“Okay, but if Jessica changes the dress code last minute again, I’m actually not going.”

“You said that three times already.”

“Because I mean it this time.”

“You also said that last time.”

Yris gasped jokingly from the passenger seat.

“You’re supposed to support me!”

Dorian huffed softly through his nose.

“I drove you around for four hours.”

“So?”

“…That is support.”

Yris laughed, reaching over to pinch his cheek lightly.

“See? This is why I keep you around.”

The words were playful.

Easy.

But something about them sat strangely in his chest tonight.

Dorian pulled up in front of her house. Yris unbuckled her seatbelt with a groan.

“Oh my God, I’m so tired. DJ really played some good beats,” she complained, stretching her arms slightly. “I’m literally going straight to sleep after this. My head hurts.”

“You should drink water first.”

“Yes, mom.”

Dorian gave her a look.

Yris laughed again before leaning over quickly and planting a soft peck against his lips.

“Bye,” she said casually. “See you tomorrow.”

“…See you.”

She opened the door, stepping out before turning back briefly.

“Drive safe, okay?”

Dorian nodded once.

Yris smiled.

Then waved at him while walking toward the gate. Dorian lifted a hand back automatically, and watched her disappear inside. Silence settled inside the car almost immediately after. The kind that suddenly felt too noticeable.

Dorian leaned back against the seat.

Exhaled slowly, then drove off.

The city lights blurred past him quietly. Music played softly through the speakers. But he wasn’t listening.

His mind kept replaying tonight.

Yris talking.

Laughing.

Complaining about her life.

Being playful.

Everything had gone…fine.

Until—

that text message.

And somehow that felt worse.

Dorian tightened his grip slightly around the steering wheel.

His thoughts drifted again.

To the waterfront.

To Yris laughing with people while he stood beside her feeling strangely disconnected from everything happening around him.

Then—

against his will—

his mind shifted somewhere else entirely. Recalling that hurtful event.

A crowded club.

Flashing lights.

Yris kissing Brennen.

Dorian’s jaw tightened instantly.

Even now—

it still didn’t feel real.

The image flashed again.

Again.

Again.

His grip tightened harder.

Then, another memory interrupted it.

Storage room.

Qinny grabbing his shirt.

Swollen lips.

Wide eyes.

'Less talking, more action.'

Dorian let out a frustrated breath, his cheeks flushed.

“…Nope.”

A red light stopped him.

He rubbed a hand down his face slowly.

“Hui Yi was right, I'm being weird.”

The light turned green again.

And without really thinking about it, he drove toward UMS beach. The parking lot was nearly empty tonight. Dorian stepped out of the car, leaning against the side of it while staring out toward the dark sea. The wind was colder here. 

Quieter too.

Just waves.

Air.

Silence.

And for the first time tonight, his shoulders relaxed slightly. Dorian stared out at the water for a long moment before letting out a small huff through his nose.

“…Huh.”

Qinny’s voice replayed faintly in his head.

“I like the beach-”

At the time, he found it corny when she said it. But now, he gets it.

The waves crashed softly against the shore. Dorian tilted his head back slightly, eyes closing for a brief second. Then, without meaning to, he wondered how her date went.

A pause.

“…Probably better than mine,” he muttered quietly.

And for some reason, that thought bothered him more than it should have.

Across campus, back in the dorms, Qinny should’ve been sleeping. Instead, she was lying face-first into her pillow like a woman personally betrayed by God.

“…Oh my God.”

Her voice came out muffled.

Then she groaned dramatically and rolled over onto her back, staring at the ceiling.

This was bad.

No.

Actually, this was worse than bad. Because Brennen had been perfect today. 

The flirty compliments.

The way he opened the car door for her.

The way he tucked her hair behind her ear without thinking.

The way he remembered her order.

The way he cut her food.

The way he smiled at her like she still hung the moon.

And somehow—

somehow—

her stupid brain still decided to replay the storage room kiss instead.

Qinny sat up abruptly.

“No,” she told herself firmly.

Then pointed accusingly at absolutely nothing.

“No.”

Silence.

“…But the way he kissed, can't deny it was hot-”

She stopped mid sentence, grabbed the nearest pillow and screamed into it. And suddenly, the door opened. Maya walked in carrying snacks and three different highlighters, looking exhausted from night class. She stopped halfway.

Qinny froze mid-breakdown.

Silence.

Maya blinked once.

“…Why do you look like you were caught red-handed?”

Qinny pointed at her.

“Wh-what? Why would you think that? I'm so innocent!”

Maya slowly shut the door behind her.

“No, you're not girly. You made out with a stranger the other day in a club storage room, 'member?”

Qinny goes red, and threw a pillow at her.

“Okay, damn,” Maya laughed, catching it easily. “So you were thinking about it huh~.”

She dropped her tote bag onto the chair before hastily unpacking snacks onto the bed like she was preparing for wartime negotiations.

“Move.”

“This is my bed.”

“And I’m your best friend. Same thing.”

Qinny groaned but shifted anyway while Maya climbed onto the mattress cross-legged.

“Alright,” Maya said, opening a bag of chips. “Start talking.”

“…About what.”

Maya stared at her flatly.

“You kissed a man in a storage room and came back looking like hustled and tussled with a beast... a hot beast.”

Qinny covered her face instantly.

“Oh my God.”

“No no, don’t ‘oh my God’ me. You cannot drop information like that and then refuse to elaborate.”

“It was ONE kiss.”

“One kiss?” Maya repeated. 

“Girl, clearly you did more than just kiss. I assume tongues were involved and body gaps were nonexistent between you two?”

Qinny choked out a laugh despite herself.

“You’re insane.”

“And yet I’m still the most emotionally intelligent person in this room.”

“Tell yourself that, sure.”

Maya chuckled then pointed a chip at her.

“But for real though... was it good?”

Qinny gasped.

“MAYA.”

“What? I need context.”

“No you don’t!”

“Yes I do. Because if you’re spiraling this hard over a mediocre kiss, then respectfully, that’s embarrassing.”

Qinny turned away, avoiding eye contact.

“…It was good.”

Maya froze.

Then slowly lowered the chip in her hand.

“…How good.”

Qinny sighed loudly before collapsing backwards onto the bed.

“Okay, fine! It was VERY good.”

Maya slapped the mattress.

“I KNEW IT.”

“Keep your voice DOWN.”

“No because this is actually crazy.”

Maya sat up straighter now, fully invested.

“You. Qinnara Edam. Ms ‘I’ve dated one man since secondary school.’”

“…Unfortunately.”

“Suddenly making out with some random hot guy in a storage room because your boyfriend cheated first?”

She placed a hand over her chest.

“That’s peak. PEAK CINEMA.”

“This is so wrong.”

“And I support women’s rights and wrongs.”

Qinny laughed despite herself before groaning again.

Maya narrowed her eyes at Qinny.

“Wait.”

Qinny froze.

“Oh no.”

“You never actually told me what REALLY happened that night.”

Silence.

Maya gasped loudly.

“SPILL IT.”

“H-hey! It's really overwhelming!”

“And now I’m emotionally nosy. Proceed.”

Qinny dragged a pillow over her face.

“…Fine. If you insist.”

Maya shoved snacks toward her.

“Yes. Feed me lore.”

Qinny sighed heavily.

“So basically…”

A pause.

“I saw Brennen cheating.”

The joking atmosphere disappeared instantly.

Maya sat up straighter.

“…That son of a b****. How'd you find out?”

Qinny swallowed.

“I saw him. When we were at the club.”

Maya blinked slowly.

“Now. Tell me which w**** I need to b**** slap, because you know I will.”

“…Yris.”

Maya’s jaw dropped.

“Yris? Like Yris Tay Hui Yi?!”

Qinny nodded weakly.

“Oh my God,” Maya whispered. “I KNOW her.”

“That’s literally the first thing you say?”

“No, because hold on—HER?”

Qinny buried her face into her pillow again.

“And apparently,” she muttered, “I wasn’t the only one who got cheated on.”

Maya froze.

“…Wait. She does have a boyfriend. I forgot his name...”

Qinny peeked at her.

“Right, about that... The guy I kissed?”

“…Yeah?”

“His name is Dorian... AKA, Yris’ boyfriend.”

Silence.

Maya slowly lowered the chips in her hand.

“…Qinny.”

“What.”

“You are literally inside a drama series.”

“I KNOW.”

“No because this is insane.”

Maya pointed aggressively now.

“So you both got cheated on by your partners with each other.”

“…Unfortunately.”

“And then kissed.”

“…Regrettably.”

“And you decide to tell me only NOW?”

Qinny hesitated.

“…sorry?”

Maya screamed into her pillow.

“I LOVE mess.”

“This is NOT funny.”

“It’s a little funny. I never knew you were so unhinged!"

Qinny glared at her.

Maya immediately softened slightly. 

“…But, okay no, wait. Are you okay? Like, for real?”

That question hit differently.

Qinny looked down at her hands quietly.

“…I don’t know.”

Maya watched her carefully now.

“Brennen took me out on a date today. And he was perfect,” Qinny admitted softly. “Like… sweet. Normal. He acted like nothing happened.”

Her chest tightened slightly.

“And the worst part is that a part of me wanted to believe him.”

Maya stayed quiet.

“He opened doors for me. Remembered my order. Fed me chicken.”

“…The chicken is unrelated, but continue.”

Qinny laughed weakly through her frustration.

“But somehow,” she whispered, “I still keep thinking about him.”

Maya tilted her head slightly.

“…Dorian?”

Qinny nodded slowly.

“He understood why I was angry before I even explained anything.”

The room quieted.

“And when I was with him…” Qinny admitted softly, “I didn’t feel stupid for being hurt. Like, I mattered, you know?”

That landed heavily between them.

Maya stared at her for a moment.

Then pointed slowly.

“Oh, girl.”

Qinny frowned.

“What.”

“You’re SO cooked.”

“I AM NOT.”

“You’re emotionally attached already.”

“Why would I-" She laughs in disbelief. "That is literally insane.”

“Not really,” Maya said honestly. “Trauma bonding is basically nature.”

She covered her flustered face with her hands.

“This is so weird. I hate this.”