The morning sunlight trickled through the curtains of the dorm room, casting soft, golden rays over the floor. Yukio groaned, pulling the covers over his head, desperately trying to ignore that the day had already started. Everything had been a whirlwind lately—Dorian's confrontation, the strange strength Yukio had displayed, and the new bond with Asiha. All of it weighed heavily on his mind, making sleep seem like the only safe refuge.
Kai, however, was not letting that happen.
The snoring had been non-stop. Loud. Like a chainsaw on a bad day. Finally, Yukio snapped.
"Kai!" Yukio threw his pillow at his best friend's head, hitting the mark perfectly.
Kai groaned, rolling over and swatting the pillow off his face without even opening his eyes. "Why do you hate me, man?" he mumbled, voice still thick with sleep.
"Why do you snore like you're fighting off a bear in your sleep?" Yukio retorted, his voice muffled from beneath the covers. "I barely got any sleep."
"Maybe the bear's winning," Kai replied with a lazy grin, stretching his arms as he finally sat up. His hair was a mess, sticking up in every direction, making him look like he had spent the night being electrocuted.
"Pretty sure it won," Yukio muttered. "It looks like you lost the fight."
Kai grunted, rubbing his eyes. "Man, why do they even make mornings? Who thought this was a good idea?"
Asiha's voice came from across the room, far too cheerful for Yukio's liking. "It's literally eight in the morning, Kai. Get it together."
Kai blinked at her, looking affronted. "Eight? The sun's not even fully up! And you're acting like you're about to go for a jog."
"That's because I'm a vampire," Asiha said, smirking as she smoothed out her hair in the mirror. "We're designed to handle any hour of the day. Unlike humans, who apparently think anything before noon is a crime."
Kai threw up his hands in exasperation. "Exactly! Finally, someone gets it. Mornings are an attack on human rights."
Yukio chuckled, finally forcing himself to sit up. "Or maybe you're just lazy."
Kai grinned. "Maybe, but I wear that laziness like a badge of honor."
Asiha rolled her eyes. "Well, honor or not, you're going to have to get up. We've got breakfast waiting and if we don't hurry, the cafeteria will run out of anything edible. And I really don't want to face Dorian on an empty stomach."
Yukio groaned as he stretched his arms above his head, feeling his muscles protest after the strange strength he had displayed the day before. "Yeah, we don't need a repeat of yesterday."
Just as Yukio was finishing dressing, the door swung open with a dramatic bang, and Alya marched in, her face a mix of irritation and disbelief.
"For the love of everything, why did you change our dorms without warning me, Asiha?" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I had just unpacked, and now I had to drag all my stuff across campus like some lost vagabond."
Asiha, ever the composed one, looked at her with wide, innocent eyes. "Oh? Did we move? I had no idea." playing dumb.
Yukio, who was now fully awake, snickered. "I warned you, Alya. Asiha's strategic relocations are the stuff of legend."
Alya shot him a look. "Don't think you're off the hook either, Yukio. You knew about this and didn't say a word!"
Asiha giggled, clearly enjoying herself. "Honestly, Alya, we had to move because of, well... after the slavement night's situation. You remember?"
Alya threw herself onto one of the chairs, dramatically. "Oh, I remember. You caused a magical disaster, and now I'm the one paying the price with all this moving."
Kai finally perked up from his morning daze, eyes glinting mischievously. "Think of it as an adventure, Alya. A fresh start."
Alya glared at him. "An adventure would be staying in one place for more than a day! I didn't even get a chance to unpack my plants."
"Plants?" Yukio raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Wait, you're secretly a plant lady?"
Alya shot him a proud look. "Yes, Yukio, I am. Each plant has a name, a personality, and they deserve stability—something you guys clearly don't understand."
Asiha gave her a wide-eyed, apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Alya. If it's any consolation, this dorm has way better lighting for your plants. Perfect for photosynthesis."
Alya raised an eyebrow, her frustration melting into a sarcastic smirk. "I guess that's the least you could offer."
Kai yawned loudly and stood up, stretching again. "As much as I enjoy watching Alya lose her mind over her botanic babies, can we please grab breakfast before all that's left is some sad, wilted salad?"
Asiha stood up with a grin. "Agreed. Let's go before Dorian ruins our appetites."
When the group made their way to the cafeteria, the familiar hum of chatter greeted them, but something felt off. There was a noticeable lull in the conversation as they walked in. Yukio could feel eyes following them as they headed to the food line, and it wasn't the usual curious glances people gave Asiha for being a princess.
"Yup," Alya whispered under her breath as she grabbed a tray. "Everyone's talking about it."
Asiha nodded slightly, her eyes scanning the room, catching a few murmurs that were definitely about their group.
Kai, blissfully unaware of the tension, was already piling his tray with food. "What're they saying? That I'm the most handsome guy in the academy? Wouldn't be the first time."
Yukio rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure Dorian's already spread his version of what happened yesterday."
Asiha sighed, grabbing her own tray. "He probably told everyone he was the victim. He knows how to spin things."
Alya, picking at her food, shrugged. "Honestly, we knew this was coming. Dorian's got too much of an ego to let what happened slide."
"Let him talk," Kai said, already halfway through a piece of toast. "We know what really happened. If he tries anything, we'll handle it."
Yukio shook his head. "Yeah, but I can't help but feel like he's planning something. He's not the type to let this go easily."
"Well, if he's planning something," Asiha said quietly, "we'll just have to stay one step ahead of him. We can't afford to get caught off guard."
As they found a table near the back of the cafeteria, Yukio noticed Dorian and his gang, Vincent and Lucian, entering. The trio scanned the room before locking eyes with Yukio. Dorian smirked—one of those smirks that said, I'm not done with you yet.
"Oh great," Yukio muttered, sitting down at their table. "Here we go."
"Ignore him," Asiha said, sitting beside him. "He's just trying to mess with you."
Alya, however, wasn't as calm. "I don't like this. He's too quiet."
Kai leaned back in his chair, munching on a sausage. "Dorian? Quiet? The guy talks more than anyone I've ever met."
"That's the problem," Alya said, narrowing her eyes. "He's not making noise, which means he's up to something. He's not the type to just sit back and let things go."
Yukio sighed, his eyes still locked on Dorian, who was now sitting with Vincent and Lucian at a table across the room. "Yeah, and I think we all know who he's going to go after next."
Kai blinked, confused. "Who? Me?"
"Exactly," Alya said. "You're the easiest target. Dorian can't touch Yukio after yesterday, and he won't try anything with Asiha because of her royal status. That leaves you."
Kai shrugged nonchalantly, but there was a flicker of worry in his eyes. "I'm not scared of him. He's just some rich, entitled jerk. What's he gonna do? Throw money at me?"
Yukio leaned forward, his voice serious. "He's not just some jerk, Kai. He's a senior, and he's dangerous. We've seen what he's willing to do to protect his ego."
"Yeah," Alya added. "And if he can't hurt Yukio or Asiha, he'll come after you to get to them. It's what guys like him do."
Kai rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide the nervous glance he shot toward Dorian's table. "Fine, fine. I'll keep my guard up. But honestly, I think you guys are overreacting. He's all talk."
"Let's hope you're right," Asiha said softly.
Yukio, however, wasn't convinced. He could feel it in his gut—something was coming. Dorian wasn't done, and Kai was the obvious target. As much as Yukio wanted to protect his friend, he knew they couldn't watch him every second of the day.
And that made him uneasy.
As they finished their breakfast, the tension between them was palpable. The weight of Dorian's presence lingered in the air, and despite the laughter and teasing from earlier, Yukio knew this was far from over. Whatever Dorian had planned next, they needed to be ready.
But for now, all they could do was wait.