Kai's breath caught in his throat.
Hana… smiling.Hana… laughing.Hana… with him.
A tall, well-built guy with chestnut-brown hair and piercing blue eyes.
He looked effortlessly confident, speaking to Hana as if they'd known each other forever.
And Hana?
She looked… happy.
Carefree.
Like nothing happened to her brother Hiro.
She looked like the same old Hana whom Kai always knew, with the difference that she was with another one.
Like she hadn't once clung to Kai during a hard time when she lost her house, whispering about her fears and worries.
Like she hadn't looked at him with the same warm expression that now belonged to someone else.
Kai's eyes widened, and an invisible force wrapped around his chest, squeezing.
He didn't know what emotion was clawing at his insides.
Anger?Disappointment?The bitter sting of being replaced so quickly?
Or maybe it was something worse.
She was fine without me.
Once she realized that Kai was only property of Hina, she decided that he was no one.
It wasn't rational. It wasn't fair. But it still hurt.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as if the pain would ground him.
And then, Akira's voice echoed in his mind.
"Hana made a deal with criminals.""She's not as innocent as you think."
Kai had dismissed it when Akira told him.
He had refused to believe that Hana—his childhood friend Hana—would ever involve herself with that kind of world.
But now, watching her so effortlessly happy with a man he didn't know, a tiny, venomous thought took root in his mind.
What if Akira was right? What if she's truly changed?
His gaze lingered on them, watching as Hana pulled out her phone, checked something quickly, then slipped it back into her pocket.
And then—
She saw him.
Hana saw her once beloved Kai.
Hana's eyes widened in shock.
Not in the way an old friend would react upon seeing someone they hadn't in a while.
Not even in the way someone would react when encountering someone they were avoiding.
No.
It was different.
Kai saw it clearly.
It was the kind of surprise tinged with guilt.
The moment their gazes met, Hana stiffened.
Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something—but no words came out.
The carefree energy she had just moments ago vanished in an instant.
Her laughter died.
Her shoulders tensed.
And then, just as quickly as the guilt appeared, her expression changed again.
She looked… regretful.
Like someone who had been caught in a betrayal.
Kai's jaw tightened.
Something inside him twisted violently, and he felt a dull ache in his chest.
Whatever this was—whatever she was feeling—
He didn't want to know.
He didn't want to hear some half-hearted excuse.
He didn't want to stay there, standing like an idiot while she tried to pretend like nothing happened.
He didn't want to confront her and get answers he wasn't ready to hear.
He had enough.
So, with a cold and emotionless expression—
He looked away.
And then—
He walked off.
Not slowly.Not hesitantly.Not giving her a single second to explain.
Just walked away.
As if she was a stranger.
As if she didn't matter.
As if this didn't hurt him in a way he didn't quite understand.
He could feel her gaze burning into his back, but she didn't stop him.
She didn't call out his name.
She didn't try to follow him.
She just… watched him go.
And just before he disappeared from sight, he saw from the corner of his eye—
The other guy turning to her, saying something, shifting her focus back to him.
Like nothing had happened.
Kai inhaled sharply, biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from snapping.
"It's nothing.""I shouldn't care.""Her relationships are none of my business."
But no matter how many times he told himself that, it didn't change the fact that something felt wrong.
He could feel it deep in his gut.
And when Akira's words echoed in his mind again, his footsteps grew heavier.
"Hana made a deal with criminals.""Hana isn't as innocent as you think."
Kai let out a slow breath.
He needed to calm down.
Taking in a deep breath, he focused on controlling his breathing, trying to push back the emotions threatening to consume him.
Deep inhale.
Hold.
Slow exhale.
Again.
And again.
By the time he reached home, his mind was still storming, but his breathing was steady.