Hillary drew in a shaky breath, forcing herself to focus. "It was... a normal day. My father had left for a business trip a week ago. Some emergency had come up at my mum's workplace too, she had also left a day ago."

Hillary shrugged then, "They usually make sure at least one of them is in the city at all times, but things do slip up sometimes. So, I was home alone for two days. I went through my usual routine. Had swim practice early in the morning. Then school. It was a hectic day, just a day before the fundraiser."

"I stayed back for an hour and a half after school hours, but everyone in the club did that day. I didn't get time for some personal practice that day, so had to go straight to evening practice again." She glanced up briefly to make sure he was still following.

"Cassie told me it was a test day. And an important one, as the nationals were just a fortnight away," Kai added quietly.

"You talked to Cassie about this?" she asked, frowning.

Kai shook his head. "No, we were talking in general. She was telling me how the coach said you did better than her as subtly as possible."

Hillary's lips twitched but she couldn't bring herself to smile. "Yeah, it was testing day, but I don't remember what the coach told me. I remember that the coach wanted to talk to me after practice, but everything's hazy from there. I think she wanted to talk to Cassie too. I remember passing her outside the main office when she was stepping out of the coach's cabin."

Kai gave the tiniest nod, encouraging her to keep going. "I went in after her. I remember sitting across from the coach. I remember her saying something, but..." She swallowed. "It's all foggy after that. I can't remember the actual conversation. Just... pressure in my head."

Kai's grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly. He didn't interrupt.

"I think I went to the locker room after that. It was empty. I must've gotten dressed... I have flashes of pulling my sweatshirt on, drying my hair... but it's a big blank after that."

Her voice grew quieter. "The next clear memory I have — I was in that alley. I had been gazing at the stars but not really seeing them for a long time. The first thing I registered was that I was cold. I couldn't feel my legs properly. My head was pounding, my throat was raw. My whole body was sore... and my cold urticaria had already set in."

"The rashes... they were worse than I'd ever experienced. I must have been in the snow for a long time. I didn't even know where I was when I finally got up. I just wanted to go home. I was just trying to find the main road when you found me." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And then I blacked out, again. You know the rest."

The silence between them was no longer awkward. Kai's thumb brushed against her knuckles once, then stopped.

The waitress returned with their food, forcing a pause in the conversation. Hillary pulled her hand back slowly, letting go of his warmth. She quickly wiped her tears.

"We're still missing something," Hillary said after the waitress left.

Kai stared down at his steaming noodles, not answering right away. "I think," he said finally, "whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. No hesitation. No trail." He looked at her again, his voice tighter.

Hillary was playing with her food now. "What makes you think it was a 'he', Kai?"

Kai blinked, then let out a quiet breath and rolled his eyes—not out of irritation, but like someone who found the question oddly timed. "Seriously?"

Her gaze didn't waver. "You just sound so sure. Why a man?"

He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing in thought before answering. "Because that's what statistics suggest Hillary. Most acts of violence, especially street violence, are carried out by men. That's not a guess. It's just fact."

His voice stayed steady, low. "You were drugged, dragged out of a building, dumped in the cold like you didn't matter. No hesitation. No panic. That's someone who's done something like this before."

Hillary nodded slowly, the silence stretching just a little. She still wasn't completely convinced—but Kai's calm certainty left little room to argue.

"We should get going. Your practice starts in half an hour, you could sneak in fifteen minutes of practice if we leave now," he said, heading to the billing counter.

"How much was my meal again?" she asked, catching up to him. She was already opening her purse, counting her money.

Kai waved her off. "That won't be necessary. I'm a subscribed member here. Pay for twenty meals in advance, for a lower average per meal cost. Since I frequent this place so much, I thought I might as well save some money on it."

"I wonder what Tyson would say if I told him about your card. Your name written in the same space as Darling Café, with blue hearts and stars." She chuckled.

Kai narrowed his eyes at this. "I'm going to pretend you just didn't say that," he said as he approached the counter.

"You came back!" a small voice piped up from behind the counter.

A girl — no older than ten — sat behind the counter, her café apron oversized and sleeves rolled up messily. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Kai, like he was her favorite pop star.

"You're not usually on duty," Kai said, glancing at her with mild curiosity.

"I'm not," she said proudly. "But we're understaffed today and I'm very good at math. So my mom allowed me to do billing if I promised to do my homework after dinner!" she said as she took his card.

"Good for you," Kai said neutrally.

Her grin widened at that. "Yaki udon and green tea?" she enquired.

Kai nodded. "And you?" she asked, turning to Hillary.

"Ebi Doria," Hillary replied.

The girl entered their orders into the billing machine, then paused, blinking curiously at Hillary.

"You never bring anyone with you," she was upfront with Kai. Then to Hillary, "Are you his girlfriend?"

Hillary replied slightly faster than what would have been acceptable. "No! Just a friend."

"Really?" The girl squinted at them again. "You two look like the kind of people who sit in quiet corners and keep secrets."

"We do," Kai agreed dryly. "Just not those kinds of secrets."

The girl obviously didn't understand the hidden meaning behind Kai's words, yet brightened up. "Well, then you're still eligible! We're running a Couple Compliment Cake — but only for duos who come in together! It's strawberry with a caramel swirl today."

"No," Kai said flatly.

"Yes," Hillary countered, grinning. "You never turn down free food, Kai."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Did you just quote Tyson?"

"I did. And I stand by it."

The girl clapped her hands in confirmation as she billed them, before handing Hillary the cupcake. "Have a nice day!" she called out as they went for the door.

"You're really bad at saying no to kids," Hillary teased.

"I didn't say yes."

"You didn't stop her either."

"I didn't know you followed Tyson's principles now," Kai muttered, opening the door for her as they stepped outside. Hillary just stuck her tongue out at him.

Hillary thought they were going to go their separate ways after that, but Kai surprised her by walking with her. "I thought I'd walk with you, since you keep looking behind, not focusing on what's ahead of you." he indirectly scolded her.

Hillary flushed a bit at this but didn't protest. They walked in silence until they reached the swim centre. "Do you want me to walk you home after practice for a few days?" Kai asked quietly.

Hillary felt her heart warm at the gesture as she shook her head. "That won't be necessary. My father's home. He agreed to pick me up due to the snow."

"Alright then," Kai said with a small nod. He turned and walked away — but not before giving her one last look, as if to make sure she was really okay.

*****

Cassie had received a call as soon as school ended. It was from the police station. They had finally agreed to let her meet Laura, but only for a few minutes. Cassie had rushed in right away.

When Cassie entered the holding room, the sight that greeted her felt surreal.

Laura was sitting comfortably — too comfortably — hands cuffed but shoulders loose, as though this were just another detention hour after school. She looked up at the sound of the door and her expression brightened, like she'd been waiting for Cassie all day.

"Hey," she said softly.

Cassie didn't return the greeting. She sat down slowly across the glass, eyes locked on her friend. "You were dealing."

Laura hesitated for a heartbeat, then nodded once. "Yeah."

That simple, flat admission made something inside Cassie recoil.

"How long?" she asked.

Laura tilted her head slightly. "Couple of months. It started small. Just—stuff to help people sleep, stay calm. I wasn't pushing anything heavy, Cass. I swear."

"That doesn't make it better."

Laura's eyes flicked down. "I know."

Cassie's voice was tight. "You lied to me. Repeatedly."

"I had to," Laura said, still calm. "If you knew, you'd get dragged into it. You were always too... good for me."

"What were you thinking?" Cassie snapped. "You had everything — a good family background, the best education money could buy, a sports scholarship with a little bit of effort. And you threw it all away!"

Laura gave a short laugh under her breath, more tired than amused. "Everything? Do you know how many people have bothered to visit me before you, Cass? Absolutely none, unless you count the fact that my father's lawyer showed up for five minutes and told me to be remorseful for whatever I've done. You're the first, and most probably the only person who'll be visiting me because you care."

Cassie stared at her in disbelief. "Don't you dare play the victim card with me, Laura," she snapped. "So what if your parents are distant? That doesn't excuse what you did. None of your friends visited you because you brought them down with you, along with two hundred something students across the city!"

Laura flinched a bit at this, looking slightly guilty for the first time. But the way she spoke, the way she didn't seem the least bit rattled, unsettled Cassie. "You're still acting like this isn't a big deal," she said slowly.

Laura shrugged. "It could be worse."

Cassie frowned. "Worse? How could it be worse? You're literally facing criminal charges!"

"Yeah," Laura replied, leaning back in her chair. "But according to the law, I'm just a dumb kid with a bad decision."

That word choice — "just" — struck Cassie like a slap.

"You don't feel sorry at all," she whispered, realization dawning.

Laura hesitated, then met her gaze again. Her expression lingered just a little. "I am sorry I lied to you. But that's the only thing I'm sorry about Cass. The peole I dealt with came to me willingly."

"Then why did Kai say something about someone uninvolved getting hurt? You can't control how everyone you dealt with works."

The brief flicker of fear that crossed Laura's eyes were hard to ignore. So, Laura did know about people uninvolved getting hurt because of her doings, and continued dealing anyway.

Cassie would have asked more about what Kai was talking about, but the officer tapped on the doorframe — time was up.

Cassie stood but didn't turn to leave just yet. Something in Laura's tone, her eyes — it didn't sit right. Cassie had a feeling that it wasn't just the drugs. It was like Laura knew something else. Something Cassie wasn't seeing.

"I still can't believe how weirdly calm you're being about the whole thing. You could lose years of your life. End up in a juvenile centre. None of the best colleges will take you after this. You're most certainly expelled from school."

Laura tilted her head slightly, her smile soft yet unreadable. "It could be worse, Cassie."

The air stilled.

"What?"

Laura didn't elaborate. "I'm just glad I got to see you." Cassie stood frozen for a second longer, but the officer was already opening the door. Her time was up.

*****

It was on her way back when Cassie saw the two of them together. Kai and Hillary were just exiting a café together, a smile on both their faces. Coincidentally, it was also a café she was quite familiar with, since it was owned and run by Luke's family.

Cassie quickly turned in the opposite direction, not wanting the two of them to notice her yet. But Cassie needn't have worried; they were busy in their own sweet world.

Hillary stuck her tongue out at something Kai said and he, in turn, rolled his eyes at her — but there was no denying that he was having a good time.

She'd hoped they would go their separate ways, but no. Kai decided to be a gentleman and started walking with Hillary to the swim centre.

Cassie pulled at her backpack stronger than what was needed. The last of her fears finally seemed to be taking root. To hell with swim practice, she decided in a split second as she made her way into the café.

Wind chimes jingled as soon as she opened the door, and the sweet aroma of freshly baked goods enveloped her as she made her way to the counter. She was suddenly unsure of what to do next.

On one hand, she couldn't think of many reasons why Kai could come to Darling Café with Hillary of all people. And she'd given him the benefit of the doubt too many times now.

But then again, she wasn't sure what she could do coming to the café now. She had no intention of looking like a pitiful girlfriend who's been cheated on in front of the staff there. She finally decided to take the matter up with Kai himself and put it to rest once and for all when an excited voice squeaked her name from behind the billing counter.

"Cassie! I haven't seen you like, in forever!" whined Amelia, Luke's younger sister.

"Hey there, kiddo," Cassie greeted the little girl by ruffling her hair. "I've been kind of busy for a while now. Sorry I haven't dropped in in a while."

Mel nodded seriously. "I understand. Luke told me you were busy ever since your defeat in the state swim championship. Especially since you hadn't lost a single match in two years."

Cassie blinked in surprise; she hadn't expected Luke to have kept his sister updated over her life, but Luke was awfully close with his sister and she had spent a lot of time at the café last year, working on school projects with him.

"Yeah, but it's sorted out now. Enough about me, tell me about yourself! I see that you've been given a new position at the café."

"Oh, this? It's only a temporary position. Two people called in sick today, with the sudden snow and all, so we were a bit understaffed. My mom agreed to let me handle the billing counter if I promised to do my homework after dinner!"

"I see... And your brother? Where's he?"

"We were out of a few items, so Mum sent Luke to get them. Why, was there something you needed from him? I can tell him you stopped by."

Cassie quickly shook her head. "No, that's not needed. Don't tell Luke I was here."

Mel frowned in confusion at her words, but nodded along. Cassie sighed deeply. "Mel, can I ask you something?" Mel nodded quickly.

"The guy who just left, do you know him?"

Mel lit up at this. "You mean Kai?"

"You know him from before?"

Mel nodded enthusiastically. "Kai comes here often. Usually orders takeouts, but sits in the corner sometimes too. Luke says he's grumpy, but he always tips, so Mum calls him a polite grump."

Cassie chuckled at Mel's animated explanation. Polite grump... the nickname kind of suited Kai. "But he's always been good with me. One time the credit card machine froze and he helped me with it calmly."

Cassie was surprised by the admission, Kai had never seemed like a guy who had a soft spot for children, but what much did she know of Kai anyway? He had always been an enigma, and she was unravelling his layers as and when they presented themselves. "That's very... nice of him."

"Yep! But today was the first time he came in with a girl!" she whisper-squealed.

"Do you know who it was?" Cassie probed lightly. She didn't want to appear too interested.

Mel just shrugged. "Nah... but she was pretty though. Not pretty pretty. But still pretty."

Cassie forced a small nod. She had heard enough about Hillary's unconventional beauty among her own friends. Her throat felt tight again. "Did they stay long?"

"Not too long," Mel replied. "They just finished their meal and left. But they took the Couple Compliment Cupcakes, so there must be something going on."

Cassie blinked. "Wait... what now?"

"Yeah!" Mel beamed. "We're doing this special offer today — only for couples who come in together. If you look like a couple, you get free dessert! Strawberry with a caramel swirl. It's a hit among the customers!"

Cassie's stomach sank. Her mind replayed the fleeting image she had seen earlier — Hillary walking beside Kai, holding a small cup in her hand. A takeout box just big enough to fit a cupcake.

Mel didn't notice the silence that followed. "I told them about the offer, and the guy — Kai — said no at first, but then the girl insisted. She teased him a bit. It was cute."

Cassie tried to keep her face neutral, but her jaw had gone tight. "And they took the cake?"

"Yup!" Mel said proudly. "I handed it to the girl myself as they were leaving."

Cassie's fingers curled around the edge of the counter. This small detail seemed to be all the confirmation she needed.

Mel tugged gently at her sleeve. "Cassie? You okay?"

Cassie forced a smile. "Yeah. Just... spaced out a bit."

Mel looked uncertain but didn't question her further.

Cassie straightened, brushing her hands over her sleeves. "Thanks, Mel. You've been a big help."

Mel grinned. "Want some cupcake too? I can sneak you one."

Cassie hesitated, then shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'm not here with anyone."

Mel tilted her head. "You don't have to be, you know. You're Cassie. You get special privileges!"

Cassie managed a soft laugh. "Thanks, kiddo. I'll keep that in mind." She ruffled Mel's hair one last time and left the café.

Tears started flowing freely the moment she stepped onto the sidewalk. She remembered the rumours that had been circulating about Hillary and Kai when she got together with him. How the whispers had been there even when Kai had been dating Laura, long before she even came into the picture.

And now that she knew the real reason Kai had started dating Laura, and then her, this development didn't seem too surprising. It felt inevitable — something that was bound to happen.

But it didn't make it easier to deal with. Not with everything crashing down around her. Swim championships, school leadership positions, her best friend, her other friends... and now the whole mess with Kai. She didn't know what to do.

The streets were mostly empty, and she knew that she was getting late. But she didn't feel like going to swim practice anymore. Not today.

Not even with the national championship just a fortnight away. The thought alone should've terrified her — skipping a session so close to one of the most important events of her career — but all she felt was exhaustion. Like something inside her had given out.

She didn't want to push through the pain. Or fight. Or pretend to be fine.

She didn't want to do anything but curl up in her bed and disappear for some time. Maybe the world could keep moving without her for a while. And maybe, just maybe, she was okay with that .

*****

Words : 3299

*****

A/N: Hey everyone! So, what do you think of this update? It seems that a lot of people's guesses about Cassie seeing Kai and Hil together at the cafe seems to be coming true.

Also, what do you think of this chap? What do you think will happen next? Whom do you think Cassie will confront first, Kai or Hillary? Also, what do you think about Hillary wondering about the attacker's gender? Do you think this is what will nudge Kai in the right direction?

A reader mentioned that her birthday was this Wednesday, so this is a special update, a lot longer than the usual chapters. I hope you read it on your birthday! Tell me what you think of this.

To my other readers. If you think my story is special enough that it could be a birthday present from me to you, then do tell me, I'll try to make sure there's an update on that day (no guarantee, but I'll surely try!) I'll also try to include something big in that update, but once again, it depends on where we are in the story. So, do speak up if your interested! (Also mention the country you're in, I don't want to miss birthdays due to time differences) 

✨Happy birthday @ryukouchihanara! 🎂Have a wonderful year ahead🥰! ✨

Finally, vote and comment guys (lots and lots of comments, interact with the story, not just with me, I promise you'll like it! ) Tell me your doubts, theories, everything! I love hearing from you guys! 

Happy Reading!