Whispers spread like wildfire. Students exchanged glances. One voice murmured just loud enough for Tania to hear: "So she was pretending all along...?"
Kaivan stepped forward, close enough to feel her breath. His tone softened, but it was even more terrifying.
"Remember that night at the café with Dandi and Rina? You laughed at me. Remember how you made me trust you, then tossed me aside? Did you think I wouldn't know? Or that I was too stupid to realize?"
Tania froze, her face pale.
"And now... you still dare come here, pretending to care? Empty words, Tania. No empathy, no heart. Just a performance. And me... I was nothing more than a pawn in your play."
The whispers grew louder. Students edged away from her, their eyes cold. "Never thought she was that cruel," someone muttered, just enough to sting.
Kaivan turned to leave. At the doorway, he looked back one last time. "And one more thing, Tania. If what I said hurt you... it's nothing compared to the wounds you left in me for a year. So don't expect sympathy."
Tania stood frozen. No tears fell, not because it didn't hurt, but because she refused to show weakness. Her jaw clenched, teeth grinding, holding back the storm within. The empty classroom echoed with silence, not sadness, but fire.
Kaivan walked down the corridor toward the gates. His steps were heavy, yet his chest felt a little lighter. The outburst had brought relief, though he hated the way it happened. The pain had been voiced, but the scars ran deep. In his heart, he made a vow: never again would he open himself to those who only knew how to take.
At the school gate, he saw her, Thivi. The girl leaned casually against the post, dressed in a tight white tank top and bold hot pants. Confidence radiated from her like sunlight. Her blue eyes sparkled, alive and unrestrained.
"KAIVAAAAN!" Thivi's voice rang out, high and sharp, cutting through the quiet afternoon. Students turned their heads. She waved enthusiastically, her wide grin contagious.
Admiring and envious stares gathered around her, yet Thivi only shone brighter. She thrived under the spotlight. And now, that spotlight shifted onto Kaivan.
Kaivan looked at her. His face calm, though weary. But inside, a weight eased. Thivi always brought a glimmer of light when his sky turned gray.
His steps toward her grew lighter, though the shadow of the classroom scene still lingered.
"Hey, I'm here! You walk so slow," Thivi greeted, her eyes sparkling, her smile like morning light. Kaivan approached without expression. "Carry my bag," he said flatly, handing her the burden.
Thivi accepted it without complaint, though its heaviness surprised her. "What is this, bricks?" she joked lightly. Yet her movements were steady, without a hint of protest, only quiet joy. Being needed was enough. As she bent slightly to balance the weight, more eyes fell on her. She simply smiled, basking in the attention.
Kaivan reached out and gently patted her head. "Thanks." A single word, but it was enough. Thivi's smile softened into something rare, tender, unguarded. She understood without needing him to explain.
From another corridor, Tania watched the scene unfold. Her eyes widened. Who is she? Kaivan, who used to put me first… now he's with another girl? The thought bit deep, leaving behind an unfamiliar fear. Kaivan was no longer the same.
Old memories flashed, Kaivan waiting outside her class, buying her whatever she wanted. But now, that boy stood surrounded by stares and light. He no longer belonged to her.
A black SUV pulled up. Frans, behind the wheel, rolled down the window. "I've already picked up Zinnia," he said casually. From inside, Zinnia waved, her violet hair tied high, her eyes sharp as ever.
Not long after, Felicia appeared, walking calmly toward the gate. She greeted them with a faint smile. "See you at the workshop," she said evenly, as if it were inevitable. She took Thivi's hand and guided her into the car driven by Frans.
Once seated, Thivi leaned closer, a mischievous smile curling her lips. "By the way, I bathed with Kaivan yesterday."
In an instant, Felicia pushed open the window. A sharp, mocking frown cut across her face.
"I'm staying at your place again tonight. And you… you actually bathed with Thivi?" she said loudly.
Her words cracked through the air like thunder. The chatter around them froze. Whispers spread like wildfire, eyes snapping toward Kaivan, confused, jealous, awed. Who is he, really? The question burned silently in every gaze.
Kaivan stiffened. Felicia's words pierced him to the core. His eyes darted around, his mind clouded, his chest tightened with shame. His tongue felt heavy, unable to form a single word.
Radit appeared, trying to lighten the mood. He slung an arm around Kaivan with a laugh. "Wow, the kid who used to get bullied all the time actually managed to bathe with a girl like that."
But the memory of Thivi stepping into the bathroom with him slashed through Kaivan's thoughts once more. The stares, the whispers growing louder, and the crushing weight of humiliation made him wish he could vanish from that place entirely. It felt as if the world itself was laughing at him.
From a distance, Tania stood frozen. Her eyes locked onto Kaivan, her thoughts unraveling into chaos. That's Kaivan? The new kid, protected by Radit, trailed by a gorgeous girl acting like his attendant, chauffeured by a boy with a luxury car, and… another woman waiting in the car for him?
Everything felt reversed. Once she stood above him, but now Kaivan towered at the summit. Jealousy, regret, and disbelief pummeled her heart without mercy. In silence, she screamed: That's not the Kaivan I used to know.
Meanwhile, Kaivan, nearly drowned in his own shame and anger, strode quickly toward his motorcycle. He clutched the key tightly, started the engine without looking at anyone. All he wanted was a single thing, to escape the stares, the voices, the crowd. To retreat into solitude, where his wounds could bleed unseen.
After arriving at the workshop in the old mall, Kaivan walked slowly through the empty corridor. Each step echoed, shadows along the walls shifting as if alive. At the end of the hall, an ancient wooden door awaited him, like a gateway to a world that would no longer be the same.
Beyond it, his companions had already gathered. Zinnia sat upright, calm and cold. Felicia leaned against the wall, her crimson eyes sharp and watchful. Thivi lounged on an old sofa, legs crossed, a cigarette between her lips, a playful smile curving her mouth. Frans and Radit stood near the window, their conversation cut off the moment Kaivan entered.