The next morning, Sunny was already standing outside, waiting. His back leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his face carefully neutral. The sun was bright, but he hardly noticed it. His mind was elsewhere.
Inside, Kai and Cassie were still getting ready.
He didn't know why, but his stomach felt… off. Not quite sick, not quite nervous, but something in between. An unfamiliar tightness sat in his chest, and he found himself adjusting the sleeves of his jacket. Making sure his clothes were straight. Fixing his hair.
And then, realization struck him.
What the hell am I doing?
Cassie was blind. She couldn't even see what he looked like.
The moment that thought hit him, his hands froze, and he scowled at himself.
Why do I even care?
But the feeling didn't leave.
Instead, it twisted into something else. A strange, unfamiliar anxiety.
Why?
Why did he feel this way?
Why did he feel the need to make himself presentable around her?
It wasn't like he wanted to impress her. That would be ridiculous. He was still angry at her. He should be angry at her.
And yet…
Sunny exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
He was overthinking.
Before he could dwell on it any further, the door finally opened.
Cassie and Kai stepped out.
Sunny rolled his eyes. Then, before he could stop himself, his gaze flickered toward Cassie.
She stood quietly beside Kai, as composed as ever. Her blindfold rested gently over her eyes, her hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders.
And her outfit…
A simple, elegant dress, soft against her form, the color (off white) that contrasted beautifully with her golden hair. It was modest but refined, flowing gently with every subtle movement she made.
For some reason, he liked it. More than he should.
It suited her.
The thought hit him like a punch to the gut, and he immediately scowled, shaking his head.
'What the hell am I thinking?'
Without realizing it, he actually slapped his own cheek, snapping himself out of it.
Both Kai and Effie turned toward him in alarm.
"Uh… you good there, Sunny?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Did you finally lose it?" Effie added, peering at him suspiciously. "It was bound to happen sooner or later."
Sunny clenched his jaw, feeling his face heat up ever so slightly. "No, I didn't. Shut up."
Kai chuckled, clearly amused.
Meanwhile, Cassie stood still, her head tilted slightly in his direction.
Though she couldn't see him, she must have felt the weight of his intense gaze from earlier.
Then, to his utter horror - she smiled.
A soft, knowing smile.
Sunny's heart skipped a beat before he immediately stomped down on whatever reaction his body was trying to have.
'No. Absolutely not.'
He quickly turned away, scoffing at himself.
'It doesn't matter.'
He pushed off the wall. "Let's just go."
-------------------
The walk to the theater was... boring to say the least, though Sunny felt strangely aware of every little thing. The way Kai whistled a tune under his breath, the way Effie lazily rolled her wheelchair along.
The way Cassie's presence lingered just a little too close.
It was ridiculous.
He didn't care.
He didn't.
And yet, his mind refused to listen.
When they reached the entrance, a large poster of The Forgotten Shore loomed over them. Sunny grimaced at the sight of it. A dramatic depiction of their brutal survival, except now twisted into some grand, glorified tragedy.
He clicked his tongue out of frustration and rolled his eyes.
A lone figure stood in the center of the poster, a dark silhouette against an ominous sky.
His silhouette.
Sunny sighed. "This is going to be terrible."
Effie snorted. "Oh, absolutely. But that's what makes it fun."
Kai grinned. "C'mon, Sunless. You're basically famous now. Enjoy it."
"I'd rather die."
Cassie chuckled softly beside him. "That would be unfortunate."
Sunny stiffened. The sound of her laughter was light, but it struck something in him. Something deep, something infuriatingly warm.
He ignored it.
Effie rolled forward, effortlessly maneuvering her wheelchair into the fourth seat, stretching out like she owned the place. Kai, ever the showman, took the first seat with a satisfied grin.
Which left two open spots in the middle.
Right next to each other.
Sunny glared at the arrangement like it had personally wronged him.
'Damn you, fate!'
But resisting would only make it weirder. So, with a sigh that carried the weight of his suffering, he dropped into the seat next to Cassie, arms crossed, legs stretched out in a forced display of nonchalance.
Except, he kept throwing quick, awkward glances her way.
Cassie, as always, was unreadable… except for the slight curve of her lips.
Sunny scowled and turned away.
The lights dimmed. The screen flickered to life.
And for some reason, he found himself more anxious about the person sitting beside him than the movie itself.
-------------
The movie began, and from the very first scene, Sunny could already tell that they had butchered the story.
The Forgotten Shore had been turned from a hellhole as Sunny described it to something way more happier with little to no fear. The colors were brighter, the horrors gone, the bloodshed just enough to thrill without disturbing the audience.
And the characters…
Nephis was still Nephis, but somehow not. In the movie, she spoke more, smiled more. She was inspiring, confident, a
Throughout the movie, it became clear that this version of Changing Star had supposedly been in love with him.
Sunny scoffed under his breath.
What a joke.
He threw a glance at Effie, who was munching on popcorn with the biggest grin on her face. She had to be enjoying this mess.
At least her character was spot on.
Loud, brash, and constantly eating.
Kai, on the other hand… well, the actor playing him was a bit too much, even for the real Kai's standards. Every movement was exaggerated, every line delivered with drama behind it.
It was as if they had taken his natural charm and cranked it up to an unbearable level.
And then, it happened.
Sunny had been watching with mild annoyance until suddenly, the movie twisted the knife in a way he hadn't expected.
Cassie's character.
In the film, she wasn't just the wise, gentle presence he had known on the Forgotten Shore. No, in this version of events, she and Kai-
He almost choked.
The movie had them exchanging glances, subtle touches, sharing soft conversations by the fire. And then came the scene where the fake Cassie leaned toward the fake Kai and whispered something only he could hear, making him smile.
Sunny didn't even know what was said. He didn't care.
Something deep in his chest twisted, coiling like a snake.
A hot, ugly feeling rose inside him, something he couldn't name - something he refused to name.
His hands clenched into fists, his expression unreadable as he forced himself to stare straight ahead.
Beside him, Cassie sat quietly.
But there was the smallest, almost imperceptible tilt of her head - ike she could feel the weight of his emotions.
And worst of all?
He thought, for just a second, that she smiled.
'Damn you. Why are you smiling even though you can't even see?'
...
...
...
'Huh..? What's this?'
He felt something.
A light touch. Barely there.
Cassie's fingers brushed against his.
Sunny froze.
His breath caught, and his whole body went stiff as if he had been turned to stone. His instincts screamed at him to pull away - to ignore it, to pretend it never happened.
But he didn't move.
The warmth of her skin against his own was warm.
His thoughts warred against each other.
'She betrayed you.'
'She took away your freedom.'
'She knew what would happen.'
And yet…
The memories of her laughter, her voice, the way she had always believed in him - those came rushing back too.
The gentle moments, the quiet understanding they had shared.
It was unbearable.
Cassie, still blindfolded, whispered, "Sunny…" Her voice was uncertain, fragile.
He clenched his jaw. He shouldn't-
And yet, he did.
With a quiet, almost reluctant sigh, he turned his palm and grasped her hand in his own.
He didn't look at her. Couldn't.
A faint warmth spread up his neck, the barest hint of red dusting his cheeks. His grip was firm, yet not forceful.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
Then, he muttered under his breath, voice barely above a whisper:
"Only this once. Then I'll hate you."