Phrase VIII

Kai slouched in his seat.
His notebook was out.
His pen was capped.

His mind... was blank.

The lecture hadn't even started, and he was already tired of being there.

Eli nudged his elbow with her water bottle.
"Ya look like ya lost a bet."

Kai didn't blink. "Worse. I showed up to class."

She grinned and took a sip. "Might get ya credit for that."

Kai looked at Eli and blinked.

"God, I hope so."

Around them, students were trickling in.
A girl dropped her backpack with a heavy thud behind them.
Someone up front sneezed.

Kai thought that it could have startled the projector.

Eli glanced toward the professor, who was adjusting something on the computer.
"Bet ya five she calls a group project today."

Kai groaned. "Please no."

"That's a yes."

Fifteen minutes in, Kai had retained exactly two things.
"Something-something lab requirements."
"Something-something test format."

Kai's pen was still capped.

But his thoughts were not.
They spun and looped, but settled on absolutely nothing.

He stared at his notes.
The empty pages stared back at him.

The professor cleared her throat.
"Before we finish, your first major project will be group-based."

She paused.

"Groups of four."

A low wave of groans rippled through the lecture hall.

"Assigned groups are on the desk. Come check after class."

Eli leaned closer. "Ya owe me five."

Kai didn't respond.

He was busy trying to find the will to move.

The lecture had finally let out.
Annoyed sighs echoed.

Kai followed Eli down the rows.

The front desk was already swarmed.

"Excuse me—sorry—yep, still reading—"

Luca emerged from the crowd, heading up the steps as they headed down.

Kai noticed him too late.
They made eye contact.

Luca frowned—not deeply, but deliberately.

He didn't stop.
He continued walking.

Kai turned, watching him go.
He felt twenty different thoughts race by.

"What was that about?" Eli asked, catching the tail-end of the look.

Kai didn't speak.
He shrugged.


They reached the desk.

Eli scanned the list out loud.

"Group Seven... Okay, that's us. Me. You—"

Kai leaned in.

"—Some guy named Isaac—"

He saw it.

"—And—"

Luca... Valen...?

Kai blinked.

The page didn't change.

Eli kept talking—something about needing to text Isaac—

But Kai heard none of it.

Kai stared at the name again.

Valen...?

He didn't know Luca's last name.

It... could be someone else.

Something in his stomach turned.

Eli nudged him lightly. "You good?"

Kai forced a nod.
He kept looking at the name.

The café was quieter in the evening.

No blender shrieking.
No toddlers melting down over muffins.

Just low music and the hum of warm lights.


Kai stood behind the register.
His elbow was on the counter, and his chin in his hand.

Nico was half-lounging on the pastry case like he was trying to fuse with it.
He had a spoon in one hand, and a bite of tiramisu in the other.

"You know," he said, "technically I'm supervising you."

Kai side-eyed him. "Technically I'm working."

"You call that working?" Nico pointed with his spoon. "You've wiped that counter six times."

Kai looked down at the cloth in his hand.
He hadn't noticed.

"...It's very clean now."

Nico hummed. "Right. Totally normal behavior."


Ten minutes later, Nico wandered off to flirt with a customer who wasn't interested.
Kai took the chance.

He slipped into the back hallway.
He passed dry storage.

And found the lockers.

They weren't labeled, but he knew the third one was Luca's.
It had a faint scratch across the top, and a sticker that said "NO WHIP."

Kai barely hesitated.

Click

It wasn't locked.
And now it was slightly ajar.

He opened it half an inch more.

A hoodie.
A phone charger.
An apron.

He leaned closer—squinting at the back wall.

No nametags.
No papers.

He leaned even closer—

"You know, if you were a little shorter, this would look a lot worse."

THUNK

Kai jumped, hitting his head on the locker door.

"Shit—!"

He spun.

Nico stood behind him, sipping iced coffee and grinning.

Kai scrambled a response. "I—I wasn't—"

"Oh no," Nico said, delighting in every second. "Please. Go on. You weren't what?"

Kai shut the locker with a loud clack.
"I was just... checking something."

"Oh, I bet," Nico said. "Sniffing mystery hoodies for clues?"

Kai's ears burned.
He folded his arms. "I was trying... I was trying to figure out his last name."

Nico actually paused. "...What?"

Kai glanced down the hallway, then back. "I think we're in the same lab group."

"Wait—Luca?"

Kai flinched. "Maybe?"

Nico blinked.
Then snorted.

"Dude. It's Valen. His last name is Valen."

Kai stared at him.

"It's on the schedule." Nico pointed with his cup. "The one by the break room. The one you walk past. Daily."

Kai just stood there.

Nico's grin widened. "You really are helpless."

Kai buried his face in his hands. "Oh my god."

"You could've just asked me."

"I didn't think of that!"

Nico gently patted Kai's shoulder. "Rough start to your sleuthing career, bud."

Kai groaned.

Nico laughed all the way to the front.