The dorm quad had transformed into something almost magical.

String lights stretched overhead like constellations on a manmade sky, casting a golden warmth over the cobblestone path and patches of grass. The scent of night-blooming jasmine drifted in on the breeze, weaving between laughter, muffled music, and clinking glasses. Students milled about in little clusters—some already buzzed, some just happy to be free under the night sky.

From the third-floor window of her dorm room, Yuki watched the glow outside while adjusting the soft pink straps of her dress. The hem swirled just above her knees, catching the lamplight like blush on skin. She twisted to check the fit in the mirror—tight enough to flirt, loose enough to breathe.

“Okay,” she whispered to her reflection, brushing a stray highlight behind her ear. “Just be yourself. And try not to fuck it up.”

She dabbed on a bit of dewy highlighter above her cheekbones, ran a clear gloss across her lips, and gave herself one last once-over. Her white-highlighted hair spilled like silk across her shoulders, and her signature beauty mark under her eye caught the light in just the right way.

She grabbed a blush-pink clutch and spritzed a strawberry perfume into the air, walking through the cloud as if baptizing herself into the night.

⋯

The party had already hit its stride when Yuki arrived.

Inside the upperclassmen’s dorm room, the air was humid with too many bodies, sweat, perfume, and the occasional hint of weed. The music was low and thumping—indie pop with bass you could feel in your ribs. People were splayed across cushions, dancing in slow circles, or posted up with red solo cups in hand. Christmas lights blinked lazily across the ceiling.

Yuki stepped in and instantly felt eyes on her—not in a threatening way. Just… noticed.

Someone handed her a drink almost immediately. “Pink lemonade and something stronger,” the girl said with a wink.

Yuki hesitated only a second.

“Thanks,” she replied with her signature sweetness and took a sip. The alcohol burned slightly under the citrus, but she kept smiling.

She floated through the party like a dream in soft-focus—hugging a few familiar faces, laughing at jokes she barely heard, clinking glasses with someone who complimented her dress.

God, she felt warm. Not just from the booze, but from the ease of it all. No expectations. No performance. Just... being.

She was on her second drink now, her cheeks flushed and her eyes shining. A light hum escaped her lips, barely audible over the music, but still there—like she couldn’t help it.

That’s when she felt him.

Kai leaned against the far wall, alone but not isolated. Soda in hand, arms crossed. Watching. Not in a creepy way—just quiet, deliberate. Calculated. His dark hair was still damp from a shower, curling slightly at the nape of his neck. He wore a fitted black tee and ripped jeans. Simple. Dangerous. Hot.

Their eyes met. Her breath caught.

He didn’t smile—not really. Just raised an eyebrow like he wasn’t sure if this was real.

She raised her cup slightly. “Didn’t expect to see you here,” she said over the music.

Kai walked over with slow, steady steps. “Didn’t expect to see you like that.”

She tilted her head. “Like what?”

“Glowing,” he said.

Her laugh came out lighter than she intended. “It’s the pink lemonade and rum,” she joked, a little too fast. “Or maybe the lights.”

“You’re tipsy.” He smirked, gaze softening.

She swayed slightly toward him. “Maybe a little,” she teased, then hiccuped softly. “Okay, a lot.”

Kai reached out instinctively, steadying her with a hand on her arm. “Careful, princess.”

“I’m fine,” she said, but didn’t pull away. Her voice dipped lower, softer. “I just... I wanted to have fun tonight. Be someone who doesn’t worry all the time.”

He didn’t say anything.

“I know I come off sweet, Kai,” she added, tone shifting. “But there’s a lot of shit underneath that. You’d be surprised.”

He looked at her like he already knew.

“Come on,” he said, nodding toward a quieter corner of the room, behind a divider curtain near the window where the lights were dimmer. She followed.

⋯

They sat on a sunken loveseat, worn and slouchy. The music faded into something distant. She curled her legs up beside her, one heel dangling from her toe.

Her head leaned against the back of the couch. “Why are you nice to me?” she asked suddenly. “You don’t even like people.”

Kai looked at her for a long moment. “Because you’re not people.”

She blinked. “That’s either a compliment or super insulting.”

“Take it however you want.”

Silence.

Her eyes glinted in the low light. “You know,” she murmured, “you’re not as cold as you pretend to be.”

“I’m not pretending.”

“Bullshit.”

That earned a smile—barely there, but it happened.

She shifted closer. His thigh brushed hers. Her hand drifted to rest on his shoulder.

“Kai…” Her voice was barely audible, but he heard it like a shout.

She leaned in, lips brushing his cheek, then his jaw, then the edge of his mouth. His hand gripped the couch, hard.

“You taste good,” she whispered, her breath sweet and dizzying. “Strawberries and trouble.”

He let out a quiet exhale. “Yuki…”

“I want you,” she whispered, barely breathing. “I want you badly.”

Kai closed his eyes, jaw clenched. His fingers skimmed her thigh, warm and trembling.

“Don’t start something you’re not ready to finish,” he said, voice low, rough, cracking slightly.

“I don’t start things unless I mean them,” she said, lips brushing his ear.

The air around them buzzed—electric, charged, unbearable.

And then—

A loud crash broke the spell. Someone dropped a tray of drinks near the bar. Laughter erupted. The moment snapped.

Yuki pulled back, dazed. Kai’s chest rose and fell fast.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath.

She stood slowly, brushing her dress down with shaking fingers. “Sorry. That was… stupid.”

“It wasn’t,” he said, looking up at her. “It wasn’t stupid.”

She hesitated. “Good night, Kai.”

Then she slipped through the curtain and disappeared into the crowd like a fading dream.

⋯