Chapter Seven: The Past That Follows Him
Kael didn't talk much about himself.
Feifei noticed that before she realized she was paying attention.
He showed up beside her during lunch more often now, always asking before sitting, always leaving space between them. Sometimes they talked about school, about random things like teachers they didn't like or how boring assemblies were. Other times, they didn't talk at all.
And somehow, both felt okay.
But whenever the conversation drifted too close to home, Kael changed.
One afternoon, Feifei mentioned family without thinking.
"My house is always loud," she said quietly. "But it still feels empty."
Kael's fingers stilled where they rested on his bag strap.
"Yeah," he said after a moment. "I get that."
She waited, unsure if he would say more.
He didn't.
Later that day, she saw him standing alone near the gate, phone pressed to his ear, shoulders tense.
"I said I can't," he muttered. "Not now."
There was a pause.
His jaw clenched. "Because going back won't fix anything."
Feifei slowed her steps instinctively, not wanting to intrude. But Kael noticed her anyway. His eyes flickered to hers for a second—something raw passing through them—before he turned away.
The call ended abruptly.
"You okay?" she asked softly, when she reached him.
He exhaled through his nose. "Yeah."
It wasn't convincing.
They walked together for a bit, not speaking. The road felt longer than usual, the air heavier.
"People think leaving means you're running," Kael said suddenly.
Feifei looked at him. "Are you?"
He stopped walking.
For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer.
"Sometimes," he said honestly. "But sometimes staying hurts more."
The words settled deep inside her.
She didn't push. Didn't ask questions he wasn't ready to answer.
Instead, she nodded. "I think… people survive the best way they know how."
Kael looked at her then—really looked.
A faint, almost sad smile touched his lips. "You're smarter than you think."
That night, Feifei wrote in her notebook again.
Pain doesn't always shout.
Sometimes it just follows you quietly.