It was a quiet evening at the dorms. The sun had set, casting long shadows through the windows of the room as Yukio packed a small bag for the market trip. The day had been mostly uneventful, with the usual rounds of classes, training sessions, and Kai's endless teasing keeping things from ever feeling too serious. But tonight, there was a task at hand: Yukio had to hit the market, and naturally, Kai was his companion for the job.
Asiha had already requested her usual obscure tea, but Alya had one more thing to add to the list—something that led to a slightly awkward moment between her and Kai earlier that evening.
Earlier in the Dorm like 3 hours earlier.
Kai leaned back on his bed, tossing a pillow up and down, seemingly bored as Alya sat at her desk, scribbling furiously on a piece of paper. The usual banter had died down for a bit, and Alya had been oddly focused on getting her "market list" together for Yukio's trip.
"Kai," Alya said, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "I'm going to need you to grab a few things for me tonight."
Kai caught the pillow mid-air and sat up. "Oh, sure. What do you need this time? More of that magical conditioner you've been raving about?"
Alya rolled her eyes. "Shut up, I only asked for that once."
Kai grinned, standing up and walking over to her desk. "Come on, hand it over. I'll take good care of your list."
She gave him a suspicious look as she handed him the folded piece of paper. "You better not lose it."
As Kai reached out to grab the paper, Alya's fingers brushed against his hand, sending a little jolt through both of them.
Neither of them moved for a second—her hand still hovering over his. The air between them suddenly felt thick, and Alya looked up, meeting Kai's eyes. His usual cocky grin faltered for just a moment, replaced by something she couldn't quite place.
"You okay?" Kai asked, his voice quieter than usual, as his fingers lightly grazed hers before she quickly pulled her hand away.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Alya said quickly, her face flushing ever so slightly. "Don't make it weird."
Kai raised an eyebrow, his grin slowly returning. "You made it weird by blushing."
"I am not blushing!" Alya snapped, but she could feel her cheeks warming.
"Totally blushing," Kai teased, leaning a little closer. "Admit it."
Alya glared at him. "Do you want to keep that list or not?"
Kai, ever the smartass, smiled even wider. "You can't threaten me, Alya. I've survived worse than your death glares."
Before she could respond, he leaned back, tucking the list into his pocket with a little smirk. "Anyway, I'll grab your stuff. Anything for my favorite person to annoy."
Alya rolled her eyes, though a small smile crept onto her lips despite herself. "Just don't screw it up, Kai."
He gave her a mock salute before turning to leave, but not before she caught him throwing one last glance over his shoulder, his grin still teasing, but there was something else there too. For a moment, just a brief moment, she wondered what was really going on in that thick skull of his.
Now, at the Market
Yukio and Kai had split up briefly at the market, with Yukio heading toward the stalls to grab some supplies for himself and Asiha. Kai, meanwhile, wandered off with Alya's list in hand, scanning the various stalls for the random assortment of items she had requested. The market was busy, and as the night wore on, the crowd began to thin out. It wasn't long before Yukio texted him, letting him know he was heading back to the dorms.
"Cool," Kai muttered to himself, still holding the last of Alya's items—a small bottle of something he didn't recognize, probably skincare. "Guess I'll take my time, then."
He strolled down a quiet alley that cut through the market's edge, the sound of the bustling crowd fading as he moved further from the main stalls. He liked the quiet. It gave him space to think.
But the quiet didn't last long.
"Kai."
Kai stopped in his tracks, his entire body tensing at the sound of the voice. It was calm, smooth, and familiar—Dorian. Kai turned slowly, and sure enough, there he was, standing at the entrance to the alley, flanked by three of his usual goons.
Kai sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Dorian. You seriously can't take a hint, can you?"
Dorian stepped forward, his face bathed in the dim light of a nearby streetlamp. His eyes glinted with cold amusement. "You've been making quite the name for yourself, Kai. But you forget—you're nothing here."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Nothing, huh? Then why are you going out of your way to follow me?"
Dorian's lips curled into a sneer as he pulled out a gleaming sword from his side. The blade caught the faint light, casting sharp shadows along the alley walls. "You don't get it, do you? A vampire noble like me can make you disappear, and no one would ask questions. Not a human. Not you."
Kai's smile didn't fade, but something in his eyes changed. The casual, carefree expression he always wore melted away, replaced by something... darker. It was as if a mask had dropped, and underneath was a completely different person. Dorian noticed the shift and faltered slightly, though he tried to cover it up.
"You really think killing me is a good idea?" Kai asked softly, his voice low and dangerous now.
Dorian, sensing something was off, took a step back but kept his sword raised. "You're just a human. Killing you would be easy."
Kai's expression remained calm, but his eyes began to glow faintly, a faint red hue that hadn't been there before. "A human? Oh, Dorian," Kai said, shaking his head slowly. "You really don't know anything, do you?"
Dorian's eyes widened in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Kai's grin widened, though it was far from friendly now. "Let me give you a little hint." He stepped forward, his movements smooth and deliberate. "I'm not human."
Dorian's sword wavered in his grip. "W-What are you saying?"
Kai's eyes flared a brighter red, the air around him growing tense and heavy. "You've heard the stories, right? About the demons?"
Dorian's face paled, his confidence slipping as realization began to dawn. "No... that's impossible. All the demons were sealed away 2,000 years ago."
Kai chuckled darkly, his voice filled with amusement. "Not all of them."
Before Dorian could react, Kai moved faster than a blink, his hand gripping Dorian's throat in an ironclad hold. Dorian gasped, his sword clattering to the ground as his feet left the floor, dangling helplessly in Kai's grasp.
The other vampires, too shocked to react immediately, finally moved to attack, but Kai was quicker. He dropped Dorian, turning on the others with a terrifying, effortless speed. In a blur of movement, Kai disarmed them, sending one flying into the wall, the next crashing to the ground, and the third... well, let's just say he didn't get up after that.
Dorian, scrambling to his feet, stared at Kai with wide, terrified eyes. "You... you're a demon."
Kai nodded slowly, taking a step toward him. "That's right. But don't worry, Dorian. I won't be around to cause you too much trouble. This stays between us."
Dorian shook his head, backing up until he was against the wall. "You can't—"
Kai cut him off, his eyes narrowing. "I can. And I will."
With a swift, calculated movement, Kai grabbed Dorian by the collar, pulling him close. He leaned in, his voice barely a whisper. "Tell your family the... Albix right? that you crossed the wrong demon. The next time you think about revenge, remember this moment. Oh You will not live for that movement."
And then, with a final, brutal twist, Kai finished the job.
As Dorian's body hit the ground, Kai stood still for a moment, his eyes dimming back to their normal color. The alley was silent once again, the bodies of Dorian and his lackeys strewn across the ground like forgotten dolls.
Kai let out a slow breath, his shoulders relaxing as the tension melted away. He glanced down at his hands, flexing his fingers as if to shake off the memory of the violence. His usual grin crept back onto his face, but this time it felt a little... hollow.
"Well," he muttered to himself, "that was messy."
With a final glance at the alley, Kai turned and walked back toward the main street, the weight of what he had done lingering like a shadow over his steps. He pulled Alya's list out of his pocket, staring at it for a moment before chuckling to himself.
"I'm really not cut out for grocery shopping."
And with that, Kai slipped back into the night, his secret once again hidden beneath his carefree smile.