"Everything done, Kai?"

"Yep."

Kai and Chloe had just stepped out of the teachers’ office after handing over some forms to Mrs. Maryn.

The school atmosphere today wasn’t too busy, since the only students coming in were those who had business to attend to. Even though the school had announced that all students were required to attend the school for a few days before the summer holiday notice was issued, as usual, some students skipped because there were no lessons and it was basically a free day.

"Why did Lily leave early after handing in her files earlier?" asked Chloe as she walked alongside Kai, looking up at him. "Do you know, Kai?"

"Hmm... not really."

Kai did know, but not everything had to be shared with others. As for why Lily left early, of course it was because she had a chemotherapy appointment for her illness. Yeah, the monthly check-up routine that girl had to go through. Even though she looked healthy, Lily’s body was truly as fragile as glass.

"Oh, it’s Daisy!" Chloe’s eyes sparkled as she dashed off like a cheetah and jumped to hug Daisy from behind. "D.A.I.S.Y!!!"

"Hyyaaa!!!"

Stupid girl...

Kai walked over to Daisy and Caleb. He patted Caleb’s back, Daisy’s childhood friend, and... yeah, one of the ’villains’ just like himself.

Caleb was startled by the pat on his back, but his stiff expression softened a little when he saw it was Kai.

The relationship between Kai and Caleb could be said to be pretty good, after the two of them had talked man to man. They weren’t friends, just good acquaintances connected through Daisy.

"How are you, doing well?" asked Kai, leaning against the wall.

Following Kai’s gesture, Caleb also leaned against the wall. His eyes were still looking toward Chloe, who was still hugging Daisy and chirping about this and that, before he shifted his gaze toward Kai.

"Pretty good," Caleb answered Kai’s earlier question.

"I see your relationship with Daisy is going pretty well too. Congrats. If you two get together, don’t forget to treat me some popsicle."

"Hahaha..." Caleb chuckled softly, his eyes still lowered. "I don’t think that will ever happen."

"Giving up just like that?"

Kai looked at Daisy. He always thought that compared to the other three girls, he was never that close to Daisy. He didn’t know as much about Daisy as he did about Risa, Chloe, and Lily.

Kai always felt that he didn’t ’have to’ get close to Daisy the way he did with the other three. Because Caleb had been by Daisy’s side since they were little. And Kai didn’t want to just barge in.

Even though Kai knew he was also a hypocrite, because he knew Lily had a fiancé and still approached her... they even kissed. Yeah, even though in the end he apologized and made peace with it. For Daisy’s case, Kai didn’t want to interfere too deeply because he trusted Caleb.

The childhood friend trope mostly ends badly, huh

Kai closed his eyes as that sentence appeared in his mind. It wasn’t wrong, because back then, from most of the stories he read, for some reason childhood friends were always set up to lose.

"You know... you once said that you haven’t changed and neither has Daisy." Kai opened his eyes, turning to his right to look at Caleb, who glanced sideways at him. "And I said that was a delusion because it’s a lie if you say ’neither you nor she has changed.’ Because everything in this world changes."

"Yeah... I still remember what you said," Caleb said, looking at Daisy laughing freely at whatever Chloe had said. "The feeling of love never changes, huh..."

"Hmm." Kai nodded, nudging Caleb’s shoulder. "Yeah, the point is, never give up. Besides, not every love has to end up as a couple, right?"

"You’re right."

"Heyyy you two! What are you guys talking about!"

Chloe’s call broke the melancholic mood of the two boys. She really couldn’t read the room. Chloe approached the two boys while still dragging Daisy along.

"Hey, hey, hey! Let’s go to the canteen together," Chloe said in a high-pitched tone.

Seeing Chloe’s puppy-like sparkling eyes, Kai flicked the cute girl’s forehead, making her head jerk back with her mouth forming an O shape, before Chloe puffed out her cheeks like a pufferfish.

"Hey, what was that?! I was just offering to go to the canteen together or not, and don’t flick someone’s forehead like that!"

"Sorry. Your face just looked really stupid, I couldn’t help it."

Daisy and Caleb chuckled softly seeing the pair teasing each other. Daisy never imagined that the number one ranked student, Kai Clove, could be friends with a girl like Chloe, who seemed like Kai’s complete opposite.

"They’re pretty close, huh..." Caleb said.

"Hmm..."

Daisy looked over at Caleb, smiling at him. Daisy truly felt comfortable being close to Caleb. It felt like Caleb was really like how he used to be when they were little.

"Something wrong, Daisy?" Caleb said, a smile forming on his face when he noticed Daisy’s gaze.

Daisy returned Caleb’s smile. She took her childhood friend’s hand and leaned on his arm.

Chloe noticed that cute couple moments and tried to say something, but Kai’s palm was already to cover Chloe’s mouth. Preventing this pufferfish go chirping and yaps about things.

"Mmmff!"

Chloe tried to rebel by biting the hand covering her mouth, but Kai added a little more pressure to shut the stupid girl up. Looking toward Daisy and Caleb, Kai winked before dragging Chloe away with him.

"MMMFFF!!!" Chloe struggled a little as Kai carried her off like a sack of potatoes.

"Just stop struggling, idiot. Let those teenagers enjoy their youth."

In the end, Kai dragged Chloe away, leaving Caleb and Daisy alone. As someone who was very understanding and slightly hypocritical, Kai would keep trusting Daisy with Caleb.

He wouldn’t come and mess things up again unless necessary, because he felt content being connected to everyone here.

Releasing the grip of his palm, Chloe finally put on a pout. "STUPID KAI, WHY DID YOU RUIN MY FUN!"

"Hmm..." Kai raised an eyebrow, smiling as he whispered into Chloe’s ear. "I think leaving them alone is better... besides, I thought you’d also want to have lunch with just me..."

Hearing that, Chloe turned as red as a lobster fresh out of the pot. She stepped back a few paces from Kai, both palms holding her flushed cheeks.

Kai chuckled a little seeing Chloe flustered. He kept walking, and seeing Kai continue down the hallway, Chloe followed his steps.

"Don’t... say things like that again... stupid Kai... I... might fall in love, you know..." Chloe said softly, almost whispering.

"You say something?"

"Nope."

Chloe patted her cheeks and smiled again, linking arms with Kai, pulling him toward the canteen with her heart beating like the harmonious rhythm of a drum.