Chapter 27

Nani Hirunkit

The cafeteria was buzzing with its usual midday chaos as students filled the tables. I walked in with Aou and Boom, the familiar chatter in the air making me feel a little more at ease. After the weird run-in with May earlier, I was just happy to be surrounded by friends. Or, at least, that's what I thought.

We found our usual spot near the corner, where Dew, Win, Joong, and Dunk were already waiting. Perth and Santa were sitting across from them, talking about some random class discussion. As we approached, Aou and Boom immediately started exchanging light banter with them, but I could feel the weight of Dew's gaze as I sat down. He hadn't said much since we arrived, but I could tell something was off. His silence wasn't like him.

"Everything okay, Nani?" Santa asked, his voice warm and friendly as he looked me over. "You don't look too happy today."

I forced a smile, trying to brush it off. "I'm fine, really. Just a long morning."

Perth, sitting next to Santa, glanced at me with a knowing look but didn't press. "I get it," he said, nodding. "You get a weird vibe from some people sometimes. Like, no matter how much you try to ignore it, it stays with you."

Before I could respond, Aou, ever the one to stir the pot, decided it was time to talk. "Speaking of weird vibes," he started, glancing over at Boom, who just raised an eyebrow, "May was acting real weird earlier. Like, I don't know what her deal is, but she bumped into Nani on purpose, and then acted like it was some cute accident."

Boom nodded, his tone a little more serious than usual. "Yeah, and then she hit him with that fake 'oops, sorry' line like it was all just a misunderstanding. But we saw it. It wasn't."

Dew's eyes flicked to me, and I could feel the change in his mood immediately. He hadn't said anything since we sat down, but the tension around him was thickening by the second.

"She did that to you?" Win asked, his voice low and calm. "Is she bothering you, Nani?"

I tried to shrug it off. "It's nothing, really. I don't even know her. Just one of those things that happen."

But Dew wasn't buying it. His hands clenched around his cup of water, and I could see his jaw tense. He wasn't angry—not yet—but there was something building under the surface.

Aou wasn't done, though. He leaned forward, his voice picking up speed as he retold the story. "Yeah, it's just the way she looked Nani up and down, like she was sizing him up. We're not stupid. She's got something against him."

"I don't know what her problem is, but she's been acting like this for a while now," Boom added, shaking his head. "Not to mention, the way she walks around here like she owns the place..."

I could feel the heat from Dew's glare on me, and the tension in the air was suddenly suffocating. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing as he processed everything Aou and Boom were saying. I could already see where this was going, and I didn't like it.

"What the hell is she trying to pull?" Dew's voice was low but sharp, cutting through the conversation like a knife. Everyone at the table went silent, their attention snapping toward him.

Win, sensing the shift, immediately put a hand on Dew's arm, trying to calm him down. "Hey, it's okay," Win said, his voice gentle but firm. "Let's not overreact. May's just... a little much sometimes. You know how she is."

Dew didn't look at Win, his focus still on me. "She's been acting like this for a while, hasn't she?" His tone was colder now, his frustration creeping into his words. "And you're just going to let her get away with it, Nani?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. The truth was, I didn't know how to explain it. I didn't know what I was supposed to say.

Win, noticing my hesitation, squeezed Dew's arm a little harder, his voice softer but insistent. "Dew," he said, his gaze fixed on him now, "just breathe. It's not worth getting worked up over. May's not worth the fight."

Dew's eyes finally flicked to Win, and for a moment, there was silence. The tension in the air thickened, and I thought maybe Dew wasn't going to listen. But then, slowly, he took a deep breath, his grip on his cup loosening. His eyes didn't leave mine, though, and there was still that simmering anger just below the surface.

"Yeah, you're right," Dew muttered, though his voice was still laced with frustration. "It's just... I don't want anyone messing with Nani—especially not after all this—when he just came back."

Win smiled faintly, squeezing Dew's shoulder. "I know, babe," he said softly. "I know. But it's just her. Don't let it bother you. Let it go."

Dew exhaled a long, slow breath. "I'll try," he said, though his tone was still rough around the edges.

Aou, always eager to shift the mood, broke the silence. "Okay, enough about May," he said, flashing a grin at the table. "Let's talk about something fun. Dunk, tell us about your latest project. I heard you've been putting something together for the student exhibition."

The mood lightened, and the conversation moved on. But I couldn't shake the weight of Dew's words, the anger that had flared so suddenly.

I appreciated that Win calmed him down—he always knew how to handle Dew when he was on the edge. But it didn't change the fact that I was still left with the feeling that things weren't as simple as they seemed.

I glanced over at Dew again. He caught my eye, and this time, there was no anger, just a quiet intensity in his gaze.

"Are you really okay?" he asked, his voice quieter now, almost concerned.

I nodded, offering a small, genuine smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. Really."

But deep down, I knew that things were far from settled, and May's attitude wasn't the only thing I had to worry about.