Kian’s POV

I watched as he held my plate hostage across the table.

"What am I supposed to say?" I muttered, leaning back. "There's nothing to say."

Kai shot me a sharp glare, but honestly, what did he expect?

"You have nothing to say?" Kai repeated, his voice dropping an octave. "How about you start by talking about what you did today?"

I stared at him . For real?! Now I have to give him a full daily report?! Didn't he already install hidden CCTV cameras behind my back or something?!

"Well?" Kai said, raising an eyebrow. "Start already."

"Today I went to class like usual," I droned on, listing my routine out loud. "I studied, ate lunch with Sun, sat at the bus stop, and then you picked me up and brought me here. That's it."

Kai sighed, shaking his head slightly. "You really are so boring."

Who are you calling boring?! You're the boring one here! I screamed in my head.

"So you really don't care whether I'm around or not, huh?" Kai asked, his dark eyes searching my face.

"Why would I care?" I blurted out before my brain could filter my words. "Without you around, I just get more time to study longer!"

Oh god... why did I say that out loud?! Well, he WAS the one who kept ordering me to speak up!

"Hmm... okay," Kai murmured quiet, looking down at his hands. "Focus on your studies then. Be confident in whatever you do, and don't let anyone bully you like you used to."

I stayed silent, a strange lump forming in my throat.

Kai looked back up at me, his gaze unusually heavy. "Besides... you won't be seeing me for a long time anyway."

My chest tightened instantly. I didn't even stop to think before asking, "Why? Are you going somewhere outside the city?"

Wait... why did I just ask that?! I scolded myself inwardly. We can just bump into each other like we did today, right? Oh god, Kian, stop it! What is wrong with you?! Wishing to bump into him again while he's holding your food hostage... that's ridiculous!

Kai looked directly into my eyes, his tone surprisingly soft. "Actually... I'm going to England for my father's business. It's going to take a long time before I can come back here."

My heart sank into my stomach. An overwhelming wave of sadness washed over me before I could suppress it.

"How long?" I asked softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

Kai gave a faint, bitter smile. "I thought you didn't care whether I was around or not."

"I was just asking a basic question," I muttered, quickly looking down at my lap. "Besides, you were the one who told me not to hold back."

"It will take about two years," Kai said calmly.

Two years?! My heart plummeted. That was an insanely long time! Spending just a few weeks without him around had already felt agonizing... how was I supposed to survive two whole years?

See, Kian? I chided myself silently. This is exactly why you shouldn't have gotten used to him being around! But... maybe it's a good thing he's going far away. This way, the bad habit of relying on him will finally disappear.

"If you ever need to talk or discuss anything over the next two years, you have my number," Kai added softly. "Just give me a call."

Suddenly remembering the phone he had bought me, I reached into my pocket, pulled out the sleek smartphone, and offered it back to him. "Since you won't be around anymore, I won't be needing this."

Kai glanced at it without taking it. "It's already an older model to me, so I don't need it. I'd just throw it away anyway. You might as well use it."

I hesitated for a second before nodding. "Fine... but I'll pay you back every cent for it once I start earning."

"Sure. Whatever you say," he replied with a faint smirk.

After dinner, he drove me home in silence. An aching tightness settled heavy in my chest, making it hard to breathe just thinking about the fact that I wouldn't be seeing him anymore.

He pulled up in front of my house, and I unbuckled my seatbelt and get out. But his voice echoed through the quiet night.

"Come here."

I paused, turning back toward the driver's side like I was walking in slow motion.

Kai opened his door, stepped out, and walked right up to me. Reaching out, his large hand gently brushed against my cheek. The tender warmth of his touch sent a shiver through my entire body.

Before I could process the sudden softness in his eyes, he reached out and pulled me firmly into his arms.

He held me in a tight, protective embrace, the scent of his cologne wrapping around me. After what felt like an eternity, he broke the hug, looking down directly into my eyes.

"Behave yourself until I come back," he murmured softly.

Then, he leaned down—and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss right against my forehead.

My mind went completely blank. Did he... did he just kiss my forehead?!

Before I could react, Kai turned around, climbed back into his car, and drove off into the dark night.

My entire face burned as if on fire. I sprinted into the house, locked my bedroom door, and collapsed against it, my heart pounding violently against my ribs.

What was that feeling?! Oh god...

I rushed into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the cool water wash over my flushed skin for a long, long time to cool the fever burning inside me.

The next morning at college, Sun walked up to my desk with a beaming smile. "Look at you! You're literally the most popular guy on campus right now. I'm so proud of how much you've changed, Kian!"

"I haven't changed at all, okay?" I grumbled playfully. "Not even a little bit! But look at you—you don't hang out with anyone else except Senior Moon these days! Do you really like him that much?"

Sun flushed bright red, waving his hands defensively. "Hah! Stop joking! We're... we're just friends!"

I teased him with a small smirk as we sat down for our morning lecture. But as the teacher began writing on the board, my mind drifted far away.

I couldn't stop touching my forehead, remembering the tender warmth of his lips against my skin.

A quiet, lingering sadness settled deep inside my chest. There's no way I'll be seeing Kai anytime soon... That's a good thing, right? He's finally out of my life.

Yet as I stared out the classroom window at the empty athletic field, my heart knew it was a lie.

Out of nowhere, Sun leaned over my desk. "Ah, by the way... I heard Senior Moon mention that his friend Kai was going to London. Is that true?"

I looked at him, trying to keep my face completely neutral. "Why are you asking me that? It’s not like I keep track of everything he does."

"Well, you two don't hang out these days, but when he was studying here, you guys were practically glued together all the time," Sun said, giving me a suspicious look.

"You should answer my question before asking for mine," I countered, narrowing my eyes playfully. "Better tell me the truth about you and Senior Moon first, okay?"

Sun flushed slightly. "Okay, okay! It's just a friendly approach, alright? We haven't decided on anything yet."

I stared at him in mock shock. "Are you trying to say you two are actually—"

Before I could finish my sentence, Sun slapped his palm over my mouth, looking around nervously. "Are you crazy?! Shut up! I told you, we haven't thought about anything like that yet. We're just trying to figure each other out."

He let go of my mouth and smoothed down his uniform.

I grinned, nudging his shoulder. "I'm really happy for you, man. You finally found a good one."

"Do you have a hearing problem?" Sun grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I just said we're only figuring things out! Nothing is official."

"Okay, okay," I laughed. "No more digging into your personal life. Let's focus on the lecture instead."

Sun quieted down for a moment before looking back at me thoughtfully. "Honestly, Kian... I think you should go out with someone too. Everyone on campus likes you now. You're definitely a strong Alpha—you were probably just scared to show it before because a weak environment can suppress an Alpha's instincts. But now that you've come out so powerful, saying yes to one of those beautiful girls would be great for you."

I stared at him, shaking my head. This guy is really something else...

"I don't care about that stuff right now," I said dismissively. "When the time comes, I'll think about it."

I dropped the conversation right there. Truth be told, I had zero interest in finding a romantic partner on campus. I wasn't fond of those loud confessions anyway. Besides... I didn't even know my own second gender for sure.

Ever since childhood, my mom had always told me I acted like a soft, gentle Beta. Sure, I got annoyed at her sometimes, but that was just normal Beta behavior. I only ever showed that emotional side to her. Now, suddenly, everyone on campus assumed I was some powerful Alpha.

Whatever... forget it, Kian. Just focus on what actually matters—study hard and get a good job.