much, Ma'am! You're so kind!" Thivi cut him off eagerly, her face lighting up like a child given a treasured gift.
Felicia bowed slightly, her hands brushing over the mother's in a light, respectful gesture. "Thank you, Ma'am. Your kindness means a lot to us." Her touch was soft, her sincerity warm enough to bring a gentler smile to the older woman's face.
Kaivan could only sigh deeply. He knew resisting his mother's decision would be pointless. But inside, an awkward unease grew heavier. He had never been used to this kind of attention, especially from two girls so different in heart, yet both undeniably close to him.
Late at night, on a rooftop wrapped in silence, Kaivan sat alone, a cigarette glowing faintly between his fingers. The smoke drifted upward, dissolving into the cold night air. Above him, the sky stretched wide, stars flickering as if quietly watching the turmoil inside his heart.