Chapter 4 Four

Kai

We were walking toward the cafeteria when I noticed two girls coming out with desserts in their hands. One had purple-tipped curly hair and was laughing at something the other said. The second girl was quieter — long wavy dark hair, soft features, the kind of pretty that didn’t try too hard. Our eyes met for a split second as we passed each other at the entrance. She looked away quickly, a little startled, and kept walking.

I didn’t stop. Didn’t even turn my head.

Marc, of course, did. He slowed down just enough to watch them go, a grin already forming. “Damn. New freshmen are looking good this year.”

Theo didn’t even glance. “Can we at least get food before you start hunting? Some of us are actually hungry.”

I smirked, keeping my pace. “Let him look. It’s not like he’s going to do anything about it.”

Marc shot me a mock-offended look. “You wound me, brother. I’m a man of action.”

“You’re a man of bad decisions,” Theo corrected as we scanned our cards and stepped into the line.

The cafeteria smelled like grilled meat and fresh bread. It was still busy with the evening crowd — groups of students talking, trays clattering, someone laughing too loud near the salad bar. We loaded our plates: steak and roasted vegetables for me, burger and fries for Marc, grilled chicken and rice for Theo. Then we headed to our usual table in the back corner, the one that gave us a clear view of the whole room without being in the middle of it.

Marc took a huge bite of his burger and started talking with his mouth still full. “Alright, real talk. Are we hitting Delta house this weekend or what? I heard they’re doing a massive back-to-school party. Freshmen girls everywhere. Open bar. The whole thing.”

Theo shook his head while carefully cutting his chicken. “You say that every weekend. Then you end up drunk and calling me at three in the morning to come get you.”

“That was one time!” Marc protested, pointing a fry at him. “And it was because that blonde kept challenging me to shots. You would’ve done the same if she looked at you the way she looked at me.”

I chuckled, cutting into my steak. “You two are exhausting. Marc, you chase anything with a pulse. Theo, you act like you’re above parties but still show up every single time.”

Theo raised an eyebrow. “At least I don’t have a different girl in my room every other night. How’s that soundproofing holding up, by the way? Still working?”

I grinned. “Still solid. Chloe came over earlier. She was loud as usual. We went a few rounds — desk, bed, floor. Girl doesn’t know how to be quiet.”

Marc laughed so hard he almost choked. “I told you! That room is a war zone. If those walls could talk, they’d be screaming louder than the girls.”

We kept eating and talking. The conversation flowed the way it always did with them — easy, no filters, the kind of talk that only happens when you’ve known people long enough to not care about looking cool.

Theo leaned back after a while, more serious. “Speaking of your dad… how’s the old man doing? Still riding you hard about stepping up?”

I sighed and lowered my voice a little. “Yeah. He called me yesterday. Wants me home next weekend for a meeting. Something about tension with the rival crews. Keeps reminding me I’m the heir. No more playing around forever.”

Marc nodded, chewing slower. “That’s heavy. My father just wants me to learn the shipping routes properly. Yours is preparing you to run the whole thing one day.”

“Exactly,” I said. “That’s why I keep this campus life separate. Here I can skip classes, mess around, and hang with you idiots. Out there… I have to be someone else.”

Theo looked at me carefully. “You ever think about what happens when you can’t keep the two worlds apart anymore?”

I shrugged. “I make sure they don’t mix. Simple as that.”

The conversation kept going for almost an hour. We talked about the classes we were barely attending, which girls from last semester were still texting, a stupid campus drama involving a stolen bike, and Marc’s latest near-miss with a jealous boyfriend. Theo complained about a group project where everyone expected him to do the work. I mostly listened, throwing in comments when it felt right.

By the time we finished and dropped our trays, the cafeteria had quieted down. Most of the evening crowd had left.

As we walked back toward Evergreen Hall, Marc slapped me on the back. “Don’t overthink it, Kai. Enjoy college while you still can. Plenty of girls, plenty of fun. No need to complicate shit.”

I nodded