The sun dipped low over the campus as Lina and Jayden stepped out of the library, books tucked under their arms. The air smelled of rain and paper... that quiet calm that always followed a long study session.
Lina spotted a familiar figure near the walkway and instantly lit up."Evan!" she called, waving with a smile.
Jayden turned toward her. "Guess that's my cue to leave?"Lina nodded. "Yeah, see you in our next session."Jayden smiled, his easy grin never fading. "Sure. Take care, tutor."
Lina rolled her eyes playfully before walking toward Evan."Hey! I haven't seen you since last Saturday," she said cheerfully. "I've been calling and calling, but you didn't pick up. Everything okay?"
Evan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, the thing is… my phone caught a virus."
"A virus? How?" Lina asked, tilting her head.
He sighed. "I downloaded a game from a sketchy site, and boom... phone gone. Totally bugged. So I ordered a new one, but it hasn't arrived yet. I've been phoneless all week."
Lina exhaled in relief. "Oh! I was starting to think you were avoiding me."
Evan's eyes flickered for a moment. "No, nothing like that. I, uh… had to help my mum with an event."
"Oh, right," Lina said softly. "You don't stay on campus. Your house isn't that far, huh?"
He nodded, and there was a silence that hung between them... heavy and unspoken.
Then Lina brightened. "Well, you know Kai's concert is this Saturday, right?"
Evan's eyes widened ever so slightly."What? Why do you look surprised?" she asked, suspiciously narrowing her eyes.
"N-no reason," he stammered.
"Anyway," Lina continued excitedly, "I got two tickets. For both of us! I thought we could go together."
Evan's throat tightened. He looked down at the pavement, then back up, forcing a small smile."Unfortunately… I won't be able to go with you, Lina. I'm really sorry."
"What? Why not?" she asked, disappointment already shadowing her tone.
He hesitated, scrambling for an excuse. "My mum's event... I need to help her that weekend."
"Oh." Lina's voice fell, soft and fragile. "Okay, I'll just go on my own then. Like I always do."
That last sentence stabbed deeper than she meant it to.Evan looked at her, guilt flashing across his face. "Lina…"
She forced a smile. "It's fine. Really."
He shifted uncomfortably. "I have to go now. I'll see you later."
As he turned, Lina instinctively reached out, lightly grabbing the edge of his jacket. "Wait—at least let's get ice cream together."
For a moment, his heart squeezed. But then, an image of Jordan wiping cream off her face flashed through his mind... that closeness, that easy laugh. His chest tightened again.
"I'm sorry, Lina," he said quietly. "It's urgent. Maybe another time."
He walked away.
Lina stood frozen for a few seconds, confusion clouding her mind. Did I do something wrong? she thought. Her throat tightened as tears began to well in her eyes.
Flashback — During Tutoring Session
Lina and Jordan sat surrounded by books in the Library.
"I'm sorry," Jordan said suddenly. "I know it's none of my business, but it feels like your friend Evan doesn't like me much."
Lina blinked. "What? No, Evan's not like that. He's… amazing. Funny, kind, thoughtful... the kind of guy you think of as a brother but realize he's… much more."
Jordan smirked. "You like him."
Lina blushed, nearly dropping her pen. "W-what? Who said anything about feelings? You're crazy."
Jordan chuckled softly. "Has he talked to you since Saturday?"
Lina's smile faded. "No… but he's probably just busy."
"Or jealous," Jordan said under his breath.
Her eyes widened. "Jealous? Of what?"
Jordan shrugged. "Maybe because you're spending all this time with some other guy."
Lina laughed it off. "Oh please. Let's just get back to work." But her heart beat a little faster than before.
Present
Evan was long gone.Lina stood where he left her, her hands trembling slightly. The evening breeze brushed her face, but it couldn't cool the sting in her chest.
Days had passed, and Lina and Evan still hadn't spoken. The silence between them hung heavier with each sunrise.
It was the day of Kai's concert... the one Lina had waited months for, yet she lay sprawled on her bed, half-buried in her blanket, looking utterly defeated.
From the living room came Jessie's voice, loud and impatient as always."Okay, Lina, I'm off now!" she called. "Lina? Lina!"
When there was no reply, Jessie sighed and marched toward Lina's room. She pushed open the door, only to find Lina lying on her bed like a dead rabbit, her hair messy, her eyes puffy.
Jessie gasped. "Lina! What are you doing? Don't tell me you forgot about Kai's concert, the same concert you've been talking and singing about every day for the last month!"
Lina's voice was dull and muffled. "I didn't forget. It's today."
Jessie frowned, crossing her arms. "So what happened then?"
"I don't wanna talk about it," Lina muttered.
Jessie blinked in shock. "You don't want to talk about it? Oh, this must be serious." She walked over and sat on the edge of Lina's bed. "Come on, talk to me. What's wrong?"
Lina slowly sat up, her face red and her eyes swollen.
Jessie's expression softened. "Wait… were you crying?"
Lina sniffled. "It's nothing. I'm just… not going to the concert anymore."
Jessie tilted her head. "Why not? Tell me what happened."
Lina sighed. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"
"I do," Jessie said, "but this is more important right now."
There was a long pause. Then Jessie asked quietly, "Is it about Evan?"
That single name cracked the wall Lina had tried to build. Her lips trembled, and tears rolled down her cheeks again as she nodded.
"Oh, my poor baby," Jessie said softly, pulling her into a hug.
Lina's voice was shaky. "I don't know why he's been avoiding me. He hasn't spoken to me all week. I haven't seen him, and when I do, he just makes up some silly excuse. I don't even know what I did wrong. He's been so mean to me lately."
Jessie rubbed her back gently. "Shh, it's okay. Let it all out."
After a few minutes of muffled sobs, Jessie asked, "You done?"
Lina nodded weakly. "Yeah."
Jessie pulled a tissue from her bag and handed it to her. Lina took it, sniffling. "Thanks."
"Listen," Jessie said firmly. "Boys are like that sometimes. One minute they're all over you, and the next, they act like you don't exist. But that doesn't mean you should let it ruin your night."
She stood up, hands on her hips. "Trapping yourself in your room, sulking and bed-rotting? That's not the Lina I know. The only time I've ever seen you cry this much was when there was that virus outbreak and you started bawling because you were scared Kai might catch it."
Lina let out a weak laugh.
Jessie smiled and reached for her hand. "Now, get up. Wash your face, fix your hair, and get ready to go to that concert. You deserve to have fun. And I'll help you get ready."
Lina blinked, surprised. "Really?"
Jessie nodded. "Of course."
Lina sighed, then frowned. "But I got two tickets. I don't have anyone to go with now."
Jessie shrugged. "I'd come with you, but I've got plans today. Don't you have someone else who could go?"
Lina thought for a second. Then her phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw a message:
Jayden:How's the concert going? You there yet?
Jessie leaned over instantly. "Jayden? Who's Jayden?"
Lina smiled faintly. "He's… my tutoree."
Jessie snatched the phone before Lina could react. "Your what now? Let me see this handsome fellow." She scrolled through Jayden's profile and whistled. "Okay, okay. So, Mr. Tutoree, huh?"
"Jessie!" Lina exclaimed. "Give it back!"
Jessie ignored her. "You know what? You should invite him to the concert."
"What? No! I can't do that," Lina protested. "He'd never say yes."
Jessie smirked. "You'll never know until you try."
Before Lina could stop her, Jessie started typing out loud."Hey, would you like to go to the concert with me? That's if you're not too busy..."
"Jessie, stop! Don't you dare press send!"
Jessie grinned mischievously. "And… send! Perfect."
"JESSIE!" Lina yelled, grabbing her phone back. "What have you done? I'm deleting this right now..."
Her sentence froze when the phone buzzed again.
Jayden:Yeah, of course. Why not?
Jessie squealed. "Has he replied already? Oh, goodie! Now we have a date to get ready for."
Lina stared at the message, her heart racing. "Oh no…"
Jessie grinned from ear to ear. "Oh yes."
Lina looked stunning... too stunning, honestly. She wore a black oversized Kai shirt tucked into ripped jeans, paired with white sneakers and a silver chain that caught the light each time she moved. Her signature Kai mask hung loosely around her neck, and her hair framed her face perfectly, giving off that "I didn't try too hard" vibe, even though she absolutely did. Her outfit screamed fanatic, but in the most subtle, effortlessly cool way.
When Jayden's car pulled up in front of her house, Jessie whistled."Okayyy, this is luxury!" Jessie teased, waving her hand like a proud mom. "Well girl, I have to run, but you better go have fun... and maybe get Kai's autograph while you're at it!" She winked dramatically and disappeared down the street.
Lina chuckled nervously, clutching her small sling bag. "Hey," she said when Jayden stepped out of the car."Hey," he replied with an easy smile, opening the passenger door for her.She slid in, and soon they were on their way, city lights dancing across the windshield as the bass of distant music thumped in the air.
The concert venue was madness. Crowds of people lined up outside the gates, waving posters, screaming Kai's name. Some wore his signature silver mask; others had shirts with his logo printed across the chest. The air pulsed with excitement, with every chant of "KAI! KAI! KAI!" making Lina's heart race faster.
"Wow," Jayden muttered, staring at the crowd. "This guy's like a global religion."Lina laughed softly. "You're not wrong."
Meanwhile... backstage, the atmosphere was tense but electric.A sleek black door had the name KAI printed boldly in white letters. Inside, the room smelled faintly of cologne and stage lights. A woman with a headset, clipboard in hand, mic looped from her ear to her mouth, opened the door.
"Kai, you're on in five," she said briskly.A figure sat before a mirror lined with bright bulbs, his reflection half-shadowed. He wore a fitted leather jacket with silver chains crossing the shoulders, matching fingerless gloves, and dark jeans that gave him that effortless rockstar edge. His hair was tousled, framing his face just so.
He stood, his reflection finally catching the full light.And in that instant... if anyone from campus could've seen him... their jaw would've dropped.
Because that wasn't just Kai.That was Evan.
He smirked slightly, voice low and confident. "Yeah," he said, picking up the silver mask and sliding it over his face. "I'm ready."