The principal's voice had been all polite edges and iron underneath: "You two will represent the council at the district orientation. Together. No excuses."
And just like that, Ayan and Kairo were stuck.
Ayan sat at the long presentation table, expression calm, almost bored. Kairo, on the other hand, leaned forward in his chair, grinning like this was the funniest punishment ever invented.
"Smile, partner," he murmured. "We're supposed to look united."
Ayan didn't even glance at him. "You can play dress-up all you want. I'm not lowering myself for show."
Still, when the orientation began, they moved in sync — too much sync. Passing folders, answering questions, standing side by side. Anyone watching would think they were coordinated, maybe even… compatible.
And maybe that's what made Ayan's chest feel too tight.
The event ended late. Too late. The building's staff cleared out fast, lights flickering off one by one. By the time Ayan went to collect his bag, the doors were locked.
"What the—" He pushed at the heavy handle. Nothing.
Behind him, Kairo's chuckle filled the empty hall. "Guess we're stuck."
Ayan turned, sharp. "This is your fault."
"Mine? I didn't tell them to shut us in." Kairo shrugged, leaning against the wall like he owned it. "Besides, maybe it's fate."
The word dripped from his mouth like sin.
Ayan crossed his arms, jaw tight. "If this is fate, I want a refund."
Kairo pushed off the wall, stepping closer. The shadows swallowed most of the hall, leaving just the two of them in a bubble of charged silence.
"You can keep pretending all you want," Kairo said, voice lower now. "But being stuck here? With me? It doesn't scare you half as much as you want it to."
Ayan's reply was ice, but his pulse betrayed him. "Careful. You'll start believing your own delusions."
But neither moved away.
And the night stretched long, darker, sharper, until it felt like the building itself was daring one of them to break.
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