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Chapter 18 - From Anothere Angle(3)

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I opened my eyes, but they still felt heavy from last night.

Without showering or washing my face, I left my room and headed straight to the guest room—left side of the hall.

I just wanted to see if Kai was still here, though my eyes were barely open.

I flung the door open. Just as I expected—

Empty.

He must've left early in the morning.

I already knew that, and still... a strange sadness filled me.

Suddenly, the sound of a soccer ball echoed through the silence.

Each bounce grew louder, sharper.

A smile spread across my face without warning.

As if my eyes wanted Kai to be the first thing they saw this morning.

I rushed downstairs barefoot, still in my pajamas.

Opened the door that led outside—

And saw a black car parked right in front of the gate.

Not the usual kind.

One of those sleek, shiny black cars that Tai drives.

A little farther down, I spotted a boy—maybe around eight years old—playing with a ball on the grass, right beside Souh.

But it wasn't Kai.

A bitter smile curved on my lips.

Guess I was hoping to see someone else there.

I walked closer.

A black-haired boy in a yellow hoodie and black pants, laughing under the big tree just past the yard, chatting with Souh like they were old friends.

Curiosity pulled me even closer.

"Souh, who is this?" I asked.

He raised his eyebrow and answered casually,

"Oh, right. You haven't met him. This is Arian. He came with Tai. I was just about to introduce him to Kai. Want to come?"

I nodded, though I was surprised.

I'd never seen Tai bring anyone to our house before—except Souh and his older brother.

Arian stared at me.

There was something familiar about him... but I brushed the thought away.

Then I suddenly remembered what Souh said yesterday before leaving:

"It's a secret."

Somehow, Arian didn't seem like a bad kid.

And honestly, I wanted all of us to go see Kai together.

So I agreed.

"I'll go get changed. Be right back," I said, turning toward the stairs.

My face smiled, but my heart... was still full of disappointment.

Because he wasn't there.

The chime of the main door rang again as I stepped back inside.

Everything was quiet—

Except for the faint sound of voices coming from Mom's room.

I got closer.

Mom and Tai were talking, but not loud enough for me to hear what it was about.

I decided to ignore it and headed upstairs.

I changed into a white top and a medium-length skirt.

Stood in front of the mirror and ran my fingers through my hair, clipping it neatly.

I wanted to look pretty—

Just in case he saw me.

The mirror reflected my smile back.

It was strange—

That hopelessness from before had vanished like it was never there.

I hurried downstairs, skipping steps two at a time, and ran outside.

Souh and Arian were still standing there.

As soon as Arian saw me, his eyes widened and his cheeks turned slightly red.

I walked up to him and asked,

"Are you feeling hot? Souh can get you some water."

I didn't know him well, but I wanted to say something.

Mom always said to be more welcoming to guests.

But when I stepped closer, he stepped back.

I wondered if he didn't like me.

Then a soft, muffled laugh broke the air.

Was that a mockery?

"Stop staring at my sister like that, Arian," Souh said, stepping closer to him.

Arian rolled his eyes and pushed Souh's hand away.

"Quit saying nonsense. Aren't you going to introduce me to your best friend already?"

He sounded a little annoyed, a little embarrassed—

Like a cat caught being clumsy.

"Alright, let's go see Kai," Souh replied.

And we all started walking.

Arian kept glancing around, like he'd never been in a forest before.

"Isn't it kinda dark here?" he asked.

"What, are you scared, little kid?" Souh teased.

"Well, you're the one who's scared of spiders, aren't you, Souh?"

I smirked at him with a playful, devilish grin.

"Whatever, dummy," he muttered, frowning.

Suddenly, Arian shoved him—

Souh stumbled back.

"If you can catch me, I'll let you win. Let's play a little in this 'cool' forest," Arian said, and took off.

It felt like he was trying to prove something.

Souh immediately chased after him, and I followed them.

But the deeper we ran, the less familiar the forest looked—

And darker, too.

Even though it was still morning, it didn't feel like it.

It felt... wrong.

I started to feel scared.

Then Souh grabbed my hand.

"Come on. Let's go a bit farther. We'll find the path," he said, serious—no smile, no fear.

Just calm determination.

Arian followed close behind.

He looked afraid of the dark, but didn't say anything.

He just stayed with us.

Everything was silent—

Just the sound of our footsteps echoing through the gloom.

No way it was still morning in there...

Not with how dark it was.

Souh walked beside us like he knew the way—

But never said where we were going.

Then, a new sound.

A sharp one.

An axe.

The sound of chopping wood echoed ahead, growing louder with each step.

And we were walking straight toward it.

Suddenly, Arian grabbed Souh's hand.

"Let's go back. That doesn't sound good," he whispered.

Souh didn't say anything.

Just nodded and took a few steps forward.

His head slowly turned—

Toward the direction of the sound.

His eyes went cold, just for a second.

It reminded me of the past.

And it scared me.

Arian tapped him on the shoulder.

"Souh, come on. I want to meet your friend already."

For a moment, I wondered if Arian had noticed my fear—

And was trying to change the subject on purpose.

Both of them acted weird, and their words felt too quiet, too deliberate.

I didn't understand anything anymore—

Not here, not in this new house,

And not even back when we left Dad's place.

Maybe I didn't want to follow the truth.

Maybe I was just scared.

Or maybe... I simply couldn't.

Eventually, we left the forest.

It was still morning, but to me, it felt like hours had passed in that unfamiliar darkness.

Kai's house was just past the park.

We rang the doorbell, and he opened it.

His parents were probably at work again—he was alone.

But the moment he saw us, a wide smile lit up his face.

One I'll probably never forget.

"Who's that with you?" Kai asked, eyes on Arian.

"This is Arian. He came with my cousin," Souh said, smirking. "Why? Jealous?"

Kai's face flushed slightly, and he looked away.

"Obviously not," he muttered.

There were things about Kai I just couldn't understand.

Or maybe I didn't want to.

We all went to the park together.

Before we left his house, Kai grabbed his ball.

Then the four of us played hide-and-seek.

Laughter filled the air—

But the pink flush on Kai's face never really left my mind.

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