Tears and Tension

Kyle pulled Yvienna's wrist as they headed toward the parking lot. At first, she assumed he was leading her to his car, but instead, he steered her toward the elementary school building.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her tone laced with irritation. Kyle didn't answer, his grip firm and unwavering.

They stopped in front of the guidance office for elementary students. Yvienna frowned, her confusion evident.

"Why are we here?" she demanded, rolling her eyes.

Kyle glanced down at their joined hands before releasing her. "Don't run away," he said firmly.

Just then, the office door opened, and an elderly woman appeared. She looked at the two of them curiously. "Oh, where are your parents?" she asked.

"They're busy, so my mother asked me to come here," Kyle replied politely.

The woman's gaze shifted to Yvienna, and she offered a warm smile. Despite her irritation, Yvienna returned the smile out of courtesy. The woman gestured for them to enter, and they followed her inside.

Inside the guidance office, Yvienna noticed a small boy and girl seated on one couch. Across from them sat an older boy, his mischievous expression catching her attention. Before she could take in her surroundings further, the little girl jumped up and ran toward Kyle.

"Brother!" the girl squealed, throwing her arms around him.

Kyle picked her up effortlessly, his demeanor softening as he hugged her back. The elderly woman motioned for them to sit. Yvienna found herself on the couch next to the small boy, with Kyle sitting beside her.

Suddenly, she felt a light poke on her shoulder. Startled, she turned to see the boy beside her smirking and winking at her boldly.

Before Yvienna could react, Kyle intervened. "Dark!" he said sharply, causing the boy to back off immediately.

Kyle turned to Yvienna, his tone calm. "This is my sister, Greyizza, and that's my brother, Dark. They're twins and in kindergarten."

"Hi," Greyizza greeted, her voice shy but sweet. "What's your name?"

"I'm Yvienna. And you?"

"I'm Greyizza Louisse Zamora," she said proudly as she climbed onto Yvienna's lap.

Yvienna couldn't help but smile. "You're so pretty," Greyizza said, gently pinching Yvienna's cheeks.

"Grey," Kyle warned softly, but Yvienna looked at him, signaling that it was fine.

The playful moment was interrupted when Greyizza suddenly began to cry.

"Hey, why are you crying?" Yvienna asked, alarmed as she wiped the girl's tears.

"Am I ugly?" Greyizza asked, her voice trembling.

"Of course not! Who told you that?" Yvienna asked, her tone firm and protective.

Greyizza pointed toward the boy sitting across from them, who smirked unapologetically.

"I punched him because he called my sister ugly," Dark said, crossing his arms defiantly.

The boy who had insulted Greyizza suddenly burst into loud, exaggerated sobs. Yvienna barely had time to process the absurdity of the scene before the door flew open with a loud bang.

A woman stormed in, her face a mask of fury. "Who punched my son?!" she demanded, her voice booming through the room.

Her gaze locked onto Dark, and she approached him menacingly. Dark shrank back, fear evident on his face. Yvienna's heart clenched at the sight.

The woman raised her hand, clearly intending to slap Dark, but Yvienna acted swiftly, grabbing the woman's wrist mid-air. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked coldly.

The elderly guidance counselor tried to intervene, but the angry woman shoved her aside. Kyle and Greyizza rushed to help the counselor, but Yvienna stood her ground.

Before she could react further, the woman swung her free hand, landing a hard slap on Yvienna's cheek. The room fell silent, everyone frozen in shock.

Yvienna straightened, her cheek stinging but her eyes blazing with fury. "Did you just slap me?" she asked, her voice calm but deadly.

The woman sneered. "Are you dumb?!"

Yvienna clenched her fists, her blood boiling. Without hesitation, she slapped the woman back, hard enough to make her stumble. "You don't get to lay a hand on me or anyone else," she said sharply.

The woman glared at her, raising her hand again, but Yvienna caught it with ease. "You should be ashamed of yourself for acting this way in front of children."

The woman's face reddened with anger as she grabbed her crying son and stormed out of the office. The guidance counselor followed closely behind, muttering apologies.

Yvienna turned to Dark, who still looked shaken. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

He nodded slowly. "Thank you," he whispered.

Later, Kyle drove his siblings and Yvienna in his car. Yvienna sat silently in the passenger seat while Greyizza and Dark occupied the back.

"Are you okay?" Kyle asked, breaking the quiet.

"Yeah," Yvienna replied, though her cheek still tingled from the slap.

The silence was interrupted by the unmistakable growl of a small stomach.

"Brother, I'm hungry," Greyizza whined adorably.

"Where do you want to eat?" Kyle asked, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.

"In any restaurant, please!"

Yvienna's heart softened at the little girl's enthusiasm. Then Greyizza added, "Can your girlfriend eat with us?"

Yvienna froze. Girlfriend?

Kyle chuckled. "Of course, Yvienna can eat with us."

Yvienna shot him a glare, but he only winked, his smirk infuriatingly playful.

When they arrived, Kyle opened the car door for Yvienna, who stepped out hesitantly. Greyizza grabbed Yvienna's hand, linking it with Dark's, who held Kyle's hand on the other side.

The four of them walked toward the restaurant, hand in hand, like a family. For a fleeting moment, Yvienna allowed herself to enjoy the warmth of the scene. But deep down, she knew she couldn't ignore Cassandra's words forever. Reality would come crashing back soon enough.