Morning at Nova High.
The atmosphere felt tense.
Whispers filled the hallways.
"The King lost…"
"No way…"
"I heard it was the masked guy again…"
Kai walked through the crowd like nothing had changed.
Calm.
Quiet.
Untouched.
But his eyes…
Sharp.
Watching.
Then—
"Kai."
He stopped.
Zara stood behind him.
Her expression serious.
Different.
"Can we talk?" she said.
Kai shrugged.
"Sure."
They moved to a quiet area behind the school.
No one around.
Just the two of them.
Zara didn't waste time.
"I saw you."
Kai blinked.
"Saw me do what?"
Her eyes locked onto his.
"Last night."
Silence.
Kai tilted his head slightly.
"…You should sleep more."
Zara's expression hardened.
"Don't play games with me."
Kai chuckled softly.
"I'm not."
She stepped closer.
"I saw the fight."
Kai yawned.
"Which one? This school has a lot of those."
Zara clenched her fist.
"You were there."
Kai nodded casually.
"Yeah. Watching."
Her voice dropped.
"You were the one wearing the mask."
Kai stared at her for a second.
Then—
He laughed.
Not loudly.
Just enough.
"…Zara."
He stepped closer.
"You really think I'm that strong?"
She didn't answer.
So he continued.
"You've seen me get beaten."
"Lose fights."
"Act powerless."
He spread his hands slightly.
"And now suddenly… I'm some secret monster?"
Zara's confidence wavered slightly.
"But I saw—"
Kai cut her off.
"You saw someone wearing a mask."
A pause.
"That's it."
He leaned in slightly.
"Anyone can wear a mask."
Silence.
Zara's mind raced.
The image from last night…
The power…
The red eyes…
Then she looked at Kai.
Normal.
Calm.
No aura.
No pressure.
Nothing.
"…No," she whispered.
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"You're lying," she said, but her voice wasn't as strong.
Kai smiled.
"You're overthinking."
He stepped back.
"Too many fights, too many rumors…"
He shrugged.
"…you're starting to sound crazy."
That word hit.
Zara froze slightly.
"Crazy…?"
Kai nodded.
"Yeah."
Then he turned away.
"Get some rest."
And just like that—
He walked off.
Leaving Zara standing there.
Confused.
Frustrated.
Doubting herself.
"…Was I wrong?"
Back in the hallway, Kai kept walking.
His expression calm.
But his eyes…
Cold.
That was close.
Because if Zara kept believing what she saw—
Everything would fall apart.
And Kai wasn't ready…
To be exposed.