That evening—
KS stood in front of the mirror, carefully ironing his black suit.
The room was quiet.
Until—
Tejas suddenly pushed the door open.
"Bro."
KS looked up.
"Hm?"
Tejas walked straight toward him.
"...Can I use the iron after you're done?"
"And..."
"...can I borrow your perfume?"
KS froze for a second.
He slowly turned toward Tejas.
"...Why?"
Tejas scratched the back of his head.
"No reason."
KS raised an eyebrow.
"That's a lie."
Tejas avoided eye contact.
"I just need it."
KS folded his arms.
"Hold on."
"You hate formal suits."
"And you literally said perfumes smell disgusting."
"So..."
"What changed?"
Tejas stayed silent for a few seconds.
"...Nothing."
KS stared at him.
"...You're acting suspicious."
Tejas sighed dramatically.
"Come on, man."
"Just let me borrow them."
KS smiled mischievously.
"...No."
"Not until you tell me the truth."
Tejas clicked his tongue.
"...You're seriously annoying."
KS grinned.
"I learned from the best."
Tejas rolled his eyes.
"...Fine."
"I'll tell you later."
KS laughed softly before handing him the iron.
"Go ahead."
"And don't burn my suit."
Tejas smirked.
"No promises."
From inside KS's mind—
Dragoon burst into laughter.
"He's definitely hiding something."
KS smiled faintly.
"...Yeah."
"And now I'm even more curious."A little while later—
KS and Nishant walked out of the hotel, both dressed in formal suits.
Nishant adjusted his watch while KS looked around the lobby.
His eyes stopped on Mizuki.
She was wearing an elegant dress, her hair neatly tied back.
For a brief moment—
KS simply stared.
Then he smiled.
"...You look really beautiful."
Mizuki's cheeks instantly turned pink.
"Come on, KS..."
"It's not that good."
KS shook his head.
"No."
"It really is."
Mizuki smiled shyly and looked away.
Before either of them could say anything else—
Nishant cleared his throat.
"Ahem."
"We're getting late, little brother."
KS snapped back to reality.
"...Right."
He gave Mizuki one last smile before following Nishant outside.
A few moments later—
Both cousins got into Nishant's car and began driving toward the party.
Meanwhile—
Mizuki and Tejas waited outside the hotel for their cab.
Inside the car—
KS leaned back in his seat.
"So..."
"Whose birthday party are we even going to?"
Without taking his eyes off the road, Nishant replied,
"Sare's."
KS's eyes widened.
"...Wait."
"That Sare?"
"The same girl who used to bully me?"
Nishant couldn't help but laugh.
"Yeah."
"The very same."
KS let out a dramatic sigh.
"Bro..."
"My day is already ruined."
Nishant smiled.
"I was there too, remember?"
"And besides..."
"The last time you two met, you were only four."
"She was five."
KS crossed his arms.
"That doesn't change anything."
"She stole my chocolates."
Nishant burst into laughter.
"...You still remember that?"
KS looked out the window with a serious expression.
"I never forgive chocolate thieves."
Nishant shook his head, still laughing.
"Some things really never change.An hour later—
KS and Nishant arrived at the luxurious hotel where the birthday celebration was being held.
The entire venue was beautifully decorated.
Golden chandeliers illuminated the grand ballroom.
Guests chatted happily while soft music played in the background.
Some were enjoying the buffet.
Others stood in small groups, holding glasses of expensive drinks, while a few smoked near the open balcony.
KS looked around before turning to Nishant.
"...I think we're way too late."
Nishant checked his watch and nodded.
"Yeah... probably."
KS shrugged.
"So..."
"Should we just head back?"
Nishant thought for a moment.
"...Honestly?"
"Not a bad idea."
The two cousins turned and started walking back toward their car.
Just as they were about to get in—
A voice called out from behind.
"Mr. Nishant! Mr. Kshitij! Please wait!"
Both of them stopped and looked back.
A well-dressed man in his early forties hurried toward them with a warm smile.
As soon as he reached them, he spoke politely.
"You're leaving without even meeting us?"
Nishant smiled apologetically.
"Mr. Sterling."
"We thought the party had already ended."
Mr. Sterling laughed.
"Oh, no."
"It has only just begun."
"To be honest, I wasn't even expecting the two of you."
"I thought Mr. Dev would be attending instead."
Nishant nodded.
"He planned to."
"But some urgent work came up, so he couldn't make it."
"I understand."
Mr. Sterling smiled warmly.
"Well, considering your brother built the third-largest company in the world..."
"It's an honor to finally meet both of you after all these years."
He gestured toward the entrance.
"Please, come inside."
"Allow me to welcome you properly."
Then he looked at Nishant with a smile.
"A glass of wine?"
Before turning to KS.
"And some fresh juice for you, Mr. Kshitij?"
Nishant politely shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Sterling."
"I don't drink."
"And I don't smoke either."
Mr. Sterling looked slightly surprised before smiling again.
"Haha... that's quite rare these days."
"I respect that."
"Then juice it is."
He smiled and gestured toward the ballroom once more.
"Please."
"My daughter has been looking forward to meeting our guests."
The two cousins exchanged a glance before quietly following Mr. Sterling into the grand hall.Nishant and KS followed behind Mr. Sterling as he led them deeper into the grand hotel.
Mr. Sterling smiled as he looked at KS.
"You've grown so much, Kshitij."
"The last time I saw you..."
"...you were just a little boy with no maturity at all."
KS smiled politely.
"Yeah..."
"Things change pretty fast."
As they walked through the ballroom, Mr. Sterling introduced the two cousins to several business partners and guests.
KS and Nishant greeted everyone respectfully, maintaining a formal attitude throughout.
After a while—
Mr. Sterling stopped in front of a luxurious private room.
He turned toward them with a smile.
"If you'd like..."
"You can meet my daughter."
"She's resting inside."
He gently knocked before opening the door.
"Little girl..."
"Look who's here."
A teenage girl dressed in an elegant blue gown stood up from the sofa.
She smiled politely.
"Oh..."
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kshitij."
"And Mr. Nishant."
Nishant returned the smile.
"It's nice to meet you too, Ms. Sare."
Mr. Sterling looked at the three of them.
"You young people enjoy yourselves."
"I still have many guests to welcome."
After saying that, he quietly left the room.
Sare gestured toward the sofas.
"Please."
"Have a seat."
The three of them sat down.
For a moment—
The room became silent.
Then Sare looked toward Nishant.
"I know you..."
"But I don't think I've met him before."
Nishant chuckled softly.
"Oh, you have."
"He's Kshitij Sharma."
"My younger cousin."
"And Dev's little brother."
"You two used to play together when you were children."
Sare frowned slightly, trying to remember.
A few moments later—
Her eyes suddenly widened.
"...Wait."
"Kshitij Sharma?"
"The little boy who used to cry over every tiny thing?"
KS immediately looked embarrassed.
After all—
There were only three people in the room.
There was nowhere to hide.
Inside his mind—
Dragoon burst into laughter.
"You cried over little things?"
KS sighed.
"...Yeah."
"I did."
"But I grew out of it."
He looked at Sare with a small smile.
"Looks like someone else didn't change much either."
Dragoon laughed.
"Nice one."
Nishant immediately interrupted.
"KS."
"Behave yourself."
KS scratched the back of his head.
"...Sorry."
Sare simply smiled.
"It's alright."
"I know I teased you a lot back then."
"But I've changed too."
She looked out the nearby window.
"I don't really care what people think anymore."
"I just want to live freely..."
"...like a bird flying across the open sky."
KS smiled faintly.
"That's good."
"But..."
"I'm still never forgiving you for stealing my chocolates."
For a second—
Sare stared at him.
Then burst into laughter.
"You seriously still remember that?"
KS nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
"Chocolate theft is unforgettable."
The room filled with light laughter.
Meanwhile—
Nishant quietly observed Sare.
Something felt...
Off.
Without anyone noticing, he activated his soul-reading technique.
His eyes briefly glowed.
But—
Nothing.
No result.
His technique simply failed.
Nishant frowned.
"...That's strange."
"My soul scan has never failed before."
KS glanced toward him.
"Hm?"
"Did you say something?"
Nishant slowly looked back at Sare.
"...No."
"It's nothing."
But deep inside—
He knew something wasn't right.