Chapter 9

Sky Wongravee

I take a deep breath as I walk up to Aou and Boom's place, my hands shoved into my pockets. The air is cool against my skin, but it does nothing to calm the unease sitting heavy in my chest.

I don't know what I'm expecting when I step inside—maybe just another awkward night with the group, dodging the obvious tension between me and Nani.

I've spent days watching him avoid me.

Ducking out of conversations, making excuses to be anywhere but near me, pretending like everything is fine when we both know it's not.

And the worst part?

I don't even know why.

One moment, things were normal—better than normal. The next, it's like there's a wall between us, and no matter how hard I try, I can't break through.

It's frustrating.

I want to talk. I want to fix whatever the hell is going on between us. But every time I try, he finds a way to shut me out.

And I don't know how to force it without making things worse.

I exhale sharply, trying to push those thoughts aside, and step forward.

Then, just as I reach the door, it swings open.

And there he is.

Nani.

His head is down, his shoulders tense, and he looks... off.

His hands are clenched at his sides, his movements stiff, like he's holding something in. His usual easygoing expression is nowhere to be seen. He's barely looking ahead, just walking.

Something's wrong.

A bad feeling settles deep in my stomach.

"Nani?" I call his name before I even think about it, taking a small step forward.

He doesn't stop.

He doesn't look up.

He walks right past me, like I'm not even standing there.

Like I don't exist.

I freeze, my breath caught in my throat as I watch him go.

Did he—did he not hear me?

No.

He heard me.

But he didn't react.

He didn't even see me.

The way his eyes stayed unfocused, the way his steps didn't falter even for a second—it wasn't just avoidance.

It was like I wasn't even there.

My stomach twists. I turn my head, staring as he disappears down the street, his pace quick but not rushed, like he just wants to get as far away from here as possible.

From me.

I squeeze my eyes shut, inhaling sharply.

Maybe I should go after him.

Grab his wrist, make him talk to me. Make him tell me what's wrong, why he's been acting like this, why he looked like he was about to break just now.

But my feet stay glued to the ground.

What if he doesn't want me to?

What if I make things worse?

I press my lips into a thin line, my jaw clenching. This isn't like him. Whatever happened inside... it shook him.

And I have no idea why.

A bitter taste fills my mouth, and I force myself to turn away.

I need answers.

If Nani won't talk to me, maybe the others will tell me what the hell is going on.

-----------------

The second I step inside, I know something's wrong.

It's too quiet.

Too tense.

The usual chatter, the casual teasing, the warmth that comes with being around my friends—it's all missing. Instead, there's a heavy weight in the air, something unspoken pressing down on all of them. I don't understand what they're trying, nor why Nani left.

I stop in the doorway, scanning the room.

Joong is staring at his hands like they're the most interesting thing in the world. Dunk is glued to his phone, his fingers tapping against the screen, but his expression is unreadable. Aou and Boom aren't their usual loud, obnoxious selves. They're still, their eyes flickering toward me before quickly looking away.

Perth leans back in his seat, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on something across the room. Santa meets my eyes, but he doesn't say anything.

My chest tightens.

They know something.

Something they don't want to say.

The silence stretches.

Uncomfortable. Suffocating.

I clear my throat, trying to keep my voice steady. "What's going on?"

Aou forces a grin, but it's fake. I can see it in the way his lips twitch, in the way his eyes don't match the smile.

"Nothing. Why?"

I scoff, stepping further inside. "Really? Then why did Nani just walk out looking like that?"

Boom and Dunk exchange a look.

There it is again.

That same hesitation. That same unspoken secret hanging between them.

My stomach sinks further. I can feel my breakfast coming up.

I swallowed—closing my eyes for a second before a lose control over myself.

"He just... left," Boom says carefully, like he's choosing his words too precisely.

I step forward, jaw tightening. "Yeah, I saw that. Why?"

Silence.

No one meets my eyes.

The unease in my chest grows, spreading like a slow burn.

They're hiding something—and it's making me rage.

I exhale sharply, trying to push down the frustration building inside me. "Does this have something to do with me?"

Joong shifts uncomfortably but doesn't answer.

Perth finally speaks up, his voice steady but detached. "It's nothing, Sky."

Lies.

The word echoes in my mind, sharp and cold.

I clench my fists so hard my nails dig into my palms. My chest feels tight, like something is pressing against my ribs, demanding to be let out.

They know.

They all know.

And they're shutting me out.

The realization stings more than I want to admit.

I swallow down the bitterness rising in my throat, my gaze flickering between each of them. They won't tell me.

Fine.

I don't need them to.

I take a step back, my voice flat. "If you won't tell me, I'll find out myself."

No one stops me.

No one calls out my name.

And that tells me everything I need to know.

Before I left, I looked at the others again.

"At least don't lie to my face when you're trying to keep something away from me.", I spat out, not caring if my words left bitterness in the room.

Because no matter what, I'm going to find Nani.