The next morning felt heavier than usual.
Zara barely slept. Her eyes were swollen, her head aching from everything she had been holding in. She stared at her reflection for a long time before school, barely recognizing the girl looking back at her.
"You're fine," she whispered to herself.
But she wasn't.
When she got to school, everything felt… off. The same hallways, the same noise, the same people—but nothing felt normal anymore.
And then she saw him.
Kai.
Standing with Axel like nothing had happened.
Zara's chest tightened instantly. For a moment, she thought about walking up to him, saying something—anything. Yelling, maybe. Or demanding an explanation.
But her feet didn't move.
Instead, she turned and walked the other way.
Kai noticed.
Of course he did.
His eyes followed her as she passed, but he didn't say a word. Not even a "hey." Not even her name.
That hurt more than yesterday.
Axel glanced between them, clearly uncomfortable. "Bro… you're just gonna ignore her?" he asked quietly.
Kai shrugged, pretending it didn't matter. "She'll get over it."
But even he didn't sound convinced.
Back in class, Zara sat quietly, staring at her desk. The teacher's voice faded into the background. Her mind kept replaying everything—Kai's words, his tone, the way he walked away.
"Mind your business."
It echoed over and over again.
Her friend leaned over. "Are you okay?" she whispered.
Zara forced a small smile. "Yeah. I'm fine."
A lie.
Across the room, Kai looked at her again. This time longer. His expression wasn't angry anymore… it was something else.
Regret.
But pride kept him silent.
After school, the tension didn't break.
Zara packed her things quickly, trying to leave before running into him. She didn't want another scene. She didn't trust herself not to react.
But as she stepped out of the classroom—
"Zara."
She froze.
Slowly, she turned around.
Kai stood there, hands in his pockets, looking unusually unsure of himself.
"What?" she said, her voice cold.
Kai hesitated. This wasn't like him. He usually had something to say, something sharp or confident.
Now… nothing came out.
"I just—" he started, then stopped.
Zara crossed her arms. "If you're going to tell me to mind my business again, don't bother."
"That's not what I—"
"Then what?" she snapped. "Because yesterday you made it very clear where I stand."
Kai clenched his jaw. "You don't understand."
"Then explain!" she shot back. "Or are you just going to walk away again?"
That hit.
Hard.
For a second, it looked like Kai might actually open up.
But then—
He looked away.
"…Forget it," he muttered.
And just like that, the moment was gone.
Zara let out a small, bitter laugh. "Yeah. That's what I thought."
She turned and walked away.
This time, she didn't look back.
And Kai didn't follow.
The distance between them wasn't just space anymore.
It was silence.
And it was growing.