Karl's voice shot up instantly. "What the hell did you just—"
"I said I wanted a date with her," Antony cut in coldly. Then his tone softened as he turned to Kaija. "Would that be okay with you?"
Kaija just kept staring at him, still stunned. Did she just hear him wrong, or was Antony having a fever today?
"But... why?" she blurted, face dumb.
"Because I like you," he admitted plainly, his voice flat, face straight.
This time, Kaija didn't just freeze to stone — she cracked. Her jaw dropped straight to the floor and never came back up.
Next to her, Karl's barely contained rage now erupted into a full-on thunderstorm. His voice came again, pointed and dripping with mockery. "Do you even hear yourself, AK? You've never touched a girl in your life. Now you wanna date her?"
"And who are you to comment on who I want to date?" Antony shot back, raising a brow. "Don't tell me you like her too?"
Karl's jaw locked tightly shut, his shoulders trembling faintly.
