Jealousy Ignites
The next morning, Bangkok's streets glittered wet from last night's rain. Niran walked to school with his bag slung loosely over his shoulder, trying to calm the flutter in his chest.
He hadn't slept well. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Kai's gaze, the smirk, the way his hand had lingered just a second too long.
By the time he reached the school gate, his stomach twisted.
"You're late," Noah called, grinning. "And you look… distracted.
"I'm fine," Niran muttered, hurrying past.
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Fine. That's what they all say."
Inside, the classroom buzzed as students murmured about Kai. Niran felt the weight of dozens of eyes on him and wondered if Kai had noticed too.
He did.
Kai wasn't at his desk yet, but he didn't need to be. The second Niran walked in, Kai's eyes found him. Slow. Calculating. Possessive.
Niran froze, and his cheeks burned.
"Sit down, Niran," Kai said, his voice low, commanding. Not loud enough for the teacher to hear, but precise.
Niran slid into his chair. Pim, sitting opposite him, smiled wickedly.
"Morning," she said, leaning forward with a teasing tilt of her head. "Someone looks… tense."
"I'm not tense," Niran said, gripping his pen a little too hard.
Kai's gaze sharpened. "Don't lie."
Pim's smirk widened. She leaned closer across the table, just enough for Kai to notice.
"You're awfully quiet around him," she whispered, her voice playful. "Nervous, maybe?"
Kai's jaw tightened.
Niran's stomach twisted. He wanted to melt. He wanted to flee. And somehow… he wanted Kai's gaze on him more than anything.
"You're mine," Kai said under his breath, just for Niran. The words weren't loud, but they slammed into him harder than any shout.
Pim's eyes flicked to Kai. "Excuse me?" she teased, but there was caution there now.
Kai didn't answer her. His eyes never left Niran.
Later that day, during lunch, Pim invited Niran to sit with her. Playful, provocative, flirtatious. She brushed against him casually, a hand lingering on his arm.
From across the cafeteria, Kai appeared.
His presence made the chatter fade. People noticed, but Niran didn't care. All he could feel was the heat, the possessive energy Kai radiated.
Kai walked straight to their table.
No one moved, no one dared.
He leaned slightly over Niran's shoulder. His lips barely brushed his ear. "Move away from him," he said softly, but with an unmistakable warning.
Pim froze. Her playful smile faltered.
Niran's heart hammered. He felt every possessive pulse from Kai, every subtle mark of ownership.
"No," Pim said, finally, voice light but defiant. "I'm not moving."
Kai's hand hovered near Niran's. Not touching—yet threatening. Niran's fingers itched to hold it, to claim the protection, to surrender.
"You will stay where I want you," Kai whispered.
Pim tilted her head, realizing she couldn't win. Her laughter softened, and she moved a fraction away, letting Kai's dominance settle in.
Niran didn't breathe until Kai stepped back.
"You're impossible," Niran muttered, cheeks burning.
Kai smirked. "I like impossible."
By the end of lunch, Niran's head was spinning. Every glance, every whispered word, every possessive motion from Kai left him dizzy and longing.
Later, in the corridor, Marco appeared quietly beside Kai. Broad-shouldered, calm, assessing.
"Everything under control?" Marco asked, nodding toward Niran and Pim.
Kai's lips twitched. "He's mine. That's all I care about."
Marco chuckled low. "Good. Don't let anyone forget it."
Niran walked to class after lunch, heart still racing. Pim trailed behind, playful but subdued. Kai stayed a few steps behind, his presence like heat in the air—watching, waiting, claiming.
Noah nudged him. "Careful, man. He's… intense."
Niran swallowed. "I know."
But deep inside, he knew more than that. He didn't want to run anymore. Not from Kai. Not from this dangerous, possessive, intoxicating pull that left him trembling in ways he couldn't explain.
Bangkok's skyline glittered again as afternoon sunlight poured into the classroom windows.
And Niran understood something he hadn't before.
He was being marked.
By Kai.
And he had no intention of resisting.