Kai led Zen to the park with excitement bubbling in his chest. The rain had ceased just in time, leaving the atmosphere refreshingly crisp. Zen found herself captivated by the scene that unfolded before her. The park sprawled out expansively, manicured lawns stretching as far as the eye could see. But what stood in the middle of it all outshined anything else: a wisteria tree in full bloom.

The wisteria tree was a real stunner, with lavender clusters of flowers hanging like grape bunches from its vines. Under it, the ground was carpeted with a soft layer of fallen petals, creating a natural lavender carpet. Zen turned her attention to the sprawling landscape around them; the park was alive with activity, with children running and playing, families enjoying picnics, and couples taking leisurely strolls. In the distance, a serene lake sparkled, its waters reflecting the vivid blue sky. It was a picture-perfect setting, and Zen couldn’t have envisioned a more enchanting place.

Kai turned to Zen, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. “I thought you might like this place. It’s one of my favorites,” he confessed.

Zen nodded enthusiastically. “It’s beautiful, Kai. Thank you for bringing me here.”

As Zen stood in awe, Kai couldn’t resist capturing the moment. He delved into his backpack and retrieved his phone, secretly taking a snapshot. “Hey, Zen,” he proposed with a grin, “how about some photos under this tree?”

Zen’s eyes lit up, but her excitement was gone the next second. “Sounds great, but I’m not exactly photogenic. My pictures usually turn out like I just woke up from a nap.”

“Nah, Zen, you’re gorgeous. I’ll prove it. Want to use your phone for some shots?”

Zen hesitated, “Well, my phone’s camera is kinda meh. Mind if we use yours?”

Kai nodded with a bright smile and opened his phone’s camera. He took a couple of shots of Zen standing under the wisteria tree. She posed and smiled awkwardly in between shots, but he still made sure she felt like a superstar through it all.

Amid the laughter, Zen offered, “Alright, your turn, Kai. Strike a pose!”

Kai readily obliged, and Zen took over as the photographer, ensuring to capture his best angles and playful expressions. Soon enough, they began taking numerous selfies together until they were satisfied.

Once they finished, Zen playfully snatched Kai’s phone and scrolled through the pictures. Her finger landed on one particular shot that caught her attention—a candid photo of herself, deeply absorbed as she gazed up at the wisteria tree.

She turned to Kai with a quizzical expression. “Hey, Kai, when did you take this one? I didn’t even notice.”

Kai glanced over and blushed slightly. “Oh, that one? “I couldn’t resist, Zen. You looked so genuinely captivated by the tree, and I just had to capture that moment.”

Zen smiled in appreciation. “Wow, I didn’t even notice you taking it. It’s kind of nice, actually.”

“You look wonderful in it. Please, don’t delete it.” He clasped his hands together and pouted, giving his best puppy-dog eyes.

Zen chuckled and ruffled his hair playfully. “Okay, I’ll keep it. Let’s see what other pics we’ve got.” She swiped further, pausing occasionally when she saw the ones of herself, scrutinizing them with a critical eye, all the while Kai stared at her with love-struck eyes. “I look so bad in some of them,” Zen said. “Not talking about your photography skills, Kai, it’s the model,” she added with a touch of sarcasm.

“Zen, come on, you look amazing in all of them!” Kai defended. But Zen was determined. She deleted the photos she deemed unflattering, despite his protests.

Once satisfied, she handed the phone back to him. “There, that’s better. Now, you can send me the pictures later.”

Kai sighed in resignation, “Alright. I’ll make sure to send you only the ‘approved’ ones. But just so you know, you look beautiful in all of them.”

“Thanks, Kai. ”

After a while, they strolled to the edge of the park where they could see the picturesque lake in full view. Ducks glided gracefully across the water, and the late afternoon sun painted the scene with warm hues.

“Look at that view, Kai. It’s stunning,” Zen said, pointing to the lake.

Kai nodded in agreement, savoring the moment. “Nature has a way of creating the most beautiful settings.”

As they continued their walk, they came across an ice cream stand. “How about some ice-cream?” Kai offered.

“Yes, please!” Zen squealed, her eyes sparkling with delight. They walked to the ice cream stand and picked their favorite flavors.

With each holding an ice cream cone, they ventured further into the park, eventually stumbling upon a secluded corner with two unoccupied swings gently swaying in the breeze. Kai gestured toward the swings. “Shall we?”

Zen grinned, feeling like a child again. “Absolutely!”

Side by side, they seated themselves on the swings and began swaying gently back and forth.

Kai drew in a deep breath and initiated a serious conversation. “You know, Zen, I have to be honest. Until today, I always perceived you as this extremely reserved and somewhat unapproachable person. But spending the day with you has shown me a completely different side of you, and I feel really lucky for that.”

Zen raised an eyebrow, her ice cream cone hovering halfway to her lips. “Really? I had no idea I gave off that impression.”

Kai chuckled softly, “Well, you’re not alone in this. People often misjudge me too, but today... today was different. You were so open and genuine, made me realize that there’s this incredibly bright and captivating side of you. I want to get to know that Zen better.”

“I guess sometimes I come off as reserved, but that’s just one side of me.”

“I know, now.” Kai smiled. “Anyway, do you wana try my ice cream flavor?”

Zen smiled and agreed, leaning in as Kai offered her a taste. As she took a bite, Kai couldn’t help but notice a little green smear on the side of her cheek from the ice cream and let out a hearty laugh.

Zen pretended to be mildly insulted before she decided to take matters into her own hands. She purposefully chugged her ice cream upwards, aiming for Kai’s nose, but he instinctively reclined just in time. The ice cream only grazed the side of his lips, painting them a delicious shade of pink. Without missing a beat, he quickly licked it clean and grinned devilishly.

Zen sensed the retaliation coming and shut her eyes tightly, preparing for an ice cream assault. However, instead of the anticipated cold shock, she felt Kai’s gentle touch on her cheek. He carefully wiped away the earlier green stain and pulled away without a word.

“Eh?” Zen blinked in surprise.

Kai looked at her, his eyes filled with sincerity. “I’ll never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable, Zen. I don’t care about winning. I’d never want someone I cherish to feel scared or cornered.”

The words hit her right in the feels, and Zen couldn’t help but smile. Kai had a way of making people feel special, as if they were the most important person in the room.

They both fell into a comfortable silence, swinging gently on the swings, savoring their ice cream. A while later, Kai got up from the swing and stretched his muscles. Zen glanced up and noticed that he had finished not only his ice cream but also the cones, something she found strangely amusing.

As she sat there, her ice cream perilously close to melting, Kai turned and noticed her shoelaces that had come undone. Without hesitation, he bent down and skillfully tied them for her. Zen sat there, unmoving, holding her melting ice cream, seemingly touched by this small yet meaningful gesture.

“Thank you.”

Kai finished and looked up at her, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. “You’re welcome, Zen. You know, I could get used to doing this for you every day, only if you’ll let me.”

Zen blinked, realizing that this was a masked question, a follow-up to his previous confession. Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to formulate a response, but before she could say anything, Kai laughed and playfully dismissed her.

“Just teasing,” he said, standing up and brushing imaginary dust off his pants. “I’ll keep waiting until you fully decide to accept me.”

Zen couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt that settled deep within her. Kai had opened up to her, and his feelings for her were so evident. Yet, there she was, unable to assure him of anything, unable to make a clear decision about the path their relationship should take. She didn’t want to lead him on, to give him false hope, and yet she couldn’t bring herself to definitively say yes or no to his feelings.

It felt selfish, and she knew it. It felt like she was keeping him in a state of limbo, and that wasn’t fair to him. But the truth was she genuinely didn’t know what to do.

Kai had been nothing but sweet, patient, and understanding. From a figurative approach, Kai was the complete package – handsome, smart, charming, caring, and funny. It was no wonder he had earned the nickname “Mr. Perfect” in almost everyone’s book in campus. And yet, despite all of these qualities that made him such an appealing lover, Zen couldn’t help but feel conflicted due to some unconfirmed possibility of her developing feelings for Raine.

“I’ll toss that for you since you’re done with it,” Kai chimed in, pulling her back to the present.

“Huh?” Zen looked up, then she noticed the empty ice cream cone. “It’s okay. I can toss it myself,” she replied.

“No worries,” Kai reassured her, plucking it from her grasp and making his way towards the trash can.

Zen found Kai back at the swing as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows on the playground. The atmosphere was tranquil, with the soft creaking of the swings in the gentle breeze. That was when something caught Zen’s attention. She jerked forward and pointed to a squirrel darting around a nearby tree, its tiny paws gripping a prized acorn. “Look at that squirrel, Kai,” she exclaimed. “It’s so adorable.”

“It is,” Kai agreed. Right then, another squirrel zoomed into the scene, and not a second later, the two squirrels were in an all-out brawl over that precious acorn. Chirps and screeches filled the air as they chased each other around the tree with a frenzy. In a brutal move, the second squirrel snatched the acorn from the first squirrel’s grip, then made a mad dash for freedom, leaving the first squirrel bewildered, a little battered, and definitely acorn-less.

“Whoa, those little guys mean business!”

Kai chuckled. “The second one was crazy.”

“Reminds me of someone I know,” Zen remarked, her voice devoid of emotion.

Kai glanced at her with a curious expression. “You mean Cassandra?”

Zen’s eyes widened slightly, surprised that he had guessed correctly. “How’d you know?”

Kai offered a sympathetic smile. “The incident at the cafeteria. It’s not your fault, Zen. I just know you couldn’t have done something like that.”

“But you weren’t there.”

“Zen,” Kai looked deep into her eyes. “If there’s ever a situation and you’re involved, I want you to know, your side of the story will be the first one I believe, no matter what.”

“Kai...”

“You’ll tell me everything, won’t you?”

“... I will,” Zen replied, pushing the swing forward. Her gaze breifly returned to the defeated squirrel disappearing behind the tree, and her mind wandered back to the Facebook post incident where she had been unjustly portrayed as the villain while Cassandra won the hearts of others by playing the victim. It had been a painful chapter in her life, and the wounds were still fresh.

“People can be quick to judge, especially when they only see one side of the story,” Kai continued.

A sense of betrayal coursed through Zen as she recalled how Raine had remained indifferent to the situation and had even sided with Cassandra. The more she mulled over it, the more her frustration grew, and she couldn’t shake the image of Raine as a seemingly useless raccoon rummaging through garbage.

How was it possible, Zen wondered, that Kai, who hadn’t been there that day, could sense her innocence and side with her, while Raine, who had been a firsthand witness, couldn’t see the glaring difference between truth and deception? It was impossible not to draw comparisons between Raine and Kai, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt bad for treating Kai merely as a friend because of the fear of making a commitment she wasn’t ready for.

Zen sighed and shrugged off those thoughts. She was just glad that the nasty Facebook post had finally bitten the dust. “I’m just glad that post was removed,” she confessed. “I’d love to meet the person who did it, just to say thank you.”

“Zen,” Kai began, his voice steady, “there’s something I need to tell you.”

Zen stopped the swing gently and turned to him. “What is it?”

He took a deep breath, and the chains of his swing rattled as he spoke, “That malicious post on our university’s Facebook page?”

Zen nodded, her eyes reflecting the memory of the stressful incident.

“It was Raine who hacked into the university’s Facebook page and took down that post.”

Zen’s eyes widened in shock as his words sank in. “Raine? Why would he do that?”

Kai brushed his feet against the ground as he pushed his swing forward. “He did it to protect you. He knew you were innocent, so he couldn’t stand by and watch your reputation be ruined.”

Zen let her swing slow to a stop, her mind racing with thoughts.

“Raine didn’t want any credit for what he did, but I thought you should know the truth. He’s not as cold and distant as he appears, Zen.”

Zen felt a whirlwind of emotions - shock, gratitude, and regret. “I had no idea, Kai. Thank you for telling me.”