Kian’s POV

It was Kai’s car.

He stepped out, opened the driver's side door, and looked over at me. "Get in."

To my absolute shock, a wave of pure, unfiltered happiness rushed through my chest.

Why am I even this happy?! I must have been the only person in the entire world who felt genuine joy upon seeing the guy who bossed him around every single day! Instead of feeling terrified or running away, I was standing there grinning like a complete idiot.

Still, it was true—I was genuinely happy. After so many quiet, empty days, he had finally shown up. I had been so bored and lonely without him.

Without a second thought, I walked over and climbed into the passenger seat.

Kai started the engine and pulled out onto the main road. After a few minutes of quiet driving, he spoke up, his voice as calm as ever. "So... how have your college days been lately?"

"Pretty good," I replied softly.

"I bet you're happy that you no longer have to face me every day," Kai said, glancing sideways at me.

When I didn't answer immediately, he looked back at the road and added softly, "Hmm... so you really do feel happy when you don't have to see me in person."

There we go...

There was no way in hell I was going to admit out loud that I actually missed him, felt lonely, or found my days boring without him! Am I that stupid? Definitely not!

Suddenly, Kai's cool voice broke through my thoughts. "You know you have a mouth to speak, right? Say it louder so people can hear you. Whatever you're thinking, just stop dreaming inside your head."

I flushed, sitting up straight. "I'm not dreaming!"

"Answer me then," Kai said, his eyes briefly shifting away from the road to glance at me. "You know what I asked."

Oh god... what am I supposed to say?!

If I told him I was happy not seeing his face, would he be offended? But if I said I missed him, wouldn't that sound completely embarrassing? I racked my brain for a safe middle ground.

"I'm not happy, but I'm not sad either," I muttered, looking straight ahead. "It’s just normal... like every day."

"Really?" Kai murmured, a faint smirk touching his lips. "Because I heard news about you. Word is, you beat up your classmates so badly that they bled, single-handedly won the football competition, and had a crowd of people proposing to you."

My face flushed hot, and I quickly looked out the window. How on earth does he find out all this stuff?!

Even though he had already graduated from college, he still kept tabs on me like an eagle watching its target from above! It was ridiculously unfair—I never knew what he was up to, yet he knew every single step I took on campus.

"You really love playing games inside your own head, don't you?" Kai remarked coolly. "Why don't you just say out loud whatever is battling inside your mind?"

I pouted, crossing my arms. "I'm not... it's just irritating."

Suddenly, the car screeched to a smooth halt on the side of the road.

Before I could react, Kai unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over the console, trapping me against the passenger seat. My heart leaped into my throat, hammering at lightning speed. I blinked frantically as his face hovered merely inches from mine.

Slowly, he raised his hand, his warm thumb gently brushing across my cheek.

Oh god... my whole body feels like it's burning up! What is he trying to do right now?! My heart is literally about to explode!

"Don't make that face," Kai whispered, his voice dangerously low.

I blinked, thoroughly bewildered. "What... what face?"

"You're really something else... so hard to get," Kai murmured, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my chest tighten. "Whether you're happy or not doesn't matter. But one thing is for sure—you're going to stay stuck with me for a long, long time."

My mind went completely blank. I just sat there blinking nonstop, unable to process what he was actually trying to say.

Finally, Kai pulled back and leaned into his seat. The moment the suffocating proximity broke, I let out a sharp gasp, greedily filling my lungs with air—only then realizing I had been holding my breath the entire time!

I looked over at him as he resumed driving in total silence.

Eventually, he pulled up to an ultra-luxurious, high-end restaurant.

I turned to him, blinking. "Why are we coming here?"

"I'm hungry, and I need company," Kai replied simply, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Let's go."

It wasn't like I had the audacity to say no anyway. Even if I tried, he would just cut me off halfway through my sentence! It was always better to just go along with what he wanted. Besides, it beat sitting alone in my bedroom feeling bored out of my mind.

We walked inside and were led into a private dining room—clearly booked far in advance. It was insanely expensive, though this wasn't our first time here. He had brought me for dinner a few times in the past. I remembered telling him once that the place was way too pricey, but he had dismissed my complaint with a single, sharp look.

Now, here we were sitting at the exact same table again. Soon, the server brought out a spread of my absolute favorite dishes—cooked so delicious that my stomach rumbled instantly.

As we ate, Kai looked up from his plate. "Do you need anything else?"

I simply shook my head.

Kai set his utensils down with a quiet clatter, staring across at me. "Can't you speak with your actual mouth? All you ever do is shake or nod your head. I've seen you talk freely and loudly with your friend Sun plenty of times. What happens to you when you're with me? "

I stared at him in utter disbelief.

He actually has the audacity to ask me that?!

This monster never even allowed me to speak! Every time I tried to object, he cut me off, and now he expected me to chatter away like nothing was wrong?! Staying silent was the safest option! Who wanted to trigger his thunderous, terrifying voice? I still vividly remembered how loudly he had yelled at me in the chemistry lab back when Nick hurt me!

As I spiraled deeper into my thoughts, Kai suddenly waved his hand in front of my face, breaking my trance.

"We've known each other for over a year now," Kai said, his dark eyes fixed on mine. "You can speak freely. It's not like I'm a monster who's going to hurt you for no reason."

Oh... so if there IS a reason, he definitely will!

Deciding it was far safer to keep my mouth shut, I reached out with my spoon to take another bite of my food.

Before my spoon could even touch the dish, Kai reached across the table, grabbed my plate, and pulled it out of my reach.

"Hey!" I gasped.

"I'm trying to have a conversation with you," Kai said, his voice dropping into a low, stern register. "Yet you're completely mute, ignoring me, and doing your own thing. I thoroughly dislike being ignored... a fact I hope you already know by now."

I sat up straight, my pulse quickening under his gaze. Yes, I know... so what am I supposed to say now?!